“Wasn’t Gran on the third floor?” Ness exclaimed.
“Yes, but the bushes below cushioned his fall. He disappeared into the night before anyone caught a glimpse of him.”
“So how did Gran die?” Ness felt nauseous.
“He injected a large amount of morphine into her IV. She went to sleep and stopped breathing. At least she did go peacefully.”
“But why did he kill her when you agreed to drop the case?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he thought it was a mercy killing, or he just couldn’t help himself. Either way, I didn’t have it in me anymore to keep chasing him.”
Ness didn’t know what to say, she couldn’t believe how defeated her grandpa seemed. He looked very similar to how Heck did when she woke up in the hospital after the accident.
“I’m sorry, Gramps,” Ness whispered after a long moment of complete silence. She leaned over and held his hand. “Would it be alright if I took this folder with me when we leave?”
“What’s going on, Ness? Are you in some sort of trouble?”
“I can’t explain now, but when I return the folder to you, I will tell you everything. I promise,” tears started welling up in Ness’ eye.
“Deal, but always know that you can come to me, no matter what.”
“I know, Gramps. Thank you,” she stood up and gave her grandpa a long embrace. “So why don’t you show me this furniture that you were bragging about?” Ness forced herself to smile. Wyatt Sr. smiled in return and turned to show her everything that he’d been up to in the last several months.
A little while later, they returned to the cabin to see everyone sitting lazily in the living room, but Ness continued walking and put the En Passant folder in the car and hid it under her jacket.
“This has been a wonderful visit, Pop. Would you like to come and stay with me for a few days next week?” Heck asked. “It will be great to spend some time with you again, and besides, I worry about you here by yourself.” At least it isn’t only me who worries about my father staying alone, Ness thought to herself.
“I’ll see if I can get away. Big game hunting season starts soon, and I was hoping to bag myself a few trophies this year with a freezer full of meat,” Wyatt Sr. smiled but had to hide his grin when he saw Lindsay’s face. “I’ll definitely think about it though, son.”
“That’s great. Thanks for having us, but we should head back before the sun sets. This road will be a nightmare to navigate in the dark,” Heck said, standing up and hugging his father. They all said their goodbyes and climbed into the truck. Ness ensured that the folder was well hidden under her jacket. She looked at her grandpa as they drove away and she blew him a kiss, who caught it and then sent one back to her.
Wyatt Sr. watched the truck disappear down the road, and he felt a sudden pang of sadness as they left. He liked being on his own, but it was always difficult for him to compensate for the loneliness after he spent some time with his loved ones. He walked inside the cabin and started straightening up. It was really great of Lindsay and Wyatt to clean the lunch dishes, he thought as he straightened the cushions on the sofa. A sudden burst of wind came through the door, and it was colder than Wyatt Sr. was expecting. Maybe a storm is coming, he thought as he walked outside to grab some logs from the wood pile. Even though the days are warm in this neck of the woods, the temperature can drop drastically because of the higher altitude. Besides, Wyatt Sr. loved reading by a fire, so he would make any excuse to build one in his fireplace. He bent over and started chucking logs from the top of the pile onto the ground behind him.
Crack . . .
Wyatt Sr. lifted his head to the direction where he heard the sound. It sounded like a large tree branch snapped in the distance. He looked to see if he could spot any movement. Even though bears weren’t commonly encountered here, they did occasionally come walking through, and he didn't want to be outside if one was on its way. He couldn’t see anything moving, but because fall was quickly approaching, many of the leaves in the trees were starting to change color and not fallen to the ground yet. Wyatt Sr. knew that a large predator could easily blend into the surroundings.
Crack . . .
This sounded closer, but it almost sounded intentional. Multiple crunches together could mean that an animal is passing through an area of dense vegetation, but individual ones seemed deliberate. Wyatt Sr. grabbed the logs that he threw down onto the ground and moved inside his cabin. Once he was on his porch, he scanned the area again for movement.
“Hello?” He called out, and his voice echoed. No response.
Wyatt Sr. felt uneasy. Something didn’t feel right, and after 35 years of being a cop, he learned to listen to his gut. He kept scanning the surroundings, but the sun had dipped behind the mountains, and darkness was quickly enveloping the area. He went inside and closed the cabin door behind him. The door didn’t have traditional locks, but Wyatt Sr. installed a removable beam of wood that could be placed into two brackets on either side of the door. It may be archaic, but it is very effective. He jammed the beam in securely and pulled on
