Well, that takes care of working out for this year, he thought then sat up.
His looked at his sneakers, soaking wet and packed with snow; his jeans saturated to the knees.
Fuck!
He swatted at the hem of his pants, Julien, you better let me in that house. He twisted his upper body to look back over his shoulder.
Holy shit…
Matt looked at the enormous Victorian, set back on the property. He swung around to the other side and looked at the even larger barn, looming in the distance. He got up on his knees to take in the view. He stood up, dusting himself off some more. He looked down at his bright red hands, frozen and burning. He dried them on his jacket as best he could then walked off in the direction of the house.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The door opened and Matt stood face-to-face with a young woman. He noticed immediately, she was an odd combination of striking beauty and unkempt naturalness. Her large, green eyes never blinked as she stood silently looking back at him. For a few seconds, he was thrown off guard and didn’t know what to say; he hadn’t expected a young girl to come to the door.
“Hi, um, I’m…I hope I have the right place. I’m looking for the Grenier’s. Julien Grenier?” he stammered.
Sarah touched the screen door handle, but didn’t open it.
The intensity of her stare made him uncomfortable. He looked around the porch then thumbed over his shoulder.
“I just climbed that mountain on foot, in this snow…do I have the right place?” he cut straight to the point.
Sarah opened the creaking screen door and stepped aside.
Matt stood motionless and unsure, waiting for her to say something.
He pointed over the threshold, “Come in?” he asked then took a tentative step into the house.
She didn’t stop him, so he took a few more steps then turned around and extended his hand.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Matt….a friend of Julien’s.”
She didn’t take his hand, but instead turned away and walked off to the kitchen.
Matt, raised an eyebrow and remained close to the door.
“This is the right place? Julien…he’s here?” His voice trailed off, “Staying here? Living here? Visiting here?”
Okay, he thought, don’t let me keep you from your work. I’ll just stand here like an idiot.
He watched Sarah move about the kitchen, passing by the door and drifting back and forth through his view.
What…the…fuck?
He took a few steps toward the kitchen and leaned to the side, peering past the door frame.
“Excuse me? The Grenier’s…? They’re here?” he asked. “Do you work for them? A nanny or something?”
Sarah’s back to him; she stood at the sink. He stepped into the kitchen and watched her peeling a potato. Several awkward moments passed as she peeled one after another. When she finished, she dried her hands thoroughly, removed a mug from the drain board and poured a cup of coffee. She turned around and placed it on the table.
He looked at the cup and then to Sarah who patted the table.
“For me?” Matt asked then took a seat.
He sipped at the coffee as Sarah sat down across from him.
“Ah, wait…here we go,” he said then pulled out his phone. He opened a photo file and scrolled and scrolled, searching for the Office Christmas party photos he had taken the year before. He found a picture of Julien and turned the phone toward Sarah.
“Here…Julien…?”
Sarah looked at the photo on the screen and a coy smiled curled the corners of her lips. She took the phone from his hand and continued to stare at the photo for an extended length of time.
Matt watched her; the theme from Deliverance playing in his mind.
“Do you know him? Do I have the right place?”
Sarah didn’t take her eyes off the photo.
“You don’t happen to play the banjo, do you?” Matt laughed to himself.
Sarah looked up at him, still grasping the phone in her palm.
Matt’s smile dissolved, “Kidding. Sorry.”
Sarah jumped, startling him. She held the phone up for him to see; its screen had gone black and the photo, disappeared. She grunted and muttered wildly.
Oh shit! Matt, you’re a dick! She’s deaf or something.
Growing up with a deaf cousin, Matt knew a bit of sign language.
He signed as he spoke, “Are you deaf?”
Sarah watched his fingers form the signs, but didn’t respond.
He switched to pantomime, “Speak? Do you speak? Can you talk?”
Sarah muttered to herself first, and then louder at Matt.
