would want to return to their places on her aunt’s bed as soon as they were finished licking their bowls, so she knew she didn’t have much time.
She stripped off her wet clothes and climbed into the shower. The hot water soon quieted her shivering and the steam seemed to clear her head. As she worked the soapy washcloth over dried mud, the bruises and scratches hidden beneath began to sing with pain. She closed her eyes and let the water massage the back of her neck until she felt the cords of muscle begin to unwind and the headache they’d caused to gradually recede. Ann wondered if she should wake her aunt and let her know what was happening. She’d always been good at keeping her from having to worry, especially after her mother was gone and it was just the two of them. But the fact was it would take up too much valuable time—time that Tammy might not have. And what good would it do? She didn’t know what was happening other than the fact that people were disappearing. It was best to wait, she thought. Let Kate enjoy her rest for now. No sense in waking her up and putting her through this. If I’m not back by mid-morning I’ll call her. She’ll see the empty cat can in the kitchen sink and think that I’ve left early to check out the minus tide. She won’t know that I was only home long enough to shower and change.
The towel irritated the scratches more and caused some to bleed again. When she was finished drying, she took a moment to dab them with antibiotic ointment. She tied her hair back and brushed her teeth before tiptoeing naked back to her bedroom. The cats followed her inside and watched as she got dressed. They were no longer purring but looked concerned that she was preparing to leave. Winter, the oldest of the pride, jumped on the bed and forced Ann to look her in the eyes. Ann briefly hugged her and whispered that she’d be back. Her clock said it was 2:30 in the morning. The gutter outside her bedroom was overflowing, hissing like a slit windpipe.
She found her cell phone on her dresser and slipped it into the front pocket of her jeans, gathered up a pair of dry socks and boots and carried them with her through the house. Her aunt was still sleeping when she looked in on her and listened to her steady breathing. Must have finally taken a sleeping pill, Ann thought. The cats brushed past her legs in a rush to claim the best place on the bed. Aunt Kate did not stir, not even when Winter tapped her on the shoulder with her paw in an attempt to wake her and let her know what was going on. Ann motioned to the cat to be quiet, but she only stared back at her defiantly. You always have to be the boss, don’t you, she thought. And I’ll probably get a dead mouse left in my bed for this, won’t I?
She sat in the car, trying to settle her mind and think. There was little evidence of the storm except for some thin strands of white cloud still snagged on the rocky peaks looming above town. Ann noticed fresh pools of rain glittering in the yard. They always caught her off guard, made her think there was something there that wasn’t, something living, especially after the sky mostly cleared and they filled with stars and face-shaped clouds. The pools also made sounds like slow draining bathtubs—the water gurgling as it sought passage through the hard outer layer of earth that could dull a new shovel in a day.
She wondered what she should do next. In the shower she’d thought about what Janet had said about the sheriff and the strange company he’d been seen with at the 101. What kind of business would he have with people like that? The sheriff wasn’t much for socializing except with the girls, and it was common knowledge that he usually fished alone unless his brother was down from Seattle for a visit. It was difficult to imagine him with those men unless they had some type of connection with the police. Could they have been investigating a case together?
She recalled an article she’d read
She stripped off her wet clothes and climbed into the shower. The hot water soon quieted her shivering and the steam seemed to clear her head. As she worked the soapy washcloth over dried mud, the bruises and scratches hidden beneath began to sing with pain. She closed her eyes and let the water massage the back of her neck until she felt the cords of muscle begin to unwind and the headache they’d caused to gradually recede. Ann wondered if she should wake her aunt and let her know what was happening. She’d always been good at keeping her from having to worry, especially after her mother was gone and it was just the two of them. But the fact was it would take up too much valuable time—time that Tammy might not have. And what good would it do? She didn’t know what was happening other than the fact that people were disappearing. It was best to wait, she thought. Let Kate enjoy her rest for now. No sense in waking her up and putting her through this. If I’m not back by mid-morning I’ll call her. She’ll see the empty cat can in the kitchen sink and think that I’ve left early to check out the minus tide. She won’t know that I was only home long enough to shower and change.
The towel irritated the scratches more and caused some to bleed again. When she was finished drying, she took a moment to dab them with antibiotic ointment. She tied her hair back and brushed her teeth before tiptoeing naked back to her bedroom. The cats followed her inside and watched as she got dressed. They were no longer purring but looked concerned that she was preparing to leave. Winter, the oldest of the pride, jumped on the bed and forced Ann to look her in the eyes. Ann briefly hugged her and whispered that she’d be back. Her clock said it was 2:30 in the morning. The gutter outside her bedroom was overflowing, hissing like a slit windpipe.
She found her cell phone on her dresser and slipped it into the front pocket of her jeans, gathered up a pair of dry socks and boots and carried them with her through the house. Her aunt was still sleeping when she looked in on her and listened to her steady breathing. Must have finally taken a sleeping pill, Ann thought. The cats brushed past her legs in a rush to claim the best place on the bed. Aunt Kate did not stir, not even when Winter tapped her on the shoulder with her paw in an attempt to wake her and let her know what was going on. Ann motioned to the cat to be quiet, but she only stared back at her defiantly. You always have to be the boss, don’t you, she thought. And I’ll probably get a dead mouse left in my bed for this, won’t I?
She sat in the car, trying to settle her mind and think. There was little evidence of the storm except for some thin strands of white cloud still snagged on the rocky peaks looming above town. Ann noticed fresh pools of rain glittering in the yard. They always caught her off guard, made her think there was something there that wasn’t, something living, especially after the sky mostly cleared and they filled with stars and face-shaped clouds. The pools also made sounds like slow draining bathtubs—the water gurgling as it sought passage through the hard outer layer of earth that could dull a new shovel in a day.
She wondered what she should do next. In the shower she’d thought about what Janet had said about the sheriff and the strange company he’d been seen with at the 101. What kind of business would he have with people like that? The sheriff wasn’t much for socializing except with the girls, and it was common knowledge that he usually fished alone unless his brother was down from Seattle for a visit. It was difficult to imagine him with those men unless they had some type of connection with the police. Could they have been investigating a case together?
She recalled an article she’d read
Similar Books
