Kyle grinned over at Darcy as Brandon disappeared through the crowds.
“Wow. You’ve really made an enemy, and you haven’t even tried.” And then, at the look on her face, he leaned over, contrite. “Hey, I’m sorry. Believe me, it doesn’t take anything for Liz to hate you. She doesn’t have any friends.”
Darcy felt both angry and near tears, and she took a long swallow of Coke. “Why does she act like that?”
“’Cause she’s the queen bee at home. My parents have made her believe she can have anything she wants and everything she doesn’t have.” He gave a tolerant smile and reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “You feel like riding?”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. Anywhere. You like motorcycles?”
“I’ve never been on one. They look dangerous.”
“Not mine.” He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”
“But maybe I should tell Jake—”
“I’ll tell him. Just wait for me by the door. Hey, don’t you want your flowers?”
“Uhhh … actually they look really nice here. I think I’ll leave them.”
While Kyle headed off to Jake’s office, Darcy pushed her way through the crowds and out the front entrance. The damp air felt good as she stood there on the sidewalk. Pulling her clothes away from her body, she fanned herself, turning her face up to the sky. A light drizzle still hung in the air, and the street lay around her, a gray illusion. She lifted her hair from her neck and let her eyes wander over the fog.
And then she saw him.
A thin face … lanky blond hair … the dark glasses like two deep holes where his eyes should have been …
“Elliott …”
She turned back and felt Kyle’s arms go around her, and with a startled cry she jumped out of his grasp.
“Okay! Okay!” Kyle held up both hands, his eyes wide. “No touching! I promise!”
“No!” Darcy grabbed his arm and tugged him out to the curb, gesturing toward the foggy street. “Look! It’s Elliott! Over there by that building!”
Kyle looked all around the deserted street and sidewalks, scratching his head. “Darcy—”
“He was here,” Darcy said, dismayed. “He was! Just like he was there the last time you didn’t see him!”
Kyle nodded, his shoulders moving in an amicable shrug. “I mean, Elliott’s working—”
“Across town,” Darcy finished. “At his night job. But what if he’s not? What if he’s not even there tonight? Then would you believe me?”
“Okay.” Kyle began walking. “Okay, if it’ll make you feel better. My bike’s right over here. We’ll drive over to the station and see if Elliott’s there.”
“No.” Darcy stopped, shaking her head. “No, you’re just humoring me.”
Kyle thought a minute … ran one hand through his hair. “But, hey, wouldn’t you love to prove me wrong? Liz delights in it.”
Darcy stared at him, feeling a smile creep across her face. “Actually, I would.”
“Spoken like a true female.” Kyle grinned. “This way, m’lady. Your trusty steed awaits you.”
“Steed?” Darcy laughed.
“Yeah.” He looked down at her, poker-faced. “If it was Brandon, then it’d be your trusty stud, but since it’s only my bike—”
She gave him a playful shove and followed him to where he’d parked.
It took about twenty minutes to go across town. As they pulled into the gas station, Darcy saw Elliott working in the garage, and her heart sank. Kyle stopped the bike, and Elliott came out, wiping his hands on a dirty rag.
“Hey, man,” Kyle greeted him. “How’s it going?”
“Okay,” Elliott mumbled. He was staring at Darcy, but she ducked her head and pretended to examine the helmet she’d taken off.
“How come?” Elliott said.
“How come what?” Kyle returned pleasantly.
“You’re here.”
“Just showing Darcy around town.” Kyle slid off and unscrewed the gas cap. “Realized I needed to feed this thing. Figured I’d stop and say hi.”
The other boy nodded and turned toward Kyle, his thin hands working slowly … steadily … into the dirty rag they were holding. There was a long streak of grease down one of his cheeks, and sweat glistened on his high, wide forehead.
“I didn’t leave that light on,” he said to Darcy, and she glanced up in surprise.
“I didn’t come here about that, Elliott.” She shook her head. “Forget about it.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Elliott said, and Darcy jumped as he put his hand on her arm.
“She’s with me,” Kyle said easily.
