The Door at the Top of the Stairs Read online

  Morgan took the book, and was startled by the anger in Ryland's eyes. She began reading about the nightmare of being flogged. When she'd finished, she closed it and sat on the bed close to Jesse's head. She slipped her hands under Jesse's arms and pulled her up so her head was resting on her shoulder. "I couldn't find the smelling salts; maybe you'll have better luck."

  Ryland took the book again and re-read the passage. When she banged it shut and left the room, Morgan whispered softly. “What did you do, Little Shit? You'll be all right. I've got you."

  Ryland returned with the salts, broke open a capsule and held it under Jesse's nose. Nothing.

  Morgan waited, trusting that Ryland could bring her around.

  Her chin rested on Jesse's head, and she shifted her gaze from the smelling salts to Ryland. "What's the matter? Why isn't it working?"

  "We'll give it a minute, then try another one." Ryland exhaled in frustration as she picked up the book again. "I told her not to think about the room without me. I didn't think I'd have to tell her not to read about it, either. This book is pretty well worn out."

  "Is she gonna be all right?"

  Ryland nodded and met Morgan's eyes. "If she wasn't living right here with us, I'd probably have her committed to a hospital at this point. We'll have to keep a close eye on her for the next little while." Ryland played with the cover of the book, opening and closing it while she considered what Jesse had done.

  "The mind's a complicated labyrinth, Morgan. Psychologists like to believe we understand how it works, but in reality, we don't have a clue. We just hang on for the ride and hope for the best."

  She broke open another capsule and held it under Jesse's nose.

  When she didn't respond, Ryland threw that one in the trash and opened another. "Okay, Little One, you're not going to like this."

  She held one of Jesse's nostrils closed and inserted the open capsule up into the other. Jesse immediately started coughing and grabbing at her nose and Ryland reached for a tissue. "Here, use this."

  Confused, Jesse grabbed the tissue and blew her nose as tears streamed down her face. She coughed and wiped her eyes, laying her head back on Morgan's shoulder. Morgan leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes, relief washing over her as she listened to Jesse's coughing.

  Both of them jumped when Ryland slammed the book down on her knee. “Damn it, Jesse! What is the matter with you? I give you one order and you can't even follow that! Didn't I tell you not to do anything on your own? Why would you read something like this after I told you not to?"

  Jesse took the book from Ryland and held it under her arm, close to her chest. Ryland had never upbraided her before, and although it angered her when Morgan did it, she was shaken by Ryland's intensity. She wasn't sure why her emotions were so raw.

  She wasn't even sure how she'd gotten to this room, and she turned her head into Morgan to hide her tears.

  "Now listen to me, Jesse Shaunessy, and listen well! Do not do anything without me that even remotely reminds you of what happened. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

  Jesse turned her head farther into Morgan's shoulder and didn’t answer.

  Ryland snatched the book out of Jesse's hand and left the room.

  They watched her go and were both quiet for a minute. Then Morgan reached up and ruffled Jesse's hair. “Whoa. She even scared me."

  Jesse smiled despite herself and relaxed a little.

  Morgan got up and took an extra pair of pajamas out of a drawer in the dresser.

  "Here, put these on and go to bed. I'll get you up in the morning and we'll go down and feed."

  Morgan found Ryland outside on the front porch, sitting on the porch swing with a down comforter pulled around her to keep off the chill of the autumn night. Lifting the blanket, she crawled in next to her, put her arm around her shoulders, and pulled the comforter around them both. Neither woman spoke as they listened to the soothing sounds of the night forest while they swayed with the motion of the swing. The half-moon rose slowly through the trees and bathed the front lawn in a gentle blush of moonlight.

  Morgan put her lips to Ryland's hair and kissed her gently. Ryland turned and met her lips with her own, then put her head back on Morgan's chest and listened to the quiet rhythm of her heartbeat.

  Morgan said softly, “She scared you too, didn't she?" She nuzzled Ryland's hair again while they listened to a Great Horned Owl in the distance, its haunting call calming. "Why couldn't we wake her? Why was it so hard this time?"

