Part 42 (1/2)
”And why not tell us this when Jenny was around?”
Sheila shrugged. ”I don't know, really. I mean, how much do you trust your friend?”
”Jenny?” Annja grinned. ”I trust her completely. We've known each other for years. We haven't been in constant contact, of course, but overall...” She stopped. ”Look, there's nothing unsavory about Jenny no matter how weird she might seem. I'd stake my life on it.”
”You might have to,” Sheila said. ”You don't have any idea what's going on here and that fact could get you killed.”
”So why don't you go ahead and tell me, then?” Annja stretched her legs. ”I'm finding this whole adventure rather strange.”
”You can't trust the sheriff.”
”David? Why not? I mean, he wasn't going to be a close confidant or anything, but what reason do you have that we shouldn't trust him?”
”He hasn't been himself lately.”
Annja sighed. ”Look, Sheila, I don't mean to be rude here or anything, but I'm really tired. So if we could just skip the ”you give me one line and I have to pry more out of you' thing, that'd be great.”
”Dave is an imposter. He isn't the real Dave.”
Annja eyed Sheila. ”Okay, now I'm lost. What do you mean he's not the real David?”
”I mean he looks the same as he used to, but he's all different now. Everyone knows it. He changed when he got back after going hiking a few months back. Friday evening he set out to spend some time tracking. Monday he came back looking...strange.”
”Maybe he ran into the Sasquatch.”
Sheila waved her hand. ”That was a load of hooey. I told that story because I could see your friend needed to hear it.”
”You lied?”
”For her sake, yes. Tell me she isn't feeling a bit more excited now that she thinks I ran into the thing.”
”Well, of course she is. But now she wants to go out and find it for herself. You heard her. She's jealous of you!”
Sheila shook her head. ”Whatever you do, you've got to keep her out of the woods. Do not go in there again unless you have a means of arming yourself.”
Annja thought about her sword. ”Yeah, well, why shouldn't we go back there?”
”I know about those guys.”
”Simpson and Baker?”
”Yes. Ellen keeps me in the loop. She was the first person to notice the change in Dave.”
”And what exactly do you think happened to him?”
Sheila glanced away. ”It's too ridiculous to talk about.”
Annja smiled. ”You'd be surprised at how many crazy stories I've heard in my life. Why don't you try me?”
”About four months back-a month before Dave went camping-there was a meteor shower. It came upon us suddenly but the show was incredible. For two nights, we watched the fireworks in the sky. Brilliant flashes and streaks cut across the heavens at night. Wondrous stuff.”