A feeling of unease came over him and he wondered if it was a good idea to be alone in the house; a stranger, with a disabled young girl, unable to communicate.
He got up, “Hey, thank you for the coffee, but I think I have the wrong place. I’m looking for a friend and I think I got myself lost or confused, or something,” he said as he backed away from the kitchen and rushed through the living room.
Sarah got up and hurried after him. She held up the phone, which Matt had forgotten to take. He reached out and gently took it from her then backed a few steps closer to the door.
“Anyway, I’ll get out of your hair now. Thanks again.” He turned to open the door, but Sarah grabbed hold of his arm.
He turned around; one hand on the knob.
Sarah reached behind him to a coat rack and took down a leather jacket. She grunted and mumbled, holding the jacket up to him.
Matt immediately recognized Julien’s leather jacket.
He pointed to the jacket in her hands, “That’s Julien’s. He is here?”
Sarah nodded vehemently.
“Are they out? Not home? Gone somewhere?”
Sarah nodded again.
“Okay, now I get’cha. The Grenier’s are out and you’re here, like cooking or cleaning…taking care of the place.”
Sarah tilted her head and muttered softly to herself.
“So, should I just wait here for them? They’re coming home soon?” he asked.
Sarah slowly nodded then grabbed hold of his arm again. She pulled and tugged, leading him further, back into the living room.
Matt stood looking around and feeling a bit more confident.
“Is Rachael with him? His wife?” he asked, “Jessica? Their little girl?”
Sarah rocked back and forth, nodding then spun around, hurrying back to the kitchen.
Matt wandered about the living room, touching knick knacks and checking out the ornate molding and woodwork.
“So, Julien…he doesn’t know I’m coming…” He walked back into the kitchen where Sarah was trimming green beans. “He’s probably going to be pretty surprised to find me here,” he admitted as he walked around the room behind her. “We were all pretty worried about him, down in the city.”
Matt noticed the open mudroom door and peeked in.
On a table, he spotted a sculpture formed from clay.
“Hey, that’s Rachael’s, isn’t it?” he said and moved further into the room for a look. The clay was still damp and the sculpture, unfinished.
A children’s table, set up on the opposite side of the room, caught his attention. A box of crayons and pages of crude artwork lay strewn over the top. Matt picked up a drawing. He immediately recognized Jessica’s self-portrait, complete with a stick drawn blue jay on her shoulder. He smiled and returned the paper to the table.
Sarah came up behind him, startling him again. Embarrassed, he laughed then pointed to the miniature table and chairs.
“Jessica,” he said, “I recognize her artwork. Our kids all play together,” he explained.
Sarah took a step back and held up a plate holding a sandwich out to him.
He followed her to the table where she placed it down.
“Oh man, right on! I’m starving.” He picked it up, “You didn’t have to go through any t
rouble,” he said then took a look at the sandwich.
“What is this? Turkey?” he asked.
Sarah watched him silently.
Matt took a bite and chewed a few times, “Chicken. Thanks,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food.
The taste of the meat slowed him down. He concentrated on the flavor, chewing methodically. A subtle laugh escaped him; he had never tasted anything like it, or so delicious.
“Wow! I can see why they hired you,” he said then took another bite, “this is amazing.” He felt a rush of warmth come over him and tugged at the collar of his t-shirt.
“Hmm…I’m finally warming up.” He took another bite. His body began to tingle. He took another bite and then another, hardly chewing as he swallowed.
Matt felt euphoric. Every ache and pain from his long climb up the mountain, disappeared. The chill he couldn’t shake, now gone. His fear of Julien’s reaction to his visit, also gone. His concern for Lily’s ire, over. All he could think about was the symphony of flavors coating his taste buds. He finished the sandwich and looked down at the empty plate then licked at his fingers. He realized Sarah had watched him, the entire time he ate. He felt a little foolish, but forgot about it quickly as he studied the girl.
