Grave Doubts (A Paranormal Mystery Novel)
Page 29
“My daughter?” So, he had noticed Amy. No wonder he seemed so interested in the house. “No, she goes to Corvallis.”
“Oh. Well, I’m sure she’s glad you’re okay, too,” he said awkwardly. He stood a moment glancing back and forth to the door. It was obvious he hoped Amy would make an appearance. “Well,” he began almost disappointed, “I guess I’d better go.” His eyes searched the entryway one last time.
Lee stroked Soldier’s head. She liked this boy. Maybe he could provide yet one more reason for Amy to come home on the weekends. Maybe even move back permanently.
“Perhaps you’d like to come to dinner. I think we should get to know each other better. After all, you helped save my life. I could have Amy set another place at the table.”
He jumped at the chance. “I’d like that. Tonight?” His eyes shone.
“Sure. How about six-thirty? I’ll tell Amy to plan on one more for dinner.”
The shy smile widened into a full set of shiny, slightly crooked teeth, making him irresistible.
“I’d like that.” He began to back off the porch. “I’ll see you at six then.” He turned and nearly fell off the bottom step.
“Six-thirty,” Lee corrected him as he gained his composure.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Six-thirty. I’ll be here.”
He practically skipped to the curb and across the street. Lee watched him with a growing feeling of warmth. When he reached the other side of the street, he got into the tan sedan that had haunted her for the last several days, and the feeling of warmth she’d had for him faded. As he pulled away from the curb, he looked over and waved, then slowly disappeared up the street.
Lee sat in a daze until Amy’s laughter rang like a bell from inside the house, illuminating her mistake. This boy hadn’t been stalking Lee. This shy boy had driven slowly by her house every day and night hoping to catch sight of Amy. She chuckled and shook her head. One more mystery solved.
Amy appeared at the doorway. “Mom. I just talked with Maddie, and she said she’s found someone who will take Soldier if we can leave her here until next Saturday. Sound okay to you?”
Lee looked down at the noble head with its pointed ears and black muzzle. Soldier’s eyes were closed, and she breathed contentedly now that all the excitement had faded.
“No. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“But, Mom…” Amy started to object.
Lee merely raised her hand. “Tell Maddie…you’ve already found a home for Soldier.” She patted the dog’s head, waking her up. Soldier rolled over on her side with a loud groan.
Amy gave a broad smile. “I’ll call her right back. Of course, you might change your mind when you see what she did to your desk in the study.”
“Oh?”
“She must have jumped up on the bench on the porch and pushed the window up with her nose. That’s how she got in the other night.”
Lee smiled, remembering how she’d opened the window in the study because of the burnt popcorn.
“By-the-way,” Amy added, stepping forward. “I found this on the window sill.” Amy held out the onyx bird. “I wouldn’t use it as a window stopper, Mom. It could get chipped.”
Lee took her totem, smiling, knowing full well she hadn’t placed the bird in the window.
“I’ll take better care of it in the future.”
Amy started back inside when Lee caught her. “Amy, we’re having company for dinner. Tell Patrick to set the table for four.”
Amy looked puzzled, but disappeared inside. Lee smiled to herself.
She leaned back as far as she could and rested her head on the pillow, her hand idly stroking Soldier’s fur. How life had changed in such a short time. She had lost her best friend and felt an emptiness she thought would never be filled. She had uncovered a blackmailing ring and almost been killed twice. She had avenged her friend’s death and could now finally deal with the loss. Although her body felt like hell, she felt stronger emotionally than she had in fifteen years. Perhaps she might even start to date again, once she healed. And, finally, she could admit that what Brad had done had been the cowardly act of a pathetic man.
As she petted Soldier, she thought of Perry, the good and loyal Labrador retriever who died in order to give her husband the freedom he so desperately craved. She grabbed a handful of Soldier’s fur, fighting back the tears.
“You’d have liked Perry,” she said aloud to the dog. “You’d have liked him a lot.”
Soldier whined and twisted her head around to lick Lee’s hand.
Overhead, a large black thundercloud had moved behind a tall tree, threatening to block out the afternoon sun. Lee brushed the tears from her eyes and looked up in time to see the hawk lift off from the branch, gain altitude and circle a few times in the sky. She watched it, marveling at its grace and strength and thinking of her friend.
Lee took a deep sigh. “Thanks, Diane,” she whispered.
When the onyx bird in her hand grew warm, she glanced down. A deep burgundy fire seemed to glow from within, like the embers from a dying fire. Just then, a gray cat jumped lightly onto the railing and began weaving back and forth.
“Well, Sasha, this is your home now, isn’t it?” she said, reaching out to pet the cat. “I guess it’s time for your injection. We’d better go inside.”
She stood up, disturbing Soldier. The dog jumped off the settee and went immediately to the door, wagging her tail. The cat followed, pushing itself under Soldier’s belly like they’d been friends forever. Lee shook her head and pushed open the heavy door, allowing the animals to tumble inside and head straight for the kitchen.
As Lee stepped inside and began to close the door, she glanced back to the stormy sky. The hawk had been circling in a wide arc. Suddenly, it dipped one wing as if in salute, and sailed away over the rooftops to get lost in the thundercloud.
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About the Author
Ms. Bohart holds a master’s degree in theater, has been published in Woman’s World, and has a story in Dead on Demand, an anthology of ghost stories that remained on the Library Journal best seller list for six months. As a thirty-year nonprofit professional, she has spent a lifetime writing brochures, newsletters, business letters, website copy, and more. Recently, she did a short stint writing for Patch.com, and she teaches “Writing the Mystery Short Story.” Mass Murder, her first novel, is available on Amazon.com as an eBook and has been endorsed by Compulsion Reads as an “excellent read.” She has also self-published a book of creepy short stories and mysteries called, Your Worst Nightmare, and a single short story, Something Wicked.
Ms. Bohart also writes a blog on the various aspects of writing and the paranormal on her website at: www.bohartink.com. She lives in the Northwest with her daughter, two miniature Dachshunds, and cat.
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