  Ryland pursed her lips and nestled down further into Morgan's embrace. “I'm not sure. I think sometimes the mind locks up, goes into nihility, non-existence, to protect itself. I shouldn't have yelled at her the way I did, but I was more shaken than I realized."

  Morgan chuckled. “Welcome to my world these last few months." She caressed Ryland's ear with her lips, then rested her cheek on her soft, silken hair. The swing continued swaying gently while they drowsed to the peaceful sounds of the moonlit night.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  "Organophosphate poisoning?" Morgan re-read the report the vet had handed her a few minutes before. "Where would Aristotle get organophosphate?"

  Dr. Elimena surveyed the barn area. “A lot of places, but mostly from pesticides. I don't see any of those here, and besides, I'm confident at least one other horse would be showing symptoms if he were getting it from an accidental source. His symptoms are minor, so my guess is he hasn't ingested very much for very long."

  "So the lab found it on the swab you took from his feeder and traces in his water. Can we test all the food and water bowls to see how many might be affected?"

  "If you don't mind spending the money, just get the samples to me and I'll have them tested."

  "I don't. If you give me about thirty vials and thirty swabs, I'll have Jesse fill and label each one and I'll get them to you ASAP. I want the hounds’ bowls tested as well." She looked around for Jesse and was surprised to see her standing close by, rage simmering in her eyes. Morgan pulled her aside where Doc Elimena couldn't hear.

  "Leave it, Jesse. The sheriff and I will take care of it, not you."

  Jesse had no intention of leaving Cody to anybody. He'd poisoned one of the horses, and she'd take care of him herself. She nodded and quickly looked away.

  "I want your word on it."

  Jesse raised feral eyes to Morgan and remained silent.

  Morgan glanced over her shoulder at the vet, who'd gone to his truck to get more vials and was just coming through the door.

  She looked back at Jesse, who hadn't moved a muscle. Convincing her to stay away from Cody would have to come later. Right now the first priority was to collect and test the water and feed bowls around the farm. "I need you to get a box for all the vials and swabs. Take a separate vial to each water bowl, fill it up and label which stall it came from. Take a swab from each feeder too.

  Barney's will be number one, Comstock's two and you'll count down the row, across the aisle, and back up again. Take the notebook, draw a diagram and number each stall on the diagram as well." Morgan twisted her neck, trying to loosen the knots that had embedded themselves in her muscles.

  "There's a notebook out at the kennels. It's exactly like the one for the horses. Draw another diagram of the kennels and number each pen, then take samples from each of those as well. I want you to do everything by yourself. Too many people increase the chances for mistakes."

  Jesse stepped around Morgan and went to look for anything she could use to hold the vials. In the medicine cupboard, she found a box with two rolls of vet wrap left over from the original eighteen. There was another full box in the cupboard, so she opened it and stuffed the two rolls down among the others.

  Three hours later she had the samples filled and labeled and had drawn the diagrams to Morgan's specifications. The vet had left some time ago, and Morgan had gone up to the house. Jesse left the box of samples in the barn refrigerator, fed the horses their evening meal and checked on Arist
otle. When she was satisfied she'd done everything she needed to do for the day, she headed out to the road to catch a ride into town. Thoughts of finding Cody simmered in her mind.

  She'd walked about a mile, holding her thumb out and watching as cars and trucks passed her without even a glance from the drivers, when a red Ferrari convertible pulled over. Sandra smiled as Jesse opened the passenger door and got in. "Jesse, good to see you again. I hope you're headed into town because that's as far as I can take you. I have a seven o'clock dinner date with an old friend who flew in last night. We're meeting at a bed and breakfast just on the outskirts."

  "Wherever you drop me off's fine. I'm trying to find somebody, and I don’t have any particular place to start. Thanks for stopping."

  "I rode with your hunt club Tuesday. I was disappointed I didn't see you." Sandra reached over and put her hand on Jesse's thigh as she pulled back onto the deserted road.

  The familiar flutter started in Jesse's stomach and inched its way lower as Sandra's fingers began massaging her leg. She sat up straighter, her mind still focused on Cody. “I don't hunt. I just take care of the horses."

  "Next time you'll have to show me around the barn. It's a wonderful old building, isn't it?"

