Passage Graves Read Online Free PDF Page A

heaven’s sake!” a jovial voice boomed from upstairs as David opened the front door. The lilt of Marta McLeod’s Scottish accent played tricks on his ears. “Who’s coming to my house expecting a room at this ungodly hour?”
    A round woman bounded down the stairs. Gray curls framed her grandmotherly face. Marta made wrinkles and smile lines attractive.
    David hid the flowers behind his back. “Sorry I didn’t call.”
    “Aye, when do you ever call?” Marta smiled. “I always have a room for you, Dr. Hyden. I was hoping you’d be coming to visit that old ruin of yours. Give us a kiss.” She shoved a chubby cheek in his face.
    Shyly, David complied.
    She spotted the flowers behind his back with a squeal. “Shame on you.”
    He handed her the bouquet. “Sorry , they’re not much.”
    “You shouldn’t have, love.” She fetched a vase from the kitchen and filled it with water. “But I’m glad that you did.”
    David helped himself to one of the h omemade orange rolls in a straw basket on the table. They were still warm. She’d been up baking and waiting for him.
    “Those are for breakfast.” Marta slapped his hand and then nodded for him to take a bite. “ Well, how’s it taste?”
    “Delicious,” he said . Orange cream gushed out the sides of his mouth. He wiped the custard with the back of his hand.
    Marta bent over Darwin. “How’s he treating you these days, sweetheart?”
    Darwin lashed out at her hand.
    “Darwin!” David pulled the dog back by her collar. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into her tonight.”
    Marta masked her alarm by rearranging the flowers. “ She’s jealous is all. It’s not every day she sees you giving flowers to another woman.” She set the vase on the table and snatched up David’s bag before he could object. “Are you staying the whole weekend?”
    “Is that okay?” He licked st icky sweet goo from his fingers and took his luggage away from her.
    “‘Course it is , love.”
    David followed her up the stairwell . Darwin kept at his heels, her ears set back with agitation.
    “Was your drive alright ?” she asked. “The fog is thicker than pea soup tonight.”
    He laughed. According to Marta, weather could always be compared to some form of soup.
    “ What’s with all the sheep?” he asked.
    Marta shook her head. “ They think they own this country of ours.”
    “I’ve never seen so many in my life. We had to off-road it just to get here.”
    She stopped at the top of the stairs beside his bedroom door. “They’ll stop up the roads now and again.”
    “ Yeah, but thousands of them?”
    “Thousands?” Marta’s eyebrows skewed with surprise. “You’re exa ggerating.”
    “I’m not.”
    “Aye.” She pouted and opened the door. The floor creaked as she moved to his bed, folded back the covers, and fluffed the pillows. “A few days ago, Mr. Boyle found ten sheep, all of ‘em dead and atop your ruin.”
    “Maeshowe?”
    “Ugly lot, too, the way he tells it. Frozen stiff, and all wild in the eyes.”
    “Mad sheep disease?” David winked.
    Marta giggled. “Make yourself at home and let me know if you’ll be needing anything.”
     
    ****
     
    David pulled the covers up to his chin and patted the bed. “Come on, girl.”
    She paced the floor.
    “Come on up, Darwin.”
    Slobber dripped from her tongue, and her ears were still set unnaturally back. Maybe there was going to be an earthquake or something? She was acting so strange.
    David threw off the covers. “I can’t even get my own dog to sleep with me.” He sat at the edge of the bed. “Do you need to go outside?”
    There was a dog door downstairs , and she had never had a problem going by herself.
    He went to the door, offering to join her, but she cowered in the corner, walking back and forth and whining.
    “I don’t know what you want,” he said, stroking her head .
    She settled at the foot of the bed, uninterested in leaving the room.
    David bent over her. “Please