The Shadow

by Kathi Daley

  Alyson walked to the edge of the bluff and waited. The sky was clear tonight, brilliantly displaying the grandeur of the starry night. Alyson looked for well-known markers as she waited for the event she knew wouldn’t come. The Big Dipper, the North Star, Cassiopeia, and other constellations, all dressed in their finery for professional and amateur astronomers alike to enjoy.

  “Maybe they’re not coming.” She heard Mac’s voice through the walkie-talkie. “They usually show up right away.”

  “We’ll wait another fifteen minutes just to be sure,” Alyson answered back. She needed her friends to leave tonight convinced beyond doubt that the curse was truly broken. If they suspected it wasn’t, there was no way they’d leave her alone long enough tomorrow for her to do what she knew she must.

  Alyson wondered about the other girls. They’d felt the same compulsion to carry out the predestined event. She wondered what had gone through their minds as they made their way to the bluff. Unlike her, they hadn’t understood why they were called or the role they must play. Had they suspected they would die? Had they sensed the magnitude of their destinies? Or had they just mindlessly followed a compulsion too strong to resist?

  Alyson looked into the night sky and said a silent prayer for each of her predecessors. She wouldn’t share their fate. She’d made a decision as a silent tear of mourning trickled down her cheek that she’d live and, in so doing, allow everyone to finally rest in peace.

  “It’s been fifteen minutes,” Mac spoke through the walkie-talkie. “Do you think the curse is really broken?”

  “Yes, I think it is. It’s over. Let’s go home.” Alyson turned and walked to the Jeep, Tucker at her side.

  “I can’t believe it’s really over.” Mac expelled a sigh of relief as Alyson climbed in. “You must be so relieved. We need to call Booker. He’s been really worried.”

  “Yeah, we will. In the morning. It’s late. I’m sure he’ll be asleep by now.”

  “Yeah, probably. Are you okay?” Mac asked. “You don’t seem that happy. I’d think you’d be doing cartwheels of joy. This is a big deal.”

  “I’m happy. Really. I’m just tired.”

  “Let’s get Alyson home so she can go to bed,” Trevor said. “We’ll celebrate tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, guys.” Alyson smiled. “I just need about twelve hours’ sleep before I can even contemplate cartwheels.”

  Chapter 15

  Saturday, May 27

  Saturday dawned bright and sunny. Alyson looked at her bedside clock. Eleven thirty-eight. Tucker sat on the rug next to her bed, waiting patiently for her to awake and let him out for his morning constitutional.

  “Want to go for a run?”

  Tucker barked in understanding.

  She climbed out of bed and quickly dressed in gray sweatpants, a long-sleeved gray T-shirt, and her worn, muddy Nikes. Pulling her hair into a ponytail, she went into the bathroom to wash the sleep from her eyes and brush her teeth.

  Feeling the rumble in her tummy from the dinner she had never eaten the night before, she grabbed a nutrition bar and headed out the door. Alyson nibbled as she stretched her tired muscles. Tucker romped in the yard as he waited. The air was light, birds sang, the sun shone, the waves from the nearby ocean crashed on the rocks below the cliff. It was an absolutely beautiful, perfectly normal Saturday afternoon.

  Alyson began to jog along the cliff trail. The sun was warm on her back as she jogged past breathtaking views of the surprisingly calm Pacific. She breathed deeply as she tried to take in the peaceful serenity of the deserted bluff. The tension of the past few days faded away as she regulated her breathing and settled into a comfortable pace, the steady pounding of her feet on the hard-packed trail setting the rhythm.

  Alyson let her mind wander as the miles passed beneath her feet. Surfers in wet suits floated idly on colorful boards, waiting for the waves that didn’t seem inclined to appear. Maybe she’d learn to surf. Trevor did; maybe he’d teach her.

  She ran harder as fingers of doubt rushed to cloud her mind. She had no room for thoughts of death. She couldn’t allow her fear the tiniest entrance. Fear would turn to doubt and doubt would bring danger. She ran harder still as she tried to escape the demons that chased her.

  Alyson felt her lungs burning and her heart pounding as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She ran past the bluff and up the hillside as the trail left the coastline and began to wind through the evergreen forest beyond. The thick canopy of trees blocked the sun, creating an eerie darkness more suited to Alyson’s mood. She slowed her pace slightly as the narrow trail became littered with debris from a recent storm. The farther she ran, the darker the forest grew, as only a hint of dappled sunlight peeked through.

  She fell to her knees, tripping over a fallen tree branch partially hidden by discarded leaves of the vine maples that lived under the canopy of the giant evergreens. She sat back on the soles of her feet, taking huge gasps of air into her oxygen-starved lungs. Tears of apprehension streamed down her cheeks as the fear she’d been trying to deny gripped her chest, causing physical pain. She gave in to her tears, letting the anxiety that had been building for days find the release it so desperately needed. She cried until every last shred of trepidation had been released into the quiet sanctuary of the darkened forest, and then she got up and began to run home. This time her demons wouldn’t catch her. This time she would outrun the doubt that threatened to cripple her.

