Free She Waits by Kate Sweeney Page A

downstairs and in our paranoia, we double-checked the doors and locks.
    Hannah sat on the couch, looking scared, tired, and, for the first time, her age. I sat at the other end of the couch. Chance, the coward, jumped up on the couch and put her head on Hannah's lap. Hannah smiled and ruffled her ears lovingly. Damn mutt was good for something.
    Maggie had started the fire. She sat in the armchair next to Hannah. We talked for a while longer, and they both fell asleep.
    I, too, nodded off, but couldn't sleep. I roused myself and looked at my watch. It was 6:45. They had been asleep for two hours. I got up, very stiffly, as my shoulder throbbed wildly. I took the afghan from the back of the couch and laid it over Hannah. I found another one, with a beautiful Native American pattern on it, behind a chair. I used it to cover Maggie, even as I wondered if there was some way it could mistakenly slip into my bag when I left.
    It was a cool, crisp autumn morning with a light fog covering the ground. I decided to take a walk down the path and into the woods. Perhaps the intruder dropped something when he dashed through these woods last night. In the light of day, maybe I'd find something the police couldn't see last night. It was very creepy, walking in the light fog, but with Chance a good twenty yards ahead of me, I felt braver than wandering around alone. Ryan, you big ninny.
    Chance was in doggie heaven with her nose to the ground and her tail wagging. She roamed back and forth in the same area. What was she doing?
    I walked to where Chance was tenaciously nosing about. As I got closer, I noticed small pieces of what looked like material strewn about on the ground. I picked them up and realized it was burlap. I remembered when I first saw my crazy dog with the bundle in her mouth the day before.
    As I picked it up, it almost immediately disintegrated in my hands. Whatever Chance dug up must have been buried for quite a while. I looked over at her. She still had her nose to the ground, sniffing.
    "What is it girl? I'd give big bucks if you could talk right now!" I ruffled her ears and looked out into the woods. I fought the shiver that ran down my spine at the thought of venturing out there alone. "Let's say we take a walk, Chance?" She heard the word "walk" and ran around in circles. I saw a fine-looking path and decided to see where it led. Chance was in front of me, eager to go exploring yet again today. I wondered if she already knew where we were heading.
    As I walked along, I noticed how quiet and peaceful the woods were. I'd only walked about three-hundred feet when I came up to the lake. I was amazed. I had no idea it was this close. It was beautiful. Straight across, I saw a flock of geese lazily swimming.
    With Chance running ahead, sniffing, I had an eerie feeling and shivered slightly. Okay, here we go again . I had the feeling of being watched. I looked in all directions but saw nothing.
    Then I stopped dead and noticed Chance. She was no longer nosing around, but sitting perfectly still with her head cocked to one side. She was staring across the lake. I looked but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
    "Hey girl!" I called and the scary mutt sat there, staring at whatever. With that, I heard her whine as she lay down, still staring.
    As I started for her, she took off running around the small lake and into the woods. "Chance!" I called after her. I must have been a little too loud. The small flock of geese honked up a storm and flew off the lake. Chance was braver than the geese and me as she ran around the lake. I saw a glimpse of her darting in between the trees. Fine, now I have to go get her. I hope she didn't find an animal or something. The squirrel incident last summer came to mind.
    As I started in her direction, she came darting out of the woods with something in her mouth, shaking it.
    I slowly walked up to her and she dropped the material without me asking, begging or pleading. There was something wrapped