Chapter 55

• Melanie’s car pulled into the underground parking lot of the building. The engine went quiet, but her mind kept spinning. She scanned the lot carefully from the back seat, her eyes darting to every corner. No unfamiliar vehicles. No suspicious shadows. Still, her heart didn’t settle. She had told her driver to circle twice before pulling in.
• She got out slowly, still cautious as she headed for the private elevator leading to her apartment. The elevator ride up was long—not in time, but in thought. Her heart beat loud enough to drown out the soft hum of the moving lift. She clenched her purse tighter in her hand.
• The doors opened with a soft ding, and there she met yet another shock.