Mountain Secrets by Elizabeth Goddard (good books to read for teens txt) 📕

he left to search elsewhere, she could make a run for the door and get to her car. But she wondered if the man who had come to the door was in on this home invasion. Even if she made it to her car, she might have to deal with Mel. Her life now depended on all those what-ifs.

Isabel drew a prayer-filled breath and pressed deeper into the pantry.

Midway down the long driveway, Jason hit the brakes and listened to the engine hum. The smart thing would be to return to his hiding place and wait for the two thieves, the man and the woman who called herself Isabel, to emerge from the house, then do his job—get the photos the Bureau had hired him to take.

His job was to be invisible. If the smugglers knew they were being watched, the investigation would fall apart. In order to get to the mastermind, they had to let the petty criminals do the thefts and not involve local cops making low-level arrests.

No part of that plan made the tightness in his chest subside. He prided himself on being able to tell friend from foe. Discerning motives in people was part of what made him a good PI. Still, he was uncertain about the woman in the house. Yes, she’d given him the brush-off, but something about her had been so vulnerable, afraid even. Was she telling the truth about being the hired help or just trying to get rid of him so she and her partner could finish the job? Or maybe she’d been brought in on this against her will.

He had to know for sure.

He killed the engine and slipped out of the van, dashing toward the side of the house and pressing along the wall. The van would only be visible from upstairs north-facing windows, not from the downstairs. He crouched down beneath the window by the door and peered inside. Pieces of a shattered vase lay on the floor by the foyer table. A woman’s purse was flung against the wall. Signs of a struggle?

He didn’t want anyone to die here today.

Jason steeled himself and opened the door. He slipped into the dark house. Still determined not to blow this operation but to get the woman out of danger, he padded noiselessly through the foyer.

The silence on the main floor was eerie. The contents of a purse lay scattered across the ornate tile. Turning in a slow circle, he stepped over the shards from the broken vase. He scanned the main floor and then his gaze traveled up to the mezzanine and the second floor, where a creaking noise had come from.

He climbed stealthily up the stairs, his heart drumming in his ears. Once he made it to the second floor, the polished floorboards of the interior balcony didn’t creak when he placed his foot on them. He hurried down the hallway, checking each room, bathroom, den, first bedroom. All empty.

Back at the mezzanine, Jason pressed against the wall and listened.

Down below, noise rose up from what was probably the kitchen. Isabel darted past his field of vision and disappeared through a door on the other side of the house. He sprinted to the top of the stairs.

A man burst out from where Isabel had come. The same tall thin man who had entered the house earlier—he glanced from side to side and then darted in the opposite direction of Isabel. He must not have seen where Isabel had gone. Jason caught the glint of a knife in the man’s hand. Okay, so maybe she was in danger.

He rushed down the stairs, keeping his step light so as not to draw attention to himself. He ran across the black-and-white tile of the open entryway toward the door where Isabel had gone.

Even before he opened the door, he smelled chlorine. The humid air of the pool room assaulted him as he stepped across the threshold. As on a game show, there were four doors to choose from. Which one had she gone through?

He tiptoed on the tile and eased open the first door. Storage. When he opened the second door, he found a bedroom. Much more promising. He checked the closet and the bathroom first, then stood beside the bed. Before he could lean over to check underneath, a hard object slammed against his shin, sending a wave of pain through his calf muscle.

With pain shooting up his leg, he knelt to pull the culprit out from underneath the bed.

TWO

Isabel knew it was predictable to hide under the bed, but she’d been in a hurry. She’d grabbed a hairbrush from the vanity before slipping under the bed frame. If she was to save herself from the man with the knife, she knew she had to attack before he found her. She was no match for him physically, but she could outsmart him.

The man groaned in pain when she hit his shin with the brush. She crawled to the other side of the bed and rolled out. Just as she got to her feet, he grabbed her from behind.

She angled her body to get away and lifted her foot to kick his calf.

“Calm down, calm down. I’m not the bad guy here.”

It was Mel’s smooth voice. So he’d come back. She had no idea what Mr. Knife had meant by the partner comment. Mel and Mr. Knife were probably robbing the place together.

“Be quiet.” He placed a hand over her mouth. “He’ll find us.”

Probably a trick to get her to stop resisting. She twisted her torso and dug her fingernails into his forearm.

Still he cupped her mouth, his other arm wrapped around her waist, and held her tight against his chest. But he didn’t hurt her or pull a weapon on her. She tried to twist free. He dragged her across the floor.

“Look, this place is not safe. I’ll take you back to town.” He guided her through the door and stepped into the pool room even as she