Crossing Over

Chapter 10

The Jeep rolled slowly along under the canopy of large maple and elm trees that lined the long curving dirt lane. The road they had turned onto was unpaved and uneven so that even driving slowly the two passengers inside the cab were still jostled about.

Andra didn't seem to notice. She was deep in thought watching the rays of sunlight that danced across the interior of the car as the sun peeked through the leaves in broken patches.

She was more anxious than she cared to admit. There were so many questions that needed answers. With Sheriff Ramirez's help, they might be able to solve the mystery of Savannah's death. Without him, Andra feared all they would have was a wild goose chase and a ghost hunt.

Sheriff Ramirez wasn't the only concern weighing on her either. The nightmare that had scared her so badly the night before was still gnawing at the back of her mind. She had spent the better part of the morning trying to understand how she could have dreamt about a dead girl she never met. The only explanation that Andra could come up with was that she must have seen Savannah's picture somewhere without realizing it. Deep down her subconscious just filed it away for later use as part of some stress-induced nightmare. The alternative to this conclusion was just more than her mind was capable of coming to grips with at the moment.

As they came around the next bend in the road, Andra could see where the tree line came to an abrupt stop and opened up into an expertly maintained yard, at the edge of which, sat a white two-story farmhouse. The road they had been on turned into a gravel drive that ended just beside the house.

Cameron parked the car and shut off the engine. The silence was deafening. The sound of the cars from the busy street nearby couldn't seem to pierce the barrier of trees that surrounded the property.

"Are you ready?" Cameron asked, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Yeah." She nodded, trying to project confidence she didn't feel into her answer. Grabbing her bag from the floorboard and sticking her papers inside, she slipped it over her shoulder and stepped out of the Jeep.

As they walked toward the front of the house, Andra saw that the porch wrapped around to one side. From where she stood, two brown wooden rocking chairs and a white porch swing were visible. There were hedges planted around the front of the house and baskets full of different colored flowers hanging along the outside edge of the porch.

The pathway leading up to the wooden porch steps was filled in with white crushed gravel. Down either side of the little walkway, someone had planted tulips.

Stepping onto the porch, Cameron opened the screen door and knocked loudly on the large red wooden door behind it. Andra remembered vaguely someone, maybe her mother, telling her that a door painted red meant welcome.

Andra found herself hanging back just a little behind Cameron. The butterflies in her stomach felt like large bats with very sharp claws. Taking a deep breath Andra tried to steady herself. She wanted so badly to make a good impression today.

From inside the house, they heard movement and then the sound of approaching footsteps. The door swung slowly open and there standing in front of them was an older man in light wash jeans and a white polo shirt.

The white material looked vibrant against the background of his olive complexion. He was lean and although not muscular it was apparent he had stayed in shape since retiring from the force. Andra was hard-pressed to imagine him as anyone's grandfather. His age was only betrayed by the strands of grey that ran through his thick black hair and the small laugh lines at the corners of his dark eyes. "Can I help you?" He asked.

"Hi," Cameron said, extending a hand. "My name is Cameron Davies and this is my friend, Andra Morris. Mark sent us out to talk to you."

"Of course." the man replied as he shook Cameron's hand. "It's very nice to meet you. My name is Conrad. Conrad Ramirez. Come in, come in." He said, stepping back and gesturing for them to enter.