  Alyson returned home, bathed in the sweat of her pilgrimage from uncertainty. The light on the answering machine was blinking in rhythm to the ballad of guilt that played over and over in her mind. She should have called her friends. She knew they’d be worried. They were supposed to meet, to celebrate their victory, and unwind from the insanity of the past week. Alyson touched the phone with one hand and then ignored it. She made sure Tucker had plenty of food and water before locking the door behind her and driving to the bluff for the last time.

  Alyson knew her destiny, the role she was to play. She was sorry for lying to her friends, but this was something she had to do alone. She got out of the Jeep and walked slowly to the bluff.

  “You’ve hidden it.”

  “I had to.”

  “Where is it?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Please, you can trust me. No one will know.”

  “He’ll know.”

  “He won’t, I swear. I don’t know how you can do this.”

  “We’re talking about my life. Everything I hold dear; my husband, my children. I can’t risk it.”

  “What about me? My life?”

  “Do you know what my husband would do to you if he found out? I’m trying to protect you.”

  “I’m willing to take that risk.”

  “Well, I’m not.”

  “Won’t he wonder where it is? Your husband.”

  “I’ll tell him I lost it. I have to go now.”

  “Please, just tell me where it is.” The man grabbed her arm.

  “It’s already gone.”

  “Gone? Gone where?”

  “I’ll never tell you, now let me go.”

  “Why won’t you tell me? I don’t understand. You don’t want it anyway.”

  Whitney Lincoln stopped struggling and looked deeply into Marcus’s eyes. “You’re wrong. I want her very much. You have no idea how much doing this is like a sword cutting deep into my soul.”

  She began to cry, silent tears, too searing to allow sound to accompany them. “I love that baby with all my being; my life will never again feel complete. I did what I had to do. I did the only thing that could be done, and that decision will haunt me every moment of my life.”

  “I know.” Marcus wiped a tear from her cheek with the tip of his finger.

  “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “You have no idea how deeply I regret everything that’s happened. I’ve destroyed so many lives. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to hurt anyone. I’ll never forgive myself.”

&
nbsp; “You must.”

  “Must what?”

  “Forgive yourself. Your guilt will destroy the very lives you seek to save. It is only in self-forgiveness that we can all find peace. I forgive you; forgive yourself.” Marcus placed his finger over her mouth. “Be at peace.” He leaned forward and replaced his finger with his lips. It was a kiss of life, a kiss of forgiveness.

  Whitney Lincoln wrapped her arms around Marcus’s neck and kissed him back. She felt her sorrow and her pain, the loss of years and the loss of loved ones, and most of all the burden of unrelenting guilt fade away as their very souls faded into the light.

  Alyson’s consciousness slowly returned as Whitney Lincoln’s faded away. She opened her eyes. There was a man standing in front of her. He wore jogging clothes and looked as if he’d just awoken from a bad dream. Alyson took a step back to put distance between them.

  “It’s okay,” Alyson said. “You tripped and fell,” she improvised. “You hit your head and blacked out for a moment, but you should be fine now.”

  The man looked around. “I blacked out?”

  “Just for a moment.”

  He frowned. “Who are you?”

  “Just someone who was passing by. I need to go. Can I give you a ride somewhere?”

  He placed a hand to his head. “No. I’m fine. Thank you for stopping.”

  Alyson went back to the Jeep and got inside. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The curse had been broken. She should be ecstatic, but all she felt was emptiness. She was about to start the car when her phone beeped, indicating she had a text. She assumed it would be Mac or Trevor, wondering where she was. She was surprised to see it was from Chan. You need to go. The Shadow knows.

  Alyson closed her eyes. The danger she’d sensed was still there. She knew she needed time to figure out her next move, but for now all she wanted to do was to go home. When she arrived she saw her mom’s car in the drive. She wasn’t supposed to be home until the following day, but something told Alyson she was already aware of whatever it was Chan was warning her about. When she entered the house Alyson saw her mom sitting on the sofa talking with Donovan, her handler from the Witness Protection Program.

  “They found me.”

  Donovan nodded.

  Mom got up and crossed the room. She folded Alyson into her arms and held her tight. “It’s okay. Donovan has a plan. We’re going to be okay.”

  Tears streamed down Alyson’s face as she realized she was about to lose the life she’d created from the ashes of her past.

  Chapter 16

  Alyson sat quietly in the backseat of the car with Tucker as the miles sped by. She could hear her mom and Donovan talking softly in front. Her heart ached so badly she thought she might die from the pain. She’d given up her life once and now she was being asked to do it again.

  She thought about Mac and Trevor. She’d left them a message, letting them know she’d be out of town for a while. Mac would most likely guess what was really going on, but Trevor would never understand why she’d simply disappeared. Maybe she should have told him. She’d wanted to on so many occasions. In the back of her mind she’d always known that one day she’d share her identity with him, but now she’d never get the chance.

