The Molly Sutton Mystery Series, books 1-3

Chapter 38

Chapter 382005Molly was about to make a move when a cloud slid over the moon and the yard went dark. There was no streetlight, no light coming from the neighbor’s, and Molly’s heart stopped pounding quite so hard.

Please don’t have a flashlight. Please.

She could just make out his shape as he came around the side of the house, a slow-moving, darker space in the blackness. Molly held her breath, eyes pinned to him, trying to stay completely motionless.

Vincent stopped. She thought she could see him c**k his head, as though he were listening for something. He stood like that for what seemed an eternity. And then the black shape started up again, moving towards the house. He pushed on a window but the latch held fast.

And then the cloud slipped away, and the light of the moon fell on the yard, so bright she could read the license plate on the taxi and make out the plaid pattern of Vincent’s shirt.

Molly tried to press herself against the tree so that the vines would hide her, but she knew if he looked in her direction, the pale skin of her face would probably glow. Somehow she needed to distract him, to send him away long enough that she could make a break for it. Slowly and carefully she felt around on the ground with the toe of her shoe. He went out of sight around the back of the house and quickly Molly stooped down and grasped a stone from between the root of the tree.

She could hear him trying the French doors.

The door banged as he closed it. She knew he had gone into her house. Frantically she disentangled herself from the vines and ran towards Madame Sabourin’s house, praying she was still awake. Not wanting to make noise, she tapped on the door, peering into a sidelight hoping to see her elderly neighbor. A light was on in the back.

And in a moment, Madame Sabourin appeared, smiling when she saw Molly, and opened her front door.

“Call Ben!” said Molly, trying not to get hysterical. “Lock all the doors and call Ben right away!”

Madame Sabourin acted without asking any questions until the house was secure and Ben on his way, and as she put on a kettle for tea, Molly put the stone she had been clutching on the kitchen table, and told her everything she knew.