BURNING INTUITION (Intuition Series Book 2)

by Makenzi Fisk

  “Did you have fun?” She always ends the night by telling me she had fun. Not tonight.

  “My arm hurts.” One shirtsleeve is stretched past her hand. She pushes it back and rubs her shoulder.

  “Your face is scratched,” I add. As if she didn’t know. “Blame it on your dad if you really want to get rid of him.”

  Nina tilts her head and the oversize sunglasses fall to the end of her nose. She doesn’t really look like Lara Croft but she liked that I said so. I can tell.

  “Blame your dad. It’s a good idea.” Sometimes fate hands you gifts and you have to know how to cash them in.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Whatever.” I shrug. “Come here.”

  She catches her breath. “Why?”

  “Trust me. Come here.”

  She leans toward me, eyes closed, lips tense.

  I dump the Mardi Gras necklaces out of the bag and startle her when I drape one around her neck. She pulls back and fingers the shiny plastic beads.

  I put on the second necklace. “In New Orleans, girls have to flash their titties to get one of these.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Uh huh.” Of course it is.

  Her nostrils flare. “I’m not going to…”

  “Fuck, no. That’s not what I meant. I was just saying.” I give her a shove, a hint to get out. I’ve got shit to do.

  I’m going to find Barb. I’ll finish what I started.

  CHAPTER 19

  Allie woke with a start. After hours of office setup and reminiscing, she’d fallen asleep in her chair, cheek plastered to the newly assembled desktop. Her nerve endings still sizzled with the sensory overload, images as vivid as an IMAX screen with the speakers blasting. She remembered her dreams. She didn’t always understand them, but she remembered.

  She’d dozed off to the rumbling of the cat’s purr in her ear and the tickle of whiskers on her cheek. Rachel must have kept her company for a while but at some point, the cat had gotten up and abandoned her.

  She saw an image of Erin and the puppy hiking down a trail in the moonlight. The dog was bright, excited. Erin’s conflicted energy pulsed. Had she already come home? Had she gone to bed without waking Allie?

  Other images filed past. Diving into cold, murky water. Surfacing with a small boy strapped in his car seat. She held him close and he morphed into an infant. The tiny baby’s lips were blue, lungs unable to breathe. His stillness pierced her heart. She searched for Erin but another woman, face darkened by grief, stepped forward. Allie shook her head.

  The image faded and was replaced by a green-eyed panther. Lily prowled tonight. Allie shivered at the dark predator in her dream, its black coat gleaming with intensity. Right now, Lily was persistent, disoriented and dangerous. She manipulated someone. A young female, naive, and compliant.

  Oily smoke constricted Allie’s chest. She held her breath when powerful claws closed around the girl’s throat. Was this girl a willing partner, or the next victim?

  She jumped to her feet, sweat beading the back of her neck. The office was empty. Ciara was gone to bed, probably hours ago. She’d last been aware of her crazy friend curled up on the carpet, singing a silly song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. How she’d hated that movie. The crowd was too frenetic and it hurt her head. Ciara must have done the Time Warp for the last time and gone to bed.

  Allie rubbed her cheekbone where it had pressed on the hard desk. Hands trembling, she fought for control of her thoughts. There was too much information coming at her. It was too fast. Everything was scrambled.

  Relax. Meditate.

  She took in a deep breath and stretched her spine. Her eyes focused on a patch of morning light peeping through the blinds and she let all else slide. She had not done this as often as she should. Busy was not an excuse when it made her suffer so. Her talent, if this was the proper name for her burden, needed regular maintenance and she had been neglecting it.

  She breathed again and the whims of her dreams fled as her strength returned. Gradually, the kaleidoscope of color splashing through her mind dulled to its customary monochromatic blur. She rolled her shoulders and her muscles loosened. That was better. She needed coffee. And she needed Erin.

  Allie found Erin asleep on the couch, her neck crooked at an uncomfortable angle. Cuddled to her belly, the chihuahua perked its ears at her arrival. A twinge of guilt pinched the skin at the corners of her eyes. When had their relationship been reduced to sleeping apart? She held out her hand and then pulled it back. Erin had come in late. She probably needed sleep more than she needed to be woken.

