“No,” he said, rubbing at his eyes.
“Tired?”
“Yeah. And speaking of tired—I’m tired of seeing Jane peeking out that window. She can’t follow one simple rule.”
“Maybe she knew it was you,” Magda said with a small smile, then began drying the wet countertop.
“What the hell is she thinking? Is she thinking?” He blew out a breath to calm his sudden spike of ire.
“Elias, I understand this is all for her safety. But you can’t shut her in this house like a prisoner. I’m sure she was careful,” Magda said, folding the kitchen, then sat down across from him.
He bit his tongue. Yelling wouldn’t do any good. The nurse’s explanation was reasonable—but he still didn’t like it. Those rules were important for keeping Jane safe. He didn’t care about hurt feelings.
He grunted. “There is a sick twisted person who gets off killing women and burying them. Miss Magda, I’m here to protect Jane, and I’ll be damned if one small mistake such as looking out the window gets her killed.”
“I know,” Jane agreed.
“No, you don’t,” Eli’s voice rose, though he hadn’t meant to.
“Sorry,” Jane said back with bite. She stood in the threshold, arms wrapped around her middle. She had dark smudges etched under her eyes. “I’m sorry—What more do you want me to say or do?”
“Sorry?” Eli shot her a look. “Stay away from the window.” The words came out like venom. He regretted saying it the second they came out.
Tears welled fast. Jane looked at Magda, then fled back upstairs.
Frustration jabbed him like a hot poker. He wanted to apologize but not until he calmed down. He couldn’t think straight when his anger controlled his emotions. His mouth became dry and the urge to reach for a bottle punched him in the throat.
Eli swallowed the craving and stood there with his fist on the table. He wasn’t sure what to do next.
Magda stayed quiet, but her eyes radiated disappointment. He had seen that look before. Many times.
“Damn.” He got up and headed upstairs. He took each step slow to calm the edginess coursing through his body. He walked to the end of the hall where his mother’s bedroom was located.
He knocked but no answer.
“Jane, can I talk to you?” He turned his head to listen. Not a single sound came from the room. “I’m here to… apologize.” That word tasted bitter on his tongue.
She didn’t respond.
Eli turned the knob and found the door unlocked. As it glided open, he found her sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the wall. She didn’t turn around or address him.
The room had an icy texture to the air—his exhaled breath crystallized. Eli’s hairs on his arms stood on end, almost electrified. Strange. He wasn’t sure if he should step in.
Eli ignored the slight panic swimming in his gut and walked in. “Jane?”
Her head bowed down—she didn’t utter a word.
Eli figured she’d be upset, hence the silent treatment. It should be the other way around. She was the one who had broken the rule.
“I’m…” he said. Eli took another step toward her but Jane shrank back from him. The way she sat hunched over, broken down and defeated. She almost reminded him of…his mother. “Are you ok?”
Jane didn’t look at him. She curled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
Eli sat down next to her, giving her a foot-wide gap between them. “Jane, I can’t imagine what you went through, but I’m trying to do my job the best way I know how.” He scratched at his cheek and continued. “I’m here to protect you, damn it, even if it’s from yourself.”
A soft whimper caught his attention, but he wasn’t sure what she said.
“I know I’m an insensitive asshole. But you have to understand, your life is still in danger and I won’t risk losing you.”
Jane nervously turned her head very slowly toward him. Tears clung to her cheeks like thick clear syrup. Her eyes were big, filled with regret. Eli’s chest ached as he remembered the same look on his mother’s face after every beating she got from his father.
Sliding down to the floor, he knelt down in front of Jane. Eli touched her hand and caressed her fragile thin fingers which were tightly wrapped together. His calloused hands seemed to loosen them into his gentle hold. Her eyes never wavered. He wasn’t able to form a word or a thought in his head.
Mesmerized more than ever. Jane’s prettiness was more than he ever wanted to admit. Eli couldn’t help himself and touched her cheek. Her skin was cool. She leaned into his big hands. He brushed away the wetness with his thumb.
