Part 23 (1/2)

It was Sarah coming out of the woods. She was alone and looked like h.e.l.l. The early-morning fog lingered around her feet and her hair, usually pulled back and neat as a pin, was completely disheveled. I crept further behind the boulder, pulling Maggie with me.

Sarah was frantically looking at the ground, searching for something. I was petrified. I stupidly remembered two years ago when I was nearly in the same predicament in Wyoming , but back then there had been a wolf standing in Sarah's place. While I got a great shot, the wolf almost got me. This could be the same thing.

She was about thirty feet from us. G.o.d, please don't let her come this way.

She stood running both hands through her hair as if she was trying to pull it out. She looked like she was retracing her steps. She moved to the edge of the woods, walking closer to us.

Although it was cold, I was sweating profusely. I heard her mumbling; that scared me. People who mumble to themselves always bothered me. I know I talk to my dog, but I don't mumble. What in the h.e.l.l was she doing?

As she came closer, Maggie had her hand on my shoulder, her nails digging into my flesh.

We heard Sarah say in a furiously low raspy voice, ”G.o.dd.a.m.ned little b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Where is it?”

There was a rustling in the woods; it had to be a squirrel or chipmunk.

”Who's there?” she hissed in a low guttural voice.

I couldn't move even if I wanted to, I was so petrified. Sarah started walking our way until she was almost directly in front of us. The sweat was pouring down my back and I prayed to every saint that came to mind. Maggie held my arm in a vice grip.

Sarah looked around. ”You don't scare me. You never did,” she said defiantly, as though she was talking to the woods themselves.

Maggie and I looked at each other. Who in the h.e.l.l was she talking to? A s.h.i.+ver ran down my spine as I realized who it was. We heard the rustling of the leaves and I slowly peeked out from behind the boulder.

Sarah took off like a bat out of h.e.l.l and ran down the rugged path that led to her house. Oddly, the commercial Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs ran through my mind. I watched Sarah in stunned amazement, as she ran down the path and out of sight.

”You want to tell me what the h.e.l.l that was?” Maggie asked.

I stared at the path. ”I have no idea, but let's get the h.e.l.l out of here.”

As we started walking around the lake, I looked back every now and then. Maggie stumbled on the path and I grabbed her elbow. We continued, not talking but walking faster and faster. We got to the clearing and saw Maggie's house.

”Sanctuary,” I said and we broke into a dead run, petrified to look back as we ran up to the porch, completely out of breath.

Mac and Teri were in the kitchen; both jumped when we made our entrance. I couldn't talk I was breathing so hard.

”What in the h.e.l.l!” Teri ran over to me. ”What happened to you two?”

I opened my mouth but nothing but a deep wheeze came out. I sounded like I had swallowed a harmonica.

”Come into the kitchen,” Teri said frantically.

My legs were burning from running as I sat down. Teri took my camera case. Maggie sat across from me. She was in far better shape than I. She could talk. She took a deep breath and explained. Mac sat there amazed, looking from me to Maggie.

”You two are freezing,” Teri said and put two cups of coffee down.

”Sarah?” Mac questioned. I nodded.

Hannah came into the kitchen. ”Well, good morn-” she stopped abruptly as she looked from me to Maggie. ”What in the world happened now?” she exclaimed.

I repeated the whole story. Hannah looked shocked but not as much as I thought she should, given the fact her sister-in-law had been running around as mad as a March hare. I looked at Teri. I could tell she agreed. I glanced at Maggie, who was had a curious look on her face as well.

”Christ, Kate, what the h.e.l.l does this mean?” Teri asked.

It means Aunt Sarah's done a loop the loop. She's flying without a net and gone around the bend. In short, she's nuts! That's what it means. However, I graciously kept this to myself.

Maggie started again. ”Well, it appeared she was looking for something.”

”Okay, let's look at this logically,” I said.

”After what we saw? Logic? Please,” Maggie said sarcastically.

”I would have to say your aunt was looking for something that was not found by Chance. I think she knew what was buried out there.” I finished and got up to get another cup of coffee.

Hannah and Maggie watched me. I looked at Teri, who gave me a sad kind of acknowledgment.

I hated what I was about to say, but I took a deep breath and continued slowly, ”I think your Aunt Sarah knows something and is somehow, however obscurely, involved in this mess.” I couldn't look at either Hannah or Maggie.

Hannah s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably in her chair. I didn't say anything about it, but Teri apparently noticed it, too.

”Given what I believe happened between Uncle Nathan and my mother I can see where her involvement would be logical,” Maggie said.

”Well, she totally interrupted what Maggie and I started to do,” I said and explained our conversation about Bedford and looking at his apartment.

Hannah shook her head. ”What is happening to our family?” she asked sadly, as Maggie put her arm around her.

The Winfield family was unraveling before our eyes.

Chapter Twenty.

We took the steps up to the back entrance of the garage apartment, which was anything but small. It ran the length of the four-car garage. It was huge.

As Maggie put the key in, I was stunned to see the door was not locked.

”That's odd,” Hannah said. ”Bedford was very private and particular about his belongings. He had a thing about being neat. A place for everything and everything in its place. He would never have left this door unlocked.”

I cautiously pushed the door opened and walked in.

”What are we looking for?” Hannah asked.

I glanced around and walked to the bedroom. ”I'm not sure. I'm hoping Bedford wrote down whatever he knew, or left something else to give us a clue as to what he knew,” I said and looked into his bedroom. ”Bedford wasn't as neat as you thought, Hannah. Come and look at this.”

Hannah and Maggie followed me into the room. The dresser drawers were slightly open with a few articles of clothing strewn about. I glanced at the small desk in the corner and again, the drawers were open.

”Either Bedford got dressed in a hurry, or somebody was looking for something, just as we are,” I said.

”Kate, look at this,” Maggie said. She was standing by the small desk looking at the floor.