  Allie backed away and went to the kitchen. The puppy hopped off the end of the couch and waddled directly on her heels. He stood at the door and pressed his nose to it, as if there was an exit button. She grinned. He looked ridiculous.

  “What do you want, Gizmo?” With those ears, he resembled a gremlin. Should that be his name? No, he was Erin’s dog. Erin’s responsibility. She opened the back door and let him into the yard.

  Her head was clearer than when she’d first woken but a dull buzz still vibrated at the base of her skull. Menacing images writhed and spit venom, pushed to be released. Lily’s laugh. A low growl. The two blended into one.

  Allie filled her lungs, imagined the air became pure light. It trickled through her body, banishing the darkness. The awful images retreated. Exercise would help too. She hoped there was an early morning Tai Chi class at the park.

  Ciara’s cheap coffee maker stared at her from the kitchen counter and she regarded it with trepidation. This was her next challenge. Why had she shamed Erin into leaving her fancy cappuccino machine behind in Morley Falls?

  She flipped open the top of the coffee maker and grimaced. Just as she’d feared. This plastic contraption had not been cleaned since it was last used. With her fingertips, she pinched the edges of the crusty filter and folded them over its heap of grounds. The whole mess went into the trash. She could just imagine Erin’s face if she had been the one to find it.

  Wait, Erin had probably already seen this. That was why she insisted on driving out to buy coffee. This was the first morning Allie had not awoken to a hand-delivered steaming café latte.

  Allie looked at the kitty footprints on the counter. She really needed a hug but both Erin and the cat were unavailable. She opened the blinds and set to work scrubbing out the inside of the coffee maker.

  In the driveway, a pair of crows pried at a trashcan. A third joined and they took turns, swooping and snatching at the lid. If more birds arrived, it might be like the old Hitchcock movie. She avoided horror films but that one about the crows was a classic, and totally worth it.

  The squawking became ominous.

  She opened the door to the broom closet. Where was Rachel? She never missed morning cuddles on the kitchen counter. A ripple of apprehension traveled across the back of her neck. The squawks and caws of the birds increased in volume and she glanced out the window. They had abandoned the garbage and were onto other pursuits. The neighbor’s trash must be more tantalizing.

  After a thorough wipe-down, she deemed the coffee maker usable and opened cupboards one by one until she located a grocery store brand tin of medium roast. It wasn’t premium java but the aroma should rouse Erin. She dumped a scoop into a fresh filter and thumbed the power button. Nothing happened.

  After a moment’s investigation she discovered the disconnected electrical cord. She shoved the plug into the closest outlet and jumped when a spark arced between the two. The machine sputtered to life. That’s why it was unplugged. The power button was jammed in the on position.

  Was Ciara so financially distressed that she couldn’t afford to replace her bargain brand coffee maker? She made a mental note to gift her a new one before they left. Coffee dribbled through the filter, missed the pot and splashed a puddle on the counter. Maybe she’d do it today.

  The shape of the puddle grew. It mimicked the dark shadows that crept from the corners of her mind. It
spread into wings, talons forward, yellow eyes intense with pursuit. Nausea clutched at her gut.

  She tore her eyes away and focused on the coffee maker. In her peripheral vision, the puddle spread to the edge of the counter. Something was wrong. She gritted her teeth and her head throbbed. Worry gnawed at her nerve endings. She sensed fear.

  The majority of coffee made it into the pot but the puddle threatened to breach the counter’s edge. Allie created a makeshift dam with the dishcloth and pushed it against the vile spill. She forced herself to breathe normally. She needed to work today. How could she, if she couldn’t even concentrate enough to make coffee? She clutched the back of the chair until her knuckles blanched.

  Erin could ground her. She peeked into the living room but her girlfriend still slept, although she had roused enough to turn over and relieve her neck’s awkward angle. The coffee maker steamed and bubbled, aroma filling the air. If that didn’t wake Erin, she didn’t know what would. And where was her darned cat?

  “Rachel?” she crooned. “Kitty kitty.”

  There was an answering meow from the window overlooking the yard.

  Allie brushed aside the curtain. “Why are you hiding?”

