“I don’t like the idea of you going alone,” he said, his brow furrowing. “We still don’t know who might be watching the place.”
“It’s broad daylight, and I’ll be quick.” I poured the egg mixture into the hot pan. “Besides, all I have to do is walk around the fence line and up his laneway. You can watch me from Nora’s bedroom window if you want.”
He didn’t look convinced. “At least take Scout with you. He’s a good judge of character, and he’ll bark if something’s off.”
I stared at the omelet, considering arguing further, but the concern in his eyes when I looked at him made me give in. “Fine. Scout can come as my bodyguard.”
Twenty minutes later, with Caleb settled back on the couch, his leg elevated on pillows, a plate balanced on his lap, and the TV remote, his phone, and a glass of water within reach, I slipped into my boots by the door.
“I’ll be back in an hour, tops,” I promised, pulling on my coat and zipping it up.
“If you’re not, I’m coming after you, bum leg and all,” Caleb warned, his expression serious despite the forced lightness in his tone.
Scout circled my legs excitedly, sensing an adventure. I clipped on his leash, though I doubted I’d need it out here in the country, but just the same, I didn’t want the guilt if the dog decided to take off after a jackrabbit.
“See ya,” I said, and sent him a wave as I stepped onto the back porch. The walk to Jake’s place was peaceful, the morning sun now fully risen, glittering off the snow. Scout boundedahead, occasionally stopping to sniff something interesting before racing back to check on me.
Jake’s farmhouse looked eerily still with everyone gone. It gave me the creeps, like someone was watching me from an upstairs window. “Come on, Scout,” I said, picking up the pace.
As I trudged through the snow, the dog trotting beside me, my thoughts turned to Nora. Where had Viktor Petrov taken her? What was he doing to her right now? The thought of someone so innocent being taken made my stomach clench.
I’d seen what men like him were capable of—the casual cruelty, the disregard for human life. And Nora was just a child. My pace quickened unconsciously, as if by moving faster I could somehow help her, even from thousands of miles away.
The lock on the barn door hung open. I was thankful, as it was heavy and I didn’t want to stand in the freezing cold fumbling with a lock. It took my full weight to slide it open. Inside, it was dimly lit, the smell of hay and animals enveloping me immediately. Several cows mooed from their stalls, clearly eager for breakfast.
“I know, I know,” I murmured, as the momma cat circled my legs. Finding a bag of cat food in the feed storage area, I dumped some into her bowl, then looked at the cows and horses. “Ella texted and said you get two scoops each, right?” I looked at them, expecting an answer.
I giggled, shook my head, and got to it. I worked methodically, moving from stall to stall, pouring feed and checking water troughs. The work was almost soothing, giving my anxious mind something concrete to focus on. Scout stayed close, occasionally sniffing at the straw-covered floor with interest.
It wasn’t until I’d fed the last cow and was turning to leave that I noticed something wasn’t right. There was a stillness in the back corner of the barn that felt... deliberate. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.
Scout noticed it too, his ears perking forward, a low growl rumbling in his chest.
“Hello?” I called, my voice sounding thin in the cavernous space. “Is someone there?”
No answer, but Scout’s growl deepened. I took a step back, bumping into the stall door behind me.
That’s when I saw it—a shadow shifting where no shadow should be, and the unmistakable silhouette of a person standing in the darkest corner of the barn, watching me.
I grabbed the closest weapon I could find. A shop broom, pointed at them. “Who’s there?” I called, gripping the broom handle tighter. My heart hammered against my ribs as I squinted into the darkness.
The shadow moved, and a figure stepped forward into a shaft of dusty light streaming through the barn’s high windows.
“Easy there, city girl.” A woman with silver-streaked hair tied back in a practical braid emerged from the darkness. She wore overalls and a flannel shirt, looking every bit the part of a local farmer. “You’re liable to hurt someone with that deadly weapon.”
I didn’t lower the broom. “Who are you and what are you doing in Jake’s barn?”
Scout had stopped growling but remained alert at my side, his body tense.
“I’m Margret Holloway. I live on the property adjacent to Jake’s.” She gestured vaguely toward the back of the barn. “I waschecking on the animals in case no one else was.” She looked me up and down. “I’m guessing that you will?”
I slowly lowered the broom, though I didn’t entirely release my grip. “Yes.”
Margret shrugged. “I’ll leave you to it. Though I’ve already fed the chickens out back.”
“Thanks,” I said, still wary. “How did you get in? I didn’t see another vehicle.”
“I walked through the back field. It’s only about half a mile from my place if you cut across.” She pointed to a small door at the rear of the barn I hadn’t noticed before. “I’ve known Jake since he was in diapers. We’re practically family.”
