by M A Comley
“That’s what Sophia is here to determine, right?” his tone a lot friendlier this time around.
Lucy marveled that in the space of a few sentences, Sophia had managed to turn a very stubborn, determined Brendon into an ally.
They pulled into a drive, and Brendon turned off the motor. A heavy silence filled the car, as though they were all feeling the same about what lay ahead of them.
“I guess we’d better get it over with,” Brendon suggested. The three of them climbed out of the car and approached the house. “Stay on the concrete. Don’t leave any footprints, the ground is soft.” Both women nodded and watched where they were walking. He withdrew a set of keys on a tagged ring and unlocked the side door, beneath the canopy of the carport.
“Wait,” Sophia said, stopping Brendon in his tracks. “Would you mind if I went first? Alone? I won’t touch anything. The energy is like water. Any disturbance has a ripple effect and makes it difficult to isolate the source. I might have better luck if I go it alone—just to start with.”
Brendon waved her in with a sweep of his arm. “Go ahead.”
“Maybe I should wait out here,” offered Lucy.
“No, it’s okay, Lucy. Just give me a head start and then you can both join me.”
Sophia stepped into the house, cautiously, fully alert judging by the way she was tilting her head from side to side, listening for any possible sounds, even sniffing the air in certain places. Sophia reached for the wall, her hand sliding slowly as it searched for the light switch. The room was filled with a yellowish glow, the result of the sunflower-colored glass shades.
“Looks like she loved a sunny room,” said Lucy, but broke off abruptly as Sophia touched her finger to her lips, insisting on silence.
Sophia disappeared down what looked to be a hallway as Lucy heard her voice softly coaxing something she couldn’t see.
Brendon turned toward Lucy and whispered, “That’s where it happened. The master bedroom on the left at the back of the house.”
They listened to the lulling appeal of Sophia’s soft voice, then it became conciliatory—as though she was speaking to a frightened child. Two short words, “No, no!” and then Sophia fell silent. Brendon had taken two steps inside the house when Sophia reappeared.
“We can go now,” she said abruptly and walked past them and got into the back seat of the squad car.
Brendon looked at Lucy who shrugged and followed Sophia’s lead. Brendon secured the house again, and no one said a word until they reached the highway.
It was Sophia who spoke first. “She was there. I saw her watching him getting ready to leave, in the bathroom, shaving. She was angry, no, more like hurt. She accused him of having another woman. There were tears as he ignored her, slamming the door as he got into his car beneath the carport. She fell back to sleep, and that’s when it happened.”
Brendon blurted, “What happened?”
“Someone else was there. Someone she knew because she spoke a few words, seeking confirmation. ‘Is that you?’ she asked. Then I saw the pillow, two arms holding it firmly over her face. As she lost consciousness, the vision faded and then it was gone.”
The car fell silent again as each of them contemplated Sophia’s words and the image they conjured up. Finally, Lucy asked, “What was the ‘No, No!’ all about?”
“The killer was someone Mrs. Stiltson trusted who ended up betraying her.”
19
Brendon had left for the night. The three girls changed into their nightwear and sat on the couch with a plateful of cookies, drinking a cup of tea, their legs covered with the crocheted afghans Lucy had made over the past few years.
“You mean, you could really see her?” Jenny asked, awestruck when Sophia had recounted the events that had unfolded back at the doctor’s house.
“In a manner of speaking. I keep my eyes closed, actually. Then the visions come, playing like an old movie across the inside of my closed eyelids.”
“Wow.” Lucy was impressed and even a little jealous.
“I know it sounds odd to others but, for me, it’s as normal as someone snoring or rubbing their nose. It becomes a subconscious entity.”
Jenny was resting her cheek against her arm. Lucy could tell she was tired, and she had no doubt the last few days were far more excitement than Jenny was probably used to. Even Lucy was getting exhausted from all the suspense and the need for her to always be looking over her shoulder. Sophia’s contribution that Mrs. Stiltson had trusted her killer, and Brendon’s confirmation that the pillow connected her to Mrs. Stiltson was hardly reassuring.
