by Vikki Walton
Since the shutter latch had broken, she decided to close the shutters so she could lock them. It could save some heat too. She opened the window and closed the shutters with a hook and a board that pulled them tight. Then she shut and locked the window.
She returned to the other room to close the shutters there. Glancing out the window, Anne spied the same figure heading out of Ralph’s yard. This time, his hands were empty.
Maybe it wasn’t Jeff. The bulky coat hid the person’s figure and he or she wore a balaclava over their face, so it could’ve been anyone. It certainly wasn’t Kandi as the figure was too tall.
Just then the figure turned and glanced toward her house. Anne pulled back from the window.
Oh, no. The shutters. I should have left them for later.
Now he’ll know I saw him.
The figure shielded his eyes from the bright snow and continued to look toward her home. Anne took another step back.
Something moved behind her. A mouse shot across the floor. A guttural noise made her turn. She screamed as the cat launched off one of the boxes and chased after the mouse. As she caught her breath, she heard the sound of heavy boots pounding up the stairs.
She ran to the window. The figure had disappeared. Nowhere to hide.
Fear pumped through her veins.
Anne searched for some type of weapon. She found a long piece of baseboard coming apart from the wall. She pulled at it and a cluster of mice shot out.
She screamed again. Shaking, she could hear the boots running down the hall. She raised the stick of wood over her head, ready to strike.
“Whoa.” Sam held up his hand. “Careful, there.”
So thankful to see a friendly face, Anne broke down in tears and threw herself in his arms. Sobbing, she buried her face in his jacket. A mouse scurried past with the cat in hot pursuit and Anne yelped again, her feet dancing.
He hugged her to his side. “Hey, now, it’s okay. They’re only mice. I thought someone was killing you the way you were screaming.” He took her wooden weapon and threw it down on the floor, raising a cloud of dust in the air.
After Anne regained her composure, the pair made their way down the stairs. In the kitchen, Sam motioned her to sit in the chair. After he made coffee, he grabbed a nearby throw and rested it around her shoulders. Next he bent down in front of Anne and began rubbing her hands in his.
“Your hands are like ice. It’s freezing up there. What were you doing in the attic on such a cold day anyway?” He didn’t wait for an answer but continued, “Well, one good thing. I think your mouser is having a field day up there right now. I didn’t know you had a cat.”
“Kandi gave him to me.”
“Sweet girl. In this old house, you’re going to want a cat. The place had been empty so long that I’m sure there are quite a few nests around.” He excused himself from the kitchen. When he returned, he held a bag. He extracted a bottle of brandy.
Even with the coat on, she shivered and pulled the quilt tighter. He poured some coffee and cream into a mug and added a generous capful of brandy. He handed the cup to Anne. “Here. Drink this. Old Victorian remedy for shock. It’s really supposed to be in tea, but this works too.”
She took a sip of the coffee. The heat trickled down her throat and the brandy created warmth in her chest. She sighed. “Sorry about that. I just thought you were— ”
“Listen. I wanted to stop by and apologize. I was rude, and I shouldn’t have said what I did last night.” Sam scooted a chair back from the table and sat.
“Thank you. I’m sorry about it too.” “Friends again?”
“Friends.” She smiled at him.
He shrugged out of his jacket and poured himself a cup of coffee sans brandy.
“No Victorian remedy for you?” she quipped.
“As much as I’d like to, I’m on duty. I keep it in my car in case I come across someone who’s experienced a shock. Though you never heard me say that.” He winked. “So what happened?”
“There was a shutter banging upstairs. I went up there and saw…someone in Ralph’s yard. I stepped back and must have disturbed a mouse. Then the cat sprang at me from a box. It scared me so I yelled, and then you came running and I thought…” She caught herself from breaking into more sobs.
“Hey, slow down. It’s okay.” He stood up and grabbed his jacket off the hook. “I’m going to go take a look around. Be back in a minute.”
Anne nodded. The hot coffee and brandy soothed her mind and body.
