Part 21 (1/2)

190.

Brad Hallowell and Ellen Phyfe disagreed. Faith had expected it from Brad, but she was surprised at Ellen.

”We've worked so hard,” Ellen said. It must have been all those envelopes she'd stuffed. ”Don't you think we should see it through just in case?”

Brad seconded her vehemently. ”Everything's in place. We can have this thing nailed down by this time next week, and I wouldn't put it past the Deanes to use Joey's death to get everybody on their side-a big play for sympathy. Then zap, we've got Alefordiana Estates and the bog is literally history.”

Tom stood up. ”I, for one, will have no part of any further efforts of POW! I can't condone taking advantage of a man's death, even for a cause I may have thought was worthwhile. I strongly advise you to hold off. The town is divided enough-and frightened.”

”I agree with the Reverend,” Millicent declared. ”Nothing's going to happen overnight, and we are ready if something does. As you point out, Ellen, we have worked hard, and much of that is due to the efforts of those in this room.”

”Margaret wouldn't have wanted us to stop,” Nelson said in a surprisingly strong, firm voice from the corner of the room where he'd been sitting silently since the meeting began.

”Are you sure?” Faith asked. ”Don't you think the murders-and the attack on you, her own husband-would have led her to the same conclusion most of us have reached? My own feeling is that we have to find out who's behind all this and solve the crimes before doing anything else. That's what I intend to concentrate on.”

”Margaret hated Joey Madsen. I can't say she would have mourned him too much.”

Tom was quickly losing patience with the gathering. ”Margaret was a member of our church, and as a woman of faith, I would not have expected her to like the man, but I know she would not have taken any pleasure in his death. Particularly in a case where murder was involved.”

191.

Nelson seemed to come to. He looked chagrined. ”Of course she wouldn't. I don't know what I've been saying.”

Faith felt a stab of pity for the man.

The meeting ended with a unanimous vote to suspend activities for the present, a grudging a.s.sent on Brad's part. ” Everyone else seemed convinced. There was one amend- i ment. Instead of a telephone tree, Millicent decided it was ' only fair to hold one more meeting to put the matter before the full members.h.i.+p. Faith thought she probably enjoyed these get-togethers and wanted one last night onstage. It could be a long time before POW! met again. t She stood up and pulled on the denim Comme des Gar- I gons jacket she had worn. ”The sitter is taking the kids to r the big playground and I said I'd meet them there, so I have to run.” It was almost noon.

The room emptied, leaving Millicent, Brad, and the Scotts to set up the agenda for Monday night. Tom was , returning to his sermon. He was pleased with the way things were turning out. Faith was pleased, too-plus, she ' had a plan she was beginning to mull over. *

The quickest way to the playground was on the new bike r path. The old tracks from the commuter train that had gone to Boston's North Station had been taken up and replaced ! with macadam. It was so new that few Alefordians had started to use it. Any innovation, no matter how useful or pleasurable, took a while to catch on. She went through ! Depot Square and entered the path. Any bikers, or walkers, ; were busy eating lunch. She felt hungry herself and began to think what she should make. Croque-monsieurs, the French version of toasted cheese sandwiches, weren't the most healthy choice-cheese, b.u.t.ter, smoked ham-and if ' they had croque-madames, a fried egg, too-but it was what she wanted to eat today. They'd have a big salad too.

She'd come to the part of the bike path she liked best. < the=”” trees=”” on=”” either=”” side=”” would=”” be=”” covered=”” with=”” blossoms=”” soon.=”” it=”” was=”” the=”” wildest=”” part=”” of=”” the=”” byway-no=”” houses=”” and=”” no=”” entry=”” on=”” or=”” off=”” the=”” path.=”” it=”” was=”” wooded=”” on=”” both=”” sides;=”” the=”” children=”” liked=”” to=”” explore=”” here=”” and=”” they'd=”” discovered=”” a=””>

ft small pond with ducks one day that had now become a frequent destination. She began to walk more rapidly. The sky was growing overcast and she didn't have an umbrella. It had been sunny and warm when she'd left the house.

