The Guest House: A Psychological Thriller (Silicon Valley Series) by Bonnie Traymore Releases March 1st ➱ Book Cover Reveal with Rafflecopter
When a young deaf entrepreneur rents a guest house from a stranger at a coffee shop, she soon finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and danger.
The Guest House
Silicon Valley Series Book 2
by Bonnie Traymore
Genre: Psychological Thriller
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PROLOGUE
One
thing I’ve realized over the years is that not everyone has what it takes to go
the distance when the time comes. If you want something done right, you need to
be prepared to do it yourself. I’m committed to reaching my goals, whatever the
costs.
If I could achieve them without spilling any
blood, of course, that would be my preference. I have killed before though, and
I’ll do it again if that’s what it takes to succeed.
But
only if I have no choice. That’s what separates me from the crazies. I get no
pleasure out of harming people. In fact, it leaves me feeling very empty. But I
won’t stop until I get what I need. And I’ll eliminate anyone who stands in my
way.
ONE
Allie
I’m half
awake when I feel a thud reverberate through my apartment and shake the bed. I
spring up, and my heart is immediately in my throat.
Is
this what an earthquake feels like?
Grabbing
my phone, I check to see if there’s an alert. It’s 3:17 in the morning, and
there’s nothing of concern on my phone, but maybe it takes a while to get the
word out. I’m new to California, so I have no idea what an earthquake feels
like or if anyone even bats an eye at something like this.
I
hold still for a few minutes, and I don’t feel any more shaking. I reach for my
speech processor on the nightstand. I’m deaf, and without my cochlear implant I
hear nothing. Now I’m concerned there might be an intruder or some other threat
lurking outside my door.
The
small guest house I rent sits behind a stately, expensive home, and the owners
have been away for the last week. There’s a boarder who rents a suite inside
the main house. I thought he was still around, although it’s hard to tell with
him. The guy’s kind of a ghost, and I don’t normally run into him much.
Once
my speech processor is in place, I notice some kind of intermittent scraping
noise outside. A tingling sensation crawls up my scalp. They have a dog, and
she’s not barking. But then I haven’t heard her at all this week, come to think
of it. Maybe they took her with them?
I
peek out the window, poised to call 9-1-1 if someone is burglarizing the house,
and I spot my landlord—at least I think it’s my landlord—dragging a large
duffel bag across the lawn. It seems heavy, and he’s straining to move it. He
whips his head around towards me, and I quickly duck down and out of sight.
Did
he see me?
My
heart starts to race.
I
hear a voice call out. “Hurry up,” it says.
A
woman’s voice?
I’m
terrified of the dark, so I keep the bathroom light on when I sleep. I’m hoping
it’s not bright enough for him to see inside my place. I lift the curtain just
a hair and look out again. His back is to me, so hopefully he didn’t notice me.
What
the hell is he doing?
I
thought they were away until tomorrow. Did they come home early and I didn’t
hear them? But this is strange. And this living arrangement made me uneasy from
the start. Maybe I need to look for another place, although the thought of that
puts my stomach in knots. It’s a nice unit at a decent price, and the rental
market is extremely tight here. Perhaps he has a good explanation for what he’s
doing, although I can’t imagine what it could be.
I
double-check the dead bolt on the door, turn off the bathroom light, and get
back into bed. I’m not taking my speech processor off though, so I probably
won’t be able to get back to sleep; I’m used to total silence. I grab my phone,
hold it under my comforter, and start thumbing through apartment listings as I
wait for the sun to rise.
One
month earlier
TWO
Allie
I rush
into Starbucks to grab a pick-me-up before I embark on my next round of
apartment viewings. It’s packed in here, and I need to use the bathroom. Badly.
I’ve never been to this Starbucks before. Rancho Shopping Center, according
to my app.
“I’ve
got a to-go order,” I say to the barista. “Is there a restroom in here?”
“Over
there,” she says, pointing towards the other side of the café. “Past the pickup
area.”
I’m
also hungry and hot. But I’m on a tight schedule, so although I’d like to chill
for a while, I need to keep going. I locate the restroom and, thankfully,
there’s no line. When I come out, I rush up to the counter to look for my drink
order. I pick up a few cups that could be mine and examine them, but my latte’s
not ready yet. I let out a long sigh and glance at my watch.
