Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
“Gimme a minute.”
I force a smile as Mrs. Gruber turns and walks deeper into the house. Coming here is a stroke of genius if I do say so myself. Granted, leaving Delaney at the other location was risky, but I couldn’t take the chance that she’d ruin this for me. I made sure she was secure before I left so it should be fine.
Voices reach me, and I listen closely as Kyle’s father tells his mother not to give out their son’s contact info. There’s some quiet arguing, and then Mrs. Gruber returns to the door.
“Here you go,” she says as she hands me a piece of paper. “This is Kyle’s cell number.”
“Thank you very much,” I reply, shoving the paper in my pocket. “I haven’t talked to him in a long time, and I’ll be up in his neck of the woods soon so I wanted to see if we can meet for a drink.”
She nods. “Glad I could help.”
Ten minutes later, I’m pushing through the back door of the abandoned house.
“Honey, I’m home,” I call out, taunting my captive.
“Fuck you!” she shouts from the bedroom upstairs.
“Oh, we’re getting to that,” I mutter under my breath.
Before I go upstairs, I move through the kitchen to the living room. The only piece of furniture that remains on the first floor is a couch, and I recognize it as being the same one that was in the house all those years ago. I pull Kyle’s contact info out of my pocket and dial his number. Barely one ring registers before he answers.
“Hello.”
“Kyle?”
“Who is this?” he demands.
“We’re getting to that,” I assure him calmly. “I believe I have something that belongs to you.”
A string of curses comes through the line, and I grin.
Good. He’s rattled.
“If you hurt her, I swe?—”
“I’m gonna hurt her,” I assure him. “Unless, of course, you can get to her in time.”
“Tell me where you are, and I will,” he snarls.
“What fun would that be, Kyle?”
“How do you know my name?”
“Don’t worry about that. All that matters is that I do.”
“I wanna talk to Delaney,” he barks. “Put her on the phone.”
“You’re not in a position to be making demands!” I shout.
“Okay, okay.” He takes a deep breath. “At least tell me your name.”
“I believe the masses call me the Phantom Strangler.”