Harlequin Romantic Suspense April 2021 by Karen Whiddon (interesting books to read for teens TXT) 📕

He sprinted across the street. Julia followed, just a few steps behind. They ran to the end of the block and rounded the row of buildings. The shadow of a figure sprinted down the alleyway and disappeared into the gloom.

Luis cursed, his speed increasing. She pushed her legs to go faster, to try and keep up, but at the same moment that she noticed a wooden door, set several inches into the brick wall. It was held closed with a rusted padlock, yet the hinges were askew.

Julia skidded to a stop and examined the door. There was a thin seam between wood and jamb. She worked her fingers into the break and pulled. The door moved, opening just enough for her to slip inside.

A single set of stairs went up. The top of the staircase was pitch-black.

She went cold. It was just like the bunker in the woods.

“Get a hold of yourself, McCloud,” she said. She took out her cell phone and activated the flashlight app.

She knew that if she didn’t climb the stairs now, Julia would forever remain a victim of Darcy Owens.

Setting her foot on the step, she climbed to the next stair.

And then another. And another.

Soon, she realized that that staircase led to the third floor of the building. The steps ended at another door. This one was open, so she edged inside. Light from the streetlamp below streamed in through tall windows, and from where she stood, Julia had a perfect view of the apartment across the street.

Luis’s apartment.

From her vantage point, she also saw a nylon camping chair that was set in front of the window. Cans and wrappers littered the ground. Someone had broken into this location, not for a free place to stay, but because it faced Luis’s place. She shivered.

Her only hope was that Luis was able to catch whoever’d been stalking her.

While placing her phone back in her pocket, Julia stepped farther into the room. Beyond the chair and discarded food, there was also a laptop that was connected to a small printer. The far wall was papered with pictures. Pulling a photo from the wall, Julia sucked in a deep breath. The image was fuzzy, yet unmistakable. It was a picture of Julia, arms lifted, as she opened the curtains to Luis’s bedroom. It had been taken this morning. And there were more than a dozen pictures, all of her, taken throughout today, that filled the wall.

Certainly, Julia had noted the flash of a camera coming from this window. Which meant her make-out session with Luis had been captured on film.

The thought made her skin crawl. Who was stalking her? And why?

* * *

Luis sprinted down the alleyway. He knew that Julia had stopped following, but he dared not slow his stride or he’d risk losing his target.

On the darkened streets, it was all but impossible to gather any recon. What did he know about the person he was chasing? Build was average. Hair color was indistinct. Race or eye color? Forget about it. In reality, Luis was following a shadow.

His lungs burned with each breath. His legs ached with each step. A cramp pulled at his side. He ignored all the discomfort. Ahead, the figure ran down a side street that led into a residential area.

Luis pushed his legs to go faster. Rounding the corner, he pulled to a stop. The street, lined on both sides with neat homes, was empty. Yards were filled with flowers and trees. Sandboxes and swings. Picnic tables and plastic wading pools.

Yet, he was alone.

The sound of footfalls echoing off the pavement was gone, replaced by Martinez’s racing pulse and ragged breaths. It was as if the person had vanished.

Luis didn’t believe in magic—only good old-fashioned police work.

He walked to the end of the block, paying close attention to each door that he passed for signs of a forced entry.

There were none.

He reasoned that it would be difficult for the person to break in to a house without Luis noticing. After all, he was only seconds behind.

Which meant what?

Looking at the phone again, he placed a call.

She answered on the first ring.

“Tell me you got the guy,” Julia said as she answered. “Was it Robert Carpenter?”

“Sorry,” said Luis. “He disappeared. Hell, I didn’t even get a good look at him.”

“I’ll send out a deputy to look for anything suspicious. You have to get back here and see what I found.”

“Where is here?” he asked.

“The building across the street from your place on the third floor. Somebody broke in through the back door and has been watching us, at least since yesterday.” She paused. “There’s a laptop here. It might give us a clue as to who we’re looking for.”

“Sure thing,” said Luis. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Julia hung up.

As he walked, Luis placed a call.

“Hello?”

“Sorry to bother you so late, Katarina,” said Luis. “We have a situation and I need your expertise with a computer.”

“Tell me about it?” she asked.

“The details I have are sketchy. It’s a laptop and we’re looking for something that connects to the owner. I can bring it to you after it gets dusted for fingerprints.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll come to you.”

“Meet me at the building across the street from my apartment? Third floor. Come around to the back.”

“Which door?” she asked.

Having walked the entire time while speaking to Katarina, Luis made it back to the last place he’d seen Julia. A door had been pried off the hinges and hung askew, but a padlock was still in place, leaving a narrow gap to enter by.

“Trust me,” said Luis. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

“I’m on my way,” said Katarina.

“See you soon.” Luis ended the call.

The space between door and jamb was far too small for Luis to walk through. He had to turn sideways and hold his breath to gain entry. A single set of narrow stairs led upward. They’d end on the third floor, Luis knew. He had