Читать книгу Die Before Nightfall - Shirlee McCoy - Страница 14

The phone rang just after morning light first streaked across the sky. Raven dropped the book she’d been reading and fumbled for the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hey, sis.”

“Ben?”

“Yep. Sorry for calling so early. Did I wake you?”

“No. I was reading.”

“Still love books, huh?”

“Always. I thought you were leaving this morning?”

“That’s why I’m calling. I’ll be driving past the Freedman place in five minutes. Mind if I stop in?”

Mind? She’d love it. Anything to fill the empty hours. “You won’t miss your plane?”

“Nope. I’ve got plenty of time. Hold on—I’m here. Took me less time than I thought.”

As he said the words, Raven heard the rumble of a motor outside. She rushed to open the door, smiling as Ben got out of a dark blue sedan. “A sedan? I figured you more for a motorcycle.”

“I have one of those, too.” He came up the stairs and hugged her hard. “I’ve been up all night. Afraid if I fell asleep I’d wake up and find out you were just a dream.”

“All night?”

“Okay, most of the night. Here—” He passed her a white paper bag. “I brought you something, but you have to share.”

“Must be something good.”

“It is. Got any coffee?”

“I don’t know. I’ll check.” Raven started toward the kitchen, but Ben stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Sit down. I’ll look.”

“Ben—”

“I’m not the only one who’s been up all night. Those dark circles under your eyes aren’t from a good night’s sleep.”

“I’m fine.”

“And I’m your big brother, which gives me the right to boss you around. We agreed on that yesterday, remember? So sit.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll just eat everything you brought before you get back.”

“Now that would be cruel and unusual punishment. I couldn’t allow it and still feel good about myself.” He snagged the bag from her hand, pulled out a chocolate-frosted doughnut and handed the bag back. “Everything else is yours. Be back in a minute.”

He was back in five. “No coffee, but I did find orange juice. Here.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, tell me what kept you up all night.”

“Do you know Abigail Montgomery?”

“Sure do. She’s been in Lakeview longer than either of us has been alive. She used to be active in the community but has had to step back from her responsibilities these past few years.”

“Do you know why?”

“I do, but I’m not sure if it’s common knowledge and I don’t want to break a confidence.”

Raven stood and paced the floor. “Then you know she suffers from dementia. That it’s gotten worse in the past few months.”

“Yes. Shane and I have talked about her condition several times. He’s concerned. And rightfully so.”

“He definitely should be concerned. Last night Abby wandered from the house. Ended up here, digging around near the side of the cottage, sobbing and crying. I found her and brought her home.”

“Thank God.”

“That wasn’t the first time. I found her on an old dock down by the lake yesterday afternoon. Again, she’d wandered away.”

“I thought Shane hired people to help him care for Abby.”

“He did. I’m not sure how qualified they are though. At this point, Abby needs professionals. People who understand her condition and are trained to deal with the symptoms.”

“Like you.”

Raven sat back down on the couch. “It doesn’t have to be a nurse. Though that wouldn’t hurt.”

“Did you tell Shane this?”

“I told him Abby needs more than what she’s getting right now.”

“He’ll hire more qualified people. Shane’s that way. He loves his aunt. Wants what’s best for her.”

“I sense that.”

“So Abby’s wandering woke you up and you couldn’t get back to sleep?”

“There were other things on my mind, but I’m fine now.”

“Then maybe you’ll consider coming with me today.”

“I can’t, Ben. I have to get settled. Look for a job. Do a million other little things that come with a move.”

It was Ben’s turn to pace the room, his movements abrupt, his long legs covering the floor in three long strides. “You were upset yesterday. You can say I’m wrong a thousand times and it won’t change what I know.”

“No—”

“It isn’t because I’m going to the reunion. I know that. So what is it, Rae?”

Rae. Ben was the only one who’d ever shortened her name. She’d forgotten until now, the memories too bittersweet to dwell on. “I felt awkward yesterday. I should have called, set up a meeting, then you wouldn’t feel torn between me and your family.”

Ben came to a halt in front of her, his blue eyes blazing, the muscle in his jaw tense. “You are my family.”

