Page 98 of Eldritch

“No. I told him we’d text him before we came over,” Sybil said.

Everything in Sybil tensed with uncertainty. “Let’s check the security camera’s.”

Sybil brought up the camera for the front door, and her mouth opened in surprise. “It’s Clarice. At least I think it’s her. She’s bundled up.”

“What the hell?” Letisha said. “She drove all the way from Estes Park in this shitty weather?”

“See,” Maria chimed in. “That means we can make it to Estes Park.”

Sybil and the others headed to the entryway.

Sybil opened the door, eager to bring the elderly woman out of the blizzard.

The petite woman, who couldn’t be more than about five foot two, wore a winter parka. She drew off her black fleece-looking bucket hat, scarf and gloves as she stepped into the foyer.

A huge smile spread across Clarice’s mouth. “Finally, I get to meet you all in person.”

Letisha went forward to greet the woman. “Come in out of this weather.”

Clarice fluffed her short silvery blonde hair, her blue eyes sparkling and warm. “Letisha? It’s so wonderful to meet you.”

Introductions went all around. Clarice clasped Sybil’s hands and pressed them with the warm affection of a grandmother. Behind Clarice’s stylishly large, framed glasses, her eyes held genuine warmth.

“It is wonderful to finally be here,” Clarice said as she walked into the Great Hall and they followed her. “I can already see that your entire crew has done an amazing job.”

“Thank you.” A warm glow started in Sybil. She gestured to the other women. “But these ladies are the ones you should thank. They’ve pulled a lot of the weight.”

Clarice’s gentle laugh held friendliness. “Oh now, don’t be too modest. I think you’re a force to be reckoned with, Sybil. And Doug likes you and trusts you, so that is a gold star in my book.”

Heat rushed to Sybil’s cheeks. Before she could speak, Maria asked, “Would you like something hot to drink? You must be freezing. It’s terrible weather out there.”

“No, thank you,” Clarice said.

“I’m impressed. How on earth did you get here?” Pauline asked.

The older woman beamed. “My SUV is four-wheel drive. Very reliable. It isn’t as bad in Estes Park as it is here. Amazing what about two thousand feet altitude difference will do for the weather.”

Sybil couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed at the woman turning up on their doorstep without an announcement, but Clarice owned the place. She could do what she wanted.

“I’m sorry I came unannounced.” Clarice looked right at Sybil. “I tried calling, but I kept getting a busy signal on the house phone. Plus, I tried calling you Sybil and you Letisha. It would never go through.”

Sybil snagged her cell phone. “We’ve been having the same problem with our phones. But I got through to Doug recently.”

Clarice shrugged, a good-natured smile on her face. “I was concerned about all of you up here with that deputy’s murder. Horrible business.”

Clarice took off her outwear, hanging them over a nearby chair. She’d worn practical clothes. Thick sweater, jeans and boots. Yet Sybil still couldn’t believe she’d driven all this way out here in a blizzard.

Clarice settled into a chair, and the rest of them did as well. “Poor woman. What could’ve possessed the deputy to poke around in the woods like she did?” Clarice’s expression changed to reflective. “I’ll admit I wasn’t entirely forthcoming about Deputy Annapolis before. She is distantly related to my family. Very distantly related. She came to me some time ago and mentioned...well, it’s scandalous. Very scandalous.”

Sybil smiled at Clarice’s almost Victorian turn of phrase.

“Why don’t we sit somewhere more that’s more comfortable? The parlor maybe?” Letisha eased her chair back. “If that’s agreeable to you?”

Clarice nodded emphatically. “Of course.”

They all went into the parlor and settled on the couches and chairs.

Clarice settled on a chair near the fireplace. The chill in the air made Sybil wish the chimneys were safe for a fire. Or at the very least, that the furnace worked better than it did.

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