A
frazzled worker glares at me but quickly softens her look. I offer her an
apologetic smile, not wanting to stress her out any further. I’m surprised she
heard me over the whir of the blenders and the milling of the coffee grinder.
They’re very backed up and seem hopelessly understaffed. I worked my way
through college at jobs like that, so I know exactly how she feels. And if I
can’t get my idea off the ground before my funding dries up, I might be right
there behind that counter with her.
But
I can’t be late for my next appointment, so if my order doesn’t come up soon,
I’ll need to leave without it. I’ve just finished a two-week boot camp along
with the other women in my cohort, a requirement of the organization that gave
me the funding for my start-up venture. I’ve also been looking at apartments on
this visit, and I’m starting to think I might have to give up and go back to
Milwaukee, at least for now, which is not an ideal option.
The
man standing to my right says something, but I don’t catch it. I can’t hear
anything out of my right ear, and the background noise is making it harder. And
I remind myself that this is exactly why I’m here, trying to bring my concept
to market.
I
turn to face him so I can read his lips. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.”
“New
in town?” he asks.
“Yes.
Is it that obvious?”
“You
went to the wrong side of the store for your pickup,” he says, “and you’re
holding a rental car key.”
His
wandering eyes look out from a kind, almost jovial face. I glance down at the
key in my hand, wondering if I should be more discreet. I don’t need to
advertise the fact that I’m a single woman traveling alone.
“You’re
very observant,” I say.
“Not
always,” he replies.
I
hope he’s not hitting on me. He’s nearly twice my age if I had to guess.There
are a lot of rich guys around here who can probably get women half their age to
go out with them. He’s dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt, sporting a Patek
Philippe on his wrist—and not an entry-level one. Money’s a compensating factor
for some women, but not for me. Not for that big of an age gap. Then I notice a
wedding ring and relax a little. Perhaps he’s just being friendly.
“Looking
for a place to live?” he asks.
“Um,
yes.”
“I’m
in real estate,” he says.
“Oh.”
I nod.
That
explains it.
Now
I’m going to get the sales pitch. I should tell him to move on and not waste
his time. I’m not planning to buy. But I realize he’s just doing his job. Maybe
I can learn something from him. Networking in person isn’t my strong suit, and
I need to get better at it.
“Mike
Tabernaky,” he says.
“Allie
Dawson,” I reply.
“Is
it just yourself, or do you have a family?”
“Just
me.” Saying that out loud makes me feel vulnerable all of a sudden.
“Well,
it just so happens we have a guest house behind our home that’s become
available. It’s nearby, in Cupertino. Just over the border from Los Altos.
Perfect for a single person.”
Generally,
I’m a trusting person, but this seems a bit too good to be true. My mind
flashes to the shower scene in Psycho.
“That’s
great, thanks. But I think I may have found something.”
He
nods as he chews on his lower lip.
“Allie?
Your order’s ready,” the barista calls out.
“Well,
that’s me,” I say. “I need to run. Nice to meet you, Mike.” I offer him a
fluttery wave and flash my best Midwestern-girl smile. If I end up living in
this neighborhood, I’ll probably see him again, so I don’t want to seem rude or
unappreciative. Plus, he might know some venture capitalists he can introduce
me to.
“Here.
Take my card. In case it doesn’t work out.” He reaches out to me with his
business card perched between his thumb and forefinger. I pluck the card from
his fingers without touching them.
“Thanks,”
I say.
“You’re
welcome, Allie Dawson. Hope to see you around.”
I
head outside and mentally prepare myself for another round of apartment
viewings, trying to lower my expectations. The market’s supposedly softening
for renters, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. And without a steady stream of
income, I’ve been having a hard time qualifying for a place to rent. I gave up
my stable job as a luxury branding specialist to pursue this opportunity. At
the moment, I’m hoping that wasn’t the biggest mistake of my life.
It’s
a competitive market, and I’m sure there are a ton of prospective renters who
seem more desirable, with longer track records in the area. That’s why I’m a
little overdressed for the occasion, in my red cap-sleeved Tory Burch dress
paired with strappy black sandals. I want to make a good impression and try to
appear a bit more mature than my twenty-nine years.
