Fatal Charm

by Linda Joy Singleton

  Wake up!

  I heard the shout and wasn’t sure if it was from outside or inside my head.

  But I was instantly awake, fumbling for my flashlight and running out of the tent. Confused, I expected other people to be running around, too. But in the fading light of the dying fire, I saw no one else.

  Then I heard footsteps—coming from the tent next to mine.

  Odd—the tent flap was wide open. Why wasn’t it zipped shut?

  I ran over to the other tent and shone my flashlight inside. A man! Bending over Jade’s sleeping figure. His hands reached out—and I screamed.

  Everything happened at once.

  Jade jumped up, girls started screaming, and the intruder scrambled backwards, knocking me over as he burst out of the tent and fled.

  In that moment when I fell back, my flashlight had shone directly in his face.

  My worst fears were realized when I recognized him.

  The man who strangled Crystal.

  Jade told everyone it was a bear.

  “But you saw him—” I started to argue.

  “I know, and it was horrible!” she cried to the excited crowd around us. “The bear would have attacked me if Sabine hadn’t chased him away. Thank you so much, Sabine! You saved my life.”

  What was I supposed to say to that?

  Simon came over to thank me, adding how strange it was to have a bear sighting this low in elevation. Others gathered around to praise me, too. I was completely tongue-tied—and terrified because of what almost happened.

  Maybe I owed Jade her lie about a bear, because I’d led the killer to our camp, putting everyone in danger. And Jade had nearly been killed. I had no doubt that the killer had mistaken Jade for me. Everyone said we looked alike, and with her hair pulled back in a ponytail like it was now, we looked more like sisters than ever.

  “We’ll talk in the morning,” I whispered to Jade before I returned to my tent.

  She didn’t argue.

  Dominic found me early the next morning, not at all fooled by the “bear” story.

  “The horses would have let me know if there was a bear,” he said simply.

  So I told him the truth. I thought he’d be angry about Jade blaming it on a bear, but he surprised me by praising Jade for her quick thinking. If the others found out there was a murderer following us, the ride would end abruptly and the kids would be sent home disappointed.

  “I should have gone after him when you first told me,” Dominic said. “I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again. Keep an eye on Rocky while I’m gone.”

  “You can’t just go off alone. He’s too dangerous,” I argued.

  “I can be dangerous, too.”

  There was no reasoning with him, and then he was gone. I was too anxious to eat my pancakes and bacon. I noticed Jade, looking pale, didn’t have an appetite either.

  I caught her eye across the table and mouthed, “Talk. Now.”

  She nodded with the weariness of someone surrendering in a war.

  Moments later we were alone in my tent.

  Jade sank cross-legged on the vinyl floor and covered her face with her hands. “I’m so tired of all of this.”

  “Me, too. Talking will help.”

  “I never planned to tell you anything but after last night … ” Her voice cracked. “You saved my life.”

  Shaking my head, I knelt beside her. “You saved my life. He was after me but went to you by mistake.”

  “Not a mistake. He tried to kill me because of what I saw.”

  “You were asleep, you didn’t see what happened. But I did.”

  “Impossible.” Her eyes widened. “You weren’t there.”

  “I was,” I insisted keeping my voice low so no one outside could hear. “I saw you sleeping with your rag doll. Then I went into the next room. They argued and he grabbed the ribbon off the candy and … ” I couldn’t say it. Poor Jade … her own mother.

  She was staring at me with disbelief. “I don’t understand … how could you have seen anything? Were you hiding in a closet or peeping through windows?”

  “No. My body wasn’t there—just my soul,” I said. “I was astral traveling.”

  “No, really. How did you know?”

  “I just told you. I’m psychic, like my grandmother.”

  “Psychic?” she echoed. “No shit. Dad never told me.”

  “He wouldn’t,” I said wryly. Then the horror of this situation hit me and I added softly, “I’m so sorry about your mother.”

  “My mother? What about her? And why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Don’t make me say it,” I whispered hoarsely.

  “Say what? There’s nothing going on with Mom. She’s fine.”

  “No, she isn’t.” I started shaking. “I watched him … take the ribbon … and strangle … ”

  “Ohmygod!” Jade grabbed my hand and clawed my skin. “The ribbon? I found a ribbon on the carpet right afterwards but I had no idea what happened … ohmygod!”

  “It was so fast … your poor mother—”

  “NO! Not her!” Jade shook her head furiously. “I talked with Mom on the phone two nights ago.”

  “But she was in the room next to yours. It was dark but I recognized her dark red hair.”

  “The hair was a wig and the room was rented to my mom’s friend. My mother is okay—but Darlene isn’t.”

  “I don’t understand. Who’s Darlene?”

  “I better start from the beginning,” Jade said, pushing out a deep sigh. “That night I went to bed early after cheerleading practice—I was not lying about being a cheerleader … well, maybe not head cheerleader.”

  Then she explained how her mom had this “little problem” with gambling and was off on a casino binge. Sometimes she stayed for weeks. And to help pay bills, she rented out rooms to some “independent business women.”

