Under Threat

the young woman explained that she’d had the cash ready should she find a place. “They go so fast. I didn’t want to miss a good opportunity. I feel as if I’ve hit the lottery getting first the job and now this apartment.”
Mary smiled as she handed over the key. “It’s nice to have you here.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
After Lucy left, Mary went back down to her office and called her mother. “I have a new tenant. It’s a bit strange, but she’s the barista who took Christy’s place.”
“That is odd. What do you know about her?”
Mary thought about it for a moment. Nothing really. “She’s nice.” She told her how Lucy had run across the street to bring her coffee twice when Mary had gotten busy and forgotten.
“She sounds thoughtful.”
“I like her so I hope it works out.” Most of her tenants had, but there was always that one who caused problems.
“Guess who sent me flowers?” she said, changing the subject and putting her new tenant out of her mind.
Lucy couldn’t believe how easy that had been. She smiled to herself as she drove back to her motel to get her things.
Mary would be living right upstairs. It would be like taking candy from a baby. She thought of the fire escape and balconies on the two levels behind the apartment. It would be so easy to climb up to Mary’s on the third floor, anytime, day or night. While there was a railing around the stairs—and the balconies—still it could be dangerous, especially if Mary had been drinking.
Her thoughts turned sour though when she recalled the two sets of flowers that had been delivered this morning. Anger set off a blaze in her chest. They had to be from Chase, right? She would have loved to have seen what he’d written on the cards. Now that she would be living in the building, maybe she would get her chance.
She still felt surprised at just how easy it had been. Then again, Mary was just too sweet for words, she thought. Also too trusting. At first, she’d just wanted to meet the woman who’d taken Chase from her. At least that’s what she’d told herself. Maybe she’d planned to kill her from the very beginning. Maybe it really had been in the back of her mind from the moment she decided to go to Montana and find her—find Chase.
Her feeling had been that if she couldn’t have Chase, then no one else could. She’d had dreams of killing them both. Of killing Mary and making him watch, knowing there was nothing Chase could do to save her.
But in her heart of hearts, when she was being honest with herself, she knew what she wanted was for him to fall in love with her again. Otherwise, she would have no choice. It would be his own fault. He would have to die, but only after he mourned for the loss of his precious Mary. She would kill him only after she shattered his life like he’d done hers.
Living just one floor below the woman would provide the perfect opportunity to get closer to Mary—and Chase—until she was ready to end this.
It would be dangerous. She smiled to herself. There was nothing wrong with a little danger. Eventually she and Chase would cross paths. Lucy smiled in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he realized she wasn’t dead. Far from it. She’d never been more alive.

Chapter 10
After the first sentence, Chase couldn’t believe it. The pages in the shoebox were from a diary. His mother’s. His fingers trembled as he picked up another page. All these years he’d wanted answers. Was he finally going to get them?
He thumbed through the random pages, looking for names. There were none. But he did find initials. He scooped up the box and pages and sat down, leaning against the headboard as he read what was written before the initials. “I woke up this morning so excited. Today was going to be wonderful. I was going to see J.M. today. He told me to meet him in our secret spot. Maybe he’s changed his mind. I can only hope.”
Changed his mind about what?
Chase took out another page, but it was clear from reading it that the page wasn’t the next day. He began to sort them by date. Some weren’t marked except by the day of the week.
But he found one that began “Christmas Day.” Whoever J.M. was, his mother had been in love with the man. And since his birthday was in September—nine months from Christmas...
The entry read: “Christmas Day! I thought I wouldn’t get to see him, but he surprised me with a present—a beautiful heart-shaped locket.”
Chase felt his heart clench. His mother had worn such a locket. She never took it off. It was with the few things of hers that he’d kept. But he knew there was nothing but a photo of him in the locket. On the back were the words: To my love always.
He picked up the phone.
Mary answered on the second ring. “Chase?”
“I don’t mean to bother you. But I had to tell you. It’s my mother’s diary.”
“What’s your mother’s diary?”
“In the shoebox. It’s pages from my mother’s diary during the time that she got pregnant with me.” Silence. “I really could use your help. I think the answer is somewhere in these pages but they’re all mixed up. Some have dates, some don’t and—”
“Bring them over. We can go through them in my apartment.”
A short time later, Mary let him into the door on the side of the building, the shoebox tucked under his arm as they climbed to the third floor.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked as he closed the door behind them.
The apartment was done in bright cheery colors that reminded him of Mary. “No, thanks.” He felt nervous now that he was here.
She motioned to the dining-room table standing in a