Chapter Three
The next morning, the two women sat hunched over their coffee.
Nancy spoke first, "I'm going to check that shelf. Make sure it's secure."
Bess nibbled a piece of toast. "Good idea." She didn't have the heart to say she'd checked that shelf before. Three times to be exact. Well, who knew, maybe Nancy would find something Bess had not.
Sadly, Nancy did not. There were two shelves. The doll was on the lower shelf. Nancy removed everything from both shelves. Then she wiggled and tugged. She pulled and pushed. Neither shelf moved. She banged on the wall. On the left side of the shelves and on the right side. Neither shelf moved. Not one bit.
Nancy placed the doll on the lower shelf, let it slump against the wall. Nancy banged her fist on the wall again. Left side and then right side. Nothing happened. The doll did not budge. Not one bit.
A disheartened Nancy looked at Bess. "The brackets are solid as a rock. The shelves are solid, too. And, in my humble opinion, that's one sturdy wall. I don't think I should bang on it again though. Your neighbor might start wondering what's going on over here."
Bess plopped onto the sofa. "So, how do you explain the figurine falling?"
Nancy took a seat in an armchair opposite the sofa. "I can't. Not yet." She gave Bess a little smile. Nancy wasn't giving up and for that Bess was thankful.
The day passed in relative calm. The items were replaced on the shelves and the women enjoyed a late lunch and a game of Scramble. At four they decided to see a movie. They donned coats and scarves and left the apartment.
The weather was windy and overcast. There was even a hint of snow in the bitterly cold air. It felt good to be out and away from the apartment. Away from the doll. By the time the women returned to the apartment, snow was indeed falling. The beauty and serenity of the snowflakes kept the women's mood light and bright. They entered the apartment in high spirits.
That is, until Nancy said, "Bess, did you move the doll before we left?"
Bess didn't want to look, didn't want to face the doll. But she had to. Slowly, she turned to the shelf. She searched the long flat surface, but the doll wasn't there.
What? Oh, there it was. Below the shelf sitting as pretty as you please on Bess' computer desk. Had it fallen there? That hardly seemed likely given the upright position the doll was in. Why, it even had its hands nicely folded in its lap.
Bess' voice shook a little when she said, "You know I didn't move it."
Nancy took a deep breath. "I know, but I had to ask."
Bess shrugged off her coat and scarf. "She looks quite pleased with herself, if you ask me."
Nancy hung her coat in the closet. "Yes, I agree. A little too pleased?"
"Oh, let's not talk about her," Bess said and headed to the kitchen. "Tea or hot chocolate?"
Over hot chocolate the women discussed possibilities for the doll's new location. Had she fallen while they were away? Not likely. Nancy had proven the sturdiness of the shelves and wall that very morning.
Bess held her mug in her hands to warm them and studied the doll. "When you think about, that's the spot she would land in if she did fall off the shelf."
"Yes, it is." There was a touch of wariness in Nancy's voice. "But I keep asking myself, how did only the doll fall? Nothing else on those shelves is disturbed."
Bess took a sip of hot chocolate. "Very troubling, isn't it? You see why I called you. Why I need your help."
"Yes," Nancy said. "And as much as I love a good mystery, I don't mind admitting that this one has me stumped."
"How about some chocolate chip cookies," Bess asked suddenly.
Nancy smiled brightly. "I would love some."
Bess laughed. "Everything's better with chocolate."
Bess retrieved a package of cookies from the cupboard. She wondered how much longer she would be able to laugh at the situation. Truthfully, the doll had her rattled. Since its arrival, her life had not been the same. Each time she glanced at it she felt its disapproval, as if the doll found her lacking in some way.
"Did you ever find out who sent the doll?" Nancy asked as Bess opened the cookies.
"I did. My Aunt Ruth. She was Astrid's only child and the executor of her will. Great-Aunt Astrid left most of her dolls to Ruth. Apparently, Ruth loved them as much as her mother did." Bess gave a slight shiver. Those dolls had always frightened her. "Aunt Ruth told me that Astrid left a doll to each of her three granddaughters and one to each of her nieces. There's five of us. Ruth told me that Astrid's will stated who was to get which doll."
Nancy peered at the doll perched solemnly on the computer desk. "So, this is the doll your Great-Aunt Astrid chose specifically for you."
