“It’s good to hear your voice,” he said. “We both miss you a lot. How are things? And what about the house? Are you going back to Toronto?”
“I’ve changed my plans, Dad, quite a bit actually. You see, I’ve met someone and…well…I don’t want to leave Newfoundland.”
“Hmm, sounds serious. But what about your degree? It’s only two weeks until registration.”
“Um…Dad, I hope you don’t mind, I’m taking the year off. There’s no financial penalty. I’ve written to the Registrar’s Office and confirmed it.”
She held her breath as John Barnett paused for a moment.
“I can’t say I’m very happy about it,” he said, “but under the circumstances…”
Riley put a hand over the mouthpiece and gave a sigh of relief. “That’s sweet,” she continued. “I knew you’d understand. Going back to Paul, I’m sure you’ll like him. He’s a meteorologist at the airport.”
Paul had been standing beside her while she spoke. He slipped an arm around her waist as she talked on, leaving out about the housebreaking and Paul moving in, of course.
Then Marion’s voice came over the line. “I heard all that on the extension. I’m thrilled for you, darling. He sounds a very nice boy. By the way, your father forgot to tell you that we’re going to New Zealand for three weeks.”
“New Zealand! Fantastic!”
“As a matter of fact, it’s not for pleasure. One of Daddy’s best friends from school lives there. Unfortunately he has terminal cancer. He’s only got a few months to live. I don’t know if you remember him, his name’s Harry Lockwood.”
“It sounds familiar. Um, wasn’t he the one who ran away to Tahiti with a Scots girl?”
“He didn’t exactly run away, but you’ve got the right person. Esmie, that’s her name, she’s in a bad way, of course. We plan to help her when…when it happens.”
“How long before you go?”
“We leave on the eighth of September.”
After that, Riley described her trip to the west coast, then they hung up. She returned to the living room and cuddled with Paul on the sofa.
“There’s something I should have told you earlier,” he said, “but it’s not that important. I called my parents this morning and said I was staying with you indefinitely.”
“But it is important, Paul. I’ve been wondering about them.”
“At first, I only said we were dating, but now they know we’re serious, they want to meet you.”
“I’d like that a lot. Just say the word.”
On Saturday, Riley had some difficulty getting up at five a.m. Paul, on the other hand, seemed quite chipper. He was turning their fried eggs when she joined him in the kitchen.
“I always feel good on my last shift before a break,” he remarked. “I’ve got two days off.”
“Lucky you. I’ll be half asleep for hours. Actually, I thought I’d visit Ada Rideout sometime this morning. She’s the old lady I met on the plane from Toronto.”
The toaster popped. Riley rescued the slices of brown bread, buttered them and put them on two large plates.
“From what you’ve told me, she’s quite a character.”
“I can wait until this afternoon if you want to come too.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll see her another time.” Paul placed the eggs on the toast then set the plates on the small kitchen table.
As soon as Paul had gone, Riley went back to bed. A couple of hours later, she awoke feeling a lot better. After a cup of strong coffee, she headed for Portugal Cove and Ada Rideout’s house.
Patchy fog was drifting over the nearby hills as she parked outside the front gate.
“‘Ello, Riley.”
The raspy voice of Marj Noseworthy made her jump. Marj was leaning on a garden rake looking as though she hadn’t moved since Riley’s last visit. She was even wearing the same dirty gardening clothes.
“Hello, Marj,” replied Riley. “How are you?”
Marj ignored the question. “If you’ve come to see Ada, you’re wastin’ your time.”
“Oh. Where is she?”
“In the ‘ospital.”
Riley’s stomach turned over. Heaven forbid that Ada was seriously ill. After all, she was getting on in years. “What’s wrong with her?”
“None of your business.”
“Get with it, Marj. Ada and I are friends. I have every right to know. Come on. Which hospital is it?”
“The Grace. And if you wants to know any more, call ‘em yourself.”
“I certainly will.”