In a few minutes, Sam returned. “I went over to Ralph’s and also scoped out your yard. No one there. But I did see footprints.” His face turned serious. “You need to report this to the sheriff.”
“Report what?” Anne set her cup on the table.
“It may have been the killer returning to the crime scene. Did you see who it was?”
“No. I couldn’t tell. I don’t know. I could just be imagining things with all that’s been going on.” She pulled the quilt tighter.
“That could be true, but you need to report it. I went ahead and radioed Carson.”
“You what? I don’t need—”
Her sentence was interrupted by a knock on the back door.
Sam opened the door. “Hey, Carson. That was quick.” He turned to Anne. “I’ve got to go. I just wanted to stop by …and anyway, I’ll call later.” He grabbed his coat and when he did, a black balaclava fell out of the pocket.
Scooping it up, he smiled. “I’ll need this on a day like today. Sheriff.” With a quick wave, he left the pair.
Sheriff Carson pulled off his brown gloves. “So what seems—”
“Please take off your coat and hat. Would you like a cup of coffee?” Anne motioned to her mug.
“I’ve learned to never turn down a cup of coffee.” He hung his Stetson on a hook and then shrugged out of his bulky jacket. As she moved to the counter, she could see that he towered above her in height. His shirt sleeves strained against his muscles, evidence of hours spent weight-lifting. Criminals would be ill-advised to try to take him on in a fight.
Anne filled a mug and sat it on the table. “Sit down. Please.” He ran his fingers through his jet black hair but Anne noticed a hint of silver threads were already appearing. He took the chair facing the doors. Pulling out a pad from his pocket, he clicked a pen and began to write.
The coffee sloshed and spilled onto her jacket, reminding Anne what she wore. Oh, geez. Does this man always have to see me looking horrible?
She set her cup down. “If it’s okay, can you excuse me for a minute?”
When he nodded his assent, she went to her room and changed into jeans and a peacock blue sweater before quickly brushing her hair and teeth. She washed her face and put on some lavender lotion. She returned to the kitchen.
Carson set down the brandy Sam had left behind. “A bit early, isn’t it?” He nodded toward the brandy.
Anne bristled. Does he think I’m a drunk? “I’ll have you know that Sam brought that in and put some in my coffee. And you know what? I’m an adult woman. If I want to drink brandy, I’ll drink it anytime I damn well please.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
A smirk played around his lips.
Oh, this man. Why am I even explaining anything to him?
He looked her up and down. “Yes, you’re definitely an adult woman. And yes, you may drink as long as it doesn’t violate the law. I just wanted to understand your capabilities on seeing someone in Ralph’s yard.” He took a huge swig of coffee.
Did he just check me out? No way. Seriously?
“My capabilities are fine. See?” She stood and touched her nose with the forefinger of each hand. Then she stood on one foot. She was very pleased with herself until her ankle bent and she lost her balance. Carson moved quickly before she hit the table. Cocooned in his strong arms, she managed a shaky, “I’m fine. Let me go.”
He quickly set her up on her feet. He gazed down at her. Neither of them moved.
H
e broke the moment. “I’m going up there to get a glimpse of what you think you saw.”
“I’m coming too! And it wasn’t what I think I saw. I saw him!” Anne ran and grabbed the coat from her bed. “Okay, but you stay out of my way,” he yelled down the stairs.
“I’ll not be ordered around in my own home,” she retorted. She rushed up the stairs and they climbed to the attic. They entered the room where she’d seen the person in Ralph’s yard.
“I was closing up the shutters in this room when this all began.”
As they moved closer to the windows, the kitten jumped from an adjacent box and dropped a mouse at Anne’s feet. She then noticed a bunch of dead mice in a pile in the corner.
“Gross,” she moaned.
The police chief reached down and picked up the cat, which immediately started purring. “Good cat.” He turned to Anne. “What’s its name?”
“Mouser” came out of her mouth before she thought about it.
“Well, he’s certainly that.” Carson stroked the cat’s fur with his left hand. Anne noticed a faint band of white against the tanned skin.