  "Uh huh." She tried to ignore Sandra's hand and concentrate on her need to get into town, but her thoughts of Cody were quickly taking a back seat to what was happening between her legs. She stared out the window and forced herself to tune out as Sandra chatted on about the barn, the hunt club, and her husband's trip to New York.

  "I'd be glad to pick you up if you like."

  Jesse tuned back in, and had no idea what Sandra was talking about. "Pick me up for what?"

  "Earth to Jesse. Your mind is about as far away as my husband. I said, since James is in New York, maybe you'd like to come visit in the next few days? Dinner maybe? I'm a great cook."

  Jesse put her head on the back of the seat as Sandra continued massaging the inside of her thigh. Now that she'd refocused, her body was responding with predictable results. "Uh, sure.

  Tomorrow's a day off for me. What time?" Her heartbeat sped up as the sensation between her legs became a persistent ache, and her stomach muscles tightened as she bit her lip to keep in the sounds that were trying to escape.

  Sandra's little finger softly stroked the inseam of Jesse's jeans and she talked on as naturally as if they were discussing the weather. “Does four o'clock sound all right? And I know you don't have a car, so I'll come by the farm and pick you up." She pulled onto a back road and, after several minutes, pulled into the driveway of what Jesse assumed was a local bed and breakfast.

  Jesse turned to look at Sandra, who was watching her with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Uh, listen, thanks for the ride, and four's great. I'll see you then." She reached for the door handle, but Sandra's grip tightened on her leg to keep her inside.

  She reached up and pulled Jesse's head close enough that her breath tickled Jesse's ear. “Maybe tomorrow we'll finally get to dessert." She took Jesse's ear lobe between her teeth and nibbled her way to the bottom.

  Jesse turned her head and took Sandra's bottom lip between her own. After a few seconds, she heard herself ask with a voice as close to begging as she ever cared to be. “Your friend's already here, huh?"

  Sandra softly rubbed between Jesse's legs until Jesse thought her foot would push right through the floorboard. "Afraid so. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Sandra let go and sat with her back resting up against the driver's door, her lips quirked into a teasing grin.

  Jesse reached for the handle and was embarrassed to see her hand trembling as she pushed open the door and stepped out. She worked at getting her body back in control as she waved at Sandra without turning her head and walked out to the road that would take her the rest of the way into town.

  The main street consisted of five blocks of businesses, bars, places to eat and a scattering of motels. It was easiest to start at one end looking for Cody and head down the street until she'd finished at the other.

  Harley's Bar was her fifth stop, and when she walked in, she waited a second to let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting. A thick fog of cigarette smoke hung in the air, and she casually studied each face, hoping one of them would be Cody's. Unfortunately, she was out of luck. She stepped up to the bar and ordered a beer.

  "Hey Andy, have you seen Cody around lately? Has he picked up another job?"

  Andy used a bottle opener to pop the cap on Jesse's beer. He poured it into a glass until the foam overflowed, then set the bottle on the bar next to the glass. "Don't know nothin' about Cody, but Morgan was in here a few minutes ago lookin' for ya."

  Jesse took a drink of her beer, then picked up the bottle and headed for her table. She'd drunk about half her glass when Hank, the little guy she'd helped in the fight, came into the bar and ordered a beer. He spotted Jesse and came over and sat at her table.

  "Hey, Morgan's lookin' for ya and she don't look too happy."

  "You seen Cody anywhere around?"

  "Yeah, I heard he just got a job today workin’ for Jake Tate.

  Tom told me he’ll be livin’ right there on the farm. That means he won’t be comin’ in as much as he used to."

  "You know what night he’ll have off?"

  "Saturdays I think. Least ways, that's when most of Tate’s men have off. Why? I thought the two of you didn't get along."

  "I have a message for him, that's all. Thanks for the information though. And if you see Morgan again, I'd appreciate it if you hadn't seen me here."

  "Don't worry, Harley's is safe; everybody knows that." He picked up his beer and wandered over to the pool tables to round up another player for a game.

