If he touched the white ash again in his weakened condition, it would probably kill him. And whatever clues the shaft might have held had been lost during his plunge into the water.
"Get rid of it."
She opened the door and threw the arrow out into the night. Cold air rushed in, swirling around him. He struggled upright, fighting the lethargy taking hold of his body.
"Thank you," he said, as she slammed the door shut.
She smiled wryly. "I'd say you're welcome, but it's not something I'd ever like to do again."
"If I had more time, I'd take you out to dinner or something." It sounded cold, even to him. But the cat was out there somewhere. Even if he couldn't find it tonight, he still had to go back to the inn and get the stuff he'd left there. It might have been easier to stay in Maddie's company, but it wasn't right. Better she thought the worst of him and just left. He grabbed the door handle and pulled it back. "I guess we'll just have to take a rain check, sweetheart."
Maddie stared at him. For Christ's sake, she was still covered in his blood, and here he was giving her a casual brush off! "Don't you dare leave just yet—" But she was speaking to the night.
Maddie blinked. How could an injured man move so fast? She scrambled out of the truck and ran to the passenger side. He was nowhere to be seen. She bit her lip and studied the darkness. He could barely walk ten minutes ago, so surely he couldn't be too far away. She grabbed the flashlight and swept the bright beam across the road. The undergrowth beneath the trees didn't look as if it had been disturbed recently. So where in the hell had Jon gone, if not through there?
"Damn you, Jon! Come back here."
The keen of the wind through the treetops was her only answer. She shivered and watched the shadows uneasily. Something didn't feel right. A twig snapped suddenly, and she swung the flashlight's beam across the thick stand of trees to her right. The undergrowth stirred, and out of the shadows stepped a dark-colored cat, its eyes green fire in the darkness. Not just any cat but a big, black panther.
Something in the creature's jewellike gaze made Maddie's soul tremble with fear.
She edged backwards, feeling for the truck door. The creature snarled silently, revealing teeth that were long and white. She jumped into the car and slammed the door shut. The engine started the first time she twisted the ignition, and she shifted into gear. Then she hesitated, eyeing the darkness beyond the headlights.
Jon was still out there, injured and alone, with a panther stalking the area. Would the cat smell his blood and hunt him down? Maybe she should find someone and report the panther's presence—only who would believe her? Panthers weren't exactly native to this area, and unless someone had reported one having escaped, they'd probably think she was nuts.
Or drunk.
If only.She took a deep breath and tried to calm the irrational rush of anger. She knew it stemmed more from her need to find Evan than Jon's casual gratitude and sudden disappearance.
But she wished he'd had the decency to stick around, even if it was just long enough to refuse to help her.
He never promised to help me, though. It's my fault I'm here, running from shadows and cats, not his.
And she couldn't leave until Evan was safe.
She drove the truck back onto the road and headed towards the inn.
Rain was pelting across the windshield by the time she reached it. She switched off the engine, then glanced across at the inn. The light peeking past the edges of the curtains indicated someone was still up, despite the fact it was after eleven. But the night manager had said he'd wait and let her in. So why was she suddenly wary?
Maybe the encounter with the cat had scared her more than she'd thought. Or maybe it was the way the shadows crowded the building and gave the appearance of skeletal hands creeping across the outer edges of light.
And maybe she was simply tired and needed to rest. She jumped out of the truck. Holding her coat over her head, she ran across the lawn to the front steps.
The bell chimed brightly as she closed the door. Maddie grimaced and shook out her coat. On nights like this, when her imagination seemed to be taking a walk on the wild side, she'd rather keep to herself.
Especially if the person she had to talk to was a night manager with weird brown eyes.
Warmth surrounded her as she headed quietly towards the stairs. A woman talked softly in the parlor to her right, her voice mellow and deep, but beyond that, there was no other sound.
The sudden shattering of glass made her stop and glance upwards. Had a tree branch gone through one of the windows upstairs?
Footsteps sounded behind her. She looked around. The night manager stopped in the parlor doorway and leaned casually against the door frame.
"Hello again. Enjoy the drive?"
"Yes, thanks," she said.
Though his voice held nothing beyond polite interest, there was still something about him that made her uneasy. Maybe it was just the smug half-smile that touched his thin lips, or the way his gaze roamed down her body.
He raised his coffee cup. "Coffee's just brewed, if you'd like a cup."
The urge to run was almost overwhelming. What in hell was wrong with her tonight? He hadn't threatened her in any way, only offered her coffee.
"I'd love to but—" She hesitated, then shrugged. The best excuse was usually the truth. "It's been a long day. Thanks for the offer, though."
He pushed away from the door frame and took several steps toward her. "Thought I heard something break as you came in."
Again, though his voice was conversational, his dark eyes were intense, watchful.
Something odd was going on.
She licked suddenly dry lips. "Like what?"
"Sounded like glass breaking."
She raised an eyebrow, trying to sound calm. "I really didn't hear anything like that." And if he had, why didn't he mention it the moment he came out?
"Really?" He took a sip of his coffee, then glanced up the stairs. "Maybe I should check your room before you go up there. Make sure it's safe."
The last place she wanted this man was in her room. She shook her head and tried to smile. "I'll be all right. If anything's broken, I'll give you a call." But not until morning, when there's more light and a lot more people around.
"I'll be up in a moment to check the other rooms, so I'll be nearby if you need me." He hesitated, then raised his cup. "'Night."
She watched him disappear into the parlor, then turned and almost ran up the stairs. Her hands were shaking so much it took several tries before she could get the door open. She locked it behind her, then sagged against it and took a deep breath.
What was it about that man that made her so afraid? Or was Jayne right? Had she locked herself away for so long, she'd simply forgotten how to interact with people?
Maddie rubbed her eyes, then walked across the room towards the bedroom. She kicked off her shoes near the bed, then pulled off her socks. A cold breeze ran around her ankles and she glanced towards the bathroom.
Had a window broken? She hesitated, then cursed herself for doing so. What was she afraid of? Broken glass?
Opening the bathroom door, she switched on the light and looked in.
Jon lay sprawled on the floor, wet, bleeding and surrounded by glass.
Chapter Four
He was alive, she could tell that much from the rise and fall of his chest. But his color was appalling—he was so pale he could very easily have passed for a ghost. She quickly knelt down and felt his forehead.
His skin burned, despite his color.
"Jon?" She ran her hand down his stubble-lined cheek and lightly pinched his chin, trying to get some sort of reaction from him.