The Sleeping Doll (Kathryn Dance 1)

"Thank you." Dance nodded back into the cabin. "Did something happen last night? Between all of you?"

She laughed. "I think we've had a little more past than we can handle. We aired some laundry. It should've been aired years ago. But I'm not sure everybody felt that way."

Rebecca walked back inside and closed and locked the door. Dance glanced in through a gap in the curtain. She saw Linda reading the Bible, Samantha looking at her cell phone, undoubtedly thinking up some lie to tell her husband about her out-of-town conference. Rebecca sat down and began covering her sketchpad with broad, angry strokes.

The legacy of Daniel Pell and his Family.

Chapter 45

Kathryn Dance had been gone a half hour when one of the deputies called the cabin to check up on the women.

"Everything's fine," Sam replied--apart from the broiling tensions inside the suite.

He had her make sure the windows and doors were locked. She checked and confirmed that everything was secure.

Sealed in, nice and tight. She felt a burst of anger that Daniel Pell had them trapped once again, stuck in this little box of a cabin.

"I'm going stir crazy," Rebecca announced. "I've got to get outside."

"Oh, I don't think you should." Linda looked up. Sam noticed that the tattered Bible had many fingerprints on the page it was open to. She wondered what particular passages had given her so much comfort. She wished she could turn to something so simple for peace of mind.

Rebecca shrugged. "I'm just going out there a little ways." She gestured toward Point Lobos Stat

e Park.

"Really, I don't think you should." Linda's voice was brittle.

"I'll be careful. I'll wear my galoshes and look both ways." She was trying to make a joke but it fell flat.

"It's stupid but do what you want."

Rebecca said, "Look, I'm sorry about last night. I drank too much."

"Fine," Linda said distractedly and continued to read her Bible.

Sam said, "You'll get wet."

"I'll go to one of the shelters. I want to do some drawing." Rebecca pulled on her leather jacket, unlatched the back door and, picking up her sketchpad and box of pencils, stepped outside. Sam saw her looking back and could easily read the regret in the woman's face for her vicious words last night. "Lock it after me."

Sam went to the door and put the chain on, double locked it. She watched the woman walking down the path, wishing she hadn't gone.

But for an entirely different reason than her safety.

She was now alone with Linda.

No more excuses.

Yes or no? Sam continued the internal debate that had begun several days ago, prompted by Kathryn Dance's invitation to come to Monterey and help them.

Come back, Rebecca, she thought.

No, stay away.

"I don't think she should've done that," Linda muttered.

"Should we tell the guards?"

"What good would it do? She's a big girl." A grimace. "She'll tell you so herself."