The urge to hold her overpowered his sense of duty. He wanted to kiss her, but pushed that yen away. His job to protect and serve went right out the window as he inclined his head toward her.
Staring into her golden-flaked chocolate brown eyes, Eli couldn’t help but be spellbound. The slight stir in the Nordic air chilled him straight through his shirt, bringing him out of his trance. Her eyes changed in a matter of seconds to a dark obsidian black. He wasn’t able to see the brown.
He released her hands and edged back, looking around the room. He saw nothing but the frost of his breaths. The atmosphere turned oppressive, which made his stomach lurch.
What the hell?
Jane’s cold touch on his cheek brought Eli’s eyes back to hers.
She stood, next to him. Her black eyes sad, lips formed in a soft frown. “I’m sorry too, baby,” she said, cupping his face. “I love you.” Her voice broke down. Jane closed her eyes and fell back against the bed.
Eli’s breath hitched as he grabbed Jane. Did he hear her correctly? Her voice—sounded so much of his mother’s. “What did you say?” he demanded as he laid her on the bed.
Jane blinked a few times. Her eyes were wide with confusion. The blackness was gone and those beautiful gold flakes were back. The cold room regained its warmth and old smell filled his nose.
“Elias?”
He pulled her to his body. She trembled and so was he. “Damn it, Jane, why did you say that to me?” His voice was above a whisper.
“Elias,” Jane sobbed. “What is happening to me?”
He wrapped his arms around her and enveloped her with his heat.
Jane tilted her head back and stared at him for a second before her eyes rolled back and she went limp.
“Jane!” Eli shouted. He scooped her up and rushed out of the room. He flew down the stairs, called to Magda as he passed the kitchen.
“What happened?” Magda shadowed him to the couch where he laid Jane down. She checked Jane’s pulse and then covered her with a purple scallop crocheted blanket.
“I’m not sure what happened. One second I was apologizing, next—she sounded like my—but that’s impossible. Absolutely crazy,” he rambled while pacing in front of the sofa. Eli rubbed the back of his neck, stopped in front of Magda and said, “I must be going nuts, because that shit doesn’t happen—not to me.”
“Elias, I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Magda grabbed her stethoscope and checked Jane’s heart. “Everything sounds normal, but you on the other hand…” She reached out to touch his wrist.
He jerked his hand away. “Don’t worry about me—I’m fine. Please, take care of her,” he said curtly. He went over to the window and stared out at the cold expanse. This is fucking crazy. I’m going crazy. “I just need to eat and get some sleep, that’s all.”
“Well, you don’t sound fine. What happened upstairs?”
Eli turned and studied Jane’s sleeping form for a second before a tinge of fear skipped down his spine. He ignored it. “She passed out,” then walked off to the kitchen.
So tired of being tired, short fused from her case going nowhere and now he was hallucinating. He wanted to forget the whole thing, but couldn’t. What Jane said shook him deep down. No one other than his mother had ever called him “Baby.” He wouldn’t allow it.
“Elias.” Magda tra
iled after him.
“Let it alone, Miss Magda. I’m fine.” He sat down with a plateful of cold food and drew the spoon to his mouth. “Where did all this ham come from? I didn’t buy any.”
Magda’s wry grin offered up guilt. He wasn’t going to like what she had to say.
“Don’t change the subject, Elias. I want to know what happened upstairs.” She took out a cup, filled it with coffee and placed it in front of him.
Eli put down the spoon and folded his arms across his chest and waited.
“Okay. I’ll tell you where the food came from but first, you need to tell me what happened to Jane,” she said, wiping down the counter.
“I’m tired. That’s what happened. After I eat, I’m heading to bed. Now, what’s with all this food?”
“You are a stubborn man, Elias McAvoy. You never learned to compromise.”
“Lady, you need to stop beating around the bush and tell me where this food came from.”
Magda kept cleaning the counter. “We were running low on food…” she stopped explaining, while twisting the kitchen towel.
