Free Windward Secrets by K. A. Davis

thought you were waiting to paint the sunrise.”
    “No… honestly Claire, I didn’t go up on the roof this morning. I was in bed.”
    “Do you remember the first night we were here? We thought we saw someone up on the roof that time too. It’s probably some kind of an optical illusion caused by the changing light,” Jill interceded.
    “But it was nearly light and I could see clearly,” Claire responded. “It was a woman standing at the edge of the railing looking toward the sun.”
    Claire looked at Diane and Jill. “Were either of you up there this morning?”
    Jill and Diane slowly shook their heads.
    Claire sat down in a rocker. “I’m starting to get those strange feelings again. And, I had a very strange dream of a little girl in our room.”
    “I didn’t see anyone,” Jill said.
    “Jill, you were snoring so loud you couldn’t have seen or heard anything,” Claire retorted. “Did you put my book on my bed?”
    “What book? I never saw a book.”
    “I fell asleep when I was reading. I couldn’t find the book before I took Ike out, but when we came back the book was on the bed.”
    “Claire,” Diane said, softly. “I think maybe you were overtired and just didn’t see the book. You were pretty stressed yesterday.”
    Claire sat quietly and looked at her friends. “Do you think I’m losing my mind?”
    “No,” Diane said, delicately. “I just think you were tired and upset from that strange encounter with Wendell.”
    Claire let out a nervous giggle. “That was weird, wasn’t it? Don’t let me forget to call the realtor today and complain about that little weasel.”
    “I whipped up some pancake batter,” Jill said, getting up from her chair. “Let’s have breakfast.”
    “Aren’t you walking with Drew this morning?” Caroline inquired.
    “We were out so late we decided to walk later.”
    Diane, Claire, and Caroline looked at each other and winked.
    “Just exactly how late is late?” Diane asked.
    “Late enough that you were all asleep, and it’s for me to know and you to find out!” Jill laughed.
    Jill served a filling breakfast of blueberry pancakes and sausage.
    “You cooked, Jill. We’ll clean up,” Caroline said, getting up and gathering plates.
    “Thanks. I need to take Ike back to Drew.”
    “Do you think we can have Ike again tonight?” Claire asked.
    “I thought you didn’t like him,” Jill said, tilting her head to one side and raising her eyebrows.
    “Well, he does grow on you. I felt more comfortable last night, didn’t the rest of you?”
    “Actually, yes,” Diane said.
    Caroline nodded in agreement.
    “Okay. I’ll ask Drew. Come, Ike.”
    Ike, who had been sitting beside Claire, laid down on the floor and looked up at Jill with sad eyes thumping his tail on the floor.
    “Ike come,” Jill repeated, more sternly. “Geez, Claire what have you done to him. He doesn’t want to go home.”
    “I didn’t do anything. I don’t know why he likes me so much.”
    Claire got up, went to the screen door. “Ike. Come.”
    Slowly, Ike got to his feet and ambled to the door with his head down.
    Claire reached down and lifted his head up. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll see you later.”
    Jill gathered Ike’s bowls and food, and pushed the screen door open. “I’ll be back shortly.”
    Caroline scraped the remnants of food off the plates into the trash can and Diane filled the sink with hot soapy water while Claire called the realtor.
    “So,” Diane asked, when Claire returned to the kitchen. “What did they say?”
    “Exactly what you would expect. They have never had any complaints about Wendell in the past.”
    “And you said?” Caroline asked.
    “I said he was a pervert and he had just not been caught before.”
    “That was it?” Diane inquired, suspiciously.
    “Well, not quite. I suggested they keep an eye on him before he did something really serious. I officially put them on notice that we better not see him around here