“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t intend to leave him there forever. He’ll be found soon. No later than Halloween.”
“Halloween? What does Halloween have to do with it?”
“Don’t you know anything about this house? According to local legend, this place is haunted.” Harvey laughed. “So every Halloween tough-guy teenagers show up to prove how brave they are by breaking in and poking through the house. This year they’ll get a special surprise.” Harvey laughed again.
“Don’t you think that’s kind of gruesome? Won’t those kids be traumatized?”
“Gruesome? Are you serious? You’re the one responsible for the dead guy, not me.”
“It’s just that…” Bart looked in the trunk. “The body’s all scrunched up in there. How did you get it to fit in the trunk?”
“It wasn’t easy. I imagine it will be rather gruesome getting him out of there.” Harvey laughed wildly. He then stopped laughing and looked at Bart. “So what’s the deal? You want to take him with you now?”
“No,” Bart shook his head.
“Then get out of here, and don’t come back!”
Chapter Nine
The man with the dog had left the gate wide open, making it easier for Max to slip into the side yard. While Max wasn’t especially afraid of dogs—and this one looked rather harmless, in spite of its size—they tended to be nosey creatures, prone to barking. Fortunately, the man had taken the dog inside with him, along with what appeared to be a significant amount of groceries.
The sun had set just minutes earlier, and the interior of the house was brightly lit. From his hiding place in the bushes, Max could see inside.
The afternoon hadn’t gone as he had hoped. Instead of napping on the beach, he spent most of the time avoiding people. Aside from the obvious dangers associated with sleeping out of doors, it was too damp and cold this time of year to spend the entire night outside. He needed to make this work, because he didn’t want to return to Harvey. He wanted to spend the night here, inside this house.
He could see the man in the kitchen, moving around, doing something—cooking perhaps, or putting the groceries away. Looking up to the windows on the second floor, he spied the girl with the short red hair. Yet, he wasn’t interested in her. Max wanted to see the other one—the one with the long dark hair. Glancing back to the kitchen window, he noticed the man was no longer in that room. The kitchen was empty. Max wondered if the door was unlocked.
Focused on watching the house, he failed to notice a woman approaching from the sidewalk, entering through the open gate he had come through just minutes earlier. Moving farther back into the shelter of the bushes, he watched as she went to the kitchen door and knocked. While waiting for someone to answer, she turned her back to the door and looked Max’s way. With the limited light, he doubted she would be able to see him, even if he wasn’t hiding amongst the foliage. She carried something. Max wasn’t sure what it was until he heard it—meow. The woman carried a cat. Max loathed cats.
The dog had initially worried him. But then Max remembered he had noticed the same dog in the window of the house across the street, during his previous visit. Minutes earlier, the man had pulled up to the side drive—in the same car that had been parked across the street on the previous night—and parked by the kitchen door. He had let the dog outside to do what dogs did—pee on trees—before letting him back inside the house while bringing in the groceries. Fortunately, the clueless dog failed to pick up on the stranger lurking in the yard.
Max was fairly certain both the man and dog lived across the street. Although, this coming and going whenever he felt like it—and bringing along his dog—needed to stop. Max would see to it. The man and his dog could complicate matters.
Sadie charged down the stairs, the pads of her paws barely touching the landing as she headed for the doorway leading to the kitchen. En route, she almost tripped Ian, who had just stepped out from the bathroom.
“Whoa girl!” Ian called out, as he quickly regained his footing.
Following Sadie into the kitchen, he found her at the door leading to the side yard, barking. Through the window, Ian could see what had caught Sadie’s attention.
“Sit!” Ian snapped, before answering the door.
Reluctantly, Sadie sat down, barely able to contain herself.
“What’s all the ruckus about?” Walt asked when he appeared a moment later.
Sadie looked up at him, her body still wiggling.
“Hello,” Ian greeted when he opened the door. He assumed the woman standing on the stoop was the neighbor Heather Donovan—Danielle had already told him about her. She held the kitten he had rescued earlier, along with a small paper sack.
“Oh…hello.” She seemed surprised to find Ian answering the door. “I was looking for Danielle Boatman. I’m sorry. I saw the light on, and I cut across the side yard. I hope that’s okay.”
“You must be the new neighbor, I met your kitten earlier,” Ian greeted. “I am Ian Bartley, I live across the street. Come on in.” He glanced down at Sadie, pointed across the room and said, “Go lay down!”
Reluctantly, Sadie moved to the far wall as she looked over her shoulder at the unwanted guest.
“She’s our neighbor,” Walt said as he leaned against the wall next to Sadie. “You might as well get used to her. I’m sure you two will become grand friends.” Bella and Sadie lifted their heads and looked at Walt.
Walt glanced from Sadie to Bella, who let out a little hiss in Sadie’s direction. “Hmmm, maybe not,” Walt mumbled as he summoned a cigar.
Now standing in the kitchen, Heather kept a tight hold on Bella who seemed determined to jump down. “I heard you lived in the neighborhood. You write under the pen name Jon Altar, don’t you?”
“Guilty as charged,” Ian said as he shut the door.