“This is a bad part of town,” Elliott went on patiently. “Murders happen here.”
“It’s okay,” Kyle reassured him. “She’s fine.” He replaced the hose and dug into his pocket. “I need some change.”
Elliott’s head moved in the direction of the office, and Kyle mouthed “I’ll hurry” as he started in. Darcy again concentrated on her helmet strap, but felt Elliott’s hand return to her arm. When she looked up, he had taken his glasses off, and his wide, pale gray eyes were only inches from hers.
“I was right,” he mumbled. “Wasn’t I.”
A coldness crept through her, yet she managed to hold his stare. “About what?”
“You know.” His expression was blank. “The murder.” One finger raised until it was level with her chin. “You know. It really happened.”
“Elliott—”
“And I remembered. About the ring. Kyle and Brandon thought it would look good in Brandon’s play. Maybe they took it.”
“Are you talking about me?” Kyle clapped Elliott good-naturedly on the shoulder and winked at Darcy. “Some friend you are. I can’t turn my back for a minute—”
“We were talking about rings,” Darcy said. “Did Brandon borrow a ring from the Dracula exhibit?”
“No …” Kyle looked puzzled. “He decided he didn’t want to use it after all.”
“We were talking about murder,” Elliott murmured. “You should believe me when I say things will happen.”
Kyle saw Darcy’s anxious face and shook his head with a patient smile. “No more talk about murder, okay, Elliott? No more talk about the future.” He swung one leg over the bike and checked to make sure Darcy was holding on tight. “There’s only one thing about Darcy’s future we both know for sure, right, Elliott? That Brandon will find some way to be in it.”
Elliott’s mouth lifted tentatively at the corners, and he put his sunglasses back on. “I know your future, too. But you won’t like it.”
Kyle regarded him curiously and let out a soft groan. “I don’t need this tonight … what is it?”
“They’re auditioning a new drummer. I heard them talking about it.”
Kyle leaned his head upon the handlebars and groaned even louder. “I knew this was going to happen! But why is it happening to me?”
“They don’t know that I know.”
Kyle sighed and looked up again. Darcy could see the hurt in his eyes.
“Are you positive?”
“I’m positive.”
“Well, this ought to make my parents happy,” Kyle said softly. He revved the motor and gave Elliott a sad smile. “Thanks, man. See you around.”
Elliott stood there silently and watched them leave.
After a long while Kyle seemed to shake himself back to attention. “Satisfied?” he yelled back over his shoulder.
“About what?”
“Elliott.”
“He could have gotten there ahead of us, couldn’t he?” Darcy yelled back.
She felt him shrug, but he didn’t answer, so she buried her head against his back. Through his T-shirt she could feel the hard flow of his muscles as he guided the motorcycle through town, and suddenly she didn’t care where they were going—she didn’t want to care about anything—she just nestled tighter against him as the misty nigh
t flowed over her, lulling her into a safe, easy calm.
Without warning the bike stopped, and Darcy lifted her head to peer over Kyle’s shoulder. Ahead of her she could see a girl walking alone down the street, and it took her a minute to realize it was Liz. As Kyle pulled up alongside, his sister cast him a ferocious glare.
“What’s going on?” Kyle asked. “Where’s Brandon?”
“Get out of here!” Liz yelled. “Leave me alone!”
“Come on, Liz.” Kyle kept up with her while Darcy looked on apprehensively. “You shouldn’t be out here alone—where’s Brandon?”
“How should I know! We had a fight in his car, and the jerk let me off in the middle of nowhere! I’ve been walking for miles!”
“Liz—will you just stop—”
“He’s probably hoping the Vampire gets me!” Liz seethed. “And wouldn’t that make him happy if I got my throat cut—wouldn’t that make him happy if I died—”
“Come on, don’t talk like that—” Kyle reached out one arm, but she slapped it away.
“Just because I hit him!” she said furiously. “Well, he deserved it! I told him I wanted flowers, so we had a fight, and he insulted me—”
“Where is he now?”
