Page 9 of In Her Dreams
Rusty’s fingers tightened around her coffee cup.“It’s just...there are things that don’t make sense.”
“Like what?”
“Dad’s been different these past couple months.After Mom died two years ago, he developed this terrible claustrophobia.It was so bad he couldn’t even ride in cars anymore—he walked to the bank every day, no matter the weather.”Rusty leaned forward, lowering her voice as though they were alone.“But then, about two months ago, something changed.He said he’d had a breakthrough.”
“Did he explain what kind of breakthrough?”
“That’s just it—he was frustratingly vague.Said he’d ‘found a way.’I assumed he’d finally agreed to try therapy or medication, but whenever I asked directly, he’d change the subject.”
Jenna frowned.“That doesn’t sound like Richard.He was always so straightforward.”
“Exactly.He became secretive, but also...lighter somehow.Happier.It was nice to see, but strange too.”Rusty’s eyes met Jenna’s.“Would you...would you like to see his room?Where Amy found him?”
Jenna nodded, setting down her barely-touched coffee.“If you’re comfortable with that.”
They climbed the carpeted staircase in silence.The upper hallway was lined with more family photographs—Richard and Betty on their 30th anniversary cruise, Rusty’s wedding day, more recent photos of Rusty’s children.
The master bedroom door stood ajar.Rusty hesitated before pushing it open fully.
“I haven’t touched anything,” she said.“The paramedics put everything back the way it was after they...after they took him.”
The room was spacious yet intimate, with a king-sized bed dominating the center.Large windows overlooked the backyard, where a stone patio gave way to carefully tended flower beds.The bed was made with military precision, its navy blue comforter and precisely arranged pillows suggesting it had been restored to order after the morning’s events.
“He was there,” Rusty said, pointing to a spot on the hardwood floor between the bed and the door.“Like he’d tried to get up and collapsed before he could reach the door.”
Jenna scanned the room with a professional eye, taking in details—the reading glasses on the nightstand, the book laid face-down beside them, the empty water glass.
“Did anything seem out of place this morning?Anything unusual?”
Rusty’s gaze shifted to the wall opposite the bed.“That,” she said, pointing to an object hanging there.“I’d never seen it before.”
Jenna moved closer to examine it.
The circular item was intricately woven with what looked like animal sinew or thin leather straps.Feathers hung from its lower half, along with rough wooden beads and what must have been animal teeth.It was about a foot in diameter, with complex patterns woven throughout the interior web.Whatever it was, the thing looked very much out of place in the traditional decor of the room.
At first, she thought it looked like a dreamcatcher.But how could it be?She recalled the decorative round hangings she’d seen in the windows of various homes and shops.They typically featured sparkling crystals, delicate beads, and brightly-colored feathers, clearly designed to foster spiritual growth, attract good luck, or, more often than not, simply add a touch of brightness to a room.
The object hanging on the wall, however, looked downright ugly to her.Its woven design appeared tangled and chaotic, the dull, faded threads crisscrossing in a disordered pattern that seemed to repel rather than attract.Even the feathers were ragged and dull, as if they had been plucked from a long-dead bird.And those pointy teeth …
Why on earth would Richard Winters bring home something like that?
“Amy said Dad hung it up there around the time he started feeling better,” Rusty explained.“But she didn’t know where it had come from.”
“May I take a photo?”Jenna asked, reaching for her phone.
“Of course.”Rusty wrapped her arms around herself.“I know this sounds crazy, but I keep feeling like that thing is...watching me.I almost took it down this morning, but something stopped me.”
Jenna captured several images from different angles, careful to get the intricate details.“It’s not crazy to feel uncomfortable after what you’ve been through today.”
They returned downstairs in silence, both women lost in their own thoughts.Back in the dining room, the coffee had grown cold in their cups.
“There’s something else,” Rusty said, her voice dropping to just above a whisper.“Something I didn’t discuss with the paramedics or Dr.Renault when he came to pronounce Dad.”
Jenna waited, giving her friend space to continue.
“His face, Jenna.”Rusty’s eyes filled with fresh tears.“When Amy found him, his expression...it wasn’t peaceful.He looked terrified.Like he’d seen something so horrifying that it...”She broke off, unable to finish.
“You think something frightened him?”Jenna asked carefully.
