She Waits Part 11

"We'll be downstairs," Teri said.

I went into the room and stood for a moment, watching her. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to find Dr. Winfield with an icepack. He walked by and sat on the edge of the bed and gently placed the ice against the side of her head.

"She's got a hard head, it runs in the family. She'll be fine. Why don't you stay with her? Hannah is naturally upset. I'll go see to her."

We exchanged places as he left the room. I held the ice in place and gently ran the back of my fingers against her soft cheek. As she stirred and opened her eyes, I took my hand away.

She looked at me for a moment, as if trying to focus. She reached her hand up to her forehead and tried to sit even as I pushed her back onto the pillow.

"Hey, take it easy. You had a nasty fall," I said.

She blinked and looked at me. "I fell off my horse."

"Ya know, kid, you might want to find a better mode of transportation. This is twice since we've met that you've fallen off your horse. Of course, the fact I'm with you when it happens means absolutely nothing," I said with a grin.

She laughed and winced as I held the ice in place. "How do you feel? You scared the life out of me."

"Really?" She searched my face and smiled faintly. "Why?"

I looked down into her blue eyes for a moment. "Because I don't want to be the one to tell Hannah you broke your stubborn little neck, that's why."

"Oh. Well, I'm all right."

Did I hear disappointment in her voice?

"We did see a lady in the woods, didn't we, Kate?" she asked.

"Yes, we both saw her. I don't know who she was, but we saw her."

"I feel like an idiot, falling off my horse. Again."

I laughed slightly and avoided her glare. "Hey, the way your horse bolted, I'm surprised you stayed on as long as you did. However, if you like I can give you riding lessons some day."

She laughed, then winced, and put her hand to her head.

"Look, you need to keep quiet. I'll go downstairs and you can rest. Teri and Mac are here. You rest." I looked down into the blue eyes again. "Maggie I'm..." I had absolutely no idea what I was about to say.

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you weren't hurt too badly. Rest now."

Hannah, Nathan, Teri and Mac were sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee.

"Did she come around?" Hannah asked.

"Yes, we talked and she seemed alert."

"Miss Ryan, Hannah has been filling me in on what's been happening. Thank you for helping out." Nathan said, drinking his coffee. I could tell his mind was elsewhere.

"I'm glad I could be here. Did Hannah tell you what I found?" I picked up the plastic bag that was still on the table.

"Yes, it's amazing. After all these years to have them turn up," he said.

"Dug up. Sorry, my insane canine went amok."

I searched his face-it revealed nothing. I glanced at Teri, who looked confused. I couldn't wait to fill her in. I handed the locket to Dr. Winfield. He took it and I saw a flash of sadness cross his face.

"This is Miranda's," he said. "I remember... when she wore this."

There was silence around the table for a moment. "Dr. Winfield, did you know your picture is in the locket?" I asked.

He took a deep breath and opened the locket. "This would be like Miranda. At one time we were close." He closed the locket and almost reverently placed it on the table. "To think they've been here all the time, all these years... Anyway, Miss Ryan, I understand you're an accomplished photographer and amateur sleuth."

I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Perhaps you think you can figure out who would break into Maggie's house and leave that note," he said absently looking at his coffee.

I was about to ask him about that very thing, when he abruptly stood and kissed Hannah on the top of her head.

"Well, I should be going," he said. "Make sure Maggie stays quiet for the rest of the day. I think she'll be fine-she's a healthy girl. See you tomorrow, sis. It was a pleasure meeting all of you."

I watched him as he mounted his horse and easily rode down the trail in into the woods. I looked over at Hannah who was watching as well. She looked tired and worried.

"So, you're knocking this poor kid off her horse right and left, huh Kate?" Mac said proudly.

Hannah laughed heartily. "I like him."

"Want him?" Teri asked.

We seemed to relax for a moment, as we laughed at poor Mac's blushing face.

"Hannah, you just met Mac and already you have him blushing. Good girl!" I said.

"How is Maggie?" Teri asked.

I could tell by her look that she wanted to talk to me alone. She looked a lot like our mother, who had a way of looking at you so you knew exactly what she was thinking.

"She's resting. She'll be fine," I said. "She seems to have a hard head."

Hannah got up. "Well, I will leave you alone. I want to check up on Margaret."

Mac, Teri and I sat for a second staring at each other then Teri and I both started talking at the same time.

"G.o.d, you'll never believe what happened!" I said.

"Was I spooked when we drove up!" Teri said.

