Free Holiday Havoc by Terri Reed Page A

thermos in the other, she made her way back to her room. Second thoughts assailed her. Could she do it? Could she paint again?
    Or would the fear win?
    You have a God-given gift that shouldn’t be wasted.
    She’d always thought of her art as God inspired. Lifting her eyes heavenward, she whispered, “Help me, please.”
    For now, that was as much as she could ask for.
    Â 
    Perched near the top of the telephone pole behind Shannon’s Bed and Breakfast, Adrian had a bird’s-eye view into the place. The cops sitting in the car just yards away were oblivious to his presence. They saw what he’d wanted them to see. Just some blue-collar worker making a living.
    It would be hours, if not days, before anyone missed the utility truck or its rightful driver, who was right now unconscious and tied up inside the windowless van. It had been a stroke of luck to have stumbled upon the guy last night at the hospital when Adrian had followed Lauren there.
    Too bad all he’d managed to do last night was injure her foot and give her a little scare in the radiology room. It had cost him money he really couldn’t spare to bribe the orderly to bring her there, but it had been worth it—far better than just the pleasure of knowing he must have frightened her with the way he’d poked around her house, rearranging her possessions.
    Anger seethed in Adrian’s soul as he watched Lauren blithely eating and chatting with that man, the jogger, as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Obviously, her life hadn’t been ruined, like she’d ruined his.
    Adrian’s teeth gnashed at his scarred lips, the deadened flesh thick and rubbery. The coppery taste of blood where he broke the skin filled his mouth. He spat it out.
    Soon, very soon, there would be an opportunity. A moment would present itself when she was alone and then she’d know what real terror meant. It would only be a matter of time. Adrian had learned patience in prison. And many other useful things that he would show toLauren once he had her to himself. And no jogger was going to interfere.
    He pretended to work on the telephone lines, but was in reality setting up a small camera to monitor Lauren’s movements and feed the video to a laptop computer inside the van. He’d learned the ins and outs of video surveillance while in the joint. Amazing how much information could be gleaned off the Internet during his computer access time. Procuring the necessary items hadn’t been difficult. Not for a man like him. Breaking and entering, taking what he wanted was as natural as breathing.
    Jogger-man exited the house and stopped beside the police car at the end of the driveway to hand the cops a silver thermos, before climbing into a black truck and driving away.
    Swinging his gaze back to the house, Adrian saw Lauren enter her bedroom. Her curtains were open just enough for him to see her crawl to the middle of the bed and draw her knees to her chest.
    Adrian’s breath quickened with anticipation.
    Maybe his opportunity was now.

SIX
    A loud knock echoed through the stillness of the bed-and-breakfast. Startled by the sudden noise, Lauren tensed. Had Sean forgotten his key? Slipping from the bed, she limped to the bedroom door. She opened it and peered into the hall. Mary walked toward the front door.
    â€œWait,” Lauren called out.
    Mary halted and blinked at Lauren. Today, her red hair was swept up in a topknot and she wore tailored navy slacks, a kelly-green, long-sleeved blouse with ruffles at the neckline and cuffs and a bright smile—until she caught sight of Lauren’s expression.
    Rushing as best she could with a throbbing foot to Mary’s side, Lauren said, “It might not be safe.”
    Concern marred Mary’s forehead as her eyebrows drew together. “Safe? What’s going on?”
    Guilt for bringing danger to this kind woman’s home twisted inside Lauren’s gut. “It’s