It took me forever to fall asleep that night. I kept thinking about Nick and wondering when he was going to get in touch with me. I was envious of Morgan. Billy called her every night after his campers were tucked into their cabins, and they talked for ages. Morgan always looked relaxed and contented when she was on the phone with him. She didn’t have to worry about what he was doing or if he was okay — ever. I, on the other hand . . .
       I know that I finally drifted off to sleep because I almost had a heart attack when someone grabbed me and shook me awake.
       “Robyn,” a voice hissed.
       “Geeze, Morgan, you scared me to death. What are you—”
       She shushed me. “I think I heard something. On the veranda.”
       “Define something.”
       “A noise. And rattling. You don’t think it’s a bear, do you?”
       “You said bears never come around here,” I reminded her.
       “There’s a first time for everything. What if . . .”
       We heard a thump somewhere downstairs and we both stiffened.
       “Ohmygod,” Morgan whimpered. “What if it is a bear?”
       “You saw me check all the doors and windows before we came upstairs,” I said. Morgan had been chatting to Billy while I made my rounds. “They’re all closed. And locked.”
       Morgan whimpered again. “I was hot. I went outside for some air before I came upstairs. I don’t remember locking the door again.”
       “Terrific.”
       Something creaked. Someone or something was on the stairs.
       “It’s coming up here,” Morgan said. Her face looked silvery white in the moonlight that was streaming through my window. “Where’s your phone?”
       I had left it on my bedside table. I fumbled for it in the darkness now — and accidentally knocked it onto the bare wood floor. It landed with a clunk.
       We both froze.
       For a moment, we heard nothing.
       Then something banged against the door to my room.
       Morgan screamed.

From In Too Deep: A Robyn Hunter Mystery. Text copyright © 2010 Norah McClintock. All rights reserved.