The story will suck you in from the first chapter included below.
Enjoy this excerpt fromTake Your Breath Awaythat describes the day Brie went missing.
Prologue
We can simply kill them, but there are alternatives you might want to consider.
If we even have any, Brie Mason said.
Maybe its just one.
Brie felt her heart sink.Youre joking.
Well, mice arent exactly loners, if you know what I mean.
Theyre social little creatures and they like hanging out with other little mousies.
Im seeing what could be a couple turds back there under the trap.
I havent put out any traps, Brie said.
Not that kind of trap, Charlie said.
The drain, under the sink.
She leaned back on the kitchen island, arms folded across her chest in a mock-supervisory pose.
So, by turds, you mean droppings.
Looks like it, he said.You had mice before?
Not that I know of.
We havent been here all that long.
Can you, I mean, can you tell how old those droppings might be?
Well, I dont exactly know how to do carbon dating on them or anything.
If youre not sure you have them, what prompted you to call?
I thought I heard something last night, she said.
I was sitting here in the kitchen and it was very quiet.
My husbands away, and
She stopped herself.
Brie hadnt meant to say that.
You dont let on that your husband is away when you have a strange man in the house.
Not that Charlie was strange.
He was a state-licensed exterminator, wasnt he?
Although, she had to admit, he was a bit of an oddball.
Put a top hat on him and hed look like the guy who ties the girl to the tracks.
Those coveralls, she figured, hadnt seen a dry cleaners since Will Smith had a sitcom.
She blamed her carelessness on the fact that she was already on edge.
Bigger things on her mind than a few mice finding their way into the house.
Out of town on business, is he?
Knees not what they used to be, he said.
Of course, that could change, if things went the way Brie thought they might.
What sort of work does he do?
A contractor, Brie said.
Small- to medium-sized projects.
Strip malls, townhouses, fast-food joints, that kind of thing.
Okay, he said.
Youre thinking this isnt much of a house for a contractor.
What you see here is the before picture.
The place needs a lot of work.
Were one of the oldest houses on Mulberry.
In the meantime, Id rather not be sharing the place with little furry rodents.
He smiled, showing off two rows of brown, tobacco-stained teeth.
Well, I dont blame you there.
Theres a couple things I can do.
Put them in the cupboard here, under the stove, out in the garage.
Or I can put some poison around in all the same places.
You wouldnt want them nibbling away on that stuff and getting sick.
You ever start opening up the walls you might find some tiny, furry little mouse skeletons.
That gave Brie a shiver.
Charlie paused, appeared thoughtful, and then said, And there is one other way you could go.
But Charlies box was bigger.
You see theres a little door at the end, he said.
So when you see the door has dropped, you know youve got him.
Oh, Brie said.
But wont he come back inside again?
So, you go around the house and look for ways he and his friends might be coming in.
Fill in the cracks, plug holes.
Check dryer and stove vents, in case theyre getting in that way.
I know its not as effective as killin them dead, but its something to consider.
Charlies expression turned solemn.
What people forget is, animals have souls, too.
Brie said, Thats … an interesting philosophy from someone in your line of work.
You know, sometimes Ill find something in someones house and remove it, but I wont kill it.
And I wont set it free, either, in the woods or whatever.
Ill keep it and take care of it.
What, in a cage?
I got lots of little critters I look after.
Feed em, nurture them.
Well, Brie said, not sure what to make of that.
Anyway, back to business.
Um, not that much.
Im not exactly the worlds greatest chef.
Andrew, he cooks some.
We do a lot of takeout.
Do you have any flour?
Like, for cooking?
She brought it down and pried off the lid.
You got mice, youll see their tiny little footprints in the morning.
You dont see anything, chances are you dont have them.
Brie nodded, impressed.
And just vacuum it up after.
He put two of the humane traps atop the counter.
At that point she could decide on more humane traps, the glue ones, or poisoned bait.
She followed him out to his van and realized shed stopped noticing the tobacco stench coming off of him.
Your nose could get used to just about anything, she concluded.
A blue Chrysler minivan.
There was a man sitting behind the wheel, looking her way.
God,she thought.What the hell is Norman doing there?
Seconds later, her husbands face appeared.
Hey, Andrew said cheerily.
He looks happy, she thought.
Gregs already gone back to his place.
We were out on the water for the better part of four hours.
Got a lot of sun.
Kind of drained the life out of us.
Other than a burn on the back of my neck, no.
Limping a little, but pretty much healed.
Stumbled once getting in the boat.
Thinking he could jump down that far.
Twenty years ago, maybe, but hes too old for that kind of shit.
So, whatd you guys talk about, all that time?
But mostly just reminiscing, reliving our glory years.
Not exactly happy to talk about work, way things have been going.
And I told him I was done putting you through one renovation after another.
If you like where you are now, were staying.
If you want to find your dream home, thats what well do.
Brie smiled, as though he might actually mean it this time.
I had someone here today, a pest control guy, checking for mice.
Thought I heard something in the walls.
He was a bit of an oddball.
Doesnt like to kill them if he doesnt have to.A humane exterminator.
Not surprising wed have mice.
Old house, theyve probably got a hundred ways to get inside.
She briefly angled the phone so he could see the floor.
Can you see that?
If I see footprints in the morning, I know Ive got company.
Hey, Andrew said, touching his neck.
Nice to see you wearing that.
She touched her necklace and smiled.
Im never taking it off.
Anything else going on?
Should she tell him about Norman coming to the door?
No, not a good idea.
Nothing, Brie said.
Listen, Ill let you go.
What time you getting back?
Should I have a lunch ready?
Dont worry about me.
“Love you, he said.
Bye, Brie said, and ended the call.
She turned off the kitchen lights and headed upstairs.
It was Saturday, so there was no Kimmel or Colbert or Fallon.
She picked up the book on her bedside table.
Shortly after midnight, having read only two pages, she felt her eyelids slamming shut.
She hit the light and went to sleep.
As she reached the first floor, she felt a tingle of excitement mixed with dread.
There were definitely footprints.
But they werent from mice.
Not unless mice wore size-twelve boots.
At that moment, she thought she heard something behind her.
There wasnt even time to scream.
From the bookTAKE YOUR BREATH AWAYby Linwood Barclay.
She received a 2020 Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing.
