Gathering Shadows Read Free Page B

Sanctuary was only 1.8 miles away. I pushed down a tickle of exhilaration. Ed hadn’t said a word about it to me. Before I got too excited though, I had to consider the source. Overhearing office gossip wasn’t really reliable. Just as quickly as the rush of euphoria came, it left. I couldn’t trust this information. Besides, I liked Cindy Drake. She was always nice to me and had gone out of her way to help me when I first came to the station. It was true that she was getting a little older, but she was dedicated, thorough, and extremely professional. In my heart, I believed the station would be making a grave mistake if they let her go. As much as I wanted to anchor the news, I didn’t want to see Cindy lose her job.
    I suddenly realized Zac was waiting for some kind of response.
    â€œI’m not comfortable talking about this,” I said. “And I’m not going to hope someone like Cindy gets fired.”
    Zac grunted. “Without the killer instinct, you could get eaten alive. Tough business, you know.”
    I kept quiet, but his words echoed through my head. Did I have any “killer instinct”? Did I even want it? The idea of being anevening news anchor was all I’d ever hoped for, but now, when the reality got a little too close, the prospect made me feel uneasy.
    â€œLooks like you’ve got a call,” Zac said, staring at my cell phone, which was in a holder mounted on my dashboard.
    I glanced down. Sure enough, the light was flashing. I’d forgotten and left it on silent again. I’d missed a call from the station. I quickly picked up the phone. With one hand, I entered my voicemail code while I kept my other hand on the wheel. Then I put the phone up to my ear.
    â€œWynter, this is Ed. I thought you said you cleared this story with the muckety-mucks in . . . what was it? Sanctuary? We just fielded several calls from some religious nuts who are extremely upset we want to film their little backwater hole in the ground. Forget ’em. I don’t need the headache. You’ve got lots of other towns to visit. See you in ten days.”
    â€œNine days,” I mumbled under my breath. I slipped my phone back into its holder.
    â€œAnything important?” Zac asked.
    â€œNope. Not at all.”
    I slowed down when I saw the sign pointing to Sanctuary. As I took the turn, the butterflies in my stomach morphed into condors.

Chapter Three

    â€œMight as well tell you right off that some people in Sanctuary aren’t happy you’re here.”
    Martha Kirsch stared at us over the rims of her narrow glasses. Everything about Martha was narrow. Her face, her long nose, her body. Even her eyes narrowed as she looked us over.
    â€œI don’t understand,” I said. “What changed since I talked to you the other day? You seemed excited that we were coming. You said you wanted a chance to share your town’s history.”
    â€œI . . . I was excited. But then word got out, and everyone started complaining.”
    I pointed at the large front window in the small library. “I see horses and buggies, but there are also quite a few cars. Obviously not all of your population is Old Order or Conservative. So why would everyone be opposed to our story?”
    She shook her head, and the chains attached to her glasses jangled. “This town is very special—to everyone who lives here.” She sniffed, something she’d done more than once since Zac and I entered the building. Although the library looked clean, there was a musty smell. The building was old. Probably built in the1800s. The aroma of an ancient building combined with old books could have been distasteful, but not to me. It reminded me of the library back home in Chicago where I’d grown up. I’d loved that library, frittering away many happy hours wandering through the aisles. There were tables where patrons could sit and read, but I spent my time sitting