Chapter Thirteen
Heads and Tails
Melissa, you idiot. What the heck were you thinking?
She marched across the street, narrowly avoiding being missed by a pickup truck rounding the corner.
The guy behind the wheel yelled a couple of obscenities, but she ignored him, staring straight ahead as she headed down the sidewalk.
Some pedestrians frowned at her as she passed them, concern on their faces.
All she cared about was getting home. Ten minutes ago, she’d considered simply taking a walk across Green Sanctuary to clear her head. But after what had just happened with Cal, she needed more than a walk. She needed distance.
This isn’t working. Cal’s words floated through her mind. This can never work.
She swiped at her cheek, wiping off the tear that rolled down her face.
Those words had stung even harder than she’d imagined they should.
But it wasn’t like Cal was wrong, was he?
He had a real point. She’d been the idiot, believing there was even the slightest chance that she could get back with the man she loved.
It wasn’t that simple. Especially when one partner could turn into an animal and the other had fled from their wedding a decade ago.
Not for the first time, she glanced down at her hand. A bright line encircled her ring finger where the engagement ring had been just minutes ago.
Well, that’s over now, she thought with a scoff. We both made sure of that.
She gave a sniff, the details of their lovemaking replaying themselves in her memory. Kissing him hadn’t been her brightest of ideas, she had to admit. Sure, the sex had been great, but it had only complicated matters.
Melissa walked by a diner, and caught a glimpse of a waitress moving about with a food-laden tray.
With a frown, she tore her gaze away. Rubicon Valley was just a couple of blocks away.
Now, more than ever, she could use some whiskey in her system, although she suspected if she went into the bar, she’d be stumbling home close to midnight with what was left of her liver.
Heading home seemed like her only sensible option right now.
What now? The question made its way to the front of her mind. She couldn’t possibly continue working at the sanctuary, not with Cal around. To be honest, she wasn’t even sure she could bear to look him in the face again.
Melissa shook her head. That’s what happens when you get too close to someone like Cal. It ruins everything.
Putting distance between herself and him was the smartest move she’d ever made. And the way things were looking, she might have to do it again. At the very least, she could move to one of the other towns in Downing. Midas seemed like a nice enough place.
It didn’t take her more than a few extra minutes to reach her street. Melissa headed down the sidewalk to her house. She started down her driveway, reaching into her bag for her keys. Just before she opened her front door, she glanced over her shoulder at the house across the street.
“Huh?” she muttered.
Dale’s front door was slightly ajar. He and Leto were nowhere in sight. At first, Melissa figured they must be indoors. But hadn’t Dale pretty much slammed his door shut in her face this morning?
Curiosity tugged sharply at her gut. Her concerns about Cal already half forgotten, she turned and crossed the street, heading straight for the front door. Dale had seemed a little off this morning. Were he and Leto alright?
She knocked once. No answer.
What are the odds that they’re inside? She couldn’t help but wonder. Or conscious.
Swallowing, she pushed the door the rest of the way open, peering into the house for a moment before stepping inside. Most of the lights were off, and she had to squint a little as she moved through the house into the living room. Still no sign of Dale or his dog.
Where could they possibly be? She swept her gaze around. It looked almost exactly as it had the last time she’d been in here, except the dog and her owner weren’t in sight. Were they somewhere else in the house?
It briefly occurred to her that she should probably leave.
She was already trespassing. What if Dale called the cops on her?
She no longer worked for him, and there were only so many times she could play the “concerned neighbor” card.
The last thing Melissa needed was to have to explain to the police why she’d broken into someone else’s home with a tear-streaked face.
She turned to leave—and froze, staring at the white door near the corner.
It was cracked open again.
She swallowed, her curiosity rearing its head.
Once again, a soft gleam caught her eye.
She swept her gaze about once more. Still no one else around.
She could finally take a peek in there. Dale would be none the wiser.
And if he did find out...well, no doubt he’d be more concerned about the fact that she’d entered his house to begin with.
Don’t be ridiculous, said a voice in the back of her mind. You shouldn’t even be in here in the first place. Get out of here before you get yourself in trouble.
Melissa bit her lip, contemplating as she neared the door.
The sensible thing would be to do a Goldilocks and leave Dale’s home before he realized she’d been in here.
She should be in her house right now, either moping in bed or trying to stuff her feelings down in the kitchen.
Still, her curiosity prodded her. For all she knew, now might be her only chance to figure out whatever it was Dale kept behind the door.
Besides, after the day she’d had, it wasn’t like things could possibly get any worse for her. The thought brought a mirthless smile to her lips.
“Okay,” she muttered to herself. “Just a peek, and I’m out of here.”
She gave the door a gentle push, and it swung wide open.
“Oh. My. God.”
The room was surprisingly small, practically the size of a closet.
One look at it, and Melissa knew walking through it would be impossible.
The only source of illumination was a tiny window through which sunlight crept.
But it wasn’t the size of the room that made her gasp.
It was the fact that the floor was covered with all kinds of weapons, from shotguns to hunting knives.
A couple of machetes sat in a corner, covered in what was either rust or dried blood.
Her breath froze in her throat as she looked up.
The walls were even worse. For a second, she thought she might be in a horror movie. Mounted taxidermy heads hung from every wall. Melissa looked around, staring at animal tusks and bloodied horns. Just to her left was a large deer head, its long antlers gleaming softly in the light.
Taped to the wall, right under the deer’s head, was a small piece of paper with a single word printed on it: DEER.
Melissa’s heart hammered almost painfully in her chest. She looked around.
Sure enough, the other animal heads were labeled, too.
She caught sight of a horse’s head, its eyes wide, its mouth open as though begging for its life even in death.
Even the single empty space on the wall had a piece of paper underneath it.
BEAR, it read.
She took a step backward, a twisting sensation filling her gut as she regarded all the death around her. “Oh, no...”
Memories and details swam through her mind, all of a sudden, clicking into a realization.
“It’s Dale,” she breathed. “It’s been him this whole time.”
A growl from behind her nearly made her jump out of her skin.
“Oh!”
She spun around. Leto stood by the door, teeth bared, hackles raised. The dog took a step closer, a hungry look in her eyes. A chill raced down Melissa’s spine. Was she going to attack her?
“Leto?” Swallowing, she held out a hand, hoping to pacify the dog. A snarl forced her arm back to her side. “Leto, wait...”
The sound of footsteps reached her ears then, and a second later, Dale appeared in the doorway. His arms were folded across his chest, his jaw clenched slightly. He stared right at Melissa, disappointment curling his lips and filling his brown eyes.
“You weren’t supposed to see this,” he said softly.
Ice-cold panic made its way through her veins. With a shuddering breath, she pulled her phone from her pocket. Her first thought was to try to contact Cal, and it wasn’t until she’d begun sending a text message that she realized she should probably call the police for help instead.
“Fuck it!” she snapped.
A blur of movement registered in the corner of her vision, and the phone was yanked out of her hands just as she tried to hit send. Dale threw the phone to the floor, stomping hard on it until the pieces were scattered at his feet. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes narrowed with anger.
“Now,” he said through gritted teeth, “what the hell am I going to do with you, Dr. Kinley?”