Shadow in the Pines

by PJ Nunn

  She must have slept soundly because she woke in her bed with sunlight streaming through the window and went downstairs to find Noah already gone to work. The damp towel in the bathroom and fresh pot of coffee told her he’d been there. He probably assumed she wouldn’t be going anywhere since her classes and lab work were finished, but she hadn’t promised not to. With a sense of determination, she dressed quickly and hurried from the house before he could call and tell her not to go.

  The campus was nearly deserted. There were a few straggling students, undergrad mostly, in the throes of finals, and professors finishing up their grading for the term. Dani was relieved to see Dr. Crane’s car parked in its usual space outside Ophidian, although it didn’t appear anyone else was there. She wavered for a moment, wondering again if she was doing the right thing. Steeling herself for his harshness, she mustered a modicum of courage and entered the office.

  As she’d expected, the offices were deserted. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway, accentuating her isolation and increasing her anxiety. Dani paused to take a deep breath and steady herself before entering Dr. Crane’s outer office. Dark and vacant, it made approaching the ribbon of light shining through his partially open door all the more intimidating.

  “Dr. Crane?” she knocked on the door frame of his open office.

  “Yes?” his voice was rich and deep, and reasonably pleasant, for him at least.

  “Could I talk to you for a minute?” she peered nervously into the room.

  Dr. Crane was seated behind his desk, as usual, but dressed in a pullover sweater without his customary lab coat. A parka was draped across the arm of the couch that lined the wall adjacent to the desk. A shock of white hair fell loosely across his forehead and he seemed a little less foreboding than normal. His eyes narrowed and she suspected he was trying to remember who she was.

  “Certainly. Come on in.”

  “Dr. Crane,” she perched skittishly on the edge of a chair facing his desk and decided not to mince words, “there’s a problem I think you should be aware of.” The walls were decorated with a variety of prints and photos, all containing snakes of one variety or another. All making her skin crawl.

  “Problem?” He didn’t look much like a man who tolerated problems.

  “Yes sir,” she swallowed, trying to contain her nervousness. “It’s a long story, but…” she groped for the right words, kicking herself for not rehearsing exactly what she’d say in advance. “Someone has been stalking me since I moved here. Twice, there have been snakes left at my house and they both came from here. Then, yesterday, there was a copperhead in one of my desk drawers in the Biology lab. It was from here, too.” Dani swallowed again. None of it was coming out the way she’d intended and his stare grew more intense with each word.

  “You’re sure of this?” he asked, a frown darkening his countenance.

  “Yes, sir,” she answered.

  “Why would someone want to do that to you?” When he leaned forward and focused his stare, Dani felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. No wonder Mike didn’t want to tell him.

  “Well,” she cleared her throat, “I think it’s because I bought Dr. Atkinson’s old house.”

  Dr. Crane raised his eyebrows and rocked back in his chair, understanding dawning on his expression. “I see. Is that all you came to tell me?”

  “No, sir,” she said, determined to finish. “I’ve been doing a little investigating and I’ve discovered that Dr. Atkinson may have been misappropriating grant money when he was here.” For now, she’d rather leave Noah out of it.

  Dani watched him closely for a reaction, but didn’t see one.

  “And you think this is why someone is stalking you?”

  Dani couldn’t put her finger on it, but something wasn’t going the way she’d expected. Dr. Crane didn’t seem surprised or even concerned that the snakes were from his lab.

  “It’s the only reason I can think of. You know, they did discover a skeleton buried in my cellar.”

  “I heard that,” he nodded, “although I didn’t realize it was yours, of course. The house, I mean,” he almost smiled. “I guess this is a problem, isn’t it?”

  Dani didn’t know what to say and shifted nervously in her seat.

  “What would you like me to do?” he asked, suddenly solicitous.

  Dani sighed. “I… well……… I…………”

  “Just say it child,” he encouraged in a voice he no doubt intended to sound comforting. Instead, it sent a chill down her back.

