“No, don’t bother, I’m staying down here.”
He pulls a blanket over him and his eyes challenge me to disagree with him. I shrug and manage a faint laugh.
“I give up. You’re a hopeless patient.”
“I suggest we go to the city council and look up the history of this place. There must be records of who built it, who lived here, and what the connections were with the local community. I mean, who builds a house in the middle of nowhere? Only an odd person, someone who didn’t want to have neighbors around. Perhaps even someone who has something to hide.”
So many unanswered questions. I take a seat at the dining table and stare at the paper in front of me.
“This house holds more secrets than you and I can imagine, I’m afraid. What if all of this breaking in has nothing to do with you and me or the court case? What if the reason lies way back in the past and we are collateral damage because we happen to live here now?”
I think I’m making a valid point but he shakes his head.
“Unlikely. The house stood empty for what? Thirty years? Nobody has bothered with it. It all started when you moved in.”
He has a point, even if I don’t like it and hate to admit that I’m the reason all this is happening. What did I do to generate so much hostility in another person?
“When you are better, we’ll go up to the city council and see what we can find. If we don’t find anything there, we might find something in the church register and take it from there.”
A shiver ripples down my back as if someone is standing behind me, breathing down my neck. My head flips around almost on its own volition but there is nobody there. Then I sense a hand on my shoulder like Sky used to do when she showed her support. Tears shoot into my eyes and I reach with my hand to my shoulder as if I could touch her.
“Oh Sky, is that you? Please, let it be you, I miss you.”
I don’t get an answer. But an idea pops into my head. Our family Bible. I have to take our Bible when we go on a search.
“I’m good, we can leave tomorrow.”
For a moment I don’t know what Scottie is talking about. I’ve been somewhere else entirely. Of course, he can’t know that. I track back to what was said before I got lost in my inner world looking for my mates. Ah, yes, going to the city council.
“Oh no, my love, don’t think for a second I’ll let you off so easily. I want you to have much more color in your cheeks before we go snooping about.”
Who said being a nurse is easy is lying through their teeth. Not with patients like Scottie.
“Let’s compromise. We’ll talk about it after I have a good sleep. Something hospitals are lousy at. People are constantly traipsing about, coming in all the time taking your temperature and pulse, giving you medication. I’d be surprised if I had six hours of sleep in one hit.”
“You had undisturbed sleep for the days you were in a coma.”
“Don’t be stubborn, it doesn’t suit you. You know exactly that’s not the kind of sleep I was referring to. Being in a coma is not catching up on sleep.”
I grin at him. “I had to try. If you promise to tell me truthfully how you are feeling tomorrow morning I’m happy to make a deal with you.”
Half an hour later I find him with a notebook on his lap making a list. At least he’s resting and not walking around. I’m at the range using Ama’s favorite recipe for pumpkin and carrot soup. Scottie makes impressed noises from the sofa as if I’ve embarked on a journey he’d deemed impossible. He doesn’t know Ama left a recipe book with easy to follow instructions for me.
“What are you scribbling?”
He looks up from his notebook. “I’m brainstorming a list of possible explanations for the break-ins.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“My number one: There is a treasure under the house, a leftover from the gold mining era 150 years ago.”
“It could be possible. We’ll find that out when we start digging for the extension, won’t we?”
“Number two: There is a cellar with brandy and other contrabands from the time smugglers were living in this area. I always come back to the fact that it is unusual that someone built a homestead out here. A hunting cabin, like mine, I understand, but a homestead?”
“I don’t know if there were smugglers in this area. I keep thinking that neither this house nor the families that lived here have anything to offer that justifies breaking in or attacking you. But burning your house down? That’s crazy.”
He frowns and waves his right index finger from side to side. “My house could have been a revenge act from the Gateway people for helping you bring them to court. I’m more or less resigned to the fact that’s what it was. It’s likely the arson and the break-ins have nothing to do with each other.”
I’m about to go crazy with all this back and forth. Whichever way I twist or turn it, my life is linked to some kind of nasty business and I have no idea what it’s about. None whatsoever!
“Perhaps it’s not even people but a ghost who doesn’t like me living here. Wouldn’t that explain a lot?”
Scottie looks at me as if I’ve lost the plot. I grin and raise my eyebrows and shrug.
“Just joking.”
“I believe we don’t have all the facts. And when we do get them, all of this will make perfect sense.”
“I wish I had your confidence. For now, I want you to put this stuff aside and get some rest.”
“Yes Ma’am, I will.”
It doesn’t take long before
