“Yeah, yeah, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m not horning in on your case. It just strikes me as too similar to an unsolved I came across, so I’m just keeping an eye out. That’s all. It’s what any investigator worth his salt would do. Who’s the chick?” He nodded toward Thea, who was standing about ten feet away staring once more into the distance.
This time Katie’s irritation flamed through, and she didn’t even try to stop her anger. Where did he get off? “The woman is Theadora Lynch, Alida Canwell’s twin sister.”
“Whoa, take it down a notch or two, Deputy Carlisle.” He finally tossed away the toothpick casually, as if nothing he said was worth her display of annoyance.
“Vince,” she snapped. “You take it down a notch or two, or would you prefer I mention to the chief that you referred to a victim’s sister as a chick?”
“You know I didn’t mean anything by it.” He rolled his eyes.
I know you’re a dick. “Doesn’t matter what you meant. It’s still inappropriate language, so keep it to yourself. This isn’t the fifties, and in case you missed the class, that’s what’s called sexual harassment. Now, perhaps you should be on your way before Ms. Lynch hears something like that come out of your mouth again and decides to report you. You go do your job and let me do mine.”
He shrugged as though every word she said slid off him like raindrops. “Whatever.”
She clenched her teeth against the fury she now barely managed to control. Vince was good at his job—she’d give him props for that—but he could get her back up quicker than anyone she’d ever met. The part that ticked her off the most is he did it on purpose. She just couldn’t figure out whether it was because he hated her or because he wanted to see if she really was as tough as the rest of them. As she watched him walk slowly back to his car, get in, and drive away, she took several deep breaths to quiet her anger. He pulled off a pretty package, but under the wrapping, the guy was a total jerk.
Once Vince was gone, Katie turned her attention back to Thea. “Sorry about that. Vince is a colleague who unfortunately didn’t have much to help us.”
“A jerk,” Thea said absently.
Katie laughed, and the last of her irritation flowed away. “You picked that up?” A thousand-yard stare was on Thea’s face during the entire exchange with Vince. It surprised her she’d paid attention to any of their conversation.
Thea looked over at her and nodded. “His energy made me want to step back about a hundred feet or so. I’ve always been able to pick up people’s vibes immediately. Most are good, some are creepy, and some are just plain bad.”
“Well, Vince isn’t a bad guy. Just a creepy one in a male-chauvinistic kind of way.”
“Probably,” Thea said softly as she gazed out into the distance. “But a step-back kind of guy in any event.”
What about Vince made her voice so quiet and reflective? Katie tilted her head and studied Thea, who was once more focusing on the trees and hills beyond as if hoping to catch sight of her sister. What did she mean by probably?
Chapter Four
Thea was glad the man left. The vibes he brought to this place were dark and disturbing. Maybe she was still picking up on whatever had assaulted her when she touched the marks in the gravel, or maybe the guy was a creep. Either way, she felt better once he got in his car and drove away.
Her fingers still buzzed even as the minutes passed. It didn’t surprise her to pick up some kind of vibe. After all, she and Alida shared so much. What surprised her was how desolate she felt. She’d come out here with Katie hoping for a miracle. Instead she felt worse.
“Are you okay?”
Katie’s concerned words broke into her dark thoughts.
A truthful answer would be big fat no. Instead, for no rational reason she could come up with, she lied. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
She let her gaze drift to Katie’s face, surprised by the worry she saw there. She tried for a smile. “I’m discouraged.”
“You hoped to be able to find her.”
Stupid as it sounded, that was exactly right. “Yes, I did. I don’t know why I thought just being here would produce some magic vision and I’d be able to do what you trained professionals couldn’t.”
Katie laid a hand on her shoulder, the warmth reassuring. “Nothing wrong with being hopeful.”
“Unrealistic, you mean.”
Katie shook her head. “No, I mean hopeful and helpful. Help breaking cases often comes in the most unexpected ways and places so don’t ever sell yourself short.”
Tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she blinked quickly, willing them away. “I really wanted to find her today.”
“We will find her.”
“Today?”
“Soon.” Katie’s voice was calm and steady, yet it did nothing to reassure Thea.
Suddenly, she needed to get away from here. A wave of something evil seemed to drape around her shoulders and try to cut off her breath. She whirled and headed back to Katie’s SUV. Without a word, she got in and buckled her seat belt.
“Can we just go back to town?” she asked when Katie was in the driver’s seat and buckled up too.
“Of course.” If Thea’s abrupt race for the car bothered her, Katie gave no indication.
For the first few miles she didn’t say anything, grateful Katie didn’t try to fill the silence. Staring out the side window, she finally said, “When we were about twelve, we did something we’d never done before. We went to different summer camps—Alida to Camp Reed up north and me to a week-long art workshop in Seattle.”
“It must have been scary.”
She smiled, remembering the excitement of being on her own for the first time in her young life. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But no, we were both thrilled to be able to do what excited us the most. Alida loved all the outdoor activities, and for me, the chance to spend a week with nothing but art was like nirvana.”