  “I don’t want you to blame Mike McKay for the snakes that were used,” she blurted it out. “I know he didn’t take them and I don’t want him to get fired because someone else was trying to scare me.”

  Crane’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered that. “McKay?” He nodded. “Of course not. I’m sure he’s not to blame.” He looked at her expectantly.

  Dani got up. “Thank you, Dr. Crane,” she said, anxious to get out of there. “I appreciate that.”

  “You’re very welcome, young lady,” he offered a cheesy smile. He didn’t even know her name. “I’ll be sure and look into this. You have a good holiday, now.”

  “Yes, sir. You too,” she fairly ran from the room. Her effort might have failed miserably, but at least she’d tried. She also managed to escape without revealing that there were still a hundred more snakes missing.

  Dani paused to button her coat before leaving the office and was surprised when the knob was pulled from her hand as she reached for it. A tall, stately woman she recognized as Mrs. Crane entered the room, filling it with expensive perfume and a disdainful attitude.

  “Pardon me,” she said crisply, looking Dani over carefully.

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Crane,” Dani tried to smile, hoping the woman wouldn’t wonder what she was doing here alone with her husband.

  “Don’t I know you?” she asked, looking down her patrician nose with a critical expression on her face.

  “We’ve not met, but I’ve seen you around,” Dani offered. “I’m Dani Jones, I work here part time.”

  “Danielle Jones,” she said the name slowly. “Of course. My husband’s mentioned you often.”

  That was news to her. Dani would have sworn he didn’t even know who she was. Besides, weren’t they divorced now?

  “Well,” Mrs. Crane moved past her toward the hall.

  With the feeling she’d been dismissed, Dani reached for the doorknob again.

  “Danielle,” Mrs. Crane turned back at the hall door, “Give my best to Noah, won’t you?”

  “Noah?” That caught her completely off guard and she turned back in surprise.

  “Yes, Noah Russell,” Mrs. Crane offered a cynical smile. “I understand you’re seeing him now.” The emphasis on ‘seeing’ would be hard to miss.

  “Okay. Do you know him?” Stupid question but she had to ask.

  Mrs. Crane gave a throaty laugh. “Of course, Noah and I go back for years, dear. I’d suggest you watch him. He’s a sly one.”

  With that, she disappeared into the hall, leaving Dani with her mouth open. Exactly what was Mrs. Crane insinuating? And how could she have known him for years if he’d only moved here a few months before?

  The thoughts plagued her all the way home. When she put the key in the lock of the front door, she heard the phone ringing and considered not answering. She wasn’t ready to talk to Noah just yet. Its persistence unnerved her though.

  “Hello,” she barked.

  “Hey, don’t bite my head off!” Fortunately, it was Beth’s voice.

  “Sorry,” Dani grudged. “What’s up?”

  “I’m pissed, that’s what’s up,” Beth said. “Emil is such an ass!”

  Dani rolled her eyes and sank into a nearby chair, shrugging her coat off her shoulders and leaving it hanging on the chair back. “What happened now?”

  “Ugh! He stood me up last night, then, when I called him while ago, he said he doesn’t want to see me anymore! Can you believe that?�
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  Dani was tempted to chuckle but stifled it. With all that had happened lately, the last thing Beth needed was to date someone from Ophidian. “I’m sorry. Men are beasts, aren’t they?”

  There must have been an edge in her voice because Beth waited a moment to answer. “You have a fight with the Wonder Detective?”

  “Not yet,” Dani said ominously. “Hey, do you know anything about Caroline Crane?” If anyone knew the dirt on the woman, it would be Beth.

  “The Ice Bitchess?” Beth had a title for everyone.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Worse,” she said. “Why?”

  “Oh, just something she said.”

  “All right, time for a confab. Meet me for dinner,” Beth said.

  Dani looked at her watch. It was only half past three. “Now?”

  “No, silly. But, hey – I have some shopping to do. Go with me to the mall then we’ll have dinner!” her voice took on a surge of excitement.