  Alyson wanted to scream and cry and demand restitution for all she’d lost from the cruel universe, but all she could do was sit quietly staring out the window. It hurt too much to think. It almost killed her to feel. Numbness, she realized, was the safest response.

  Tucker could sense her grief. He lay with his head in her lap, doing what he could to offer her comfort. Alyson didn’t know how she’d survive if she didn’t have him. She wasn’t totally clear on the specifics of Donovan’s plan, but apparently, they were going to drive around for a week or so to make sure they weren’t being followed and then he was going to take her to an old buddy of his, a retired Navy SEAL who he knew could and would protect her, until he was able to work out a more permanent arrangement.

  “Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Alyson’s mom asked. “We can stop to grab a bite.”

  “No,” Alyson answered, her voice devoid of emotion.

  “I’m so sorry,” her mom said with tears on her cheeks.

  “No. I’m the one who’s sorry. You’ve given up so much. We’ve given up so much. Will it never end?”

  No one answered. Alyson supposed it was because no one had an answer. When they’d moved to Cutter’s Cove from New York they thought they’d done everything right. They’d faked her death as well as the death of her mother. They’d cut ties with everyone, including her father. They’d changed their names and moved three thousand miles away. Amanda had died and Alyson had been born, and still the Bonatellos had found her.

  Alyson thought that no matter how hard you tried to leave your past behind, there were shadows that lingered. Shadows that remembered who you were and what you’d done. Shadows that tied the past to the present in an unbreakable chain you could never really sever. Leaving Amanda behind and becoming Alyson had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, but she knew deep in her heart that leaving Alyson behind was going to be even harder.

  Memories of the past nine months played across her mind as she remembered the friends who had welcomed the new girl in school. The friends who had fought for her and with her after it became apparent that when she was around all sorts of strange things seemed to happen.

  Alyson glanced at the burner cell Donovan had given her for emergencies. He’d taken her old phone and destroyed it. He’d instructed her not to contact anyone from Cutter’s Cove and to only use the phone if it truly was an emergency. She knew the drill. Once she used it she must destroy it. They couldn’t take the chance it would leave a trace.

  “Did you give this number to anyone?” Alyson asked Donovan.

  “No. No one. And you can’t either.”

  Alyson smiled as she looked at the front of the phone. There was a text from Chan, who must have used some sort of magic to reach her. It simply said: Trust.

  Taming of the Tabby

  Join Alyson, her mother, and Tucker as the saga of their flight to freedom continues with a stop on Madrona Island.

  http://amzn.to/2nuUJ8p

  Books by Kathi Daley

  Come for the murder, stay for the romance.

  Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:

  Halloween Hijinks

  The Trouble With Turkeys

  Christmas Crazy

  Cupid’s Curse

  Big Bunny Bump-off

  Beach Blanket Barbie

  Maui Madness

  Derby Divas

  Haunted Hamlet

  Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies

  Christmas Cozy

  Alaskan Alliance

  Matrimony Meltdown

  Soul Surrender

  Heavenly Honeymoon

  Hopscotch Homicide

  Ghostly Graveyard

  Santa Sleuth

  Shamrock Shenanigans

  Kitten Kaboodle

  Costume Catastrophe

  Candy Cane Caper

  Holiday Hangover

  Easter Escapade

  Camp Carter – July 2017

  Zimmerman Academy The New Normal

  Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook

  Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press

  Pumpkins in Paradise

  Snowmen in Paradise

  Bikinis in Paradise

  Christmas in Paradise

  Puppies in Paradise

  Halloween in Paradise

  Treasure in Paradise

  Fireworks in Paradise – October 2017

  Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:

  Romeow and Juliet

  The Mad Catter

  Grimm’s Furry Tail

  Much Ado About Felines

  Legend of Tabby Hollow

  Cat of Christmas Past

  A Tale of Two Tabbies

  The Great Catsby

  Count Catula

  The Cat of Christmas Present
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  A Winter’s Tail

  Taming of the Tabby – June 2017

  Seacliff High Mystery:

  The Secret

  The Curse

  The Relic

  The Conspiracy

  The Grudge

  The Shadow

  Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:

  Murder at Dolphin Bay

  Murder at Sunrise Beach

  Murder at the Witching Hour

  Murder at Christmas

  Murder at Turtle Cove

  Murder at Water’s Edge

  Road to Christmas Romance:

  Road to Christmas Past

  Writer’s Retreat Southern Mystery:

  First Case

  Second Look – July 2017

  Kathi Daley lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and Bernese mountain dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn’t writing, she likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese), and garden (planting and planning, not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she’s not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.

  Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.

  Kathi is a top 100 mystery writer for Amazon and won the 2014 award for both Best Cozy Mystery Author and Best Cozy Mystery Series.

  She currently writes six series: Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Writer’s Retreat Southern Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries.

  Giveaway:

  I do a giveaway for books, swag, and gift cards every week in my newsletter, The Daley Weekly http://eepurl.com/NRPDf