Lorna wished she had a better answer, one that would wash away the brittle emotion in Anna before it broke her. Nothing she could say would ease Anna’s worry. Her strategy of holding something of Sadie’s had worked, just not in the way she’d hoped. She’d expected to see Sadie and to glean some clue as to where she might be, but that hadn’t happened at all. Whatever she saw had nothing to do with Anna’s missing wife. This new twist on her gift was frustrating. She was just getting used to how things worked, and now it was taking an unexpected turn. This wasn’t the best time for things to change.
Shaking her head slowly, Lorna said, “No, and that’s what was so odd.”
“You didn’t see anything?” Anna’s voice trembled.
“The necklace gave me a vision, only it wasn’t about Sadie.”
Tears pooled in Anna’s eyes. “I was so hoping…”
“Yeah, me too.” A thought occurred to her, and she studied the piece as it lay on the floor. Without looking back up, she asked Anna, “Is the necklace old?” It didn’t appear to be antique, either in style or design. In fact, it seemed to be just the opposite. It looked contemporary.
Anna shook her head. “No, it’s brand-new.” She paused and her gaze met Lorna’s. Slowly she said, “It was a gift to Sadie for our wedding.”
On the floor the diamond sparkled, its quality undeniable. The gold setting was intricate and beautiful. A twinge of pain sliced through Lorna’s heart. Not once in all their time together had Anna gone to such extremes to impress her. Again that little shock hit her. So much about the relationship between Anna and Sadie was deeper and more intimate than the one she and Anna had shared. For a second she wanted to be pissed off, but then the feeling faded away. This wasn’t something for her to be upset over. It was another revelation showcasing how mismatched they’d been. At every turn she seemed to be hit with reminders of what was never meant to be.
She shifted her gaze away from the jewelry to Renee’s face, and any remaining twinge of regret evaporated. Not so long ago, discovering what Anna had done for another woman would have immediately sent her spiraling into deep despair. Not so any longer. What she’d had with Anna was a mere shadow compared to what she’d found with Renee. It was incredible how things could change when least expected. She was grateful beyond words.
Shaking off thoughts of past slights, Lorna turned her mind back to what she’d seen and tried to make sense of the vision. “I don’t get it. Since this psychic thing hit, if I touched something, I saw the person it belonged to. What I saw when I held Sadie’s necklace was nothing about the present, and Sadie was nowhere in the vision. It was odd and strange and seemed to be of another time and place.”
During those few seconds of sight, the words and images had had nothing to do with today or, for that matter, the recent past. It was far more like what she’d experienced with Catherine and Tiana. Everything in the vision was old, as in decades or perhaps even a century or more in the past. Everyone in the vision wore clothing seen only in museums. Why had that possession of Sadie’s taken her back in time? Argh, it was so frustrating. It would be so much easier if this psychic thing kept to a pattern she could recognize.
Anna leaned down and picked up the necklace. She stared at it, rubbing her thumb across the beautiful diamond. “What do you mean, Lorna? What kind of different place and time?”
“Judging by the clothing of the people, I would guess what I saw to have occurred at the turn of the twentieth century, give or take a few years.” She could still see the woman’s starched blouse and long, heavy, dark skirt. It had been at least a century since anyone had worn clothing like that. A bit of déjà vu hit her, and all she could think of was “here we go again.” She’d come to help find someone lost in this time and place, yet the vision seemed to beckon toward a past sin. Maybe her purpose was to bring light to scales long out of balance. Regardless, she still had to try to help bring Sadie home.
Anna was shaking her head and then abruptly stopped. A quizzical look crossed her face. “The diamond,” she said slowly. “It’s the diamond, it has to be. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”
The diamond what? Lorna waited for Anna to say more, but she didn’t. Her eyes were focused somewhere beyond her. “The diamond? What about the diamond?” Lorna asked her.
