What Happened to Anna?

by Jennifer Robins

  Andrea stood up. “Oh, my! I can’t believe I was here so long. Is it seven o’clock already?”

  “Almost,” the woman told her.

  Andrea hurried to the stairs, the librarian right behind her. “I should have been home by now. My husband is probably worried about where I am. I didn’t leave him a note. I wasn’t planning on staying here so long.”

  At the entrance door, she thanked the woman and rushed out to her car and drove away. It was all she could do to refrain from speeding down the highway. What would she tell John? The last thing she wanted was to worry him. Her first day in their new home, and she’d gone off on a wild goose chase over something she couldn’t explain. But Andrea knew she had to find out more about the woman in the photograph.

  Chapter Two

  John’s car sat in the driveway when Andrea arrived home. She was sure he’d be worried about her. She wasn’t in the habit of going off without leaving a note or calling him to let him know she would not be home.

  He sat in the living room reading a newspaper when Andrea hurried into the house. “I’m sorry I’m so late. I went to the library to look up the history of the house and, well… the time just got away from me. I didn’t realize how late it was. Wait until I show you what I found out about the house and all of the people who lived in it through the years.” She took the paper out of her purse. “Did you eat? I can fix you something in a few minutes if you want.”

  Leaning forward, he brought the recliner to an upright position. In a soft tone he said, “It’s our first day here, and my first day at my new office, and you decide to run off somewhere. What am I supposed to think? You could have done — whatever — another time, Andrea. Look at this place. It’s a mess. I was hoping you would have things in order by now so we could relax a little tonight.” Even though he wasn’t shouting, she could tell he was upset with her. It made her feel guilty somehow. If only he had raised his voice a little, she could have fought back.

  He pushed the recliner back and opened the paper to the sports page. “I already ate, thank you.”

  Oh, how much she wanted to tell him about the old wooden box and the photograph. But his mood dictated otherwise at the moment. With nothing else to do, she went to the kitchen for something to eat. She’d try talking to him later when he’d had a chance to cool down a little.

  When she finished her sandwich, she went back to the living room. “I want to tell you about something I found up in the attic. It’s the reason why I went to the library to find the history of the house.” She went on, even though John seemed to be paying no attention. “There was an old wooden box hidden under the floorboards in a corner of the attic. You wouldn’t believe how it was wedged under there. I would never have seen it if I hadn’t been looking for insulation.”

  That caught his attention. He put the paper down on his lap. “Oh yeah. Was there any up there?”

  “No, I didn’t see any, but I found the box and there’s this photograph of a woman.”

  “Okay. What about it?”

  “The woman in the photograph looks just like me. It’s very old, and there’s an old Bible, some jewelry, and a few other things with it in the box. Come upstairs with me. I’ll show you.” She stood up.

  Reluctantly, John got up and followed her up the stairs to the bedroom. She went to the closet and got the box, brought it to the bed, and set it down. Feeling a little nervous about how John would react, she reached into the box and took out the picture. She handed it to him.

  She waited anxiously, then asked, “Doesn’t the woman look just like me?”

  He studied the image for a moment. “Well, there is a resemblance, but I don’t know. Who is this, anyway?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think she’s the woman whose name is listed in that old Bible.” Andrea pointed to the old cracked leather book setting in the box.

  John turned the photograph over. “Huh! This is an old picture all right.” After a quick glance to the pages in the Bible, he set it down and picked up the old locket. “Boy, is this thing old! It might be solid gold.” Placing his thumbnail between the edges, he opened it. “Huh, there’s nothing inside. I thought there’d be a picture, but I guess not. It’s a beautiful piece of jewelry.”

  He set the locket down and began to inspect the other items. Andrea watched and wondered why he wasn’t paying more attention to the photograph. After putting everything back in the box, John stood up and walked to the door. He turned and looked back at her before leaving. “That stuff is pretty old. It might be worth something. You should check it out.”

  Disappointed with his reaction, she sat there awhile. She’d thought for sure John would have found the photograph as remarkable as she did. It made her think she might have overreacted when she’d seen the woman’s likeness on that thick, yellowed paper.

  On top of everything going on, John’s sister Peg and her husband Tom were coming to visit for the Fourth of July weekend. They’d planned the visit after they learned of John’s transfer, once they’d confirmed they’d be moving into the house. She was glad they were coming and looked forward to the visit, but she was getting a little frazzled with so much to do.

  Convinced she was just a victim of her own imagination, she put the box back in the closet and went downstairs to join her husband. She hadn’t thought of John’s new office all day. How inconsiderate of her not to have even asked him about his first day. “How did it go at your new office today? Did the new girl show up?”

  “A little hectic, but it went well,” John answered enthusiastically. “Gale jumped right in as though she’d been with me for a long time. The first thing I did was send her out for a coffee pot.” Andrea laughed. John went on with excitement in his voice. “We set up the rest of the files, and announcement letters went out to the community and the present policyholders. Oh yeah, and the sign went up. Babe, we are in business.”

  Listening to him go on so happily made her temporarily forget about the photograph and what had happened earlier. “You’re gonna do great, John, I know you will.”