When
I open the door to my rental, a white Kia Soul, the heat inside the car hits me
and nearly knocks me off my feet. It’s late August, so hopefully it will cool
down soon. They say it doesn’t get this hot here too often—just my luck. I see
heat waves radiating off the black vinyl interior. I run around to the other
side and open the door to air it out a little. I don’t want to show up sweaty
and disheveled. Then I shut the passenger door, head back over to the driver’s
side, and hop in.
The
seat is warm but, thankfully, not burning hot. I sit down, strap myself in, and
realize that I still have the business card in my hand. I tuck it into my
wallet, start the car, crank the a/c, and pull up the address on my app. Then I
take one last look in the rearview mirror, apply some lipstick, and fluff my
hair. I make a mental note to find a hairdresser. My dirty blonde roots are
showing, and I’m badly in need of a trim. Still, I’m presentable enough.
The
dark circles under my eyes are gone because the loud people renting the front
half of my Airbnb left yesterday morning, and I finally got a good night’s
sleep. I’m not used to sleeping with my speech processor on, so any noise at
all bothers me. I felt vulnerable sleeping without it in an unfamiliar place
though, so it seemed safer to sacrifice deep sleep. Last night was better, and
the extra hit of caffeine is starting to kick in.
I
can do this.
***
Today’s
apartment search was even worse than the previous ones, probably because it’s
Saturday and everyone’s available. I had four appointments, and each rental had
a steady stream of prospective tenants, including the unit that was totally
unacceptable to me with no air conditioning, smelly, dog-pee-soaked carpets,
and communal laundry.
Even
the cramped one-bedroom suite I’m sitting in right now is better than that one,
but I can’t afford this Airbnb for much longer, even if I could stand sharing
part of a house with a revolving door of random travelers. I’m burning too much
cash and energy on this trip, and although I filled out applications at the
other three apartments, I’m not holding my breath.
Now
I’m taking some time to regroup. I decide I’ll reach out to the organization
that helped me with my pre-seed funding and see if they can give me some
suggestions. I reach into my wallet to grab the executive director’s business
card. But I come across the card I got from Mike Tabernaky, the real estate
agent I met at Starbucks, with the guest house. I pull that out instead. He’s a
luxury property specialist and the principal broker at the firm. Maybe he does
have a pipeline of wealthy venture capitalists he can introduce me to. At
the very least, I should try to connect with him on social media.
But
why would he be giving his card out to people at Starbucks when the rental
market is this hot? Perhaps he doesn’t want to deal with a parade of
random strangers at his home? Or maybe he wants a single person, but he can’t
say that in the advertising because of antidiscrimination laws. I do a search
and find his website. It’s a small firm with two other agents and a few upscale
listings on the site.
I
tell myself that if I’m going to be a successful entrepreneur, I need to take
some risks. If an opportunity like this dropped in my lap, maybe it’s fate.
Part of the success story I’ll tell one day about how I was ready to give up
when I found a place to live from a random guy I met at Starbucks who
introduced me to so-and-so…and then it all fell into place.
Am
I this desperate?
Yes,
but I’m also not stupid. I’ll make an appointment to see the unit, and I’ll
have my brother on the phone with me when I go see it, just in case.
It’ll
be fine.
I
pull out my phone, take a deep breath, and punch in Mike’s number. I’m a little
surprised when it goes to voicemail and a little relieved. It would be more
concerning if he was sitting around waiting for my call. Perhaps it’s rented
already and I missed my shot. The thought of that makes me want it more.
I
open up my email and start drafting a message to Mina Rao, Executive Director
at Start-Her, the accelerator that’s sponsoring me, hoping that something comes
through before I have to hang it up and head back east rather than burn through
the money they gave me before I even get started.
Bonnie Traymore is the award-winning, Amazon best selling author of page-turner mystery/thrillers that hit close to home. Her books feature strong but relatable female protagonists. The plots explore difficult topics such as jealousy, infidelity, murder, and the impact of psychological disorders, but she also includes bits of romance and humor to lighten the mood from time to time. She's an active status member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
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The cover looks great. Sounds like an intriguing story.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really incredible read.
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