― Maggie Stiefvater
Abe's property
Cindy dropped by for coffee before my morning lecture and I decided to tell her about the three graves in Abe and Mitzi's basement.
She stared aghast. "I'm sure there are by-laws against burying people on private land, let alone inside a dwelling."
I shook my head in disbelief. "You'd think. How the hell did they not declare that when they sold the property?"
"Have you told Abe yet?"
I smiled sheepishly, "I was kind of hoping you'd come with me for moral support when I did. Nat chickened out―mind you, I don't blame him."
She stared at me in disbelief. "You want me to be there when you tell Abe―Why, are you frightened?"
"Kind of...he's got those big bear paws for hands―he might take a swipe at me."
"So, if I'm there, you figure you can hide behind me?"
"Well, yeah―he won't hit a woman, and if he tried, you could probably take him with all the martial arts training you have."
She rolled her eyes. "What happened to male gallantry? You're supposed to protect me."
I gave her my crooked smile most women think is charming.
"And don't try your little boy lost look with me―it won't work."
"Okay, I won't. I'll go it alone."
Two hours later she was leaning on her unmarked car outside the lecture hall. "Hop in, Prince Charming―your chariot awaits."
I had to love this girl.
"And I want coffee and donuts at Tim Hortons―I haven't had lunch and it's a long drive."
I couldn't defend her honour in a fight, but I could see that she was well fed―yeah, that had to count for something, I guessed.
We spotted Abe's car in the drive when we pulled up but something about the place looked off.
The house looked dark and vacant and there wasn't the usual laughter of children.
Cindy noticed it too. "I better try Abe's cell first, " she said.
The phone rang several times before Abe finally picked up.
Cindy put her cell on speaker phone.
"Hey, Abe―we're out front. Where are you? The house looks vacant."
"Thank God you're here, Cyn―Katie's missing."
Cindy gave me a startled look, but said nothing.
"She was napping upstairs," Abe explained, "but when Mitzi went to check on her, she was gone. We're outside down by the river."
The mention of the river chilled me to the bone. I had seen that fast moving water and didn't want to contemplate little four-year old Katie out there alone.
"How can we help, Abe?" I called out.
"Maybe Cyn can help me scour the river bank and Laird, you can check all around the house and nearby fields. I put a call into the OPP and they're sending a search party."
"We're on it, Abe," Cyn called out and we both exited the car and headed toward the back of the house.
As we were running to help, images of the ghostly woman Mitzi saw flashed through my mind.
I knew when I saw the talisman in the tree there had to be a reason. I cursed myself for not voicing my concerns earlier when I had a premonition of danger.
In my mind's eye, I saw Katie's soft blond hair and tiny, slender figure. If anything happened to her I couldn't live with myself.