  The long day had been tiresome for both of them. Andrea slipped into a hot bath to relax while John made a few phone calls. It felt good to lie back and close her eyes. Every muscle in her body ached from carrying so many boxes up to the attic. She focused on the upcoming weekend, mentally listing what needed to be done before Peg and Tom arrived on Thursday. The house had to be in order. She would have to go shopping for food.

  After finishing her bath, she entered the bedroom wrapped in a towel. John watched her walk across the room, delighted by her beauty. “I turned the lights off downstairs and locked the doors. I’m tired, aren’t you?” He stretched and yawned.

  The quiet and peaceful night brought a soothing breeze from the open window, lifting the lacy curtains in a rhythmic motion. Clouds in the dark sky partially covered the nearly full moon. The aroma of lilacs drifted into the bedroom. It didn’t take long before the two of them were sound asleep.

  ****

  At five in the morning, rumbling thunder awakened Andrea. Lightning shot across the sky, illuminating the room. Rain steadily tapped the panes of glass. It was another hour before John would get up for work. Trying not to wake him, she quietly got out of bed, went to the window, and closed it. Remembering the windows downstairs were open too, she hurried out of the bedroom to close them. The thunder grew louder as she stepped out into the hall.

  She fumbled around, searching for the light switch on the wall. Suddenly, she heard something other than the thunder. Standing very still, she listened, but the thunder covered the sound somewhat, making it difficult to hear. It almost sounded like someone crying in the distance, but close enough to make her think it came from within the house. How strange, she thought.

  Lightning lit the hallway. As she slowly walked toward the stairs, she kept turning around and looking behind her. She couldn’t tell from where the weeping came. She reached the top of the staircase, standing very still to listen. The thunder beca
me louder until it completely drowned out the mysterious sound.

  “What are you doing up so early?” John stood by the bedroom door, looking down the hallway at her. “Was it the storm?”

  Scared half out of her wits, she shook all over, but managed to answer him in a shallow voice. “I’m going down to close the windows.” She tried to sound calm.

  “As long as you’re up, put a pot of coffee on. I’m going to stay up. I can’t sleep with this racket.”

  Andrea hurried down the stairs. The dining room window was open. Hurrying to get to it, she stepped on a section of wet carpet below it. “Great!” she whispered. “Just another thing I need to clean up today.” The busy day ahead and the strange events — the photograph, her strange feelings, and now these weird sounds — had put her nerves on edge. Though frightened, she was tremendously curious at the same time. Was she just overreacting? Or was it something more?

  John came down to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. “I’m a little hungry, babe. How about fixing me something? I’m going back up to shave and dress.” Cup in hand, he went on his way.

  Andrea went about making breakfast, still shaky but more convinced of her overactive imagination. The excitement and exhaustion from the move must be weighing on her. When John returned to eat his breakfast, he reminded her about the new patio furniture being delivered that day. “It should be here sometime around noon. I’ll be glad to get rid of that old lounge the last owners left behind.”

  Once he left, Andrea sat at the kitchen table making out a grocery list. The rain had stopped, and the sun began to peek out from behind the few lingering clouds. It looked like it would be a nice day after all. Unable to concentrate, she got up from the table and walked over to the open back door. Everything looked green and fresh from the rain.

  She tried to focus her mind on the weekend and her shopping, but she couldn’t stop thinking of the sounds she’d heard that morning. She wondered if the house might be haunted, but she didn’t want to think about that. Maybe Partersville had a historical society that kept records of the century-old houses. They might have the information she needed.

  She went to retrieve the phone book from the shelf in the laundry room. Surely there had to be a listing. She set the thick book on the table and began to search through the pages. She soon found the number and dialed it.

  The woman who answered the phone sounded like an older lady. “Partersville Historical Society, can I help you?”

  “Yes, my name is Andrea Devon. My husband and I just moved into an old house here in Partersville. I wondered if you had any information about its history.”

  “You’ll have talk to Emily Peters about that. She’s not in right now — she went away for the weekend and won’t be back until Tuesday. Just call back then.”

  Disappointed, Andrea hung up the phone. Just as well, she thought. She had enough to do without getting off track with another investigation.

  Before noon, a delivery van pulled into the driveway. She was glad they had come early. It would give her more time to get other things done.

  Andrea enjoyed Peg and Tom’s company and looked forward to having them for a visit. The four of them had some wonderful times together through the years. Andrea only wished that she had a few more days to get ready. The day flew by as she unpacked boxes and put things away. She had the guest room ready with clean sheets and fresh towels in the bathroom. Things were shaping up. If she hurried, she’d have just enough time to do some grocery shopping.

  John’s sister Peg, now in her mid-forties, was the elder of the two. John had just turned thirty-two. Being older than he, she would playfully tease him that she was his “big” sister. It seemed rather comical because John towered a good foot taller than her. Peg and Tom had three wonderful, grown, married children. All but one, Matthew, lived close to them in Pennsylvania.

  Before she knew it, Andrea was sitting down to dinner with John, feeling accomplished after the day’s chores. Now she could relax and concentrate on the weekend.