“Jenny, why don’t you go to bed? I’ll be going in a minute, once I’ve rinsed out the cups. It’s been an emotional day, and evening for that matter, for all of us.”
“You, my friend, talk a lot of sense. I’ll see you girls in the morning,” she said, stretching her arms above her head with a yawn.
Lucy picked up the empty cups and saucers and went into the kitchen. An odd glow filled the room. Lucy switched on the light and peered out the window.
“Oh, no! No! Sophia, call 911. Now. Jenny, quickly, give me your keys! My car is on fire!”
Jenny wheeled into the passage and withdrew her keys from her coat pocket. She handed them to Lucy. “My van! Oh, Lucy, don’t go out there. It’s too dangerous.”
“I’ve called for a firetruck,” Sophia told them.
“Good. Don’t worry, Jenny, I’m going to move your van onto the road. It’s parked behind my car, and the fire hasn’t touched it from what I can see. Get dressed, girls. We’re about to have company.”
Dressed in her winter coat over her nightie and with her mule slippers still on her feet, Lucy clutched the keys and ran out the door. With the flames consuming the car and shooting high into the air, she knew it couldn’t be saved. Instead, she ran back into the house and shouted, “Both of you! Get out. Now! My car might explode.” In her haste to assist Jenny, she lost a slipper. “Come on, you don’t have time to get changed, there’s imminent danger. Here’s a blanket from the bed. I’ll push. Let’s hurry.”
Sophia was wearing her coat over her nightie as well. She stood huddled in the hallway, close to the front door, shaking. She approached them both to help navigate the wheelchair and held open the front door. Lucy heard sirens in the distance.
With the driveway blocked, there was no choice but to push Jenny’s chair over the remains of the snow and slushy parts in the yard.
They had only just made it when part of the car exploded. Lucy gasped and fended off the light from the blaze with her arm.
Staring at the car, it was then she noticed the word ‘Die’ written across the rear window. “Who…?”
At that moment, the first firetruck arrived. “Sophia, stay with Jenny.” She ran toward the firemen. “Here are the keys to that van. I tried to get to it, but the blaze held me back. Please, you have to save it. It’s Jenny’s only transportation for the chair.”
The fireman she spoke to was staring into the blaze, conceivably planning the logistics of what needed to be done. It was the fireman behind him, who held out his hand and snatched the keys. He jumped in the van and backed it out onto the road. He got out and tossed the keys to Sophia. “You two get inside. Drive up the street a bit, just in case the car goes up, we’ll need to get our equipment closer to the scene as well. I’ve seen these things get quickly out of hand.”
A voice startled her from behind. “Lucy? Are you alright?” It was Brendon. He scooped her into his arms, realizing she’d lost her slipper in her haste to get out of the house. He carried Lucy over to Jenny’s van and deposited her in the back. He withdrew his wallet and handed Lucy a bundle of bills. “Go to Grace Marley’s. Hopefully, she has some extra rooms. You need to stay warm, it’s too cold out here for all of you. The last thing I want is any of you going into shock. Is anyone hurt?” The three of them shook their heads, unable to say anything. “Okay. Go now and I’ll be over when things are dealt with here.”
“Wait!”
Lucy cried as he turned to leave. “Wait. Brendon. Did you see it? On the back window?”
“Yes, I saw it. We’ll talk about it later.”
“Take a picture,” Lucy urged.
“Already done it. We have evidence. Whoever’s responsible is a fool. We’ll catch them, you have my word. Now go, get out of here.” With that, Brendon disappeared into the smoke and darkness.
“Don’t worry. I’m okay and I can drive. We don’t have a phone to call ahead, but Grace will take us in, no matter what. I just hope our stuff is still there in the morning.” Jenny drove off and turned at the end of the block. Just then, they heard the almighty explosion and knew what had happened.
“Oh, no. My house, I bet the fire has spread,” moaned Lucy. “Everything I had was in there. Everything.”
“It’s just things, Lucy. Lives can’t be replaced.” Sophia flung an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
Jenny drove and shook her head. “Who would do such a thing?”
Sophia stated solemnly, “Someone Lucy knows.”
