Page 19 of Whispers of Helena
“Think I can’t handle a stallion?” I arch my eyebrow.
“Didn’t say that.” His eyes bore through me.
“So I can take her out for a ride? Is Saturday okay?”
He nods. “That’s fine. Just make sure Eli helps you greet her and I’ll give you a gun to take with you.”
I shake my head as heat rises up in me. “No gun needed.”
“Not everything is friendly out on those trails, Helena. No gun, no horse,” he states firmly.
“I’ll take my knife and my pepper spray. Thank you for the offer though.” Silas opens his mouth to speak again, but I cut him off. “Eli, I’ll see you Saturday morning?”
Eli’s eyes move between Silas and me. “I’ll be here.”
I don’t look at Silas, but I can feel the frustration rolling off of him. “Good. Come on, Kiran.”
The boy joins me, and we walk to the house.
Town Meeting
Helena
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you
1 Peter 5:7
Friday morning dawnsas I drive into town. Eli insisted the men could handle the house for a couple of hours, so I decided to take Ruth up on her long-standing offer of breakfast. The thought of a hot meal prepared by someone else and familiar company is a small comfort.
The diner’s parking lot is as full as I remember from my first day in town, but inside, the front dining room feels eerily empty. Sunlight streams through the windows, but it does little to dispel the heavy air hanging over the place. I settle onto a stool at the counter, laying my Bible beside me.
The sound of raised voices drifts from the back dining room, urgent, until one cuts through sharply. “We need to know if the rest of the town’s in danger! Once they’re done out there, will they come for the rest of us?”
Before I can strain to hear more, Ruth appears, her usualcheery demeanor intact. “Coffee, dear?” she asks, startling me out of my eavesdropping.
I manage a tight smile. “Yes, please.”
She pours my coffee and hands me a menu. “I’m glad you came to see me today.”
Her warmth feels slightly off, like a mask. I glance toward the source of the commotion. “What’s going on back there?”
She doesn’t falter, wiping the counter with forceful strokes. “Town meeting of sorts.”
I sip my coffee, unsatisfied. “What about?”
“Nothing to concern yourself with. The men can handle these things,” she says lightly, but there’s an edge to her voice, a dismissal that only fuels my curiosity.
“Why were they talking about danger?” I press, keeping my tone steady.
Ruth sighs, finally meeting my gaze. “There’ve been some deaths in the county.”
“Deaths?” My grip tightens on the mug. “Like a sickness?”
Her head shakes slowly. “No, like killings.”
I feel a chill at the word, my eyes darting back to the other room’s doorway where the voices have faded to urgent murmurs. “Murder?” I whisper, the word feeling foreign on my tongue.
“Six so far,” she replies, her tone almost too calm.