  This was Thursday night. She had tomorrow off and worked Saturday. It'd be more difficult to get into town after work on Saturday, but she didn't think it was such a good idea to confront Cody on Tate's property. She finished the last of her beer and walked up to the plate glass window to see if she could spot Morgan.

  The farm truck was parked in front of the café, and Jesse leaned against the window frame to wait until Morgan came back out onto the street so she'd know when she could safely leave the bar. Her mind wandered to exactly what she wanted to accomplish when she tore Cody into pieces. The sheriff's office was across the street, and as she stared at it, it occurred to her she'd probably do some jail time for beating Cody into the ground.

  She jumped when someone came up behind her and leaned an arm on the wall above her head. “So, who exactly are we looking for?" Morgan had a pretty good idea where she'd find Jesse, and had come in the back door on her second trip through the businesses on Main Street.

  Jesse sighed and turned around. "I don't suppose I can buy you a beer."

  Morgan pushed off the wall and headed for the front door.

  “Let's go."

  Jesse followed her, but stopped when Morgan turned the opposite way from the truck. It took Morgan a few steps to realize Jesse wasn't with her anymore. She turned and walked back to where Jesse was standing. “I'm already really pissed off, Jesse, and I'm not in the mood for your shit. Ryland told us you needed to stay close to her until we finish your therapy, and you take off slick as you please for town without even a by your leave. Now follow me, keep your mouth shut, and if you're rude to anyone at this town hall meeting you've made me late for, you'd better run."

  "I'm not going to any—"

  The look Morgan leveled at her was enough to shut her up.

  Morgan started down the street again and Jesse followed. When they reached the town hall, she took a chair next to the door at the back of the room. Once again, Morgan came back to her and said between gritted teeth. “Do you really want me to haul you up to the chair next to mine in front of the whole goddamn town?"

  Jesse got up and pulled a chair next to Ryland, who was seated close to the front of the room. The people in the meeting were well acquainted with Morgan's temper, and no one batted an eye when she slammed down a chair on the
other side so Jesse was sandwiched between the two of them.

  Jesse slumped down and suffered through an endless discussion about public toilets, tourism, and support for the local high school girls' basketball team, which needed funds to travel to the state tournament. When a woman stood up and started complaining about her neighbor's barking dog, Jesse put her head in her hands. “Jesus Christ."

  The woman stared down her aquiline nose, and when Jesse sat back and started to ask what she was staring at, Morgan put her elbow on the back of Jesse's chair, locked her fingers on her neck and gave a warning pinch. Morgan smiled up at the woman. “Go ahead, Jo. She wasn't referring to your problem. She just realized she forgot to do something back at the farm."

  Jo sniffed suspiciously, then started in on the dog again.

  Jesse leaned forward and rested her forearms on her knees.

  She put her thumbs together, then her index fingers, middle fingers and ring fingers, and when Jo began imitating the sounds the dog made at one in the morning, Jesse's head dropped all the way down. “Oh, fuck me."

  Ryland rested one hand on Jesse's back and covered her own mouth with the other. She couldn't believe the sounds coming out of Jo's mouth either.

  Morgan leaned forward and said quietly, “Ditto on that one, Kid."

  Ryland pinched the bridge of her nose to keep from laughing at the two of them. She couldn't believe the transformation that had taken place since the day Jesse had appeared on their porch. Jesse had softened Morgan's temper, and Morgan had reined in most of Jesse's anger.

  They sat through the dog owner's rebuttal and, to Jesse's great relief, they came to the last item on the agenda. After the mayor read the initial complaint, Jake Tate stood to put in his two cents.

  Jesse hadn't noticed him in the room when she first came in, and she sat up to see where he was seated. She had to stretch to see around Morgan, who'd turned to face her full on and had reached her arm across the back of Jesse's chair.

  Tate was on the other side of the room, about three rows behind theirs. Morgan moved her face into Jesse's line of vision, and Jesse sat back and slumped down in the chair again. She'd lost interest in Tate unless he provoked her, and she knew she'd be going too far with Morgan if she caused major problems in front of the whole town. When the meeting adjourned, Morgan and Ryland went to the refreshment table to visit with some friends. Jesse went out the door to catch a ride back to the farm.