Drawing Blood

by Mary Lou George

  The two women looked at each other and nodded. As she walked by him, Avery jabbed his chest with her index finger and said, “I’m watching you.”

  Holly wanted to giggle, but instead she turned towards the bedrooms.

  Forty-five minutes later they were done. When they met back in the kitchen, Holly voiced a concern that had been niggling at her since she began riffling through Irene’s things. “What if we’ve left evidence behind by searching this place? The police would consider us suspects.”

  Stryker laughed. “And this just occurred to you now?”

  “This is my first black bag job, Hamburglar. You’ll have to forgive me.”

  He touched her arm and said, “The police have already gathered all the evidence they’re going to. They think they have their man.”

  “Who?” Holly and Avery said in unison. His hand on her arm felt strong and steady. Holly was happy when he left it there.

  “Irene’s ex-husband,” Stryker said sadly. “He’d been calling, begging her to take him back. She refused and he made some pretty ugly threats. It seems he was foolish enough to leave a couple of messages on Irene’s answering machine. The cops picked him up already.”

  “If that’s the case, then why are you here?” Avery asked.

  “I don’t believe Stan killed her. She wasn’t afraid of him. I trust Irene’s judgment.” His thumb started to stroke Holly’s arm. He didn’t seem aware of it, but she certainly was. His hand felt wonderfully cool against her heated skin. Why did her internal temperature rocket a couple of notches whenever he was near?

  In a hushed voice, she said, “You accepted our explanation about the drawing without question. Why?”

  He looked into her eyes and laughed. “I have no reason to think you’d lie, Holly.”

  Surprised, she shook her head with confusion,

  “But you don’t even know me.”

  His thumb ceased its caress. “Let’s just say, I’m a good judge of character.” He turned his head toward Avery and said, “Neither of you are accustomed to lying.”

  Holly frowned. “What makes you say that?”

  He pulled his hand away. “Call it a hunch.”

  Avery said, “Why should we trust you?”

  “Good for you, Avery. I would advise you both not to trust strange men, but, Holly, am I really so strange to you?”

  The look he gave her made her blush. How could he know about her dream or about the shower? Had he read her mind? No. That was impossible. But then again it was impossible to draw a murder scene before it happened too. Wasn’t she used to doing the impossible? Holly shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. He changed the subject.

  “Irene was leaving. I can tell. Usually, she kept a dish rack near the sink. She always put it away when she left the house for any length of time. She liked to leave her home in tip-top shape.”

  Avery shrugged. “I didn’t find anything in the living room/dining room except that she had a truckload of silverware. She wasn’t robbed.”

  “Her bags were packed except a small toiletry case that she’d placed near the bathroom sink,” Holly said. “She intended to leave all right. That’s always the last thing you pack, your toothbrush. Irene’s pink one was right by the sink.”

  Stryker looked at the clock on the mantel. “We should get out of here. The constable could be by any minute. I’d rather not have to explain why we’re here.”

  Before Holly could walk away he took her elbow and said, “I need to see your drawing.”

  She looked at Avery. Avery nodded.

  Holly said, “Okay, but I didn’t draw her in the garden. In my sketch, she died here in the kitchen.”

  “Well, then your warning changed that part of the future at least. I’d still like to see it.”

  Holly nodded.

  “Do you have a meeting place in mind?”

  Holly shocked them all by saying, “I’ll come to your place.” She raised her eyebrows at Avery and shrugged. She didn’t know why she’d blurted that out, but it was said and she wasn’t going to back out.

  Stryker wrote down directions to his home. “Why don’t you come around 12:30?” He spared a look for Avery. “You?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ve got my kids tomorrow. I promised we’d swim all day.”

  Holly smiled and for a second forgot where they were and what they were doing there. “They love the water. How’s Jessica’s diving coming?”

  Avery said, “Not so good. She always raises her head at the last minute.”

