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ped in there with him。
His tread echoed hollowly from the wooden porch steps。 Chyna lunged across the foyer； through the archway； into the dark living room…and immediately came to a halt； afraid of stumbling into furniture and knocking it over。 She edged forward； feeling her way with both hands； vision hampered by the muddy…red ghost images of the motor…home headlights； which still floated faintly across her retinas。
The front door opened。 Less than halfway across the living room； Chyna squatted beside an armchair。 If the killer entered and switched on the lights； he would see her。
Without closing the door behind him； the man appeared in the foyer； beyond the arch。 He was dimly linmed by the glow from the second…floor hallway。 He passed the living room and went directly to the stairs。
Laura。 Chyna still had no weapon。 She thought of the fireplace poker。 Not good enough。 Unless she caved in his skull on the first blow or broke his arm； he would wrest the poker away from her。 She had the strength of terror； but maybe that wouldn't be enough。
Rather than rise to her feet and blunder blindly across the living room； she stayed down and crawled because it was safer and quicker。 She reached the dining…room archway and angled toward where she thought she'd find the kitchen door。
She thumped into a chair。 It rattled against a table leg。 On the table； something shifted with a clink…clink； and she remembered seeing carefully arranged ceramic fruit in a copper bowl。
She didn't think that he could have heard these sounds all the way upstairs； so she kept going。 There was nothing to do but keep going anyway； whether he had heard or not。
When she reached the swinging door sooner than she had expected； she got to her feet。
Though the infiltrating moonlight was already dim； it suddenly faded away； causing the flesh on the nape of her neck to crawl with a dire expectation。 She turned； pressing her back against the doorframe； certain that the killer was close behind her； silhouetted in front of a window； blocking the lunar glow； but he wasn't there。 The silver radiance no longer painted the glass。 Evidently the storm clouds； rolling out of the northwest since before midnight； had finally shrouded the moon。
Pushing on the swinging door； she went into the kitchen。 She wouldn't need to switch on the overhead fluorescent panels。 The upper of the double ovens featured a digital clock with green numerals that emitted a surprising amount of light； enough to allow her to find her way around the room。
She recalled having seen a section of butcher…block countertop to one side of the stainless…steel sinks。 The sinks were in front of the wider of the two windows。 She slid her hand along the cold granite counters until she located the remembered wooden surface。
The house above her seemed filled with a higher order of silence than ever before。
What the bastard doing up there in all that silence； up there in all that silence with Laura？
Under the butcher block was a drawer where she expected to find knives。 Found them。 Neatly slotted in a holder。
She withdrew one。 Too short。 Another。 This one was a bread knife with a blunt round end。 The third that she selected proved to be a butcher knife。 She carefully tested the cutting edge against the ball of her thumb and found it satisfyingly sharp。
Upstairs； Laura screamed。 Chyna started toward the dining…room door but sensed intuitively that she dared not go that way。 She rushed instead to the back stairs； even though they couldn't be climbed without making noise。
She switched on the light in the stairwell。 The killer could not see her here。
From the second floor； Laura cried out again…a terrible wail of despair； pain； horror； like a cry that might have been heard in the poisongas chambers at Dachau or in the windowless interrogation rooms of Siberian prisons during the era of the gulags。 It was not a scream for help or even a begging for mercy； but a plea for release at any cost； even death。
Chyna clambered up the stairs into that scream； which presented her with real resistance； as if she were a swimmer struggling toward the surface of a sea； against a great weight of water。 As cold as an Arctic current； the cry chilled her； numbed her； throbbed icily in the hollows of her bones。 She was overe by a pulsion to scream with Laura as a dog wails in sympathy when it hears another dog suffering； a primal need to howl in misery at the sheer helplessness of human existence in a universe full of dead stars； and she had to fight that urge。
Laura's scream spiraled into a bawling for her mother； though she must know that her mother was dead。 〃Mommy； Mommy； Mommeeeeee。 〃 She was reduced to the dependency of an infant； too terrified of life itself to find solace anywhere but in the familiar succoring breast and in the sound of that same heartbeat remembered from the womb。
And then sudden quiet。 Bleak silence。 On the landing； halfway to the second floor； Chyna was surprised to realize that the thousand…fathom weight of the scream had brought her to a standstill。 Her legs were weak； her calf and thigh muscles quivered as if she had ran a marathon。 She seemed on the brink of collapse。
Because it might signify the end of hope； the silence was now as oppressive as the scream。 She bent her head under a hush as heavy as an iron crown； hunched her shoulders； and huddled miserably upon herself。
It would be so easy to lean against the wall； slide down to the floor； put the knife aside； and curl defensively。 Just wait until he had gone away。 Wait until a relative or a friend of the family arrived； discovered the bodies； went for the police； and took care of everything。
Instead； after pausing only a few seconds on the landing； Chyna forced herself to continue the climb； heart pounding so hard that it seemed as if each blow might knock her down。
Her arms shook uncontrollably。 In her white…knuckle grip； the butcher knife carved wobbly patterns in the air in front of her； and she wondered if she would have the strength； in any confrontation； to thrust and slash effectively。
That was the thinking of a loser； and she hated herself for it。 During the past ten years she had transformed herself into a winner； and she was determined not to backslide。
The old wooden stairs protested under her； but she moved fast； heedless of the noise。 Whether Laura was alive or dead； the killer would be at play； distracted by his games； unlikely to hear anything other than the thunderous rush of his own blood in his ears and over whatever urgent inner voices spoke to him at that very moment when he held a life in his hands。
She stepped into the upstairs hall。 Propelled by her fear for Laura and by a rage born from self…disgust at her moment of weakness on the landing； she hurried past the closed door of the guest room to the turn in the L…shaped corridor； around the corner； past the half…open door of the master suite and through the amber light that spilled from it。 She dashed along the arbor of faded roses； rage swelling into fury as she went； shocked by her own boldness； seeming to glide along the carpet； as swift as if sliding down an icy slope； straight to the open door of Laura's roo