Chapter Twenty-Seven
Watching Eyes and Covered Tracks
Willow
Bad dreams haunted Willow’s nights. Some were worse than others and crossed into nightmare territory.
“Anything you want to talk about?” Dale asked.
Even after a cup of coffee, she couldn’t shake last night’s dream. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Yes.” The tiredness was also causing melancholy, and she needed to talk about it even though she didn’t want to.
“I’ve been having more than the usual amount of nightmares.” She didn’t say anything more.
“Since the episode in the barn?”
She chuckled slightly. “You say episode, I say complete freakout, but yes, since then. The dreams don’t make sense. It’s boots walking across the tiled corridors of the prison. I wake up in a cold sweat, my heart is racing, and I can’t get back to sleep.”
Dale didn’t say anything and seemed to be waiting for her to continue.
“I know you’re not a therapist, but you’re all I have.” Her expression held desperation, and she decided to get everything out in the open. “I also feel like someone is watching me.”
Dale sat up straighter. “When did this start?”
“A couple of months ago. It’s not all the time.”
“Do you watch for shoe prints when you hike?”
“Yes. I’ve done that since Lance Hogg. When it happens, Max looks that way,” she pointed behind them. “He doesn’t seem too concerned, but something definitely catches his attention.”
Dale studied the area she’d pointed to. “The road up there has places where someone could watch and go unobserved.”
“Thanks,” she gave a sardonic smile. “I feel better.”
“I want us both to feel better. Let’s go take a look.”
Her smile turned genuine. “I should have mentioned it before.” She gave a long sigh. Why hadn’t she hiked to the ridge and checked out the road? “I’m ready whenever you are.”
They deposited their coffee cups in the sink and slipped into hiking boots.
“The dogs need to stay here. If there are tracks, they will distort them.”
The dogs were excited because they’d put their boots on. They knew what it meant, or at least thought they did.
“Sorry guys, I’ll take you for a hike later,” Willow promised them.
Dale gave both dogs a treat and closed the door to keep them inside. It was about five hundred yards to the road with an upward grade. Small rocks ground under their boots as they climbed up boulders and walked around shaggy bark trees. Near the road, there were large bushes and shrubs.
Willow stood back and watched Dale work.
“It hasn’t rained in about three weeks,” he said.
“There are several distinct sets of tire tracks.” He crossed the opposite side of the road and then walked back.
“These are boot tracks that someone smudged a branch across to hide them,” he said, and followed them to a shaggy bark tree surrounded by shrubs.
He went to one knee and examined the ground.
Willow moved closer but stayed far enough away not to interfere.
Dale stood and looked toward the house and then off into the distance.
“From here, he can see the house, barn, and a quarter of the property. With binoculars he can see even more.” Dale proceeded to do a larger sweep of the area.
“He’s smart and doesn’t leave signs of garbage such as an empty water bottle.
It’s more concerning that he tried to cover the tracks. ”
“Who do you think it is?” she asked.
“Someone a little too interested in our business.” He took a moment before he continued. “When you’re hiking, I’ll poke around up here to see if I run into anyone.”
“Could it be Deputy Wallard?”
“My mind went there too. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay far away. That said, I haven’t noticed too many smarts circling his brain.”
Even with the shadow of being watched by someone, Dale’s words made her grin.
His expression turned serious. “The ranch is filled with people escaping everything from child support to government oversight. It’s hard living out here, but it’s also a place where illegal activity can go mostly unnoticed.
The Hoggs with their drugs and dog fighting ring were a good example of that.
When you get a strange feeling, especially more than once, bring it to my attention. ”
“I should have,” she offered. “I’m trying to be independent and not rely on you as much, but I should have told you about it.”
“Is that feeling increasing the nightmares?” he asked carefully.
“It’s a combination. The creepy sense of someone watching put me on edge. The incident in the barn took me over.”
He nodded and looked around. “If you’re taking the dogs hiking, I’ll stick around up here,” he said when he met her eyes again.
“Be careful.”
He patted his hip where his gun rested. “I always am.”