by Rose Pressey
Nevertheless, I had to get up and check it out. Getting out from under the warm blanket was the last thing I wanted to do. I lay there staring at the ceiling for several seconds, hoping that the noise wouldn’t return. However, after only a few seconds, the sound rang out again. It was even louder this time.
Could it be the strange man from the café? That was a crazy thought. How in the world would he know where I lived? Unless he’d followed me home. Oh, no. Now I realized that was a distinct possibility. I hadn’t bothered to even keep my eyes open for him. I’d let my guard down when I should have been the most alert.
Now I knew that I had to get up and check things out. I was afraid of what I might find after what we had experienced at the café. The man hadn’t come to my house, right? I supposed it was definitely possible. No matter how much I tried to make myself feel better I knew that it was a real possibility that he’d followed us home. He’d waited until Rory left to come after me. What kind of creep was I dealing with? Now I was all alone. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to the window, as if the man might hear me walking in the house. Nevertheless, it seemed like the appropriate thing to do. My anxiety was crazy high at the moment.
When I reached the window, I paused with my back against the wall. I’d peek over the edge. If his face was staring back at me I would probably scream. On the count of three I would look out the window. One. Two. Three. I peeked out the window.
No one was outside. I released a deep breath. He wasn’t there after all. At least not that I could tell. It was still dark out and with all the surrounding trees he could find a perfect hiding spot if he wanted. Perhaps it was just a deer. At least that was what I told myself to make myself feel better.
Chapter 5
What would I do now? It wasn’t as if I could go back to bed and fall asleep. I would be worried that the man was actually out there. I really wanted to take a closer look around. Because I knew I had heard something and as much as I told myself it was just an animal, it really had seemed like more than that.
No, I wouldn’t go outside and look around. It was still dark and that was too dangerous. I supposed I should take a look at the front door at least though. I eased away from the window and again tiptoed across the floor as if that might alert anyone to my presence.
It was hard stumbling around in the dark too since I didn’t want to turn on the lights. However, maybe I should turn on the lights and let him know that I was awake and ready for him I’d let him have it if he came after me. He had a lot of nerve coming around here.
I stepped out of the bedroom and headed across the living room floor. Unfortunately I slammed my foot right into the chair by the fireplace. I screamed and held my foot, hopping up and down on one leg. I tried to remain quiet again because I didn’t want anyone to know that I was awake in the house. This was ridiculous. With the pain still throbbing in my foot, I managed to make it to the front door.
There was a small window at the top of the door that allowed me to peek out over the front lawn. I stood on my tiptoes with the pain still in my foot. I peered out across the front of my property. The porch light cast a glow around the white snow. Thank goodness I’d left on the front porch light. Just a bit of snow had fallen, covering everything in a shimmery white. That allowed me to see more.
Scanning the area, I saw nothing unusual. It was probably just an animal after all. What should I do now? I supposed I could stay up and get ready for work. Actually, that was probably my only option since I wouldn’t go back to bed.
Just as I was ready to head to the kitchen, I noticed the footprints in the snow. I was almost certain they weren’t from Rory. I saw his footprints that went to his truck and then the tire tracks where he’d pulled away. But the footprints I saw had come from around the side of the house and up to the front door.
My heart beat faster at the thought. This man could be here right now. He could pop up at the front door at any second. Where had he gone? My gaze followed the footsteps and I realized that he might be on the other side of the house right now. I rushed away from the front door and over to the kitchen so that I could look out the window at the side of the house. Thank goodness I didn’t hit the table as I made my way to the window.
I peered out and spotted the footsteps right away. They went around to the back of the house. This guy had traveled the entire property. He had a lot of nerve coming around here. What did he want? Now I was mad. I’d find out who he was and make sure he never came around again. I raced back to my bedroom to look out that window again. I wanted to see if he was around the back now. Plus, I had to check for those footprints.
Peeking out the bedroom window, I followed the footsteps. They vanished around a tree on the far end of the property. He had been back, just waiting for the chance to come around. Should I call the police? More snow was falling now, making it almost impossible to see the footprints. Therefore, it wasn’t as if the police could follow them any farther. Plus, I still couldn’t prove that this was anything nefarious.
I looked at the time on the clock on the nightstand. I’d think about my next move after I dressed and made coffee. Since my car was still at the café, Mary Jane was picking me up and taking me to the café. Laura would also be with Mary Jane. We would have to swing by and pick up Mildred. Now I would be afraid to even walk out to the car when Mary Jane arrived. I should warn her before she got here, but then that would just freak her out. Maybe it was better that she didn’t know. If she knew, she wouldn’t get out of the car. In order to jump into the car as quickly as possible, I decided to wait outside for her. Besides, the guy wouldn’t come out in the daylight, would he?