“I knew that. That’s why I went shopping…But?” he drew out.
“I saw no harm in leaving. I got some things from my house and quickly went to the store, but not in that order.” She kept her back to him while she re-folded the towel numerous times.
Eli got up from the table. He walked over to her and turned her around. “Magda?” He glared down at her.
“Before you open your mouth any wider, no one questioned me. I always do my shopping on Mondays, so I didn’t see any harm in it. We needed the food. I went in, got what I needed and walked out before anyone said anything.” Her Southern twang drawled out. She scooted around him and sat down.
He rolled his eyes and sat back down across from her. Eli pushed the half empty plate away—he lost his appetite. “I made it very clear if you needed anything, call me. I didn’t want you to take any risks. You could have been followed. For all we know, the killer knows where Jane is now.”
“I didn’t attract any attention. For all you know, if I didn’t show my face around, that could have raised suspicions. And it’s not like Jane came with me.”
Eli’s rigid jaw clenched tight. He kept reminding himself that yelling wouldn’t do any good with these women.
He couldn’t look at Magda. Instead, he focused on the scratches on the table, until he was able to talk. “Don’t do it again. Please.”
“All right.” Magda sounded defeated. But the smile on her face showed that she won this battle.
Eli couldn’t eat the rest of the meal. He got up and placed the plate in the sink. His hands gripped the edge of the cast iron sink and leaned in. As he stared out the small window, Magda touched his shoulder.
“Elias. What’s going on? You’ve been on edge all week.”
He turned around and faced the woman, his hands gripping the edge of the laminated counter. “Everything.”
“What does that mean?”
“I mean everything. You and Jane taking risks on your lives. Maybe Jane should have stayed at the hospital.”
“You’re wrong. Jane is the safest here. She hasn’t set foot out of the house. And for me, no one questioned my actions. What else is bothering you?” she asked softly.
Eli wasn’t sure if he should share his opinion about the killer. “This case is driving me crazy.” Eli lowered his voice. “I…think the killer is local.”
“Why do you assume it might be someone local?” She hugged her arms to chest. “That can’t be true. I know everyone here, and to imagine one of our own had tried to kill—” Magda shivered.
“Magda, Tom and CLS found nothing at the crime scene. The area was too clean. Jane’s DNA was only found. The person covered his tracks well. But this is only my assumption. And—”
“I have to keep that to myself too—I know.”
“I also found crime scene pictures of dead women in my office, they might be connected to Jane’s case. Henley hid them in some magazines.”
“You mean there were other victims this sick person had killed?”
“Not sure, but Henley was working on something before he killed himself.”
“That simply doesn’t make sense. How many?” She got up and put on the kettle. “I need some tea to ward off this chill.”
“A lot. And the murders were dated pretty far back.”
“So, what’s the connection with Jane’s case?”
“There are a few variables I’m still waiting on, but they were all buried.”
“Are you sure it’s someone local?” Magda asked, getting cups and tea bags.
“I have to follow my gut,” Eli said. He went over to the refrigerator and grabbed a soda.
Magda rubbed at her arms and asked, “What happened upstairs with Jane? This time tell me the truth.”
Eli looked down at the woman he’d known for all of his life and cracked a smile. He knew she wasn’t going to let what happen with Jane go.
“I thought I heard my mother’s voice. Crazy, hah?” He gave a chuckle before wiping away any remnant of pop on his lips.
Magda shook her head and walked up to him. She reached up and gently cupped his cheeks. “I know you miss her very much. She is a part of this house, in every room. That isn’t crazy, Elias.”
“When you hear a dead woman’s voice, crazy is the only logical thing I can think of.” Eli rubbed at his face with both hands. He turned away from her touch. “I can’t do this anymore. This job—this town—everything about this place has a hold on me.