What a shame she’s so messed up. Beautiful girl, he thought. Her pale skin accentuating her thick auburn hair. He wanted to reach out and touch it, and he found it difficult to stop himself.
She’s practically a kid…knock it off, loser!
“Hey, thank you again. That was great.” He leaned back and stretched, “So, do you have any idea when the Grenier’s will be back?”
Sarah gave no indication of understanding his question. She stood up and turned to the counter, returning to her task of food preparation.
Lily stared at the flashing cursor on the computer monitor screen. It was never difficult to sneak a peek at Matt’s email account; he kept the same password since college. She looked at the map of Kings Hollow, frustrated by her difficulty in committing to a decision. Still so angry with Matt; it should have been easy, but as the hours passed, she began to feel guilty. Regardless of how she felt about Julien and his tendency to be arrogant, he was Matt’s friend and had always helped them in every way he could. She missed her friendship with Rachael and selfishly resented her mental health issues for the effect it had on her own life; mostly the loss of companionship. Her ire and venom wasn’t truly heartfelt. She was angry and often lonely, and Rachael had let her down; though she knew it wasn’t Rachael’s fault. No one wanted to be ill, but it was easier for Lily to be angry than to admit that she was sad. Her life was all about her children and she didn’t want to make time to be a caregiver for anyone else. It made her angry that Rachael’s illness had forced her to show that side of herself to those around them.
She glanced at the time on the bottom corner of the monitor screen. Only an hour before she would be off to pick up the boys. She removed the business card from her wallet and dialed the police precinct.
An operator answered.
“Detective Ed Bale please. This is Lily Dwyer.”
The operator hesitated, “Detective Bale is not in.”
“Can I have his voicemail please?”
There was a brief pause, “Hold please.”
Lily waited to hear Bale’s recorded voice ask her to leave a message, but was surprised when a lieutenant introduced himself on the line.
Unsure of how to proceed, she explained that Detective Bale had interviewed her weeks earlier, regarding the Jessica Grenier case, and that she might have further information for him.
“Regrettably, Detective Bale has not been seen for several weeks. He, along with both parents of Jessica Grenier, are currently missing. It could be very helpful to us if you would share the information you have, with me.”
Lily stared into midair, stunned.
“Mrs. Dwyer…?”
Lily felt a knot form in her stomach, “Missing? I don’t know…?”
“Mrs. Dwyer, why don’t you start at the beginning?”
Matt drummed his fingers on the table. Nearly two hours had passed, while Sarah worked diligently in the kitchen, seeming to prepare for a feast. She stepped behind him and removed a large roasting pan from the cold oven. She placed it on the stovetop and cut potatoes into the bottom of the pan. She returned to the counter beside the sink and took out a wooden cutting board. She situated it on the counter with great precision and concentration. She opened a drawer and removed a large knife, laying it down beside the wood and fixing it perfectly straight. She paused to stare out the window behind the sink. Her methodical calm was off putting and left Matt with an uneasy feeling. Without so much as a glance in his direction, the girl turned and walked out of the room.
Matt listened to the front door creak, and then slam shut. Movement caught his eye and he watched her cross the view through the window above the sink. Seconds later, he found her through a large bay window at the far end of the kitchen. She made her way over the snow and then a bridge, stopping at the barn. She opened the doors and entered, closing them behind her. Bored, he thought about taking a walk and going out after her.
The jacket; Rachael’s sculpture, Jessica’s artwork; it has to be the right place…of course it is.
He looked around the room for something to occupy his time. He got up and flipped open a cabinet where he found glasses and mugs. He opened another, revealing canned goods. Closing both, he walked back out to the living room. He looked up the steps to the second floor landing then over at a bookshelf across the room. He approached the shelves and scanned the books, desperate for distraction and curious.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind, the road down the mountain is closed. How did they go anywhere? When did they leave?
He turned around and looked at the front door. His mind wandered.
Maybe there’s another road out the back way or something? He shrugged it off.
