“Yes, since we’re keeping your place as our home, that money will be very helpful indeed,” Neal smiled, obviously pleased that the place had garnered an offer so quickly.
“Of course, there is a bit of a down side,” he continued, “if we can come to terms. The buyer wants to close in thirty days, which means I’ll have to cut my stay here short. I’ll have to go back to pack up all my stuff and make arrangements to move it east or put it in storage or something until I can do that. I have some furniture I need to sell also—hopefully the buyer wants some of it.”
Lin swallowed hard. She was happy about the potential sale, but Neal had only been with her a week. She put on a brave face. “ Well, we have to look at the long run I guess, but I’ll surely hate seeing you go back so soon.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “I’ll miss you too but look on the bright side. If this sale goes through, I’ll be homeless in thirty days. That’s still at least two weeks before I have to report to work in Tucson. I’ll be back to spend that time here with you. Who knows, if I can get my packing done quickly and get rid of the furniture I don’t want to move, I can be back before then. I can sign closing papers from anywhere. Besides, nothing is definite as yet.”
“I know,” Lin put on a more cheerful face. “This coffee is ready so let’s enjoy it. She filled their mugs and they went into the living room.
Sue proposed a “coffee” toast, “To the successful conclusion of Neal’s real estate sale and the quick disposition of his unwanted stuff.”
“Indeed,” Neal concurred. “Actually, I do have a few pieces I’d like to keep, a nice recliner and an antique cherry cabinet that belonged to my grandfather—I use it for books and such in my office, but really most of my stuff can go. Lin’s place, perhaps I should say ‘our’ place, is much nicer. She has acquired some really nice pieces.”
“I’ll take that as a complement,” Lin said, “but I have an idea. I’ve been thinking that you’ll need some place in the condo that is really all yours—where you can work and keep your books, computer, and such—and I think the third bedroom would be perfect to convert into an office. Right now, it’s mostly filled with junk, stuff I really need to discard. I’ve never used it as a bedroom; one guest room is usually sufficient. It’s rare when both my kids and their families come at the same time. Besides we could put some sort of bed in there as a backup. There’d be plenty of room for your grandfather’s cabinet and your recliner, a desk too.”
“I’ll not be moving my current desk,” Neal confessed. “It’s old and rickety and probably would fall apart if I tried to move it. I’ll just get a new one after I move, but I really like the idea of having an office—that way I won’t be in your hair all the time.”
“This is all very interesting,” Sue yawned, “but I have to work tomorrow so I’m heading upstairs.”
“We’re right behind you,” Lin said, gathering their cups.
***
The rest of the week went by in a blur of activity. The deal for Neal’s house went through, so he began making preliminary plans to return and take care of things in Flagstaff. The weather remained fine and the parkway remained busy. Lin worked her regular schedule at Linn Cove. Things were so busy she didn’t feel right about taking off more time. She and Neal did use Wednesday for a day trip to Grandfather Mountain. The good weather allowed them to hike some of the trails in the area before stopping for a late afternoon picnic.
They found a secluded spot off one of the trails and spread their blanket in the shade. Lin felt tired but exhilarated from their morning activities. “This has been a perfect week so far weather-wise,” she said as she spread their picnic of sandwiches, fruit, and chips out on the blanket. “I’m really hungry. What shall we call this meal? Lunch? Dinner?”
“It’s just food,” Neal replied. “We were still hiking at lunch time and dinner comes later.” They’d planned to dine together at Casa Rustica in Boone later that evening. “That swinging bridge was really something. What a spectacular view!”
“The view was great and the hiking was good exercise and…” Lin reached for Neal’s hand, “the company couldn’t be better.”
Neal leaned toward her and kissed her gently, lying back with her head nestled against his shoulder. “I feel the same way. A perfect day—only one thing missing—and we can take care of that later.”