After I slid into jeans and white shirt with the café logo on the breast pocket, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and went to the kitchen to start my coffee. I paced across the kitchen floor, waiting for my coffee and wondering about the footprints and the noises. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself now. Nervous energy flowed through my body.
Nothing strange had happened in the past few minutes, so I hoped that was a good sign and that the man had already left the area. I peered out the front window again. The sun was starting to come up over the horizon. Thank goodness. That made me feel a bit better.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen. I grabbed a traveling mug and poured the hot liquid inside. As I passed through the living room I paused, staring at the front window where the Christmas tree would soon stand. I couldn’t wait.
I slipped into my coat, hat, and scarf and headed outside into the gently falling snow to wait for Mary Jane. She would be totally freaked out when he found out about this. I wished I didn’t even have to tell her. But I knew I had to tell someone. Should I call Rory and tell him? No, he would just insist on coming back over here and that was too far of a drive when it was almost time for me to leave anyway. Maybe I needed better security around here.
Once I stepped out onto the front porch, I scanned the area. My legs shook with anxiety at the thought of being confronted by the man. I clutched my coffee mug to my chest as if that would offer some kind of shield against him. I inched my way down the porch steps. Standing out here made me feel vulnerable because I had no cover. The man could see every move I made now that I was out here in front of the house. Perhaps I should’ve waited inside.
I’d texted Mary Jane to tell her not to get out of the car. But since I received no answer I figured she hadn’t checked her phone. She always forgot to do that. She turned it on vibrate at night so that it wouldn’t wake her and then she forgot to turn it back on until I reminded her. She needed to set a reminder to remind her.
Part of me was tempted to go around the house and look for any clues. The other part of me said, Don’t be stupid and do something that will get you into trouble. But I was already outside, and how much worse could it get, right? I mean, if he wanted me I was right out here to grab. Yes, I should definitely take a look around. I had to be brave.
I set out around the house, following
the footprints, which were almost invisible now. Snow was falling lightly but mostly melting before it even hit the ground. It had managed to cover the footsteps. Luckily, I remembered where they’d been though. It was something I would never forget. My breathing was heavy and my heart rate up as I walked around the side of the house. Just before I reached the corner, I paused to prepare myself for if he was waiting.
After inhaling and letting out a deep breath, I practically jumped around the side of the house. I didn’t know if I thought I was going to attack him or what I was thinking. Thank goodness he wasn’t there. I remained on high alert as I made my way around the back of the house and to the next corner. Now I had to repeat the same action all over again.
Before I did that, I paused and looked out toward the tree line at the edge of the property, wondering if he was still out there. It was too cold to hang around, so he was probably long gone. I just wanted to know why he was here in the first place. Like Rory said, the guy was probably just some psycho. But psychos were sneaky, and I had to be extra watchful for them. I lunged around the corner again. Thank goodness no one was there. There were no signs that he’d been here either.
All I had to show that someone had been here was the faint remainder of footprints. I hadn’t even seen him, but I assumed it had been him. Who else would have been here? If only I could’ve seen the actual size of the footprint. Maybe that would offer proof. Though I supposed just the size wouldn’t mean anything. Apparently, my detective skills were lacking. Perhaps the size would have let me know if this was a man or a woman. There had been no sign of a mysterious woman, only the mysterious man we’d encountered.
Was Mildred the one responsible for the footprints? She wouldn’t come to my house without telling me. Plus, she didn’t even know where I lived. Unless Tom had told her. She would’ve definitely called me before finding her way to my house. Or she would’ve called Tom and he would’ve called me. The way that guy had been looking at Mildred was really strange.
Chapter 6
After I moved back to the front of the house, I waited again for Mary Jane. I peered around again to see if there was any sign of the man, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary in the bright morning light.
Soon I spotted Mary Jane’s car pulling into the driveway. Relief came over me. Thank goodness she was here, because standing outside was kind of giving me the creeps. It still felt like the man could jump out at me at any second.
Again, I felt like maybe he was hiding behind one of the trees. Having this secluded area amongst the trees was nice, but it also meant that I might be a bit scared at times. I supposed that was the price I had to pay for this cute little cottage. Mary Jane pulled up to the front. I hurried over to her car and jumped into the passenger seat.
“Well, you must really be excited about work this morning,” Mary Jane said.
“It’s not exactly that,” I said as I buckled my seatbelt.
“Then what is it?” she asked as she put the car into drive and pulled around the circle drive.
Should I really tell her?
“I just got a strange feeling.”
Mary Jane peered around as if looking for something or someone. “It is a bit spooky around here. Pretty with the snow though.”
Okay, I had to tell her.
“That’s not all,” I said.
“What else happened?” Mary Jane asked. “Something’s wrong.”
“After Rory left this morning, I heard a strange noise.”
“What kind of noise?” Mary Jane tensed up.