20
The unexpected arrival of Lucy, Jenny and Sophia, accompanied by a hasty explanation of the night’s events, put Grace Marley into mother mode. “Oh, my, my, my. Yes, of course I have room for you all. We’re not even half full. Let’s see. Jenny, I’m going to put you in the Daffodil Room. You’ll like it in there, especially in the morning when the sun comes in through the east window. Makes the whole room glow, it does. And Sophia… that’s right, isn’t it? Sophia?”
Sophia nodded.
“Yes, then the Cornflower Room is for you. It will set off your complexion. Such lovely skin you have. And Lucy, I’ll put you in the Lavender Garden Room. Oh, how awful that you lost everything. I will go through my things and find you something for tonight at least. In the morning, you can give me your sizes and I’ll run down to Murphy’s Department Store.”
“Oh, not for me, Grace,” Jenny said. “I was only staying with Lucy temporarily. I’ll drive home in the morning. I have everything I need there.”
“Oh? Okay. Very well, then. Now, you each have a bath in your room, I suggest you use it. You’ll find some bath salts in the medicine cabinet over the sink. Take your time and use all the hot water you want. We put in the largest water heater we could find. I’ll make some tea as soon as I find you gals something dry and comfy to wear. You might want to just snatch a blanket from your bed as a robe, but I’ll find some sleepwear, I promise.”
Then, like a tornado, Grace was off and calmness again descended.
“Are you okay?” Jenny asked Lucy.
“I’ll feel better once Brendon comes and I know the state of the house. I just can’t believe this is happening. I finally got things the way I wanted, had time to write, and…”
“And then this all started, right?” Sophia asked.
“Exactly.”
“Lucy, do you have any idea who it might be?” Jenny asked.
“Not one and it’s making my head hurt. Listen, I’ll catch up with you two in Grace’s sitting room. That hot bath sounded just like the ticket for me.”
Grace had made sandwiches, hot tea, and supplied them with a plate of cookies she’d baked earlier in the day. Lucy was amazed at her resourcefulness at that time of the night and complimented her on it.
“Oh, in this business ‘always-prepared’ needs to be your middle name. There have been nights when I went to bed in an empty house and by the time morning came, every room had been filled. Those nights can be tiring—the constant up and down as new people show up. I prefer to be full with longer-term guests.” She must have realized what she’d intimated because she blushed. “Oh, that doesn’t include you girls, of course. This was totally unexpected, an emergency of massive proportions. I’m only glad I was able to help you out. Did everyone have a nice bath?”
They all nodded.
A ring at the doorbell followed. Grace opened the door to find Brendon standing there. She welcomed him in. He removed his shoes, jacket and his hat, letting them fall into a pile and then deposited them outside on the porch. He looked up at the women sitting calmly and sipping tea as if at some Regency luncheon.
“They all smell of smoke,” he explained with a taut smile.
Grace pushed him into the living room. “Brendon, come in. I have sandwiches, but I suspect you’d like something a little stronger than tea. Would you like a whiskey?”
“Happen to have any brandy?”
“Coming up.” Grace disappeared into the kitchen as Brendon crossed the room toward Lucy.
“It’s all gone, isn’t it?” Lucy asked morosely.
He nodded, his eyes filled with sympathy. “I’m afraid most of it. What the explosion didn’t take, the water from the firemen did. It will take a few days to stop smoldering and settle down before you’ll be able to go through your things. There will, naturally, be an investigation.”
“Was anyone hurt?” Lucy asked, always thinking of others first, even at a desperate time like this.
“No. Which is good. Your closest neighbors, Marnie and Winnie, came out of the house when all the sirens disturbed them; they were fairly upset. I let them know everyone was fine, and that seemed to put them at ease a little. Marnie in particular was upset. Thankfully, the smoke was blowing in the opposite direction and their house isn’t close enough to be affected, so they’re fine. There’s no need for you to be worried about them, you hear me?”
Lucy nodded and allowed her eyes to close. It was all too much for her. All her cozy happiness was gone. All through one hateful act by someone who was determined to see her dead. It was a traumatic moment and her nerves were shattered.
