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Still, Cleo led the way to the music room.
“Everything just as we left it.”
“The paintings. The wedding rings aren’t there.”
Cleo turned her head. “Yes, they are. You don’t see them?”
“I—yes. But… Groggy,” she said again. “I didn’t see them for a second. Since we’re down here, we should check the clock.”
The hands stood at three.
“No point in changing them,” Sonya decided. “Something happened at three in the morning. Why else would it only sound then? But I don’t think it’s Hester Dobbs, Cleo. Or not her getting me walking in my sleep, taking me to and through that mirror. I talked to Trey about that. Why would she want me to see, want me to know details?”
“That’s a good point. But I still don’t like you wandering around in a daze, in the dark.”
“I’m not crazy about it either.”
“We’ll go back up. I’ll tuck you in. I can stay with you.”
“I’m fine, really.” If she didn’t count feeling light-headed and heavy in the limbs. “Just stupid with tired. And the moment’s passed for tonight.”
“I think you’re right. The house is quiet. It just feels quiet now. All settled down.”
Still, when they got upstairs, Cleo sat on the side of the bed. “No wandering without me.”
“Definitely don’t plan on it.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
But she sat in her sitting room for another ten minutes, then crept back. When she saw Sonya sleeping, she relaxed enough to go back to bed.
A quiet house surrounded Sonya in the morning. Grateful for it, she went through the breakfast routine—hers and Yoda’s. Clover greeted her with “Good Morning Starshine.”
“Good morning to you.”
She wondered, if she made it to the afterlife—a very long time in the future—if she’d manage the perpetual cheerful as it appeared Clover did.
By eight-thirty, she settled at her desk with Yoda under it.
An hour later, she heard Cleo shuffling toward the staircase.
“Hey!”
Still in her pajamas, hair everywhere, Cleo looked in with sleepy eyes. And grunted.
“Just wanted to say thanks for having my back last night.”
“I’ve got yours, you’ve got mine.” Yawning, Cleo bent down to rub Yoda when he darted out to greet her. “Who can be a morning grump with that happy face? But I need coffee. Must have coffee.”
Yoda watched her go, then decided to spread out by the fire.
After good progress on the Doyle job, and a few tweaks to the basic design for the flower shop, Sonya started on the Ryder presentation.
One hour, she reminded herself. Then a break, and back to Doyle.
At the end of the hour, she gave herself ten more minutes.
Satisfied, she started to turn to call Yoda. “Let’s go outside.”
