FOUR
I FELT BEHIND ME FOR the table lamp, grasping it firmly and shifting slightly to the side to hide the fact I was holding it. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was better than a paperback.
The man stopped in front of me, so close I could smell his woodsy aftershave.
“I want you to leave this room now,” I said in a calm, but firm, voice. Beside me, Sarah made a slight noise of unhappiness. “I don’t know anything about a court, but I do know that you have violated several laws, and the police are even now searching for you. If you leave right now, I will not harm you, but I am fully prepared to defend my friend and myself from you if you insist on attacking.”
An annoyed look flitted across his face. “Stop saying that! I have not attacked you!”
“You strangled me!” I answered, part o
