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    part, the truth. Normally she wasn't in the least alarmed by storms. But
    then she had never been through one while staying in a huge, empty
    mansion on a deserted cliff overlooking a storm-tossed sea.
    "Atmosphere," she reminded herself aloud. "Atmosphere." Nothing
    could be farther from downtown San Francisco or the stock market, and
    getting away from both had been her goal.
    She was still mumbling to herself about "atmosphere" when the lights
    went out.
    Cassie came to a startled halt in front of the struggling fire. There was
    no hopeful flicker from the lamps around her, nothing to indicate the
    lights might come back on and stay. The mansion had been plunged into
    complete and utter darkness.
    "Damn!"
    This was carrying atmosphere a bit too far. Cassie crouched beside the
    small fire and cautiously fed the flame another bit of wood. The black cat
    remained where he was, coiled on a draped chair. His eyes still followed
    Cassie's every move.
    "Candles, cat. We need candles. Maybe there are some in the kitchen."
    It was tricky finding her way back down the main hall to the kitchen at the
    rear of the old house, but Cassie eventually stumbled into it. By sense of
    touch she worked her way round the cupboards. Why hadn't she thought
    to bring a flashlight? She had the fifth drawer open when a bolt of
    lightning obligingly illuminated the inside.
    "We're in luck, cat!" she called down the hall. "Not only candles but
    matches!" A few moments later she had illuminated the library with
    candlelight. The elegant candle holders on the mantel over the fireplace
    and on the ends of the glass bookcases were all soon filled.
    "What do you think, cat? Is it romantic?"
    The huge black cat blinked his eyes once and appeared to go to sleep.
    "You're a lot of fun, you know that? I can't tell you how nice it is to have
    someone as chatty as yourself to pass the evening with!" Cassie opened her
    Vuitton suitcase and rummaged around inside. The long-sleeved,
    high-necked brushed-cotton nightgown she took out was far from being
    the most expensive piece of lingerie in her wardrobe, but it was definitely
    the most comfortable. And, like her jeans, it was content to be worn by
    her. It didn't make trouble, like the more luxurious clothing she owned.
    She changed in front of the fire, wishing there were a little more heat to
    be had from the poor flame. It was going to be a long night. Cassie was
    just pulling the cotton nightgown over her head when she heard a
    demanding knock on the porte cochere door. The sound made her freeze.
    Automatically she glanced across at the cat. He had his eyes open now,
    staring out the door into the hall. The knock came again, heavy and
    commanding. The cat waited.
    Cassie waited, too, filled with a strong premonition of danger. Not
    being the premonition-prone type, she discovered it was a new sensation.
    She didn't care for it. "Maybe it's a neighbor, cat. Someone who's come to
    check on us. Maybe it's the owner of this place. Wouldn't that be a
    thoughtful gesture, to come out in this storm to make sure the new tenant
    was all right?"
    The cat swung his head around to eye her with a disgusted glance. Of
    course it wasn't the owner. The owner lived in town and nobody in his
    right mind would drive up the winding cliff road on a night like this. If the
    owner had cared about his tenant, he would have taken the time to have
    the place cleaned.
    The knock came for a third time, carrying a summons Cassie realized
    she couldn't ignore. As if drawn by invisible strings she trailed down the
    hall toward the door, carrying a candle in her left hand. The cotton
    nightgown wafted out behind her as she padded barefoot along the
    parquet floor. The loose knot of her hair had given up in its attempt to
    stay in place and the golden-brown mass cascaded thickly to her
    shoulders. She was about to peer through the small pane of glass set in the
    middle of the massive door when something brushed around her