Chapter 127
Leanne had only recently returned to Golden Grove Manors, with its charming but antiquated features, such as the old-fashioned electricity meters that required prepaid. cards for power. It was a system she had yet to grow accustomed to.
However, she had topped up the meter just last week, and there was no way she could be out of credit already.
The vibration of her phone indicated an incoming call – it was from Selina.
“Hey, Leanne, it’s me. My dad’s had one too many at the pub, and I just got an earful. I’m coming over to your place, okay?”
“Maybe hold off on that,” Leanne replied, the anxiety from her turbulent childhood making her jumpy.
She wasn’t sure if she was being overly suspicious or if something was genuinely off. After explaining the situation to Selina, her friend was insistent, “No way am I leaving you alone. What if you’re right?”
“But what if my gut feeling is spot-on? It could be dangerous, Selina. It’s safer for me to stay put and not open the door to anyone,” Leanne tried to keep her cool, “Maybe I’m overthinking this. I’ll call the property manager again. Just stay put for now.”
After hanging up, Leanne contacted the maintenance team, and the property manager assured her, “Someone’s already on their way with your power card. Hasn’t it arrived? Hold on, I’ll chase up the electrician.”
In the darkness, Leanne waited, and within ten minutes, her lights flicked back on. Peering through the peephole, she saw no one. Had the man earlier been the electrician, or someone more sinister?
Her tension finally eased, and she slumped into a chair, second-guessing whether she had been too paranoid.
Meanwhile, Jeremy, having heard a stressed Selina’s plea for help, dashed over but found no one suspicious in the corridor. He did, however, notice a few cigarette butts by the emergency exit door and an unmistakable smell of smoke.
When he knocked, Leanne answered with a tinge of suspicion, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Leanne.” replied Jeremy.
Relieved, she opened the door and glanced behind him, “No one followed you, right?”
“All clear,” Jeremy said, debating whether to mention the cigarette butts. He didn’t want to alarm her needlessly.
But Leanne’s keen sense of smell had already detected the strong tobacco odor, and her