Page 34 of The Fragile Ones
“Of course, just giving you a heads up, that’s all. Give me a call if you need anything.”
There was more of a warning there than concern, Katie was sure of it. “Thanks again for seeing us,” she said. “I’ll be waiting for the names of anyone you think might still be in touch with Mr. Mayfield.”
Katie and McGaven remained silent until they were inside the car and Katie had turned the engine over. The fan air blew into the Jeep as she eased the vehicle onto Second Street.
“Weird?” said McGaven.
“Weird, and I’ll raise you a strange.”
Unusual…
Unpleasant…
“Did you get the feeling that he was keeping something from us?” she said.
“Absolutely.”
“But why? Is he protecting someone here?”
“Don’t know, but I’ll do a bit of a background on him and this town when we get back,” he said.”
“And I’ll see what I dig up tomorrow.” She wanted to do a deep dive into this mysterious town and any other abductions in the area.
“There it is,” McGaven instructed.
Katie turned onto Sycamore and continued slowly. Willow trees hung down low, obscuring the views of the homes on the street. When they finally came to the end, there was a small two-story house tucked deep into overgrown trees, bushes, and weeds. It was obvious that no one had stepped foot on the property in years. In the dwindling daylight, the effect was ominous.
“Wow,” said Katie.
“Disturbing.”
“It’s just an old house that no one has lived in for a while…a long while.”
“It’s creepy. I’ve seen old abandoned houses before but this is just plain scary.”
Katie parked. Turning to McGaven, she said, “Scary? Really? I thought nothing scared you.” She got out of the car and stood in front of the home, wishing she had worn jeans instead of her nice suit slacks. She grabbed a flashlight, deciding to shed her jacket and tossing it into the car.
“You’re going in there?” he asked. “We’re running out of daylight.”
“I’m just going to quickly check it out.”
“What do you expect to find?”
“You never know. The Mayfields lived there for a while before it was abandoned. There could be anything inside. Then again, nothing at all.”
“I’ll go around back and check the area,” he said. “Watch your step,” he ordered, and disappeared around the side of the house.
Katie looked for a front entrance, which was difficult to ascertain due to the overgrowth. The trees and bushes were so overrun that the small house had all but disappeared behind them. The deep odor of wet earth made everything seem dank and moldy.
Next to the house, she found a small side gate that was now only a couple of boards loosely nailed together. Pulling it open, her boots sank into the decomposed leaves, branches, and dirt that lined the path that used to lead to the porch and front door. Turning the rusty doorknob, the old wooden door stuck, so she used her shoulder to push it open and drag it across the threshold. Pausing a moment, Katie allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Stepping slowly inside, it was now just an empty space, and she switched on the flashlight to find her way to the middle of what was the living room. It stank of mold, and possibly decomposing small animals.
Sweeping the light back and forth, she tried to imagine what it was like when the Mayfields lived here. Homey furnishings, a rug, family photographs, delicious aromas coming from the kitchen—a newlywed couple’s first home. It would have been a warm place of love and sanctuary.
Or was it?
Looking around in its present condition, it was dark, with shadows morphing into shapes. The large window in the living room was gone, boarded with several pieces of wood. Katie could see windows in the back of house that were still intact but filthy from neglect. Streaks of heavy grime covered the only areas where light could shine through.
The staircase caught her attention. She had enough time for a quick trip upstairs before she ran out of daylight completely.