  Holly turned to Stryker and explained, “Jessica is Avery’s oldest. She’s more cautious than the boys, Aaron and Connor. They dive like ducks.”

  At last, feeling ridiculous making polite small talk at a murder scene, Holly turned to Avery. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Stryker grabbed her hand before she could leave. He squeezed it and Holly felt the shock of his contact spread through her body.

  He looked at her and for a second she felt as if she was somehow vital to him.

  He said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  * * * *

  Back in the car, excitement, fear and relief made Holly giddy. She started to giggle. Avery joined her. They’d had an adventure. An onlooker would estimate their age at maybe thirteen as they let their tension out on each other. They made enough noise to be heard outside the car even with the windows up. Finally, Holly pulled herself under control and started the car. “I’m not going to sleep tonight, you know that, don’t you?”

  “I’m not sure I will,” Avery said. “He’s amazing. He certainly had an effect on you kiddo. Hypnosis…that’s the only explanation.”

  Holly shook her head. “I don’t know, Avery. There’s just something about him that calls out to me.”

  “Yeah, and it’s in his pants!”

  Laughing Holly said, “No. Seriously. There’s something there I can’t explain but man is it potent.” She fanned herself with a hand. Holly almost immediately regretted her words.

  Avery looked at her askance, obviously prepared to make a joke about potency, but didn’t take advantage of the opportunity her friend’s words had given her. Instead she sobered and said, “I’m glad he has that effect on you because you deserve it. He certainly has a thing for you. There’s no way that man is married. He makes a meal of you with his eyes.” Avery sat forward, excitement in her own eyes. “Check out that whole stroking with his thumb thing. I don’t think he even realized he was doing it. Caressing you was so natural to him, something he did automatically…like breathe.”

  Holly said, “Avery…I didn’t tell you about what happened in the shower this morning…”

  Chapter 6

  “Obviously it was just my imagination, but I saw him. It was so real. I almost reached out and touched him.”

  Sitting in the passenger side of Holly’s car, Avery angled her body within the confines of her seatbelt and rested her head on the side window. She didn’t say a word, her expression said it all. The look on her face told Holly her friend was astonished, intrigued, excited and impatient to hear more.

  Holly didn’t disappoint her as she proceeded to explain. “I must admit, I was thinking about him as the water poured over me. You know that whole liquid thing?” She took her eyes off the road for a second to see Avery nod knowingly. “The fluidity of the water sort of reminded me of him. When I opened my eyes I could see him standing in the mist.”

  “Was he naked?” Avery asked, a look of anticipation on her face.

  Holly giggled. She should have figured that was coming. “No, he wasn’t naked…but he wasn’t clothed either. He was just…there.”

  “Shame he wasn’t naked,” Avery mused almost to herself. Losing control once again she laughed. “Okay…well, that’s just way cool!”

  “You don’t find it a little scary?”

  “No,” she said with force, “but I can see why you would. You’ve never taken a risk in your life, except coming to live up here, and that wasn’t much
of a risk at all. Letting this thing with you and Stryker play out is going to be tough for you.”

  Holly understood what her friend was saying. For her, this was new territory. Holly had always dated the nice guy. The guy a girl could or should marry, but for some reason or other, she’d always stopped short of real commitment. Absolutely nothing about Stryker Cain implied that he was the kind of man she usually attracted or was attracted to, and that was scary. For a split second she considered running for the hills.

  The ideal foil for Holly in that respect, Avery encouraged her friend in this new adventure. “You have good instincts, follow them for once. What does your heart say? Hell, what does your body say? Go with it, Hol. I have a good feeling about this.”

  Holly raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and that feeling would be…sexual tension.”

  Avery didn’t bother to deny it. “Yeah, and it was so thick I could have scooped it up in pails and sold it on eBay.”

  Holly laughed at the image Avery had created. “You know I can’t help myself, don’t you? So there’s really no need for you to encourage me.”