“I’m Heather Donovan and very honored to meet you. I’ve watched all your specials, read everything you’ve written about Eva Thorndike. So fascinating and to think you found the Missing Thorndike!”
“Thank you.” Ian smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed my work. But I didn’t find the necklace, Danielle did.”
“I’m a writer too.”
“That’s nice,” Ian said politely.
“Of course, I’m not famous like you!”
“Let me get Danielle.” Just as Ian turned from Heather, he found Danielle standing at the doorway.
“I wondered what Sadie was barking at.” Danielle walked into the kitchen. “Hello Heather.”
Heather hadn’t noticed before, but considering what was sitting on the kitchen counter and table, someone was in the middle of preparing food—and by the looks of it, food for a party.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were entertaining.” Heather handed Danielle a sack. “I just wanted to bring you this.”
“What’s this?” Danielle asked, accepting the bag. She opened it and pulled out a small vial of oil.
“For your scratch. I meant to send it back with you. I’d hate for you to get infected.”
Danielle glanced at her wrist. The scratch was barely visible. “Looks like your oil already did the trick.” She returned the bottle to the sack and started to hand it back to Heather.
“No, you keep it.” Heather insisted. “I have more.”
“Thanks.” Danielle smiled and set the bag on the counter.
“Well, I’ll be going. Looks like you’re about to have company.”
“Please stay,” Lily said from the doorway. They all looked to Lily, who had just entered the kitchen. “By that little ball of fur in your arms, I take it you’re the new neighbor.”
“Yes…and you are?” Heather asked as she watched Lily walk to Ian’s side.
“I’m Lily. We’re having a little celebration tonight, and you’re more than welcome to join us. It’ll be a way for you to meet some people. I understand you’re new to town.”
Ian wrapped his arm around Lily’s shoulders, pulling her closer.
“That’s sweet of you to ask, but, I really didn’t mean to crash your party.”
“Nah, the more the merrier.” Lily looked up into Ian’s face. “Right?”
Ian smiled down at Lily. “Sure.” He dropped a quick kiss on her nose.
Heather glanced down at the kitten. “I appreciate the offer, but I have Bella with me.”
“That’s okay,” Danielle said. “She’s welcome.”
“I also have something in the oven at home,” Heather said quickly. “I only intended to drop this off and get right back.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want you to burn the neighborhood down.” Danielle smiled.
“So that is the new neighbor,” Lily said after Heather left.
“Yes. I wonder if she really had something in the oven at home. She didn’t seem that anxious to leave before you came in,” Danielle said as she glanced out the window. It was dark outside, yet she could see Heather’s silhouette as she made her way toward the sidewalk.
“It probably had something to do with how she was checking out Ian,” Lily snickered.
“What are you talking about?” Ian asked as he went back to preparing the food for dinner.
“The look of disappointment on her face when you put your arm around me.” Lily sat down at the table and started removing items from a grocery sack.
“What look?” Ian frowned.
“I noticed it too,” Danielle said. She began sorting through grocery bags, looking for items that needed to go in the refrigerator.
“You’re both crazy,” Ian scoffed.
“I saw it too,” Walt said, flicking an ash from his cigar. It disappeared before it hit the floor. “Of course, you can’t hear me, so what I saw doesn’t count.”
Danielle silently flashed a smile at Walt and then continued putting the groceries away.
“Of course, she is a little young for you,” Lily said with a grin.
“You are both crazy.” Ian shook his head.
“No, Lily is right. I was standing at the doorway when she was fan girl-ing all over you.”
“Fan girl-ing? Is that a new word?” Walt asked.
Danielle shrugged and then looked back at Ian.
“I think you two are just imagining things. The girl was just being friendly. And Lily is right; she is way too young for me.”
“Does that make me old?” Lily asked with a frown.
Ian laughed. “Just means you’re old enough for me.”
“Didn’t I tell you she was a writer?” Danielle asked.
“I think you mentioned something about her wanting to be a writer.” Ian wadded up a piece of paper towel and tossed it in the trash. “I think you two should leave me alone so I can get this finished, before everyone arrives.”
“You trying to get rid of us?” Lily asked.
“Yes.” Ian glanced at the wall clock. “Everyone is going to be here in less than thirty minutes.”
“I can help,” Danielle offered.
“I would think Ian could use your help,” Walt told her. “If he wants to throw a party for Lily and doesn’t want you to prepare the food, he should have hired someone like Joanne to do it for him. Do men actually do this sort of thing these days?”
“No. Remember this is my thing. You two go, get out of my way!” Ian said playfully, pointing to the door.
When Ian turned his back to Danielle, she stuck her tongue out at Walt and wrinkled her nose.
“And also in my day, a young woman who behaved in such a manner would find her backside severely paddled,” Walt said with mock seriousness.
Danielle managed to contain her giggles as she prepared to leave the kitchen and get out of Ian’s way. Just as Lily stood up, Sadie picked up her head and let out a bark. The next moment, she jumped up and raced across the room to the back door, barking ferociously.
“What is it Sadie?” Ian asked, looking out the window.
