Chapter 28

 

By the time I got to my house, I was sure my body was aching in every possible muscle, and my heart also was experiencing a little twinge or two. I let the dog out briefly, then fed him. I swallowed two ibuprofen and crawled into bed with my book. I didn’t even change the bandage on my arm. I don’t think I read more than two pages before I was sound asleep.

The dog was barking in the distance under a pale moon. I saw him racing toward the house with a long white bone in his mouth. There was something wrong with that. Star and Sunny were chasing after him and laughing. Paddy became the skeleton of a dog holding a fleshed-out arm torn from a body. I came awake with a jerk. It was pitch black. There was no moon and no arm, but the very real dog was having a fit. Paddy was racing back and forth between the two bedroom windows whining, barking and pawing at the window sills.

I threw off my light blanket and stepped to the window without turning on the light. I didn’t want anyone who might be out there to see me. I could barely make out the dim shapes of my Jeep and the county car side by side in the driveway. Paddy was still going nuts, so I grabbed his collar and tried to calm him. Had a new guard just come on duty? But Paddy had never barked at their arrival before. I had no idea what time it was. Actually, I had no idea what time the deputies changed shifts, either. That would have been a good thing to ask of Milford, but I hadn’t thought of it. My eyes were refusing to focus; I squinted at the lighted digital clock and saw 1:32.

“Shhhh, Paddy,” I whispered. He stopped barking, but remained alert. “What did you see?” The old-fashioned windows were set low in the wall, so I sat on the floor with my hand on the dog’s back. There was very little light outside, but I rubbed my eyes and stared at the trees where the lawn met the forest. I studied the spaces carefully, but saw nothing. Paddy gave a low growl that vibrated under my hand along his rib cage. Then I saw it. A dark figure separated itself from the trunks of the trees and moved smoothly until it disappeared behind another large bole. Paddy’s growling was getting louder, but I really didn’t want him to bark. I grabbed his head in my hands and looked at him. “Be quiet. Quiet!” I said softly but sternly. “We aren’t going to chase after someone this time. Let’s go call the police.”

I hadn’t gotten used to the portability of a cell phone. It was still on the charger in the kitchen, and the house phone base and handset was there too. Leaving the lights off, we went downstairs, and I dialed the number for the Sheriff’s Department, again looking at the card I had posted on the wall.

“You have reached the Forest County Sheriff’s Department. If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911, otherwise remain on the line for assistance.” I had reached a recording. I chose to wait. While the call was being transferred to a human I looked out the kitchen window and once again saw a dark shadow moving between the trees. Whoever it was seemed to be moving away from the house, and toward the road.

“Officer Harvard Brown. How may I help you?”

“Harvey?” I couldn’t believe my luck.

“Yes, Harvey Brown. Who is this please?”

“Ana Raven. I’m so glad I got someone I know. There’s a man, I think it’s a man, prowling around my house. He’s just inside the line of the woods.”

“Can you see him now?”

“Not right this minute, but I could just a few seconds ago. Paddy... the dog, was barking and he woke me up.”

“Can you describe the person?”

“Not really, maybe a little taller than average, solid build, wearing dark clothes I think. It’s hard to tell. There’s almost no light outside tonight.”

“Hold on, Ana.”

Abruptly, I was put on hold. I took advantage of the time to make sure the doors were locked, and to look out other windows. I couldn’t find the elusive figure anywhere. After what seemed like several minutes, Harvey came back on the line.

“Ana?”

“Yes, I’m still here.”

“I’ve called the officer who is out at the grave site. He’s going to try to check it out, but it could be a decoy to draw him away from there, so we have another car on the way as well. Detective Paul Peters lives in Cherry Hill, and he’ll be at your place in under ten minutes. I’ll stay on the line with you until one of them comes to your house.”

“All right,” I said. “But, do you really think that’s necessary? The person doesn’t seem to be approaching me. I can’t find him at all now.”

Harvey’s voice became firm. “This is an official murder investigation. Someone has managed to keep a big secret for seven years. We don’t know who it is, or the motive, or even if there are multiple people involved. We don’t know very much at all, except that someone is really interested in the grave site, and your property is the easiest access. You may know something you aren’t even aware of. Keeping you safe is most definitely necessary. Could you tell anything else about this person? Race? Gender?”

“Well, I guess I didn’t notice a light face and hands. But that might not mean anything. The person could be wearing gloves and a mask, or even camouflage paint. I think it was a man, but I’m not even positive of that. I’m sorry.”

“That’s OK. It’s much better for you if they keep their distance.”

“I agree. I’m not really interested in being shot at.” I recalled being chased through the woods just a couple of months earlier.

“Did you hear any vehicles go by this evening?”

“I went to bed very early, in the afternoon actually, so I didn’t hear anything at all until the dog began barking.”

“Are you sick?”

“No, I was just tired, and sore from a little fall I had on Friday.” I didn’t really want to explain that. “Harvey, can I ask you a question? Maybe a difficult question.”

“Sure, Ana, I’m a deputy, but we know each other from church. That should count for something.”

“Does Ralph Garis have a problem with African-Americans?”

There was a pause, just enough that I knew Harvey was going to choose his words carefully. “I’ve never had a confrontation with him, but when he does come to church, he manages to avoid talking to me, or my family. Why do you ask?”

“He seems to be antagonistic toward Family Friends helping the Leonards. I wondered if it was because the girls are bi-racial, or if he just doesn’t like them because they are from Hammer Bridge Town.”

“DuWayne spent a lot of time at his house when we were all kids. He never squawked about anything then.”

“Maybe his attitude has something to do with Frank.”

“Maybe. Frank’s different now. Ralph probably wants someone to blame for that.” Harvey shifted topics and became official once again. “Peters is almost at your place. He should be pulling into your driveway right now.”

I heard the sound of a quiet, powerful engine. Then the night became still again. “Yes, I think he’s here.”

“Good. Stay in the house until he comes to you. He’s going to check around outside first. I’ll sign off now, if you’re all right.”

“That’s fine, Harvey. I appreciate your concern. Thanks.”

“All in a day’s work. Good night.”

The connection was broken. Paddy hadn’t become agitated at the approach of the police car. Perhaps he’d become accustomed to the sound of their engines over the past few days. Working slowly in the dark, I made myself a cup of tea and waited, sitting at the kitchen table.

I had almost finished drinking it when there was a knock at the kitchen door. I checked to see who it was through the window, and the man on the stoop was holding a folder open, displaying a badge. I let the detective inside and turned on a light. Peters was younger than Dennis Milford. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a pale yellow shirt. His blond hair wasn’t combed. I suspected he’d been called out of a warm bed to check on me. He had the good sense not to mention my daisy pajamas. I was glad the pajamas had long sleeves and covered my bandaged arm.

“I’ve been all around your house, and partway down the trail into the swamp. There doesn’t seem to be anyone around now. No one has tried to approach the grave site either. We’ve kept in touch with the deputy out there.”

“Thank you for looking. It wasn’t really very frightening. I mean, whoever it was didn’t seem to want to threaten me, but so many strange things have happened here this week, I thought I should report it.”

“Exactly. Things seem calm enough. I’ll leave now, but I’m going to be driving this road occasionally the rest of the night, so don’t be alarmed if you hear me go by.” He handed me a card. “And if you see anything else tonight, call this number directly. It’s my cell. I’ll be within three miles of you until daylight.”

“I’m really all right. Sorry to make you come on duty.” I knew that in Forest County there weren’t a lot of extra law enforcement people.

“Not a problem, Ms. Raven. We’d like to solve this one soon. Old murders really rankle.”