Кэти Дэйли - The Curse Of Hollister House

At the time of Stella’s disappearance, I’d been devastated. Not only had she been my best friend, but the only reason she’d been walking alone, and probably the only reason she was attacked, was because we’d argued and I’d left school without waiting for her as I usually did. Yes, I was only twelve at the time, and I realize now, after years of counseling, that twelve-year-old friends tend to have spats, and I’d almost let the therapist convince me that her death wasn’t my fault, but there hadn’t been a day since Stella’s body was found that I hadn’t wished I’d done things differently.

They never did figure out who’d attacked her or why her face had been shredded the way it had been. They never figured out who had robbed a young girl on the cusp of womanhood of the life she’d been meant to have.

I turned when I heard a car in the drive. It was Gracie. I waved to her but didn’t make an effort to close the distance between us. I didn’t suppose I’d be able to learn any more than I already knew by standing there watching the lights in the distance, but somehow, I found myself unable to walk away.

“Looks like another girl has died,” Tom said to Gracie when she walked up and joined us.

“I heard. They think it is Tracy Porter.”

I glanced at Gracie. “Tracy Porter?”

“Young girl who went missing a month or so ago,” Tom answered. “She was walking home alone, same as Stella and, like Stella, she never made it to her destination.”

“It’s been twenty years since Stella died. Surely we can’t be looking at the same killer,” Gracie pointed out.

“Is Deputy Quinby still in charge of the local sheriff’s office?” I asked. To be honest, when I’d lived here, I found the man to be very nice but pretty useless when it came to tracking down individuals behind any serious crimes.

“He retired,” Gracie answered. “Cass Wylander is in charge of the local office now.”

I raised a brow. “Really? I hadn’t heard.” Cass and I had been kindred spirits when we were kids. We both had active imaginations and a willingness to seek out adventures. Next to Stella, Cass was probably the best friend I’d had when I’d lived here. He’d played the guitar, and I’d played the piano and keyboard. We’d talked about forming a rock band, but that was before I realized it was a different type of music that was surging through my soul.

“I thought the two of you kept in touch,” Gracie said.

“We did,” I answered. “At first. But you know how it is. I left Foxtail Lake fourteen years ago. I guess as time went by, we drifted apart.”

“Cass is a good cop,” Tom said. “If anyone can figure out who killed Tracy, he can.”

“You should look him up when you have a chance,” Gracie suggested.

“I will.”

Gracie looked at Tom. “I’m making spaghetti. Do you want to come by for a bite?”

“I’d like that very much. I’ll need to clean up a bit first.”

“That’s fine. I’ll see you in an hour.”

I watched as Gracie made her way back to the house while Tom headed toward his own cabin. The two had lived on this property together for close to forty years. I knew they were friends, but at times, I’d wondered if they might not be more. I knew that Gracie believed strongly in the Hollister curse and had vowed never to marry, but vowing not to marry didn’t mean she hadn’t ever fallen in love.

Chapter 2

Monday

After Stella’s mutilated body had been found, a dark cloud of fear and grief settled over the small community of Foxtail Lake. I’d only been a child and Gracie had shielded me from the worst of it, but I remembered the quiet whispers and apprehensive glances that had been passed between the adults as they shared their theories as to who might have murdered the young girl and whether or not the killer would seek out another. I remembered the pulled blinds, locked doors, and early curfews. I remembered the terror that had replaced the open thresholds and friendly exchanges that at one time had defined our little town.

I knew the news that Tracy’s remains had been found would be all over town by today. I was older now and understood the threat one horrible death presented to the masses. I mentally prepared myself for the same dark cloud of fear and grief to greet me as I headed toward Nottaway General Store, but of course, as I’ve said many times in the recent past, what you prepare for and what you are greeted with are not always one and the same.

“Is that Callie Collins?” screeched Nora Nottaway, half owner of the general store along with her husband, Ned.

“Yes, it’s me,” I hugged the plump, gray-haired woman who had been a fixture in town for as long as I could remember.

“I heard you were back, but I told Ned that I wouldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. How are you, girl?”

I wanted to say, “perfectly horrible,” but settled on “fine.”

“I bet your aunt Gracie is over the moon to have you back in town. It’s been a while. I know she missed you something awful.”

“It has been a while,” I agreed, feeling bad about not coming home for a visit before this.

“Are you staying for a while, or do you have to get back to your fancy life in New York?”

“I’m actually planning an extended stay.”

Nora offered me a look of sympathy. “I heard about the accident.”

I wouldn’t exactly call being slammed into by a drunk driver an accident, but okay.

“Gracie mentioned that you were going to have to take a break from performing while your hand heals. You know how much Ned and I care about you. We’ve both been praying for you.”

I swallowed hard. “Thank you. I appreciate that. And I’m not simply taking some time off from my career.” I looked down at my hand. “I’m afraid my career is pretty much over.”

Nora patted my arm. “I’m so sorry, dear. I know how much your music meant to you. Do you have any idea what you might do next?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve been offered a teaching opportunity in New York, but I felt like I needed some time to think things through before deciding.”

“I don’t blame you one bit. Taking some time for a bit of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the big city will be just the thing. I’ve only visited New York once, but I found the noise from the traffic and whatnot to be so overwhelming that I couldn’t think straight there.”

“You get used to the noise once you are there for a while. In fact, it is almost comforting. Being back at Foxtail Lake where it is so completely quiet at night has made it hard to sleep.”

Nora chuckled. “I guess there are those who like the quiet and those who don’t. You always did seem to gravitate toward the big city.” Nora hugged me again, almost smothering me to her ample bosom. “Gosh, I’m glad to have you back.” Nora looked toward the door that led to a short hallway that I knew led to the back room. “Ned,” she called loudly. “Come on out here and say hi to Callie.”

I spent the next twenty minutes catching up with Ned and Nora and everyone who came into the store who I’d known from before. I’d been away for fourteen years, so in a way, it was amazing to me how quickly I began to feel like I’d never left. I supposed that was the way things were in the small town of Foxtail Lake. Those who left seemed to go right out of high school, but those who stayed tended to stay for a lifetime. I never thought I’d be one of the ones to stay, but I had to admit there was something comforting about being in the midst of people who knew you way back when.

“I guess you heard that Cass has a suspect in custody who he has reason to believe might be responsible for Tracy Porter’s death,” a woman named Lettie Harper informed the group who’d gathered to welcome me home.