Shadow Cave (42 page)

“
I think we did finish what we started last night.
”

“
Very funny, Claire.
”

“
Sorry.
You were saying?
’”

“
You see what you can find in the books and I will scout the surrounding areas.
”

“
Sounds like a good plan.
”
I know that a lot of women might resent being stuck at home while the man got to do the exciting stuff.
Not me.
He knew the area a whole lot better than I did.
Not to mention that every time I left the house, something or someone tried to kill me.
So I had no problem at all with his plan.
In fact, it sounded downright logical to me.

“
I don
’
t know when I will be back.
It might be late.
”

“
I
’
ll wait up
,
”
I promised.

He walked to the door and hesitated.
“
Claire?
”

“
Yes?
”

“
When we find your brother…
.
”

“
Yes?
”

“
What will you do then?
”

I bit my lip.
If that wasn
’
t the ten thousand dollar question
.

“
I guess I will go home, then.
”
I answered without looking at him.

“
I know.
I know that you have a home and a family.
And you have important work to return to.
I just…the thing is…
.
”

“
You don
’
t want me to go?
”

“
I don
’
t want you to go
,
”
he
confessed.

“
I don
’
t know what to
s
ay.
”
But there were so many things that I wanted to say that I simply froze.
All of my thoughts tumbled together and I could not begin to make sense of them.
I could have said
‘
I love you
.
’
Or
‘
Yes
, I will stay here with you
.
’
I could have said a lot of things.
But I didn
’
t.
It never occurred to me then that I would always wonder what would have happened if I had.

“
You don
’
t have to say anything right now.
But, do you think that you could be happy here?
”

“
Yes.
”
I answered truthfully.
“
But I do not belong here.
You know that
,
”
I said gently.

“
In that case…do you thin
k
that I could ever belong in your world?
”

My mouth dropped open in surprise.
“
What are you saying?
”

“
Nothing.
I will see you tonight, ok
ay
?
”
He kissed me goodbye and was gone before I could say anything more.

I spent the next hour poring over books and cross
-
referencing maps in the library to no avail.
I could find no mention of Kahn
’
s meadow or of Triniti Supply.
I
didn
’
t
suppose it helped that I kept thinking about Mark and the last thing he had said to me.
I swore in frustration and jerked another book off the shelf.

“
Swearing at the books won
’
t help you find what you are looking for.
”

I whirled around.
“
Oh, hi, Marta.
You scared me.
”

“
Not any more than you scared that poor defenseless book just now.
”

I glanced down at the thick volume in my hand and gave Marta a wry smile.

“
I think it will live.
”

“
That
’
s what you said about my roses.
”

“
True.
Is everything ok
ay
?
”

“
I need some help getting a box down from the pantry.
It
’
s heavy.
”

I put the book back onto the shelf.
“
Of course I can help you.
Let
’
s go.
”

“
Be careful, now.
It
’
s awful heavy.
”

“
Don
’
t worry.
”
I grunted under the weight of the box.
“
I
’
m stronger than I look.
”

“
You must be, because we haven
’
t dropped this thing on our toes yet.
”

“
There will be no broken toes today.
Where are we taking this?
”

“
Straight to the kitchen table.
”

“
What is in this thing?
”
I asked once we had plunked it down onto the worktable in the massive kitchen.

“
Old cook pots, mostly.
A few utensils are in there.
”

“
I can see why they were in a box.
”
I rubbed at the puncture
wound
on my wrist.

“
What is the matter with your arm, girl?
”

“
Nothing.
It
’
s just sore.
”
I pointed to the box.
“
Are you going to show me some old fashioned cookware or not?
”

“
Well, this one here was always my favorite.
”
She said as she pulled out a basket- ball sized frying pan.
It looked like some of the old cast iron pans that still graced my own mother
’
s kitchen.

“
Oh, yea
h
?
How come?
”

“
How come what?
”
Marta set the pan on the table.

“
Why is that your favorite?
Because it doesn
’
t stick?
”

“
No, but it sure makes a good whacker.
”
She took hold of the pan again and demonstrated by taking a swing at the air.

“
I
’
ll keep that in mind
,
”
I grinned.

“
You do that.
Want to see some more moves?
”

Creative cooking
, I snickered.
Only Marta could teach kill moves using only kitchenware.

“
Maybe later?
I have to
—
”
Time stopped as the lettering on the box caught my eye.

“
Annabelle?
”

“
The box.
Where did this box come from?
”
I crouched down and lifted the top flap to make sure I was not hallucinating.
It was right there in black and white.
Well, black anyways.
“
Triniti Supply?
This box came from Triniti Supply?
”

“
Is that what it says?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
Then I suppose that
’
s where
it
came from.
Are you feeling all right, girl?
”

“
Yes. Great.
”
I could not believe my luck.
Because printed beneath the company name was an address.
“
2638 165th Drive, Keogh, 689245.
I don
’
t believe it.
”
I whispered.
I turned to Marta and pointed triumphantly at the box.
“
Do you know what this means, Marta?
”

“
That you
’
ve caught the fever?
”
She slapped a cool hand across my forehead.

I brushed her hand away and made another attempt to rein in my initial exuberance.
I had done it!
I had finally done it!
I had what I needed to find the meadow.
“
I need a pen.
And paper
,
”
I blurted.

“
In the kitchen drawer.
”

“
Thanks.
”
I dashed across the wide kitchen and mad
e
quick work of scribbling out the address from the box label.

“
Tell Mark that I will be back tonight.
It might be late, though.
”
I tossed over my shoulder on my way out the door.

Marta followed doggedly after me with her fists planted firmly on her hips.

“
Do you plan on telling me what is going on, Annabelle?
”

I froze with one hand still on the doorknob and one foot out the door.
For a moment, I could
have
sworn that I was seventeen years old again and getting caught trying to slip out of the house.

“
Just a little shopping.
”

“
Just like that?
”

“
Just like that.
I love shopping.
It
’
s a sickness, really
,
”
I rambled.

“
Fine, but aren
’
t you forgetting something?
”
She held a set of keys high in the air.

“
Right.
Thank you Marta.
”
I retrieved the keys and kissed her weathered cheek in one swift movement.
“
Oh! One more thing
—
do you know where Keogh is?
”

Marta
’
s eyes widened briefly before her face became unreadable again.

“
Keogh?
The town of Keogh?
”

“
That
’
s right.
”

“
What do you want with that old place?
”

“
There is a dress shop I want to check out there
,
”
I lied smoothly.

“
Not in Keogh.
”
She shook her head.
“
That whole place was abandoned years ago.
There
’
s nothing there but dust and guardsmen.
”

“
Guards?
”
My pulse quickened and I hesitated in the doorway.

“
Some, yes.
”

“
How many?
”

“
Girl, how should I know how many? Isn
’
t one enough?
”
she
demanded.
“
Annabelle, what is going on?
”

“
I heard about this great dress boutique
,
and I was just sure the woman said that it was in the town of Keogh.
”