Page 76 of Fatal Witness

The aroma of bacon frying pulled Dani awake. Lizi raised her head from her spot at the foot of the bed when Dani raised her arm to check her watch. Almost eight thirty? She hadn’t slept this late in years.

The Puli hopped to the floor as Dani climbed out of bed. After a stop-off in the bathroom, she slipped into her jeans and pullover and grabbed Lizi’s leash before the two hurried to the kitchen. Her grandmother sat at the table, drumming her fingers. Dani hugged her. “Good morning.”

Nonny hugged her back. “You too.”

Judith looked up as she placed a strip of bacon on a platter and smiled. “Coffee’s on the counter,” she said.

“Thanks, but I better take Lizi out first.”

“I’ll take her,” Sheriff Stone said as he entered the kitchen.

“Thank you, but she’s my responsibility.”

“Today’s she’s mine,” he replied with a smile. “Mark isn’t here, and Alex is in the shower—she gave me explicit instructions that you weren’t to step outside the house unless one of them is available. Besides, I need to get the morning paper from the box.”

She quirked her mouth to the side. Even though Dani understood, she didn’t like being hovered over, but judging by the setof the sheriff’s jaw, there was no changing his mind. Might as well be gracious. She handed him the leash. “Thank you.”

“Now you know how I feel,” Nonny said.

“What do you mean?”

“Judith won’t let me do anything. Expects me to sit here like the Queen of Sheba, getting waited on hand and foot.”

“You know better than that. I just don’t want you to overdo.” Judith winked at Dani. “Coffee’s still on the counter.”

“Thanks.” Dani poured a cup and refilled her grandmother’s. “How did you sleep?”

“As well as can be expected, seeing how it’s so noisy here. Cars running all over the place, honking horns and the like. I miss my mountain. How about you?”

“I had crazy dreams.” Details of the dream came flooding back along with the sketches she’d done afterward. “Be right back. I have something I want to show you.”

Dani hurried to her bedroom, grabbed the sketch pad, and returned to the kitchen. She flipped to the drawings of her parents and showed them to Nonny.

Her grandmother pressed her fingers to her lips as she gasped.

Judith looked over her friend’s shoulder. “It’s Neva and Bobby,” she whispered.

“I couldn’t sleep after my dream,” Dani said. “My hand seemed to work of its own accord.”

“I love the way you’ve sketched them.” Nonny looked up, her eyes shiny.

“Sketched who?” Alex asked as she came into the kitchen, her damp hair pulled up in a ponytail.

Nonny held up the sketch. “She drew Neva and Bobby.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “I barely remember Bobby, but this looks just like the picture of Neva you have on your mantel.”

“I know.”

“I also drew the man from last Saturday night.” Dani turnedto the sketch of the man in the ski mask. “There was some light with the full moon, but not enough to see details. It’s the best I could do. The body is a general impression. The dark eyes and the gun he had pointed at Lizi made a stronger imprint on my mind.”

“The mask was camouflage?”

“Yes.”

Alex studied the image. “Looks like you think he had wide shoulders. Was he as tall as Mark?”

Dani closed her eyes briefly. Her face warmed as she brought up Mark’s image in her mind and quickly shifted her thoughts to what the other man looked like. “About the same.”

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