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today.
Will do, chief.
Chapter Thirty
Tuesday afternoon Sheila burst into her apartment with an armload of supplies
and a sandwich she had snitched from the cafeteria. What a miserable day this
was turning out to be. She couldn t believe she d finally escaped her guards.
When Blaze wasn t nearby, Preston found a reason to work on the records in the
clinic, or Canaan decided to join her and help with the physicals. She could
barely go to the bathroom in peace.
She shoved the door shut with her foot, turned toward the coffee table and
dropped the supplies as she gasped and stumbled back against the wall.
A wolf head with its teeth bared was in the middle of the table, carved lips
pulled back to expose vicious, oversize fangs. The eyes were nearly closed in
brooding hatred, hackles raised on the back of the head.
For a moment, Sheila could only stare at the monster, as if her nightmare had
suddenly materialized right in front of her.
She took a slow, deep breath, relaxing the suddenly tensed muscles in her
neck and shoulders.
She picked up the items she had dropped and forced herself forward. This wolf
head had the lovely sheen of polished wood, and it was no imaginary nightmare
image. Someone had to have brought it here since she left this morning.
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She glanced around the room to see if anything else had been disturbed. All
looked the same. Someone had apparently just brought this nice little wood
carving into the apartment to cheer her up. Anyone could have done it, because
half the time she didn t bother to lock her door.
As she moved around the apartment, putting things away, she felt the presence
of that head; tiny hairs prickled at the back of her neck. It seemed to have a
spirit of its own, and yet Sheila knew she was personifying it with her own
fear.
She changed into a pair of jeans and went back into the living room, half
expecting to find that the carving had moved. But it was in the same place,
lips drawn back in a permanent snarl, wicked fangs protruding. Sheila stared
at the realistic eyes, mesmerized by them. She picked up the sculpture
gingerly, and glanced at the bottom.CY. Canaan York.
It was a good thing Tanya was still in class, or she could have been the
first one to see this.
There was no way Canaan would have placed this here, but maybe he could find
out who had.
Canaan received the return call from CDC, then hung up with dismay. He looked
up at Blaze, who had popped his head through the door periodically throughout
the day, especially when the telephone rang.
Nothing, Canaan said. Whatever Wendy intended to do, it didn t get done.
Blaze shook his head. Well, I don t know much about all this, but I don t
like coincidences, especially since she and her husband died in a fire the
same date she wrote this note.
Canaan agreed.
Did the police pick up that wheel from Sheila s Jeep?
Yes, but I haven t heard anything yet. Where s Sheila?
She went to her apartment. She threatened me with my life if I tried to go
with her. Said there s certain things a woman s got to have, and one of those
is privacy from time to time.
How are the checkups going? Have you found any sick kids?
Tanya still doesn t feel a hundred percent, but a couple of the teachers and
a dorm parent came in asking for something to settle their stomachs. Temps
were up a little, so they could have a virus that s going around, or they
might ve eaten something that didn t agree with them.
Let me know if they come back. We ll need to do blood cultures. Can t be too
careful after what happened to Tanya Sunday.
Will do, chief.
The door flew open and Sheila came marching in, breathless, eyes wide,
holding a pillowcase in front of her, with something obviously in it.
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Do you have a practical joker at this school? she asked Canaan.
We ve had a few from time to
Here s a joke that isn t funny. She withdrew the pillowcase to expose a
very familiar carving of a wolf head, fangs bared, eyes malevolent.
I didn t carve that as a practical joke, Canaan said, but what are you
doing with it?
She set the carving on his desk. It would be nice to think that since I
admired your other carvings so much, you thought I d like to see this one,
too, and so you set it on my coffee table. But I don t think
Sheila, where did you get this?
The little fellow was waiting for me when I got home today.
This was in your apartment?
My door was unlocked. I leave it that way half the time.
Smart, Sheila, Blaze said with some sarcasm. So what s the big deal about
a wolf? He picked up the carving and studied it. Nice work.
Thanks, Canaan said. I keep it at home because the wolf scares the kids.
Sheila sank down into the chair in front of Canaan s desk. Which means
someone else was in my apartment today.
That s what you get for leaving your doors unlocked, Blaze said. Here
we ve been playing bodyguard all day, and you pull something like this.
Do you think one of the kids left it as a joke? she asked.
Could be, Canaan said. Or maybe someone was trying to make a statement
about Tanya staying with you.
Why would anybody care about that? Blaze asked.
Prejudice, Sheila said. I m white.
Blaze grinned. Don t that beat all. For once, I m not the only one in the
minority.
The tension eased in Sheila s expression for a few seconds as she looked at
her friend. Enjoy it while it lasts.
I ve been thinking about that, Canaan said. I don t think Sheila s color
has that much to do with it. My grandfather s white, and
Your grandfather has earned the right to be respected, Sheila said. I m a
newcomer to most of the people here. And there are still those at this school
who distrust most whites.
That s not a good reason to try to terrorize you, Canaan said.
So what s the big deal with the wolf? Blaze asked.
That s what we re trying to find out, Sheila said. Canaan, this piece is
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