Read Online Cades Cove 01 - Cades Cove: A Novel of Terror by Aiden James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Aiden James
Ads: Link
noticeable chill had invaded the air in his brief absence. The room’s windows were closed and locked, and when he checked the thermostat only the heater was on. Thinking some other upstairs window had been left open, he moved to the doorway and turned the light off as he went out. Behind him the rustling resumed. This time it sounded like it came from near the dresser. Hoping to catch a rodent in the act, he whirled around and flicked on the overhead light again.
He hadn’t thought about “Allie Mae’s Treasures” since his conversation with Ned that morning. But when he saw the dresser drawer where it lay hidden ajar, he suddenly wondered if the little bag had anything to do with the recent strange events.
Nah, that’s frigging lunacy, David. Just a completely retarded idea....
But as utterly ridiculous as the notion seemed at first, he couldn’t easily dismiss it. Yes, it was the kind of superstitious nonsense religious fanatics believed. But still…even Ockham’s Razor espoused the simplest answer, no matter how absurd, should be looked at seriously if everything else failed to provide a satisfactory answer. What else could explain the crazy shit that had happened since Saturday afternoon?
David stepped over to the dresser and opened the drawer all the way. The bag was still concealed beneath a pile of neckties. He dug it out, stuffed it inside his slacks’ pocket, gathered his tools and headed downstairs.
“ Well, did you find anything, Dad?” Tyler asked with a smirk, when he returned to the kitchen. Everyone still sat around the kitchen table.
“ Other than it being a little nippy upstairs, everything’s okay.”
For a moment he disappeared into the garage with his hammer and flashlight. Upon his return, Jillian looked worried again. He remembered that Miriam said something about their daughter’s room feeling like an icebox earlier.
“ Hey, sweetie, don’t you worry. We’re in good shape now!”
He walked over to where Jillian sat at the table, enjoying a slice from a devil’s food chocolate cake Janice baked that afternoon.
“ Whatever it was must be afraid of your big bad dad,” he told her, giving her the wink that always made her grin. She didn’t disappoint him. Her frown gave way to a gorgeous smile. “Now that’s my girl!”
“ Thanks, Daddy!” She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“ Anytime.”
Miriam rose to clear the rest of the table, and seemed more at ease. She mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ for his efforts.
“ I think I left an amortization report Ned needs me to look over tonight in the car,” he said, pleased by his wife’s reaction. “I’ll be right back.” He left the kitchen.
“ Don’t you think you should grab your coat?” Miriam called after him, when he opened the front door. “It’s supposed to get down into the thirties tonight, and the temperature has already dropped quite a bit since you got home.”
“ Nah, I’ll just be a sec!”
He stepped outside and jogged to the end of the curved driveway where the trash container sat. He pulled the bag from his pocket and lifted the container’s lid, checking first to make sure no one watched him.
“ Goodbye Allie Mae!” he whispered gleefully, and prepared to drop it in a crevice between mashed garbage sacks. The bag began to vibrate. Startled, he let it slip from his hand. Under the glow from a nearby streetlamp he watched in amazement as it jiggled and squirmed before disappearing inside a crumpled pizza carton.
Determined to make sure the bag stayed put, David slammed the container’s lid shut and secured it tight. Shivering in the cold night air, he waited, expecting something else to happen. But the trash container remained quiet.
“ Honey, are you all right?” Miriam stood on the front porch.
Shit!
“ I’m fine!” he called back to her, praying she hadn’t seen much of what just happened. He jogged back to where she waited for him, thinking of what he should
He hadn’t thought about “Allie Mae’s Treasures” since his conversation with Ned that morning. But when he saw the dresser drawer where it lay hidden ajar, he suddenly wondered if the little bag had anything to do with the recent strange events.
Nah, that’s frigging lunacy, David. Just a completely retarded idea....
But as utterly ridiculous as the notion seemed at first, he couldn’t easily dismiss it. Yes, it was the kind of superstitious nonsense religious fanatics believed. But still…even Ockham’s Razor espoused the simplest answer, no matter how absurd, should be looked at seriously if everything else failed to provide a satisfactory answer. What else could explain the crazy shit that had happened since Saturday afternoon?
David stepped over to the dresser and opened the drawer all the way. The bag was still concealed beneath a pile of neckties. He dug it out, stuffed it inside his slacks’ pocket, gathered his tools and headed downstairs.
“ Well, did you find anything, Dad?” Tyler asked with a smirk, when he returned to the kitchen. Everyone still sat around the kitchen table.
“ Other than it being a little nippy upstairs, everything’s okay.”
For a moment he disappeared into the garage with his hammer and flashlight. Upon his return, Jillian looked worried again. He remembered that Miriam said something about their daughter’s room feeling like an icebox earlier.
“ Hey, sweetie, don’t you worry. We’re in good shape now!”
He walked over to where Jillian sat at the table, enjoying a slice from a devil’s food chocolate cake Janice baked that afternoon.
“ Whatever it was must be afraid of your big bad dad,” he told her, giving her the wink that always made her grin. She didn’t disappoint him. Her frown gave way to a gorgeous smile. “Now that’s my girl!”
“ Thanks, Daddy!” She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“ Anytime.”
Miriam rose to clear the rest of the table, and seemed more at ease. She mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ for his efforts.
“ I think I left an amortization report Ned needs me to look over tonight in the car,” he said, pleased by his wife’s reaction. “I’ll be right back.” He left the kitchen.
“ Don’t you think you should grab your coat?” Miriam called after him, when he opened the front door. “It’s supposed to get down into the thirties tonight, and the temperature has already dropped quite a bit since you got home.”
“ Nah, I’ll just be a sec!”
He stepped outside and jogged to the end of the curved driveway where the trash container sat. He pulled the bag from his pocket and lifted the container’s lid, checking first to make sure no one watched him.
“ Goodbye Allie Mae!” he whispered gleefully, and prepared to drop it in a crevice between mashed garbage sacks. The bag began to vibrate. Startled, he let it slip from his hand. Under the glow from a nearby streetlamp he watched in amazement as it jiggled and squirmed before disappearing inside a crumpled pizza carton.
Determined to make sure the bag stayed put, David slammed the container’s lid shut and secured it tight. Shivering in the cold night air, he waited, expecting something else to happen. But the trash container remained quiet.
“ Honey, are you all right?” Miriam stood on the front porch.
Shit!
“ I’m fine!” he called back to her, praying she hadn’t seen much of what just happened. He jogged back to where she waited for him, thinking of what he should
Similar Books
