“Yeah.” He was having trouble formulating words and sentences today.
“Do you think you could be my guide? I’m here on vacation and wanted to do some hiking and floating, but I know locals know all the best spots to go.”
“Sure. I’d be glad to. Are you camped here? How many are in your group?”
“Yes, I’m at site 38.” She pointed in the general direction. “My two girl friends are here, but I had to practically drag them out here with me. They don’t love the outdoors like I do.”
“I see.” She was being purposefully seductive.
“By the way, my name is Benu.” She held out a dainty hand.
“Ray. Nice to meet you.” He took her hand. It was soft and promised to touch him in all the right ways.
He still held her hand when a slamming door drew his attention. Becky Sue stood leaned up against her truck, arms crossed with a look he couldn’t read on her face.
“I’ll have to catch up to you later though. My sister is here and I promised to spend some time with her today, but I’ll be back later.”
“That’s nice of you to spend time with your sister. I’m here for a few days, but will be looking forward to meeting up with you again.”
“Absolutely.” He could feel the stupid grin return to his face. He was sure she could read his thoughts and all them included naked, sweaty bodies.
**
Becky Sue couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Ray was moonstruck over some little prissy girl with a fishing pole in her hand. She should’ve been happy that he’d turned his attention elsewhere. But she wasn’t.
He still had the same stupid shit eating grin on his face when they got in the truck.
“I see you found a new friend.”
“Looks like it.” There was no remorse, no sorry, no nothing. She hated him. She hated him with a passion that burned deeper than anything she could remember. “Stop by the cabin so I can drop my fishing gear and pick up something.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here and fish instead?”
“You know sarcasm doesn’t really become you?”
“What the hell do you care what becomes me? You’re not interested. I’m just a handy piece of ass that’s such a sucker she doesn’t know when to stop.” She was madder than the situation deserved and she knew it. Lately her mother had become so frustrating in her meddling that it was pushing her patience out the window. This morning had been much the same. But after she’d called her bluff, she’d found her mother up and in her wheelchair today. Or maybe she was mad because just when she’d begun to feel irresistible to Ray, she found him drooling over another woman.
“Becky Sue, you know damn good and well I don’t think of you like that.” The frustration in Ray’s voice was evident. She put the truck in park in front of the cabin. Not knowing how long he’d take, she shut it off and followed him in.
“You know, I wish you wouldn’t think of me at all. I was perfectly happy before you came back and started messing with my life. And I hope you catch these sons of bitches soon so you can leave and go back to whatever hell raising you were doing before. I don’t need you in my life.” Tears stung the back of her eyes as she threw the words at him with vehemence.
“What do you know about my life, huh?” He threw his hand as he began to talk, fire shot out and hit the floor pulling both their attention from each other. He looked down at his fingers. It looked the same. No singe marks. No burns. He was stunned.
“Shit.” She cursed and grabbed a couch pillow and beat the fire out that’d started on the floor. “How’d you do that?” She asked after tossing the pillow back on the couch, their argument temporarily forgotten.
“I-I don’t know.” He raised his arm like he was about to try again.
“No, no, no, no. Not here. You’ll burn the cabin down. If you want to try it again, I know a place we can go. Then you have to teach me.”
“I don’t know what I did,” he repeated, staring at his hand again.
“I know, but I bet we’ll figure it out.”
Chapter 14
Down a forgotten dirt road, Becky Sue drove them to an old campsite near the river. The underbrush was trampled down to hard packed dirt from local campers over the years. Back in high school it’d been the popular place to come and hang out. It’s where a lot of underage drinking and early shot gun marriages had stemmed from.
“I can’t believe you remembered this place,” Ray said.
“I don’t know how I did actually. I think I only came out here a couple of times with you and that was it.”
He grinned mischievously. “Yeah… about that. I’d planned on bringing you out and wooing you that way when we’re kids, but I chickened out.”
“So taking me to your dad’s barn was easier?”
“Uh... Can we talk about something else?” He was afraid to bring up the barn incident again. It’d been the indirect cause of their distancing for years. He didn’t want to make her mad about it all over again.
“Oh that’s right. You got yourself new arm candy now.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. How was he ever supposed to catch a break?
“Whatever. Hurry up and figure this fire throwing thing out so I can get my shit done today. It’s my only day off you know. I’d like to catch a little bit of a break.”
“You’re not the only one who’s got real world shit to do,” he shot back irritated at her matchstick temper. He walked away in disgust, but mostly to put distance between himself and the truck so he didn’t accidently blow it up, leaving her sitting on the tailgate watching.
After a few attempts moving his arm in the same manner as before he said, “can you turn around or something. You’re making me uncomfortable and I can’t focus.”
She spun around, turning her back to him. Somehow that small gesture seemed symbolic of failure to come or maybe it was just the way it made him feel empty inside at the thought of her turning her back on him for good. He was even more distracted now than when she was watching him.
Finally, he stopped. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply bringing his energy into focus imagining it turning into a ball of flames. His hands grew warm. He looked down, small circles of fire burned in his hands.
