by Kate Bell
I blinked in the light, looking around. There was an old canvas tent that Jake and I had played with as kids, a couple of jars of ancient canned goods and some boxes. Nothing more. I breathed out.
A mouse scampered out of the corner and I screamed.
“Are you okay?” Mama called from up above.
“Allie, what’s wrong?” Sarah cried.
I laughed. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Just a mouse. I’m coming back up.”
I turned the light out and headed back for the steps. Each step brought me blessedly closer to the sunlight.
“Okay, now what?” I asked at the top of the steps. I looked at my phone. Nothing.
Sarah called Thad, but there was no answer. “I don’t know why he doesn’t answer,” she said. “He should answer.”
“Sometimes the woods block the signal,” I said. “He’ll be okay.”
I hoped it was true. I needed it to be true for both my kids and Alec.
We headed back to the front porch and waited. I’ve never been good at waiting, so I paced.
Chapter Twenty-two
“We’ll find her,” John assured me.
“I know,” I said, nodding my head and looking at my feet. I couldn’t meet his eyes. I knew it was too soon to panic, but panic was welling up inside of me. Certainly she had just taken the long way back home. When she got home and saw all the sheriff’s cars parked out in front of her grandmother’s house, she’d laugh at us for being paranoid. That was the story I was telling myself.
“I’m going to go look for her now,” he said and headed toward the woods.
There were five deputies combing the woods, along with Alec and Thad. All I wanted was for everyone to come home safe and sound.
Sarah’s phone rang, and we all looked at it.
“Hello, Thad,” she said. “Where are you?”
I jumped up from my place on the porch rail and stood beside her.
“Okay,” she said.
I motioned for her phone.
“Your mom wants to talk to you.”
I took the phone from her. “Thad, where are you? Did you find your sister?”
“I’m here in the woods. Alec found me, and we haven’t seen Jennifer yet, but we will. Don’t you worry about it,” he said, sounding confident. I wanted to believe him. I really did. But my mind was running away with me.
I sighed tiredly. “Okay. Just … find her.”
“I will. Mom?” he asked.
“Yeah?”
“Alec told me about the dagger the night Jennifer saw the face in the window. But don’t worry about it. It’s going to be okay. I’ll find her.”
Tears sprang to my eyes, and it took all I had to keep from breaking down.
“I love you,” I said.
“Love you too. Bye.”
I hung up and went into the house to get a glass of water and wipe my eyes. Everything was going to be fine. It had to be. There was no other choice in the matter. I chugged back a glass of water and then took a deep breath. My hand shook as I put the glass into the sink. Jennifer was just going for a walk. That’s all. She’d be home, and we’d all laugh over the fuss we’d made.
My phone rang, and I looked at it. Alec.
“Hey,” I said, and waited.
“Hey. I just wanted to check in with you. I know waiting is hard. We haven’t found her yet, but we will. I don’t want you worrying. Everything will be fine.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Do you believe me?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
I hung up the phone and headed back to the front porch. It was after noon now and I wondered if this wait would ever end. It hadn’t been long, but it still felt like forever.
“I’m going to take a look in the woods,” I told Mama and Sarah.
“Now, Allie, maybe you should just stay put,” Mama said.
“I can’t just sit here any longer. I need to do something,” I said, and bounded down the porch steps, wincing at the pain in my knee. Then I stopped and went back up the steps and went inside. Thad’s pocketknife sat on the coffee table, and I picked it up and put it in my pocket, then headed back outside again. I half-limped, half-trotted into the woods, and then slowed to a fast walk, sticking with a trail that hadn’t become completely overgrown with vegetation.
Thad’s knife had a four-inch blade. I had no idea what I would do with it, but it made me feel better just having it in my pocket.
When I was further away from the house, I began to call Jennifer’s name. Maybe she had twisted her ankle and was laying out here somewhere. It was cold out and I hoped she was wearing a jacket. It would be awful if she had to spend the night out here in the woods. I didn’t know if she would make it.
My knee was aching, but I forced myself to continue. Think about something else. Anything else, I told myself.
“Jennifer!” I called. I heard the crunching of leaves and I stopped, my breathing came fast and heavy, and I tried to force myself to slow it down. I listened, trying to hear something else.
A squirrel scampered out from behind a tree, crunching leaves in its path and I sighed. I needed to get myself together. I was letting my imagination run away with me.
“Please, Jennifer,” I whispered.
Nothing.
“Jennifer!” I called out.
I took a deep breath and continued on.
Thirty minutes passed, and I ran into Elmer.
“Anything?” I asked, when I saw him.
He shook his head. “Nope. I doubt she’s out here. I tell you, a girl like that probably found some boy to spend some time with.”
Anger rose up inside of me. “A girl like what? Are you crazy? Jennifer wouldn’t take off without telling someone.”
He shrugged. “I’m just telling you, that’s what usually happens in cases like this. She’s out enjoying herself while everyone else is frantically searching for her. She’s a pretty girl you know.”
