flash
of lightning illuminated the street below. The immediate clap of
thunder set her heart thumping. Thunderstorms were a rarity in
Oregon.
The moaning of the wind between her
apartment building and the one next door made her wish they had a
fireplace. It would be a perfect night to snuggle together in front
of a fire with some hot chocolate.
Well, she might not have the fireplace, but
she could provide the cocoa, and she and David were damn good at
the snuggling part, too. She smiled as she went to the kitchen.
Once she had everything simmering on the
stove, Sarah searched the linen closet for the winter throw for the
couch. The storm carried a nice blast of Arctic air along with it.
Oh, yes. Definitely a snuggle night.
The sound of the doorbell intruded into her
daydreams. Probably Maggie from across the hall. She tried to wipe
the grin off her face before she opened the door, or at least come
up with some plausible answer to the inevitable, "What are you
smiling at, Sweetie?"
She yanked the door open and found herself
staring into the face of a uniformed police officer. She felt the
smile drop from her face as her heart raced. Had there been a
robbery in the building? Had something happened to Maggie? Or Mrs.
Pentecost downstairs?
"Sarah Tucker?" the office said. "Mrs. David
Tucker?"
"Yes. That's me. Is something wrong?"
"I'm Trooper Cunningham. May I come in,
ma'am?"
"Of course. I'm sorry. Come in." Sarah
motioned him inside, her mind still whirling.
"Ma'am, a green Saturn went off the road
between here and Tillamook."
Something registered in her brain, and she
studied the uniform more closely. Trooper, he'd said. Not a police
officer. Highway Patrol. "Oh, God. David. Where did they take him?
Is he all right? I need to go to him." She dashed to the closet and
pulled her coat off the hanger. "My purse. Bedroom. I'll be right
back."
Sarah grabbed her purse and raced back to
the door. "I'm ready. You'll take me to him, right?"
"Mrs. Tucker," the trooper said. His voice
was sharp enough to cut through her frenzy.
Sarah stopped and looked at him. Read the
expression in his eyes. Waited for him to speak the words, knowing
what he would say next.
"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Tucker. He didn't make
it."
She nodded, too numb to think.
"I'm going to have to ask you to identify
the body. Is there someone you'd like to have with you?"
The room grew bright, and then darkened
around the edges. She tried to say, "No," but nothing came out. She
fought the dizziness. No. This was all a mistake. She'd go with
this man, and he'd show her the body of some stranger. David was
part of her. No way could he be dead. She'd know it. She
straightened her shoulders. "No. Let's go."
"Ma'am, I think it would be better if you
weren't alone. What about Mr. Tucker's relatives?"
"No. Only his sister—but she's in
Portland."
"A neighbor?"
"Umm… Maggie Cooper. Across the hall. But
I'm sure it's all a mistake. We don't need to bother her."
"Will you wait here for a moment? I'll be
right back."
Sarah stood in the doorway and watched the
trooper step across the hall and knock on Maggie's door. This was a
waste of Maggie's time. David was alive. People didn't die at
twenty-six. Besides, she hadn't given him Christmas present yet. He
couldn't die before Christmas. Not when she had the perfect
present. He'd be home when she got back.
Maggie appeared at Sarah's side. "Come on,
Sweetie. I'm here."
Sarah allowed herself to be escorted to the
trooper's car. "I didn't leave a note," she said to Maggie as they
drove. "David will worry about me when I'm not home."
"You'll be back soon," Maggie said.
The next thing she knew, she was at the
hospital. Maggie looked at some pictures, nodded her head. Put her
arm around Sarah's shoulders.
Then someone showed her a picture of a man
wearing David's clothes. Dark brown hair matted with blood, cuts
and bruises on his face. David's face.
"Is this your husband, Mrs. Tucker?" someone
asked.
"It can't be.
of lightning illuminated the street below. The immediate clap of
thunder set her heart thumping. Thunderstorms were a rarity in
Oregon.
The moaning of the wind between her
apartment building and the one next door made her wish they had a
fireplace. It would be a perfect night to snuggle together in front
of a fire with some hot chocolate.
Well, she might not have the fireplace, but
she could provide the cocoa, and she and David were damn good at
the snuggling part, too. She smiled as she went to the kitchen.
Once she had everything simmering on the
stove, Sarah searched the linen closet for the winter throw for the
couch. The storm carried a nice blast of Arctic air along with it.
Oh, yes. Definitely a snuggle night.
The sound of the doorbell intruded into her
daydreams. Probably Maggie from across the hall. She tried to wipe
the grin off her face before she opened the door, or at least come
up with some plausible answer to the inevitable, "What are you
smiling at, Sweetie?"
She yanked the door open and found herself
staring into the face of a uniformed police officer. She felt the
smile drop from her face as her heart raced. Had there been a
robbery in the building? Had something happened to Maggie? Or Mrs.
Pentecost downstairs?
"Sarah Tucker?" the office said. "Mrs. David
Tucker?"
"Yes. That's me. Is something wrong?"
"I'm Trooper Cunningham. May I come in,
ma'am?"
"Of course. I'm sorry. Come in." Sarah
motioned him inside, her mind still whirling.
"Ma'am, a green Saturn went off the road
between here and Tillamook."
Something registered in her brain, and she
studied the uniform more closely. Trooper, he'd said. Not a police
officer. Highway Patrol. "Oh, God. David. Where did they take him?
Is he all right? I need to go to him." She dashed to the closet and
pulled her coat off the hanger. "My purse. Bedroom. I'll be right
back."
Sarah grabbed her purse and raced back to
the door. "I'm ready. You'll take me to him, right?"
"Mrs. Tucker," the trooper said. His voice
was sharp enough to cut through her frenzy.
Sarah stopped and looked at him. Read the
expression in his eyes. Waited for him to speak the words, knowing
what he would say next.
"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Tucker. He didn't make
it."
She nodded, too numb to think.
"I'm going to have to ask you to identify
the body. Is there someone you'd like to have with you?"
The room grew bright, and then darkened
around the edges. She tried to say, "No," but nothing came out. She
fought the dizziness. No. This was all a mistake. She'd go with
this man, and he'd show her the body of some stranger. David was
part of her. No way could he be dead. She'd know it. She
straightened her shoulders. "No. Let's go."
"Ma'am, I think it would be better if you
weren't alone. What about Mr. Tucker's relatives?"
"No. Only his sister—but she's in
Portland."
"A neighbor?"
"Umm… Maggie Cooper. Across the hall. But
I'm sure it's all a mistake. We don't need to bother her."
"Will you wait here for a moment? I'll be
right back."
Sarah stood in the doorway and watched the
trooper step across the hall and knock on Maggie's door. This was a
waste of Maggie's time. David was alive. People didn't die at
twenty-six. Besides, she hadn't given him Christmas present yet. He
couldn't die before Christmas. Not when she had the perfect
present. He'd be home when she got back.
Maggie appeared at Sarah's side. "Come on,
Sweetie. I'm here."
Sarah allowed herself to be escorted to the
trooper's car. "I didn't leave a note," she said to Maggie as they
drove. "David will worry about me when I'm not home."
"You'll be back soon," Maggie said.
The next thing she knew, she was at the
hospital. Maggie looked at some pictures, nodded her head. Put her
arm around Sarah's shoulders.
Then someone showed her a picture of a man
wearing David's clothes. Dark brown hair matted with blood, cuts
and bruises on his face. David's face.
"Is this your husband, Mrs. Tucker?" someone
asked.
"It can't be.
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