“Becky Sue,” he called and moved his hand releasing one of the fireballs right at her. It flew past her head, missing her nose by inches as she turned. She startled. “Look.” He held up the second ball of fire in his other hand.
Her eyes grew round and a smile spread across her face. “You did it!”
He was grinning from ear to ear. His hand grew warmer. Spying a dead branch nearby, he aimed and threw. The fire ball released and caught the branch on fire.
“How’d you do it?” Becky Sue asked hopping off the tailgate.
“Close your eyes and channel your energy.”
“Umm, ok.” She walked away from the truck. She closed her eyes. Ray didn’t get too close in case she made a jerky movement and threw an unsuspecting fire ball at him.
He watched anxiously to see if she could produce fire. Nothing happened.
**
After a minute she opened her eyes. She was disappointed to see no fire burned in the palms of her hands. “What did I do wrong?”
“I don’t know. Give me a minute.” Ray closed his eyes, his face a study in concentration. A few seconds later fire appeared in his palms. He threw them quickly to the ground to extinguish them. “Concentrate and think fire.”
She closed her eyes again and thought of a campfire that she’d seen here years ago. She thought of the wick of a lanterns little flame lighting the night. She opened her eyes. Nothing.
“Maybe you have more power than me.”
“Here let me help you,” he said as he walked up behind her placing his hands on her shoulders. “Relax and close your eyes.” His hands felt warm and welcoming. She felt the pull between them, the underlying connection they shared that she’d
been trying so hard to ignore. Heat raced through her veins.
“Now breathe in.” She was already holding her breath as his breath caressed her neck, sending the fire in her veins directly south. “Think fire.” His fingers glided down the length of her arms, leading the fire to her palms. She tried to block him out while focusing on channeling her fire.
“You did it!” Ray said as he dropped his arms and stepped back.
Becky Sue opened her eyes and gaped at the flames dancing in her palms. “I did it! I did it!” Carefully she drew her arm back and threw a fire ball where it instantly dissipated when it hit the cold, unyielding ground. Her left hand wasn’t as true as her right, but she still managed some wobbly accuracy.
“Oh my gosh! That was so cool!” She could barely contain her excitement. Turning to Ray, she grabbed him, and kissed him happily on the mouth.
**
He was so stunned by her reaction that when she kissed him he failed to respond fast enough. Becky Sue pulled back, her face crestfallen. She stepped back putting space between them before he could reach for her. Call it pride. Call it stupidity, either way he refrained from following out his urge to go after her. It was nothing more than a spur of the moment, caught up in the excitement, friendly kiss.
They lingered a little longer as they both practiced bringing out their fire and using it until it was second nature.
The rest of the afternoon was quietly, subtly strained between them as they made their trip to Harrison and back. She dropped him at the cabin before going to her mom’s to take the groceries and prepare a few meals.
Once he was left alone, he pulled the files he’d printed. Jed was nothing he hadn’t expected. He had a couple DUI’s and one drunk and disorderly that was several years in the past. Phoenix’s file was squeaky clean. As a matter of fact he’d been more or less painted a local hero by his hometown of Hurricane Valley where he was a fireman. No wonder he didn’t like the guy. Arrogant, self absorbed, probably saw himself as God’s gift to women just because he could use a hose. Or maybe it was the ill feel in his gut knowing that Hurricane Valley was about 45miles across the mountains. Too close, especially taken into account of the proximity to Becky Sue.
He flipped through the other files he’d grabbed of some stray names he’d picked up, but nothing unusual popped out. Tucking away the files, he tossed them onto the coffee table. He was missing something somewhere. Jed was definitely connected, but as far as friends, or even acquaintances there was nothing to pursue. Had it been ten years ago, the list would’ve been long, but apparently Jed’s behavior over the last few years had chased away any relationships he had with the civilized population. The bad part about that was it meant no other locals were in on it and everything was coming in from the outside. His hometown was being infiltrated and influenced by outsiders.
**
Becky Sue dropped Ray off at the cabin, stopped at her own house to leave a few groceries she’d picked up for herself, and checked on Sherlock. She unlocked the door and expected to see Sherlock perched on the back of the couch as was his custom, but he wasn’t there. Crazy cat was probably off sulking at her absence somewhere.
She emptied her bags, put the food up, and went in search for her pet. “Here kitty, kitty.” He wasn’t on her bed, or in the bathroom. “Come here Sherlock.” She checked under the couch and everywhere else she thought he could be. Worry began to eat her insides. “Where are you, you naughty cat?” She checked the windows and back door to make sure nothing had been left open for him to escape. He was nowhere to be found. It was then she realized how attached to him she was. He was her little buddy, her friend she talked to on long winter nights. What was she going to do if she couldn’t find him? Her heart sank wondering if something bad had happened to him. She doubled checked everything again. Sherlock was gone.