“I came here to heal and sell this damn place once and for all. Do you know what I really want?” He flailed his arms out. “Come April, no matter what—I’m gone, Miss Magda. I don’t care about this house anymore. If it doesn’t sell, James can have it. This job, it’s not for me. And I don’t care about who knows my past.” Tears filled to the edge of his lashes and blurred his vision. He cleared his scratchy throat from the strangled hold.
“You can’t mean that,” Magda said. “This place helped you to heal. You’ve been sober for over two years now. As for your job, you are a great leader. People listen to you, Elias. That’s a good thing.” Magda wiped her nose with a tissue she pulled from her sleeve, and then asked, “You want James McAvoy to get this house? You want him to win? Your mother is probably turning in her grave right now.”
“If he wants it, he can have it. Why am I holding onto this place so tightly when all there is, is bad memories?” Eli shook his head and strode out of the room.
Chapter Eighteen
Jane woke with the warmth of the sun on her face. The heat felt good, and safe. But the serenity vanished and the brightness turned grey and cold. A scent of whiskey spiked the air. The heavy stench made her gag.
A shadow of a man, distorted and dark, hovered over her. Jane let out a gasp. Shouts filled her ears—she tried to move but was pinned still. She couldn’t focus on the words, but she understood “Bitch” loud and clear.
With all her might, Jane used her arms and fists, and punched out toward the man. She shot up from the couch, ready to defend herself.
Between the gaps of her arms, she saw no one standing in front of her but the late afternoon sun shining in.
She lowered her arms and rubbed at her eyes to remove the filmy haze.
“Damn it,” she said under her breath. Jane scouted the room once more making sure she was alone. Was it a ghost—a dream? It sure didn’t feel that way. Maybe a past memory—she hoped not. A dizzying rush hit her system. She wanted to lie back down to steady herself. Then it dawned on her that she was in the living room. How did she get downstairs?
Jane eased herself up, still woozy from what happened, and headed into the kitchen. She found Magda reading the paper and sipping tea.
“Can I have some?”
Magda looked up from the Herald and smiled. “Sit. How are you feeling?” She grabbed a mug from the cupboard, dropped a chamomile teabag in the cup and placed the cup
in front of Jane. Steam rose as Magda poured the water into the cup.
“I guess okay. How did I get downstairs?”
“Don’t you remember?” Magda placed the cup in front of Jane and sat down. “Elias brought you down.”
“Last thing I remember was looking out the window when the Chief arrived. I came downstairs to apologize. Right after the Ass said what he said, I went back to my room. I sat on the bed and I think I heard crying again, then nothing.” Jane shrugged her shoulders and stared down at the scratched up oak table. “That’s it, I’m going crazy.” She took the cup of hot tea in her hands, blew into the cup and sipped it with caution.
Magda gave a slight laugh. “No crazier than Elias. Honey, you need to stop calling him Ass. For one, it isn’t polite and two, he is doing the best he can.”
Jane looked up from her cup. She knew the nurse was right. “I know—but sometimes I can’t help it. He drives me nuts. I feel like I’m his prisoner.”
“He is only trying to protect you. I know he can be a bit brash, but he is trying.”
“Why does he ignore me when I ask about the case?”
“Maybe there’s nothing to tell, I don’t know. But I do know he’s trying his best. You should go talk to him, he’s upstairs.” She finished her cup and got up. “Now I know you’re feeling better, I have some stuff to sort out down in the basement. If you need me, just call out.”
The nurse was right. Jane took another sip of her tea, which calmed her raw nerves. She thought of what Magda said. There were kinder ways to get information. Calling him ass wasn’t one of them.
Jane stood up and pushed the kitchen chair in. “I can handle this, like adults.” She grinned. “And I won’t call him Ass,” she uttered that shallow oath.
She took the stairs at a slow cumbersome pace. With each step, her bruised hips clicked with soreness. Not quite a hundred percent yet, Jane thought as she rubbed her legs.
Jane reached the top and was about to knock on his bedroom door when the door swung wide open. Her breath hitched. Eli stood in the doorway with only a towel around his waist. Trickles of water slid down his bare chest.
Forgetting Jane Page 13
