“Oh, Sue,” he murmured, gently stroking her injured wrist, “why didn’t you let me come? One glance from you, and I would’ve knocked him flat.”
“He was looking for a fight. It would’ve made things worse—at least, I think it would’ve.”
“Are you okay?”
“No,” she admitted in a shaky voice. “Danny was right. Rick wants to hurt us—and you too. I don’t know how, but he saw us together last night.” Her voice broke as she said softly, “I’m frightened.”
“Shh,” he whispered, taking her gently into his arms. “God as my witness, I won’t let anything happen to you or Danny.”
* * *
Rick glanced over his shoulder at the diner’s windows and saw Sue in Sam’s arms. A guttural noise of pure rage ripped from his throat. Swinging around, he punched the side of his pickup with such force that he split his knuckles and left a deep dent in the metal.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Taking a bite of pretzel, Ryan looked over at Crystal and asked, “So what are your plans for the summer? Doing anything fun?”
Crystal nodded. “In July, I’m visiting my grandparents in Massachusetts.”
Ryan gave her a sideways glance. “What are you doing until then?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Staying in D.C.”
“Sounds boring. Why don’t you fly to California with me?”
Crystal’s jaw dropped. “Are you s-serious?”
He nodded and took another bite. “My parents are hosting a week-long family reunion. Having you along will help me get through it.”
“Would there be room for me?”
“Sure. I’m gonna be camping in the backyard along with a host of cousins I hardly remember. I’ll pull a few strings and make sure you get my old bedroom, but you may have to share it with a few of my great-aunts.”
“I wouldn’t mind the roommates, but I’d hate to horn in on a family gathering.”
“Believe me, you’d be doing me a favor. If you come, I’ll have an excuse to get out of some of the obligatory ‘family togetherness.’ We’ll sneak away, and I’ll show you the sights.” He smiled and took a sip of iced tea. “I’ll teach you how to surf.”
“That’d be an absolute blast!”
“So you’ll come?”
Crystal’s grin wavered and fell. “I’d love to, but I can’t. My apartment lease is up soon, and I don’t want to renew it.”
“I thought you liked your place?”
“I like the location but not the paper-thin walls. If I’m gonna survive senior year, I need to find a quieter apartment—preferably one not associated with student housing. But that’s gonna be easier said than done.”
“Having trouble finding a place that’ll accept pets?”
Crystal gave an unhappy sigh. “I’m not taking my pets with me. As far as animal adoption, I’ve been out of control.”
“I don’t see how. You only have two cats and a dog.”
“Five cats, three dogs, four birds, twenty-one fish, six hamsters, a rabbit, two ferrets, and an overweight gerbil.”
Ryan gave a shout of laughter. “What happened?”
She shrugged. “I’m just a soft touch. When an animal needs a home, I can’t say no.”
Ryan ripped a piece off his pretzel and popped it in his mouth. “I’ll admit your number of pets is unorthodox, but if you’re enjoying them, I don’t see the problem.”
“That’s because you don’t know my landlord. I’ve been living in dread every time the doorbell rings for fear he’s found me out. It’s ripping my heart to give my animals away, but I’m starting to feel like Noah.”
“You’ll never be able to live pet-free. You’ll see an abandoned kitten meowing pitifully in a puddle, and you’ll melt and take it home.”
“I will not!”
As Ryan quirked a doubtful eyebrow at her, he saw her lips twitch.
“Well, maybe I would,” she admitted. “That’s why I’m renting an apartment that won’t allow pets. It’ll be easier to be self-controlled if I don’t have a choice in the matter.” Ryan watched as she gave him a calculating glance. “You know...statistically, people who own pets live longer.”
He grinned. “The way you’ve been going, you’ll beat Methuselah.”
“True,” Crystal gurgled. “But now that I’ve discovered the secret to longevity, I’d love to share the health benefits. Would you like to adopt a deaf kitty who loves to chase yarn balls, or a feisty Chihuahua with a limp, or a rascally ferret who enjoys getting into the toilet paper, or a big fat gerbil named Tom-Tom, or a—?”