  “Deal!” Dani said, glad for an excuse to get out. “Where shall we meet?”

  “Ummmmm let’s say………JC Penney’s at the mall. Jewelry department in half an hour.”

  Dani smiled. “I’ll see you there.”

  Dani sighed as she locked the house up behind her. Once again, for reasons she couldn’t even state, the warm, cozy, inviting atmosphere had been replaced by a chilling suspicion. Would she ever be able to fully trust anyone again?

  Even a spontaneous shopping spree didn’t offer the enjoyment it would have even a few hours earlier. The only one she desperately wanted to get a gift for was Noah and now she wasn’t even sure of that. Fortunately, Beth had enough holiday cheer for both of them, in spite of her recent breakup. Soon, Dani found herself laughing and picking up odds and ends for the house. By the time they were done she had a bagful of items, including gifts for Bandit and Charlie.

  Once they were tucked away at a corner table in the mall cafeteria, Beth turned inquiring eyes toward her.

  “All right, now spill it!”

  Dani didn’t have to wonder what she was talking about. She’d already brought it up once but Dani talked her into waiting until dinner.

  “It’s probably nothing,” she demurred.

  Beth waited expectantly.

  “I ran into Mrs. Crane today. She told me to give her best to Noah.”

  “No shit?”

  Dani grimaced. “She said they’d known each other for years. But that doesn’t make sense since he just moved here.”

  “Just moved here?” Beth looked confused.

  “Yeah. In March. Why?” The response in Beth’s eyes hit Dani like a punch in the gut. The way her eyes darted away when Dani spoke confirmed the hit.

  “You mean a year ago in March, don’t you?”

  “No. I mean this year. Why?” Dani knew she didn’t want to hear the answer but she had to ask.

  “Because I remember seeing him last year. He was at the Rose Parade.”

  “Maybe it was someone who looked like him,” Dani suggested, grasping at straws.

  “Right. Like there’s all kinds of guys walking around that look like that,” Beth scoffed. She stopped when she looked at Dani again. “It’s possible, I guess.”

  Dani felt her world spinning.

  “Hey, why don’t you just ask him?”

  “I already did,” she said grimly. “He said he moved here in March.”

  “Men!” Beth muttered. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  Dani only paid half attention to Beth’s chatter. Her mind was already at work sorting and deciding how to do what she knew she had to do. By the time she left Beth in the parking lot her mind was made up. She had to distance herself from Noah, and fast. Before she lost her nerve, or even her sanity!

  Chapter Eighteen

  With all the determination she could muster, Dani stopped at Home Depot and bought some new locks then headed home. Tears streamed down her face as she gathered Noah’s things and stuffed them into his duffel bag. She nearly lost it when she found a note Noah had left on the dining room table. It read : “No peeking at your surprise! See you soon. Noah.” With the note clenched tightly in her hand, she sank into the nearest chair and sobbed until she was dry. Why did he have to lie to her? She could forgive a lot of things, but the wound from all of Mark’s lies was still too painful. There was no way she could tolerate any more. Playing on that determination, she grabbed a pen and a notepad and started writing.

  “Noah. I can’t do this. You haven’t been honest with me and that’s the one thing I can’t tolerate. If you care about me at all, you’ll accept this. I can’t bear to argue with you right now. Your things are packed in the duffel bag on the swing. Please, just take them and go. I promise, if there’s another problem I’ll contact the police right away. Have a good life. Dani.”

  With a sigh that ripped out her soul, she got up and carried the duffel bag out to the porch, then she went back inside to get the locks and screwdrivers. With a little effort, she had the deadbolt replaced in half an hour. She didn’t bother with the doorknob, knowing the new deadbolt would prevent his key from working. Feeling like she was locking the door on her future, she turned resolutely away and headed for the back door.

  She tried to smile at the sight of Bandit romping in the leaves while she worked, but failed miserably. Somehow, she’d get on with her life. It occurred to her that it might be easier if she sold this place and moved to another school, but that thought was followed immediately with the realization that nobody was likely to buy the place. Without the money from the house, she’d never make it. Maybe Noah would get disgusted and move.

