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Authors: Eva Pohler
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killer? Already?”
Carol tilted her head to the side. “The man you saw may not be the killer. They think they got him, though. His picture was in their system. They went to his apartment and brought him in for questioning and have enough to detain him overnight. He could be the killer. They don’t know yet.”
“Oh.” Clifford lifted his paws to Therese’s jean-clad shins. “Okay, boy. Let’s go.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just for a walk through the woods where Clifford likes to do his business. We’ll be right back.”
Therese realized as she led Clifford off the back steps of the wrap-around deck that Carol probably would have liked an invitation to join them, but Therese didn’t want human company just yet. She wanted to retreat like she always did to the mountain forest with her dog and the wild animals for company.
Clifford frolicked around in front of her, sniffing this tree and that, as she headed up the mountain through the pines, aspens, and cypresses. A cardinal swept down and landed five feet away on a cypress branch. Therese inspected the feeder on the elm by the back deck. Empty. If she wanted to watch the birds through the kitchen window while washing dishes, she’d need to refill it. She looked more closely at the elm. One of its branches had turned completely yellow. Her mother had told her it had Dutch elm disease and the tree would slowly die if they didn’t cut off the dead branch and treat the roots, but her parents hadn’t had a chance to do anything about it. They kept saying later this summer…
She headed back up the trail after Clifford. She stepped over little round pellets, evidence that more deer had been visiting.
The national forest climbed behind her property for miles, and she rarely ran into another person on her walks. Only five homes stretched the expanse between Lemon Reservoir and the national forest, and the homes were more than half a mile apart. On the end lot on their northern side with twenty-five acres of private ranch land was Jen’s house. It was three quarters of a mile down the dirt road that separated the houses from the reservoir, and Jen’s mother ran the trail rides up through the forest in spring and summer, so, occasionally, Therese could hear them calling out commands to their animals. Usually the woods were quiet, like they were now.
Up ahead, Clifford started growling and barking. Therese caught up with him where he stood crouching in the woods.
“What is it, Clifford? Do you see a deer? You think you’re so vicious, don’t you, boy? But you and I know the truth.”
Therese glimpsed a sudden movement ten feet away that was nothing like a deer. It seemed larger, like a bear, but human. “Who’s there?”
Clifford’s growl grew more intense, and he bared his teeth, backing away toward Therese.
Could a stranger be roaming around the forest?
Or worse, could her parents’ killer be after her ?
“Come on, Clifford! Let’s get out of here!” Therese ran, but the dog stayed planted, baring his teeth and growling viciously.
“Clifford, come!” Therese’s heart beat wildly, her throat felt dry, and her body numbed.
Still Clifford growled.
Therese ran over to Clifford and swept him up in her arms. Then, in her peripheral vision, she saw the figure move, closer this time.
“Therese!” It was a woman’s voice, but it did not belong to her aunt.
Therese held on to Clifford and scrambled down the trail to her house, her head and neck throbbing with pain. Her foot caught on an aspen root, and she fell to the ground, hurting her knee and the palms of both hands. Clifford leapt from her arms as she fell, and he bounded back up the trail.
“No, Clifford!” She sprung to her feet and followed her dog. “Come back here, boy! Please! Come!”
From the corner of her eyes, she saw the figure move between two trees. Clifford yelped and ran down the trail, back to the house. Before Therese turned to follow him, she saw a woman wearing
Carol tilted her head to the side. “The man you saw may not be the killer. They think they got him, though. His picture was in their system. They went to his apartment and brought him in for questioning and have enough to detain him overnight. He could be the killer. They don’t know yet.”
“Oh.” Clifford lifted his paws to Therese’s jean-clad shins. “Okay, boy. Let’s go.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just for a walk through the woods where Clifford likes to do his business. We’ll be right back.”
Therese realized as she led Clifford off the back steps of the wrap-around deck that Carol probably would have liked an invitation to join them, but Therese didn’t want human company just yet. She wanted to retreat like she always did to the mountain forest with her dog and the wild animals for company.
Clifford frolicked around in front of her, sniffing this tree and that, as she headed up the mountain through the pines, aspens, and cypresses. A cardinal swept down and landed five feet away on a cypress branch. Therese inspected the feeder on the elm by the back deck. Empty. If she wanted to watch the birds through the kitchen window while washing dishes, she’d need to refill it. She looked more closely at the elm. One of its branches had turned completely yellow. Her mother had told her it had Dutch elm disease and the tree would slowly die if they didn’t cut off the dead branch and treat the roots, but her parents hadn’t had a chance to do anything about it. They kept saying later this summer…
She headed back up the trail after Clifford. She stepped over little round pellets, evidence that more deer had been visiting.
The national forest climbed behind her property for miles, and she rarely ran into another person on her walks. Only five homes stretched the expanse between Lemon Reservoir and the national forest, and the homes were more than half a mile apart. On the end lot on their northern side with twenty-five acres of private ranch land was Jen’s house. It was three quarters of a mile down the dirt road that separated the houses from the reservoir, and Jen’s mother ran the trail rides up through the forest in spring and summer, so, occasionally, Therese could hear them calling out commands to their animals. Usually the woods were quiet, like they were now.
Up ahead, Clifford started growling and barking. Therese caught up with him where he stood crouching in the woods.
“What is it, Clifford? Do you see a deer? You think you’re so vicious, don’t you, boy? But you and I know the truth.”
Therese glimpsed a sudden movement ten feet away that was nothing like a deer. It seemed larger, like a bear, but human. “Who’s there?”
Clifford’s growl grew more intense, and he bared his teeth, backing away toward Therese.
Could a stranger be roaming around the forest?
Or worse, could her parents’ killer be after her ?
“Come on, Clifford! Let’s get out of here!” Therese ran, but the dog stayed planted, baring his teeth and growling viciously.
“Clifford, come!” Therese’s heart beat wildly, her throat felt dry, and her body numbed.
Still Clifford growled.
Therese ran over to Clifford and swept him up in her arms. Then, in her peripheral vision, she saw the figure move, closer this time.
“Therese!” It was a woman’s voice, but it did not belong to her aunt.
Therese held on to Clifford and scrambled down the trail to her house, her head and neck throbbing with pain. Her foot caught on an aspen root, and she fell to the ground, hurting her knee and the palms of both hands. Clifford leapt from her arms as she fell, and he bounded back up the trail.
“No, Clifford!” She sprung to her feet and followed her dog. “Come back here, boy! Please! Come!”
From the corner of her eyes, she saw the figure move between two trees. Clifford yelped and ran down the trail, back to the house. Before Therese turned to follow him, she saw a woman wearing
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