“My apartment won’t accept pets,” Ryan interrupted with a laugh.
“Convenient excuse.”
“It sure is, and it’s the same excuse you’re trying to get for yourself.”
“Only temporarily, and only until my willpower has a chance to recharge.” She gave a fierce frown. “I’m out of control, and I can’t stand to be out of control in any area of my life.”
Hearing the harsh note in her voice, he laid a gentle hand on her arm. “Give yourself some slack. I think you’re pretty terrific just the way you are.”
Crystal blinked at him through her owlish glasses. “You do? Really?” As he smiled and nodded, she said, “That’s awfully nice of you to say. I hoped to find a few friends when I came to D.C., but I never expected to find a brother.”
Ryan gave her a startled glance. “B-brother?”
She nodded. “You and Zeke are the big brothers I’ve always wanted but never had. Thanks for being such a nice friend.”
Turning away, Ryan stared at the cars in the parking lot and took a slow, painful breath. “You think we’re friends?”
“Of course I do! Don’t you?”
Hearing the puzzled note in her voice, Ryan flashed her a smile. “Sure I do. Good friends.”
* * *
Gil put her hand on Danny’s arm. “It’s after 1:00. I need to find out what TEMCO’s learned about Rick.”
“Sure, Gil,” Danny replied.
“What’d she say?” Slim asked.
“She’s gonna go talk to the folks in the future.”
Slim whistled. “This is so unreal!”
Keeping her hand on Danny’s arm, Gil said firmly, “I’ll plan on being back before school’s over, but if things with TEMCO take longer than expected, go straight to Mr. Jacobson’s—don’t set a single toenail inside your house.”
“What about Mom?”
“Sam’s looking out for her, and I’m looking out for you. Remember, it’s D-day. Let’s be smart about it. There’s no way you and Rick can fight in your kitchen if you’re not even in your house. Go straight to Mr. Jacobson’s, you hear?”
“Loud and clear.”
“What’s she saying?” Slim asked.
“She’s giving me instructions about after school. Actually, she’s shouting them. You’re lucky you can’t hear her. You’d be going deaf.”
“Wisecracker,” Gil said affectionately, tousling his hair. “Have fun in PE. I’ll try to be back before science is over, okay?”
“Sure, see you later. Come on, Slim. Let’s hotfoot it before bionic-chick goes ballistic!”
As the boys waved and ran toward the school, Gil smiled affectionately after them. They were going to be quite a pair. A dynamic duo indeed—
Gil’s happy musings came to an end as her stomach grumbled loudly. She grimaced. She had to get something to eat besides those blasted kitty-litter bars. Hoping to raid the Winston’s refrigerator before contacting the lab, she walked quickly to Danny’s house. When she arrived and saw the wealth of goodies in the kitchen’s “magic box,” she began singing an off-key rendition of Food! Glorious Food!
* * *
Ryan watched as Crystal nibbled her pretzel. After a moment of silence, he said, “Since you and I are such good friends would you mind if I gave you some brotherly advice?”
“Not at all.”
“You need to come to Bible study again.”
Crystal jolted, her elbow knocking over a saltshaker. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked, bending over to retrieve the shaker.
“If you don’t know,” she mumbled with red cheeks, “you can guess.”
“Even if Marc’s there, you can still come.”
“I’d end up making an idiot of myself. Marc doesn’t know I exist, and it’s better that way. I’d never have a shot with him anyway.”
“Can’t you just forget him?”
“Believe me, I’m trying.”
“Try harder,” he grumbled. “I miss you.”
Crystal gave a spurt of laughter. “You see me practically every day.”
“It’s not the same. After summer vacation, will you come to Bible study again?”
“I will if I can get Marc out of my system. I can’t avoid him during class, but I don’t have to spend my free time with him.”
Ryan stared out the window at the sunlight sparkling on the car windshields in the parking lot. He felt like punching Marc or punching himself for inviting Marc to Bible study in the first place. The whole situation smacked of some grotesque Shakespearean love triangle, and he was sick of it.