Not married. Divorced probably, and no wonder. The man is infuriating!
He set the cat down and strode purposefully to the window.
“Wow. Some view from up here.” She joined him. “Yes. It’s really nice.” “So where did you see the unsub?” “Unsub?” Anne repeated.
He looked down at her. “Unidentified subject.”
She pointed to Ralph’s yard. He bent closer and glanced out the window.
“Okay. I’m going to make some notes and then let’s get back down to the kitchen where it’s warmer.”
As he wrote, Anne opened the box closest to her. Bits and pieces from a teenager’s room from days past. Some records, posters, a bunch of costume jewelry, and old tie- dyed tees and jeans. Tentatively, she reached inside. Anne pulled out a book from the Nancy Drew series. She held it up. From behind, she heard him chuckle.
“What else? The Secret in the Old Attic .”
Clutching it in her hand, she moved past him and down the stairs to the kitchen.
Back downstairs, Carson held his notepad. “Anything else you want to tell me?”
Should I tell him about Jeff? Or was it Jeff? What about the dead chicken? That could mean nothing. No. Better to talk with Kandi first.
“Nope. That’s everything.”
He stared at her for a long time. His piercing gaze and midnight blue eyes probably made many people confess to crimes they hadn’t committed. He knew she was holding something back. Finally, she broke eye contact and pretended to inspect the book she’d found.
“Okay. You think of anything else you want to tell me, let me know.” He pushed his arms into the sleeves of his heavy coat and placed his hat on his head. “Thanks for the coffee.”
As she let him out the front door, he left a strange absence in his wake.
She cleaned up the coffee cups and thought about her next steps. She needed to speak to Kandi. From her window, she saw someone headed up her back porch. A frantic Hope knocked on the door and didn’t wait for Anne to speak. “It’s Mom. I can’t find her. I was at Kandi’s going over the fair proceeds and she must have slipped out. She doesn’t have a coat on. Please, I need some help to search for her.”
“Of course, I’ll help. Back in jiff.” Anne swung a scarf over her coat, ran to the mudroom, and unearthed a hat and gloves.
They hurried out to the yard and set off toward the forest. Hope pointed. “I saw some tracks going this way, but since it’s still snowing, they’re being covered so fast.” Yelling for Faith as they moved, their voices echoed across the yards. Even with the light snow, the exertion brought sweat to Anne’s brow and her sweater stuck to her back.
“Hope, I think we need more help. Let’s get more people involved in the search.”
The usually cheerful woman nodded solemnly. They headed back up from the creek path. The women spotted a light glowing in Ralph’s kitchen. Moving up onto the porch, Anne glanced through the windows and saw Faith sitting at the table drinking from a cup.
Hope gasped and pushed through the door. Her mother smiled. “Hello. Do I know you? I’m cold. Can you start a fire for me?”
Hope removed her coat and placed it over her mother’s shoulders.
“I tried to get Ralph to do it, but he won’t answer me. I keep waiting, but he hasn’t come yet. He’s going to marry me, you know. He said so.” The old woman pulled at Hope’s hands. “Will you help me?”
“Of course, Mama. I’ll help you.” Hope patted her mother’s hands.
They gathered the frail woman between them and walked to the front door. Hope ran across to Kandi’s to retrieve her car, and Anne helped place Faith in the car. Pushing her felt hat back low over her ears and pulling her coat collar up, Anne hurried back inside Ralph’s house. She locked the front door and turned to depart out the back.
As she walked down the hall and past the cased opening to the dining room, a figure burst from the room and grabbed onto her coat. In her attempt to get away, the pair fell in a heap to the floor. She hit out at her masked attacker, but Anne was no match for his strength. Fear pumped through her. She struggled to crawl away toward the living room.
He grabbed her. The man grunted, “You’re not getting away.”
Chapter Seventeen
Anne kicked and punched in a desperate attempt to free herself.
“I have you now,” the man in the ski mask growled.
He pushed her down on her back.