  “Yeah, but I figured you needed to talk about it anyway. I’m with you on this, Holly. Just keep me informed. It’s safer that way and far more interesting for me.”

  Holly pulled into the long laneway that led to both their properties. She took the west lane and in a matter of minutes Avery’s house appeared. Built on a point, the house had a panoramic view of the lake. The most inspiring sunsets Holly had ever seen were enjoyed while eating dinner with the family. This was home for her and she felt her heart tighten just a little.

  Avery said, “It’s dark inside. At least Stephen left an outside light on for us. Do you want to check on the kids with me?”

  Holly had already turned off the ignition. Here on the edge of the lake the night creatures were very noisy. Fireflies flirted with the trees in the distance. She took a deep breath, appreciating the moment. How remarkable was Mother Nature?

  Slipping into Jessica’s room to watch her sleep, Holly asked the question again, how remarkable was Mother Nature? Avery’s daughter was almost a carbon copy of her mother. Long and lean, all knees and elbows, Jessica was sound asleep. She’d tossed the comforter off and had one foot on the floor as if ready to run out of the room as soon as the sun rose in the sky. Avery and Holly exchanged smiles in the darkness as they pulled covers over the sleeping child.

  Both the boys were also posed in creative positions. It had always amazed Holly that they managed to sleep with their bums in the air or their limbs hanging over the bed. Not for the first time, she felt sad that her own mother never got the chance to do the same thing with her when she was a child. Every child deserved a mother like Avery, someone who loved unconditionally, someone who was there no matter what.

  All three children were sleeping soundly. Avery could go to bed. She hugged Holly goodnight and said, “I’ll wait for your light.”

  She didn’t need an explanation. That was their signal. From Avery’s kitchen window, she could see Holly’s house through the trees. When Holly got home, she would turn her porch light off and on to indicate that all was well, she’d arrived safe and sound. It was a code they’d learned from Avery’s father. When they were teenagers with bright and shiny driver’s licenses, he’d watch from the window when Holly walked to her car to drive home after dark. She had to check the backseat and lock herself in. With the interior light on, Holly would wave goodbye to him. He wasn’t satisfied that she was safe until she got home and called him. The ritual was like second nature to them and they’d brought it with them when settling in Muskoka.

  All those years ago, Holly had appreciated Avery’s father’s concern. It was so different from Alan Seaton’s more stifling behavior. Avery’s father, Will, wanted her to grow independent, but always safe. Her own father didn’t care about the independence part of it. He meant well, but he wasn’t an easy man.

  Margaret Wickham, the fortune teller had been right, Alan Seaton had loved his wife above all else. Holly was so like her mother, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her too, so he tried to cushion every aspect of her life. But Holly had a life of her own. She had to live it.

  At home at last, with her doors locked securely, Holly turned her porch light off and on. She watched as Avery’s light went off and on in reply. Perhaps they’d brought urban fear into rural life, but they didn’t care. It was a part of their childhood and they liked it. The kids loved it. Given the opportunity, they took turns flicking the light switch. The silent communication reassured them. Holly was close by and that made them all happy.

  * * * *

  Stryker Cain made it home on foot. He had excellent night sight and could move quickly over Mother Nature’s carpets. He didn’t fear the creatures of the night. He knew they were all around him, but they wouldn’t hurt him as long as he posed no threat. As usual, he was granted unmolested passage.

  Back on his own property, he was greeted by Polly, his dog. She was a yellow lab and as loyal and good-hearted as a dog could be. Stryker smiled down at her. In sync, man and dog entered the house.

  Stryker’s home was a renovated farmhouse. Most people wanted lakefront property in Muskoka, but not Stryker. He was content just to have land he could ride his horse over comfortably. The rocky waterfront properties wouldn’t have been a great choice for him. Since he’d moved in, he and his black stallion, Dakota, had been over every inch of his land. Either of them could map it blindfolded.

