“I don’t know,” Tara said. “Yes, wait, I do know. At the least, there is a cold-blooded murderer out there somewhere. Naturally, we’re nervous. So let’s get into the house.” Ann stared at her and nodded solemnly.
Then, as one, they opened their doors and started to bolt for the house. As they neared the entry, they saw that the door was open.
“What... ?” Ann murmured.
Tara saw that Katia was blocking the doorway. And even at the chateau, where light was always shining on the drive at night, shadows seemed to have crept in.
Tara felt the breeze again. Cold, penetrating. Evil.
A breeze was not evil! It was autumn, and days could still be warm, but winter was coming, and a cold breeze simply hinted of the season to come . . .
“He is sleeping, I tell you!”
Katia was speaking in French, but she was determined, and enunciating each word.
“I cannot let you in ...”
Tara blinked and saw what she hadn’t seen before. A woman was standing in the entrance, next to the outer wall, and framed by ivy. Shadows fell over her from the balconies above, which was why they hadn’t seen her at first
“But then again ...” Katia said suddenly, amazingly changing her mind, ready to pull out the red carpet and beg the woman to enter.
The breeze ...
It seemed to grip her again, as if it could paralyze her.
Ann wasn’t moving at all.
The woman was nearly in the house. Tara suddenly knew that she couldn’t allow it. She raced to the door, spinning to stare at the woman.
For a moment, she was speechless herself. And dear Lord, she didn’t know why.
The woman was a well-dressed, startling beauty. Hair almost pitch black. Eyes as green as emeralds.
Her suit was impeccably tailored, the latest fashion. It was fitted, and she wore it very well. The skirt was short. Her heels were spikes.
She extended a hand toward Tara. Automatically, Tara accepted it
“Hello, I’m from the social services department at the hospital. I’m just doing a checkup on your grandfather. It’s something we try to do with all our patients, especially when they are elderly. We like to make sure that they’re doing well in their home environment” like Katia, Tara was strangely tempted to invite the woman in. Her smile was so sincere.
And yet...
Tara’s hand, when she shook that of the other woman, felt like ice.
And yet...
At the same time, it burned.
“I’m afraid it’s far too late to visit my grandfather,” she said firmly. “He sleeps at this hour. If you wish to see him, you must come by during the day.”
In a flash ... and only for a flash—so quickly that Tara might have imagined it—the woman’s face vanished. The pleasant, hypnotic smile vanished. She betrayed a fury, a hideous expression of anger so deep and vile that Tara fell back a step.
And then ...
She was smiling again, so pleasantly, her eyes on Ann, who had nearly reached the door.
“I am so sorry, it is late. I hadn’t realized how late myself. You can’t imagine the hours we work. It’s just dreadful. There’s not really much I need to do. Perhaps, if you were just to invite me in, I could take a peek at your grandfather and see that he was sleeping in comfortable surroundings. I’m aware of his family history, of course, and I’m well aware he has good and loving relatives. It would be such a relief to have one patient off my list”
“Perhaps—” Ann began, falling under the same spell.
But the woman suddenly straightened.
It was as if she had suddenly become aware of a touch of ice in the air.
“Never mind. It is not a big thing. I will be back.”
She started down the steps.
“But—” Ann called after her.
The woman swung back to stare at the two of them. “Oh, don’t worry. I will be back.” For a flash, a subliminal second—Tara saw the horrid mask of fury on the woman’s face again.
But it wasn’t there. She was smiling. And assuring them.
Yes, oh, yes, she would return.
Katia suddenly sprang to life and began scolding Ann and Tara.
“Come in, come in, come in! I don’t know what possessed me to open the door! It’s a strangely cold night, suddenly. And we’d been having a renewed burst of summer in the midst of fall! In the house, in the house, in the house! Come, come, girls. There is a maniac out there. The police have done nothing yet”
They were ushered in. Katia closed and locked the door firmly.
Inside, it was warm. A fire was burning in the hearth in the hall. “Girls, would you like hot chocolate?” Tara gave herself a shake. Inside the house, everything seemed different Everything. It was not just warm, it was ...
Normal.
