Voices From Within (Book 2)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Ivan Polansky

Charlie grabbed her gloves and walked over to her escorts, who were finishing their lunch. She explained she was riding with Mr. Thanturnam this afternoon. Oscar Watkins, the head escort, argued with her. He felt her father would not approve of her spending the afternoon with a man she just met.

"My father still thinks of me as a child."

"Nevertheless, we will need to escort you and Mr. Thanturnam. It is not safe for a woman to be riding alone."

Charlie smiled with grace at her proper escorts. Inside, she was gritting her teeth, hoping for a chance to spend some time with Reggie, alone. She turned to look at the dangerously handsome man paying the bill, and her heart skipped a beat.

The horses had been watered and brought around to the front of the hotel. The handsome couple mounted their horses and rode out of Carlisle. During the ride, Reggie told Charlie about Ivan and his wife Martha. He explained how they had settled the land about twenty years ago after the war.

"Ivan built a magnificent barn and a sturdy log cabin. He started on the foundation and gathered timber to build his wife a beautiful house. She passed away about four years ago, and he lost interest in finishing the house."

"Oh, how sad. Did they have any children?"

"No. Ivan told me they were never blessed with any children."

"That's too bad. Children can be such a blessing to older parents."

"See that barn over there? That's Ivan's place."

"Oh. What a beautiful piece of property."

Charlie looked over at the panoramic view of the landscape. In the distance, the barn stood majestically against the horizon. The homestead was in a beautiful valley with a mountain ridge in the distance. Large pine trees block the wind from the north.

The paddock and corral fences lined the driveway with a beamed entrance across the driveway. Reggie explained Ivan raised cattle, horses, hogs and had a dog named Kaiser. On the building site there was a magnificent barn, a hog shed, a sturdy log cabin, and the foundation and timber of an unfinished house.

When Reggie turned his horse up the driveway, he noticed the pristine snow. He became silent and took the lead. There were animal tracks to the barn. The closer he got to the barn, he noticed the absences of footprints from the barn to the house. A bad feeling crawled up his back as he dismounted.

He walked up to the cabin, and the door was unlocked and partially opened. Snow had blown in, but he saw the dog prints. Inside the cabin, the large German Shepherd was barking in protest as he stepped into the cabin.

The dog stopped barking and looked at Reggie. Reggie opened the door wider, and Kaiser recognized him. He jumped off the bed and ran toward Reggie. Kaiser leaped at him with playful delight. The young man played and ruffled his fur and told the dog he was happy to see him.

He allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Heavy woolen blankets hung over the windows and in the doorways. Kaiser went over to Ivan, who was lying on the floor. Reggie rushed to his friend's side and examined him. He was lying near the fireplace on his right side. He had been hit with an object that caused his head to bleed.

Ivan Polansky was dead. He had been killed. The man laid on the floor in his robe and nightgown, wearing wool leggings with laced-up wool moccasins. His long white hair was soaked in blood, and his last breaths were frozen to his moustache and long white beard.