by Aiden James
The conversation shifted to other, more pleasant things, and before long the issue of Allie Mae and her mysterious bag of treasures seemed truly behind them. After dinner they walked along Gatlinburg’s historic strip, where they picked up a few souvenirs for their kids and Janice. Hand in hand, they walked back to their car, enjoying the town’s ambience and the cool autumn evening.
The embers from their earlier passion were still warm upon returning to their secluded chalet nestled on a heavily wooded hillside above the town. David thought it especially nice not having to worry about what the kids and neighbors might hear or even see, and Miriam soon let her desires run wild with his. They retired to the master suite just before midnight, holding each other close. The only interruption in their intimacy was when she set the bedside alarm for 7 a.m., as they planned to find a nice place for breakfast in Gatlinburg before flying home.
***
Ping!
David awoke, for a moment disoriented.
Pi-i-i-n-n-ng!
There it was again. The sound came from the kitchen, down the hall from the bedroom and across from the living room.
Ping!... Pi-i-i-n-n-ng!
Two distinct rings...like someone’s fingernails being flicked against a drinking glass in the kitchen. An intruder? He checked on Miriam, who slept soundly next to him.
Ping!... Pi-i-i-n-n-ng!... PI-I-I-N-N-NG!!
The rings ominously spaced apart, the loudness of the last one quickened his pulse. He slipped out of bed, quietly putting on his jeans and grabbing one of his hiking boots to serve as a weapon. He then ventured out of the bedroom and down the hall toward the kitchen. Miriam had left a small nightlight on in the living room.
Ping!
Softer this time… whoever made the sound had to hear him coming. The small hairs along the back of his neck sprang to life. Danger near, he checked inside the game room and bathroom, fearing a second intruder. Both were empty.
Once he reached the living room, he tiptoed to the front door and then over to the sliding porch door. The extra bar restraints were still in place and the locks set. As far as he could tell, nothing had been tampered with. That left only the back door in the kitchen.
Pi-i-ng—!
The last ring was abruptly muted once he stepped through the dining room and peered into the kitchen. He flicked on the overhead light and stepped under its bright glare. There was nobody there.
“What in the hell?” he whispered, his tone bewildered.
He moved toward the far end where the chalet’s washer and dryer were hooked up, next to the back door. Still no sign of anyone and the door was locked tight. Mystified, he turned around to leave the kitchen and investigate elsewhere. That’s when he noticed the two wineglasses from the previous afternoon sitting on the counter next to the sink. He’d assumed Miriam already washed them and placed both inside the cupboard with the fancier glassware.
He picked up one of the glasses. Maybe it wasn’t the very same one since six more like it sat in the cupboard next to the stove. He flicked his finger against the glass, and a ring similar to the one he heard filled the air around him. He set the glass next to its mate and walked out of the kitchen, turning off the overhead light on his way out. Perplexed, he returned to the living room.
He’d just reached the hallway, when one of the two wineglasses slid noisily across the Formica countertop in the kitchen. A loud crash resounded as the glass exploded on the kitchen floor. This time Miriam awoke.
“David? Are you all right?”
He didn’t immediately answer, creeping back toward the kitchen with his boot raised in readiness to defend himself. Had the intruder been hiding beneath the dining room table? He glanced under the table. Only a small child could successfully hide here, as chairs pushed in tight made it impossible for an adult to slide in and out unnoticed.
“David?”
Miriam ran down the hall.
“I’m all right!” he called to her. “Stay back there!”
Knowing she’d ignore his warning he moved quickly to secure the area, hoping to get the upper hand on whoever was in the chalet with them. The intruder had to be in the kitchen, and he wielded the boot near his head in readiness. He turned on the kitchen’s overhead light again just as Miriam reached his side. The only thing different from his last visit was the shattered wineglass on the floor.
“What in the hell happened here?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
He stared in disbelief at the floor. Definitely the same glass he handled earlier, he first thought that he’d set it down precariously close to the edge of the counter and it slipped off. That would make logical sense, and a hell of a lot easier to go back to sleep after he cleaned up the mess. But the stem and larger pieces of the glass lay closer to the doorway where he and Miriam stood, nearly four feet from its mate on the counter.
