The Sleeping Beauty Killer

65

Laurie’s Uber driver came to a halt in front of the address she’d gotten from Charlotte’s secretary. She offered a weak thank-you to the driver. “Sorry, it probably sounded like you were driving into a war zone.”

The driver was already checking his phone to connect to his next customer. “No offense, lady, but you’ve got a wild imagination. If you ask me, you should take a walk around the block. Maybe learn a bit about meditation. It’s the only way I make it through the day.”

He drove away, leaving Laurie alone in front of the warehouse. She heard a dog bark in the distance. The streets were surprisingly quiet.

She called Leo again, but his cell phone went straight to voice mail. She tried her own apartment next.

“Hey, Mom.” One of Timmy’s video games played in the background.

“Is Grandpa back from his meeting?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from sounding stressed.

“Not yet. Kara and I are playing Angry Birds.”

Whenever his favorite babysitter was there, Timmy was perfectly happy to have Laurie and Leo stay out late.

Her father had to be on the subway.

She tried Charlotte’s cell phone again. There was no answer.

At the front of the warehouse, she spotted a foot-wide crack beneath the steel roll-up door. Am I already too late? Did Angela realize that Charlotte was on to her…?

She couldn’t wait any longer. She slid her back beneath the gate, pressed her belly to the ground, and shimmied inside.