Brendon seemed to sense what was going on in her mind. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head and lifted her shaking hand in his. “Don’t worry, Luce. I’ll see that you’re taken care of. You won’t go through all this alone.”
Lucy nodded and Sophia spoke up. “I… I’ll be leaving in the morning. Lucy has her hands full, and I think I’ve done all I can here. I can always come back if you really need me.”
That seemed to bring Lucy out of her reverie. “No, no, you’re right, Sophia. I’m a mess and you’d be better off at home. I so appreciate you coming, and it’s been wonderful to revisit old times.”
Sophia opened her mouth as if to say something, but swiftly closed it again. “I’m going up to bed now. I’m sorry, but I’m drained and I intend to get an early start in the morning.” Sophia hugged Jenny, then bent low to hug Lucy and whispered in her ear. “Invite me to the wedding,” and then straightened up.
“But—” Lucy was floored by her comment.
Sophia winked and wagged a finger to ward off Lucy’s objection. “There will be. Trust me.”
Grace, Jenny and Sophia exited the room, giving Lucy the freedom to speak with Brendon. She’d held on to her emotions up until now, but as soon as she was alone with him, her brave façade cracked and the tears began to fall. Brendon looked around and picked up one of the cast-off blankets spread across the sofa next to Lucy. He covered the chair with it, not wishing to taint the fabric with the residual smoke from his clothes, sat down and pulled her close to lean against his chest.
“Shh… it’ll work out. I give you my word and you know how stubborn I can be once I do that,” he said, attempting to put a smile back on her face. Lucy said nothing in return. He held her tightly and let her sob it out.
After a while, she sat up and looked at him. “Everything I had was in that house. Sure, I’ve got insurance, but it took me so long to get over my failed marriage and all the betrayal. I finally got things the way I wanted them and now it’s all gone. I don’t mean to whine, but gosh, Brendon, someone wants me dead. Who could be guilty of doing such a horrible thing? What have I ever done to anyone that warrants them coming after me like this?”
He tossed his chin gently to one side. “It’s not always as simple as you having done something wrong to someone. The culprit might be blaming you for somethi
ng. That didn’t make sense, let me try and put it more succinctly… they might want something and you might’ve been in the way of them achieving it. Or, on the flip side, this person might be mentally unstable and there is simply no logic behind their actions.”
Lucy considered his words. “While I’m sitting here trying to fathom out who I’ve hurt, you’re saying that’s not going to necessarily bring me the answer. It could have nothing to do with me?”
“Possibly.” He jabbed a finger at his temple. “Maybe it’s all playing out in the mind. Who knows?”
“Me for one,” she said, shaking her head. “This is all such a crazy blur.”
Brendon shifted and lifted her chin with his hand. “Look at me, Lucy. Right here,” he said, pointing to his eyes. “I know a gal who very badly wants to write a book and has been searching for months for just the right plot and characters. She hasn’t found her motivation yet, and it was beginning to look like maybe she’d give up. Then, one night, something changed all that. Her own life was put in danger and miraculously provided her with a suitable plot, lots of intriguing clues and dozens of rounded characters. Why, I might even be considered the love interest.” He chuckled.
She couldn’t hold back any longer and laughed. She loved it when Brendon let romantic hints drift into their conversations. He usually exuded a professional persona and she seldom witnessed this other side, even though they had known one another for years. Lucy prodded him in the chest a few times. “You might just have something there, buster,” she started, “In fact, you are right, Brendon. I’ve been too close to this. Seeing every clue from my personal point of view and not finding a culprit makes sense. I need to see it from their point of view. What would they stand to gain by having me out of the way? Oh, Brendon, thank you. This helps tremendously. You’re totally right.”
“Thank you. Those are words I will treasure forever. I’m right? Can you imagine that?”
“Oh, stop teasing me.” She playfully slapped his chest, wiping her eyes and suddenly feeling less of a victim and slipping into her former role of amateur sleuth. “First thing, I need to find a place to live and a car to drive. Well, first, I actually need to talk to the insurance company and see what they’ll do for me.”