"Apparently." Bess dunked a cookie in her hot chocolate.
Nancy put two cookies on a napkin. "Have you talked to any of your cousins who've received a doll?"
"I did. I called my cousin Clair. She babbled on about how happy she was to have one of Great-Aunt Astrid's dolls. Wasn't it just wonderful? she said. Aunt Astrid had picked a special doll for each of us. She felt so honored I didn't have the heart – or nerve to ask her if she'd had any … um, strange happenings."
"Did you call anyone else?" Nancy gently prodded.
Bess chewed a bit of her cookie and swallowed. "Actually, I did. My cousin Rose. She seemed happy, too. Not as over the moon as Clair, but reasonably happy. After that, I started to think it must be me. Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe none of this was real. But now you're here, Nancy and you've seen it, too. I'm not crazy, am I?" Bess' sky blue eyes pleaded for verification.
Nancy patted her friend's hand. "No, of course not. And you're not imagining things. I've seen what's happened with my own eyes and I can't explain it. Not yet."
Nancy glanced over her shoulder. The doll hadn't moved. "I may not be able to explain things now, but that won't stop me from investing."
# # # #
The women were in the bedroom, preparing for bed. Bess whispered, "I didn't want it in the first place. Those dolls always gave me the creeps."
Nancy looked up. She was sitting on the bed brushing her hair. "Did you ever tell anyone that?"
Bess sat on the bed. "No, especially not my great-aunt. I didn't want to hurt her feelings." Bess shook her head. Blonde curls swayed around her face. "But now. Now, things are personal. This is affecting my life."
Nancy hesitated. She had a thought, but should she express it? "Maybe," she murmured, but Bess sprang off the bed.
"I've made up my mind," Bess said. Anger flickered in her eyes. "I can't live like this. I don't want to look at it anymore. I'm going to put it away. Hide it, so I don't have to see it."
She strode through the arched doorway and into the living area. Nancy was right behind her.
"What are you going to do?" Nancy had a worried expression.
Bess picked up the doll and turned to Nancy. "I'm going to put her in the closet. I have a big walk-in closet. I'll put her in there until I can figure out something better."
"Maybe you could return her to your Aunt Ruth?"
Bess stood still, the doll in her hands. "I … I thought of that. But … but that would probably hurt Ruth's feelings. I don't want to do that."
"True," Nancy said. "So, the closet it is."
Bess led the way. Back through the arched doorway. Through the bedroom and into a very, very short hall. The bathroom was on the left and the closet was on the right. Both were large, generous rooms.
Bess opened the closet door, flipped on the light, and stepped inside.
"Up there." Bess pointed to a shelf with boxes and blankets. "I'll wrap her in a blanket and put her in one of those boxes. She'll be warm and cozy."
Bess looked at Nancy expectantly.
Nancy opened and closed her mouth as if trying to decide what to say. Finally, she said, "Sounds good to me."
"Then it's settled. Could you move that step ladder over here for me, please?"
Bess motioned to a small step ladder in the corner of the closet. Nancy promptly positioned it under the shelf in the spot Bess indicated.
The women tried several scarves, towels, and blankets before they found one that Bess deemed 'just right.'
"There. It's done," Bess said with finality as she stepped off the ladder.
The doll was in a box, nestled in a fluffy blanket like a swaddled baby. Bess couldn't bring herself to cover the doll's face. The lid was on the box and the box was on the shelf. Bess considered her task complete. Finished. Done.
"I think I'll sleep much better tonight," Bess said. She switched off the light and closed the closet door.
A chill of apprehension clung to Nancy as she and Bess climbed into bed.
It was indeed done, Nancy thought. She tried to dismiss the sense of foreboding that washed over her. She pulled the bed covers tight around her and snuggled into them. Suddenly, she was very cold.
A/N: Thank you so much to those who reviewed! Dolls and clowns have always creeped me out, too! Glad I'm not alone in that fear. Christie seemed to have used the supernatural more in her short stories.
Just in case anyone is wondering, I will post one chapter a day (of this story) until it is complete.
I know I have two other unfinished stories and I apologize. I am working on them and will finish them.
To SC15 - glad you like the imagery with the doll. I'm trying to make it creepy and wasn't sure if I had succeeded. ;)
For those awaiting Frank's cameo, I only hope it's worth the wait! :D