Chapter 23
Sam stompedher new-old boots to test the amount of give and listened to the Lucys argue over what Aaronfeltabout what Daisythought. She had as little understanding of the conversation as Walker. He was frowning, looking at his watch, and glancing up at the sun. Atleast she understood hisconcern.
She took his hand and nodded at the burned swathe of mountain above the town. “If they saw Daisy driving toward the burn site, then let’s follow the road,” she murmured. “I’m hoping Valdis is just sleeping on a gravestone, but the burn site isdangerous.”
“Leadership required,” he said with an understanding laugh. He squeezed her hand and loadedbottles of water into his pockets. “I don’t suppose Tullah has backpacks in that magical shop ofhers?”
“I didn’t ask and didn’t receive,” Sam said with a frown. “I guess I’m just assuming Daisy can’t get far from her cart. Her knees aren’t strong enough to hold her weight, and the road runs out, doesn’tit?”
Walker nodded. “About a mile up. Okay, let’s go. Let your magic stick leadtheway.”
She shoved bottles of water in her camp short pockets. Even knowing Walker was poking fun at her walking stick, she followed its vibrations toward the nearest hiking path up themountain.
A few moments later, Harvey and Tullah joinedthem.
Since they gave no explanation, Sam figured it was up to her to draw them out. She needed to find out more about this odd townfrom which she apparently came. “How did Aaron know Daisy was thinking aboutartwork?”
“Psychometry,” Harvey offered. “He believes he can capture or read the thoughts and emotions of objects people have touched. Psychologists call it wishful thinking anddelusional.”
Sam’s eyebrows shot up at this amount of information from the usually taciturn musician and woodcarver.
Beforeshe could question, Walker added, “Whatever Aaron does, he’s good at it. His antique store is just a front for hanging out up here. He’s an international art and antique dealer and owns a fortune in old crap he keeps in warehouses around thecountry.”
Tullah gave an unladylike whistle. “I didn’t know that. He’s a bit of a grouch, but he’s identified some of my finds as belonging to old-timemovie stars, even found stills from the films in some cases. I make enough selling them on the internet to keep operating. Wish I could take him with me when I goshopping.”
“If you’re making a profit, why don’t you and Aaron own your own shops?” Sam asked, still torn by the knowledge that her father’s family might heave all these people out of theirbusinesses.
“A few years back,when I started, I was leery of my reception, so leasing made sense. Aaron was probably the same. We’re newcomers, but the old-timers welcomed us with open arms. But now when we want to buy, there’s nothing available.” Tullah soundedsad.
“It would be a shame to lose the community,” Sam said, when no one elsedid.
“Amber saysyoucan stop that from happening.” Harvey pounded his stickin the ground, then cut away from the road toward the blackened edge of the fire’spath.
Sam could actually feel the vibration he was following. She didn’t know what it was, just that theenergywas different in that direction. Maybe she should have taken physics. She knew about tectonic faults and how the earth moved, but no one had told her she mightfeelan earthquake coming—althoughanimals were said to sense it. Daisy was hardly an earthquake though. And feeling energy wouldn’t save atown.
“Wishful thinking,” Walker said, repeating Harvey’s own words. “Sam was a student a few weeks ago. You can’t lay that kind of burden onher.”
Sam squeezed his arm and nodded downhill. “We have company. Tell us how to start a propersearch.”
The Lucys had finally dividedup and were ready to follow direction. To Sam’s surprise, the man Mariah had once pointed out as the town mayor, Sam’s Uncle Montgomery, had joined them. He and Walker were the only ones without one of Harvey’sstaffs.
Walker waited until they were all within range of hearing to ask, “Does anyone have any notion of where Daisy might go uphere?”
“Only thing up here is the old Ingerssonfarm,” Montyresponded.
Sam studied him in the growing darkness. She knew he was only about five years older than she. He had a healthy California bronze look. His light brown hair had sun-touched gold tips, making him seem remotely more approachable than his olderbrother.
“Would the farm be in that direction?” Sam pointed to the south, away from the lodge and Mendoza land, in thedirection Harvey wastaking.
Monty narrowed his eyes at her. “Yes, on the other side of that ridge was the farm house. Most of the land we’re standing on right now was part of thefarm.”
“Still is,” she asserted, without really knowing the facts. She justfeltit. This was reportedlyherland. It was an extremely oddfeeling.
He didn’t respond. She had a feeling he was a manwho didn’t waste timearguing.
“Our staffs are tugging us that way,” she said as boldly as she dared, even though it was an insane declaration. “Walker, can you put me in the same part of the grid asHarvey?”
Harvey was already half way down thehill.