“Ben, you call them Mom and Dad. How can they be anything less than family to you?”

The anger seeped out of him as quickly as it had arrived. “So that’s what this is all about.”

Raven felt petty and jealous. She didn’t like the feeling, and her own anger rose because of it. “Yes. That’s what it’s all about.”

Ben eyed her for a moment, then took a seat on the sofa. “You remember Vacation Bible School? The year Social Services was called in?”

“Yes.” How could she forget? She’d told a kind VBS worker that Ben took care of her. That her mother was never home. That sometimes there was no food to eat.

“Remember when we prayed? When we committed our lives to Christ? You were young. Only eight.”

But old enough to know what it meant. Old enough to understand that even if her mother didn’t love and care for her, her Heavenly Father did. That had meant a lot to her as an eight-year-old. “I remember.”

Ben nodded, smiled. “I’ve wondered. Anyway, I was angry when we were separated. Angry with Mom, with the system, even with God. I got into trouble. Spent five years being shipped from foster home to foster home. Spent some time in a group facility. Right before I turned seventeen, Mike Spencer came to see me. Said he and his wife had heard about me and they wanted to offer me a home for as long as I wanted to stay.”

“Your foster father?”

“Yeah. I figured anything was better than where I was, so I packed my things and went home with him. I made their lives incredibly hard for a few months, but no matter what I did, no matter how foulmouthed and awful I was, Mike and Andrea never turned away from me.”

“It sounds like they’re good people.”

“Better than good. They’re amazing, loving and tough. I might have pushed the limits, but it felt good to know there were some.”

“I’m glad, Ben. Glad you found a family, people who love you.” And she was, despite her own wish that she’d been there with him. Maybe if she’d had limits and love she wouldn’t have made so many mistakes.

“I am, too. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need you in my life. You’re the best of what I remember from childhood. Remembering you, imagining finding you again—that’s what kept me from getting involved in the kind of crime that would have put me in jail.”

“Good. I’d hate to be visiting you in prison.”

“There’s that. So, why don’t you come with me? Mike and Andrea would be thrilled to meet you. And I’d love to spend more time getting to know you.”

“Not this time. I really do have to get settled in and look for a job. But tell them I’m looking forward to meeting them. And thank them for doing such a good job with you.”

“I will. And now I’d better get going.” He stood and walked to the door, then turned back to Raven as he stepped outside. “If I didn’t think you needed space, if I wasn’t sure I’d smother you with attention and drive you away from Lakeview before you had a chance to settle in, I wouldn’t go. I’d camp out in this house and ask you the million questions that are buzzing through my mind. But you’d run—leave here for someplace where you could think. So I’m giving you the time, Rae. And I’m praying for you.”

He was gone before his words could register, before Raven could realize how right he was, and wonder how it was possible he could know her so well after so many years apart.

She waved as he drove away, refusing to acknowledge the sadness she knew she shouldn’t feel. She’d found her brother, reunited with him after years apart; her heart should be overflowing with joy. Instead she felt hollow.

It was a feeling she was all too familiar with. Luckily she had a cure—running. It was something she’d been doing both literally and figuratively for years. She could see no reason to change the pattern now. Especially not with the sun bright overhead and a cool spring breeze wafting across the yard.

Ten minutes later she began a slow jog up her driveway and onto the road, increasing her pace as she followed the curves and bends of the country lane. Birds chirped and called to one another, the sounds mixing with the pounding of her feet and the soft gasp of her breath. She lost herself in the rhythm of the run, racing across the pavement until there was nothing in her mind but the pulsing of blood. Then, when she couldn’t run another step, she turned and began walking home.

She hadn’t gone far when a police cruiser passed and stopped several yards ahead of her. An officer stepped out. “You all right, ma’am?”

“I’m fine. Just out for a stroll.”

“Not much around here but trees and grass. You must have walked quite a ways.”

He spoke as Raven approached, and she could see the suspicion in his dark blue eyes.