She was about to open the car door when Marj lifted her rake and pointed it at her.
“That young feller of yours, livin’ in sin you are and you’ll get what you deserve.”
Riley tried to glare daggers at Marj, but it didn’t seem to work so she stuck out her tongue instead.
“Get lost, you cow,” she muttered and opened the car door.
As Riley drove up Portugal Cove Road toward the turnoff for Dog Cove Road, she began to simmer down. It wasn’t often she met someone who got under her skin so easily, then she recalled Bethany O’Shea. Maybe the happenings were getting to her. She put both women out of her mind and continued straight to the hospital instead of going home. The receptionist was more likely to tell her about Ada’s condition face to face than if she phoned.
It was only a short distance to the Grace, which was southwest of the city center. When she arrived, the car park was almost full. Visiting hours were under way. A receptionist told her that there was no problem seeing Ada, who was in a semi-private room on the third floor.
Riley peered through the open doorway in case someone was in the second bed but Ada was alone, reading a book.
She glanced up then adjusted the gray shawl that covered her shoulders. “Why Riley, what a lovely surprise. How did you know where I was?”
Riley sat on the bed and took Ada’s hands. “I went to your house for a visit. Marj was lying in wait. She told me you were at the Grace but refused to say what was wrong. I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“No, my dear, it isn’t. I had a tiny little heart attack. It was in the night and I wasn’t sure what was happening, so I called 911. The doctor kept me here while he did some tests and put me on some medicine. I’m going home tomorrow.”
Riley still felt concerned. Even a tiny little heart attack wasn’t to be brushed aside lightly. “How are you getting home, Ada? Is Marj picking you up?”
“Goodness me, no. My oldest friend’s coming in the afternoon. She runs the Portugal Cove Post Office, you know. It’s on Sunday, so she isn’t working.”
“That’s good. But what about food and stuff? Would you like me to do some shopping for you?”
“It’s very kind of you, Riley, but Mary, my friend, she’s taking care of that too.”
Riley went to the other side of the bed where there was an upright chair. “Ada, I’m still worried. Did the doctor say you’ll be all right?”
“Of course! He told me to change my eating habits and take lots of exercise, then I’ll live to be a hundred. Now what about you? Marj said you had a new boyfriend.”
“That woman seems to know everything,” said Riley. “But yes, she’s right, and I thought you’d like to meet him.”
“I’d love to, whenever you like. What does he do?”
“You mean Marj didn’t tell you—I’m sorry, I shouldn’t keep on about her. Paul works at the weather office.”
“What an interesting job.” Ada smiled. “He’s a very lucky young man to have a girl like you.”
Riley felt herself blushing. “How about Monday afternoon? He has the day off.”
“I’ll look forward to it. You can tell me your news when you come over.”
“We’ll see you Monday then. Take care.”
In actual fact, Paul had Sunday off as well, so there was no hurry for them to get out of bed that morning. They spent a lazy day, partly because it rained most of the time. On Monday,
cool weather set in but the sun came out just before they left for Portugal Cove.
“Good grief!” exclaimed Riley as she parked the Toyota. “Ada’s gardening!”
In fact, the old lady was doing some weeding in a flower bed beside Marj Noseworthy’s fence. She straightened up as Riley and Paul got out of the car and walked over.
“This must be the famous weatherman,” she greeted, taking off a gardening glove and extending a hand.
“It’s good to meet you,” Paul replied.
Riley glanced at the house next door. “I’m surprised Marj isn’t leaning on her rake and giving him the once-over.”
“As a matter of fact, she’s gone to the store. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go inside before she returns.”
“Shouldn’t you be resting, Ada?” Riley asked as they strolled up the garden path.
“Not a bit of it. As I said in the hospital, the doctor told me to keep active.”
Ada showed them into the parlor, which Riley hadn’t seen before. Some of the furnishings were antique, like a large sideboard with decorated plates adorning the shelves. The sofa half-filled the small room. It had a floral design. Riley and Paul sat at either end while Ada took the armchair.