  The cat’s bottlebrush tail stood straight, her posture tense.

  “Are you excited about the birds?” Allie smoothed the cat’s fur but the hairs sprang back to attention. She followed Rachel’s gaze and her heart twisted. “Omigod! The puppy!”

  She grabbed the broom, flung open the door and raced across the gravel in her socked feet. Rachel barreled out the door and headed for the shed, her missing foreleg not the slightest encumbrance. Allie arrived moments after the cat.

  Wedged between the spokes of Ciara’s front bike tire and the side of the shed, the puppy hunkered, ears back, lip curled from bared teeth. Trembling, he projected all the ferocity of a field mouse. The birds swooped, touched down and snapped sharp beaks through the spokes. He yipped and snapped back.

  “Shoo! Go on!” Allie swiped at the air. The crows scattered. They circled above and one by one hurtled past, wings slicing air with razor-sharp precision. The last broke formation and the momentary lapse allowed Rachel an opportunity to snatch a tail feather. The bird screeched at the indignity and the cat launched herself onto the fence in pursuit. She hissed at the departing marauders and arched her back, excessively pleased with herself.

  “Are you okay, little guy?” Allie fell to her knees and reached behind the bicycle where the dog still cowered. “I’m sorry. Come here.” She softened her voice and edged forward until she could hook two fingers through his collar.

  In her arms, his entire body shook. His heart hammered and she clutched him to her chest. His shaking ceased and an intense surge coursed through her, rattling her vertebrae. Colors saturated and sounds amplified until they were agonizingly acute. It was as if she peered through a magnifying glass, one that clarified and honed her senses. Stunned, she held him away from her skin.

  He perked his oversize ears and winked a shiny brown eye. She shook her head. He packed too much energy in that tiny bundle. It was like touching a live wire and she wasn’t ready. She placed the dog on his feet and he followed her into the house. His tail whipped back and forth as he dashed to his food dish. The winged menace retreated from her thoughts, but the troubling dark shadows still skulked at the corners.

  Lily was out there.

  The coffee puddle had long since breached her dishcloth barricade and she shifted her bare feet around the spill. She dropped a wad of paper towels onto the floor and stepped on it. Her right eye throbbed and she rubbed her temple. She poured herself a cup of coffee, added milk and sugar, and took a sip. It tasted awful, but it smelled like coffee. With the mug between her palms, she inhaled the steam. It was nearly nine o’clock. She should wake Erin.

  Beside her, the pup had arranged mouthfuls of kibble on the tile and was busy sorting the four different shapes into separate piles. Rachel watched the process with interest and then leapt forward to scatter the piles with one swipe. She swatted a couple of round kibbles, chased them across the floor. The pup stared after her and methodically set to work separating the piles again.

  Allie stifled a giggle. What a quirky fellow. He reminded her of Erin’s six-year-old nephew Jimmy. If Jimmy was a dog.

  “Ow! Hey!” Erin’s grumpy outburst signaled that the cat had woken her first. Moments later she appeared in the kitchen doorway, one hand rubbing her neck. She lifted her foot to dislodge something from between her toes. “Damn cat tried to kill me again.”

  “I guess you got in late.” Allie decided not to comment on the marks left on Erin’s face by pillow seams.

  “I feel like I stepped on a Lego.” Erin rubbed the bottom of her foot.

  That’s where the stolen kibble ended up.

  “You made coffee?” Rumpled clothing, puffy eyes, hair twisted into uneven tufts, Erin looked as if she’d slept in the alley. She raised her eyebrows at the mess leaking onto the floor. “Sort of.”

  “Some might call it coffee.” Allie poured the contents of her mug down the drain. “You would not.”

  “I’m sorry.” Erin teased fingers through her matted hair. “I don’t know what was wrong with me last night. I’m just frustrated. I don’t have my badge. I don’t have my gun. I feel like I’m outside the circle trying to prove something to everyone. Lily is stealing cars. So what? It doesn’t mean she’s plotting murder. What am I even doing here?”

