the old Baker property and had a party that lasted well after one o'clock. I didn't dare report them. Herbert has a lot of connections with the sheriff's office."
"Mother, don't you think that this could be a coincidence. You really can't say that anyone has been a threat. Granted they are annoying, but you know yourself that you have seen many changes over the years especially with the Jamison's and their children."
"I don't like it. I think it's a conspiracy to get me to sell. Herbert Jamison has been buying up houses on this end of the street and I think he is pressing me to sell."
"Have you given any real thought of selling?"
"No. I'm not going anywhere. I always planned on dying in this house."
The house needed major repairs. The roof needed replacing. The Florida sun demanded that most roofs be replaced about every fifteen years. Her son Mike worked as an electrician's assistant but had no interest in doing anything around the house in the area of repairs. He paid his monthly room and board and other than cutting the grass and taking out the trash, that was the extent of chores for him.
He used Victoria's house as a stopover and that was it. Victoria's sharp tongue and Mike's quick temper were always causing an argument and they stayed out of each other way as much as possible.
While Beth and her mother were finishing their tea, Brittney arrived from her lastlass and greeted her mother with joy. "Mom, I am so glad to see you." Brittany was a younger version of her mother with added beauty and vitality. They hugged and Brittany gave her grandmother a peck on the cheek. She gave her grandmother respect, but Victoria was not the easiest person to warm up to. She had a sharp tongue and could find fault over little thing. She did not agree with Brittany often, but Brittany was more inclined to walk away and ignore the snide comments. Brittany had one more year at the local college. She could handle her grandmother until then. She didn't have a choice; her funds did not allow her the privilege of housing choices and she wouldn't ask her mother for more help. She was, after all, paying for her schooling.
"So mother, how long will you be here." Brittany loved her mother dearly and missed her.
"I have two weeks' vacation. I did not book my return flight. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to find when I got here, so, I can't answer that right now."
Brittany and her mother talked routinely by phone and Beth helped her out financially as much as she could. They kept in close touch and Beth knew the latest gossip about Brittany's life.
That evening the three of them had a leisurely discussion and talked about what brought Victoria to request Beth's help. The town of Poseidon was a quiet town near the west coast of southern Florida. It consisted of retired communities or families that had lived in Florida for generations and had business nearby.
Victoria was a hold out to the phone landline. She refused to have it removed, even though she had a cell phone and only unwanted solicitation came in on the landline. The landline phone rang about eight o'clock and Beth answered it. She could hear music in the background and heavy breathing. She said hello and then the line went dead.
"Mother this still doesn't prove anything. Wrong numbers are common." They continued to enjoy the evening on the lanai. The sun was going down and Butch was laying at Victoria's feet when he suddenly stiffened and bolted to his feet at attention.
"What's wrong, boy?" Victoria said. Butch bounded to the screen door, barking his most intimidating bark. Dusk had fallen and the clouds were disappearing behind the trees. There were only ominous shadows left behind. The lanai faced the woods and only an occasional rabbit or key deer would show itself to them. Beth grabbed a lantern flashlight from the closet and headed for the back door.
"No. Don't go out there!" Victoria shouted after her. "There might be someone lurking in those shadows. It could be dangerous."
"Mother, I promise to be careful, but sitting here doing nothing only lets them think we are afraid."
"I don't have a problem admittedly that, anymore." Victoria was standing nearby.
Beth used the flashlight to find the obstacles Butch left on the lawn. Butch left bones and toys scattered everywhere. Mike was bad about putting away tools that he used and Beth found that several new trees had been planted since she was home last. There it was near the woods; it was too big for an animal. It appeared to be a shadow of a man. The shadows were turning into solid black quickly.
"Who's there?" Beth had shown the light in the direction of the shadow. No answer "This is private property. You are trespassing. I'm going to call the police." It was very dark and even shadows had now disappeared.
Mike‘s van pulled into the circular driveway, shinning it's headlights for a brief second on the backyard, blinding Beth. She turned and tripped over something and fell to the ground. With no time to brace herself, she smacked her head on something hard. Mike grabbed a flashlight from the house and went to Beth's side aiding her to a sitting position.
"Mother, are you okay? What happened?"
"I think so." When she put her hand up to her head, she came back with blood.
"I think you should go to the hospital." Brittany had rushed to her mother's side.
"I agree. That looks serious." Victoria was used to giving orders.
"Call the police Mike. This was no accident; I felt someone push me." Beth tried to get up but was unstable on her feet and blood trickled down her scalp.
"First we get your wound looked at. We can tell the hospital and they can call for us." Mike was in charge and he dared any of the women to challenge him. Beth went along; she was in no condition to argue.
The hospital put six stitches in Beth's scalp, took x-rays and a came deputy to the ER to take her statement. It was after midnight before they got home. The sheriff's office said they would be out in the morning to look for tracks. It was late fall, the rainy season was over and no one was expecting there to be tracks or evidence of a crime.
The small group did not feel like talking; they went to bed in silence.
At 3:45a.m Victoria woke to the sound of a branch scraping her window. She sat upright in her bed for several minutes to be sure she was hearing accurately. She went to the window and threw back the curtains, but nothing was there. There was no wind that night, nor were there any branches outside her window that could make that noise, she tried to go back to sleep, but it started again, but this time, the sound became more intense. To her it reminded her of fingernails scraping on glass. She quietly walked down to Brittany's room, slid in next to her warm body without disturbing her and tried to sleep. Sleep did not come until the dawn came and then only briefly.
The next morning, Mike checked on his mother before he left for work and she was still sleeping. Brittany and Veronica were having coffee on the lanai.
No one mentioned Victoria's late night stroll into her granddaughter's bed. They let Beth sleep until the sheriff's deputies arrived.
The sheriff took a full report. Beth showed them why she knew it was not an accident. First, she felt the person nearby and a bar come up in front of her to make her trip. There was nothing around that rock to indicate why she may have tripped. They did find prints but since it hadn't rained recently, they weren't distinct. The family got the usual response that they expected, and the deputies left.
"At least it's on file, if we need it. After what you said, mother about your late night caller, it appears that the incidents are getting more frequent and more serious. I am not sure what to expect next.
"That's probably just it. They do not want us to expect anything. They want it to be a surprise." Victoria said.
"Well, I have to tell you, I am mad. I am feeling fine and this afternoon we are going to visit some of your neighbors. And I want to have a talk with Herbert Jamison as soon as possible."
That afternoon, Beth and Victoria walked up to Beatrice and Dorothy Potter's house. They owned their home and had lived there 15 years. They knew the background of m
ost residents. The visit was pleasant, but not fruitful. The sisters didn't know much. The neighborhood had been quiet. The rental houses across from them were quiet and well maintained. The Jamison's were the same crude people they always were. Mr. Jamison wasn't home much, but he enjoyed showing off the dealership cars and their parties were front-page news. The Potter sisters did not like the Jamison's but they were neighborly and greeted them in passing.
Beth and Victoria were tired after their afternoon excursion and decided to extend their visits to the next day. The next day they walked up the street to see who would be home that they could talk to. Because a number of neighbors worked, they decided to wait until the Florida heat subsided and the afternoon breezes picked up. Beth was feeling much better and Victoria was her usual spicy self. The pink bungalow directly across from the Potter's was rented to a waitress by trade and usually at home early especially in off-season. She kept the outside of her home covered with maintenance-free plants. She had nothing bad to say about her landlord except that he would not replace anything. He only repaired with spit and glue and frequently it didn't last
Another house Herbert Jamison owned he rented to an immigrant family. They spoke very little English. Jamison's son and daughter-in-law occupied the other house, leaving one other house that they could visit. That