The memories of their excitement waned as the reality of that long-ago week settled. “Everything started off so wonderfully. On Wednesday, I woke up screaming and the counselor assigned to my group couldn’t get me to calm down. They had to call my parents, and that’s when they understood.”
“Something happened?”
She nodded, even though she knew Katie’s eyes were on the road. “Alida was always the adventurous one and would take risks. She and three other girls snuck out to go swimming in the dark. Long story short, she fell about twenty feet down an embankment, broke her arm in two places, and suffered a concussion. She was out for three days.”
“You felt it over in Seattle?”
“Yes. The pain hit me first while I was sound asleep. When I woke up fully I realized it wasn’t me, but I knew something was terribly wrong with Alida.”
“And that’s why you were so hopeful you could find her if you came out here with me today?”
“Yes.”
“You did feel something.”
“I did.”
“And you’re worried because it’s how you felt when you were twelve.”
It wasn’t a question, and Thea felt closer to Katie because clearly she understood. Thea sat looking out the side window as she murmured, “I was scared before we came out here. Now I’m terrified.”
*
He could see it now and soon so would she. The sighs and the tears of the lost one were carried on the wind as it moved across the mountains and the deserts between the East and the West. His heart ached for yet another who cried for help and yet none came. Only he heard her pleas, and he was powerless to ease her suffering.
She alone held the power to bring her home to the family who longed to see her face. Lies told and trust betrayed, yet at her core where only God could see, she was a good person who did not deserve the fate that had come down upon her. Now that he knew and understood, it was up to him to find a way to guide her east. She was destined to help that lost soul find her way home.
&n
bsp; He closed his eyes and concentrated. Her world was not his to touch, yet still he had to find a way not just for the lost one, but for himself as well.
To the east, storm clouds were building, the sky starting to grow dark with the familiar signs. Here along the coastal waters of the far north, lightning sliced through the gloom and thunder growled like a hungry bear. Fear shot through his body as though that bolt of lightning had struck him. Somewhere in the distance, evil flexed its muscles. Its presence sent ripples flowing unseen through the universe.
Time was once again running short. With his eyes still closed and his hands clasped tightly together, he concentrated. That was all he could do, and he prayed it was enough.
Across the mountains, three hundred and fifty miles away, a newspaper rose from where it lay in a recycle bin. For a moment it hung suspended in the air, and then slowly it floated to the floor. Against the red-quarry tile floor, a black-and-white photograph stared up at the ceiling.
*
Lorna watched Renee walk across the massive yard and smiled. It still amazed her that someone so lovely and free-spirited would have any interest in her. She wasn’t exactly what anyone would call a free spirit. Lorna liked structure, loved deadlines, and lived for challenges. If she didn’t, she would never have made it as a person who successfully worked at home. Organization was the key to making a home-based career work, and she was the consummate pro.
Her career was both solid and financially sound because she was such a detail person. The quality had also put her on the path to competing in her first Ironman challenge. In three months, she would compete in the two-plus-mile swim, hundred-and-twelve-mile bike ride, and a full marathon, all in one day. The thought of what she was committed to doing often made her a little ill, and then she’d shake it off and keep training. She could hardly wait for June.
Renee, on the other hand, shook her head in disbelief every time Lorna talked with glowing anticipation of the endurance event. Like most everyone else around her, Renee thought she was crazy. Why would she want to put her body through something like that? It was hard to explain to people how empowering the race was. No, she wasn’t crazy at all.
In reality she wanted to prove she could do it as much to herself as to those around her. While her family built her self-esteem, too many other people had told her she couldn’t do something because she was a girl. She detested that particular line of crap. Drove her to fits of temper when she was a child, and as an adult, it hardened her resolve to do all the things people told her she couldn’t. When she crossed that finish line after logging in over 140 miles in a single day, she’d see how many people tried that bullshit on her again.
For now though, she’d completed her training for today—a three-hour bike ride followed by a half-an-hour run. A brick, it was called in the triathlon world, and for good reason. Her legs felt like bricks when she got off the bike and started to run. After only a few minutes, though, she found her running rhythm and the half an hour flew by. Now her legs were a little tired but in a good way. As she put her bike away, she was already looking forward to popping the cork on a nice bottle of wine, putting her feet up, and just hanging out with Renee. It was the perfect ending to a great workout.
The house was unusually quiet considering the size of the clan that called it home these days. Jeremy and Merry were gone for the rest of the week, having decided to take a quick run up to Canada while Merry’s pregnancy was still in the early stages and she could get around easily enough. Jolene, Renee’s mother and their cherished housekeeper, was in her own quarters, and they wouldn’t see her again until morning. Lorna loved having everyone around, though there was something to be said for a little quiet time with the woman she loved.
Lorna set the opened wine bottle on the low table in front of the sofa, along with the two stemmed glasses she’d brought in. Into one she poured the golden liquid and breathed in the aroma. With her back to the cushions and her feet on the table—something she didn’t dare let Jolene catch her doing—she sipped the wine. It tasted as good as it smelled.
