31. Allison

I joggedaround the swimming hole and back to the house; I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and turned, smiling. My sister-in-law, Carly, jogged up the path. "Hey, how are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm good. I wanted to get my run in before the sweltering heat later today," Carly replied. "I'm so sorry Miss Molly passed away. It's hard to believe she and Miss Hillary are gone. Our community won't be the same without them."

"I know, our elders passing on, it's so sad."

"Is Ghost still gone?"

"Yes. I miss him so much."

"You should come to dinner tonight. Ryan is making spaghetti."

"I would love to, thank you. Should I bring something?"

"Just yourself. Come early, so we can visit."

"That sounds like fun. How is the baby doing?"

"She's perfect."

"You're right; she is perfect."

"Is Spartan still staying at Benni's? If those two don't have sex soon, they'll combust. What are they waiting for?"

"Both of them are waiting for the other person to make a move. Benni says that since she was the one to make the last move, it's up to Spartan to make a move."

Carly laughed. "It's just fun watching them."

"I know. I'll see you at dinner. I have some patients I have to see," I said, finishing my jog as my phone rang. "Hello."

"Hey, sweetheart, what are you doing?" Ghost asked.

"I miss you. How are you doing? Is everything almost wrapped up there?"

"Todd Tulle was murdered. Now, his cousin, who was on the phone with him when the man killed him, is in hiding, but we don't know where she is. So we are waiting for the guy to be arrested. But his family is causing trouble. They have money, but Robin Tulle has more. The problem is he's in hiding."

"Have you seen his spirit anymore?" I asked.

"After we discovered who killed him, he came back to his brother once. He hasn't been back since," Ghost explained.

"What if the killer, Hudson, has Kenzie?" I asked, confused as to why both of them were missing.

"Kenzie went missing before we went to the police about the murder. She said that her cousin's spirit visited her, so she told Robin about Hudson being on the phone with her. She has never met her cousins. In fact, when she talked to Todd, that was the first time she had ever spoken to them. Todd told her to stay on the phone. When his surprise visitor showed up on his yacht. That's how she knew his name was Hudson."

"Maybe Todd's spirit told her to hide," I said, mentally picturing a spirit talking.

"He can't talk. He can't move things, either. But I believe he's gone to where he was meant to go," Ghost remarked.

"That is so sad. I love you. Come home soon."

"I will. It shouldn't take more than a couple of days. I love you too, sweetheart. Goodbye."

I drove around the mountain curves to Bob and June's home, where a tree blocked the road. I called the county and told them to get up here and move the tree. Then I exited the car and started walking. I stopped when I heard the noise, which I had only heard once. A bear was somewhere close.

"Don't move, Allison. I'm going to scare him off," a woman said behind me. I didn't move. Then I heard a shotgun go off, and the loudest roar sounded like he was in my ear.

"When I say drop, do it," the voice said.

I barely nodded, but she saw it. When she said drop, I dropped. She fired twice, and the bear fell beside me.

"I didn't want to kill him, but I had no choice. He's been terrorizing the mountain for all week. He killed my dog on our porch. He busted the Campbell's front door down, and they had to hide in the attic."

I raised into a sitting position before standing. "Thank you for saving my life. Why are you the one hunting him?" I said as I looked down at the largest bear I had ever seen.

Bob broke his leg. I called the county to move the tree, but no one has been up here to move it."

"When did he break his leg?"

"Three days ago. It's been hard because we have no pain medicine, and I'm afraid his bone won't be able to set if he doesn't get it taken care of soon," June said, poking the bear with the end of her gun.

"We'll get him out of here. God, I owe you my life. What if you hadn't shown up when you did?" I started shaking, looking at the bear.

"I see your mind turning. You better shut it off right now, or you'll make yourself sick," June said. "This is my kill, so I will have to drag this monster home. Do you think you can help me?"

"Sure, how are we going to drag him?"

"Put your bag on his chest, and we'll each take an arm and pull him. Bob is going to be surprised to see this guy. I'll make you a bear rug. I already have six of them," June said as we pulled the monster bear inch by inch to her cabin. She trusted me not to report her about the bear rugs.

By the time her house came into view, my body was killing me. Bob was sitting on the porch. He looked shocked as we pulled the stinking heavy bear into his yard. "How the hell did you find him?" He asked his wife after greeting me.

"He was standing behind Allison, getting ready to have her for lunch. I tried scaring him, but he wouldn't budge. So I had to kill him," June explained. "I'm going to make Allison a rug. Since I went to school with these people, none called me a doctor."

I took my bag and walked onto the porch, where some shade appeared. "I just need a quick break to catch my breath," I said, sitting down. "How did you break your leg?"

"I was high up in a tree cutting it when I fell out of it. I landed on my leg. June was with me, thank God. I don't think I could have made it home alone."

I stood up and checked his leg. "It's definitely broken. We'll get you to my car, and then the county will get that damn tree out of the way. Why don't you two get a phone out here?"

"Phones bring other people into our peace and quiet," Bob said.

"You can keep it outside and only use it when you need to," I tried explaining to him.

"June spent half the day talking to her family on the last phone we had. Nothing got done around here. I will not have another one at my house," he stated.

"So, instead, June has to walk a mile to use a neighbor's phone and call for help. I swear, Bob, you sound like a jealous husband who doesn't want his wife to associate with her family," I said, shaking my head.

"And you sound just the same as you did when we were in high school, trying to tell us what to do. June, you don't have to go with us. I'm sure they'll keep me in the hospital. After we reach Allison's vehicle, you can return here and get that bear meat in the freezer." Listening to him, I wondered what June had ever seen in him.

"I left him at the hospital and went home to shower the stinky bear off of me before going to dinner with Ryan and Carly.