The faint sound of a door slamming out in the parking lot startled her, followed by a rush of relief. She exhaled the air that had backed up in her lungs in a whoosh.
She was so losing it.
Clearly, thinking about murder and motives was pushing her over the edge. It was probably just one of the other teachers who had worked late, too. Only, they were smart enough to get out of here. Something she should be doing if she wanted to look at all like a human being in the morning.
She shut down the computer and gathered her things, then stopped to stare at the box from Mr. Williams’ sister. It was still raining like cats and dogs out there. Did she dare leave it here overnight?
No way. God knew what she’d already lost in the fire. She couldn’t risk losing anything more. Especially not before she’d had a chance to review its contents more thoroughly.
She pushed the box flaps closed and tried to press the tape down to keep it sealed for her trip to her car. She gave a quick glance around, spotted her cell phone on the table, and slipped it in her pocket. Jeez. She’d been so close to calling 9-1-1. That would have been mortifying. What an overactive imagination she had.
She flipped off the lights and pushed open the door. It was dark and quiet in the hallway. Eerily silent. And spookily dark. The person who’d left must have thought the building was empty and had turned off the hall lights. Usually, the peace and quiet was soothing and comforting when she walked the length of the hall at night, contrasted with the noise and bustle of the school day. But tonight, with all the weird things that had happened over the past two weeks, the tomblike silence just made her uneasy.
Ordinarily, she’d head to the back stairwell, which led directly down to her car in the back parking lot. But that meant following the dark hallway around the corner and into whatever abyss waited her until she reached the stairs. She actually shivered at the thought. Thankfully, the stairwell leading to the front of the school was just ahead. Walking around the building outside with the streetlight and moonlight, she’d feel safer getting to her car, even if it was the long way.
When she reached the door to the stairwell, she couldn’t push through it fast enough. The welcoming light streamed through the windows from the moon and the halogens.
She exhaled loudly, realizing she had been holding her breath again.
Suddenly, there was another sound to her right. Instinctively, she turned towards it.
Just as a sharp pain exploded in her head.
Chapter Thirteen
The parking lot was dark when Sam pulled up.
Sure enough, Allie’s Outback was the solitary car in the lot. Idiot. Damn it! She knew better than to be here alone. Especially with everything coming down the past couple of weeks.
He parked outside the back door and rushed over. Locked. He punched in his code and the door beeped him in.
He sped up to the second floor, taking two steps at a time. At the landing, he pushed open the door. Other than the light streaming from the stairwell behind him, it was totally dark.
Foreboding.
He groped along the wall until he found the light switch and flipped it on. There was a strange echoing patter coming from down the hall. Footsteps, maybe, racing down the front stairs? He jogged toward it.
“Allie?” he called out, trying to keep the panic from his voice. If it was her, she’d hear his voice and come back. Assure him she was fine.
And if it wasn’t her…
The hall grew deathly quiet again.
“Allie?”
He reached the Crimson Press room. The door was open, and he flipped the lights on. His heart nearly burst from his ribcage. Empty.
He tried her classroom next, but she wasn’t there, either.
Her car was still in back, though. She had to be here.
The stairwells. He would try the one closest to the newsroom first.
He pushed the door open and almost tripped over her. She was sprawled on the floor, along with a litter of papers and things. Hell. Had she fainted? Again? Or was it something more sinister…?
Wrestling down his panic, he gently turned her over onto her back. She was out cold, but a quick scan of her body didn’t reveal any blood or stab wounds, or anything that would indicate she’d been attacked. He quickly felt for her pulse.
Thank God.