Anna’s eyes came back into focus. “The setting of the necklace is new.” She held it up for Lorna to see. “The diamond is old. Sadie’s mother gave it to me before we got married. She told me it had been in the family for years, so I had it reset as a gift for Sadie. I thought it would be special to have something of her family as part of our wedding. You know, something old, something new—”
“How old?” Lorna was aware of how rude she sounded, but she didn’t care. This was important. Like a-trail-of-bread-crumbs important and possibly making sense out of the vision.
Anna shrugged. “I’m not sure. It belonged to a grandmother or a great-grandmother or something like that. From what I gathered from Sadie’s mom, it’s been handed down a few times. It was just such a spectacular diamond I had to make a special piece for Sadie out of it.”
Her earlier frustration at the confusing vision began to fade as she embraced hope that her powers were still keeping true to form. One of those grandmothers was most certainly a sad, red-haired woman who’d been dragged into a red-brick building. The odd vision was starting to make a little bit of sense in a figure-out-the-puzzle kind of way. She might get the hang of this psychic thing yet. “Can you find out exactly who it belonged to and when?”
“You think it’s important?”
Oh yeah, she really did. “I believe it’s critical.” No sense mincing words. They didn’t have time for subtlety. The necklace held something important that might very well be the key to finding Sadie, she was sure of it. Maybe her gift wasn’t going wonky on her after all.
“All right, I’ll find out.” Anna pulled her phone out of a pocket and then stopped as a shadow passed over her face and tears filled her eyes. She held the phone in her hand without moving to place the call. Her hand began to tremble. “I forgot. Sadie’s mother is in Europe, but I have no idea where or when she’ll be back.”
Crap. That wasn’t what Lorna wanted to hear. She needed more information and she wanted it now. It was probable that what she had seen when she held the necklace was residual emotion from a long-ago owner and had nothing to do with what was going on with Sadie. It would make sense in her weird psychic kind of world. Then again, given how everything had happened so far, she didn’t believe in her heart that it was actually that simple. The diamond was attempting to tell her something important, and she was trying really hard to listen. So far, everything that came to her had played a part in solving the mysteries. She had no reason to think now was going to be any different.
Her gaze was steady when it met Anna’s. “If not her mother, then someone else. You need to track down a family member who knows the history of the diamond. Now.”
Chapter Six
Renee paid attention to everything Lorna was telling Anna and was paying even more attention to her aura. Since the moment they arrived, the colors that surrounded Lorna had been shifting in waves of changing hues. The threads of black, gray, and brown testified to the conflicts raging inside her heart. The residual feelings were unsettling to witness. Though she’d never say it out loud, she wished she’d never encouraged Lorna to come here. She wanted those threads of black, gray, and brown to disappear and Lorna’s aura to return to the pleasing colors she witnessed when they were at home.
Needing reassurance, she reached over and took Lorna’s hand. The reaction was automatic and comforting. Lorna didn’t look at her and neither did she hesitate. Her fingers linked with Renee’s, and that simple gesture made the uneasy feeling inside her fade just a little.
“Do you have any idea where Sadie was going when she disappeared?” Renee might not have Lorna’s psychic ability, but she could help by hitting the ground and doing the more phys
ical work of searching. It was very simple. She would lend assistance in any way she could. The sooner they found Sadie, the sooner they could go home.
She wanted to get back to where life felt normal and she didn’t have the urge to comb her hair or put on makeup every time she looked at Anna. Usually she was comfortable in her skin. She didn’t need to be the pretty girl, didn’t typically care that she was a little curvier than most. But that was before she laid eyes on Anna. Lorna’s ex-lover was tall, slender, and classically beautiful. Her dark eyes were framed by enviable long, thick lashes, and her lips were full and enticing. No wonder Lorna had fallen for her. Shoot, if she’d seen her across a room, she’d have been attracted to her too. That made it even worse.
What did she have to compare to that? Not a hell of a lot, if she was honest. She twirled a length of hair with the fingers of her free hand, and for the first time she noticed that one strand threading through the thick dark hair was long and white. Great, she was getting old and gray as she sat here. Good gods, she needed something to do. Anything to get out of this house and away from the lovely ex.
