The Crows had been so certain that Jesse was involved in the teenager’s disappearance, but talking to Kat helped to put things into perspective. As lovely as Sharon was, she clearly liked to gossip, and despite his teasing, she suspected Bob did too. They had probably not lied to her deliberately to frighten her, but rather embellished the facts for the sake of a good story.
Kat picked up on her hesitation. “Would it help if I came and stayed with you for a couple of days? Chris is away on business, and I’m all by myself. They owe me some time off work, and I’d be happy to protect you from the big bad wolf.”
“That would be fantastic.” Amber relished the thought of spending some quality time together. “It will be just like old times, and a couple of days break from my work won’t do any harm.”
“Great. I can be there not tomorrow but the next day. That will give you time to stock up on junk food and red wine. I really need to get out of the city for a while too, so this is perfect.”
“We can go hiking and watch DVDs and catch up on gossip. I can hardly wait.” They chatted for a few more minutes, and just after they had said their goodbyes and Amber was about to hang up, she heard Kat calling to her faintly. She put the phone back up to her ear.
“Amber, wait don’t hang up.”
“What is it?”
“Thank goodness. I was worried once you hung up I might not be able to contact you again. I just wanted to let you know Chris will be in the area tomorrow as he has to drive across to Patterson. It takes him right past the turn off to the cabin, and he mentioned something about dropping in. I thought I’d better warn you in case he turned up late at night and totally freaked you out. I hope you don’t mind.” Amber’s good mood evaporated in an instant.
“Of course I don’t mind,” she lied. “It’s your cabin after all.”
“Good. With any luck we might even cross paths. I feel like I hardly get to see him these days because he’s always on the road for work.”
“That would be nice.” Amber tried to sound normal but inside she was panicking at the prospect of being at the cabin alone with Chris. It was the absolute last thing she needed, but she’d already made plans with Kat and there was no way she could back out now.
She went to bed that night with a heavy heart and it took her a long time to fall asleep. It seemed she’d only just drifted off when she was awoken by a noise coming from the front of the house. At first she thought she must have dreamed it until she heard a loud creaking followed by the distinct sound of footsteps on the porch.
Bolting out of bed she grabbed her cell phone and swore under her breath when she saw it had no reception. She made her way downstairs to the front window and parted the curtains to peer out. At first she could make out nothing in the darkness until a movement near the edge of the yard caught her eye. All she could make out was a black shape disappearing into the woods. It was too big to be a racoon, but it could easily be a wolf or even a person.
Amber hardly slept for the rest of the night, and at first light she went outside to check if anything had been disturbed. She was relieved to see the trash can overturned and garbage strewn all over the porch. It was obviously just an animal looking for a snack that had woken her, and she was kicked herself for leaving the fish Jesse had given her out there. Hopefully whatever it was would not return.
She was turning to go back inside when she noticed something red on the chair. It was the shawl that she had lost in the woods a couple of days earlier, folded neatly and placed where she would find it. Someone must have left it there last night because it definitely was not there when she came home. She was sure she would have noticed it. That meant the footsteps on the porch had been made by a human, and the only person who knew the shawl belonged to her was Jesse Davidson.
What on earth was he doing lurking around the cabin in the middle of the night? It was beyond weird. Was it also him who had knocked over the trash can and strewn garbage across the porch? But why would he do something like that? Amber remembered how strangely he’d behaved when she accidentally followed the path to his cabin, and how angry he seemed when he realized she had lied about being too busy to have dinner with him. Maybe this was his way of getting his revenge or a symptom of his disturbed state of mind. He was the main suspect in a teenager’s disappearance, after all.
Amber’s fears, which had seemed so irrational after her chat with Kat, came rushing back and she was ready to pack her bags then and there until she remembered Kat’s visit. Her friend had seemed so excited about the prospect of getting away for a few days that she had probably started to make all the arrangements as soon as she got off the phone. Kat was like that. When she made her mind up about something she went for it like a bull at a gate, and God help anyone who got in her way. She would be very disappointed if Amber cancelled on her now, and with her cell phone reception dropping in and out, she could not call her anyway.
Amber was in a quandary until she remembered that Chris might possibly come by that night. For the first time since the incident on the hotel balcony a year earlier she actually looked forward to seeing him. With him there she would at least be safe from whoever or whatever had come onto the porch, and then Kat would be with her the night after that. They would be having too much fun to even think about Jesse Davidson or creatures lurking in the darkness. If she went home when Kat did she would never have to spend a night alone at the cabin again.
This knowledge helped to calm her nerves, but she still could not help recalling Sharon’s words about buying a gun to protect herself while she was here. Yesterday she had said she felt very uncomfortable with the whole idea, but now it was starting to seem like common sense. If Chris didn’t turn up she really did not want to spend another sleepless night looking out the window and jumping at every sound. She made up her mind to go into town and talk to Sharon about where to buy one. Before she left the cabin she finally put the charm on her bracelet that she had been given by the Native American shopkeeper for protection, and she instantly felt better.
