forgotten how to fear the Lord. It would be Abraham’s destiny to remind them. Metcalf carefully returned his treasures to their compartments. “In hoc signo vinces,” he whispered, shutting the safe door behind him.
Chapter 13 – Destiny’s Child
Ever since Cassie floored the gas pedal to get away from that crazy old woman, her world had been spinning out of control. Everything she thought she knew about Sybil had been blown apart.
She could dismiss it all by saying that Faye had lied to her. That Sybil was a fine, upstanding citizen who bought and sold antiques. That she lived an absolutely ordinary life and never engaged in anything remotely risky. But too much had occurred in the past weeks to make Cassie believe that any more.
Not just what had happened to Sybil but what had happened to Cassie herself. The nightmare that accurately predicted her sister’s death. The stone ruler that was stolen right before her eyes. Sybil’s last letter to her. Everything Faye had told her. If that weren’t enough, there was her encounter with the woman in white and her magic bowl.
She didn’t know what any of it meant. She needed time to let it all sort itself out in her head. Let the dust settle and see where it landed. Where she landed. Today she was going to do something a normal person might do.
The bell above the shop door jingled discretely when she walked into the antique store. At first, the memories of her last two visits hit her like a wave. A man with a gun, her sister falling, glass shattering, police swarming. She took a deep breath and put on a brave smile. “Hi Rhonda, how are you?”
“Oh, sweetie, come here.” Her sister’s business partner rushed forward to embrace her. She was a motherly sort. Full-figured. In her fifties, with cropped black hair that was streaked with grey. She had a gentle, sympathetic face. The kind that encouraged confidences. At the moment, the expression on Rhonda’s face made Cassie feel like she was going to cry again. The girl sternly ordered herself to think about newspapers, postage stamps, anything mundane. No more feelings for now.
She stepped away from the older woman. “I’m OK, Rhonda, don’t worry about me.”
The concerned look didn’t go away. “Are you sure?” Rhonda peered at her closely. “You look like you haven’t slept for a week.”
Cassie grinned sheepishly. “That would be about right, but really I feel OK.” She changed the topic. “How have you been?”
Rhonda’s eyes swept the shop. “Coping. It took a while to clean up the mess the police left. I think they’re done hovering and asking questions. They seem satisfied that it was attempted robbery and that Sybil’s death was an accident. I’ve beefed up the security system and that’s about all I can do.”
“Do you think they’ll ever catch the guy?” Cassie asked bleakly.
Rhonda sighed. “They didn’t have much to go on. No physical description. No eyewitnesses. I’m not too hopeful.” She put her arm around Cassie’s shoulders. “Come on over here and sit down.” She led the girl to a spare chair behind the counter. “We haven’t had a chance to talk since …” she trailed off.
“Yeah, I know,” Cassie said quietly.
“Would you like a bottle of water or something?”
“A can of pop if you’ve got any.”
“Sure thing.” Rhonda bustled to the refrigerator in the back room.
Cassie looked around the shop. The glass case had been replaced. No sign of anything being shattered. Anything other than her own psyche. Everything was exactly as it should be in this upscale antique shop located in this high-toned boutique shopping district.
Rhonda handed Cassie her soft drink and pulled up a chair beside her.
“How’s business?” Cassie flipped the tab on the can. It made a hissing sound.
Rhonda laughed ruefully. “A little slow, as you can guess. None of the usual customers wanted to appear morbidly curious so everybody stayed away for a while. Now things
Chapter 13 – Destiny’s Child
Ever since Cassie floored the gas pedal to get away from that crazy old woman, her world had been spinning out of control. Everything she thought she knew about Sybil had been blown apart.
She could dismiss it all by saying that Faye had lied to her. That Sybil was a fine, upstanding citizen who bought and sold antiques. That she lived an absolutely ordinary life and never engaged in anything remotely risky. But too much had occurred in the past weeks to make Cassie believe that any more.
Not just what had happened to Sybil but what had happened to Cassie herself. The nightmare that accurately predicted her sister’s death. The stone ruler that was stolen right before her eyes. Sybil’s last letter to her. Everything Faye had told her. If that weren’t enough, there was her encounter with the woman in white and her magic bowl.
She didn’t know what any of it meant. She needed time to let it all sort itself out in her head. Let the dust settle and see where it landed. Where she landed. Today she was going to do something a normal person might do.
The bell above the shop door jingled discretely when she walked into the antique store. At first, the memories of her last two visits hit her like a wave. A man with a gun, her sister falling, glass shattering, police swarming. She took a deep breath and put on a brave smile. “Hi Rhonda, how are you?”
“Oh, sweetie, come here.” Her sister’s business partner rushed forward to embrace her. She was a motherly sort. Full-figured. In her fifties, with cropped black hair that was streaked with grey. She had a gentle, sympathetic face. The kind that encouraged confidences. At the moment, the expression on Rhonda’s face made Cassie feel like she was going to cry again. The girl sternly ordered herself to think about newspapers, postage stamps, anything mundane. No more feelings for now.
She stepped away from the older woman. “I’m OK, Rhonda, don’t worry about me.”
The concerned look didn’t go away. “Are you sure?” Rhonda peered at her closely. “You look like you haven’t slept for a week.”
Cassie grinned sheepishly. “That would be about right, but really I feel OK.” She changed the topic. “How have you been?”
Rhonda’s eyes swept the shop. “Coping. It took a while to clean up the mess the police left. I think they’re done hovering and asking questions. They seem satisfied that it was attempted robbery and that Sybil’s death was an accident. I’ve beefed up the security system and that’s about all I can do.”
“Do you think they’ll ever catch the guy?” Cassie asked bleakly.
Rhonda sighed. “They didn’t have much to go on. No physical description. No eyewitnesses. I’m not too hopeful.” She put her arm around Cassie’s shoulders. “Come on over here and sit down.” She led the girl to a spare chair behind the counter. “We haven’t had a chance to talk since …” she trailed off.
“Yeah, I know,” Cassie said quietly.
“Would you like a bottle of water or something?”
“A can of pop if you’ve got any.”
“Sure thing.” Rhonda bustled to the refrigerator in the back room.
Cassie looked around the shop. The glass case had been replaced. No sign of anything being shattered. Anything other than her own psyche. Everything was exactly as it should be in this upscale antique shop located in this high-toned boutique shopping district.
Rhonda handed Cassie her soft drink and pulled up a chair beside her.
“How’s business?” Cassie flipped the tab on the can. It made a hissing sound.
Rhonda laughed ruefully. “A little slow, as you can guess. None of the usual customers wanted to appear morbidly curious so everybody stayed away for a while. Now things
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