What She Doesn't See Read Free Page A

stretched thin.
“Is he working out a notice?”
    “Nope. It was
adios
and he was out
the door.” Shannon sighed. “I’m scanning resumes tonight.”
    Damn. Alex shook her head. “Don’t do that
tonight. We’ll figure it out in the morning.” She took another pull
from her beer. “We’ve been down this road before.”
    Shannon agreed and they ended the call.
    Alex tucked her cell into her back pocket as
she made her way to her bedroom. She was ready for that nice long
soak. She flipped on the bathroom light and started the water in
the tub. Before stripping off her clothes, she stared at her
reflection a moment and wondered what her life would have been like
if things had been different. She thought of Hitch and how badly
he’d wanted to pursue a long-term relationship. Had watching her
parents fight nonstop until the night her father killed himself
kept her single? Or had her mother’s string of failed relationships
since turned Alex cynical when it came to anything long-term?
    If life had taken a different turn for her,
would Alex have kids off in college now like Shannon? A husband who
spent his Saturdays watching sports? Sex every first and third
Sunday of the month?
    Alex shuddered. “No looking back,” she
muttered.
    Determined to relax, she returned to the
kitchen for another Corona, and then she lit all the candles in her
bathroom. She turned on the radio to her favorite station and set
the volume to a whisper. A few minutes later and she was up to her
neck in hot, frothy water. She refused to think about how long it
would take to find a replacement for Brown.
    She refused to think at all.
    The air was thick with steam and the lavender
bath oil had her relaxing. This moment made the day’s dirty work
worth the effort. A long, hot bath was her favorite way to soothe
away the day’s stress and the smell of death. She closed her eyes
and allowed the water to melt the last of her tension. Her place
didn’t have a lot to offer in the way of amenities, not even a
dishwasher, but it did have this huge tub in the master bath. And
there was no mortgage—a very important asset in any woman’s
life.
    The wood floors guaranteed she’d never have
to worry about replacing carpet. The tile roof and stucco exterior
ensured that, outside of being hit by a hurricane, nothing more
than a paint job would ever be required. The lack of fancy
appliances promised nothing expensive would break down. The
furniture was the same overstuffed, worn pieces her grandmother had
owned forever. And the tiny apartment over the garage provided the
perfect place for her mother.
    Alex was pretty sure her grandmother had
planned it that way, and her mother didn’t really seem to mind. She
evidently understood on some level that she couldn’t be trusted as
a homeowner. Besides, the whole setup gave her total freedom from
responsibility.
    The creak of a floorboard somewhere beyond
the half-open bathroom door jolted Alex from her mental ramblings.
She sat up straight and listened.
    Another squeak had her climbing quietly out
of the water and reaching for her robe. She slipped into her
bedroom, grabbed the can of pepper spray from the bedside table,
and eased closer to the door.
    Since she didn’t carry a gun, pepper spray
was her weapon of choice. It hadn’t been that long ago that Miami
was the murder capital of the nation. She had no intention of
becoming a victim. She damned sure wouldn’t go down without a
fight.
    When she heard no other sounds, Alex moved
into the short hall that separated the two small bedrooms and tiny
hall bath from the living room-kitchen area. Being careful not to
make any noise, she padded through each room to ensure there wasn’t
an intruder. Doors, front and back, were still locked. Windows were
open, the night breeze shifting the curtains but nothing looked out
of the ordinary. Slowly she let down her guard. With the windows up
the sound could have carried from next door. The houses on either
side of her