“Oh,” said Amber, relieved that it was something so simple that had offended them. ”Just because he writes horror doesn’t make him a bad person. A lot of people…..”
He raised his hand to silence her. “I haven’t finished yet. It’s not just your run of the mill horror he writes. We like scary stories as much as the next people, but this is real twisted stuff. Makes you feel sick just reading it. Of course that raised a few eyebrows, but each to their own, as they say. Nothing would have come of it until the young girl went missing about six months ago. She was walking home from a party one night, and she just vanished into thin air.”
“I saw a poster in the main street,” said Amber, wondering what Jesse could possibly have to do with the girl’s disappearance. “Surely he isn’t a suspect?”
“He’s the only suspect”, broke in Sharon before Bob silenced her with a look.
“It’s true what she says. His car was spotted in town at the time she disappeared, and his dog was also seen in the area. You can’t miss that dog, it’s a weird looking animal, has always given me the willies. Anyway, there was no one else passing through town that night so it had to be a local and nearly everyone around here believes it was him.”
“And he’s always had a fondness for the young girls too,” said Sharon, unable to stop herself butting in. “Even before this happened people used to talk about the way he came into town just as school got out, driving his car around slowly, watching them. Sometimes he even got out of his car and hung out with the kids on the basketball courts and on the street corners. Very inappropriate behaviour for a man of his age, but he wasn’t breaking any laws and there was nothing that could be done about it.”
“That is a bit strange. Does he have any kind of alibi for the night the girl disappeared?”
“Nope, and it turns out he wrote a story about a young woman who disappeared and was murdered in circumstances that are almost identical to the disappearance of Tehya Gordon. I’m telling you, that boy is bad news,” said Bob.
“Really, that is quite a coincidence.” Amber had thought they were being overly paranoid but now she was beginning to get a little concerned.
“In the story she was attacked by a werewolf who feasted on human flesh, and there are some people around here who think….”
Bob interrupted her. “Sharon, we’re not going to go into that nonsense are we?”
“I didn’t say I believe it. If we’re going to tell her about Jesse Davidson we might as well tell her everything.” She turned back to Amber. “There are some people around here who think he’s one of them. That his story is true and he is a werewolf who preys on women. They said the same thing about his grandfather. Two young girls went missing back then, and he was a major suspect. Some kids out hunting in the woods one day said they saw a wolf go into his cabin, and then he came out. But Bob is right, it’s all rubbish, and nothing has been proven. I just thought you needed to know so you can be careful and not put yourself in a risky situation. It’s best to stay away from him.”
“Thanks for the advice,” said Amber suddenly feeling very nervous about the prospect of going back to the cabin that night. The werewolf story was clearly nonsense, but it was harder to brush off the fact that he was a suspect in the disappearance of a young girl. She had found him a bit strange the first time they met, and their encounter today had only confirmed this impression. Sharon noticed her anxiety.
“I’m so sorry, sweetie, what are we thinking filling your head with all this when you’re out there on your own? Would you like to stay here with us tonight?”
“Thank you so much.” Amber felt her shoulders drop with relief. At least for tonight she didn’t have to worry about anything, and tomorrow she would probably make plans to head back to the city. Her time at the cabin was not proving to be as calming or restful as she’d hoped. Her experience in the woods that afternoon had shaken her up, and the last thing she needed was to spend her remaining time here worrying that her neighbour was a murderer.
“Good, then that’s settled. Bob can take you home tomorrow morning.”
“That’s right,” chimed in Bob. “But I have to warn you I get up at the crack of dawn, so it will be very early.”
“That’s fine. I’m an early riser too, and I have a lot to organize tomorrow. I’ll probably be leaving in day or two.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I can’t say that I blame you. It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you do decide to stay I’d advise you to get a gun for protection. You can pick one up at the pawn shop in town and take it home on the same day. All that have to do nowadays is call a hotline to make sure you have no criminal history. Now, I’ll make us all another cup of tea,” said Sharon getting up from the table.
“Oh no, I don’t like guns and refuse to have one in the house. I think I’ll just go home.”
“I hope you’re happy with yourself woman for scaring away another tourist. The business council are going to crucify you,” said Bob.
“My conscience is more important to me than those grumblers on the business council. Now, let’s talk about something else. Did you know poor old Mrs Samuels was caught shoplifting at the grocery store yesterday? Poor old dear, she’s really growing senile, but her husband is in total denial.” Bob rolled his eyes at Amber, and she couldn’t help laughing as Sharon prattled on obliviously.
Later, lying in Sharon and Bob’s floral guest bedroom, Amber felt very safe and secure. They were such kind people, and they had taken very good care of her after her scare in the woods. As much as she loved her mother she had always wished she’d grown up in an affectionate home with two parents just like Bob and Sharon doting on her. She drifted off imagining what it would have been like to have the happy family life she’d lacked as a child. Maybe if she’d had experienced these things in childhood she would not have been so quick to fall for Dominic’s charms or to jump at the life of security and warmth he offered.
