Free Against the Night by Kat Martin

knew. Though her nerves were tingling and her stomach felt like a ball of snakes. She was committed to finding Rachael, no matter what it took.
    Amy slowed, checked the address stenciled on the curb in front of the house and pulled the car over. The residence, a single-story Spanish-style home, was nice but not pretentious, the kind of house she might have expected his parents to live in instead of Kyle.
    Turning off the engine, she sat for a moment collecting herself, then grabbed her bag, opened the door and climbed out of the car. The place was well kept, the plants and shrubs along the brick walkway leading up to the house neatly pruned and watered.
    She took a quick glance behind her but saw no sign of Johnnie. He would be parked around the corner out of sight, she figured. At least he was out there somewhere.
    “I’m walking toward the front steps,” she said into the mic hidden inside the locket, figuring she was still far enough from the windows no one would see her talking to herself. She steadied her nerves as she pushed the doorbell and heard it chime somewhere inside.
    It didn’t take long for the door to swing open. A smiling Kyle Bennett stood in the doorway.
    “Come on in.” He was dressed in designer jeans, loafers and a yellow Izod knit shirt, his sandy hair neatly combed. He was casually GQ, exactly what she had expected.
    Amy walked into the Spanish tiled entry noticing a heavy wooden chandelier overhead, and Kyle closed the arched front door.
    He surveyed her head to foot. “You look just as good in clothes as you do out of them. That’s definitely a plus.”
    She swallowed, not happy with the reminder he had seen her all but naked. “Is…is everything ready for the screen test?”
    “My camera guy is running a little late, but he’ll be here soon. Why don’t we go into the studio and I’ll fix us something to drink?”
    She let him guide her through the house into what looked like his study, done in dark wood paneling with a wide, ornately carved oak desk, and a dark brown leather sofa and chair. A camera on a tripod pointed toward the sofa, apparently where Bennett planned to film the audition.
    “Have a seat,” he said.
    She sat down on the couch, nervously smoothed her palms over her white jeans.
    “What would you like to drink? Glass of white wine, maybe, or something stronger? How ’bout I make you a cosmo?”
    Amy shook her head. “A Diet Coke would be good…if it isn’t too much trouble.”
    “No trouble. I just figured you might want something to help you relax in front of the camera.”
    “I think…think I’d do better if I wasn’t drinking anything alcoholic.”
    His smile looked more feral than friendly. “How about some orange juice? It’s pretty much all I’ve got.”
    “That would be great.”
    He walked over to the bar in the corner and began fixing their drinks. A blender sat on the back bar next to a row of mixes, and a pink silk geranium in a small woven basket. A couple of padded leather stools sat in front of the bar.
    Kyle returned with their drinks, handed her the orange juice and sat down on the sofa beside her. He lifted his glass. “Here’s to a great test today.”
    Amy lifted her glass and he clinked his against hers. She took a swallow and then another, hoping it would help calm her nerves. “You know, a friend of mine came here for a screen test,” she said, easing into the subject of her sister.
    One of his sandy eyebrows went up. “That right?”
    “Silky Summers. She worked at the club before I started.”
    “Oh, sure, I knew Silk. I tried to help her.” He shook his head. “It was sad, really. Silk had big dreams, but I’m afraid she didn’t have much talent.”
    “Is that right?” Amy thought that was probably a lie. Rachael was good at most everything. “She always wanted to be an actress.”
    “They all do, sweetheart. But most of them just can’t cut it.” He smiled. “Not like you. I’ve got a good feeling about you,