Four steps to the closet and she found her suitcases on the floor. She grabbed the big one and carried it back to the bed, where she clicked it open and began to unpack. There werent a lot of clothes inside, and everything was already on a hanger.
They all had been bought by a female officer when Allison had been released from the hospital a month ago. A dress, two pairs of jeans, a pair of dress slacks, two T-shirts, three sweatshirts and two silk blouses, all in shades of blue so she could dress herself and not worry about clashing colors.
The smaller suitcase held toiletries, underclothes and her nightgown and robe. She finished unpacking, then once again sat on the edge of the bed. At least it would be nice to be in the same place for more than three days.
The last month was a blur of motel and hotel rooms. Her knees and shins were bruised by the fact that they hadnt been in any one room long enough for her to learn navigating the furniture. Just as shed figured out how to walk in the room without bumping into something, theyd move to a new place.
She thought of her host. Jesse Wilder. All she knew about him was that he was sheriff of Mustang, Montana.
Well, that wasnt exactly true. She also knew he had a deep voice as soothing as a velvet wrap on a wintry night. As hed led her into the bedroom, shed gotten the impression that he was tall, and smelled of the pleasant combination of soap and spice cologne.
She had no idea how old he was, what he looked like or if she could trust him. Although she assumed Kent Keller and Bob Sanford wouldnt have placed her in his care if he couldnt be trusted.
She frowned at thoughts of the two men whod been in charge of her life for the past month. Blind, and reeling from what shed experienced, it had taken a considerable
amount of reassurance from Bob Sanford before shed tell him anything about what shed seen from the closet.
Once Sanford had been assured by her doctor that physically she was ready to be released, shed been transferred to Kellers care and had begun the motel room jumping that had eventually brought her here.
She pulled her glasses off the top of her head and placed them on the nightstand, then stretched out across the bed. The spread smelled of sunshine and fabric softener.
The moment shed walked in, shed noticed the entire house had the odor of lemon wax and cleanser. Sheriff Wilder had obviously cleaned for her arrival.
Tears pressed hot and heavy at her eyes as she thought of all shed lost. Everything. Shed lost everything. Shed gladly accept the blindness for the rest of her life if in return she could give John and Alicia back their lives.
She squeezed her eyes tightly closed, knowing that was impossible. John and Alicia were gone forever. Murdered in their home. No sacrifice on Allisons part, no bargaining with the devil or with God would bring them back. The best she could hope for was to bring down the men responsible for their deaths.
As she had done for the past four weeks, she consciously willed away her tears, refusing to give in to grief. Retribution. That had become her reason for being, the sum total of her existence. The guilty had to be punished.
This was the goal that kept her from sinking into the utter depths of despair, from giving up all pretense of living.
She would survive whatever fate threw her wayas long as in the end, the people responsible for John and Alicias deaths paid.
She rolled over on her side, staring blankly at the window, where she could feel the sun warming the spread, splashing her face.
She was supposed to be Cecilia Webster now, a twenty-six-year-old blind woman from Cleveland, Ohio.
It was an identity provided for her protection, but she hadnt felt safe one moment in the past four weeks.
A couple more weeks. Thats what Keller had promised her. In a couple more weeks the investigation should be over and the killers would be behind bars. Then she could return to her lifeat least the shattered pieces that were left.
She closed her eyes, hoping, praying for the sweet release that sleep could bring, hoping, praying that the nightmares that so often plagued her sleep remained at bay.
Jesse looked at his watch for the third time in twenty minutes. His houseguest had been in the bedroom for nearly three hours and he hadnt heard a peep.
While shed slept, hed made dinner, deciding on hamburgers and chips. Not exactly a gourmet welcome meal, but simple and easy to eat.
He checked his watch yet again. After six. He wondered if perhaps he should wake her, but was reluctant to intrude on her sleep if thats what she needed. He supposed shed get up when she was hungry, and in the meantime all he could do was wait.
He walked into the kitchen, grabbed a cold soda from the refrigerator and popped the top. He took a long swallow, then moved to the window to stare outside.
Hed called the sheriffs office earlier to let Vic Taylor, one of his deputies know he needed to take a day or two off. Even though Keller had told him to keep a normal routine, he couldnt very well leave a blind woman to her own devices in strange surroundings.