“Like a bang. Maybe someone was trying to break into my house.” Saying the words out loud sent a shiver down my spine.
“Do you think it was the man?” Mary Jane’s voice was just a whisper.
“I have no idea. Probably not. Maybe not. My mind was already in a panic, so I just figured that’s what happened. It was probably an animal,” I said, trying to sound calm.
Though I knew that it wasn’t just an animal. I’d left out the part about seeing the footprints. And the part about me searching around the house for any sign of the man.
“But you can never be too safe,” she said as she pulled out onto the main road.
“Okay, I can’t keep anything from you.” I blurted out the words.
“What’s going on?” Mary Jane asked with a frown.
“There is more to my story,” I said.
“I knew it,” Mary Jane said. “You can’t hide anything from me. I could tell by the tone of your voice. Plus, your eyes get that glazed-over look.”
“So what you’re saying is I’m not good at lying.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Mary Jane glanced at me.
“It wasn’t exactly as if I lied. I just left out the truth.”
“Why are you leaving out the truth? Plus, no matter if you’re lying or leaving out the truth, you get the same look.”
Mary Jane sighed. “So now you’re just stalling. Why don’t you tell me what happened? Did that man come back to break into your house? Did you call the police?”
“Calm down,” I said. “It’s nothing that serious.”
“Then what is it?” she asked. “And don’t leave out any of the details this time.”
“I promise I won’t leave out any of the details this time. Okay, here’s the thing. When I heard the noise I peeked outside and actually saw footprints around the house. They went all the way around and back over to the wooded area.”
“Oh, my gosh,” Mary Jane said as she swerved the steering wheel, almost wrecking into the ditch.
Thank goodness she managed to correct the car without getting us into an accident.
“Maybe I should’ve told you when you weren’t driving.”
“I’m calm now,” she said.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
“Okay, no. I’m not sure. I’m freaking out because that man was at your house.”
“I don’t know for sure who it was. I never actually saw anyone, just the footsteps.”
“Did you look in the wooded area?” Mary Jane asked.
“No, of course not. What if he was actually there waiting for me?” I asked.
“Oh, right. I guess I didn’t think about that. Still, I would like to know what he was doing there,” she said. “Maybe this is a crazy thought, but why don’t we go there now? We can see if there’s anything or anyone there.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I said.
Mary Jane slowed down the car and pulled over to the side of the road. “We’re right here and we don’t have to go far out there. We’ll stay around right here by the side of the road.”
“I don’t know, Mary Jane. It’s risky,” I said.
“Where do you think the guy parked? Did he drive here? Or did he walk all the way from the café?”
“I doubt he walked here. What if it was just one of the neighbors?”
“Just walking around your house? Do the neighbors do that often?” Mary Jane asked.
“Not that I know of and I sure hope not. That would be creepy.”
“Whoever did it is weird.” Mary Jane put the car in the park and then turned off the engine.
Mary Jane and I got out of the car and stood on the side of the road. We stared over at the wooded area near my property.
The area wasn’t dense and had been cleared out of underbrush, giving a pretty good view. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to walk in there in case the man had found a hiding spot.
Mary Jane started to head into the tree area.
I pulled on her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Just to look around,” she said.
“Well, as you can see there’s no one out there, so I really don’t think it’s a good idea,” I said. “Besides, we’re running late. We need to get to the café in time.”
She stood there for a moment looking out at the area and I wondered if I would have to stop her again. I knew how stubborn she was and that she real
ly wanted to walk around the area. But I’d given her all the reasons why I thought it was a bad idea.
“Are you going to listen to me?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’ll do what you want, although I still think we should go.”
“I know you think we should, but this is one time when I think I’m right,” I said.
That didn’t happen often.
Giving one last look, Mary Jane got into the car and we pulled away. I hoped the man wasn’t there when I returned home.
Chapter 7
“We’ll just stop by and pick up Laura. Then we’ll swing by and get Mildred. Since it’s so close to the café, Mildred might try to walk,” Mary Jane said as she merged out onto the road.
“I don’t think she’d try that after what happened last night.” I stared into the rearview mirror.
“She was scared last night, right? Are you listening to me, Elly?” Mary Jane asked, snapping me back to attention.
“Sorry, I was checking to make sure no one was following us. I’m sorry. Yes, she was scared. Do you really think she would try something like walking to the café?”
“Maybe. She probably doesn’t think the man could be that dangerous. You should tell her about the footprints.”
“I’m not sure we should mention it to Laura though. I think she’d freak out. She doesn’t handle things like this well,” I said.
“That’s probably for the best,” Mary Jane said.
We pulled up to Laura’s apartment and she ran out the door as soon as she saw us, sliding into the backseat.
“Good morning. I’m glad to see everyone survived the night,” Laura said with teasing in her voice.
She had no idea. Mary Jane and I exchanged a look. I remained tight-lipped.
