Finding Elizabeth Read Free Page B

tried to erase Eric Grundy from her mind. A tough ask. Thoughts bounced from
what fool behaves this way
to
he was a pathetic idiot who had invaded her sanctuary
. She couldn’t imagine him ever becoming dangerous, but then …
    A pearl-grey dawn light streamed in through the garret window, waking Katherine from a full night’s dreaming of arguments and should’ve-saids. She peered at her bedside clock. Eight-thirty.
    “God, four hours is just not enough.” She thumped her pillow, flopped back, closed her eyes and tried to sleep. It wasn’t happening. There wasn’t a hope in hell that she would get any more sleep.
    Coffee beckoned. Katherine stretched and flexed her muscles, flung her legs over the side of the bed and padded to the kitchen. She peeked down the hall and checked the front door; the chair and safety chain were still in place. Hopefully, her threats had Eric scared.
    “Doubtful,” she groaned.
    Mug of coffee in hand, Katherine headed for the ultra-modern, white bathroom, downed a couple of aspirins, showered, dried herself and dressed in her favourite red pullover, olive green pants and boots. She packed her case, gathered her toiletries and placed everything in the hallway. She grabbed her favourite black coat, shrugged it on and gently eased a red knitted hat over her head. Nothing more needed doing. There were no goldfish or plants for the neighbours to look after. But that was about to change. Her parents’ horrific car accident, which had injured her mother and killed her father, made Katherine take a good look at where her life was heading. What was it they said about trauma? Life begins on the other side of despair.
    She flexed her fingers into a pair of leather gloves and stopped to look at a couple of poster-size photos on her wall. One was of her crazy friend, ski champion Leandra Paige, wearing a helmet and electric blue ski gear, a red maple leaf on her thigh, her knees at a perfect angle, as she raced down a pure white slope. That photo always made Katherine smile. The other poster was of herself, dancing the principal role of Odette-Odile in
Swan Lake
. The photographer had said he loved the classic bone structure of her face, the well-defined muscles and the grace of her long limbs.
    Grace of my limbs
, Katherine thought. How ironic that her body, her hyperflexibility that made her dancing so spectacular, had also caused the injuries that forced her early retirement.
    The jangling phone cut through the quiet space. Before answering it, she paused to read the caller’s number, then picked up the receiver.
    “Hi, Lea.”
    “Oh, you’ve got one of
those
phones,” Leandra said.
    “Yeah, how are you? How was Chamonix?”
    “Great, I came third. I kept getting airborne, damn it. Sorry I couldn’t be there for your last performance, I feel awful. I couldn’t get a flight out of Geneva in time.”
    “Don’t worry. It’s winter and you’re busy. Can you make it to the charity performance at Spruce? After that, everyone can stop worrying about me. I’ve been on Pierre’s mind for years, poor man.”
    “Not me, I never worried about you,” Leandra giggled. “I’m too busy worrying about Mum worrying about me. Just as well she’s in Spain soaking up the sun and worrying with your mum. I haven’t heard anything the last few days. Now I’m worrying about them. And I have to drop by Mum’s sports store to make sure everything’s okay so she won’t worry. God, everyone should just stop worrying. How are they?”
    “Mum sounds great. I think your mum is making her laugh a lot.” Katherine smiled. “I half expected you would drop in on them.”
    “Not yet—after Lake Louise women’s downhill next week. Are you staying in Calgary until the performance?”
    “No. When I came home last night, Eric was sitting on my sofa.”
    “Crap! What’s the matter with him? What gives him the idea he can just do that?”
    “I don’t know. The police said some stalkers fixate on a