“Is someone here already?” Danielle asked. She and Lily walked to Ian’s side and peered out the window into the darkness.
No longer barking, Sadie stood by the door growling.
“Something’s out there,” Walt said.
Danielle turned to face Walt.
“She told me there is something out there—something that doesn’t belong out there.”
Danielle turned back to the window.
“I’ll go check,” Ian said, reaching for the door.
Danielle grabbed his wrist, stopping him from opening the door. “No. Don’t just go out there. Remember, there are two fugitives loose.”
“Those guys are long gone, Danielle,” Ian said, reaching for the doorknob again.
“No, please,” Danielle said, glancing briefly to Walt and back to Ian.
“Dani you’re freaking me out,” Lily said as she looked to where she believed Walt was standing. What is Walt telling her? Lily wondered.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s wise, going out there when it’s dark, with Sadie growling like that and two fugitives are on the loose.”
“Danielle, this is the last place those two are going to show up. Trust me, they’re probably over the Canadian border by now.” Ignoring Danielle’s concerns, Ian opened the back door. Sadie raced outside, barking ferociously, while Ian followed her.
Max closed his eyes and hid behind a wood fence. That was a close call. Something will have to be done about that dog—and that man.
Chapter Ten
Max chose to watch the house from a safe distance from across the street. Of course, he would need to take off before the man and the dog left, because they would be coming his way. He watched as the cars started to arrive. It was dark out; the only light came from the houses nearby, the cars arriving, and the streetlights.
The first car brought a man and a woman. By the woman’s slouch and the way the man had to help her make her way up to the house, Max assumed she must be much older than her companion. It was impossible to see their faces from where he hid.
The second car brought another man and woman. Max assumed they were a couple, close to the same age. They held hands as they walked up to the house. Other cars started arriving and Max found it impossible to keep them all straight.
He glanced to the second floor of the house. The curtains were open in one of the windows. He almost looked back down to the street and the arriving cars, but then she walked into the room. It was her, the one with the dark hair. She had it pulled back into a braid. He rather liked braids. Victoria had worn braids. But she had betrayed him.
Max closed his eyes for a moment. He was so sleepy; he simply wanted to nap. But he couldn’t sleep now; he needed to stay alert. His life counted on it. He thought back to his early life, when he was loved and had a place he could call home. But then everything changed.
After he had lost his home, he drifted for a while until he met a woman who claimed to love him. She did everything to make him happy, but she didn’t understand. It simply did not work that way. Max had to be the one to choose. He found it wasn't easy to replace his first love. So one day, when this woman who loved him went off to work, he took off, never to see her again.
Unfortunately, when Max got around to making a choice, it was the wrong one. Victoria made him believe she wanted him, but it had been a lie. She almost got him killed. This one would be different. He wasn’t going to timidly wait around to win her affections. While watching her guests arriving, he made a decision. Instead of slipping into her house, hiding, and studying her, as he initially considered doing, he would take the assertive approach. Max was simply getting too old to play it safe and wait.
“I’m surprised you didn’t invite Joe. Or did you?” MacDonald asked Danielle as he sipped his wine. They stood together in the library, while other partygoers filtered through the room and lower level of Marlow House, chatting and visiting.
“Lily made the guest list, it is her party,” Danielle explained. “She asked me if I wanted to invite him. While Joe and I are on good terms now, I
really didn’t want to send him the wrong message. I hope his feelings aren’t hurt that he wasn’t invited.”
“I never said a thing to him about tonight. Didn’t figure it was my place.” MacDonald glanced across the room and smiled at a pretty blonde who visited with Marie Nichols.
Danielle looked over to the blonde. “Glad to finally meet Carol Ann. She seems really nice.”
“The boys adore her.” MacDonald took another sip of wine.
Danielle raised her brows. “And you?”
“Yeah, me too.” MacDonald blushed.
“How did you ever get so lucky with someone like Carol Ann Peterson?” Adam Nichols asked as he walked up to Danielle and the Police Chief. Beer in hand, Adam glanced over to his grandmother and the blonde—the subject of his admiration.
“Because he is a nice guy,” Danielle said with a grin.
Adam glanced back over to Carol Ann and took a swig of beer. “She’s hot.”
“She’s also a very nice lady,” the chief began, unable to mask his annoyance.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don’t worry, I’m not stupid enough to try and get between the police chief and his woman.”
“Why do I suddenly feel like chopped liver?” Danielle asked.
Adam looked Danielle up and down and smiled. “Hey, you’re hot too. But you’re off limits, considering my grandmother would have us standing in front of a preacher if I showed any interest. So I’d rather think of you as that not bad looking girl who has a penchant for getting herself arrested…whom I have to occasionally bail out.”
“Umm gee…thanks…I think.” Danielle rolled her eyes.
“And Chief,” Adam turned his full attention to MacDonald. “Maybe spending all this time with your good looking girlfriend isn’t so good for the Frederickport Police Department.”
“And why is that Nichols?” MacDonald asked.
“Joe Morelli stopped in my office earlier today. Asked me about Presley House, wanted to know why they had the electricity turned on since they can’t afford to pay property management.” Adam began to laugh.
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