I have never wanted to hit someone so much in my entire life. My hands balled into fists, and I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them, I was more in control. A little. “I have a daughter to search for,” I said, and kept heading down the trail.
“Hey, it’s not safe for you to be in these woods alone,” he said.
I ignored him. If I had to talk to him anymore, I would say something I would regret.
As the afternoon wore on, my knee swelled more and my jeans became tight around my leg. Walking on it was getting harder, and I was getting deeper and deeper into the woods. I stopped and called for her again. “Jennifer! Jennifer!”
I nearly broke down over the silence. I turned around and headed back, limping the whole way. I was afraid I would have to stop and wouldn’t be able to walk out of the woods. I would need my own rescue party. Tears streamed down my face and I let them fall. No one could see me here. I wanted to call Alec or Thad, but I already knew what the answer to my unspoken question was. It was pointless.
It was late afternoon when I left the edge of the woods. The porch was empty, and I knew Mama and Sarah had gone inside. My knee was screaming at me, and all I wanted was some ibuprofen to take the pain away. I hobbled the rest of the way to the house and up the steps.
I could smell chicken frying in the kitchen, and I pushed the door open.
Mama and Sarah spun around to look at me.
“Anything?” Mama asked.
I shook my head and headed to the sink for some water.
“We decided to make chicken and biscuits for everyone. I’m sure they’ve all got to be starving by now,” Mama said.
“That’s a good idea,” I said between gulps of water. I limped over to the cupboard that Mama kept medicine in and took the ibuprofen down.
“Your knee must be hurting really bad,” Sarah said, as she rolled the biscuits out.
I nodded and took three pills and drank the rest of my glass of water. I hobbled over to the table and sat down,
groaning a little as my knee bent. I was going to have to cut my jeans off my leg tonight.
“We haven’t heard anything back from anyone,” Sarah said quietly.
“I know,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-three
I hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast and when Mama sat a plate with two biscuits in front of me, my stomach growled. She had put butter and strawberry jam on them and set a glass of milk beside the plate. I devoured the biscuits and chugged the glass of milk and felt a renewed surge of energy. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.
Mama put a hand on my shoulder. “They’ll find her.”
I nodded.
“I called Shelby and Jake. They are on their way down here to help.”
I nodded again.
Mama went over and opened her junk drawer and pulled out a twist tie. I jumped up, hobbled over, and pulled the drawer open as she was closing it. I fished out the key to Tom’s house.
“Where are you going?” Mama asked as I headed out the door.
I didn’t answer her. I was on a mission. The ibuprofen hadn’t had a chance to kick in yet, but I felt better after having had something to eat. Tom’s house was dark. I turned the key in the lock and opened the door and pushed it open.
The stillness made me shiver. We had left all the blinds in the house closed in case the locals decided to get nosey and check out a murder victim’s house. I flipped on the light in the living room and entered the room, closing the door behind me. My first urge was to call for Jennifer, but something told me not to.
I limped across the room, trying to keep from making noise as I favored my hurt knee. I headed to the kitchen and turned the light on. The plant was sitting on the counter top, and I went to it and put it into the sink, and turned the water to a slow stream. I really needed to take it back to Mama. I shut the water off, and turned around. The kitchen looked the same.
I headed out of the kitchen, flipping the light off as I left. As I hobbled through the living room again, something made me stop. I looked around. What was it?
Then I saw it. The vacuum was sitting in the same place by the wall where it had been the first time we were there. My heart leapt in my chest. I looked down at the carpet and there seemed to be fresh vacuum marks. Was I imagining it?
I tried to steady my breathing. My first instinct was to run, but I couldn’t as long as I didn’t know whether Jennifer was in here or not. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Alec.
Just an FYI. I’m in Tom’s house and the vacuum’s back. Everything’s ok. I’m just letting you know where I am.
I put my phone on mute and stuck it back in my pocket. I walked as quietly as I could manage and headed down the hall. The door creaked as I opened Tom’s bedroom door. I flipped the light on, and it was empty. I let my breath out and hobbled over to the closet and opened it quickly before I had enough time to allow fear to build up. Empty.
I turned around and headed back down the hallway. I was being silly. Nothing was going on here. Except for the vacuum. Something was going on with that vacuum.
The door to the guest bedroom was open a crack, and I tried to remember if we had left it that way. My heart pounded as I pushed it open and turned the light on. My eyes blinked, unsure if what I was seeing was real or not. It was.
“Jennifer!” I cried and ran to the bed.
Her hands were tied in front of her and her eyes were closed. She wasn’t moving.
“Oh, Jennifer,” I said, reaching for her bound hands.
The bedroom door slammed behind me and I whirled around just in time to see a woman with short dark curly hair bring a brick down on my head.
Chapter Twenty-four
I woke up in a dark place. My head screamed at me as I fought for consciousness. I tried to remember what had happened when I felt something moving beside me. It felt like I was lying on a bed, but the room was pitch black and I couldn’t make anything out. Where was I?
I tried to speak, making a ‘J’ sound, but couldn’t get the word out. What was wrong with me?
