Part 11 (1/2)
”This is your last day? I didn't realize.”
I felt bad for the guy. On one hand, the man should have retired years ago. On the other, the post office was his life. I hated to think of him home alone with no purpose. Of course, now that he had Trick and Treat to keep him company, his days would be filled with kitty shenanigans.
”I have your letter right here.” Mr. Hanover handed it to me.
”Do you still need to see that ID?”
”Naw. Guess I never really did. I just wanted an excuse to sit for a spell. Can I come back for the kittens after my s.h.i.+ft?”
”Certainly. I'll get some supplies together for you. I should be here most of the day, now that the Haunted Hamlet is over, but if I'm not here for some reason, either Jeremy or Tiffany can help you get loaded up.”
”I took a spin on that hayride that was subst.i.tuted for the haunted barn. It was a lot more fun than I expected, though I'm not sure it will work as a permanent option due to our finicky weather.”
”Yes, the committee thought of that. We knew the weather was supposed to hold through the weekend, but I hear we have a storm coming in later today. I'm sure we'll look for another indoor venue next year. We've had to cancel the haunted maze several times in the past, so we can't risk having a second outdoor event. We got lucky with the hayride after what happened.”
”I heard about the man who died in the house,” Mr. Hanover commented. ”I've been in that house, you know.”
”You have?”
”Yup. When I was younger. A couple of friends and I snuck in to check out the secret room when that spooky old owner was away for a few days.”
”Secret room?”
”There's a panel leading to a room at the back of the attic. Most folks don't even know it's there. You really don't notice it unless you're looking for it, and then you can't open it unless you know the secret.”
”The secret?”
When Zak showed up with Charlie and Bella, I filled him in on everything Mr. Hanover had told me about the secret room. I had to admit I was intrigued. I wondered if the room somehow played into the mysterious deaths thirteen years earlier. After a bit of a discussion, Zak agreed to accompany me to check it out. At least this time, I figured, it would still be totally light, and we had two brave guard dogs with us.
The problem with that scenario, I quickly realized, was that the storm had already blown in, bringing not only a heavy darkness but rain, thunder, and lightning as well.
”If I was watching a movie where a couple and their dogs were on their way to a haunted house in a lightning storm four days before Halloween, I'd think they were nuts,” I commented as Zak swerved to avoid a large tree branch in the road.
”Are you sure you want to do this now?” Zak asked as he slowly maneuvered his truck through the obstacle course created by the heavy wind and pounding rain.
Was I? It made more sense to wait until the storm pa.s.sed. ”We're almost there. We might as well go in and check it out. If we don't find anything, we'll still have a funny story to tell our grandchildren.”
Zak glanced at me. ”Grandchildren?”
Saying that we'd have a story for our grandchildren was a commonly used phrase. I didn't mean that we'd necessarily have grandchildren together. Did I? If we married, then having children would be the natural progression of things, and children more often than not led to grandchildren, but I didn't think I was quite ready to have this particular discussion with Zak.
”Metaphorical grandchildren,” I answered. ”Look out for that dog.”
Zak swerved to avoid a small dog that had run in front of us and then cowered behind a large evergreen shrub.
”Pull over,” I directed.
Zak pulled the truck to the side of the road.
”I'm pretty sure we missed him. I think he ran into those bushes.” I started to open my door.
”Stay here,” Zak directed. ”I'll get him.”
Zak pulled the hood of his sweats.h.i.+rt over his head as he dashed into the rain. It really was coming down. The poor guy was going to be drenched by the time he convinced the frightened dog to come back to the truck with him.
Bella whined as she looked out the window at Zak. It was sweet that she had already bonded with him to the point where she was concerned about him. Of course, what I took for concern might just have been discontent that he'd gotten out of the truck and hadn't taken her with him. In spite of the fact that she was a big dog and not all that young, she followed Zak around like a puppy.
I was just about to get out and a.s.sist Zak when he started back toward the truck with the pup in his arms. At first glance, I thought the dog was older, of a small breed, but upon closer examination, I could see he was clearly a puppy.
”Poor baby,” I cooed as Zak placed the puppy in my arms and Bella greeted Zak with wet doggie kisses.
A large lightning strike flashed through the sky. ”Maybe we should just come back tomorrow,” I suggested. ”This poor little guy seems to be scared to death. I'd like to get him home, fed, and settled in for the night.”
”Yeah, maybe that's a good idea,” Zak agreed. ”The secret pa.s.sage isn't going anywhere. If there are clues there now, they should still be there tomorrow.”
The drive back to the house was tricky; Zak had to swerve to avoid pinecones and small branches that had broken away from the trees that lined the road. Lightning streaked through the dark sky, followed by claps of thunder that echoed off the surrounding mountains. Then, as we approached the highway, the sky opened up, making driving impossible.
Zak pulled the truck over to the side of the road until the downpour let up. The puppy in my arms was shaking in fear as lightning streaked around us. Charlie climbed over the seat and snuggled up next to me. Bella was too big to fit in the front, so Zak scratched her head where she rested it on his shoulder and spoke softly to her as we waited out the worst of the storm.
After we arrived at the house, I dried and fed the dogs while Zak built a fire in the large stone fireplace in his cozy kitchen. Once the puppy realized he was safe with us, he began to explore. When the dogs were settled in front of the fire, Zak and I changed into warm, dry clothes.
Although it wasn't all that late, neither of us felt much like making dinner, so Zak heated up some leftover soup while I called Gunnar, who was on duty at the Zoo that night, to see if anyone had called to report a missing puppy. Chances were the thunder had scared the little guy, who had taken off running and ended up lost.
”No one has called to report a missing puppy, but Gunnar said he'd call if someone does,” I informed Zak, who set a bowl of broccoli cheese soup in front of me, along with a biscuit from the batch he'd whipped up while the soup heated.
The rain continued to fall in sheets, but the lightning seemed to have pa.s.sed, allowing Bella, Charlie, and our temporary houseguest to drift off into a dreamless sleep in front of the fire. At least I guessed it was dreamless. I don't suppose I actually knew if they were dreaming or not, but they seemed content and restful, and dreamless seemed a poetic way to describe it. Marlow and Spade were both curled up in the window seat next to the fire, enjoying the warmth while creating a bit of distance between themselves and the new puppy in the house.
”I guess it's a good thing we decided to check out the Henderson house or this poor little guy might have had to spend the night out in the storm,” I commented.
”There aren't any houses in the area where we found him,” Zak said. ”I wonder where he came from.”
”I wish I knew. Hopefully, he was simply lost, not abandoned. He does feel pretty skinny, like he hasn't eaten for a while, and I'm afraid this wouldn't be the first time I found a dog or cat that had simply been abandoned by their owner.”
The lights flickered as a gust of wind hit the side of the house. Although the lake outside the large picture window in Zak's kitchen was usually calm, waves at least five feet high had been created by the wind and sent cras.h.i.+ng onto the sandy beach. It felt like we were at the ocean rather than the lake.
”Maybe we should gather some candles and a couple of flashlights,” I suggested. ”If the storm doesn't let up, I'd be willing to bet we'll lose power by the end of the evening.”
”Good idea. I have a couple of flashlights in that drawer by the door, and there's a bunch of candles in the storage closet upstairs.”
”It's really cozy in here with the storm and the fire.” I placed my hand over Zak's, which was resting on the dining table where we'd been eating.
Zak squeezed my hand. ”It is cozy. After we eat, I think I'll start a fire in both the living room and the bedroom. I have wood stacked on the enclosed service porch, so it'll be easy to keep them going, and they'll provide warmth in case the heat goes out.”
”Plus it's romantic.”