Page 4 of Shattered Sanctuary

He took a set of keys from his coat pocket and handed them to her. “Tell Kaely I’ll stop by sometime in the nextfew days. We haven’t seen each other in a long time. I’d like to say hi.”

“She didn’t mention how she knew you.”

“I’m actually friends with her husband, Noah. We went to college together. I met Kaely at their wedding. Wonderful girl. It was clear that Noah found his soulmate in Kaely.”

This was the first thing Steve had said since she’d met him that was from the heart. His body was relaxed, and his smile was genuine.

He said good-bye and started to leave, but he hesitated at the last moment. “Be sure you lock this door securely at night. And the door to the deck as well.”

“The bears here know how to pick locks, Steve?”

She didn’t mean to sound combative, but this guy was spooking her.

He laughed nervously. “Funny,” was all he said before pulling the door shut behind him. Erin gazed out the window and watched as he got into his truck and drove slowly away. What was going on? Was she just being paranoid? It was possible, but the physical clues she saw made her suspicious.

Erin went to the kitchen sink and washed her hands. Then she went outside and started unloading her bags. It only took a few minutes to bring everything inside. Even though she fought the urge, she found herself looking around, peering into the woods. Once she shut the door again, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Stop it,” she said to herself. “This is stupid.” She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. “Wow,” was all she could say. Steve was being modest. The fridge was stocked with several premade meals that included burgundy beef tips, glazed salmon, chicken tikka masala, and stuffed porkchops. Each meal included fancy veggies and either rice or potatoes. Not plain rice or potatoes, either. Rice pilaf, brown rice, saffron rice, grilled potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, or garlic-infused potatoes.

The bottom bin contained several kinds of fruits and ingredients for salad. There were trays of sliced cheeses, sausage, and different kinds of deli meats. There was enough food here for at least a week. Erin closed the fridge and found a door that led to a stocked pantry. Breads, cereals, condiments, and different kinds of wines. She was certain Kaely didn’t drink, and neither did she. Not for any kind of religious reasons. She didn’t drink because she’d seen too many families torn apart by alcohol. Besides, the idea of giving up control to anything or anyone was something she had no desire to do. Especially now.

She decided to check out the rest of the cabin, although again, the wordcabindidn’t really fit this place. She and Kaely certainly wouldn’t be roughing it here.

Downstairs there was a luxurious bathroom with a soaking tub and a separate shower. Upstairs there were three bedrooms and two more bathrooms. The largest bedroom led to a deck. Erin unlocked the sliding glass door and pulled it open. When she stepped onto the stained wood flooring, this time she did gasp. She looked out over acres of pine trees shrouded in mist as far as she could see. Mountains framed the landscape, making the astounding view more magnificent than anything she’d ever experienced. The sun hung low in a sky painted in pinks, yellows, and blues. She looked around the large deck and found several Adirondack chairs as well as a table and a large fire pit. It was so inviting that she didn’t care how cold it was. She and Kaely would have to spendsome time out here. She felt tears spring to her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. Silly. She suspected it wasn’t because of the deck or even the view. For a few minutes, the past couple of years took a backseat in her mind. And that made her emotional.

She stood outside, shivering from the cold, until reluctantly, she decided it was time to get inside where it was warm. As she turned to go, she thought she heard something, almost like a woman crying. She stood still for a moment. Was she imagining things? As she waited, there was only silence. Her body began to tremble from more than just the cold, and she hurried inside, pulling the door closed behind her. Remembering Steve’s words, she quickly locked the door. Suddenly, the cabin didn’t seem quite as inviting. As she stared out into the dark, an all-too-familiar chill of fear slid down her spine.

THREE

Once she’d returned downstairs, Erin checked the front door again. Of course she hadn’t actually heard a woman sobbing. There were all kinds of animals in the woods. It was probably a bird of some kind. For a split second, she thought about calling the police—or even Steve—but she didn’t want to sound like some kind of silly city person who jumped at every noise. Besides, it could easily be her imagination. The nightmares and a lack of sleep had caused hallucinations before. She’d seen things in her room—or thought she had. Heard voices threatening her. Blaming her for Scott’s death. She’d never told anyone about them. Not even the shrinks she’d talked to after the shooting. She struggled with herself for a few minutes, but in the end, she sat down on the couch in the living room and called Kaely.

“Just what did you get us into?” she said when Kaely answered her phone.

“What are you talking about?”

Erin recounted her meeting with Steve and the strange sound she’d heard outside. “Your friend Steve spooked me alittle. It was obvious something was bothering him. He kept warning me to lock the doors. Is he always so paranoid?”

Kaely was quiet for a moment. “That’s odd,” she said finally. “To be honest, I don’t know him very well, but I got the impression from Noah that he was pretty stable.”

Erin sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s my imagination. You know how messed up I’ve been.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kaely said, “but I trust your instincts. When I get there, maybe I should have a talk with him.”

“Yeah, and he’ll think you have a bonkers friend who shouldn’t be allowed out by herself.”

“Well, there’s that, but just in case...”

Erin laughed. “Thanks a lot. Seriously, this place really doesn’t look like anyone’s idea of a cabin. Maybe from the outside, but inside it’s incredible.”

“Sounds great. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. My plane should be in around two.”

“I wish you’d let me pick you up at the airport. Sunday traffic shouldn’t be bad. As long as I don’t have to get out of the car, I’ll be fine.”

“No,” Kaely said. “The area can be pretty confusing. I can’t have you getting lost out there.”

“Where did you stay when you were here before?”

“We rented a place about ten miles from where you are now. Steve only bought the cabin a couple of years ago, so this will be the first chance I’ve had to see it.”

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