Page 60 of Dark Shadows
“Yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair. A gesture so familiar it made her chest ache. “I couldn't follow you myself. You already thought I was...”
“Angry all the time.”
A sad smile touched his lips. “Yeah.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Would you have believed me?” He moved to a shelf, picking up a small wooden box. The craftsmanship was exquisite, roses and vines carved with painstaking detail. “I made this for your twentieth birthday. Never gave it to you.”
Inside, the word “Shadow” was engraved in flowing script.
“Wesley's nickname for you,” Richard explained. “I heard him call you that over the years. Seemed fitting, the way you and Tina always followed him around.”
Savanah's fingers traced the engraving. “You did all this while watching out for me?”
“You were my daughter.” The words hung in the air between them. “Are. Were. I don't know anymore.”
While Richard and Savanah talked, Mason wandered the cabin. Something caught his attention at the small desk in the corner.
“You still keep tabs on police frequencies?” he asked, gesturing toward a police scanner.
Richard glanced over. “Old habits. The sheriff's department doesn't exactly prioritize response times out here by the lake.”
Mason nodded, but his attention moved to a wall calendar with several dates circled in red.
“Why is the date circled on your calendar? It’s the day Savanah returned to town.”
Savanah's stomach tightened as she moved to the calendar. Today's date was circled, also.
Richard's expression hardened. “I keep track of things.”
“Like what things?”
Richard hesitated, his eyes darting to the window before returning to Savanah's. “Strange occurrences. Trespassing. Someone's been coming around the property at night. Leaving things.”
“What kind of things?” A chill crept up her spine despite the cabin's warmth.
Richard moved to a drawer and pulled out a small box. Inside were several items: a carved wooden figure of a girl who looked unsettlingly like Savanah, a small bunch of dried flowers tied with black ribbon, and a folded piece of paper with “She's coming home” written in neat block letters.
Her hands went cold. “When did these start showing up?”
“About a month ago. First just footprints in the mud by the lake. Then these, left on the porch.” Richard's voice dropped. “Ireported it to Daniels, but he said it was probably just kids. Still, he dusted each piece for fingerprints and came up empty.”
“A month ago.” She looked at Mason, the implications sinking in. “That's before I even knew I was coming back.”
“Someone’s been planning it,” Richard said quietly and moved to the window, scanning the tree line. “I've lived here long enough to know when something doesn't feel right.”
“Have you noticed anyone paying particular attention to your place?” Mason asked.
“Too many possibilities,” Richard replied. “The hiking trail on the north side gets regular traffic. Fishing boats pass by the dock. Could be anyone watching from a dozen vantage points.”
He walked to a cabinet and pulled out a pair of binoculars. “Found these in the bushes last week. Not mine. Someone dropped them. For all I know, it could be bird watchers.”
The binoculars looked expensive, professional-grade. Savanah's pulse quickened. “Those aren't exactly what kids would be carrying.”
Richard lowered his voice. “There's more. Two nights ago, I came home to find my door unlocked. Nothing taken, nothing obviously disturbed. But...” He hesitated.
“But what?” Her mouth went dry.
