“Wait, you think I made it up?”
“Again, I’m not speculating, Miss Winter. I understand stress can lead you to see something that’s not there, but please, keep your paranoia under control. My budget is low as is.”
“Officer Higgins, I can’t believe you are accusing me of paranoia. I know what I saw and I am not...” Melody’s pleas are of no use. He has already made up his mind.
“That is all Miss Winter. I’m sure it goes without saying, but I will expect that you are going to leave Tam and Rob’s property to the officials from now on.
“Wait, did you say Tam and Rob?”
“Uh, isn’t that what you told me? Let’s see my notes here.” He starts fumbling through a notepad to verify his intel.
“No, Officer. I did not. But thank you. I believe you have been most helpful.” Melody smiles. “I’ll go ahead and show myself out of the door now.”
Melody gets up from her chair and walks over to the door. This time, he does not escort her to the door, he is too busy searching his files for proof that she is sure he won’t find.
She leaves Officer Higgins’ office more resolute to find out what Tam and Rob didn’t want the officer to find out. They are hiding something, she thinks. She will have to inspect the barn herself. If they left in a hurry, they may have left something unchecked.
What Melody had feared when she spoke with Brad previously has been proven also. It seems the one officer on the island may be in the Deacon’s pockets.
Did Will hire Officer Higgins, Tam and Rob to do his dirty work? Melody wonders. She is almost sick to the stomach when she thinks of Will pretending to be interested in her when all along he knows what happened to her father. I am so close, I can feel it.
Melody makes a plan to stop by the barn on her way back to the inn. She would have preferred to go during the day, but for fear of getting caught, she plans an evening visit. Now, more than before, Melody feels there will be more eyes on her, so she needs to work fast and carefully.
It’s a cold night as she journeys back. Very few people were out when she was walking to Officer Higgins’ home and now the cobblestone streets are empty.
As she turns the corner where the post office is located, Melody hears footsteps. She looks behind her. There is no one there. That was strange.
She walks a little faster. Where she is currently, few people frequent by night, but closer to the shoreline and the inn, she usually sees more familiar faces.
Melody sees the shoreline up ahead. As she passes the first set of passenger boats and nears a couple of cargo ships, the street lamps automatically come on and light the area around. She sees what looks like a figure following behind her appear under the light, then disappear behind her again. Abruptly, Melody turns around to locate the figure, but it is gone.
Melody fights off the thought that Officer Higgins might be right and she is being paranoid. Seeing and hearing things that aren’t there, she thinks, that’s how most paranoia begins, isn’t it?
What she can’t shake off is her fear that someone really is coming after her. I did hear footsteps, she reminds herself. Now Melody is walking fast enough to keep up with a slow jogging pace.
She could hide behind the boats again, but she did that before and tonight is too cold to risk pneumonia. Besides, on a silent night like tonight, anyone following her will definitely hear the water splashing.
The footsteps creep up again and this time they sound like they are gaining ground on her. Melody’s chest beats faster and she breaths more heavily. Suddenly, she turns around and this time she does see a figure disappearing behind a dark opening among the boats. That was not paranoia, she realizes, I definitely saw something.
“Hello? Who are you?”
No answer returns.
Still, the streets appear vacant. If there was a time when Melody wished more townspeople were out and about, it is now. Her only apparent companions are the boats parked away for the night. The rustling trees which normally whistle shallowly, have also retreated for the night.
Melody did not think she went to see Officer Higgins very late tonight, but for some reason, the entire town seems to have retired to their homes or the inn as though they knew trouble was brewing on the shores of Talon’s Point. They just failed to notify Melody of impending danger, which is becoming more imminent with each step she takes.
She looks around for a friend or some sign of help, but the town has quietly left her at the mercy of a stalker. For the moment, Melody feels that she is yet again the lonely outsider. Only this time, it may cost her her life.
Her light sweater proves too timid against the Atlantic winds blowing tonight. Or is it the winds that are making me shiver? She tightly wraps her sweater around her waist. I need to get to better lighting, she thinks. She has a mind to fight off whatever danger is looming, though she is yet to know what lies in wait.
Now, Melody is almost running. The footsteps grower louder and closer as the stalker chases her. Who could it be? Melody searches her mind, and what do they want?
The opening to the hill leading up to the red barn appears up ahead. She has an idea.