Chapter 6
When Bob pulled up in front of the cabin the following morning both he and Amber saw Jesse Davidson on the jetty at the same time.
“Looks like you have a visitor,” said Bob, raising his hand slightly in acknowledgement. Jesse waved back. “Would you like me to stick around for a while till he leaves?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll just go straight inside. Thanks for a great dinner last night, I really enjoyed myself.”
“Me too. Sharon loves getting to know new people in town. It’s a shame you’ll probably be leaving so soon or we could have done it again.”
“I know, but I’ll probably be back here with my friends before long and I’ll be sure to pop in and say hello.”
“We’d like that.”
Amber had turned down his offer to stay out of habit, and as he drove away she regretted not taking him up on it. She had not realized how disturbed she was about being alone with Jesse Davidson until it was too late. To her dismay he was walking up the path towards her. She waved before turning towards the house, hoping he’d take the hint and leave her alone, but he began walking faster.
“You’re up and about early today. Have you been out walking again?”
“No, I had dinner with the Crow’s last night and I stayed at their place in town. Sharon got Bob to pick me up because she didn’t want me out driving the mountain roads at night.” His expression changed immediately, and Amber realized her mistake. She had told him she intended to keep to herself when she turned down his invitation earlier in the week. Now he knew she just did not want to have dinner with him.
“I’m glad you’re not spending all your time working. I’ll leave you to it.” He turned and walked back down the path.
“Jesse,” called Amber after him, trying to think up some kind of excuse that might appease his hurt feelings, but he kept walking as if he had not heard her. With a shrug she went inside the house. She did not owe him any explanations, and after what she had found out from Sharon and Bob, the less she had to do with him the better.
The rest of Amber’s day was very productive and she got a lot of work completed. She became so caught up in her book she forgot all about her plans to head back home as soon as possible. Spending time with a happy married couple was exactly what she needed to overcome her writer’s block. What the Crow’s had was a true partnership. It was very obvious how much they loved and respected each other. Underneath their gentle teasing was true devotion to building a life together.
It was the kind of commitment she thought she’d had with Dominic, but they had never fitted together as comfortably as Sharon and Bob. Even after five years of marriage she had always felt like she was on her best behaviour around him, and she could never relax and just be herself. She was constantly worried she would do or say the wrong thing and see the disapproving look on his face that she had grown to dread. She had changed herself to fit with him, adopting his taste in music, films, clothes and even friends.
Most of the friends she had when they met had drifted away because she’d made no effort to keep in touch. She’d tried to cultivate sophisticated, worldly people like Tiffany who she knew he would approve of. Amber had been so young when they got married that she had never had a chance to find out who she really was without his influence. Now it was time for her to stand on her own two feet and discover what she wanted to do with her life.
It was not an easy task when she had defined herself by Dominic’s standards for so long, but it was also a very exciting time for her. Kat told her when they first broke up that one day Amber would look back and realize how glad she was to be rid of him. At the time she had been unable to imagine a day when she would ever feel this way, but now she was starting to see a glimmer of sunshine through the clouds.
She was reminded again of how lucky she was to have a friend like Kat, and she was very glad she’d never let Dominic push her best friend out of her life. He’d always been jealous of their bond, but Kat was the one person Amber had refused to let go of to make him happy. When Kat had met Chris he’d stopped pressuring her so much over their friendship because Chris came from a very well-known family. Although most of the fortune his family had amassed was now gone they were still respected, and this allowed Dominic to overlook the fact that Chris worked as a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company.
Kat had seen how much she’d changed for Dominic, and Amber was so grateful she’d stuck around despite the fact that Amber had behaved like a doormat for so long. She suddenly had a strong desire to hear her friend’s voice, and she picked up her cell phone and was very pleased to see she had reception for a change.
“How did you ever put up with me?” she asked as soon as Kat answered. Her friend immediately knew what she was talking about without further explanation. Over their years of friendship they had acquired the knack of being able to tune into each other’s thoughts in an instant.
“You weren’t so bad. You were in love with Dominic, and everything you did was to make him happy.”
“Are you kidding me? I became an unbearable snob. When I look back now on some of the things I said about people and the way I treated my old friends, I feel just awful. I can’t believe you put up with me.”
“Honey, I always knew it was your lack of self-esteem that made you hang of Dominic’s every word. It was Dominic, not you, who said terrible things about people and you always tried to stop him, so don’t be so tough on yourself.”
“I did find the way he treated waiters and people in shops horrible, but I tried to tell myself it was not his fault because he was raised to look down on them. I really hated going anywhere with him where we would have to be served by someone because I knew he would be a condescending jerk.”
