Her voice stopped.
“What?”
She whispered, “Shit.”
“What?” Dana asked.
Smiling at her, Tuck said, “Just act natural. Pretend nothing’s going on.”
“What is going on?”
“Someone’s over there.”
“Hub?”
“Across the pool. In the bushes.”
Chapter Twenty
THE LURKER
Trying not to show her alarm, Dana smiled and nodded. She kept her eyes on Tuck. “Where exactly?” she asked.
Tuck took a drink of wine. Then she lifted her eyes, slid them to the right, and looked.
And looked.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t see him now.”
Turning her head, Dana studied the area along the far side of the pool. All she saw was a broken wall of trees and bushes. The foliage crowding the edge of the concrete was brushed with light, but there were gaps here and there along the whole length of the pool. Deep, empty spaces filled with darkness.
Dana didn’t see anyone.
But she suddenly realized how alone they were.
All by themselves in the spa. Tuck’s house deserted. Wooded hills all around them.
Nowhere to run for help.
Nobody to hear them scream.
“I don’t see him,” Dana said.
“Me neither. Not anymore.
“Maybe he left.”
“I don’t know. He could be anywhere.”
“Well...not anywhere.”
“Damn near,” Tuck said.
“Where was he?”
“Okay. Look straight across at the corner of the pool, then go to the right about fifteen feet.”
Dana followed the instructions.
“See what looks like a Christmas tree?”
“Yeah.”
“He was in that dark place just to the right of it.”
Dana found the dark place. She nodded. “Guess he isn’t there now.”
“Why don’t you go over and take a good look around?” Tuck suggested.
“Very funny. Maybe we’d better go inside.”
“Shit. Yeah. We’d better.”
“Let’s just put down our glasses and leave everything right here.”
They both set down their glasses.
“Now what?” Tuck asked.
“Run like hell for the back door.”
“Think so? Maybe we should just act like nothing’s wrong.”
“Why kid around?” Dana asked. “My second now, he might come after us. He might be sneaking closer even while we’re discussing this.”
Tuck grimaced slightly. Her eyes flicked toward Dana.
Dana saw fear in them.
It hurt to find fear in Tuck’s eyes, which usually showed wry humor and mischief and moxie. It made her want to hurt the person who had put it there.
“Don’t worry,” she said, and gave Tuck’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be right beside you. Nothing’s going to happen.”
“Okay,” Tuck said. She nodded briskly. She still had the fear in her eyes.
“Ready?” Dana asked.
“You bet.”
“Let’s hit it.”
They scurried to their feet, whirled around and ran, water flying off their legs, their bare feet smacking the concrete. Dana dashed around one side of the table, Tuck around the other. They converged beyond it and raced for the sliding door.
Realizing they might both reach it at the same moment, Dana slowed down. Tuck rushed ahead of her, jerked open the door and lunged out of the way to let Dana enter first.
Dana ran in.
Tuck lurched in behind her, pulling the door. It rolled shut with a heavy thud that seemed to shake the house. Tuck snapped down the locking lever.
Side by side, gasping for breath, they both stared out.
Except for the steam and the shifting, rippling surface of the pool, nothing moved.
“Well,” Tuck said. “Guess he’s not coming.”
“Doesn’t look like it. Are you okay?”
“Sure. Fine.”
“Did you see who it was?”
“Nah.”
“What’d he look like?”
“Just...I don’t know. I’m not sure what I saw. Part of an arm, maybe. I just caught a glimpse of it.”
“Are you sure it belonged to a person?”
Tuck turned her head and frowned at Dana. “No, it was Bigfoot.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
Suddenly tossing a smile at Dana, she said, “Nah, couldn’t have been Bigfoot. Wasn’t hairy. Might’ve been a beast, though.”
“Sure.”
“The skin looked awfully white.”
“It was a bare arm?”
“Yeah,” Tuck said. “Whoever he was, I don’t think he had a shirt on. I think his shoulder was bare. Hmm. Maybe he was naked.” She reached for the door handle. “I’ll ask him in.”
“Sure you will.”
Tuck let go of the handle.
For a while, they didn’t talk. They stood side by side, staring out.
Then Dana said, “Do you have any idea who it might’ve been?”
“Not a clue.”
“I guess we can’t go back out there.”
“You know what? Keep an eye on things. I’m calling the cops.”
Dana felt a sudden dropping sensation in her stomach.
Calling the cops.
Legs dripping, Tuck walked over to the lamp table at the far end of the couch.
She picked up the phone.
“You think it’s that serious?” Dana asked.
“Don’t you?”
“I guess so.”
Tuck tapped in three numbers.
“9-1-1?” Dana asked.
“You bet.”
“Jeez.”
This was like calling for an ambulance: an admission that the situation might be drastic.
Dana turned away to keep an eye on the pool area.
She saw nobody.
If he’s out there, he’s sure keeping out of sight.
“Hello?” Tuck said. After a brief pause, she said, “Yes, I guess it’s an emergency. We have a prowler behind the house. My friend and I were out by the pool, and I caught him spying on us from the bushes.” Pause. “Tucker. Lynn Tucker...Oh, hi, George. Didn’t recognize your voice...Yeah, we’re fine. We ran into the house and locked the door, but we’re afraid he might still be out there...No, he doesn’t seem to be coming after us. Not yet, anyway.” She listened for a moment, then gave the house address. After another pause, she said, “I don’t have any idea who it is. I didn’t see the face... White. And I think it’s a male, but I really didn’t get that good of a look...I don’t know. I guess I’d say he’s probably young. Not a kid, but not an old man...I only saw his arm and shoulder, George... Well, average size, I guess. No, cancel that. I don’t know. I guess he seemed to be fairly large. But like I said, I couldn’t see much. He might’ve seemed bigger than he really is...I don’t know, maybe six feet something...How should I know? Based on a glimpse of his arm?..Well, how about a hundred and eighty, two hundred? Do you have to put something down? I really haven’t got a clue. Can’t you just send someone over?...Wearing? Nothing that I could see...Well, I can’t say he was naked. All I saw was his arm, George. And it was bare, so I’m pretty sure he wasn’t wearing any shirt...Nothing more I can think of...I don’t know. At the moment, he isn’t trying to kick the door in...Isn’t...Okay, thanks. That’s great.... You, too, George. So long.”
She hung up.
Dana turned around. Tuck shook her head. “That was my old pal, George. He’s sending someone over.”