“I hate to bring this up,” Neal continued, “but I’ve made some calls to Flagstaff relative to getting started with the moving process and I’ve booked a flight from Charlotte that leaves Saturday morning.”
Lin drew herself in closer to him, trying hard not to let her feelings show. After all, they’d known this might happen, and the end result was something they both wanted—she just hated to see him go.
“Here’s the good part,” Neal added. “I decided to hire someone to help with some of the packing, and I’ve arranged to store the items I’m going to keep, plus any things I cannot sell quickly. The moving company will keep those things in Flagstaff and bring them east when I’m ready for them. It costs more to do it this way, but it saves time—time I can spend with you. With any luck, I’ll be back in just two, maybe three weeks—to stay until I start work in August. He leaned over and kissed her with longing, drawing her body close to his. Lin felt an almost electric tension between them. Finally, she drew back a bit.
“I don’t think park rules would be too accepting of intimate behavior right here,” she smiled. “We’d better cool it a bit before things get out of control. I like your plan, though. The sooner you can get back here the better.”
“Remember, I have Friday and Saturday off. We can go home to the condo on Friday and spend the night. You can even take some measurements in that bedroom so you’ll have some idea which pieces you’ll have room for. There are some spots in other rooms also. It’ll be good for you to look things over before you go back to pack up.” Lin had finally managed to present a positive aspect to Neal’s leaving, trying to focus on the best part—the fact that they would soon be together permanently.
They gathered up the remains of their picnic and were soon heading back into town. Sue had declined their invitation to join them for dinner, so they had the evening all to themselves. Lin had finally come to terms with Neal’s upcoming departure. They spent most of the evening talking about the future, making further plans for how they wanted their wedding and even talking about possible spots for a honeymoon trip. The sale of Neal’s house would mean more funds to make both just what they wanted.
When they returned home following dinner they found that Sue was in a twit. She’d been trying to reach someone at the sheriff’s office regarding their intruder from the week before since Monday with no luck. Finally Dave Winkler had called back that evening while Neal and Lin were out.
“I couldn’t believe how dismissive he was,” Sue was really upset. “Basically he said we were just two paranoid women, expecting them to jump whenever we had a problem. Furthermore, he implied that we had brought all of this on ourselves—me especially with my snooping around into these old cases. It seems to me, if all this is a reaction to my digging into old information, that confirms the fact that someone is worried about information coming out. I can’t for the life of me understand why Deputy Winkler is so upset by all this. I don’t believe anyone has made much of an effort to find out who cut our power and tried to sabotage our back steps. I get the impression that Winkler just wishes we would go away somewhere.
Sue finally wound down and sank into an easy chair, exhausted by the entire situation. Lin decided to brew some fresh coffee—that always seemed to help. She managed to find a package of cookies too—sugar and caffeine—Sue’s personal remedy for most situations.
Neal sipped his coffee, gazing thoughtfully. “I really wish I didn’t have to leave so soon,” he said. “I hate leaving the two of you alone to cope with this situation. Don’t get me wrong. I know you’re both quite capable of looking after yourselves, bu
t I just wish you could depend more on support from local law enforcement.”
“Don’t worry,” Sue said. “I’ve already demonstrated that I’m not afraid to use force if need be against any intruder. I really don’t think whoever came last week will be back, and I’ll do the same thing if anyone does try to bother us. Meanwhile, I’m going to try to find someone who will listen and pay attention to the information I’ve already uncovered about these unsolved cases—especially the links and connections to the present day. Maybe someone from the local newspaper—there are ways to draw attention where it’s needed.”
***
The weekend arrived far too quickly; Lin and Neal left Friday morning and before she knew it, Lin was waving goodbye as she dropped him off at the airport curb. She’d wanted to park the car and go inside with him, but he’d nixed that idea. “I’d like to be with you until the last possible minute also,” he’d said, “but that minute would come so quickly it doesn’t make sense for you to come in. As soon as I check in I’ll be heading for security and that’s that. I’ll call when I get to Phoenix.”
