Too good of a show.
Miss Bitty placed a hand on Allie’s shoulder. “And I’m glad you yelled and said the things you said. The way I see it, it was a great therapy session. What you said was honest and healthy, Allie. You let go of a lot of pain.”
Yes. A lot. “But how did you know Hannah was troubled?”
Bitty paused. “Well, let’s just say that I know things.”
“Like what kind of things?”
Miss Bitty gazed at her and Allie noticed that her red-rimmed eyes were also glazed over. She was either drunk or close to it.
“Well, what if I told you that there was something inside of me . . . a sixth sense, if you will . . . that told me you were supposed to come into my life? That I moved here from California just for you? Now, I didn’t know exactly when, but I knew that if I came here, our paths would cross and you would need me. That I’d have an important role in your life. Would you believe me?”
Allie nodded. At this point she would believe pretty much anything Miss Bitty told her, glassy-eyed or not.
A shadow crossed the old woman’s face. “I don’t know everything, though,” she muttered and sighed. “That’s the problem.”
CHAPTER 47
ALLIE BLINKED SLEEP from her swollen eyes. Piglet was growling at the end of bed, her body erect.
She heard a bump in the doorway, then heavy footsteps disappearing down the hall.
What the—?
Piglet shot out of the room, barking.
No! “Piglet!” Allie screamed, swinging her legs out of the bed.
There was a loud clatter in the living room. Piglet’s barks became frantic. But once Allie reached the living room, there was no one in sight.
Piglet’s barks grew faint, now coming from outside the house. Allie ran through the kitchen to find the door to the mudroom standing wide open.
Her heart hammering in her chest, she stepped out into the chilly air to see the puppy at the mouth of the woods, stubby little tail stiff and ears at attention.
“Piglet, come!” she commanded. “Here, girl! Come, Piglet!”
The dog glanced back at her for a moment as if she wasn’t sure what to do, then she let out a high-pitched bark and bounded into the woods.
“Piglet, no!”
The little dog’s barks grew faint as the distance between them grew.
“Piglet!”
Allie ran across the yard, the hard ground cold against her bare feet, but when she reached the mouth of the woods, she froze. Something told her it would be a bad idea to follow the dog.
“Piglet! Piglet!” she cried, hoping the pup would turn around and come jumping into her arms.
Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard the dog yelp.
Then, she couldn’t hear the dog at all.
Allie banged on Miss Bitty’s bedroom door. “Miss Bitty? Miss Bitty!” But the old woman didn’t answer.
She threw the door open. The room smelled stale, and the old woman was lying on her side in the middle of the bed. She looked so small and fragile, it was hard to believe she had such a commanding personality. On the table next to her was a wineglass and two empty bottles of wine.
“Miss Bitty?” she said, trying to keep her voice somewhat calm, although adrenaline was surging through her.
The woman didn’t move.
“Miss Bitty!” she said more urgently, tears clouding her vision. “Miss Bitty!” she yelled.
The woman turned over and stared at her with bleary eyes. “What . . . what is it?”
“Someone was in the house! I got up to check it out and the mudroom door was wide open and, oh my God, Piglet’s in the woods and I think she’s hurt. We have to find her!”
Wide awake, Miss Bitty peeled back the covers and jumped out of bed. She grabbed a robe from the back of her closet door. “Stay in here and lock the door.”
An image of her childhood dog, Petey, flashed in Allie’s head. Of her mother leading the dog into the woods. “I can’t. Piglet’s in the woods and she’s hurt. I have to find her!”
“I’ll look for her. Now, stay in here and lock the door,” she ordered again, her voice strained. “Do it now.”
The old woman quickly left the room. And although it was difficult, Allie did as she was told. She paced around the room and obediently waited.
CHAPTER 48
MISS BITTY SEARCHED the house but saw no obvious signs of an intruder. She hurried outside and carefully searched the back of the property.
Nothing.
“Piglet?” she called. “Piglet! Come here, girl! Piglet!”
All she heard was the chirping of crickets.
She walked to the guesthouse and knocked on the door. A moment later Joe answered. “Is everything okay?”
“Were you in the house just now?” she asked.
“No. Why? Is something wrong?”
“Have you seen or heard anything unusual tonight? Someone in the yard maybe?”
Joe shook his head. “No, but I was sleeping pretty deep.”
“How about Allie’s dog? Have you seen her?”
“No, I haven’t. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
Miss Bitty sighed. “I don’t know. Allie said she thought she heard someone in the house. When she checked, the door to the mudroom was wide open and the dog ran into the woods. She hasn’t come back.”
“I’ll grab a flashlight and search the house.”
“I already did,” the old woman said. “But please, see if you can find the dog. Allie’s grown really attached to her.”
“Will do.”
“And Joe? Even if you don’t find the dog, call the house if you see anything unusual.”
“I will.”
Bitty started for the house again when she had another thought. She turned and saw Joe powering on a flashlight. “And one more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Do me a favor and, even after tonight, keep an eye out around here on a regular basis, will you? There’s a killer on the loose and I have a young girl inside who I need to protect.”
“Yeah, Miss Bitty. Sure thing. I’ll keep an eye out.”
CHAPTER 49
HE COULDN’T WAIT any longer.