“How should I know! Who cares? He had it coming!”
“I doubt that.” Kyle sighed. “You’re lucky he didn’t decide to drop you ten miles from here.”
Liz flew at him so fast that Darcy didn’t see her coming. It was all Kyle could manage to keep the motorcycle upright.
“Cut it out, Liz, you’re going to hurt someone!” Kyle yelled at her. “I ought to leave you here!”
“I want you to!” Liz yelled back at him. “I want you to leave me here so you’ll feel guilty about it all night!”
Kyle glanced back at Darcy, shaking his head with a tolerant smile. “Okay, Liz, I’m going—”
“Fine! Just go!”
To Darcy’s concern, Kyle sped off. For several more blocks they didn’t speak, but as he turned onto a side street, she recognized the Farmer’s Market. It didn’t take long to find Brandon. As Kyle and Darcy approached a row of deserted stands, they saw him lying back on one of the wooden tables.
“Who won?” Kyle asked, deadpan, and Brandon looked up, raising a bottle in greeting.
Kyle squinted and laughed. “Are you drinking?”
“Just this awful grape stuff.” Brandon sighed. “I couldn’t handle anything stronger right now—not with this lump on my head.”
Kyle stepped closer and whistled. “Wow—that’s a beauty.”
“I ended up clear in the backseat,” Brandon said, almost admiringly. “Where’d she learn to punch like that?”
Kyle shrugged and sat beside him. “She’s pretty mad.”
“No kidding. I’m probably deformed.”
“You’ll live.” Kyle took the bottle and helped himself to a sip. “Here’s to women … and their charms.”
“Well, hi, Darcy.” Brandon noticed her at last. “So glad you could join us.”
“Someone’s stopping,” Darcy said nervously, watching the street.
To her surprise, Jake and Elliott pulled up in a car and got out. While Elliott hung back, Jake towered over Brandon and gave him a hard appraisal.
“Why the hell did you call me?”
“’Cause I was too dizzy to drive. And anyway, you’re the only one I could get a hold of. God, Jake, I thought you’d be a lot more sympathetic than this.”
Jake took Brandon’s collar and hoisted him to his feet. “Come on—Elliott, you drive Brandon’s car. Brandon, this is the last time, understand? I don’t have time to referee all your and Liz’s fights. Where is she?”
“I don’t know. Walking somewhere—”
“Walking! With some maniac running loose? Elliott, go find her—”
“I know where she is,” Kyle said. “You take Darcy home.”
“And what are you going to do?”
Kyle shrugged. “Well, I know Liz won’t let me give her a ride, so I guess I’ll just follow her.”
Brandon grinned. “Spoken like a true gentleman.”
“Get in the car.” Jake shoved him.
“Hey, I’m injured here—”
“He does have a pretty bad bump,” Darcy spoke up, but Jake only looked more irritated.
“Get in the car, Darcy. You shouldn’t be out here, either.”
“What do you mean, she shouldn’t be out here, either?” Brandon gave a chuckle. “She’s with us, isn’t she? You act like something’s going to happen to her or something.”
“What I’m saying is, anything could happen to anybody,” Jake said shortly. “Especially after what’s been happening these past few days.”
Kyle glanced around at the empty stalls, the foggy walkways, the distorted shadows. “He’s right, Brandon. I’m going to go catch Liz.”
Brandon hesitated, then gave an exaggerated stage whisper. “Do you think the Vampire’s back there somewhere? Hiding? Licking his lips? Sharpening his fangs? Watching? Picking out his next … terrified … victim—”
“Go on, Brandon,” Jake gave him a shove. “Move!”
Back at the apartment once more Darcy checked and rechecked the locks, unable to shake a nagging feeling of dread. Jake had returned to the Club, and she hated the idea of being alone all night, especially when her brain kept going over and over all the troubling events of the day—the fire escape … the basement window … but I know someone was there, coming after me, wanting to hurt me, and how long was I standing there calling for help? It seemed like forever.… How long until the intruder left and Brandon opened the door …
She knew Brandon hadn’t believed her. And now she began to suspect that the flowers hadn’t meant anything at all, that maybe he’d only been patronizing her.… Brandon is obviously a huge flirt, and Liz is obviously very used to having her own way, and you are so stupid for presuming anything or even wishing for it.
