by Kathi Macias
Chapter 16
Mark...or Lyle? Oh, God, could it possibly be Tony? Dark hair, or blond? She couldn’t tell. Couldn’t be sure. Couldn’t see the eyes. A kiss...her cheek. Hot. On fire! The phone. Why doesn’t someone answer the phone? Where’s Sharon? She’s Lyle’s secretary; she should answer the phone. It’s her job. Why isn’t she doing her job? Why is she just standing there, staring, her green eyes cold as ice...yet blazing. Look out for the car! Look out!
Kate bolted upright in her bed, shaking, one hand on her cheek, the other pressed against her racing heart, as her eyes focused on her surroundings in the early morning light. A dream, she thought. Thank God, it was only a dream.
But the phone beside her bed was still ringing. Stretching out a trembling hand, she slowly picked up the receiver. Her mouth was dry, and she wondered if she would be able to speak.
“Hello?” she croaked.
Silence was her only answer. Fighting tears, she slammed down the phone and covered her eyes with her hands. “I can’t take this anymore,” she cried. “I just can’t take it!”
When the phone rang again she jumped, dropping her hands and staring, wide-eyed with terror, as if the screaming telephone were alive and ready to pounce on her at any moment. For the first time she found herself wishing she had caller I.D., something that had never seemed necessary before.
“No!” she hollered, snatching the receiver off the hook and dropping it to the floor. “I am not going to stay here and put up with this another minute.”
Hopping out of bed, she hurried to the closet, grabbed some clothes from the hangers, and pulled a suitcase down from the top shelf. By the time she had gotten dressed and stuffed her things into the suitcase, she could hear Jason rummaging around in the kitchen.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” she called out as cheerfully as possible, forcing a smile as she walked into the kitchen to join her son. “Hungry?”
“Starved,” Jason announced, pouring cereal into a bowl, then reaching into the refrigerator for the milk. “Who was that on the phone?”
Kate swallowed. “Wrong number,” she answered quickly, anxious to change the subject. “I’m glad to see you’re up and eating already,” she said, reaching out to smooth down her son’s uncombed hair. “I have a surprise for you.”
Jason looked up, his eyes wide with anticipation. He held a spoonful of cereal suspended in midair. “A surprise? I love surprises. What is it? One of Lady’s puppies? A new bike? Are we going somewhere with Mark?”
Kate laughed, her fear dissipating somewhat as she caught sight of the open, eager excitement emanating from her son’s face. “Yes,” she said. “We are going somewhere. But, no, not with Mark. Just you and me, Sport. We’re going back up to the lake.”
Jason dropped the spoon into his cereal bowl with a splash and a clatter, then jumped up from his chair and threw his arms around Kate’s waist.
“All right!” he cried. “Fishing! We can go fishing. And hiking and...” He looked up at her. “When, Mom? When are we going?”
Kate kissed the top of his head. “Just as soon as you finish your cereal,” she explained. “I’ll pack your things while you eat, then we’re off. What do you say?”
Jason let out a whoop, then hurried back to the table and began shoveling down his cereal as fast as he could swallow.
“Hey,” Kate warned, “you’d better slow down there. You’re going to make yourself sick eating that fast. Besides, it’ll take me a little while to pack your suitcase and load up. We’ll leave in...” She glanced at her watch. “Half an hour. How’s that? Can you get ready that fast?”
“I can be ready in five minutes,” Jason announced, his mouth full of cereal.
“Half an hour will be fine,” Kate repeated. “And don’t forget to brush your teeth.”
By the time they had loaded everything into the SUV, Kate had just about succeeded in shoving the fears caused by her dream and the ensuing phone call to the back of her mind. It was just too beautiful a day to worry about nightmares and crank callers.
They drove the whole way with the windows down, the sweet morning air ruffling their hair and filling their senses with promise and a feeling of peace.
Peace. There was that word again. “Great shall be the peace of your children.”
No! Kate shook her head. She was not about to get started on that again. She had to get her mind off it, think about something else.
“I know what we can do,” Kate announced, so suddenly that Jason flinched, then turned and frowned at her, obviously puzzled.
“Sorry,” Kate said, smiling reassuringly. “I didn’t mean to startle you, honey. It’s just...well, I was thinking what a beautiful morning it is and... What do you say we sing? Like we used to, remember? Loud—as loud as we want. Okay?”
Jason grinned. “You’re strange sometimes, Mom. Do you know that? But, sure, we can sing. Why not?”
Kate laughed. “Pick a song,” she said. “Your choice.”
Jason thought for a moment. “Since we’re driving up into the mountains, how about ‘The Bear Went Over the Mountain’?”
“Great choice,” Kate agreed. “Go ahead. You start.”
They sang loud and long and lustily, if somewhat off-key, interspersing the verses with gales of laughter, finally resorting to making up their own words when they couldn’t remember the original ones. Stopping only long enough to pick up a few staples at the General Store, they arrived at the cabin in just over an hour. With the sun shimmering on the lake below and not a cloud in the clear blue sky overhead, Kate breathed deeply of the thin mountain air, as she and Jason unloaded the SUV and let themselves into the cabin. It wasn’t until Kate turned around to shut the door behind them that she noticed the dark, sinister figure silently slip out of sight.
Chester, she told herself, quickly flipping the lock on the cabin door. Chester Greeley, just checking up on us. Surely. Who else could it possibly be? Who else would be sneaking around here like that...?