“Mom?” Jennifer said weakly from beside me.
“Jen,” I forced out of my dry mouth.
“Mom, what’s happening?” she asked. I could hear the fear in her voice and I hoped she wasn’t hurt.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Are you hurt?”
“I don’t think so. She tied my hands tight.”
I strained at the bonds on my own hands, not sure what was holding me. The light suddenly went on and the woman was standing near the door, staring at us. I wanted to scream, but I was too terrified and couldn’t find my voice.
“I don’t know why you had to do it,” the woman said. She stared glassy eyed at us.
I tried to open my mouth, but it felt like it was glued shut. I licked my lips and tried again. “Do what?” I croaked.
“You killed Tom,” she said, her eyes getting wider.
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t,” I said.
“She did!” she said, pointing at Jennifer.
Jennifer whimpered and pushed her head up against my back. “No, she found him already dead,” I said. That was when I noticed the dagger with blue crystals on the handle. She held it by her side, close to her body. I swallowed hard.
“I know the truth,” the woman said, slowly nodding her head.
I remembered Mama had said the cleaning woman’s name was Mabel. “Mabel, we would never hurt Tom. Tom was our friend. We want to find the person that did this. We want to help you find them.”
I could see the hesitation in her face. “You can do that?”
I nodded. “Yes. I can help you. But you need to untie me so I can help.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s a trap. You’re lying to me.”
“No, I swear. I wouldn’t lie to you. I want to find the person that killed Tom.”
My head throbbed, and I felt nauseous. The bright light in the bedroom made it worse, and the room started to spin. What was she going to do to us? If I could just get her to untie me, we would have a chance.
“Please. I really do want to help you,” I said. “We need to work together to figure this out.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t try to confuse me,” she said.
She looked to be in her late sixties, but she was stout. On a good day, I knew I could take her. But in my current condition, I wasn’t sure. My eyes rolled back in my head as a wave of pain surged through my head.
Then the door burst open and Alec knocked Mabel to the floor. She screamed, and the dagger flew across the floor. She raised a hand up to strike Alec, but he grabbed her arm.
“Let me go!” she screamed.
“What’s happening?” Jennifer cried from behind me. Her face was still buried in my back and I knew she was too scared to look.
Alec wrestled with Mabel on the floor, then he flipped her over and held her down. She lay beneath, him sobbing.
“They killed my husband! They killed Tom!” She cried.
Alec and I looked at each other wide-eyed. Husband?
“Mom! Jennifer!” Thad cried, stepping around Alec and Mabel. He rushed to our side and reached for his pocketknife.
“It’s in my pocket, underneath me,” I said.
He reached for the dagger on the floor instead, and cut away what held me, then worked on Jennifer’s bonds. I slowly brought my arms around and rubbed my wrists. Blood rushed to the parts of my body that had been cramping up. I looked, and she had tied me with one of Tom’s ties.
“Are you both okay?” Thad asked. I could see the fear in his eyes.
“I’m okay. Jen?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
Alec was on the phone, calling John for backup, and I forced myself to sit up. Pain flooded my head with the effort, and I squinted my eyes shut.
“You’re bleeding,” Thad said and left the room. He was back in a few seconds with a wet washcloth, and he dabbed at the side of my head.
I pulled away in pain and sa
w the blood on the white washcloth and felt things going black. I breathed in deeply to keep from fainting.
“We need an ambulance,” Thad said to Alec.
“No, we don’t. I’m okay. Just have a heck of a headache is all,” I said, holding the side of my head. I took the washcloth from Thad and dabbed at my head again.
“Jennifer, do you need an ambulance?” Alec asked.
She shook her head, staring at the floor. “I’m okay.”
“I want you checked out,” he said to me and called for an ambulance anyway.
Mabel lay on the floor and whimpered, and I lay back on the bed. All I wanted was something to make the headache go away and to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-five
Christmas morning, we gathered around the Christmas tree, opening presents. My head still ached off and on throughout the day, but it was getting better. As I looked around the room at my family, my eyes filled with tears. This could have been a completely different outcome if Alec and Thad hadn’t shown up when they did.
I took a sip of my hot cocoa and leaned my head against Alec’s shoulder. The smell of baking cinnamon rolls filled the house, courtesy of Jennifer and Sarah. I took a deep breath and savored the moment. We had been through a lot, but we were all in one piece. I was one banged up piece, but it was still one piece.
When the cinnamon rolls were done, Sarah jumped up and took them out of the oven, cut them, and put them on plates. Jennifer handed the plates out, and we ate in the living room, watching the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree.
Alec had gotten home late last night after having gone down with John to process Mabel.
“Did Mabel say why she killed Tom?” I asked Alec as everyone settled down to eat cinnamon rolls.
“Well, it seems she thought they had a relationship. She had been cleaning his house for a few years and apparently she’d told herself she was his wife. When she told him she was moving in, he told her no, and she persisted for what we think was a few weeks,” he said. “I have to wonder if that prescription medicine bottle you found was one of many for Mabel.”