There was a sudden rustling sound in the trees to the left of her. She knew it was absurd, but she felt nervous and picked up her pace even more. The rustling increased and followed suit. She stopped. It stopped. Now she was panicky. There was no way out. No houses. No way to get off the path until the next cross street-a long distance ahead. She couldn't run off into the woods on the right side. If someone was following her, there was nothing to stop the pursuit and she'd be even farther away from help. She looked into the woods, venturing to take a step closer, but she could see nothing beyond the trees. Whoever it was stayed hidden, taking great care not to be recognized. The thought chilled her.

Faith started walking again, then ran. Ran flat out. The watcher in the woods increased speed. When and where would the attack come? Her heart was racing. If only she could make it to the street! If only someone would come along! She opened her mouth to yell for help and at first no sound came out. Then she managed a strangled cry. She was getting breathless.

Who will be next? That's what she'd wondered aloud with Tom. The question had been answered.

Faith was next.

193.

Nine.

To her left, she could hear her stalker coming closer. Faith looked frantically ahead for the cross street. She had never run so fast in her life. She focused all her thoughts on her legs, pus.h.i.+ng and straining to keep going. There was no hope of screaming now; she was gasping for breath. Any second, her attacker would be at her back. She heard a whoos.h.i.+ng sound and turned her head, even as fear produced a fresh burst of speed.

It wasn't an a.s.sailant. It was a bicycle. A venerable lady's Raleigh with a wicker basket dangling from the handlebars.

It was Millicent Revere McKinley.

”Help!” Faith grabbed at the bike. ”There's someone in the woods. Someone's after me!”

Millicent reached into the basket and took out a pocket siren. She pressed the b.u.t.ton and produced the desired effect. Faith put her hands to her ears and sat down in the middle of the path, panting. After a while, Millicent twisted the canister and the noise stopped.

”It's not a good idea to sit there. You're smack in the way of traffic,” she pointed out. ”Now, what's going on?”

Faith wanted to hug her and did. It was that kind of moment. Fleetingly, she realized that this was the second time Millicent had come to her aid in a time of great peril.

194.

Faith wondered if she would have to present the woman with her firstborn or perform some kind of Herculean labor such as cleaning the moss from all the headstones in the old burial ground to even the score.

It took a moment for her to get her breath and arrange her thoughts.

”Someone was stalking me. I could hear the person but couldn't see who it was-not even if it was a man or woman. Every time I stopped, the noise stopped and whoever it was hid. But why wasn't I attacked right away? Not that I'm sorry.” Now that the danger was pa.s.sed, Faith was puzzled. There had been plenty of time before Millicent happened by. Had it been some sort of s.a.d.i.s.t who had been delighting in her terror?

”You're sure it wasn't an animal, a dog?” Millicent asked.

”I'm sure. An animal doesn't increase speed when you do and slow down when you do. And whoever it was kept moving closer to the path. If you hadn't come along, I don't know what would have happened.” Faith's last words were sticking in her throat.

They had moved and were sitting on the gra.s.s off to the side of the path. Millicent's bike was resting majestically on its kickstand.

”I use the bike path often. Much safer than the street, but I always carry my horn. You never know what undesirables could be lurking about, and I suppose that's who it was-a tramp in the woods, some such person.” She looked Faith straight in the eye.

Neither woman believed for a second that it had been a tramp.

”Maybe,” Faith said. ”I can't imagine who else it could have been.” Which was the truth.

”I'll see you home,” Millicent offered courteously.

Faith had almost forgotten she was not going straight home. ”Oh dear, the children. They're at the playground. I was on my way there.”

”Then we'll go there.”

195.

Millicent got back up on her steed and rode at a stately pace next to Faith, who was happy to trot rapidly alongside. She wanted to get off the bike path as soon as possible.

”Where were you going?” The last Faith had seen of Millicent, she was deep in conversation with those who lingered on after the meeting.

”I was on my way to see Chief Maclsaac. Right after you left, we realized that we can't plan any sort of meeting until we know when the funeral will take place, and there are one or two other things I want to discuss with Charley in person. We would not want to offend anyone by having the meeting on the same day as the funeral. It would be in extremely poor taste.”

Faith agreed. She was tempted to tell Millicent not to mention the incident on the bike path, but Charley might as well know sooner than later. Also, Millicent wouldn't listen to her anyway.