She stopped a few feet from the cruiser, trying hard not to look guilty of something. “I’m renting the Freedman property. It—”

“I know where it is. Like I said, you’ve walked a long way.”

“Not so far. I run marathons. Five or six miles isn’t much.”

He studied her for a moment longer, as if trying to ascertain the truth of what she was saying. Then he nodded, extending a hand. “I’m Jake Reed. County Sheriff.”

“Raven Stevenson.”

His eyes flashed recognition, then surprise. “Ben Avery’s sister?”

“That’s right.”

“He know you’re in town?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You need a lift home?”

The conversational tangents were making Raven’s head spin. Or maybe it was fatigue and too much emotion. “No. I’m fine. It’s a nice day for a walk.”

“It is. But remember, even out here in the country bad things happen.”

“It can’t be any more dangerous than other places I’ve lived.”

“You’re probably right, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution.”

“And walking along a country road isn’t being cautious?”

Sheriff Reed gestured toward an open field to the left of the road. “See that field? Thirty-five years ago a woman went to pick wildflowers on the far hill. She never returned.”

“She was murdered?”

“No one knows. Could be she ran away. Could be she was abducted. Could be she was killed. All anyone knows for sure is that she was here one day—the next she was gone.”

“Isn’t that old news?”

“Stories like that one get told over and over, the plots twisted and changed until the facts are layered with so much embellishment it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends.”

“You must have an opinion about what happened or you wouldn’t be warning me to be careful.”

“Actually, I would. I’m the cautious type—just ask my wife.” He smiled, his face softening.

“I am, too, Sheriff. So don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

“Call me Jake. Everyone else does. And make sure you’re as careful as you say you’ll be. Ben would never forgive me if I let something happen to you.”

“You and Ben are friends?”

“Friends and fishing buddies.”

“I wouldn’t want to ruin that.”

“Me, neither.” He smiled again. “I’d better get back to work. Nice meeting you.”

“You, too.” Raven took a step away, then turned back. “Jake?”

He stopped, half in, half out of the cruiser. “Yeah?”

“Who was the woman? The one that disappeared, I mean.”

“Theadora Trebain. Use to live in the cottage you’re renting.”

A sudden chill raced up Raven’s spine, and the fine hair on her arms stood on end. She didn’t realize she’d swayed until Jake strode toward her and put a steadying hand on her arm.

“You okay? You’ve gone pale.”

Raven straightened, stepped away from his touch. “I’m fine. I just wondered if the woman was related to my landlady, Nora Freedman.”

“Nora’s husband was Thea’s cousin. He took care of the property after she disappeared. Guess he always hoped she’d come home.”

“Her disappearance must have been hard on the family.”

“It was. Though if you ask Nora she’ll say the one saving grace was that Thea’s mother passed away before it happened.”

“It’s still a sad story. Whether or not the mother was around to know what happened to her daughter.”

Jake didn’t respond, just watched Raven, his gaze sharp and focused. Could he hear her heart pounding in her chest? Did he sense that she was withholding information? Should she tell him about Abby’s strange ramblings?

The shrill ring of a phone saved her from making a decision. He shifted and grabbed a cell phone from the cruiser. “Reed here.”

He listened and smiled, the expression on his face changing so dramatically that he looked like a different person.

“Sure, babe. No. I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”

His gaze shifted to Raven. “No, no crime. I did meet Ben’s sister…me, too. I’ll tell her.”

He threw the phone back onto the seat. “My wife. She said to tell you hi. Says she hopes to meet you soon.”

“Oh, I—”

“Better get used to it. It’s the way of things around here. Everyone knows everyone.”

Raven nodded. “I got that impression from Nora.”

“Nora Freedman’s a great lady. And now, I really do have to go. Take care.”

Raven watched the cruiser disappear around a curve in the road and only then did she do what she’d been wanting to do all along. She turned toward the field and waded through knee-high grass. The far slope was just beginning to bloom with tiny purple flowers and tall, fluffy dandelions sparse but evident among the green. Raven could imagine what it would be like in a few weeks, the profusion of colors and textures beautiful and tempting.