Ann seemed to be feeling the same. She gave Katia a rueful smile. “Chocolate, lovely. If you don’t mind though, I’ll take mine up to bed. I’m suddenly exhausted. And you’re so right, Katia. I hope the police find the killer soon. This is quite ridiculous. We were both terrified out there tonight Walking under lights that seemed more like dark clouds, yet armed with our mace! I hate being this nervous. The police must catch the killer. We were so frightened tonight! And so silly ...”
“Silly?” Tara said suddenly. She looked at Katia.
“How long was that woman here before we arrived? I mean, that was absurd. Coming to visit an elderly man at this time of night.”
“She said that she did not realize the hour,” Katia told her.
“I don’t believe—no one doesn’t realize it when it’s late at night!”
“Well, she’s gone, and good riddance,” Katia said.
Katia started for the kitchen. As Ann walked on into the hall, dropping her handbag, Tara followed Katia to the kitchen. “Katia.”
Katia turned and smiled at Tara. “You know, you are here a day, and already, your French is getting so much better. You forget, and you get rusty, because you are gone so long.” Tara nodded. “Katia, the woman said that she was coming back.”
“By daylight!” Katia said firmly. She sniffed, as if expressing her opinion that the woman had really had an incredible gall coming at that hour.
“Katia, listen to me. No matter what time she comes, you’re not to let her in.”
“Why not?” Katia asked with surprise.
“I don’t know exactly. But for some reason, I don’t trust her. I don’t believe that she is who she claims to be.”
“Really? We do have many social services—”
“I’ll call the hospital tomorrow,” Tara said.
Katia had the milk heating on the stove. Tara took a quick second to remember how much she loved Katia’s chocolate. Made from scratch. The sweetest milk. The best cocoa.
“Why do you think she left so suddenly?” Katia asked.
“What?”
“I believe Ann was about to say that it was all right for her to come in, get it all over with,” Katia went on, reaching into the cupboard for chocolate shavings. “In feet ... she had worn me down.” Katia looked perplexed. “Somehow,” she said with a shrug. “But then you two came home, and you told her she could not come in, which was, of course, completely right. Perhaps she is not who she claimed to be! Ah! She could be an autograph hound! Jacques lives in relative privacy here, but he has been stalked by his fans for his autograph, you know. That’s it! She must be a determined fan. Well!” Katia waved a wooden spoon at Tara. “She will not come in.” Again, she frowned. “Still, so curious that she left... !” Tara frowned suddenly. “How did she leave?”
“What do you mean?” Katia asked.
“I mean, how did she get here? And how did she leave?”
“Well, I assume she had a car!” Katia said.
“We came into the driveway, and I don’t remember seeing a car in it”
“There must have been,” Katia said.
“We would have noticed a car in the driveway.”
“We are a bit out—surely, she didn’t walk!” Katia said. “Perhaps her car was out on the road.” She laughed. “If she did walk, I can see why she was so upset when we refused to let her see Jacques. But she could not have done so. She must have left her car up on the road. Perhaps she was not even sure she was in the right place.”
“Perhaps,” Tara said with no conviction.
Katia handed her a cup of chocolate, and placed Ann’s on a tray. Tara followed her. Ann was staring into the fire. She did look beat. Strange. At the bar, she had seemed to possess endless energy. Now, she was almost ashen.
“Thank you, Katia. I think I’ll go right up.”
“Ann,” Tara said, halting her as she took her chocolate and turned.
“Yes?”
“Did you see a car in the drive?”
“A car?” Ann frowned. “No ... I don’t think so. But then again ... well, I still felt shaky when we drove back.”
“Yes, so did I, but... that woman who was here. One would have thought that her car would have been in the drive.”
“She must have left it on the road,” Ann said.
“Where else?” Katia asked.
“Right Where else?” Tara murmured.
Ann gave her a wave. “I’m off to bed.”
“Good night”
Ann walked on up. Tara stared into the flames then, sipping her chocolate.
The warm drink, the fire ... the house. Everything that surrounded her was warmth, life as usual ...
She suddenly turned and walked to the front door. She hesitated, then threw it open, afraid that the woman would still be standing there, staring at her with the vengeful mask of hatred she had seen so briefly.
Or imagined.
There was no one there.
She chided herself, closed and carefully locked the door. When it had been double-bolted, she pulled on it, making sure it was tight.
“The rest of the house is locked up?” she asked Katia.