Anna turned and nodded at Renee. “The production company she works for sent me a list of possible locations she was to have scouted that day. I have it in my bag.”
“Well, what are we waiting for? Grab the list, Anna, and we’ll start hitting the places she was supposed to scout.” This came from Jeremy, and Renee had never wanted to kiss him more than at that moment. This sitting around was getting nothing done and increasing her anxiety by the minute. She’d feel better once they were out and moving.
Renee nodded at him. “Jeremy’s right. We can divide the list so we can cover the spots quicker.”
Anna didn’t move, and as she spoke, her voice broke. “I’ve already gone to them all. I drove by every place on that list and found a big fat nothing. Not her car. Not the bag she always carries. Nothing.”
All right. Now she felt like a big shit for the way she’d been thinking. The break in Anna’s voice told her a whole lot about the relationship dynamics at work here. Anna’s heart was with Sadie and not, repeat not, with Lorna. Renee didn’t have to worry about her still carrying a flame because it simply wasn’t there. She was obsessing about herself when she should really be thinking about how to help. Mom would not be real proud of her at the moment.
Basically it boiled down to one truth: whatever had happened between Anna and Lorna was history. Sure, Lorna was still pissed, but it suddenly occurred to Renee that it wasn’t because she was still pining for Anna. Oh, no. It was because her pride was hurt.
She could work with hurt pride. She could heal wounded pride. Oh yes, she could.
She let go of Lorna’s hand and moved to put an arm around Anna’s shaking shoulders. Now that was a move to make Mom proud, and it made her heart feel a little better too. “This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to take your list and go to all these places again.”
“What good will it do?” Her watery eyes regarded Renee with such sadness she felt guilty for being so bitchy. A little bit anyway.
“Fresh eyes. We’ve never been to these places, so we’ll see them a little differently. It might be all we need to find a clue.” She wasn’t saying it just to make Anna feel better. In her heart she really did believe it could help. Besides, with her only-too-human skills to help, it was all she had.
“Renee’s right,” Lorna said, and Renee wanted to kiss her for the show of support. “We could very well see something you missed.”
“I looked.” Anna’s chin came up a little and her eyes cleared.
Lorna took one of Anna’s hands and stared into her eyes. For the first time, Renee noticed softness come into Lorna’s. Made her wonder if forgiveness was starting to touch Lorna’s heart. “Yes, you did. But you’re upset, and rightfully so. Any of us would be if we were in your shoes. We’re less emotional, and that gives us a little bit of an advantage.”
Anna took a deep breath and looked for a moment as though she might argue. “You might be right. I’ve been so frantic it’s hard to think straight. My stomach is rolling and I’ve barely slept.”
Renee gave her shoulders a light squeeze. “If Lorna was missing, I’d be a basket case. All things considered, I think you’ve kept it together pretty well. Now it’s time to let us do what you called us here for. We’ll find her.”
“We will find her,” Merry said, rising from the sofa and heading back toward the front door. “We might not look like detectives, but finding the lost has turned out to be the thing we do. So far, Anna, we’ve done a pretty good job together. We’ll help you now if you let us.”
Jeremy was already standing at the door and shaking the car keys. “Ladies, we’re wasting daylight. Let’s go find Sadie.”
“Uh, Jeremy,” Merry said from the open front door. “It’s not daylight yet.”
Merry was right. They’d driven through the night to get here and it was still dark outside. It wasn’t like they could do much searching now.
Jeremy slung his arm around Merry’s shoulders and said to the rest of them. “Details, my love. It’s,” he looked at his watch, “four. By the time we reach the first place, daylight will be upon us. Let’s rock and roll.”
*
Jeremy was certain of one thing; they needed to get the hell out of Anna’s house and start traveling down the road. The tension building among them was palpable. Or as was often written in books, it was so thick it could be cut with a knife. That phrase had always seemed stupid to him, yet as he’d stood there watching and listening to the interactions among Lorna, Renee, and Anna, it had taken on new life. From the expression on Merry’s face, he was pretty sure she was on the same page as him.
