by Rose Pressey
The farther Sidney drove out of town, the more apprehension settled in my stomach. I watched as the sights of town faded into the distance and the area became more rural. Trees lined the sides of the road along with black fencing that held the horses and cows in the pastures. Just a couple more miles and we would arrive at the turnoff. I dialed Mr. Byrd, but when he didn’t answer I was forced to leave a voicemail. I wanted to find out why the address had been in his shop.
Up ahead was an old barn. It was the only building listed for this address, according to the navigation. The voice on my phone announced that we had arrived at our destination. Sidney merged to the side of the dirt road.
“Is this the spot?” Sidney asked.
“It looks that way,” I said. “They have to be in that barn.”
“It’s kind of spooky out here,” Sidney said.
“Nevertheless, I have to go find out if they’re there,” I said.
“I can’t let you go alone,” she said, unbuckling her seat belt.
I knew she was being brave for me. And I truly appreciated that. She was going above and beyond what any employee should have to do. After all, she was the curator for the museum and she wasn’t supposed to be out fighting potential killers or looking for kidnap victims.
I was truly afraid of what I might find when we stepped inside that barn. We had parked as close as we could get. We’d have to climb the horse fencing and cut across the field to the barn. A line of trees was in the distance, but no houses were in sight. Just an open expanse of a field with an old red barn in the middle.
“I’ll call Brannon’s boss again while we’re walking over there and let him know the address so that the police can get out here right away. I hope if they’re in there that they’re okay.”
My stomach twisted into a knot, my breathing grew more labored, and a lump had settled in my throat. After Sidney and I climbed over the horse dancing, I pulled out my phone and touched the screen to redial the number.
“Again, it went to his voicemail,” I said breathlessly.
“You check the barn and I’ll stay out here and call 911,” Sidney said. “In case the phone won’t work there.”
“Good thinking,” I said.
While Sidney placed the call, I ran for the old weather-beaten barn. I worried that it might topple over as soon as I stepped inside. The door groaned as I eased it open just a bit. Hay bales had been stacked in the middle of the barn. Walking across the hay on the ground, I headed toward the haystacks. So far there was no sign of either man. More and more it looked as if this was a wasted trip.
A rustling noise caught my attention. When I turned around, Jill had stepped out from one of the haystacks.
“It’s about time you made it. Where’s Kendra.”
“She couldn’t make it,” I said with a smirk.
She glared at me. “It’s just as well. I didn’t need her anyway. With you gone I’ll be the head librarian. Mrs. McMillian likes me.”
“Somehow I know that’s probably true. You seem like you have the same personalities.”
I looked over her shoulder and spotted Brannon, Porter, and Mrs. Glass. Brannon was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Porter was in a different chair to the left. Poor Mrs. Glass was roped to a chair on the right of Brannon. An empty chair was across from Brannon. I assumed that the seat had been reserved for me.
“Why did you take Brannon and Porter? They had nothing to do with this.”
“I knew you’d come after them. Plus, it was just fun. If I got you here, then it was much easier to get rid of you. You know Devil’s Moon well. It was easy for you to get away from us. We tried several times and you didn’t even realize.”
Wow, I was better at getting away from criminals than I’d thought. A talent I wished wasn’t necessary.
“Why was the address at the antique shop? Did you harm Mr. Byrd?”
She frowned. “Who?”
“The antique shop owner.”
“Oh, him? No, he’s fine.” She waved her hand. “Someone I know has a terrible memory and has to have everything written down. He lost the paper when he went back to look in that box again.”
“Why was he looking at the box again?” I asked.
“Kendra thought maybe we’d missed the key and it was really in there all along. Kendra was desperate to get the vase and the box. She started to really think that the book was locked in that cabinet. Frankly, I think the girl was losing it.”
I’d had bad luck with library assistants. This wasn’t the first time one had turned out to be quite evil. What had made her turn on me? She had acted so nice when we first hired her. I suppose she had wanted the position as the head librarian so badly that she was willing to get rid of me permanently. She wanted to take over. Kendra had instructed Jill to meet us at this barn. Kendra had assumed she’d have the vase and conjuring spellbook. Jill certainly hadn’t expected to find me without Kendra.
“I suppose you were shocked to see me about without Kendra,” I said.
“I guess you could say that yes. Now that you know my plan, I have to go ahead and get rid of you, whether Kendra’s here or not,” Jill said.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Look, I don’t care what Kendra had going on or why she had any beef with you. Mine is totally different.”
“Why did she want us to meet her here?” I asked.
“She planned on having a seance of sorts. Whatever it took to get rid of that ghost that’s attached to that precious vase. That’s why she wanted the conjuring book. Kendra said she needed all of us here to have to a séance,” she said.
“How did she know this?” I asked.
“Apparently, Kendra had been doing some research.” Jill used air quotes with her fingers.
“Well, I’m pretty sure this won’t work out for you because my friend Sidney is outside the barn. That means it’s just you against us. Two against one.”
She scoffed. ‘That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not alone.”
