Subj: What Could Have Been part 9/?
Date: 1/11/00 9:47:02 PM Central Standard Time
From: KimD
She rushed back to Collinwood to call Sheriff Patterson. He hadn’t been easy to get in touch with, but she was persistent. He arrived within a short time after she told him she had found evidence. She took him through the woods and led him to the bush that the cloth was in. The fabric was so deeply tangled that it wouldn’t come out easily. The Sheriff cut the bramble around it loose, and carefully removed the cloth. “You realize that this cloth may have been in that bush for a while, and may not be connected with the murder,” the sheriff said somewhat irritated that this girl had been able to find something that his men had missed. “It will have to be proven that this blood did come from Grant Hindricks and it must have traces of a second person on it for this to be of any use.”
“That sounded like a lot to ask of one little piece of fabric.”
“I’ll have this checked out, but this piece of cloth can’t save him by itself.” With that he turned to walk back to where he had left the car. He hoped that the fabric would turn out to be more evidence to against Barnabas Collins. He knew that there was something odd about Collins, and he had wanted to put Barnabas Collins in jail ever since the murders that happened a few years ago.
Vicki returned Collinwood somewhat discouraged. She had hopped that Sheriff Patterson would have been more helpful. It seemed that he had thought that he had already found the murder that he wanted, and didn’t want to look any further. Upon entering the house she saw Elizabeth Stodard. “Is something wrong Vicki?” she asked.
“I found evidence this morning that I thought might help to clear Barnabas. I showed it to Sheriff Patterson, but he didn’t seem very encouraging about it. I’m afraid that he’s going to be very little help.”
“You’ve been doing everything that you can to help him. I’m sure that something will turn up soon.”
“I hope so, but I feel like the more I find the more roadblocks are put in my way. I couldn’t stand for anything to happen to Barnabas. He’s done so much for me in the past.” Vicki thought of the possibility of the death penality. It was something that terrified her. She hated to face the fact that it could happen.
“You’re in love with him.”
“What?” Vicki asked wondering if she had heard Liz right.
“You’re in love with him.” It was a simple statement, not a question. “You’ve been grieving for Jeff for a long time. I was starting to think that you’d never stop morning.”
“But I’ve loved Jeff so much. He was such a big part of my life.” She still couldn’t quit forget his memory.
“Vicki, you don’t have to forget Jeff, but it’s alright to move on with you life. No one expects you to be lonely forever. You’ve devoted all the time and energy you can to help Barnabas. That says a great deal about how you feel.”
“Am I that obvious?” Vicki asked finally realizing the truth of what Liz was saying. Somehow while she had been so wrapped up in trying to help him she had fallen in love with him. She thought again of the kiss that they shared the first time she visited him in his jail cell. It had been so magical. No one had ever made her feel like that before.
“Yes you are. You’ve been so sad and distant since Jeff left. When you went away for that month and a half we had hoped that would have helped you to heal. But you were still so sad when you came back. You don’t have that same melancholy look anymore.”
“Thank you so much. Sometimes I think you understand me better than I understand myself.”
“Why don’t you go visit Barnabas? He loves you so much.”