I arrived at the apartment to find the place dark. Only a single hallway light came from the back, showing the master bedroom door closed. Guessing Adele was getting ready, I walked back to the door and thought I heard soft sobbing. I knocked and asked if something was wrong.
“No, dear, just give me a minute. I’m trying to finish up.”
I could tell by the sound of her voice that something was wrong, but I turned away from the door and went into the office. Distracted by Adele’s tone, I sat in the chair and thought about the possible reasons. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was Sally Vaugh. However, my thoughts soon turned to the meeting with Lees in an hour. For some strange reason, the conversation with Judge Seabury annoyed me. There was something off in the way he presented everything, especially how he emphasized outsiders.
“That’s because you’re one of the few outsiders they can’t figure out.” Miss Wonderful’s voice suddenly entered my head. “You should be careful. It was a night like this that I disappeared.”
“What do you mean?” I asked the silent room.
However, Cora’s voice didn’t return. I looked over at the shadows in the corner, expecting her and the demons to enter, but nothing happened.
“Did you say something?” Adele entered the office as I stared at the corner.
“Just talking out loud,” I said after shaking my head. After thinking about it for a moment, I finally sighed.
“I’m worried about tonight.”
“What do you mean?” Adele remained by the door.
I stood from the chair and ran my hand through my hair, then shaking my head again.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like the feeling,” I replied, then turned toward her. “The way this is playing out bothers me. First you get a chilly reception from Lees. Next, the judge talked with him and now we’re supposed to have dinner like we’re VIPs or something. It seems strange.”
Hesitating at first, I finally gave into my thoughts.
“Listen, if something appears out of sorts tonight, go with your gut and let me know that we need to leave.”
“I don’t understand.” Her eyes widened as I came closer. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I told her. “Just something is nagging at me about how the judge kept implying something but never came out to say it. On top of that, Lees apparently saw Cora the day of her disappearance. But the judge mentioned he arrived after Cora’s disappearance. Then, Lees has the mansion. That’s too convenient for my taste.”
“But the newspaper article said that Mr. Lees was in San Francisco. The judge must be forgetting something. Don’t you trust Judge Seabury?” Adele’s tone showed her worry.
“I thought so, but I’m getting it through my thick skull that things in this town aren’t clear cut. Plus, important people can change things to match their needs. A few dollars here and there will make things happen the way they want.”
Obviously, I didn’t tell Adele that I also believed Cora and maybe Lees could manipulate time in Stull Junction. If Cora has the power to pull me from the future, then what’s stopping her or others from changing records? That’s the reason I still have a hard time believing Miss Wonderful’s story of not knowing things about her disappearance.
When I put my arms around Adele, I felt her body grow tense. I pulled back and asked her what was wrong.
“No... nothing. I guess I’m anxious like you are.” Adele patted my chest. “It’ll be fine. It’s just dinner and conversation. You wash up. We’ll need to leave soon.”
Nodding, I stepped past her and caught sight of her red eyes in the dim light.
“Are you sure that you’re alright with going to this?” I asked.
“Go wash up and get ready. I’m fine.” Adele told me as she went into the kitchen.