  “You know she won’t stop. I feel it too. You aren’t on your own.” Allie held out her arms and Erin sank into them, the warmth between them a protective shield. Allie’s fiery nerve endings cooled. Weight lifted from her bones. They were fine. Everything would be okay.

  Beside them, the dog crunched down the kibble in the first pile and attacked the second. Erin tilted her head. “My nephew does that. He can’t allow different foods to touch.” She leaned over to pat the dog. “He’s sure hungry.”

  “He’s had a tough morning.” A prickle of guilt made her squint. The pup was so young and vulnerable. She should have kept a better eye on him. She changed the subject before Erin could inquire. “Does he have a name yet?”

  “Um, I tried Rover last night when I took him with me to find a fishing spot.”

  Allie had sensed that Erin was hiking. She should also have guessed that Erin would go straight to the river. “Lockport Dam!” she blurted without thinking.

  Erin nodded. She didn’t look surprised that Allie had guessed. “I’m going to give it a try tomorrow morning. I’ll catch us a trout for supper.”

  “Trout. That sounds nice.”

  The dog spat out a square kibble that had mistakenly made it into his triangular pile. “Somehow Rover doesn’t suit him today,” Erin said. “You should have seen him track down a porcupine. He’s a tenacious little dude.”

  “That he is.” He’d just fended off a murder of crows. Allie dumped the coffee maker into the waste bin and wiped down the counter. Things felt normal. Her head was clear, her mind her own. “Let me tell you about the skinny-dipping incident.”

  “You don’t need to…”

  Allie shrugged. “We did a lot of crazy things in University. After a concert one night, a group of us climbed the fence at the YMCA and went skinny-dipping in their pool. We were stupid. The security guard caught us. He wouldn’t give us our clothes back until he finished his big lecture. Ciara was having none of it and walked all the way home stark naked.”

  “In the middle of Toronto?”

  “She said people honked their horns but no one bothered her.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes. Ciara has a flair for the dramatic. I’m sure she would have told you a much more entertaining version.” Allie slipped her feet into shoes. “I have a meeting in a few hours and I admit you’ve spoiled me for coffee. Can we go out for a latte?”

  “I’ll get my keys.” Erin frowned at the table, and then checked the floor. “I swear I left them here.” She patted
the pocket of her jeans and then slowly swiveled her head to the living room. “Rachel!”

  “I know her latest hiding spot.” On hands and knees, Allie slid her arm under the sofa, pulled it out and jangled the set of stolen keys in her hand. “Coffee,” she announced.

  Erin picked up the pup and dangled his legs over her arm. “I can’t leave you alone with that pesky cat.” She padded out to the truck in her bare feet.

  Allie drove. “When are Chris and Gina getting married? A fall wedding would be nice, don’t you think?”

  Erin gaped at her. “How did you know? I just found out last night.”

  “They’re perfect together. It’s logical, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe for you.” Erin directed Allie to the coffee shop and they pulled up beside the folding chalkboard sign.

  Erin’s cell phone bleated a series of piercing tones and she wiggled it out of her pocket. “Hello?” She made a face as she listened to the voice. “I don’t think that’s—” She plucked at the corner of her lip. “It might be a good idea to—” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Perhaps you should—” She winced and pulled the phone away from her ear as a woman’s voice rose in pitch. She turned to Allie and mouthed the word paranoid.

  Allie caught the gist of the conversation. Barb Schmidt, who had narrowly escaped being burned to death, was freaking out. She thought Lily was stalking her. She was convinced that the girl was plotting to kill her.

  “Have you reported this to the police?” Finally, Erin had the opportunity to speak a full sentence. “I see.” She paused and listened. “Maybe a counselor is not such a bad idea. After all, you’ve been through a great deal.” The dog prodded her arm with his nose and she stroked his ears. “Of course. I promise. I will stop her.” Erin disconnected the call, the tension in her jaw muscles visible.

  Allie reached over and squeezed her hand. “You have no shoes. I’ll get the coffee.”

  “I guess we’re not in Morley Falls any more.” Erin addressed the pup. “No dogs allowed. No bare feet allowed.” She held up his tiny paws in surrender. “You’ll love it there. I’ll teach you to swim.” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “I’ll let you chase the cat all you want.”