Despite the growing tension, Lorna wasn’t as bitter as he’d expected her to be, particularly considering how down she’d been after the breakup. Oh, she was still showing her reluctance to be here, but she just didn’t seem as angry as he thought she might be. Good for her. He liked seeing the metamorphosis that was taking place. Anna had never been the one for her, and it appeared that Lorna was finally beginning to embrace that truth as well. He’d known it, her friends had known it, and it seemed everyone except Lorna had known it. Better late than never.
Renee, on the other hand, was a complete surprise to him. In the time he’d had to get to know her, he’d come to like her more and more. No, that wasn’t right. He’d come to love her. She was a glowing spirit who brought something special into all their lives. Her positive take on life was infectious.
When he’d first arrived at Lorna’s house on the ocean, he’d been lost. Merry had been too, he suspected. They were both jobless, rudderless, and in the spirit of really bad timing, pregnant. He’d been excited and scared all at the same time. He loved Merry with all his heart, wanted to marry her, and was thrilled to be starting a family with her.
He’d also been without a single prospect for a new career to support his growing family. Lorna, always his number-one champion, had kept telling him it would all work out, and indeed it had. As it turned out, for all of them. Renee had stepped into their lives and changed everything. She’d fallen in love with his sister and given her the hope she so desperately needed. She’d come up with a start-up business plan that not only put Renee, Merry, and Jeremy to work but also gifted them with a project that put the fire back into his heart. She was a gem who consistently visualized the good in every situation.
Until now. Though he’d give her props for working to hide it, he could see shadows in her eyes when she gazed between Anna and Lorna. The only thing Jeremy could make of the look was fear, and that scared him. For months now, Renee had been their rock. She’d lost her home and her business, and still she was the steady, calm influence that drew them all together. Throw in her awesome dog, Clancy, and it was a family made in heaven. So to see her floundering bothered him, and he felt like he had to do something fast.
In his years doing business, he knew that many times the best course of action i
nvolved time and space. In his opinion, this was one of those times. He was going to do whatever he could to wipe that fear right out of Renee’s eyes. She’d been the one to give him back hope and purpose, and he intended to do the same for her. Putting some space between her and Anna was job number one. The best way to do that was to start doing something constructive. Besides, the quicker Lorna worked her voodoo and found Anna’s trophy bride, the quicker they could jet back home.
Funny how he thought of it as home. He’d spent his entire life here in Spokane, with the exception of his college years—born right up there in Sacred Heart Hospital, and then he’d gone to kindergarten through high school in good old District 81. He was a Spokane boy through and through.
Or he had been anyway. With startling clarity he realized this place was his past. Lorna’s past too. A piece of his heart would always belong to Spokane, but his future lay across the mountains where the rain came often and the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore was a lullaby. How quickly things changed, or maybe not so quickly. It just seemed that way. Didn’t matter one way or the other because it was all good, and he was more than okay with that. He smiled as he turned away and headed outside. Everyone followed.
When they got out to the car, he took the list Anna had pulled out of her bag and scanned it, then looked up at four expectant faces. “I thought there’d be more, but this list isn’t huge. I recommend we hit them all as a team, get everybody’s impression at the same time.” It made sense to him, and given the short list, it wouldn’t take them long.
“It would be quicker if we split up,” Lorna said. “We covered a lot more ground that way when we were looking for Alida. Time is an issue here.”
Lorna was right in one respect. When they’d not long ago come searching for her childhood friend, they’d opted to divide and conquer. It should have worked great, but it didn’t. Ultimately, their strategy hadn’t yielded much that helped them in their quest to find her friend. It was only when they came back together as a group that the final piece of that puzzle had popped into place. He believed staying together was the way to go now. They were more powerful as a team.
Twisted Screams Page 6
