Chapter 35

Silence. Footsteps on the stairs. More silence. I imagined him walking, stopping on the stairwell, and walking again. His invasion in progress. Interloper at work. Nightmare in action. I sat still, looking at the work in front of me: papers and a pen. Blank lines for three of my personal signatures. Five smaller blanks to jot my initials. Completing the seller/client closing correspondence. Attempting to seal the deal we agreed on and…

“Miller,” I whispered, knowing he stood in the office’s doorway, creating a dim shadow over my seated frame at the desk. “You’re here for trouble, aren’t you?”

I began to spin around in my office chair, but he instructed in a calm and soothing tone, “Stay still. No need to move. My visit won’t be long.”

“What do you want?” I asked, staring at the paperwork in front of me, my cellphone positioned on the desk to my right, and the Cross pen the color of lime green.