As if reading his thoughts, Crystal grimaced. “Don’t you dare call me Titania.”
Ryan’s lips twitched. “But, Cris, Marc’s the personification of Bottom the weaver.”
“I know! Donkey’s head and all!” Rolling her eyes, she grumbled, “And me ‘enamored’ with him. I’ll tell you one thing though, I’m not about to ‘pluck the wings from painted butterflies to fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.’”
“Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act III. Scene I.”
“See,” Crystal groaned, “you and I are in sync. Why couldn’t I have a crush on you?”
Ryan’s laughter froze. “I don’t know. Why couldn’t you?”
“Probably because I’m a simple-minded idiot with no taste at all.” She smiled at him and finished her pretzel. “Well, if I’m Titania and Marc’s Bottom, who are you? Oberon?”
Ryan’s heart twisted, but he knew she wasn’t being deliberately cruel. He cleared his throat. “I’ve never thought of myself as the matchmaking King of the Fairies type. I think I’d better settle for a role like Puck.”
Crystal gave a gurgle of laughter. “You’re way too tall to be a wood imp.” Her eyes twinkled. “However, there is something a bit puckish about you at times.”
Ryan struck a pose. “‘Thou speakest aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night!’”
“Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act II. Scene I.”
“Exactamundo. How about splitting another pretzel, canker-blossom? My treat. I’m still starving.”
She twinkled at him. “And if I say no?”
He laughed. “Then you’d better hope your legs are as long as Helena’s, so you can run away before I pick you up and carry you. After refusing to go to California, the least you can do is walk to Phil’s Pretzel Stand.”
“Lead the way. Another pretzel sounds absolutely fab-u-lous. Of course,” she said ruefully, “I’m gonna have to run it off on the treadmill.”
As they stood to their feet, Crystal stared at the distant silhouette of Hawking Hall. Seeing her worried frown, Ryan asked, “Wondering about Gil?”
She nodded. “I hope she’s okay.”
For a moment, they stared in silence at Hawking Hall. When they turned to go into Student Union, Ryan asked, “Did you sign-up to help with summer shutdown?”
“You bet I did,” Crystal replied. “I hope I’m able to work with the techs backing up GAP’s memory core. I think I’ll die if I get assigned some boring old job like collating files. Do you think the lockdown will be over by then?”
“I hope so. If it isn’t, there’s more going on than either of us realize.” Giving her a smile, he asked a bit awkwardly, “After the pretzel, how about a movie?”
“I can’t,” she replied, staring at Hawking Hall. “I have some things to do this afternoon.”
* * *
Sam stayed in his booth for the rest of Sue’s shift. Rick’s threats had shaken her, and he couldn’t imagine leaving her. In fact, he hardly took his eyes off her—guarding her with an intensity that left him feeling surprised. When Sue’s shift was finally over, he watched as she sat down next to him and gave him a smile that trembled around the edges.
“Did the hospital call?” he gently asked. “If you have to work, I’ll go with you.”
“What about Danny?”
“I phoned Nathan. He’ll be at your house to watch him. So how about it? Are we headed to the hospital?”
“They never called,” she replied. “But if they had, you could’ve sat by my desk.” She gave him a shaky smile and teased, “It’s by the coffee maker which would’ve come in handy.”
“Have some pity and don’t mention the ‘C’ word,” he said with an exaggerated groan. “I don’t know how many cups of coffee I drank today—I lost count—but I never want to look a coffee bean in the eye again.”
“Beans have eyes? Are they blue or brown?”
“Neither.” Sam grinned. “They’re amber-speckled green.”
“If you were Danny, I’d say you had a big imagination.”
Sam’s blue eyes filled with tenderness. He knew she was frightened, but she was doing her best to keep things light. With a gentle hand, he brushed a tumbled lock of golden hair away from her face. “Rick won’t get to you, you know,” he said in a calm, serious voice. “You or Danny. He’ll have to go through me first.”