Her hands flailed out, searching. Her hand landed on a piece of firewood. Anne screamed loudly and with all the strength she could muster, brought the wood down on her attacker’s head.
As the man fell, Anne pushed him away. She struggled to her feet. Moving away from her attacker, she pulled her shaking body to a standing position.
The man tried to rise.
Anne picked up another piece of wood. She clutched it in both hands, swaying back and forth. “Don’t move!” She held it up over her head, readying for another attack. A banging on the front door caught her attention.
Holding the wood like a sword Anne backed out of the room. Kandi, Jeff, and a few of the other neighbors stood at the front door. Kandi spoke, “We were outside shoveling snow and heard screaming. What’s happening?”
“I was attacked. I think I caught the killer.” She motioned into the living room. Jeff peered around the doorjamb, while the others hung back. Curiosity seekers, though Anne could see that one person had pulled out their phone, hopefully calling 9-1-1.
Jeff entered the hallway and stood facing the man.
With a quick jerk, he yanked the ski mask off.
Stewart!
He moaned and put his hand back up to his head. When Stewart pulled his hand away, his fingers were smeared in red.
A familiar deep voice carried from the front porch. “Step aside. Let me through.” Sheriff Carson strode inside. Anne still clutched the wood over Stewart, who held a hand to his head.
“Busy morning?” Carson said to her. “I’ll take that.” He motioned for her to give him the wood. She handed it over and he set it next to the door jamb inside the room.
Stewart dragged himself over to the sofa and rested against the front. “I want her arrested! She assaulted me.”
Anne bristled. “I assaulted you? You came after me.”
Carson interrupted. “Okay, let’s calm down. I’ll listen to both sides.” He motioned for the others to go outside and give their statements to the attending officer. Returning his attention to the pair, he nodded “Let’s start with you, Stewart.”
“I found that woman— he pointed at Anne— inside my uncle’s house. I went to grab her and she attacked me.”
“See, he admits to grabbing me.” She ignored Carson’s motion to be quiet. “Plus, why are you wearing a ski mask, Stewart?”
“I’ll ask the questions, Ms. Freemont.” The sheriff motioned for Stewart to carr
y on.
“I was cross-country skiing on the park trail. I got up to my uncle’s property and thought I saw movement in the house. I know some teens have been inside in the past. They left a mess. I wanted to catch them before they ruined anything else. I took off my skis and crept in through the kitchen.”
The sheriff spoke to the deputy and lieutenant that had joined them. “Go check out the path and see if you can find those skis.”
Anne opened her mouth to speak, but Carson held up his gloved hand in a stop motion. He turned to Stewart. “Continue.”
“Then I got to thinking. Maybe the killer had come back, or someone was trying to rob my uncle’s place. Once inside, I saw a figure in the hallway. Looked like a teen boy.”
Anne harrumphed. A teen boy? Really?
Stewart pointed. “She was at the front door. Hat pulled down over their eyes, coat pulled up. Suspicious, for sure. I went around through the dining room and came up behind them. That’s when he—she—started back toward the kitchen, and I grabbed her.”
“See, see. He admits it. He grabbed me!” Anne raised her hands in triumph.
“Yes, I grabbed you, but then you went all nuts and started attacking me. Then she caused me to fall—”
“You caused me to fall!” She stamped her foot.
“Ms. Freemont.” The chief pointed to a chair. “Sit.” After Anne took a seat, Carson spoke. “You will get your turn. But for now you will remain silent. Am I clear?” After a stern look from him, Anne crossed her arms and clenched her lips tightly together.
Carson motioned to Stewart. “Continue.”
“Um…so next thing I know, I’m being kicked and bitten, so I tried to get on top and hold her hands down. But she got hold of that wood and hit me.” He held out his hand to show the blood on it. “I’m the victim here!”
“Thank you.” Carson turned. “Now, Ms. Freemont, do you want to share your side of story?”
Anne launched into the hunt for Faith and how they had found her in the kitchen. “I was only locking up the front door. I thought you were the person I saw in the yard this morning.”
