Again, she had dreamed of the cat, just this morning. That is probably why when she had encountered the cold wind just now it had bothered her so much. All through the winter she had felt the cold and it had not bothered her at all, just these few specific times. Still, she felt that dread, no matter how she tried to shake it. Oh, this was just stuff and nonsense! If she didn't stop this folks would think she was crazy just like she knew they were saying that Papa was.
As though thinking of him had conjured him up, he walked into the kitchen. She realized she was staring. She tried to stay calm and act like this was an ordinary occurrence, even though it was anything but that! Papa never left his bedroom anymore. She must be calm she told herself and forced a smile to her lips as she turned to face her father and said, “Good morning Papa”.
“Morning, Jess.” John answered, hoping he sounded ‘normal.
She looked at him startled that he had acknowledged her, let alone had spoken to her. Her eyes were riveted to his face. She saw for the first time in many months something she had all but given up hope of ever seeing again. He looked like Papa. His eyes looked normal, lucid in fact, for the first time in many months.
“Can I get you some tea Papa?”
“That would be fine Jess.” He said sitting down at the table. He waited for her to pour herself a cup and sit down before he attempted to speak. He looked at her intently and saw her for the first time in many months, really saw her. If anything she was even more beautiful! There was something else though, she had a more mature look to her and it made him sad to think that she really had grown up. He had been too submersed in his grief to watch the transition from girl to young woman. He cut short those thoughts. He had allowed himself to suffer enough in the past months, and that had caused his children more grief than should have been. They had lost their Mama but he, in his grief had caused them to lose their Papa too.
He almost felt like a stranger to this young woman who sat across from him. Lilly would have been so disappointed in him. He cleared his throat and looked at his daughter.
“Jessica, I am sorry for the way that I have been. I know how difficult I have made things for you since we lost your Mother. I am going to try to do all that I can to make it up to you and the boys. Can you forgive me?”
She left her chair and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. She was crying, but tears of joy. "Oh Papa, I am so glad that you are back, we have missed you so much! Oh, Papa" and buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed out all of the pent up grief she had held so tightly in reign. John stroked his daughter's silken hair and thought that maybe he was in time to yet see his daughter grow to full womanhood. But she was just like the little girl she used to be at this moment. Then as now, when she hurt herself she threw herself into his arms for comfort. Yes, she did still need him and so did the boys! It was just as Lilly had said it would be when she had stood at the foot of his bed last night and had spoken to him again.
Both boys came crashing through the doors and stopped in their tracks as they looked at their sister crying in their Papa's arms. He looked at them and with a tender smile said, "It’s alright boys, she is alright, everything is going to be better from now on." When all of them had finally gotten through the emotions that had run rampant for the past few minutes, they all sat down at the table. It felt like a real family again. It felt good!
Then Jacob remembered his news. "You will never guess what has happened!" When he could see he had their attention he went racing on in his excitement to be the first to tell them. "Doc Hansen was just riding by and he said they had finally found out what happened to poor Carrie Carpenter. Seems they found her little body, just over by the pond. Doc said she had been treated really, bad! Sorta, like some real monster had been at her! Anyway, since the weather has been so cold he said that she was in pretty good shape, and that is why they could tell.......
“Jacob!” Tommy yelled. “I told you to go on up to the barn when Doc Hansen said he wanted to talk to me! What'd you do hide in the bushes and listen to everything we were saying?”
“You just sent me off cause you still think I'm a baby and too little to hear anything that goes on around here!” Jacob whined in a pout, although he did have the good graces to look a little uncomfortable at being caught by his own big mouth at eavesdropping.
Tommy looked at his Papa and then to Jessica. “Would you make him leave the room, please, Papa? This is important and Doc didn't just stop by to tell us the news. There is more to it than big ears heard, and I need to tell you all of it.”
John nodded at his youngest son and grudgingly Jacob left the room. When Jessica rose to follow Tommy stopped her. “This is pretty bad Jess, but you need to hear it anyway.” She took her seat again thinking again of the dream of the cat, the chill of the wind and the terrible feeling of dread that had been with her during the day.
“Doc Hansen did say that they had found the body of little Carrie. It was near the pond, like Jacob said. Only it was obvious it was murder. Whoever killed her had tried to cover her up so that she wouldn't be found. Jacob was right about it being a monster that killed her, but the monster was a man!” Tommy sat silent for a moment and then realized they were waiting. “She had been used by a man, sorry Jess, but it’s true, she was raped, horrible raped and Doc came around here especially to tell me to watch out for you. He said that he had never seen the likes of what this man did to her! The man had to be a crazy man is what he said. Guess she was gonna have a baby too. Doc thinks that whoever got her with that baby is probably the same as who killed her.” He paused, sorrow showing in his face, but finally roused himself from his thoughts to continue.
“He couldn't rightly tell how long she's been dead. When he questioned her folks though, he found out she's been missing about two weeks now. Her Ma was really sure about that because she said it was the same night everyone heard the cat screaming.” He paused when Jessica sucked in her breath and visibly paled. He looked at his sister, and again said his apologies, but continued.
“Jess, Doc says for you to be real careful and not to even go to the barn by yourself, especially after dark. Told me to make sure you weren't even here in the house by yourself. Not even during the day. I wish I'd have known then that you were, ah...up and around Papa. That would've been a relief to Doc. Boy, I can tell you he is real upset about this! Kept telling me that this man is a monster and no girl around here is safe until he is caught. The Constable has been out all morning with the two assistants he has appointed just for this. Doc had just left the Constable and he said they've been going around to all the farms since daybreak seeing if anyone has seen anything odd or any strangers have been hangin’ around. This is the worst thing I have ever heard of happening around here! It spooks me and I'm not even a girl!”
Jessica sat so still she looked like a statue. Her face was ashen and when John looked at her he immediately got up and went around to her side of the table and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder.
“Jessi, I know this is awful, but you don't need to get alarmed. You have men folk here to watch out for you. Believe me I will never let anything happen to you as long as I can still draw a breath!”
“Oh, Papa, I know that! Its...it’s just so terrible, so awful! Poor, poor little Carrie! She was so sweet and gentle and surely never harmed a soul in her life. She wasn't a half wit like so many people thought either, she was only mute. Oh, how can something like this have happened to such a sweet, gentle little soul? Oh, God, how could anyone have wanted to harm her?”
“There is no accounting for some things, Little Cat. You could live with a person a lifetime and never really know what they are thinking for certain. This isn't any normal person, we know that. This man is crazy! They'll find him. Anyway, soon we will be gone from here and on our way west.”