“There’s something I forgot to ask when you visited me in the hospital,” she said. “Marj told me some people tried to get into your house in the middle of the night. It sounded as though she knew a lot more than she let on. That’s most unlike her.”
“As a matter of fact, I was on a trip to the west coast,” Riley replied. “Paul was house-sitting. He chased them off.”
She caught Paul’s eye. He took his cue, telling Ada what had happened and laughing as he described how he ran outside in his pajamas.
“I wonder what on Earth they wanted in your basement,” Ada commented. “Can you get into the house that way?”
“No,” Riley replied. “It’s a dirt basement and there isn’t even a trap door.”
“And there’s nothing in it, apart from a plastic picnic table,” Paul added.
They chatted on for a while—about Paul’s job, about Riley’s decision to stay on in Newfoundland and this and that. Then Riley said it was time they were leaving.
Ada had accompanied them to the front gate to see them on their way when Marj Noseworthy seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
“‘Ello, Mister Weatherman,” she said with a smirk. “Fancy a nice lookin’ boy like you takin’ up with this…this come-from-away. You ought to know better, than that.”
Paul spluttered.
Ada came to the rescue. “Kindly keep a civil tongue in your head, Marj. It’s not nice to be rude to other peoples’ guests.”
Marj grabbed the rake from its place against the fence and pointed it at Riley. “‘Eard about your visitors the other night. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. This ain’t nothin’ compared with what’s coming. Believe you me, I know.”
“But how do you know, Marj?” Riley snapped. “And what, may I ask, is coming? I’ve half a mind to report you to Sergeant Kelly. I’m sure you know that he’s investigating the incident.”
Marj seemed to deflate. She returned her rake to the fence and went indoors.
“Good riddance,” Paul remarked. “What an obnoxious person.”
“She’s not all that bad,” Ada commented. “Like I told Riley, she’s just a busybody who can’t keep her nose out of other peoples’ affairs.”
Paul opened the car door for Riley.
She turned to Ada before getting in. “All I can say is that she doesn’t deserve a neighbor like you.”
As they drove along Portugal Cove Road, Paul said, “I’ve been thinking, could Marj have been the woman I heard?”
“It’s a possibility. She obviously knows a lot about what happened.”
“I’m not certain about the voice, though. And that’s all there is to go on.”
Riley sighed and slowed the car as they approached Dog Cove Road. “Too bad. I’d love to turn her in to John Kelly, but I doubt if he’d even question her.”
When they arrived home, there was still some time before dinner, so Riley donned her working clothes. She showed Paul a dead fir tree beside the lawn.
“I don’t have a chain saw,” she said, “but do you think you could cut it down by hand? It’s quite large.”
“I guess so, in small doses.”
“Now?”
“Sure. Why not?”
They had barely started toward the shed to get a saw when they heard the sound of a vehicle coming up the driveway. A sky blue BMW appeared and pulled up behind the Toyota, which was itself behind the Mustang.
“Oh, God!” Riley exclaimed. “It’s that bitch Bethany O’Shea. I told you about her, remember?”
“I sure do,” Paul replied. “Let’s get rid of the woman.”
They strode purposefully across the lawn, Riley leading the way. By the time they reached the driveway, Bethany O’Shea was out of the car, standing with her hands in her pockets and looking up at the house.
“It could do with a coat of paint,” she observed. “But that’s neither here nor there compared with the offer I’ve got.”
Riley hooked her left thumb in her jeans. “Ms. O’Shea, Mr. McGrath obviously didn’t get through to you. I’m not interested in any of your offers. Please leave at once.”
The realtor completely ignored her. “Before I tell you how much it is, I want to see the entire house and inspect the condition of the basement. We’ll start with that.”
Without waiting for an answer, she marched off in the direction of the basement door.
Paul followed. His long legs soon closed the gap between them.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” he yelled. “This happens to be private property.”
