Chapter 39

He went into the kitchen to boil some water for tea, figuring it might help him relax. Dropping a teabag into a cup, he waited for the water to boil, his gaze flickering between the two windows, even though the curtains were closed. He saw a shadow move behind one of them and almost called out before he realized it was just a branch on the bush outside, moving in the wind.

I’m going to end up in a straight jacket before the night is over. But better that than a…what’s it called? A body bag?

He shivered at that thought, concentrated on making his tea, then returned to the living room

The news had just ended when Max heard footsteps on the porch. Then, the doorbell rang. 10

With a mixture of trepidation and relief—relief because this could be the end of Tony’s harassment—Max disarmed the security, turned off his phone because he didn’t want be interrupted by possible calls from Deacon or Jack, then opened the door.