Night of Shadows by Marilyn Haddrill, Doris Holmes Page B

unguarded moments.
     What was he really like? She
remembered the feel of his rough hands tending her. Could they be more gentle
under different circumstances? Melinda shoved her face into the pillow and
willed her mind to cease such foolish thoughts. Then she curled on her side to
drift into a troubled sleep.
    Once, during the night, she was
aware of a figure standing still above her, but she was not frightened. She
recognized Mac's familiar outline in the dim light from the hallway, and knew
he was checking on her as he had so many times before during her illness.
    "I heard you call out,"
he whispered. "Are you all right?"
    Melinda pretended to sleep. She
knew she couldn't trust herself to look up into those discerning eyes. She felt
too alone, too vulnerable. He would see far more than she intended. When he at
last turned and quietly left the room, Melinda was dismayed by the melancholy
that enveloped her.
    The next morning, she was awakened
by the mockingbird chirping outside her window where bright sunshine filtered
through the pulled drapes. Its happy song lifted her spirits. She sat up with
vigor. She'd had enough of the pampered lady routine.
    Melinda massaged a few rebellious
muscles in her legs to work out the stiffness, then hopped out of bed. She
stood, stretched and then reached over to don a robe hanging on a nearby closet
door. After opening the curtains, she examined the scene below.
    From her upstairs vantage point, she
spotted five or six workers as they moved about between the stables and corrals.
One tall, sandy-haired young man carrying a saddle hoisted over his shoulder
spotted her and waved familiarly. She waved back. Her attention then was caught
by the many horses that filled the surrounding pastures, and cattle grazing in
the distance.
    Wanting a better look, Melinda
opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the veranda. Her artist's eye was
caught by the reddish hue cast over the vista by the rising sun. This place
would make a wonderful backdrop for an advertising display — something like
men's cologne, for example. Something that sounded manly.
    "Pssst!"
    Startled, Melinda peered down to
try and trace the source of that sound. She spotted a man half-hidden in the
shadow of a juniper tree just below her. She bent her head and leaned over the
railing to get a better look. Finally, she decided it was the same young man
who had waved at her earlier. He must have dropped the saddle and sneaked over
after spotting her.
    "No, Miss Bailey. Don't be
looking at me. You'll attract attention. I heard you was here. I had to talk to
you real quick like. So just listen."
    Obediently, she stared straight
ahead and pretended to admire the scenery. Nevertheless, she felt a little
silly. And suddenly very conspicuous.
    "My name's Sammy," he
said in a lowered voice. "I knew your sister real well."
    "How well?" Knowing her
sister's reputation, Melinda was unable to keep the sharp edge out of her
voice.
    "Not that well. I mean, not
like that. Not from her part of it anyway. Good gravy, we were just
friends."
    "All right, Sammy. I'm sorry. What
is it you wanted to say?"
    "I can't be discussing it
right now. You'll understand why later. Anyway, when I heard you was here, I
knew I had to look you up. Joan told me something. Something — private. I just
know it'll be okay to pass it on to you. It'll make me feel a darned
sight better just to get it off my chest."
    Melinda wrapped her fists around
the railing, and willed herself to keep looking straight ahead. "If it's
that important, why haven't you taken this information to the McClures? Or the
sheriff?"
    "I can't, Miss Bailey. I can't
because — there's something awful peculiar going on around here. And it might
involve them . All of them. The sheriff. Everybody. The McClures are
mighty powerful around here. Understand? Meet me, would you? Tonight? I'll set up
a ladder here, climb up your terrace and we can talk. How about midnight? That
way it'll be good and dark.