Lin drove from the parking lot and headed back toward Davidson. It would save time going back to Boone if she left directly from the airport, but she’d decided she wanted to take a little time to make more wedding arrangements. She and Neal had discussed some things the day before, but there wasn’t enough to time to see anyone about them. Actually, there would’ve probably been plenty of time to do these errands had the two of them not spent so much time engaged in “other” activities”—she had to smile at her memory of how they’d spent much of the previous day and night.
Neal had, however, taken measurements in his new office, and he seemed very excited about the possibilities there. The room wasn’t large, but it did have a big closet that could be easily adapted for storage and a large window provided a beautiful view of the lake beyond. The room would easily accommodate his favorite recliner and his grandfather’s cabinet plus a generous desk. Lin even thought there would be sufficient room for a daybed or futon to accommodate the occasional overflow guest. In fact, she’d already decided that her wedding present to Neal would be a new desk, preferably in cherry to match the existing cabinet.
By the time she arrived back at the condo it was lunchtime. She grabbed her list of errands and began to make some calls, arranging to see several folks that afternoon. Hopefully, she could book a place for a wedding breakfast to accommodate out of town guests along with making final arrangements for some flowers and invitations. At some point she also had to find a wedding dress, but there’d not be time for that today.
Her cupboard was basically bare, so she headed for town, stopping at Wendy’s for a salad on her way. Thinking about her wedding dress had renewed her motivation for healthy eating.
Getting involved in making wedding arrangements helped her to push the fact that Neal was no longer there to the back burner. She was excited about the wedding, and it was fun to pick out flowers and invitations. She and Neal had discussed their preferences, and he had said she should go ahead and make the decisions. By the time she’d retreated to Starbucks to rest and enjoy a grande iced tea, she was feeling much better. The wedding now seemed more real to her, especially when she realized the date was only a few months away. She’d just finished her tea and was heading to the counter for a refill when her cell phone rang. It was Neal, announcing his safe arrival in Phoenix.
“I’m on my way to pick up the shuttle to Flagstaff. I’m surprised you answered. I expected you to be on the road to Boone by now.”
Lin glanced at her watch. It was later than she thought. She’d need to head out soon. “I got caught up making plans for our big day,” she responded. She quickly filled Neal in on what she’d accomplished. “I’m leaving Starbucks right now and I’ll be home in about two hours,” she told him. “You should be back in Flagstaff about the same time. I’ll give you a call later.” With that she ended the conversation, grabbed her tea, and headed for her car. It was well after five already and she could see that there were gathering clouds ahead of her. It might already be raining in Boone, she thought; I need to get going.
The trip up I-77 was uneventful. Her point of departure was already north of the heaviest rush hour traffic out of Charlotte. She arrived at the exit to Hwy. 421 in good time. Lunch was long forgotten; she decided to stop for a bite in Wilkesboro before heading on up the mountain to Boone. She could call Sue from there and let her know when to expect her.
Wilkesboro was already experiencing light rain. Lin opted to stop at McDonalds. It would be faster and she was beginning to worry that the weather might grow worse. She didn’t want to try to eat and drive however, so she went inside. She ordered a grilled chicken sandwich but no fries, giving herself a pat on the back for her choice.
Sue was already home from her day on the Parkway and picked up her phone quickly. “Lin, I’ve been expecting to hear from you. I was beginning to get worried. Where are you?”
“Having a sandwich in Wilkesboro,” Lin responded, “I should be on my way shortly. I’ll be home in about an hour at most.” She explained her tardiness in returning by telling Sue about the wedding arrangements she’d been making during the afternoon.”
“Be careful, coming home,” Sue advised. “It will most likely already be foggy in Deep Gap, other places too, but everyone tells me that Deep Gap tends to be bad. If you get stuck, give me a call.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lin said. “Got to go now. See you soon.”