“I know,” she whispered. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Gil gave a satisfied sigh, basking in the afterglow of a good meal. After putting away her last dish, she went to Danny’s room and took Extreme Exam out of her backpack. As she sat down in front of the TV, she felt her jeans digging into her stomach.
Groaning a bit, she undid the top button and pulled her shirt down to hide the gapping waistband. Taking a third helping of spaghetti had been a big mistake. She was in danger of bursting the seams of her blue jeans, and the prospect wasn’t pleasing. Seeing it was 1:30 on the dot, she slid the game into the PlayFest console and tried to avoid looking like she’d eaten a week’s worth of calories in one sitting.
As a blue glow filled the bedroom, she looked through the portal at William and Director Matthews. Her heart missed a beat. She didn’t know what was going on, but judging by the men’s tense expressions, it wasn’t good.
“Hi, guys, what’s up?” she asked in a deliberately casual tone.
“We’re thinking of pulling you from the field,” William replied.
“What?”
“Rick’s more dangerous than we thought.”
“I don’t care if he’s Jack the Ripper,” she said flatly. “I’m staying.”
Director Matthews picked up a handful of printouts. “He isn’t Jack the Ripper, but he might as well be. I’ve found evidence that he’s killed at least ten women.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’re facing a serial killer,” William said. “You must realize the seriousness of the situation.”
“I do realize it. You don’t. Today’s Danny’s D-day. If I abandon him, he’s gonna die on death row. I love that kid, and I’m not about to let his life be destroyed. Where’s Dr. Nelson? She’d agree with me.”
“She said it was our decision,” the director replied.
“It’s my decision too, and I’m not about to abandon—”
“It’s not abandonment,” William interrupted. “GAP’s only predicting a fifty percent chance that it’ll make a difference to Danny’s future if you stay. Regardless of your hard work, Daniel Winston may be destined for death row. We’re not risking your life over a hopeless—”
“There’s no way you’re getting me out of here! If there’s a fifty percent chance that Danny can be saved, I’m taking that fifty percent chance. It’s my life I’m risking. Not yours.”
“I don’t care. I’m not—”
“Enough of this!” William said harshly. “Let the director speak. When he finishes, we’ll discuss things.”
“If that’s how you want it,” Gil said with lightly veiled hostility.
“That’s how it’s going to be. Tell her the facts, Peter.”
“Here it is, Gil,” the director said. “Bald facts. Fact number one: Rick’s a serial killer. He strangles women with a red cord and hangs their bodies to mimic suicide. He does his murderous work so well, that unless a coroner’s an expert, the homicide is missed. At this time, it’s impossible to know how many murders Rick’s committed.
“Fact two: Rick’s meticulous and methodical—that means he’s dangerous. He’s undoubtedly been planning to kill Sue for weeks. He’ll already have things set in motion.
“Fact three: GAP’s predicting a 98.8 percent chance that if you stay, you will be hurt. Since Danny has only a fifty percent chance of escaping death row, you’ll be risking your life on a gamble.”
Gil sat quietly for a few moments. “I’ve heard what you’ve said and understood it. Will you respect my decision?”
“Yes,” William replied. “It’s your decision to make.”
“Then my answer’s the same as it was from the beginning. I’m staying. Now, give me all the information you can about what I’m facing, and please do it fast. I don’t have much time, and I need all the help I can get.”
* * *
Outside Stubby’s diner, Sam gave Sue’s pale face a searching glance. He knew the confrontation with Rick had taken a toll. “Where’s your car parked?” he asked softly. “I’ll follow you home.”
“I don’t have a car.”
He blinked in surprise. “You walk to work? It’s over two miles to your house.”
“That’s not far. Walking keeps me in shape.”
“Well, you’re not walking today.”
Gently taking her elbow, Sam steered her toward his car. Thinking of the snowstorm they’d had a few weeks ago, he winced. He hated to think of the battle she must’ve fought with icy sidewalks. He wondered if he’d ever driven past her—unaware of her need. The thought made him feel sick inside.
Time Tsunami Page 15