Outside, she walked around the house. If he’d gotten out, maybe he was hiding under the house, or had got entangled in something outside and couldn’t get loose. She walked around back and froze. There in the middle of the circle, singed by her and Ray, lay Sherlock. His body lay at an unnatural angle. No! She let out a whimper and bit her lip before she ran over to his body. When she drew closer she saw the blood. Tears blurred her eyes. She picked him up hoping some sign of life was still there, but there wasn’t. Someone had slit his throat. She cradled him in her arms as tears spilled on to his grey fur. She sank down into the center of the circle holding Sherlock and crying wondering what kind of animal did this to her pet, her friend.
Time had no meaning as she grieved her loss. But finally something in the back of her mind prodded her to move forward. She gently laid him on the porch as she reached for a shovel, an occasional tear still slipping out as she dug. Once she deemed it deep enough, she tenderly placed Sherlock’s lifeless body in the bottom of the hole, and after a minute hesitation, began tossing shovel full’s of dirt returning him to the earth where he’d began.
In a zombie-like trance she went through the motions of covering and marking the grave. She changed her bloody shirt, locked her house, and drove to her mothers. The empty void left by Sherlock’s passing was a gaping wound in her soul.
She arrived at her mother’s house and began performing her ritual she’d been doing for years. Putting away groceries and cooking a few meals to be frozen and taken out for use over the course of the week. She’d been working for over half an hour when her mom rolled into the kitchen.
“You’re quieter than normal today,” Kate stated.
“Yeah.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No.” She knew if she did the tears would flow again. They were barely contained now. She could blame it on the onion she was chopping, but her mom was too shrewd to buy that.
“Did something happen between you and Ray?”
“No.” Instead she was going to play the “yes and no” game.
“Are you pregnant?”
“No!” Becky Sue exclaimed turning to her mom.
Kate looked nonplussed. “Are you sure? Because I keep telling you, if you continue running around with that boy all the time you’re going to end up with a baby.”
The anger had breached the sadness to dry her tears. “It’s not like that I keep telling you. If you must know, Sherlock died today.”
“I’m sorry honey. I know you liked that cat.” Kate patted her hand. “I think Maggie Ann’s little spaniel is due to have pups soon. Maybe you should talk to her about getting one.”
Becky Sue ignored her mom’s comment. She didn’t want a dog, she wanted Sherlock. However, she did need to talk to Maggie Ann. They were over due on catching up even though she’d dropped by the shop a few days ago with her little whirlwind of kids. It’d been near Christmas the last time she’d been over there. She promised herself then to reach out to Maggie Ann after Ray’s assignment was over and she had time to call her own again.
**
Ray was stumped. He didn’t like being stumped, but he was. The only way he knew to solve a hurdle was by exercise. He’d figured out the link in more than one case while worked out at the gym, but since a gym wasn’t an option right now he’d have to settle for a run.
The sun was lowering in the sky when he opened the cabin door and took off for a few loops around the campground. Somehow he’d almost forgotten about Benu until he came to the section turn off for campsites 20-49. He was tempted to change his course and go check out her camp site, but reminded himself he was on the job. There was no frolicking. No matter how unlikely it was for a random female he met to be linked to whatever it was he was investigating to be involved, it could happen. He’d watched enough old spy movies as a kid and heard enough tales from the older generation to not be wary. Besides it was just bad practice to play when he was working, the only exception withstanding being Becky Sue and he didn’t count her as playing exactly. It was more like a friendly entanglement. No, entanglement still held too many strings attached to it. It was more like a friendly exploration tha
n anything.
He’d made his first loop and was starting his second when he noticed Sam’s canoe rental truck with trailer attached near the water. A group of floaters were lined up to turn in their canoes. A lone figure stood off to the side and waved at him as he passed. It was Benu. He smiled and waved back refusing to let himself be distracted. He was on the job.
By the time he circled around again and, on his last lap, the goddess Benu was nowhere to be seen. He breathed a sigh of relief. If she’d been there still waiting and watching him again, he was afraid he wouldn’t have been strong enough to resist.
He returned to the cabin without further incident, showered, and put a frozen meatloaf in the microwave for his dinner. As he ate the tasteless meat mush, he wondered what kind of mouth watering food Becky Sue was making for her mom. Could he bum some of it off her to have a real meal while he was here? He could just go home and eat with his parents, but he was unwilling to have them snooping in his business right now so he shoveled another bite of tasteless mush into his mouth and washed it down with a pint of milk.
Becky Sue came trudging through the door close to 8p.m. head down, looking like she’d lost her best friend in the world.
“Did you get your mom squared away?” He asked hoping nothing had happened to Kate. It would devastate Becky Sue if and when something did.
“Yeah.” Her voice was dull and she was purposefully avoiding looking at him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.” She shot him a look then. Her eyes were red and puffy. She’d been crying. He couldn’t think of a time he’d ever seen her cry, with the possibility of one exception. “Come here.”
She dropped her bag where she stood and obeyed him without fight, fuss, or sarcastic comment. Something was definitely wrong. She stopped near where he sat with no indication she intended to sit.
He stood and put his hands on her shoulder as he tried to look into her face. She kept her gaze averted. “Look at me.”
Legend Of The Sparks Page 15