Had the woman who disappeared seen it this way? Had she wanted to breathe in the soft scent of flowers and earth, and collect some of the beauty that dotted the hillside?

Theadora. Like Raven’s own name, Thea’s wasn’t that common. Raven shivered, her gaze traveling the width and breadth of the field. Questions filled her mind, then scattered as she hiked across the lush landscape, cresting the far hill and slowing as a white farmhouse came into view. A wide porch stretched across the front of the house, and two rocking chairs sat empty on either side of a small table.

“Good morning!” A tall, auburn-haired woman called the greeting as she rounded the corner of the house. “You must be our new neighbor.”

“Yes, I’m Raven Stevenson.”

“Tori Riley. I heard you’d moved in. What was it? Yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“How about some coffee?”

“I—”

“Juice, then? I’m sure you’re busy, but Pops will have my head if I don’t invite you in.”

Before Raven could ask who Pops was, Tori strode to the front door, shoved it open and called inside. “Hey, Pops, we’ve got company.”

“So don’t just stand out on the porch, come in.”

The voice was gruff and Raven wasn’t sure she wanted to meet its owner. “I really don’t want to disturb your morning.”

“You’re not. Pops always sounds like that.”

Tori led the way into a bright, airy kitchen. A man stood by the stove, his face lined with age, his eyes deep brown and curious. “This the new neighbor?”

“Yep. Raven Stevenson, meet Sam Riley. Otherwise known as Pops.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Riley.”

“Sam to my friends.”

“Sam, then.”

“Sit down. I’ve got coffee or juice. Pancakes, too, if you’re hungry.”

“Juice would be nice, thanks.”

He nodded and poured a glass of orange juice, then slid it onto the table in front of her. “Looks like you were out for a run.”

“Yes, it’s a beautiful morning for it and the scenery’s great.”

“Still gotta be careful running by yourself.”

“Jake Reed was just telling me that.”

“Guess he told you about Thea Trebain.”

“Pops, don’t start.” Tori slid into a chair beside Raven, a plate filled with pancakes in her hand.

“I’m not starting anything. Just warning her to be careful.”

“You’re getting ready to spin one of your tales.”

“It isn’t a tale. It’s God’s truth.”

“Your truth, you mean.” She turned to Raven. “Don’t believe a word my grandfather says about Thea Trebain. He likes to make it sound more mysterious than it is. Most people think she got fed up with small-town life and left.”

“Without telling her family? Without packing her bags?”

“None of that is fact, Pops, and you know it.”

Their argument seemed an old one, well worn. Their affection for each other peeked through the words, even as their so-alike brown eyes shot flames. The similarity between the two was obvious, the connection between them filling Raven with longing.

She pushed away from the table and stood. “I hate to drink my juice and run, but I’d really better get home.”

“Now look what you’ve done, Tori. You’ve chased her off.”

“Me? You’re the one trying to scare her.”

“Warn—not scare.”

Raven smiled at the banter, forcing aside her own feelings of loneliness. “Neither of you chased me off. It’s just time for me to go.”

“Now, don’t go rushing off, Raven. I’ve got something for you. A welcome gift. Something a woman who likes to run shouldn’t be without. Come on out to the barn, I’ll get it for you.”

Raven opened her mouth to protest, but Tori shook her head. “You may as well go with him. If you don’t, he’ll be pounding on your door this afternoon. I’ve got to run. Work won’t wait. Much as I’d like it to sometimes. Maybe we can have lunch.”

“I’d like that.”

“Great. I’m in the book.” She paused, glanced at Sam who was stepping out into the hall. Then she whispered, “And listen, if Pops gives you a gun or a sword, just take it and smile. He means well. I’ll get it from you when we have lunch. Gotta run. Bye, Pops.” She rushed forward, kissed her grandfather on the cheek, and was gone.

“Come on, Raven. I may be retired but that doesn’t mean I’ve got all day. You’re gonna like this. I guarantee it.”

Raven quickened her pace and prayed that his granddaughter’s prediction about the gift proved false. Guns? Swords? Maybe Jake was right, maybe walking along a country road wasn’t the safest thing she could have done with her morning.