Quiver: Watched by Shadows (Quivering Shadows Book 2) Read Free

and the office. Now, with a goal set in my mind, I strode forward, my heels clacking on the pavement as I went.
    Not wanting to bump into Max, I kept my eye on the corner at the bottom of the street in case he came into view. I didn’t think he would double back since he lived in the opposite direction, but I was on high alert, regardless.
    As I approached the office door, sandwiched between two silent shops, I fished in my handbag for the spare key I’d managed to liberate from Max’s keychain earlier in the evening when he nipped to the loo; the opportunity had presented itself, and I took it. I hoped he wouldn’t notice it missing before I could put it back. I felt guilty enough already.
    Peering into the gloom, I checked over my shoulder and then up the street. My nerves were on edge, and my hand shook while I gripped tightly onto the flat metal key; its jagged teeth dug painfully into my palm. I’d never broken into anywhere before, never had the need or the desire to, and although I was an employee and had in my possession a key to get in, I’m sure if caught, I would be in a heap-load of trouble.
    I faced the door, contemplating my options. I had the choice of just walking away and finding another opportunity to snoop around the office during daylight hours. But the other girls were always watching, eager to stab you in the back at any given opportunity, and multiple sets of eyes would register my every movement, like when I’d make a cuppa or take time to have a quick chat with Max. Plus, I convinced myself, there’d hardly be any chance to get into the Max’s office alone as he was always in there, head bowed over stacks of paperwork, trying his hardest to impress his dad.
    The pub door opened on the corner and allowed a roar of voices and loud music to escape from within its sweaty enclosure. Two men, a little worse for wear, stepped out and started to make their way, weaving slightly, up the street towards me. Paranoid that they’d see me, I found myself putting the key into the lock and opening the door, damning the consequences.
    I pushed the door closed, and the sounds of the street melted away as I stood in the dim muted entranceway. I took a deep breath and was about to make my way up the narrow stairs to the first floor when a high-pitched beeping clamoured for my attention.
    Crap! I’d forgotten about the alarm!
    I looked for the panel; green LED lights illuminated the keypad mounted onto the wall, while above, an angry pulsing red light flashed its warning. I had maybe a couple of attempts before it would start shrieking, and I tried hard to remember the code. Did I know it? My heart raced. If only I could remember! My brain was clouded with alcohol and fuzzy with the mounting pressure. I was surely going to be caught.
    A sudden image of Max’s fingers tapping the key pad, only hours earlier, popped into my head. I remembered watching his soft hands tracing a Z-like pattern when he’d entered the code… but had there been 5 or 6 numbers? I closed my eyes trying to count the number of beeps I’d heard. There wasn’t much time left.
    With a trembling hand I entered the code 2-3-5-7-8 and pressed submit.
    “Please be right, please be right,” I chanted, waiting and willing the red light to turn off.
    The alarm chirped and the whole panel turned a quiet, calm green. I couldn’t believe my luck and slumped against the wall behind me.
    Realising I couldn’t waste any more time, I sprang upright and rushed up the stairs like a startled rabbit. I didn’t know what I was looking for - ever since the encounter, I’d studied each invoice and docket that came across my desk, but nothing seemed relevant, just everyday bills and orders. I made copies to disguise my search, so it seemed to my colleagues that I was busy.
    I entered Max’s cool, spacious office, which had large sash windows that overlooked the rear of the building. I was determined in my quest to prove the investigator wrong; Max