Lick of Darkness (excerpt)

Title : Lick of Darkness

Release date : Available now (purchase link under "Books" heading)

EXCERPT ...

My parents were walking down the front steps to the limousine just as I drove up the driveway. I parked my black Range Rover in front of the four car garage, not bothering with raising the automatic roller door to put it away for the night. Might feel like going out later, anyway. I made my way over to say goodbye, but Mother screwed her nose up, and held her hand up to stop me getting too close.

“Oh God, Roz,” she grimaced, “you smell so bad---why on earth can’t you shower after you go for a ride?”

“So I guess a hug goodbye is out of the question,” I laughed, and Mom turned her nose up, but offered the side of her perfectly made-up face for a peck on the cheek.

“It most certainly is,” she declared. “Besides the wretched odor coming from your clothes, you’ll wrinkle my gown.”

I leaned in, and placed a loud smacking kiss to the top of her cheek, before turning to Dad to do the same.

“Make sure you go straight in the shower, Roz,” he demanded with a stern frown.

“Nah---I might go and lay on the couch, and watch a bit of TV, first,” I joked, then laughed when Dad scowled down at me with a furrowed brow.

“Up to you whether you value living, or not,” he threatened as Mom ducked down, and climbed in the back of the limousine. “Behave yourself,” he mocked with a grin pulling at the side of his mouth.

“Have fun,” I retorted as he ducked down to follow Mom into the back.

Once their loyal, and long suffering chauffeur, Jarvis, gently shut them inside, he tipped his hat at me with a wide and affectionate smile of acknowledgement, then walked around the back of the long, gun metal grey vehicle, and settled himself behind the wheel.

I lifted my hand in a casual wave as Jarvis started the vehicle, and began to drive down the driveway. I turned and let myself in the front door, before they reached the gate.

Phew---I really do stink, I thought when I caught a whiff of myself on the way through. I headed straight up the stairs to the shower.

*****

Jumping, I woke with a start, my heart pounding like I’d just had the crap scared out of me. What in the fuck. Did I have a dream, or something? My brows furrowed deeply while I thought, trying to remember. Then I gasped when I heard the loud chime of the front gate’s intercom echoing up the stairwell in the stillness of the night.

Rolling to the edge of my bed, I felt around the top of the bedside for my cell phone in the dark. When my hand located it, I pressed the button to light the screen up, squinting against the bright light to look at the time. Fucking two forty three in the morning? Who in the fuck has the balls to constantly ring the intercom at this godforsaken hour?

Dropping my phone back down on top of the cabinet, I snatched up one of my feather pillows, and slammed my back down on the mattress, pulling the pillow over my head to dull the noisy intrusion of whoever the fuck had a death wish for waking me up so goddamned early.

Even slamming my fists on either side of the pillow did nothing to mute the piercing decibel of the chime from penetrating inside my head. The constant, steady, and regularity of the bell continuing to sound, increased my irritation with the person whose finger needed to be broken.

Oh, thank fuck! The annoying noise stopped. Now maybe I can get some more sleep, I growled, punching my pillow with my clenched fist.

Just as I was dozing off, there was an urgent wrap of knuckles banging loudly on my closed door.

“Miss Rozalynne,” our housekeeper Amelie called out in a panicked voice which had my heart leaping up into my throat. “There’s some policemen here asking for you.”

What? Police? Asking for me? I sat up in confusion as Amelie pushed my bedroom doors open, and rushed in, looking quite sick. My stomach clenched, and I got an immediate gut feeling something bad was about to happen…or has already happened.

“They want to see me?” I asked her with a puzzled frown, and she nodded rapidly, wringing her hands nervously in front of her. “What’s happened?” I questioned brusquely as I threw the covers off, and leapt out of bed. “Are you sure they asked for me, and not Dad?” I queried, racing over to my walk-in robe to grab my fluffy dressing gown.

“I-I’m sure,” she stuttered, and my senses piqued on alert. “They asked for you, by name---but I tried to wake your parents first,” she advised, before her voice trailed off to nothing.

I shoved my arms in through the sleeves of my gown, and pulled it tightly around me, before I tied a hasty bow in front.

“Y-your parents aren’t home,” Amelie whispered hoarsely.

My stomach tied up in knots.

“They’re not?” I asked tightly, and she shook her head.

With bare feet, I rushed passed Amelie, and raced down the stairs, struggling to breathe. She was two steps behind me.

© Copyright Carol Delmornay 2017

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