“I thought I put those away,” she said, bending down to pick up the stem.
Her hair disheveled, and nightgown loosened to reveal her shapely form and lovely nakedness underneath made him worry more about some depraved sexual predator cleverly hiding. Despite the likelihood of an attack while they slept, it didn’t mean one wasn’t forthcoming. Someone had to be here in the chalet.
He stepped carefully around the glass fragments and moved over to the washer and dryer, checking the back door again and this time he opened the pantry. Looking inside the dryer and washer drew a curious look from her.
“What are you looking for, hon’?”
“Just checking for something,” he said, and then opened the larger cabinets beneath both counter tops in the narrow kitchen.
“So, I take it you weren’t in here when this happened?”
She looked more uneasy, and he now realized she’d thought he made this mess, that his nighttime clumsiness sent the glass tumbling to the floor.
“Actually, the glass is my fault,” he told her, determined to ease her concern before it grew worse. If that happened, there’d be no more sleep for her tonight.
He glanced at the clock on the stove. 12:46 a.m. She’d be all right if he got her back into bed with at least some piece of mind.
“I’m just trying to find something to help me clean up this mess.”
The last cabinet revealed two rows of pots and pans.
“The broom and dust pan are behind you,” she said. “So, what’s really going on here?”
“I just told you.” He forced a lighthearted smile while moving back to the broom and dustpan, next to the trash container. “I got up to get a drink, and I guess I set the glass too close to the edge before it fell onto the floor.”
The look on her faced told him she didn’t believe this, at least not entirely.
“And you needed two glasses for that?” She placed her hands on her hips.
Why does a woman notice everything?
“You must’ve forgotten to put them back up in the cupboard.” To him this sounded plausible. “Since they looked clean, I decided to go ahead and use one.”
From her expression this time, it appeared she believed him. To further sell it, he got busy cleaning up the mess on the floor. By the time he finished, she’d already placed the other glass back inside the cupboard and left the kitchen.
“We’re going to have to pay for the glass, you know,” she said. From the sound of her voice she was on her way back to the bedroom.
“Yeah, I know,” he called after her.
The floor clear of glass chips, he surveyed the kitchen one last time. Definitely empty. He turned off the overhead light and stared into the darkness, waiting for whatever had caused the disturbance to creep out from its hiding place. Maybe it’s just a chipmunk rummaging for breadcrumbs.
He backtracked through the chalet, making sure all rooms were empty and every entrance secure. When satisfied, he crawled back in bed with his wife. Miriam snored lightly, and he took that as a good sign. He stared into the bedroom’s darkness for nearly half an hour, every shadow suddenly
a suspect, until his eyelids finally grew heavy enough to drift off to sleep again.
All remained quiet, with only the steady breathing and occasional snores of David and Miriam Hobbs as they slept. Neither one heard the glider rocker in one corner of the bedroom as it moved back and forth silent in the darkness. Nor were they aware of the shadowy figure sitting in the chair, keeping watch until the dawn’s light peered in through the bedroom windows that Sunday morning.
Chapter Four
“Mommy! Daddy!” Christopher and Jillian shouted in near unison as the front door opened, and the edge of the first suitcase poked inside their front door. They ran up and hugged Miriam as she made her entrance late Sunday afternoon. Tyler scrambled downstairs from his room once he heard the commotion in the foyer, followed by Janice and the Hobbs’ Yorkshire terrier, Sadie, from the kitchen. Sadie barked and demanded immediate attention, pawing at Miriam’s pant legs.
“I’ve missed you all so much!” said Miriam. She hugged and kissed each of her children, and then Janice and Sadie. Meanwhile, David finished bringing in the rest of the luggage from where the cab driver left everything near the front porch.
