Maggie Shayne – Wake to Darkness (страница 7)

We pulled into Mason’s driveway, and I saw an unfamiliar green Jeep parked beside his classic Monte Carlo. Since he had mentioned that his nephews would be with him for the weekend, I’d stopped at Mickey D’s for a gigantic breakfast order and brought it along. No use showing up empty-handed, right? When we got out of the car, and headed up onto the porch, Myrtle walking with her side touching my calf, my stomach went all queasy. Seeing Mason again was a big deal and not only because I was pretty sure I knew the fate of his missing person.

Joshua came running from somewhere out back and pounded up the porch steps, and I could have sworn he was going to hug me, but he skidded to his knees and hugged Myrtle instead. His smile was huge and aimed up at me, though. “Hey, Rachel! Where you been? It’s been like ages.”

I went soft inside at the enthusiastic welcome. “I’ve been busy jetting around being a famous author. I would so much rather be hanging out with you. But I brought food so you’d forgive me.” I held up the bags and nodded at Misty, right behind me, who was carrying two more. “This is Misty, my niece.”

“Hi, Josh,” she said.

Josh said hi, getting to his feet but keeping one hand on Myrtle’s head, scratching while she wriggled in delight. “If there’s hash browns, you’re my favorite writer,” he said and, Myrtle at his side now, he opened the door and we all trooped inside.

“There are indeed hash browns,” I promised.

“Yeah, and at least two sandwiches for each of you,” Misty added.

At that moment Mason came down the stairs pulling a green shirt over his head, his chest and abs bare. My stupid stomach clenched up into a hard little knot, and I was still staring at his chest like my bulldog would stare at a steak—well, if she could see it—when his head popped into view. Misty elbowed me in the rib cage, and I dragged my focus from his chest to his face.

“Rachel.” Mason seemed surprised and maybe a little flustered, but his smile was genuine. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk to you about something.” I tore my eyes away from him, glimpsing Jeremy, who was gaming and hadn’t even said hello. “The gorgeous blonde bearing additional food is my niece Misty.”

Just as I had intended, that got Jeremy’s attention. He looked our way, and then he paused the game and got to his feet. “Hey, Rachel.”

“Hello, Jeremy,” I replied. Then I turned to Misty and said, “This is the young man who saved my life.”

Misty smiled. And there had not been a teenage boy born who didn’t turn to mush at that smile. It was bright and white and made her vivid blue eyes, fake tan and white-blond hair even more attractive. “So you’re the one. Thanks for saving my aunt.”

Jeremy shrugged and looked at his sneakers. At least he was on his feet now.

Mason clapped his hands together and said, “Well, let’s eat. Fast food is best served piping hot, right?”

The kitchen table only seated four. Mason and I unloaded the bags and stacked the food in piles on paper plates. McMuffins on one, hash browns on another, French Toast Sticks on a third. The younger crew helped themselves and headed back into the living room, where Josh served as the ice-breaker, getting the conversation going while plying Myrtle with way too many treats. Pretty soon it was noisy in there, which was good, because it gave me an opportunity to say what I’d come here to say.

But Mason spoke up before I had the chance. “Look at Jeremy,” he said in a stage whisper.

I glanced through into the living room, where the kids were all on the couch, wolfing junk food, playing with Myrtle and yacking, the Xbox still paused and possibly forgotten.

“I haven’t heard him say more than two words at a time since October,” Mason marveled.

“My niece has that effect on many of the male species.”

“You should bring her around more often.”

“I will.”

He looked at me, our eyes locked and I stammered, “You know what I mean. If it would help Jeremy.” Damn, Rache, idiot much?

“It would.” He held my eyes a beat too long, and I looked away to pick out a breakfast sandwich.

“I, um, noticed the Jeep. Yours?”

“Yeah. I finally broke down and bought something more suited to winter driving. The Black Beast is going into the barn for a well-deserved winter nap soon.”

I smiled. “I did the same.”