We both stopped and laughed. Mac rested his chin in his hand. "G.o.d, the Ryan sisters." He poured himself more coffee and sat back like a kid at the circus.

"When did you get here?" I looked at my watch: one o'clock.

"About forty minutes ago. Kate, as I said, I got the creeps when we pulled up here. Didn't I, Mac?"

"Yes, you did," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I looked out into the woods and you know me, I got that feeling of a presence, something was there. I just felt it," she said and Mac and I fell silent. "Well, that's what usually happens when I bring up the supernatural with you two. So, what's been going on around here? Hannah-and we have to call her Hannah-started to tell us but then you came back. What the h.e.l.l happened?"

I explained everything that had happened since I talked to them last night-as well as everything I'd figured out about before.

"Good grief, are you all right? How many st.i.tches, Katie?" she asked, sounding very much like our mother. It was truly scary.

"I'm fine." I said. "Now, more importantly, on our ride today, before Maggie got bounced around, my brain caught up with me and I finally figured out the intruder was a woman. She was wearing perfume."

Teri was amazed. "A woman? Do you think it was the same woman in the woods? Tell me about her."

"It was kind of eerie. She was there, and then she wasn't. I got the same feeling last night, when I thought I saw someone at the edge of the woods. Whatever it was, was there, then gone. Whaddya think?" I asked.

"Well, I don't know. If and when she turns up again, it'll be interesting," Teri said.

"To say the least. Man, I'm glad you two are here." It struck me then, how lucky I was to have them. Teri was 48. She was sophisticated but also down to earth. She was about five foot six, an adorably full-figured redhead with beautiful blue eyes and a great sense of humor. Being married to an ex-Marine like Mac, she needed it quite often.

"Maggie and you both saw the same person?" Teri asked.

"Yes, but I saw her clearly. Maggie said she couldn't get a good look. You know what I'm thinking? All the time I had Maggie on the horse, I felt like someone was watching us. Then, boom, the uncle shows up. What are the odds?"

"Well, it's his property, he might easily have just been out for a ride," Teri said.

"True. I guess I'm getting paranoid, here. That woman spooked me."

The vision of the woman in the woods stuck with me. What was she doing there?

Mac was playing with the plastic bag. "So, this is what Chance found?"

"Yep. Chance dug it all up. I don't exactly know where, but I know it was on the other side of the lake. It was very spooky how it happened." I explained Chance's odd behavior from last night and then this morning.

"And she came back with everything?" Teri asked.

"Yep. She had the burlap and the jewelry. It was freaky."

"Why did she bolt around the lake?" Mac asked and looked at Teri.

"I think Chance knew where to go. You say Chance sat there and stared across the lake?" she asked and I nodded.

"It was as if-" I stopped dead and without finishing my sentence, Teri understood.

"As if what?" Mac asked, looking at both of us.

"As if she saw someone or something. Mac you know perfectly well, dogs have that sense."

"No, you have that sense, Teri," I chimed in. It was true.

Teri has that sixth sense that scares the h.e.l.l out of me. She downplays it, but never denies it. Some call it intuition, but those who know Teri, know it's much more.

"Okay, don't tell me: You're traveling through another dimension..." Mac started.

"Next stop: The Twilight Zone," I said in my best Rod Serling imitation.

Teri glared at both of us. "Very funny, children."

Chapter Ten.

Being the gracious hostess, Hannah made sure we'd have dinner then she joined us on the deck.

"Kate, Teri was telling me about the woman in the woods. Who could she have been?" Hannah asked.

"I don't know. It was a little unnerving." I ran my fingers through my hair.

"So now what, Sherlock?" Mac asked.

"I need to know more about Miranda's murder. Last night the sheriff-Steve, I think his name was-seemed like an affable guy. I think I'll take a skip into town, maybe he can shed some light on this."

"It was twenty years ago, do you think he knows anything?" Teri asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"Want us to come with?" Mac asked.

"Would you mind if I went alone? I'll only be an hour."

"Okay, Mac and I will stay with Hannah," Teri said.

"Can I borrow the Jeep?"

Mac and Teri laughed. "It's not funny. I have no idea where my car is," I said as Mac tossed me the keys.

I walked into the small police station and noticed Steve in his office. He waved me in.

"Hi. How're ya feeling?" he asked. His thick, sandy hair flopped forward, making him look like he just woke up. His short-and-stocky build also made me think of a high-school football player.

"I'm fine, thanks. Can I bother you for a few minutes? I have two issues. One, I remembered something about last night's break in." I told him all about my realization of the intruder being a woman, and how Chance found all that jewelry.