Tired of the bookshelf, he moved around the living room and came to a long hallway. He looked to the front door again, and then back down the hall. He walked past a study or office, followed by two closed doors, and then found an open closet. He paused, baffled by the contents. The small room was deep; a walk-in, with wide shelves lining three walls. Rows and rows of medications and medical supplies stocked the room. His brow furrowed, confused by the inventory. He picked up a small pad from a stack of several.
Dr. Carl Lind Rx, he read. Who the hell is Carl Lind and why would Julien have this stuff?
Matt gave the shelves further inspection; I.V. bags, tubing, rows and rows of pills and vials, and behind the door, a silver pole with hooks and a folded wheelchair. He backed out of the closet and took it all in from a distance.
Are they sharing the house? Do they live here or is this some sort of small town doctor’s office? Did something happen to one of them? Is one of them sick? Some sort of treatment center? Some sort of commune, all self-contained, where they drink grass juice and go vegan?
He walked quickly, back to the living room, feeling like he might be opening a can of worms and crossing a disrespectful line. He went to the coatrack and removed the leather jacket for a more thorough inspection. It was unmistakably Julien’s jacket, complete with a worn, French label, from decades ago. He hung it back up on the coatrack and returned to the kitchen. He approached the bay window, where he could see Sarah in a large cage, off the back of the barn. She appeared to be raking or sweeping. He paced around the kitchen, awaiting her return and frustrated, knowing she couldn’t communicate normally and contemplating how he could get some answers out of her.
Do I leave? Do I wait and try to get more information from her? Whose house is this? Is someone sick?
Matt returned to the living room. He stopped at the base of the steps and looked up to the second floor. He shook his head, torn and worried.
Are they even coming back today?
If he could slip up stairs and find something, anything, clothes hanging in closets; somethin
g that would indicate where they might have gone or that they would definitely return, he could make a better decision of how to proceed.
Call Julien. Call him and tell him exactly what’s going on. Tell him that you’re here, at the house in Kings Hollow. He’ll answer or call you right back. He might be furious, but he’s not gonna to blow you off, if he knows that you’re here.
Matt scrolled through his phone to Julien’s name and dialed, giving himself no time to change his mind. As he brought the phone to his ear, he heard the muffled ringtone behind him. He looked up, concentrating on the location of the sound then turned around and reentered the kitchen. The ringtone grew louder and he followed it back to the mudroom. The sound stopped and he quickly dialed again. Coming from a closet, he opened the door and found the phone hidden behind several bottles of paint; beside it, a second phone.
This isn’t right. Something is not right here. Why would he leave without his phone? Maybe he got a new phone? No, this is definitely strange.
Matt rushed from the mudroom and returned to the stairs, hell-bent on getting to the bottom of this and in search of further clues.
At the top of the steps he looked out through a window on the landing. Sarah, still in the cage behind the barn, now walking around with an axe in her hand. He backed away from the window and turned to the nearest door. There were two twin beds, one on either side wall. No decorations nor artwork, yet there were dolls on the floor, which appeared to be played with. He entered the room and opened the only closet. Clothes, ranging in size, hung neatly. As he spread the hangers apart, he found that some were children’s clothes, girls, but he didn’t recognize any of it as Jessica’s, specifically.
Matt left the room and moved to the next door. Slightly ajar, the moment he approached the room; though silent, he felt it was occupied. He could sense a presence in the room and it made him reconsider his search. He took a step back and paused. Quietly, he leaned toward the one-inch gap to peek in. Windows and a small portion of a wrought iron staircase came into his view. He could hear a crackling fire. He touched the door and it creaked. He jerked his hand back and looked into the room again. One corner of the foot of a bed, a portion of a throw rug and the corner of a nightstand were added to his view. He looked back at the stairs and heard nothing from the floor below. He placed his palm on the door and slowly pushed it open.
WISHBONE II: ...Some Wishes Should Never Be Made Page 30