Bitter Sweets

her. I was hoping that, maybe, the inheritance money would make a difference.”

    He blushed, a deep, natural redhead flush and shrugged his shoulders. “I wasn’t proud. I wanted to see her any way I could, no matter what her motivation.”

    “I can understand that. But you haven’t seen her yet?”

    “No. I just arrived in town last night. And after I spoke to my wife, I decided I’d better come over here right away and ask you what was up. Besides, I don’t even know where my sister is. Last night I drove by the address that Earl Mallock gave me and it’s just one of those postal centers with PO boxes.”

    Savannah felt the first spark of hope she had experienced since visiting the Blue Moon Motel last night. Maybe things weren’t quite so bleak, after all. Along with the bad news that she would have to deliver to Lisa Mallock in another hour and a half, she could bring her a blessing...a real, flesh-and-blood brother.

    “I know where she is,” Savannah told him with a tired smile. “I’m going to spend the next ninety minutes making absolutely, positively sure that you are who you say you are. And if it’s true, I’ll introduce you to your sister. Believe me, you couldn’t have arrived at a better time.”

    “Is this it?” Brian O’Donnell’s ruddy face glowed with anticipation as Savannah pulled the Camaro into the driveway and cut the key. “Is this my sister’s house?”

    “That’s it. The unit ‘A’ on the left. And that’s her Tempest under the carport, so I’d say she’s home.”

    Brian was already opening the car door and swinging a leg out.

    “Ah...you might want to wait just a minute,” she suggested, “and let me go first. I think I should tell her that you’re with me.”

    He looked only slightly disappointed. “Oh, okay. I’m just anxious, that’s all.”

    “Perfectly understandable. I won’t take long. Promise.”

    But when Savannah rang the doorbell, no one answered. After buzzing a couple times, she knocked loudly.

    Still no response.

    She glanced at her watch. It was seven-forty. Maybe Lisa was still in bed and a sound sleeper. Perhaps if she tried the back door.

    But she had no better luck there. After pounding until her knuckles tingled, she was about to give up and accept the fact that no one was at home, when she noticed something that sent a chill through her. Deep, jagged gouges in the wooden door’ frame, just beside the lock.

    “No,” she whispered. “No, don’t let it be....”

    Even as she tried to deny what she feared, Savannah pulled a tissue from her jacket pocket and used it to turn the knob. The door swung open easily.

    Lisa Mallock would never have slept with the door unlocked. With the threat of her ex-husband hanging over her, Lisa wouldn’t even have been awake in her house with the door unlocked.

    “Lisa?” Savannah stuck her head inside the kitchen and looked around. The bills were still spread across the table. The remaining M&M cookies on the plate had been covered with plastic wrap. “Lisa, Christy?”

    Instinctively, Savannah’s hand went to the Beretta that she carried in a shoulder holster beneath her jacket. Not wanting to scare Lisa or her young daughter, she didn’t draw the weapon, but she was ready if necessary.

    “It’s me, Savannah Reid. Anybody home?” she called. The house had a heavy, uneasy stillness about it that made the back of her neck tingle.

    Carefully, she walked through the kitchen and into the living room. With the shades and curtains drawn, the room was fairly dark, and she could only discern basic shapes: the sofa, a bean bag chair, the television on a TV tray in the corner.

    As she crept deeper into the room, a strange, irritating sound caught her attention. A high-pitched beeping, like a pager or...

    It was the telephone receiver, lying on the floor beside the end table. As a matter of habit, she reached for it, to return it to its cradle, but caught herself. Although she was hoping against hope this wasn’t a crime scene, she knew better than disturb anything.

    “Lisa?” she called again, knowing it was pointless. No one slept that soundly. If Lisa Mallock were here and able to speak, she would have done so already.

    Slipping the Beretta from its holster, Savannah pointed the barrel at the ceiling and crept down the short hallway. One glance into the bathroom told her that it was empty and nothing seemed amiss.

    She hurried on to the first bedroom. Inside she saw