“Tell me about it. It was only for your sake that Chris and I kept going out to dinner with you. There were so many times I almost got up and walked out because of his rudeness.”
“What about the way he used to act when he gave a tip? He thought he was being so generous when he gave a couple of dollars. Sometimes he’d actually wink and throw them an extra quarter or two as we were leaving as if they were beggars on the street.”
Kat giggled. “I know. But they got their revenge. I saw the waiters laughing a few times at his favourite restaurant when they served him. God only knows what they did to his food.”
Amber laughed too, and it felt so good to see Dominic for the arrogant buffoon he really was. “Come to think of it, he did complain about feeling sick a few times after we’d been out to dinner there. You must have wondered what I could possibly see in a man like that.”
“I just learned to keep my mouth closed when it came to Dominic, and I lived in hope that one day you would come to your senses. I’m sorry your marriage didn’t work out, but that man was never any good for you, Amber.”
It was true Kat had tried to warn her about Dominic when she first began dating him, but she was already too far under his spell and she had refused to listen to a word against him. It was the one sore point in their friendship, and after a few blazing rows they had agreed to disagree and leave it at that. Kat was by her side when she married Dominic, and now she was here to pick up the pieces when it all fell apart.
“I really don’t deserve a friend like you.”
“Of course you do. How many times have you been there for me when I was heartbroken over some guy? I’m so glad I met Chris and those days are over. I don’t think I could stand the singles scene again.” She gave a sharp intake of breath when she realized what she’d said. “I’m sorry, Amber. That was really insensitive of me.”
“Don’t be silly.” Amber was glad that Kat had changed the subject so she did not have to agree with her about how wonderful Chris was. A year ago she would have been the first to agree that he was the best thing that had ever happened to Kat. He was good looking, charming, and most importantly, he seemed to really love her friend.
Her opinion of him had changed one night just under a year earlier when they had all gone on holidays together. Everyone had imbibed a little too much wine with dinner, especially Chris who was visibly swaying on his feet and slurring his words. Dominic and Kat had both gone to bed while Amber stayed up talking with Chris on the balcony of their hotel suite while she finished her drink. She was just about to say goodnight when out of the blue he leaned over and tried to kiss her.
“You know I’ve always had a thing for you, Amber. It was actually you I saw first on the night I met Kat, but you were already taken.”
Amber had pushed him away in shock. “What in God’s name are you doing? Have you lost your mind? Kat is my best friend and your wife.” She had not even waited for him to reply but stormed into her bedroom and closed the door.
The next morning he acted perfectly normally, as if nothing had happened. He did not seem to remember anything from the previous night, and Amber convinced herself it was just the alcohol talking, and he had not meant a single word he’d said. The last thing she wanted to do was cause trouble between him and Kat so she had kept her mouth closed, not even telling Dominic what had happened. From that night onwards, though, she had been wary and made sure she was never alone with Chris.
“I’m just so glad to hear from you,” said Kat, drawing her back to the present. “I’ve been wanting to call you since you left, but you said you wanted some time to sort yourself out, so I managed to restrain myself.”
“You probably wouldn’t have gotten through to me if you’d tried. The cell phone reception is really bad here. I’m lucky I could make this call. I’ve missed you too, but coming out here has been good for me in many ways.”
“I did warn you about the phone. I thought you’d be bored out of your mind by now.”
“No! I’ve actually got a lot of work done, and I met some really nice locals. An older couple who run the bakery in town invited me to their place for dinner last night. That reminds me, have you ever heard anything disturbing about your neighbour here?”
“You mean Jesse? I’ve never heard anything bad about him at all. He
always seemed like a nice guy to me. We’ve had him over for dinner once or twice, and Chris goes fishing with him sometimes.” Amber filled her in on what the Crows had told her. “Wow, that’s really awful. I hope the missing girl turns up. She’s probably just run off with her boyfriend or something. You know what teenagers are like. I seriously doubt Jesse is involved in any way.”
“You’re probably right, but it still gives me the creeps. I thought he was shy but the other day when I accidentally ended up at his cabin he seemed really sleazy, almost like a different person.”
“What do you mean you accidentally ended up at his cabin? The guy probably thinks you want his body. But seriously, that doesn’t sound like the Jesse I know.”
“It was really weird. Even though I’ve been getting a lot of work done on my book, I’ll probably head home tomorrow. I’m a bit spooked being here on my own. On top of the news about Jesse, the wolves around here have apparently become quite brazen and one broke through a window into a house on the lake just a little while ago.”
To her surprise Kat laughed. “Seriously, Amber, you should know by now not to believe everything you’re told. The locals up there love nothing more than to get the city folk going. It’s like a hobby to them. Don’t let silly gossip drive you away. You seem so much happier than you did last time we spoke. I think the mountains are working their magic on you, and it would be a shame not to make the most of your time there.”
Hunger of the Wolf Page 4