  He mourned Irene’s death in silence. She was an understanding and generous human being, the kind of woman who opened her heart to things most people feared. Their cause needed humans like her. Upon hearing of her murder, Stryker had slipped onto Dakota’s bare back and the two of them covered miles and miles of Muskoka ground without stopping. He longed to feel Mother Nature’s hand upon him. He understood and accepted that all living creatures had to die, but murder was abhorrent to him. Animals killed to survive. That was sanctioned by nature, but senseless, cold blooded murder was not and in this instance Stryker knew he had to do something about it. Irene was gone, brutally slaughtered. He refused to accept the police’s simple explanation of her death.

  Holly’s drawing had foretold it. Stryker had sensed her power the moment he’d felt her presence in the grocery store, but had no idea what form it would take. Yesterday, sensing that power was all he’d needed to know. But that was before he’d lost a friend. Holly’s gift was intrinsically entwined in Irene’s murder and now there was no avoiding the fact that she was involved. Irene’s death had to be part of something bigger. Something he had to stop. He knew it wouldn’t end with her. More was coming.

  He regretted that Holly Seaton had to be a player, but his gut told him that destiny was in play. Meeting her in the grocery store was one thing. That put him on his guard, but finding her tonight had hammered the point home. Stryker couldn’t let anything happen to her. He’d have to protect her. Instinctively he knew that she would have gotten involved whether he liked it or not. Now the only way to keep her safe was to work with her. If she resisted his interference he’d have to insist. A part of him almost felt sorry for her. Of course as his bloodmate, she had no choice, but at least Stryker knew the rules. Poor Holly had no idea what she was getting into. Her life would be turned upside down. Her fate had been sealed the moment he’d caught his first whiff of her.

  * * * *

  The next morning, Holly woke feeling refreshed. She looked around to see if she’d drawn anything in the night and was relieved to see that she hadn’t. She couldn’t remember a single one of her dreams. That was probably a good thing.

  In all the excitement, Holly and Avery hadn’t had the chance to really talk about Holly’s book idea about the civilization under the lake. She’d mentioned it to Avery who seemed intrigued by the idea, but lately they’d had other things to talk about. Things like precognitive drawings, bloody murder and Stryker Cain.

  Just the thought of the man had Holly blushi
ng. She wasn’t a complete innocent when it came to men. In the past, with Avery’s help she’d managed to slip away from her father’s watchful eye a few times. In fact, she considered herself one of the lucky ones. Her romantic relationships hadn’t left her with any baggage. But not a single man in her past had made her feel what Stryker made her feel with a single glance. It was a strange almost primal thing. The yearning didn’t originate in her mind or even her heart. It seemed to come from her life force…her flesh, her bones, her blood. It was part of her and she was just beginning to get acquainted with it. It scared and thrilled her all at the same time.

  Today she was going to the source. She’d be treading on Stryker Cain’s turf. Would it make a difference? Would her feelings intensify when surrounded by his things? Holly had no idea how to answer her own questions, but one thing was certain, she was in for a rough morning if she didn’t stop dwelling on the man.

  She drank a cup of black coffee and ate a muffin. Her father’s new cook was a wonderful baker. Holly licked the tip of a finger and used it to gather up every last crumb from her plate. She considered having another one, but ignored the impulse.

  Next Holly did what she always did. She picked up a pencil and started to sketch. This time her drawing wasn’t automatic, but she felt that in a way her hand wasn’t her own as it flowed over the paper with a mind of its own. She drew a likeness of Stryker leaning against the counter in Irene’s kitchen. That’s how they’d found him last night, or rather how he’d surprised them last night.

  She knew she could draw. Her technique was flawless, but that confidence wasn’t enough to make her an artist, to make her a success. Any artist needed that special something, that gift. Her drawings for Avery’s stories had more than just technique. They had heart. And so did this quick drawing of Stryker. She’d captured him beyond his physical likeness. She’d captured his indulgent humor, his unshakable confidence and a little of the danger he represented.