Renee walked into the room and smiled. “That was lovely,” she said as she draped a light sweater over the back of a chair. “I know it rains here a lot and the skies are so often black and blue, but today, it was simply gorgeous. That walk on the beach was like a month’s worth of therapy, and it was free!”
Lorna smiled back at her. “I know exactly what you mean. When I came here I was worried that I’d hate the weather. I mean in Spokane you have four distinct seasons complete with plenty of sunshine. Each season is fun and interesting in its own way. I didn’t grow up around the dampness and storms of the ocean. I tell you what, though. Now that I’ve experienced this part of the country, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Renee walked over and kissed her. “I’m so glad your aunt gave you this place.”
If only she knew how glad Lorna was too, but she wasn’t about to say that quite yet. Renee was smart and surely aware how much Lorna desired her and how she set her body on fire. Still, the word love hadn’t actually passed her lips, nor would it anytime soon. It was that old once-bitten and all that. This time around, she was trudging along the slow and cautious road. Her heart could only take so much rejection, and if Renee turned her back on Lorna—well, she didn’t want to think about that. Besides, what was the hurry?
For now, things were wonderful between them. They fit together so well, despite their differences, or maybe because of them. What was so painful during her initial days here was like ancient fading memories today. In fact it amazed her how little she thought about Anna now. When she’d first moved into the house, Anna, Anna, Anna was all she could think about. Now, she was barely a flicker in Lorna’s thoughts.
Renee filled her thoughts both night and day, and in a way that made her heart light. She lit up the room whenever she walked in, and her spirited good nature was infectious. Lorna had never been around anyone quite like her. What wondrous things happened when a person least expected them.
“Wine?” Lorna asked as she kissed her back.
“You know it, sister.” Renee came around the sofa and settled in next to her. Like Lorna, she propped her feet up on the table. They might all be adults around here, but when Jolene wasn’t around to scold them, they tended to act like kids.
Lorna laughed, winked, and sat up to reach for the bottle. “Had a hunch you were going to say that. Two glasses, see.” She held up the second glass she’d brought along with her.
She was pouring from the bottle into Renee’s glass when her cell phone rang. Digging it out of her pocket with one hand, she put it to her ear, held it with her shoulder, and went back to pouring Renee’s wine. “Yeah,” she said a little breathlessly.
“Lorna?”
She abandoned pouring the wine and set the bottle and the glass on the table before taking hold of the phone once more. The voice seemed familiar, even if she couldn’t place it, and the undertones in her caller’s single word made her nerves twitch. She didn’t need to twitch. “Yeah, this is Lorna. Who’s this?”
“Thea.”
The voice clicked into place and her momentary unease faded away. “Thea! I thought you’d dropped off the face of the earth. What’s up?” She was actually glad to her from her childhood friend.
“I’m so sorry I haven’t called you just to say hi and now I’m calling because I need your help. I’m a horrible friend.”
Lorna smiled, thinking of the lovely Thea. She’d been a friend to both Lorna and Anna. Like so many of their friends, not knowing what to do when they broke up, Thea had kept a distance between them. At first, Lorna was hurt by the friends who stopped calling and coming by. Slowly, as the pain of the breakup started to subside, she began to understand how it must be for them. How does a person pick a side when they like both people? The hurt she felt had faded, replaced by understanding and forgiveness.
“You’re not anything of the kind. I understand, Thea. I really do. Now, what can I do for y
ou? Do you need something written?” Obviously she was calling with a project. It would be fun to work with Thea’s burgeoning business. They might not see each other that often, but it didn’t mean she was out of touch. She was well aware of how well Thea was doing these days.
On the other end, shuffling and the rustle of paper was all she heard. For a long moment, Thea said nothing. “It’s not that kind of help.”
For a second, it didn’t sink in. When it did, she couldn’t help the way her jaw tightened. “Not that…” Oh, crap, not Thea too.
“I’m sorry, Lorna.” Tears were evident in her voice. “If I felt there was a better option, trust me, I’d take it. But I need help, any kind of help. I need you. Alida needs you.”
Lorna sighed and sank back into the cushions of the sofa. She ran a hand through her hair as the tightness in her jaw relaxed and she said, “Tell me.”
Twenty minutes later, Lorna set her phone down and then laid her head on Renee’s shoulder. If she could, she might just stay here all night. It would be nice to simply turn off her brain because she hated to think about what Thea had just shared with her.
Renee put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I caught a bit of what that call was about, but fill me in on what’s going on with your friend.”
“It’s never going to go away.” She knew how petulant she sounded and wasn’t particularly proud of herself. Still, if just for ten seconds, she was going to feel sorry for herself.
“What isn’t going away?” Renee kissed her on the top of her head.
Lorna bolted up and waved her arms wide. “The thing I can do. The goddamn psychic thing. People are never, ever going to leave me alone.”
Renee nodded, her eyes gentle and full of understanding. “Oh, that thing.” She reached over and took Lorna’s hand, her touch soft. She brought it to her lips and kissed her palm before saying, “Tell me about the call.”
Twisted Whispers Page 4
