On Emma's Bluff by Sara Elizabeth Rice, edited by davebccanada (audio ebook reader txt) 📕

did not seem to belong to anyone in the Wilson family. She started to just put the phone down, but something drove her to say," This is Cindy Basset. May I please speak with Emma?"

"Miss Emma is all asleep now. You don't go worrying about her anymore. She is going to be fine, just fine."

Something about the voice made the hairs on Cindy's neck stand out. Then there was a click and for the second time that night the Wilson's phone went dead on her.

Emma was not there when Cindy arrived to pick her up the next morning. Liz Wilson, who answered the front door, was not the least bit disturbed that her niece had left so early for school without saying good-bye.

"No, I did not see who she left with," Liz admitted, "Must have been one of her other friends." Liz smiled vacantly toward Cindy. It was clear she was just waiting for Cindy to leave so that she could shut the door.

"Did she seem upset or anything?" Cindy took a chance and asked.

"No she was quite happy, even singing to herself. But what a pitiful excuse for a voice that girl's got. Now you take my Barbara Lee, she could sing like an angel, always in the church choir and all."

Cindy stared at the woman and wondered just how bad had things gotten around the Wilson's house since Barbara Lee's death. "Well thank you. I have really got to be running now." She walked down the front steps with Liz still droning the virtues of Barbara Lee's singing behind her.

When she got to the schoolyard she looked around first for Emma's small blonde head but could not make it out in the crowd, but she did notice one that had been missing for a while. Joy Hutchinson was back in school. Cindy saw from the first that Joy had lost weight and looked a bit haggard.   Joy stood partially removed from the main body of the group, staring off down the main road. "She's looking for Bill," Cindy thought.

When Emma still hadn't showed up for first period, Cindy's stomach wound itself up into a tight little ball and she could pay no attention to the lecture.

On the verge of imagining all possible horrors Cindy found Emma waiting for her at the jeep when she went out for lunch.

"Where the hell have you been?" Cindy screamed at her before she was across the parking lot. She was now flooded with anger over the distress that Emma had put her through.

"Oh Cindy, don't be so childish. You shouldn't worry about me." A broad smile lit up her face and Cindy found that despite her anger she could only smile back.

"You scared me to death, what with your call last night and all."

"Oh, I was just being silly. I really didn't understand.” Emma bounced a little on her feet waiting for Cindy to unlock her door.

"So, you are going to have lunch with me, huh?" Cindy asked, bewildered by the change in Emma from the night before. "What about Bill? Have you seen him today?"

"Oh don't worry about Bill. It will do him good to wonder where I am."

Cindy was really taken back by this, but she did not question Emma.   She was delighted to see her old friend in such high spirits. "Where to?" she asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

They spoke no more of the night before until they had both bought colas and sandwiches at Po's and were settled back in the jeep to eat.

"So where were you this morning?" Cindy inquired.

"Oh let's just say I went for a little walk," Emma answered vaguely.

Cindy noticed the dirt caked under Emma's fingernails. That was weird since Emma was one of the cleanest persons she knew, especially when she was depressed. That girl could take five baths a day. "How did you get so dirty?" Cindy remarked nodding towards Emma's hands.

"My aren't you the nosy one." Emma avoided Cindy's gaze.

"Emma, what had gotten into you?" Cindy was now truly baffled.

"Well it's like this, Cin, I just realized what a complete jerk I have been behaving like I was and I am trying to do something about it."

"Okay, but how did you get to school?" Cindy was tired of the run around she was getting.

"Hitch hiked."

"What?"

"I said I hitch hiked."

"Emma, that is not like you, besides there is not enough traffic down your road. Who would have ever picked you up?"

"I didn't hitch hike from my road. I walked to the main road and hitch hiked from there."

"But that's ten miles."

"No, not through the woods it's not." Emma smiled another of her new little smiles. "It took a while, but it was worth every minute of it."

Cindy spotted Bill as soon as they pulled back in to the school grounds. He was in front of the main entrance involved in a conversation with Joy. "Now he is going to freak," Cindy thought looking towards Emma. What she saw on Emma's face was not so pleasant. Emma's smile had frozen and her hands were balled into small fists. "So much for her new resolve," Cindy thought.

Emma did not let the heavy grin leave her face. She rummaged for her purse that was on the floorboard and hugged it to her. She took something from inside. Cindy could not see what. Emma kissed the object once and stuffed it back deep into her bag.