  But Noah was everywhere she looked. In front of the fireplace, snuggled in the couch, perched on a chair at the dining room table. Mopping the bathroom floor. Worse, he was in her bed. She’d never rid herself of his presence in this house. Tears blocked her vision yet again, even though she’d been sure earlier that she’d cried all the tears she had in her. With a trembling hand, she wiped them away and secured the door, then called for Bandit. Shit. While she was fumbling with the lock, he must have wandered off in the back yard. Why did he always do that just before dark?

  Too weary to search for him, she closed the door and locked it, hoping he’d come scratching before it got too late. She tried to get interested in television to occupy her mind, but kept the sound low in case Bandit came scratching at the door. Apparently, advertisers were convinced that all programming should have a happy, holiday theme these days. With her heart breaking, she was hardly inclined to celebrate. As it drew closer to midnight and she knew Noah would come back soon and find the note fastened to the front door, she shut everything off downstairs, scooped up Charlie, and made her way upstairs. Turning on the radio to drown out the sounds in her head, she reluctantly climbed in bed with the best book she could find. It was challenging to pick something exciting enough to keep her interested without scaring her half to death.

  In spite of the music, shortly after midnight she heard the creaking of Noah’s weight on the front porch, followed by what sounded like his fist against the wall. Dani closed her eyes tightly and waited, but there were no more sounds. Unable to concentrate, Dani put up the book and turned off the lamp but there was no sleep to be had. At a quarter to two, Dani got up and snuck down the stairs. She just had to see if Noah’s things were gone from the porch. Maybe that would give her some closure. She despised herself for not being able to confront him in person, but she knew she’d have never been able to do it. Those doe eyes could melt her in a single glance and she’d have been trapped until he turned on her. Then she’d have been helpless to escape.

  A quick peek out the window showed the swing swaying in the breeze. Empty. Noah was gone. Dani trudged back up the stairs and climbed into bed, pulling the comforter up around her ears and ignoring the tears that trailed down her cheeks once again. She’d never felt more alone, even with Charlie curled snugly at her feet.

  ***

  The morn
ing sun assaulted her harshly and she squinted eyes that were swollen from crying. Slowly, feeling like she’d aged fifty years overnight, she made her way to the bathroom. Cold water did little to ease the swelling and the sight that greeted her in the mirror was frightening. Good thing she had no plans to go out today.

  Determined to get on with her life, she headed downstairs and made herself a pot of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal, fending off the relentless bombardment of memories that haunted her. You’d think she’d known Noah for years instead of a few short months. Telling herself that it would get easier with each passing hour, she kept herself busy, scrubbing, rearranging, mopping. Her plan fell apart when she vacuumed the living room and spied the surprise Noah’s note must have referred to.

  There, beneath the Christmas tree, was a tiny package, wrapped in glossy blue paper and sporting a curly gold cascade of ribbon. Drawn to it against her better judgment, she knelt in front of the tree and picked it up with trembling hands. The tag read simply: To Dani From Noah. She dropped it like she’d been stung while tears filled her eyes yet again. She didn’t even want to know what was in the package. It was too small and reminded her far too much of a jewelry box.

  Near panic, she got up and left the vacuum in the middle of the floor. Grabbing her jacket, she headed for the back door. She’d seen how many leaves had collected in the back yard when she changed the lock. Maybe raking would be a good idea. If that didn’t work, she’d go traipsing through the woods in search of Bandit. Anything to get out of that house. It was too full of Noah.

  Who was she kidding? she asked herself as she paused to look over what she’d accomplished. With every move, she strained to see through the trees to determine whether Noah was home. Every sound caused her heart to skip a beat as she wondered if it was his truck pulling up in the drive. Walking away from the pile of leaves she’d accumulated, she abandoned the effort and sank down on the back porch. Somehow, she had to get through this.