~~~
Izzy was taking the trash out when she saw the bag. Looking around, she didn’t see Kari anywhere, but she knew that she’d not leave her things. Pulling the envelope out of her pocket, she slipped it in the front pocket and found a small picture. The elderly man smiled back at her, and Izzy found herself smiling despite having no idea who he was. Putting it back, she went to find out where Kari was.
Izzy hated that the two of them were breaking up. She knew that they had some problems, but she’d never seen Steele look so happy before. Every time the two of them were in the same room, he looked like he would and could conquer dragons for the young miss. Izzy smiled when she thought of the torn clothing she’d found in the bedroom a few days ago. The two of them were certainly having a good time between the sheets.
The little cemetery was about a mile back from the house. Izzy had a service come out and clean it up once a month all year round. Steele hadn’t been there since…well, she wasn’t sure when he’d been there last. Not, at least, since his sister was killed.
Thinking of the young girl always saddened her. So young to have her life cut off. Aster had been such a joy to be around, and she’d made her brother laugh more often than not no matter his mood. She missed the girl like she was of her own blood.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett hadn’t deserved them. They were the coldest people she’d ever worked for. And had it not been for the children, she would have quit them years before. But they had needed her as babies and more so when they were older. When they’d been brought to the house, it was love at first sight.
Whenever they’d been locked in their rooms for some minor offense, she and the staff, much bigger than it was now, would sneak them food and water. For days on end they would be locked in their rooms, until one of the parents would remember that they had the children and have them set free. That’s what they called it too. “Go and set them free.” Izzy hated them as much as she loved the children.
When it had come out that Bennett the senior had murdered those women, none of them had been overly surprised. Not even when it came out at the trial that Mrs. Bennett had helped him with the bodies. What did surprise them all was that they’d murdered the children of those women. Having an affair was one thing, but there was no reason to murder an unwanted child.
The closer Izzy got to the cemetery the more worried she became. There was a small bundle on the ground, and she just knew it was her little Kari. Running now, she pulled out her cell phone and called Steele. When he answered just as she reached Kari, she knew that she was frantic.
“It’s her. Oh my, Steele, she’s not breathing.” She felt her pulse as he asked her several times who. “She’s got a heartbeat. My little Kari. Oh, Steele, you have to come here. Right now. I don’t think she’s going to make it.”
He told her to tell him where they were. He was still working with Ray, and she knew that he was far away, too far to help the little lamb. Izzy told him that she’d found her at the graves and that she was cold. It wasn’t until she rolled her over that she saw all the blood.
“She’s cut herself. Real bad too.” He told her to hang up and call an ambulance. “Steele, are you coming here? Will you hurry home?”
“I’m coming. Tell her…ask her not to die on me. Tell her I’m coming.” She felt tears run down her face. “Tell her that I love her.”
“You tell her when you get here.” She ended the call and dialed the police. As calmly as she could, she told them where she was and how to get to her. “And please hurry, she’s so cold.”
Next, she called her husband. He was so calm that his soothing voice calmed her a little. The tears continued to flow because she knew as surely as she was holding her cold hand that the girl wasn’t going to make it. She was simply too weak.
“I’m bringing blankets to you. The truck too. Maybe if we meet the medics in the yard they can get to work on her sooner.” She wasn’t sure if moving her was a good idea, but her husband was being so reasonable that she couldn’t argue with him. “She’ll be fine, love. Master Steele won’t let her die on him. Not when he’s just found her.”
Izzy hoped he was right.
The ambulance pulled up just as she was ready to call them again. When the door opened, her husband spilled out of the vehicle and Izzy ran to him. He said that the truck wouldn’t start no matter what he did. He’d hitched a ride with them out to where she was, and held her while they worked on Kari.