"Let me out here," Emma demanded.

"Sure." Cindy brought the jeep up the loop in front of the school and Emma jumped out. She watched Emma approach the two as she went to park.

"We are going to a party at Joy's house this Saturday," Emma announced as she got into the jeep with Cindy at the end of the day. Cindy had been waiting almost thirty minutes for Emma to get out of Bill's car and join her. Emma had begged Cindy not to leave her, fearing that her uncle would hit the roof if Bill brought her home.

"Who is we?" Cindy wanted to know.

"Well, you are invited too, of course, but I was speaking of Bill and myself."

"You must be crazy."

"That was what she was asking him about when we drove up at lunch. It is all quite all right. Bill and Joy have known each other for a long time and there is no reason for us to be uncivil now that things have changed."

"Aren't you kind of rushing things? I mean Joy is surely not over Bill yet. Aren't you afraid she will be kind of hostile when you show up as Bill's date."

"No." Emma was over wrought with confidence, the new Emma. "So are you coming too?"

"I don't really know," Cindy stammered, "I guess so."

"So that is what this is all about?" Jim asked as they sped down the highway.

"Yep."

"Now, I don't really get it. I mean if Emma wants to set herself up for an uncomfortable time that is her problem. I don't see why we have to join."

"Because she is not acting like Emma anymore," Cindy yelled. "Can't you see, the old shy Emma would never go traipsing into Joy's house like this? I mean if nothing else it is tacky."

"Oh I see, and you can't abide any tacky friends."

"It's not that..." she stopped at a loss of an explanation that would relay her fears.

"But I thought you said her uncle had put a nix on her dating Bill for a while?"

"He did. She told him she was going with me."

"You don't think he will notice the difference. Bill really doesn't look that much like you at all," he laughed.

"She is walking out to the high way to meet him. Can't you see, she is really behaving weird?"

"Some girls do that when they think they are in love."

"Don't make me sick." Cindy glared at him. Maybe she was making too big of a deal of the whole thing, but all she could do was to be there so that she could sit back and watch what happened next.

         

 

Chapter 30

Bill wasn't too sure what to make of Emma lately. He had been real worried after her uncle had caught them together in her living room, but he still could not believe it was too big of a deal. After all, all they had been doing was kissing. Her uncle couldn't possibly know about anything else that had transpired between them. Still Emma had been very upset when she had called him later than night.

She was saying stupid things like they would have to quit seeing each other and that she would be homeless if her uncle kicked her out. He had told her that she was going over board and that surely her uncle would never do anything that drastic, but she was beyond reasoning.   He had felt bad because he finally gotten a little short with her when she had just kept going on and on.

But what was one suppose to do with a frantic woman. He had been all prepared for her to act hurt and pouting on Thursday, when she had showed up at school she had been all smiles and kisses. Fine with him; he liked her best this way.

The problem now was this deal with Joy's party. He had been in the midst of arguing with Joy about why he would not be coming to her party when Emma strolled up and volunteered that they would be delighted to attend. There was just no understanding her at all.

He just hoped he could talk her into leaving early if they went to the party. But then he couldn't help wondering what Joy would think of that. Seeing that she knew what usually went on when he and she used to leave parties early. Oh well, that was her problem.

He had parked on the curve a quarter mile up the road from Emma's house and was waiting for her to come along. He did not like the idea of having to be so sneaky, but Emma was convinced that her uncle would never have allowed her to go otherwise. Bill peered up the road and thought of the growing darkness. He was worried about her walking down that old dark road alone. Thank God the killer had been caught. He nearly jumped out of his seat when she wrapped on his window. He had not seen her approach.

"Jeez, you scared me," he said opening the door for her. "I never even saw you coming up."

"I didn't come down the road. I cut through the trees."

"My little trail blazer, why did you do that?" he said as he wrapped both arms around her and rubbed her shoulders.

"Just felt like it." She brushed back his bangs and kissed his forehead.

"How did you get so dirty?" He noticed that both knees of her jeans were muddy.

"Fell down, I guess."

"You guess?" He pulled her across the center console to him. "Poor little girl, I will have to take better care of you in the future." As usual, as soon as he kissed her he wanted more. "Are you sure you want to do this dumb party?"

"Yes." She pulled away and straightened herself in her seat.

"You're the boss." He started the car.

Roy had seen his niece take off down the