“Here, Dad, I’ll help you carry these upstairs,” offered Tyler, who picked up one of the suitcases and a backpack, hoisting them both up the tall stairway to the second level. Not to be left out, Christopher asked if he could help, and David let him take a smaller bag. That left only one other backpack, since Miriam wanted to keep the carry-on bags downstairs until everyone received their souvenirs.
While upstairs, David began to remove his coat until he discovered several small lumps inside his front pocket. He pulled out the arrowheads and pyrite he brought home for the kids. Then he felt something else. Oh, Jesus, I almost forgot! He hurriedly fished the little cloth bag from Cades Cove out of his pocket. The bag looked older, the cross-stitched “Allie Mae’s Treasures” in blue thread seemed to have faded since he discovered it by the oak tree less than twenty-four hours ago.
“Honey, are you ready to join us down here?” Miriam called to him from the base of the stairs. From what he could tell by the other voices, his boys had returned downstairs, leaving only him unaccounted for.
“Yeah, darlin’, I’ll be right there!”
Quick! Where to hide this frigging thing before she finds out I never gave it back!
He considered hiding the bag somewhere in his closet, or slipping inside the guestroom next to their bedroom to hide it there since the room was rarely used.
Shit, Miriam will find it for sure if I do that.... Ah, but this might work!
He stepped over to his dresser and threw open the middle drawer. Home to all the handkerchiefs, neckties, and cufflinks he never used—at least a dozen birthdays and Fathers Day’s worth. He closed the drawer after tucking the bag deep inside, beneath his most hideous neckties.
“Ooh, you scared me!” Miriam scolded him, after he nearly ran over her coming out of the bedroom.
“Sorry, babe, I was on my way down. I didn’t want to forget these other souvenirs.” He showed her the arrowheads and pyrite in one hand while wrapping his other arm around her waist.
“Oh, I forgot about those!” She seemed pleased he remem-bered. “Everyone’s waiting on you, hon’. After we give the kids and Janice their souvenirs, I thought it might be nice if we took them out for a nice ‘coming home’ dinner.”
“Sure, why not.”
He forced a broad smile, feeling nervous, like a little boy hiding a cherished family keepsake he’d just broken. He wanted very badly to get as far as possible from their bedroom. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it tightly as they walked downstairs together.
“Okay, Dad’s here, everyone!” said Jillian, excitedly. “So, what did you bring us from Gatlinburg?”
Jillian and Christopher could hardly wait to open their gifts, which made it easier for David to slip Tyler’s leather coat to him without the younger kids noticing the obvious disparity between his souvenir and theirs. Even so, David had a rehearsed explanation in mind if he had to justify the more expensive ‘teenager’ gift as compared to Jillian’s handcrafted Smoky Mountain rag doll and Christopher’s authentic Indian headdress and deerskin drum and mallet.
When Jillian finally noticed her older brother’s gift from Gatlinburg, David’s planned response disintegrated when his little girl frowned and started to cry.
“Tell you what, sweetie,” he said, gently. “How about you pick the place where we’ll go for dinner?”
At first she seemed uninterested in the offer, but then started to smile. David suspected his wallet was about to pay more than just the difference between Jillian and Tyler’s souvenirs.
“Casa Bonita!” she shouted.
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Janice agreed. “I’ll pitch in some cash if you’d like.”
He almost accepted her offer, until Miriam waved her off and shot him a perturbed glance, reminding him of an ‘anniversary promise’ to lighten up on the kids and the budget. So instead of a less expensive outing to a burger or pizza joint, the restaurant known throughout the region as a Mexican food mini-Disneyland would deepen the dent in their expendable income.
Miriam gave Janice her souvenir and a half-pound of Gatlinburg fudge, and then David handed an arrowhead each to Jillian and Christopher, while the pyrite piece went to Tyler. Afterward, the family piled into their minivan and headed north to the restaurant located in the older section of Denver’s sprawling metro area.
With the house to herself, Sadie jumped onto the sofa and curled up in front of the TV, which Jillian had changed to the Cartoon Network for her just before they left. Soon she began to doze off…until a creak resounded on the stairway. She sat up with her ears perked high and listened. A hazy form drifted into the living room and then passed in front of the television, eliciting a low growl from her. Jumping down from the sofa, the dog followed the shadowy presence into the kitchen with her teeth bared, launching a full assault of angry barks.