Chapter 7
“I can’t say as I’m surprised. You wouldn’t get me out there alone without at least a couple of firearms on the nightstand.” Standing in Sharon’s sunny bakery overlooking the cheerful main street, Amber began to question her decision.
“It’s just for peace of mind. I had a little scare last night with an animal coming up onto the porch, and since I’ve decided to stay for a bit longer I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have some protection. Now when I think about it, it seems like an overreaction. My friends who own the cabin will probably be there for the next few nights, so I’ll be fine.”
“Wait a minute, honey. Something out there spooked you enough to send you scurrying in here to ask me about a gun. I don’t think it’s an overreaction at all. What if your friends don’t turn up or you decide you want to stay a little longer after they are gone? There was another wolf attack last night too, not far from where you are. If you ask me, it’s the sensible thing to do.”
Amber was still wavering. “I guess you’re right, you can never be too careful.”
“Damn straight, especially when it comes to the wolves around here, and I’m referring to both the human and animal variety.” She gave Amber a meaningful look. “There’s pawn shop is in Louis St which runs both ways off the main street. Just turn right when you walk out the door and then take the first left after the drug store. Ask for Robert, and tell him I sent you. He’ll look after you.”
“Thanks a lot. I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”
“When are you coming over for dinner again?”
“Whenever you invite me.”
“How about tonight then, if you don’t mind coming back into town? Bob can pick you up again.” She slapped her forehead with her hand. “Oh I forgot, your friends are coming to visit. Well, maybe if you stay on when they go we can do it again.”
Amber jumped at the opportunity to avoid spending time alone in the cabin or with Chris if he showed up. With an
y luck Sharon and Bob might invite her to stay the night again, and she wouldn’t have to spend any time with him at all. “My friend probably won’t arrive until very late, and I really can’t turn down another chance to sample your cooking. Tonight would be great.”
Sharon beamed. “Okay then, that’s settled. I’ll see you tonight. Good luck with your shopping trip.” She winked conspiratorially as a customer walked in the door.
After she left the bakery, Amber followed Sharon’s directions. She had said to take the first turn on the left after the drug store, but as she walked along the street Sharon had told her to take she began to wonder if she had heard her correctly. The buildings in this street were a little rundown and contrasted noticeably with the postcard-perfect main street. The further she walked, the seedier it became, and there was even a burnt out car on a deserted lot. There were no shops here, just houses, and what looked like a disused school house on a corner.
She was about to turn back when a man emerged from one of the houses. He was clearly of Native American descent, and he was dressed in an old fashioned western shirt and a large cowboy hat. He bowed theatrically when he saw her.
“Howdy there, ma’am. You’re looking a bit lost. Can I be of assistance to you?” Amber was a little taken aback. She’d had almost nothing to do with Native American people before. She knew that many of them lived on reservations, but that was about it.
“Thank you. I’m looking for the pawn shop on this street”
“Then you’ve taken the wrong turn. You need to cross over to the other side of the main street. This is the Indian part of town. We don’t get many of your folk visiting the area.” He seemed to be appraising her. “What’s a nice girl like you wanting to visit McNally’s for, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I’m staying out at the lake by myself and just thought I might get a gun for protection from…” she faltered, “from the wolves and other animals.” She’d gone and done it again. After knowing the man for a whole two minutes she had let him know she was alone in an isolated cabin in the woods. Would she never learn? “My friends will be there for the next few days, though, and then I’ll probably go home, so I’m not really alone. I still thought it would be a good idea,” she added quickly.
“Oh, you’re the lady who is getting a divorce.”
“How on earth did you know that?”
“We know everything,” he replied mysteriously and then laughed at the expression on her face. “My sister owns the jewellery store. She mentioned a lady coming in who was staying at the lake. Said you almost bit her head off when she asked about your husband. As you can tell, not a lot happens around here.”
Amber didn’t know whether to be offended or amused, but the man’s easy going manner disarmed her. “That would be me then. I didn’t mean to snap at your sister, she just caught me on a bad day.”
He waved his arm. “Don’t worry about it. Bonita needs someone to put her in her place now and then otherwise she gets a bit too nosy for her own good. I’m glad you decided to stay for a bit longer, even with all the stories flying around town.”
“You mean about the wolves? Your sister told me about how brazen they are at the moment. Are they really as bad as people say? Please be honest with me because I’ve heard there’s a game you like to play in this town called scaring the city slickers.”
“It’s true the wolves are bad right now, but that’s not what I was referring to.”
“What do you mean?”
“Surely you’ve heard some of the rumours about Jesse Davidson. He is your neighbour out there, and I’d bet money someone has filled you in about him. I’m pretty sure I can guess who, too.”
Amber couldn’t hide her surprise that he’d brought it up. “As a matter of fact I have heard a few things about him.”
“Let me guess, did they tell you that mister horror writer is a sick and twisted individual who spends far too much time in the company of young people than is right for a man of his age, and that there is a very strong possibility he was involved in the disappearance of a young girl?”