He glanced out the kitchen window at my new Subaru and nodded. “Nice.”

“Thanks. I, um, didn’t get coffee, ’cause I figured—”

“Right, I’ve got a fresh pot right here. Marie made it when she dropped the boys off.” He got up, got mugs, poured, served.

“How is she doing?”

He shook his head. “Not good. She looked like hell this morning.”

“I’m sorry, Mason. Your family’s a mess, and here I am horning in on you with—”

“It’s good you’re here. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what to do for Marie and the boys, how to help, if it’s normal grieving or if it’s gone beyond that. I was just thinking I’d like to talk to you about it.”

I nodded, lowered my head and took a bite of my sandwich, which was already cooling and would soon reach that inevitable stage of inedible.

“But that’s not why you’re here, is it?”

I lifted my brows at him, slugged a little coffee down to clear my mouth. “What do you mean?”

“I can see you’ve got something on your mind.”

How could I have forgotten, even for a minute, that he was every bit as good at reading people as I was? Especially me.

I lowered my voice. “I had a dream.”

His eyes widened. “About the case I was telling you about? The missing soccer mom?”

“I don’t know. But if it was, she’s dead.” I looked toward the living room, then back at him. “I was inside her head, Mason. I was there with her while she was murdered.”

He looked horrified, then glanced toward the living room just like I had done. “How?”

“She was paralyzed. Drugged, I think. It was impossible for her to move. And the killer cut into her and ripped something out.”

He stared at me. “And you felt it? You experienced it like before?”

I averted my eyes, nodded. I put my hands over my rib cage, poking the soft area where she—I—had been stabbed. “The knife went in here and ripped left, then right. God, the pain was just...” I’d started breathing hard and had to stop myself, rein it in.

“Dammit, Rachel.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

“I thought you said you weren’t having the dreams anymore, that your brain was startling you awake every time one started?”

I nodded. “I took a sleeping pill. Figured I had to know what it was my brain didn’t want to let me see. Now I know.”

He shook his head slowly and started to say something, but his cell phone rang. He picked it up, spoke briefly, but mostly listened. When he put it down again he looked at me. “They found a body.”

I closed my eyes. “Was it...?”

“No details, but Rosie said it wasn’t pretty. I have to go.”

“I’ll stay with the boys.” I blurted it without even thinking first, then realized I was effectively shooting our agreement not to see each other right in the foot. He noticed it, too; I could tell by the way he was looking at me, his eyes all questiony. “I’ve missed those two more than I thought, and Myrtle’s in seventh heaven with Josh. We’ll hang out. Go take care of this. I’ll see you later.”

“Thanks, Rachel.” He put a hand on my cheek, then took it away, suddenly awkward, like he didn’t know why he’d put it there to begin with. “Thanks.”

He walked away, into the living room to tell the boys what was up, then up the stairs to grab his things. Then he came back down, shoving his wallet into his back pocket, his shoulder holster over his button-down shirt, gun in easy reach. And I was still sitting there with my half-eaten sandwich and my coffee, wondering how I’d gone from “We should stay apart” to “I’ll spend the day in your house with your nephews, awaiting your return.”

He came through the kitchen, looked me in the eye, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. I ought to say something. Clarify things. Right?

“I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

“Do what you need to. I’m not going anywhere.”

He nodded, like that was enough. For now. It would have to be, because I didn’t know what else to say. If I was having visions and people were dying and the two were connected, then we didn’t have much choice but to be together until we got to the bottom of things.

I could have thought the freaking universe wouldn’t take no for an answer. You know, if I believed in that sort of shit.

3

Saturday, December 16

The body had been found in a wooded area off I-81, a few miles north of the Binghamton area. Traffic was being detoured for a mile-long stretch, so the highway was eerily quiet.

Mason skirted the detour sign and drove right up to the cop whose car was enforcing it, bubble gum light flashing. He lowered his window, slowed down and flashed his badge, and the officer waved him by.