Cover Of Night

Roland took her to the Richardsons, since their house was closest. He left her at the door and hurriedly returned to his watch. To Cate’s surprise, the basement was nearly empty, at least in comparison to the crowd that had been there when she and Cal left. Gena and Angelina were still there, because Gena still couldn’t walk on her sprained ankle; she could barely hobble. Greed and Neenah were there – same reason for him – and Perry and Maureen. Someone had strung ropes across the basement and draped sheets across them to create a little privacy.

Greed gave her a sharp look when she staggered in alone. "Where’s Cal?"

"He’s gone after them," she gasped, sinking down on a chair Maureen hurriedly shoved at her. "He’s going to try – He said they wouldn’t be looking for him from that direction."

"Do you want some water?" Maureen asked in concern. "Or something to eat?"

"Water," Cate said. "Please."

"What happened?" asked Greed, iron in his tone. "What changed?"

"Joshua," said Neenah, softly chiding.

"It’s okay," Cate said. "Cal remembered… He put the things in the attic for me – Layton’s things. There was a shaving kit. When those men – Mellor – when Mellor said he wanted the suitcase, I grabbed the suitcase and gave it to him, and I never thought about the shaving kit. It’s still in the attic. What they want must be in the kit. That’s why they came back."

"I’ll get it," said Perry, at a glance from Creed. "What does it look like?"

"It’s just a brown Dopp Kit. It’s sitting on the floor." Cate closed her eyes, visualizing the attic. "When you get to the top of the stairs, turn to your right. You’ll see two rock-climbing helmets hanging on the wall. The kit is on the floor somewhere in that vicinity, unless Cal shoved it aside when he was getting the climbing gear."

Perry left, and Cate took the cup of water from Maureen, gulping thirstily. "What happened to your leg?" Maureen asked, looking worried.

"I fell on a rock, landed on my knee. I don’t think there’s any structural damage, but it’s swollen and sore." That was an understatement. What she wouldn’t give for an ice pack and two aspirin.

"You came to the right place," said Gena, trying to sound chipper and failing miserably. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken. "This is the orthopedic section."

"She’s right," said Neenah, leaving Creed’s side to come to her. "Let’s get you cleaned up and see how that knee looks."

"I don’t have any clothes to change into," said Cate, too tired to really care.

"I’ll take care of that," Maureen said as she helped Cate to a chair in another section of the basement where she could pull a sheet across for privacy. "Tell me what you want, and I’ll send Perry back for it."

"The poor man. He’ll be exhausted from running back and forth." Cate closed her eyes and let them undress her down to her underwear, standing on one leg when they helped her up so they could remove both pairs of pants. It was soothing to feel a cool washcloth being stroked over her face, arms, and hands.

"The swelling is really bad," Neenah murmured. "You probably shouldn’t be using this knee at all."

"I didn’t have a choice."

"I know, but you do now. We’ll arrange some cushions to prop up that leg and support it, so you’ll be more comfortable." The cloth was dipped in cold water again and laid across her knee. It wasn’t an ice pack, but the cold water was soothing. Maureen appeared with two tablets in her palm; Cate took them without asking what they were, without caring.

Together Neenah and Maureen moved some cushions, boxes, and piles of folded clothing, making a sort of recliner on the floor, then they helped her to it. She sat on the cushions, leaned against the boxes, and the piles of folded clothes were placed under her knee. The support was wonderful. They covered her with a blanket and left her alone.

She went to sleep immediately, not hearing Perry when he returned.

Creed woke her a short time later, hobbling to her "room" with the aid of a cane and dragging a chair with him. Neenah followed, holding the Dopp Kit and giving him an exasperated look "He won’t listen to me," she complained to Cate, though beneath the exasperation she looked strangely content.

"I know the feeling," Cate said wryly.

"Is this the right shaving kit?" Creed asked, taking it from Neenah.

Cate nodded. "There isn’t another one in the house. Did you find anything?"

"Nothing. I dumped everything out, opened everything that would open – "

"And some that wouldn’t," interjected Neenah.

He slanted a quick look up at her, a glance so laden with intimacy that Cate almost sucked in an audible breath. When had this happened?

Well, the answer to that was obvious: the same time it had happened for her and Cal.

"There’s nothing here," said Creed. "I’ve felt the seams, the zipper, practically ripped the damn thing apart. If there was anything valuable, incriminating, or remotely interesting in this kit, I haven’t found it."

Cate stared at the kit, forcing her tired brain to work. "They only think it’s here," she said slowly.

"Think what’s here?" Creed’s tone was sharp.

"I don’t know. But whatever it is, they think it’s here because when they checked Layton’s suitcase his shaving kit wasn’t in it. Layton has it – the thing, it, whatever. He took it with him. When he climbed out the window and left, he was running, so of course he took whatever it is with him."

"Do they know he climbed out a window and took off?"

Slowly she shook her head, mentally going over what she’d told the mystery man when he’d called that day, pretending he worked for National. "At the time, I thought Mr. Layton must have had an accident somewhere. When some man called looking for him, I told him Mr. Layton had disappeared, that he hadn’t checked out or returned for his things, and I thought he must have had an accident in the mountains. I didn’t mention that he’d left by way of the window."