Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

ROCKLIN, CALIFORNIA

            THURSDAY, MAY 25, 11:00 P.M.

            Pebbles perked up when Liza got out of her car, running up to meet her. Liza was glad she’d been leaning against the car when Pebbles had leaped to lick her face, otherwise she’d be on her ass.

            Liza gently pushed Pebbles back to all fours and wiped her face with her sleeve. “Tom doesn’t like it when you lick faces,” she told Pebbles sternly.

            “Tom isn’t here,” Mr. Tolliver said with attitude. “He can train her when he’s around.”

            Liza looked up at his side of the duplex. All the upstairs lights were on and she could hear the faint strains of Pavarotti’s “Nessun dorma” all the way from where she stood.

            “He’s working. That’s his working music.”

            “Hmph.” Mr. Tolliver lifted his chin. “It’s loud.”

            “What’s your favorite band, Mr. T? You said you’d have preferred rock.”

            Mr. Tolliver grinned. “I saw Black Sabbath in concert six times one summer. That’s where I met Mrs. Tolliver, God rest her soul.”

            Liza grinned back. “You are awesome, Mr. T. I’d love to chat, but I’m going to take Pebbles back inside now. I’ve had a really long day.”

            Mr. Tolliver took a step forward, his expression now wistful. “Come back every now and then, okay? Pebbles will miss you. And so will I.”

            Another piece of Liza’s heart cracked. “You bet. I promise.”

            “You’d better. I just got used to you, girl.”

            “And my Dream Bars.” Mr. Tolliver loved her Caramel-Pecan Dream Bars.

            He grinned. “Those too.”

            Liza slapped her thigh. “Pebbles, come. You’re going home.” Pebbles followed her across the lawn but stopped at Liza’s front door. “No, girl. That’s not your home. Not anymore.” She could have sworn that Pebbles pouted. “Come. I’m too tired to drag you.”

            Pebbles snorted, shaking herself before following Liza to Tom’s front door.

            Liza unlocked the door, disabling the alarm. “Go on.” But Pebbles didn’t move. Exasperated, Liza pulled on the dog’s collar, dragging her inside. Tom might not even have known that Pebbles had gone out to the backyard, so she checked the massive doggy door they’d put in after Tom had first brought Pebbles home. Sure enough, the doggy door was unlocked.

            Liza locked it, all under the cover of Pavarotti singing at the top of his lungs.

            Then froze when she heard Tom’s shout.

            “Goddammit, Liza!”

            She stood in place, hardly daring to breathe, hoping he didn’t come down the stairs.

            But also hoping that he did. When he didn’t, she edged toward the front door and the music abruptly stopped. Again she froze, staring up at the stairs. Hoping she wouldn’t see him.

            Praying that she would. Just a glimpse.

            Stop it. This is over. Get out of here.

            But Tom still didn’t come down the stairs. Instead she heard him pacing in his office. “I might have a way in,” she heard him say.

            Against her better judgment, she climbed the first few stairs.

            “Good,” another voice said, sounding tinny. Tom was on the phone. “What can you do?”

            “I tried shutting down their security network from my end, but whoever developed it put in too many fail-safes, so I constructed an e-mail that looks like a bill with late charges. If their bookkeeper clicks the link to pay, it’ll allow me to shut down all nonessential network function. I’m not going to touch anything that has to do with patient treatment or medication, though.”

            “But it will shut down enough of it, yes?”

            “Yes. Sunnyside Oaks won’t be able to operate any of their personnel, accounting, or admin functions. Hopefully they’ll call tech support so we can get an agent physically in there.”