“I didn’t get a good look at her,” Mo offered. “I saw her through the window, but she looked about my size, around five foot eight, maybe.”
“Briseis saw her,” Mom offered.
Dr. Grant was taking notes on a small pad of paper but stopped abruptly. She didn’t look up but her pen stopped moving. “And what did you see, Briseis?” she asked, eyes still downcast.
“It was dark,” I said. “It was a girl. Maybe. I’m not sure but somebody was definitely out there.” I knew what I’d seen but I found myself holding back on the details.
Dr. Grant took the walkie-talkie from her belt. “I need a community patrol to sweep the outside of 307 Old Post Road.” She holstered it and went to the front door.
“She’s probably not hiding outside, right?” I asked.
“I hope not,” said Mo, glancing at Mom. “For her sake.”
Mom huffed.
A few minutes later, a car marked with a Rhinebeck Public Safety decal pulled up and two people got out. They went to opposite sides of the house with their flashlights drawn, casting long columns of light into the dark. Dr. Grant opened the door as they circled around and came back.
“We did a quick sweep,” one of them called out as we followed her onto the porch. “But the property is huge. You folks buy it recently?”
“It was left to my daughter in an inheritance,” said Mo. “We came up for the summer to check the place out.”
Dr. Grant turned to me and there was concern in her eyes. “I’ve lived in Rhinebeck my whole life. When I started my own practice, I networked with people on the police force. They used to get all kinds of calls about this place, but it’s been quiet for the better part of ten years. Not a single call out here—until today. When I saw the address dispatch sent over, I thought it was a mistake.”
“Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a regular thing,” Mom said. “I don’t play when it comes to the safety of my wife or my daughter.”
Dr. Grant nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you know anything about the people who lived here before?” I asked.
She shifted where she stood. “They were a pretty private family. Rhinebeck is a small town. People like to talk. A bunch of foolishness if you ask me, but like I said, there were always complaints of strange people coming and going.”
“Strange people?” I asked. Her tone echoed what Mrs. Redmond had said to us before we left Brooklyn—colorful characters. It didn’t sit right with me.
“Rhinebeck is a community within a community,” she said, measuring her words. “Outside of the tourists, there are all sorts of people here. Artists, celebrities, people just trying to make a living.” She stopped on the verge of saying more. “I’m sure it’s just local kids. They probably thought this place was still empty. I know I did.”
“It’s not empty anymore,” Mom said.
“No, ma’am. And I’ll be sure to let police and fire know so there’s no further confusion.”
“So it’s all clear out there now?” Mo asked.
“I think so,” Dr. Grant said. “I’ll do a walk around the perimeter before I go. I suggest you make sure everything is locked up tight. I’ll give you a call in the morning to check in, if you’d like.”
“Not necessary,” Mo said. “But we appreciate the offer.”
Dr. Grant handed Mo her card. “If there’s any trouble, anything at all, call this number to reach me directly. I’ll come right over. Rhinebeck is unique, and I wouldn’t want you getting run off before you’ve even had a chance to settle in. I hope you’ll like it here.”
After she left, we walked through every room in the house and made sure all the doors and windows were locked. The house seemed more ominous as the night pressed in on us. The dark corners deeper, the hallways longer. I grabbed a blanket and balled up at the end of my parents’ bed, trying to pretend everything was fine. Mo said it was fine. Even Mom tried to tell me it was fine but Mo kept glancing toward the window and Mom put her Taser on the nightstand in a way that would let her grab it at any moment.
Strangers in the driveway, a house that was mine and not mine at the same time, my friends back home probably not thinking about me at all, and a dead woman thinking about me so much she’d left me