The Night Is Forever

“And where Aaron Bentley almost died?” Drew asked quietly.

Mariah stared at them all. “Hey, guys, I’ve always done ghost tours. History tours.”

“I think it’s fine, Mariah,” Olivia said. “You give great history tours and you have for a long time. Just don’t book anything until Aaron’s back on Tuesday. Not tonight, though. We’re all drained.”

Mariah nodded. “Of course. I agree, tonight would be bad. And they’re not my horses. They belong to the farm, and one of you guys usually comes with me and sometimes we camp.... But I’m definitely not camping again for a while! Anyway, it’s all on hold.”

Mason stood up. “I’m going home—at my own risk, mind you. Call me if there’s anything new or if you need me. Oh, it’s okay if we go see Aaron?”

“Yes, of course,” Olivia said.

Mason started to walk out, but stopped and looked directly at Dustin. “What do you make of all this?”

“I don’t know yet. That’s why I suggest you all stay in public places, hang around in groups—and watch your backs,” Dustin told him.

“Yeah, yeah, thanks,” Mason muttered. When he reached the door, he paused and turned back. “Someone want to walk me to my car?” he asked.

Dustin smiled, pushed away from the wall and said, “Sure.”

“Hey, I’ll take off, too,” Mariah said, rushing over. “Not that I think anyone would be after me. Or you, Mason. But then, I wouldn’t have thought anyone would be after Aaron....” She stared at Olivia. “You should be careful, Olivia. Really careful. I mean, if things go in order... Marcus, Aaron—you. Oh, Liv! I can’t believe I just said that. Hey, you want to come and stay with me?”

Dustin stepped in. “Olivia will be all right. I’ll be watching over her,” he said.

Mariah started to smile. Her lips twitched as if she was about to make a sexual innuendo.

She didn’t.

“Good.” She waved at Drew and Sydney. “We won’t just desert you two. I’ll be here tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Mariah,” Drew said.

“Ditto,” Sydney told her.

Mariah brightened. “Aaron is fine—and that’s the main thing, right? By next week, we’ll be back up to speed. I just know it!”

Her words seemed to fall into empty space.

Then Drew gave it a try. “Sure, Mariah.”

Dustin walked Mariah and Mason out the door and toward the parking lot. Both hesitated as they stepped outside, looking out over the rolling pasture.

“This place is so beautiful,” Mason said, his voice reverential.

Mariah nodded. “So, Dustin—even Deputy Vine thinks something odd is going on. But in a court of law, wouldn’t we be looking at a bunch of circumstances? As opposed to solid evidence? Sorry, I guess I watch too much crime TV.”

“I’m into being safe and if Frank wants us to be safe—well, I’m there,” Mason said. “See you all. Thanks, Secret Agent Man.”

Dustin didn’t bother to protest. “Take care, Mason.”

“Will do!” Mason promised. He walked to his car. Mariah started walking to hers; by the end, she was running. She hopped in, revved the engine and lifted a hand to show that she was on her way.

He walked back into the office. Olivia, Drew and Sydney glanced up at him expectantly.

“What do we do now?” Drew asked him.

“Find a killer,” Dustin said.

13

“That was pretty blunt,” Olivia told Dustin as they drove away from the Horse Farm.

His rental car was staying there.

They were driving to her place. Together.

Sammy was with them, of course. The dog was in the backseat but his head appeared between them every few seconds, despite Olivia’s suggestion that he stay in the back. Dustin had a feeling that she was usually a little more authoritative with the dog, but she was tired. Worn out. And she was feeling guilty about Sammy.

“Blunt? Perhaps. Not much else to say at this point, though.” He turned to look at her. “Whoever is doing this has to be in your group. And you did the best thing you could have done—stopping all sessions until Aaron’s back. If Aaron makes it back.”

Olivia gripped the wheel and glanced his way quickly. “First of all, canceling our sessions wasn’t entirely my choice. And what do you mean, if Aaron makes it back? He looked great. They’re just keeping him for observation.”

“He’s keen to get out of the hospital. He almost died, Olivia. According to him, he heard a ‘mosquito’ buzz and went down immediately after that. He’s not a stupid man. He listened to what Frank and I had to say, but he just wanted to see Sandra and get out. The sheriff’s department doesn’t have the manpower to put a guard on everyone at the Horse Farm, so I’m hoping he and Sandra stay together. For now, Aaron is fine. However, I don’t know what’ll happen when they release him—even if Sandra never lets him out of her sight.”

“You’re really scaring the hell out of me,” Olivia muttered.

“There’s more.”

“What?”

“Someone had an image of the general on his horse out in the forest. I don’t know much about art, but it’s on some kind of cheesecloth, which, I assume, would make it look ghostly in the right light. Frank Vine was the one to find it. That’s good, because it means he’s bought into our suspicions about what’s going on.”

“I don’t understand. An artist drew a picture on gauzy cloth—and put it in the forest? Why?”

“Because if you’re stumbling around at night or in the early morning—when the light’s hazy—you’d think you were seeing the general.”

“But...wouldn’t you check to see if it was real?” Olivia asked.

He grinned at her. “No, not most people. Most people would run like hell!”

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, so what would the image of the general in the forest have to do with someone attacking Aaron at the stream? And are you sure Aaron was attacked?”

He shook his head impatiently. “No, I’m not one hundred percent sure, but anything else is unlikely. Aaron might just happen to have a little wound the size of an insect sting near the base of his neck. And I’ll admit I’m not one hundred percent sure of the connection between those two events—Aaron’s so- called accident and Mariah’s discovery—either.” He shrugged. “Maybe Mariah simply imagined that she heard the general speaking and then happened to wander into the woods where she found an image of him—and the torn- up carcass of a cow. Like I said, it’s unlikely, but...”

“It is possible,” Olivia said a little stiffly.

She pulled into her driveway and let out a little cry of dismay. Dustin frowned, looking toward the entry.

There was a note on the door.

“The alarm company came and went,” Olivia said. “I forgot all about them.”

“So did I,” he told her. “Don’t worry. We’ll just reschedule them.”

“I’d have liked to get the alarm system in today. Funny, I’ve lived by myself for several years and I’ve never been afraid. But now...”

“Let’s call them right away,” Dustin suggested.

“And after that?”

“I have a few other calls to make. And for what it’s worth—I won’t be leaving. But we’ll put some faith in Sammy, too. He does seem to be an excellent watchdog.”

Sammy was apparently attempting to prove it by barking ferociously. As they got out of the car, the dog bolted past them and went dashing around the house.