She couldn’t sleep. She tossed restlessly in the sticky heat and kept looking at her watch, wondering when Jake would be home. She couldn’t stop thinking about all the things Brandon had said back there at the Farmer’s Market.
“Do you think the Vampire’s back there somewhere?” he had joked, thinking it so clever and oh-so-funny.…
“Picking out his next terrified victim?”
And how horrible, Darcy thought, pressing her face tight into her pillow, trying to choke back the awful fear—how horrible to be the next victim …
And never know your life was running out so fast.…
13
When Darcy heard the whispers, she thought at first she was dreaming … voices low and urgent … bodies moving quickly … quietly through the dark.
She sat up, heart racing. She listened hard through the blackness and thought a door closed somewhere downstairs. Peeking out her room and down the stairwell she saw the lamp she’d left burning below … and once again she thought she heard muffled voices. She slipped noiselessly down to the living room and saw a sliver of light beneath Jake’s door.
Standing there, Darcy tried to decide if she should investigate, then froze as the door slid open a crack, letting out soft voices from within.
“I almost got it this time—this was the worst—”
“Ssh … you’ll wake Darcy.…”
Still whispering, the voices were unrecognizable to her, but then the first one came again, bordering on panic.
“I didn’t expect it—the struggle—oh, God—”
Holding her breath, Darcy saw Jake move into her line of vision, saw him holding something … saw him throw it into his closet. His clothes were torn and bloody, and there was more blood streaming down from his hand. He was talking to someone that Darcy couldn’t see, and as the closet door groaned shut, he moved out of sight again.
She heard someone speaking—Who? Jake? Who else is in there?—but only caught the end of what was being said.
“—have to take care of her.”
“I can’t stand this anymore! Oh, God, what am I going to do!”
Darcy didn’t wait to hear anything else; she fled upstairs and locked herself in.
The night crawled on and on, and she lay awake, eyes fixed on the ceiling. My God, Jake, what’s going on? For a long time there wasn’t another sound from downstairs, then finally a door opened and closed as an invisible someone left the apartment. She thought she might have drifted off to sleep at last when suddenly the phone rang, jarring her awake, and Jake’s voice drifted up, strangely calm.
“Darcy, it’s for you.”
“Me?” She swung out of bed, put her ear timidly to the door. “For me?”
But he didn’t answer, and she heard the sound of his bedroom door. For the second time that night she peeked cautiously down the stairwell, then hurried to the living room where the receiver lay upon a table beside the couch.
“Hello?” she whispered.
“Darcy? I can hardly hear you.”
She recognized the voice and sank into the cushions. “Oh, Brandon,” she said gratefully.
“What’s the matter? You acted like this was going to be obscene or something.” His voice smiled. “Hey … I really wanted to get back tonight to see you. It … just didn’t work out.”
So you and Liz fixed things. Good for you, bad for me. “Well, I hope everything’s okay now.”
“That depends on your point of view, I guess,” he said vaguely. “I had fun on our walk this evening. Yours and mine, I mean.”
“Me, too.” Well, I might as well be honest, it’ll probably be the last walk we ever take.
“I’ll try and make it to the concert tomorrow night—it just depends on rehearsals. Maybe I’ll see you.”
“Maybe.”
“I sure hope so.”
Please don’t say things you don’t mean. And you still owe Liz some flowers.… “Well … good night.”
She hung up, feeling lost and unhappy and furious with herself. Pausing a moment, she listened, but no sound came from Jake’s room. She turned off the lights and went up to bed.
She still couldn’t sleep. In a frenzy of thoughts she dozed off and on again, tossing restlessly, kicking off the covers. Strange half-dreams flitted through her mind—black figures wrapped in mysterious capes, trailing blood behind them. A claw groped out for her neck. She shouted and woke herself up.
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