“Brannon and Porter are tied up, remember? I’m pretty sure they won’t help you even if they weren’t,” I said with a smirk.
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Jill said.
Okay, now maybe I was a bit worried.
“I have a friend with me,” she said.
Just then, a man stepped out from around several stacks of hay. He had huge muscles that bulged under his black shirt. The guy glared at me as he quickly made this way beside Jill.
“What seems to be the problem?” he asked
“Oh, no problem now,” Jill said. “Now that she’s seen you, and she knows that she can’t get away.”
“Look, no one has to know about this. I’ll keep it quiet and you can just resign your position. We’ll go along as if nothing happened,” I said.
She laughed. The guy beside her laughed too.
“That’s really cute and I appreciate the offer, but no thanks,” she said.
I glared at both of them. “Who are you anyway?”
“That’s my brother,” Jill said proudly.
“Well, I can see the family resemblance. You both have such a pleasant demeanor,” I said with a smirk.
I had to do some quick thinking. Actually, I kind of felt hopeless at the moment. With that big guy staring at me I figured my odds were pretty low that I’d be able to save Brannon or Porter.
“You were the man I saw at the library. You lost the key,” I said.
Jill groaned. “If you want something done right.”
“It was an honest mistake,” her brother said.
“What are you doing here anyway? This has nothing to do with you,” I said.
“Just doing my job.” He flashed a smarmy grin, giving a glimpse of his crooked teeth
“And your job’s kidnapping people?”
“If that’s what it takes,” he said.
“I demand that you let them go immediately. The police are on the way. It’s only a matter of time u
ntil there are police all around.”
In one swift movement, he grabbed me and held the knife in a tight grip up to my throat.
“And I suppose we’ll have to hold you hostage as well.”
“You won’t get away with this.” I struggled to breathe.
Apparently, Brannon had realized I had arrived. He wiggled in the chair, trying to break free. The only hope I had now was Sidney. She hadn’t come into the barn yet. I was worried about her out there all alone too. Had Jill’s brother done something to her before he came into the barn?
I didn’t want Sidney to come in now, but what if someone else was outside with her? They might hurt her if she came in here. With any luck, she’d see Jill and her brother and stay away. I just hoped that the police arrived here soon. It was the only hope we had. How else would I get away from this man?
I had no time to wait for the police to arrive, though. I had to take action right away. My mind went through possible scenarios and none of them seemed like a good plan. Charging after the guy like I was a bull or tackling him like a football player probably would be bad for me, not him. Causing a distraction and running out of the barn, leaving only Brannon and Porter here wasn’t good either. They were the reason that I was here in the first place. I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.
As I stood there contemplating what to do, I noticed movement behind Jill and her brother. I spotted Sidney outside the barn’s window. She was peeking in at us. Now I knew she was well aware of what was going on inside. I wanted to motion for her not to try anything. She should just wait for the police. Actually, she should call and tell them that this was an emergency.
Sidney walked away from the window. At that moment, the siblings noticed I was looking over their shoulders and they glanced back. Thank goodness Sidney had moved away now. They had no idea that she had been there.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
“The beautiful weather outside,” I said with a smirk.
“Enjoy it now because it’s the last you’ll see of it,” Jill said.
He laughed and my skin crawled with the sound.
“You were the one who attacked me and my friend,” I said. “Why did your hands smell like vanilla?”
“I have dry hands. It’s fine that I used my sister’s hand cream. Don’t make fun of me.” He narrowed his eyes.
I shook my head. “Whatever. This is crazy.”
“Go get her now,” Jill instructed her brother.
He moved over to me and immediately my fear spiked. It was overwhelming and my legs shook. I thought I might collapse right there on the spot. I glanced over at Brannon. He was watching and struggling to break free from his restraints. I was pretty sure he would never get that rope off on his own. Furthermore, I was almost positive this guy was going to do something to me before the police arrived. Nevertheless, I couldn’t just let him grab me. I had to put up some kind of fight. I had to make some attempt to get away. I ran to the right toward the barn doors.
“Stop her,” Jill screamed.
I didn’t have to look back to know that they were both running toward me. my heart pounded as I reached for the barn door handles. Sadly, I didn’t make it. Strong hands grasped me from behind and pulled me backward. I tumbled to the ground. When I peered up, I spotted Jill and her brother standing over me. Evil grins covered their faces. Just as he reached down to yank me up, a loud crashing noise rang out. The barn doors burst open. Police rushed forward with their guns drawn.
“Put your hands up,” the officer yelled.
It was the same officer who had been at my house earlier. Now he knew that I had been right to worry about Brannon. Jill and her brother placed their hands in the air. Several officers swarmed the barn and immediately took the couple down. Within seconds, they were in handcuffs.
Sidney ran into the barn. “Rip, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“You saved us,” I said breathlessly.
Sidney and I ran back to Brannon, Porter, and Mrs. Glass. Brannon and I made eye contact. I never wanted to see that look on his face again. It was heartbreaking. I ran over toward Mrs. Glass and started working with the knots to untie her. A couple seconds later, officers joined me. Within a few minutes, everyone was untied. I rushed to Brannon and we embraced in a hug.