“Well, yes.” Amber wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but she didn’t like the way he seemed to be mocking her friends. “From my understanding there is strong evidence that links him to the girl’s disappearance. I’m sure people wouldn’t be saying these things about him without good reason.”
He laughed again, and when he spoke Amber was shocked by the bitterness in his voice. “Oh they wouldn’t, would they? Let me tell you something about the people in this town, city girl. They like to keep things nice and simple around here. There used to be a small reservation just outside of town, but it closed down when I was just a boy. The families who were left moved into town. Right from the start the townsfolk here made it very clear they didn’t want us in their town and they would have nothing to do with us. They like to pretend we don’t even exist. Jesse Davidson got on their wrong side when he refused to follow their rules.”
“I didn’t know about any of this, but I did hear that Jesse’s grandfather was Native American.”
“That’s right. He was never accepted in the town either, but his son, Jesse’s father, was only part Native American and he completely ignored this side of his heritage. He also became very rich and this made him acceptable in the eyes of the upstanding community. Jesse and his brother were not allowed anywhere near us as kids when they visited the cabin in summer. When Jesse started coming out to the lake on his own he became interested in his grandfather’s background and he began asking questions. He was seen associating with the wrong people a few too many times and that was it. He was persona non grata from then onwards, and the rumours began to fly.”
“Was that why he began hanging out with the kids after school, to find out about his grandfather?” asked Amber, still not convinced by his explanation.
“No. Before he began writing full-time Jesse was a teacher and youth worker. He’s done really great things for the young people in this town, especially the ones in danger of going off the tracks, but I bet you’ve never heard about any of this.”
“No,” she admitted.
“The reason he was in town on the night Tehya disappeared was because he was at the same eighteenth birthday party as her. It was for a kid he helped to get away from drugs. We were all there, and there was nothing suspicious in it. Jesse is no more a suspect than anyone else at that party. The shame of it all is that since that night Jesse doesn’t even come into town anymore, and he’s stopped seeing the kids. They really miss him. My advice to you is don’t believe everything you hear because people around here have their own agendas.” They had been walking back towards the main street as they talked, and when they reached the corner the man lifted his hat. “It was nice meeting you anyway.”
“Wait,” called Amber as he walked away. “I don’t even know your name.”
“I’m Tom, and Tehya is my niece. Take care.”
“You too. And I hope Tehya comes home soon.” He waved once before disappearing around a corner, leaving Amber feeling very confused. Tom had given her an entirely different perspective on Jesse, and what he said did seem to ring true with what she had seen of the man. Apart from their one bizarre meeting at his cabin when he seemed to be hitting on her, he came across as quite shy. It must have taken a lot on his part to ask her to dinner. When he found out she had lied to get out of it his feelings were obviously hurt, but that was probably all there was to it. As for her strange experience in the woods, she was more convinced than ever she had dreamt the whole thing up.
Everything Sharon and Bob had told her had been distorted, and she couldn’t help feeling a little angry with them. She was tempted to cancel dinner that night, but then she remembered that Chris might be arriving and decided against it. One thing she was certain of now was that she didn’t need a gun to protect herself. She walked back to her car, planning to get as much work done as possible at the cabin before Bob picked her up that evening.
A
mber was very glad she had met up with Tom and heard another side of the story when she pulled up and saw Jesse on the jetty with his fishing gear. If they had not had that chance conversation she would have been completely terrified at the sight of him. Now she knew he was a decent person, the type of person she would like to get to know a little better in fact, and she was sorry she had dismissed him so quickly when they first met. She walked down to meet him with a smile
“Hi, how are you?” Jesse seemed surprised by her warm greeting.
“I’m great, and I’m glad to see you’re still here and haven’t let the local gossips mongers scare you away.”
“What do you mean?”
“I figure the Crows have told you all about me. Apparently I’m a pervert who kidnaps young girls, and I’m possibly even a werewolf. I wanted to tell you the other morning not to listen to them when I saw Bob dropping you off, but then I figured you’d already made up your mind about me and there was no point.”
Amber was silent for a moment. “I’m really sorry if I came across as rude. It’s true the Crows did tell me a few things along those lines about you, and I’m ashamed to say I believed them, except the werewolf part, of course.” To her relief Jesse smiled. “But I was lucky enough to run into a friend of yours called Tom in town today, and he set me straight on a few things. He is very complimentary about what you’ve done for the kids in the community.” She saw Jesse’s shoulders visibly relax, and his smile reached all the way to his eyes.
“It’s good to know some people can still see reason. Does this mean we can be friends?”
“Of course, but I have one more question to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were a horror author when I asked what you wrote?”
Jesse frowned. “I was a bit of a weird kid and when the other kids found out I wrote horror stories they gave me a hard time about it. It made me feel ashamed and I’ve never been comfortable telling people. When all this business started with Tehya I became even more paranoid. I didn’t want to scare you away, I guess.”
Hunger of the Wolf Page 5