***
“Sadie? Oh, Sa-a-d-i-e-e-e!”
Nearly eight o’clock that evening, the Hobbs family had just returned home after dropping Janice off at her nearby townhouse, where she joked about gaining five pounds before morning from the Gatlinburg fudge.
“Sadie??” Jillian called again. She checked the kitchen, dining room, and the den before returning to the living room. “Where is she?”
The Cartoon Network blared loudly on the TV, but the sofa sat empty. David followed Miriam and Tyler into the house, carrying Christopher over his shoulder, rueful he wouldn’t be able to do this much longer since his son seemed to get bigger by the week.
“Sweetie, she’s probably somewhere upstairs,” David assured her. Christopher fast asleep, he laid him on the loveseat. “I don’t think I can carry him up those stairs tonight,” he told Miriam, who had just hung their coats on the hall tree in the foyer.
Jillian headed upstairs to look for the dog. Tyler paused long enough in the living room to change the TV channel to the G-4 Network before joining his sister in her search.
“Hey, son, we’re not watching X-Box stuff...not tonight!” David called after him. His groaned “Oh, Dad!” resounded mournful from the top of the stairs. “I imagine he’s had free reign around here since Thursday night.”
“Who needs television when you’ve got me?” Miriam snuggled up to him, pressing her face beneath his jaw, and then caressed his neck with tender kisses.
“Hey, I found her!” Jillian announced from atop the stairs. “She’s hiding under my bed, and I can’t get her to come out!”
“Hold that thought, my dear,” David whispered. He returned her kisses until Jillian called to them again. “We’re coming!”
Even from downstairs they heard the dog’s whimpers along with Tyler’s urgings for Sadie to come to him. By the time David and Miriam reached Jillian’s bedroom, Tyler was halfway underneath Jillian’s canopy bed.
“She’s not going to come to you!” said Jillian con
fidently, crouched next to her brother. “And I’ll bet the only person she’ll listen to is Mom!”
“Oh, yeah?” Tyler retorted, his voice muffled from under the bed.
“Maybe Jill’s right, guys,” said Miriam, lifting the bedspread to take a peek. Sadie lay curled up in one corner, panting, on the opposite side of the bed from where Jillian and Tyler’s faces peered at her. “Come here, baby.”
The dog whined until she pulled her out and gathered her in her arms.
“She’s shaking!” Miriam looked over at David. “Come here…feel how she’s trembling.”
He came over to where she stood, near Jillian’s nightstand. A beautiful purebred Yorky, Sadie had long brown hair covering most of her body, except for her head, which was a mixture of rust and blond. Her dark brown eyes always seemed to sparkle in the light, but now half-open as she continued to shake in Miriam’s arms.
“Is she sick?” he asked, lovingly stroking the dog’s neck, which usually brought a soft grumble of pleasure and Sadie would lean into his hand for a good scratching. Not this time.
“I’m not sure,” said Miriam. “It’s almost like something scared the hell out of her.”
She started to carry Sadie out of the bedroom, and immediately the dog clawed to get out of her arms. She stooped down and released her, and Sadie crawled back under the bed.
“Should we call the vet?” David watched Tyler and Jillian resume their contest to see whom the dog preferred most.
“No…I don’t think that’s going to do any good,” she told him, glancing around the room. “Would you mind taking a look around to make sure nothing’s out of place?”
“Sure.” He knew she wanted him to check the entire house for evidence of a break-in while they were gone. Just two months earlier, a string of burglaries had hit their peaceful community. “I’ll be right back.”
He checked both floors and the garage, and took a quick stroll around the yard. Nothing out of place, though it felt a little eerie walking through leaves up to his ankles in the darkness and hearing them crunch beneath his shoes. Next weekend would be spent raking these leaves if his self-absorbed teenager didn’t miraculously offer to do it before then.