deep breath and went to the door to let in the first of the visitors. As she knew they would, they carried containers of food. She couldn’t help but think that the dishes were like a movie ticket. They were paying for a show. In this case it was information about the car found in the lake. And the people who’d been there for years wanted to know about Billy. And Stacy. Was it true that Terri and Billy were back together? Had Nate really dropped sweet Stacy flat? Good for Terri to dump him and go back to Billy.
More than one person admitted he/she was torn about Nate. “He fished our son/daughter/dog out of the water” was said many times. But they also said, “Stacy has always been so nice to us. I hate to see her hurt.”
Terri did her best to be gracious and thank them for yet another casserole—and she listened to all the gossip they told her. The only surprise was when they said that Billy Thorndyke was now a minister. “And he’s taking over St. Anne’s Church.”
“I can’t believe he didn’t tell you!” They waited for Terri to make a comment but she didn’t.
She called Nate three times to see how he was doing, but it went to voice mail. She figured he was as overwhelmed as she was and couldn’t answer the phone.
After lunch—eaten cold and quickly—she called Elaine and asked about her dad.
“He ranges between depression and relief. His beloved wife did not leave him, but she was murdered. He’s been talking about her all day. I’m taking good care of him.”
Terri wanted to hug Elaine. Most women would have been jealous, but not her. “Thank you,” she whispered as she choked up.
“Anytime, honey.”
Her talk with Elaine gave her new energy and she greeted the next batch of well-wishers with a smile.
At three, Nate called.
“You can’t believe how busy it is here,” she said. “I—”
“Terri! Where is the Chinese bowl?”
“It’s—” She looked at her coffee table. It wasn’t where she’d left it. “I don’t know. The guys gave it to me and I’m sure I put it on the table. It was still in that tote bag.”
“Could you have put it somewhere else and don’t remember?”
In other circumstances, she would have snapped at him that she was far from being senile. But the urgency in Nate’s voice kept her from replying.
With the phone in her hand, she ran through the house, throwing open doors to closets, the laundry room, bathrooms. “I don’t see it and there has been no time to tuck it away somewhere. Do you think it was stolen?” She remembered that Nate said it was valuable.
“Who has been there today?”
“Half the lake.”
“I need their names.”
“I’ll make a list and send it to you.”
“No!” Nate said. “Now. Tell me. I’ll write them down.”
Terri didn’t waste time asking why he needed it. She heard his tone. She thought back from the morning and gave him names. She opened the refrigerator and looked inside. The casserole dishes had the names of the owners taped on them. She read them off to Nate, and if she remembered, she gave him the cabin number.
When the doorbell rang, she ignored it. “Can I ask what this is about?” she asked.
“Not yet. I want you to go to one of the empty cabins and stay there. I want you to hide. Understand me?”
“Yes.” She tried to sound calm. “Nate, please don’t do anything dumb.”
“Change my entire personality in an instant?”
She didn’t smile at his joke as her heart was pounding in her throat.
“I love you,” he said, then clicked off.
“Back at you,” she said to the silent phone as she began running. She threw clothes in a bag with her cell charger, locked the house, then got into her boat.
She knew ways to move about the lake so no one could see her. Even binoculars couldn’t follow her as she ducked between trees and under plants that needed pruning.
At last she hid her little boat and made her way up stone steps to a cabin she’d only visited twice before. It wasn’t one she usually took care of so no one would know she’d be there. But she knew it was empty, the owners wouldn’t be back for weeks and she knew where the key was hidden.
She didn’t turn on the lights. Instead, she sat down in front of the glass window, phone at her side, and watched the lake. There wasn’t much activity and she thought