The rain remained light, but the mist began to thicken as Lin drove up the mountain toward Boone. Her progress was slowed by the low visibility, but still she could see traffic ahead. I must be getting more accustomed to these fogs, she thought. This one doesn’t seem to be too bad.
Her thoughts quickly changed as she approached the entrance to the Parkway nearest Deep Gap. The mist soon became an impenetrable wall. She could barely see anything on the side of the road and could only hope that vehicles ahead of her would have fog lights and low beams on. Still, she pressed on. This fog likely wouldn’t lift before morning, so there was no point in stopping now. She crept on slowly. I probably should call Sue to tell her I’ll be later she thought, but she didn’t dare try to talk and drive, and she didn’t want to pull off the road. First of all, she couldn’t see a safe place to do so, and she wasn’t sure she could see how to get back on the highway safely either.
She’d just past the first recognizable landmark she’d seen in awhile, the sign marking the turn to Parkway Elementary School, when a large, dark colored pickup truck suddenly appeared, pulling into the road from a parking lot just ahead of her. She hit the brakes, barely avoiding running off the shoulder, as she managed to avoid hitting the vehicle. The truck pulled ahead on the road and disappeared into the fog almost immediately. Lin was shaken. I’ve got to stop, at least collect my wits, she thought, but I’d better not stay on this shoulder. She realized that an entrance to the parking lot must be to her right. The truck had pulled out from that direction, and it had been right in front of her. She inched the car slowly ahead, driving half on, half off the shoulder relieved to see that she was right. A driveway sign appeared just ahead, and she carefully made her way around it and turned into the parking lot.
Lin cut her engine and reached for her cell phone. Fortunately, she found that the signal was good and dialed Sue’s number. She could tell Sue was worried when she answered. “Where are you? I’ve been watching. The fog is really bad here.”
“Where I am too,” Lin responded. “It’s not really dark yet, but it’s so thick you can hardly see the front of your own car, much less anyone else’s.” She related her close call to Sue who immediately wanted to come meet her.
“Don’t do that,” Lin insisted. “ There’s really nothing you can do and I’m so close now. There’s no point. I just wanted you to know why I’d be late, but I’ll be getting back on the road in just a few minutes.” Lin ended the call and started her car. She reached to turn
on her lights and jerked back with a start, crying out at the sight before her. A tall figure loomed in the mist ahead, practically touching her car. Lin realized she was verging on another panic attack. Her breath was coming in short gasps, and she felt as if she wouldn’t be able to move if she tried. She closed her eyes and forced herself to breath deeply, forced herself to try to relax.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw that the man—she realized that it was a man—was moving toward her side of the car. He wore a dark jacket and dark work pants of some kind. The jacket was turned up against the wet, and he had a broad brimmed hat that obscured most of his face from view. The man approached her window, lifted a gnarled hand, and knocked on the glass. Lin froze, not sure what she should do. The man knocked again. “You OK, in there,” his voice was deep but muffled by the fog.
Summoning her courage, Lin lowered the window, but only part way. “I’m fine. Someone just pulled out in front of me on the road. I almost hit a truck. I just pulled off the road to collect myself, but I’m fine and I’m heading home now, thanks.” She started to raise the window but realized the man held the glass firmly in a strong grip.
“That’d be me you almost hit. Didn’t see you when I pulled out. Saw your lights turn in; thought I’d better cut back in here and check on you.” In spite of the concern of his words, Lin felt a cold chill at the sound of his voice. His words were distant and short, almost mechanical.
“Well, I’m fine now, and I’ve got to go,” she raised the window a bit more but still he didn’t remove his hand.
Suddenly the man laughed. “I know who you are. Thought I’d seen you before. You’re one of those women up here from Charlotte. I seen you at the courthouse one day. You’re one of those busybodies making trouble for my old Dad. Hadn’t been for that girl he’d be taken keer of proper by now—be in a nice home. That girl was staying with you folks—deputy said.”
Fogbound: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 19