  John had definite plans for the weekend’s menu. “I can’t wait to try out the new grill we bought. I’m glad they delivered it when they brought the patio furniture. I was worried they wouldn’t get it here for the Fourth.”

  “You worry about everything,” she told him. With a silly laugh, he patted her on the backside as she walked by him. Though she wouldn’t admit it, she loved it when he did that. She’d play the little game with him, complaining in a subtle voice with a little giggle. When he smiled at her, his baby blue eyes sparkled.

  His good mood lingered after dinner. When they went upstairs to shower, John put his strong arms around her waist and pulled her close. As he kissed her lips and neck, she could feel his warm love. Their passion rose as he held her in his arms, unbuttoning her blouse.

  “I love you so much, Andrea,” he whispered in her ear. After a tender, passionate interlude, the happy couple showered and dressed, ready for the arrival of their weekend visitors.

  Tom and Peg pulled into the driveway at nine that night. Peg hugged John while Tom struggled to carry in their overstuffed suitcases. “Hey, big sister. How was the trip?” John asked. “Did you have any trouble finding us?”

  “It was a pleasant drive all the way,” Tom told him. “We took the turnpike to the main exit to Partersville. After that it was a piece of cake.”

  “Oh, Andrea, this place looks so nice. I can hardly wait to see the rest of it. I love the town already.”

  The men followed the women on the grand tour. Going through the living room and around through the dining room, the chattering foursome made their way back to the kitchen.

  “I love your kitchen,” Peg said as she entered the doorway. “Good looking wooden cabinets, and I really like the window above the sink. You can see the patio and back yard while preparing things.” She looked at Andrea. “Just a nice bright and cheery room, with plenty of counter space. You got it all, girl.”

  The men were more interested in the huge back yard with all of the grand trees and foliage of green mixed with colorful flowers. John was thrilled to show it off. “I’ve always wanted a yard like this for as long as I can remember. How about our patio, Tom? We’ll get to try out the new grill this weekend.”

  Tom, a connoisseur when it came to outdoor cooking, chuckled. “I’ll go for that. I wanna show you a new method of making barbecued ribs. After a little experimenting, I came up with an excellent idea. I’ll share it with you.”

  Andrea led the way to the sewing room and then down the hallway to the bedrooms while John talked about his work. “This town is better for business than I thought. For a small community, it covers a lot of miles of vacant land. Plenty of room for growth. People here are pleasant and easy to get along with. They’re willing to listen to what you have to offer. I think I’ll do well here.”

  Peg loved the flowered wallpaper in the bedrooms. The woodwork, with its high-gloss varnish, gave the house character. Everything had an authentic Victorian style and an abundance of personality. “All I need now are the furnishings to go with the house,” Andrea told them. “John will be making more money, so we’ll be able to afford some nice things. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble finding antiques in this town. I don’t want anything modern or early American, just old and in good condition.”

  After the grand tour, John and Andrea helped get the rest of the luggage out of the car and up to the guest room. Andrea had everything ready for them. She’d placed fresh flowers on the dresser and turned down the white tufted spread on the bed to present a pleasant welcome. Peg was pleased with the way Andrea took such care in making them comfortable.

  Once they were settled in, everyone went down to the living room, where Andrea served coffee and pastries. The evening flew by with the four of them reminiscing and talking about John’s new office. By midnight, all four were yawning and rubbing their eyes. John stood up and stretched. “I think we better get some sleep. How about it, gang? We have the whole we
ekend to talk.”

  When everyone had settled down for the night, Andrea lay in bed awake for a while, thinking about the fun they would have over the holiday weekend.

  ****

  The next morning, Andrea woke up early. Not wanting to wake the others, she quietly dressed and went down to the kitchen to start preparing for the breakfast she’d planned. While the coffee brewed, she set out the dishes on the table, along with napkins and silverware. It was already warm despite the early hour. It was going to be a hot weekend.

  Andrea poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the table. She thought about something Peg had said the night before, which had made her feel a little sad. She knew Peg hadn’t meant anything by it when she’d commented on how wonderful the roomy house would be for raising children. That would be true, if only they could have children, she thought. Andrea didn’t think the prospects of having a child were very good. With little hope that she would ever conceive, she’d given up worrying about it. Deep in thought, she realized Partersville was an ideal family town — good schools, a good atmosphere, low crime, and plenty of history.

  She glanced up when Peg appeared in the doorway with a puzzled look on her face. “Andrea, were you upstairs in the hallway a little bit ago? I thought I heard… someone crying.”

  Andrea almost dropped her cup. “What?”

  Peg yawned. “Were you in the hallway upstairs a little while ago? And were you crying?”

  Andrea stuttered. “No… no. What makes you think that?”

  “I swear I heard someone. Was it you, or not?”

  Andrea didn’t know how to answer. How could she tell Peg she’d also heard the crying? It most likely was some kind of strange noise caused by loose boards or the wind. She stood. “You must have been dreaming. I wasn’t up there. Why would I be crying, anyway?”

  “I wasn’t dreaming, Andrea. I heard someone crying.”