“How did you find us?” he asked.
“A bit of detective work,” I said with a smile.
Thank goodness everyone was fine. No injuries. Jill and her brother were headed to jail. What would Mrs. McMillian think about that?
Chapter 31
Porter had banished the dark spirit that had been at my house. Josh hadn’t made another appearance and I wondered if he had moved on to the other dimension. Now that all of this was over, Brannon was taking me to my favorite restaurant in town. They had the most delicious food. The rigatoni pasta with grilled chicken, mushrooms, and roasted red pepper cream sauce was scrumptious and the dessert… molten chocolate cake with a chocolate orange sauce running over the sides like a gushing river.
Pulling the blue and white floral print dress from my closet, I slipped it on and tied the sash around my waist. I’d bought the dress a couple months ago, but I wasn’t sure why. I rarely had an occasion for dressing up this nicely. Why had I worn it tonight? Maybe because of everything that had happened and now I felt we were due for a celebration. I had solved the case and survived in the process. Plus, no one else had gotten killed. That was definitely cause for celebration. I slid my feet into the strappy blue heels I’d purchased with the dress. I had to get matching shoes, right? With a touch of lipstick and spritz of perfume, I headed downstairs.
When I peeked out the window, I saw that Brannon had arrived. I checked my reflection in the mirror on the wall one last time, adding more lipstick and then grabbing my bag. I met Brannon at the door. Brannon wore his best suit. The dark gray one that he’d bought for the Christmas party. That was the last time we’d dressed this nicely. He wore a white shirt and blue tie.
“Wow, you look beautiful,” he said. “Is that a new dress?”
“As a matter fact, it is new,” I said with a smile.
After we stepped out onto the porch, I closed the door behind us. Hand in hand we headed for his car. Brannon held the door open as I slid into the passenger seat.
“I must tell you that you look exceptionally handsome tonight,” I said.
“You’re going to make me blush,” he said as he started the car.
“We do look extra fancy tonight,” I said.
“Yes, we do,” he said with a wink.
Soon we had reached the restaurant. The building was old just like the other places in Devil’s Moon. A yellow-colored stone structure with a large parking lot at the back. Manicured landscaping edged around the entire building and perimeter. On the side was a patio where people could enjoy their dinner under the twinkling string lights that were hung up on a trellis. Unfortunately, tonight was too cold for that. I hoped we got a table by the big stone fireplace inside. It would be toasty warm, plus, romantic watching the sparkling flames light up Brannon’s beautiful eyes.
Brannon and I stepped inside the restaurant. String lights decorated the ceiling and soft music played in the background. Candles flickered around the room from their spots in the middle of the white cloth-covered tabletops.
The hostess smiled at us and said, “Follow me please.”
“You made reservations?” I asked.
“Of course,” Brannon said with a smile.
Yes, this was a nice restaurant, but this was also Devil’s Moon, and we didn’t exactly have a lot of expensive places. We were just a small town, nothing too fancy. Nevertheless, the restaurant took reservations on busy nights, and tonight looked fairly busy. I was pleased that Brannon had thought enough to call ahead to ensure that we got a table.
We followed the woman across the room. I was nervous, hoping that we would get the good spot by the fireplace. I was happy that we were here, but I would be even happier if
we had the good seat. Sure enough, she was headed straight for that table. My favorite one. Had he remembered that part too? I wouldn’t be disappointed if he’d forgotten. I mean, he couldn’t remember every detail. The woman was leading us right over to the table.
She placed the menus down and said, “Have a nice evening. I hope you enjoy the food.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Brannon pulled out the chair and I sat down. He took a seat across from me.
“The fire is perfect,” I said.
“I remembered your favorite table.”
“You did remember, thank you.” I picked up the menu as if I didn’t know everything on it.
However, sometimes the restaurant added new dishes. I decided to have my favorite chicken pasta and Brannon ordered the campanelle pasta with a spicy shrimp and tomato cream sauce. Brannon and I had mostly avoided discussing what had happened to him with Kendra and Jill. Though later I’d discovered Jill had lured him over to speak with her on the pretense of having car trouble. Brannon always wanted to help. Jill’s brother had ambushed Brannon and knocked him out. When Brannon came to, his hands and legs had been bound with rope to the chair.
Soon the waiter brought the plates full of pasta to the table. Brannon and I engaged in conversation while eating the delicious food. Brannon shifted in his seat several times and then he dropped his glass of water. He nervously mopped it up with a napkin.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just clumsy, I guess,” he said with a nervous chuckle.
He definitely was acting strange. I didn’t press the issue, though. If he had something to tell me then he’d tell me when the time was right. He was the kind of guy who had to be in the mood to talk about things and tonight didn’t seem like the kind of night where he wanted to discuss work. I ordered dessert—some of that delicious chocolate cake. I’d only taken a couple of bites when a man approached our table.