Ms. O’Shea stopped beneath the deck and turned. “So you’ve got a voice, have you? And under whose authority are you ordering me to leave?”
“Mine,” Riley growled as she caught up with them. “Go away, Ms. O’Shea, or I’ll get right on the phone to Mr. McGrath. He could have your license pulled, you know.”
“Huh!” snorted the agent. “Well, if you’re going to get nasty…”
Bethany O’Shea glanced at the basement door again, then glared at Paul and Riley. She pushed her way between them and walked stiffly back to the BMW.
Riley smiled when she saw that there was no room for her to turn. She would have to reverse down all 300 feet of driveway.
Ms. O’Shea started the engine. The car moved slowly backwards.
“I hope she gets a crick in the neck,” said Riley.
“Could McGrath really pull her license?” Paul asked.
Riley chuckled. “I have no idea!”
They watched as the BMW crept out of sight.
“What a weird character,” Paul observed. “Two in one day is more than enough. When was her last visit?”
“About a month ago. I’m surprised it took her so long to cook up another shady deal. Next time I see Mr. McGrath, I must ask him how she does it.”
“Come on, Miss Barnett,” said Paul. “Let’s cut down that tree.”
Chapter Fifteen
Dragonfly
It was midmorning on Tuesday before Riley got around to clearing up the breakfast dishes. Paul had long since gone to work and she had returned to bed with a book. Her last task was to wipe the bacon fat out of the frying pan with a paper towel. The kitchen sink was still full of soapy water, so she submerged the pan to soak for a while. Glancing through the window above the sink, she saw a wall of mist swirling in from Conception Bay. Then something moved in the trees at the end of the lawn.
Riley’s heart missed a beat as she stared at the spot until her keen eyes picked out the form of a person standing beside a fir tree. It was impossible to determine the sex. Whoever it was had their back to the house and most of the head was obscured by a low bough. What had caught her attention in the first place was a brown jacket or sweater that didn’t quite match the
color of the tree trunk. The legs were also visible, clad in dark pants.
Riley backed away from the window. What should she do next? Find her binoculars, of course, but where were they? A brief wave of terror almost swamped her thoughts, then she remembered—in the bedroom. Unfortunately, its window faced the wrong direction, so she grabbed the glasses from the floor beside the chest of drawers and hurried back to the kitchen. The person was still there. Adjusting the focus, she was able to make out part of the head; it definitely belonged to a man. Riley also noticed a small tear in the back of his light jacket.
If Paul had been here, he would have stormed out of the house yelling at the top of his voice. However, Riley didn’t have the nerve to do that, but perhaps she could screw up enough courage to approach the stranger and ask him what he was doing. She continued to stare through the binoculars for a full minute. He didn’t move so she set the glasses on the kitchen counter. Maybe he’d seen her at the window but thought he hadn’t been spotted, otherwise why didn’t he run?
Riley put on her sneakers then hurried to the front door. She opened it with excessive care, expecting to see the man materialize in front of her but he didn’t. Unaware of her exaggerated stealth, she tiptoed around the side of the house. When she reached the corner facing the lawn, the angle was such that the man was hidden by trees. It was now or never. She had to confront him. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fists.
The grass was wet with droplets from the mist; her sneakers were soaked after a few yards. Riley didn’t notice. She was trembling and her legs felt weak. With each step she expected to see the tree with the man behind it, but eventually a glance at the house showed that she was past the line between the kitchen window and the spot where he’d been hiding. The intruder had gone.
Still worrying, she headed back to the house, locking the front door behind her. Back in the kitchen, Riley grabbed the binoculars and scanned the woods beyond the lawn for a second time. Nothing. The obvious thing to do was report what she’d seen to John Kelly.
The duty officer at the RCMP station answered at the first ring; she asked if he was in.
“I’m sorry, Miss Barnett,” came the reply. “The sergeant’s away on vacation. He won’t be back until the eleventh of September. Can I be of assistance?”
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