  Jade didn’t say it, but from her disapproving tone I had a feeling these women did more than sleep in their rooms. I remembered the first time I’d spied on Jade’s house and saw the man coming out early in the morning with handcuffs in his back pocket. I bet the handcuffs weren’t used in any official way and the guy was a “customer,” not a cop. That would explain why so many cars were parked in Jade’s driveway.

  Deep in sleep, Jade had no idea what was happening in the next room until she heard someone shout for her to get up. She opened her door as a figure ran past carrying something bulky. She followed and heard the front door close. Curious, she opened it and saw a man slam his car trunk. He turned and saw her, illuminated in the porch light.

  “I didn’t get a good look at him, but I thought he was going to come after me, only he panicked when a car drove by and he drove away,” Jade added. “I wasn’t waiting around for him to come back and toss me in a trunk, too. So I grabbed some stuff and stayed with a friend. I watched the news, hoping to hear the guy was arrested. But nothing. Mom came home a few days later, and when I told her about Darlene, she freaked and said I had to hide somewhere far away.”

  “Why Nona’s house?” I asked.

  “What could be safer? No one knows about my bio dad, and it wasn’t like I’d be welcome at his house anyway. Your uppity mother would have kicked my ass out in a minute. But your grandmother was cool, welcoming me like real family, and I felt safe—until Mom called. She told me our house had been broken into while she was shopping. The only thing missing was a note on the fridge with my name and your grandmother’s address. I knew the bad dude was after me, so I jumped at the chance to hide out on horseback. But he must have followed me.”

  So Jade was right—the killer was after her. When he saw her in the porch light, he assumed she was the only witness. But she hadn’t even seen his face.

  I had.

  And I’d seen it again last night.

  Now it was my turn to explain, which was embarrassing because I had to confess to spying on Jade.

  “I was curious about you,” I told her, reddening. “But
I only drove to your house once. The other times—going there out of my body—were an accident. When I fell asleep, this whole astral travel thing happened, and I ended up in your room.”

  “While you were sleeping? Impossible!”

  “It sounds weird, but I was there in spirit. I saw you sleeping with your rag doll.”

  Jade blushed. “My stepdad gave me Annie.”

  “Was his name Douglas?” I asked.

  “Yeah, how did you know?”

  “I saw him at a séance. He looked like a hippie, wearing love beads and a tie-dyed shirt. He was worried about you and asked for my help.”

  “He did?” she asked softly. Like she was starting to believe me.

  “He loves you very much,” I told her. “It takes a lot of energy for a spirit to pass on a message, and he did it to help you.”

  The tough edge around her crumbled and real emotion shone on her face. “Is he okay? Can I talk to him now? Is he with us?”

  “I’m a psychic, not a medium,” I tried to explain. “I see ghosts sometimes, but it’s not something I can make happen. Still, I know he’s fine. Everyone is on the other side. It’s our world that has ugly stuff … like killers.”

  We stopped talking for a moment, sitting in the tent across from each other. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but I sensed we were a little closer. When she wasn’t spewing bitchitude, she was okay. Maybe not someone I’d want for a best friend, but someone I could grow to like.

  “So what do we do now?” Jade finally asked, shifting away from a glint of sun coming through a tent window.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. Maybe we should tell Simon.”

  “No. He’d report it to the cops.”

  “At least the kids wouldn’t be in danger.”

  “But my mom would be. You probably guessed she doesn’t exactly play by legal rules, although don’t you tell Dad. He’d cut off our money if he knew half of the schemes Mom gets involved in. Promise you won’t tell him.”

  “Like I promised him not to tell anyone about you?” I countered. “Look where that lie has led us.”

  “I know,” she said sadly. “I hate lying, too. It wasn’t like this when Daddy was alive. He worked hard and was always there for us. He even got Mom to go into a gambler’s anonymous program. I thought he was my real dad until he died—then Mom dropped that bombshell. I hated my bio dad at first. But then he was so sweet that I started to care about him.”

  “And hated me instead,” I guessed.

  “Not just you—your sisters, too.” She laughed wryly. “But mostly you.”

  “Thanks,” I said half-teasing.

  “Well, you looked a little like me yet had this great life. I wanted what you had—so I asked Dad for riding and fencing classes. I joined the school newspaper. It’s a small school and nobody else wanted to be editor anyway,” she added. “I even dyed my hair blond for a few weeks, but my friends hated it so I went natural. Weird how we can have similar faces but I suck as a blond and it looks great on you.”

  “Wow, was that a compliment?”

  She laughed. “Okay, I’ll admit I’ve been a little hard on you.”

  “Only a little?” I offered a smile of truce. Then I sobered again, remembering why we were having this private talk. “We still need to figure out what to do. I think we have to tell Simon and the others in charge.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” a male voice interrupted. There was a swish of netting pulled aside and Dominic stepped in the tent. “That dude is gone.”

  Dominic quickly explained to us what he’d found out. He’d followed the guy’s tracks to a tree where there were hoof prints and other signs of a horse being tethered. “I’m sure it was the guy who tried to attack you,” he told Jade. “There were more hoof prints and I found the trail he’d left when he rode away. I followed for about a mile, until it was obvious he was long gone. He must be miles from here by now.”

  “Thank goodness!” I cried.

  “But what if he comes back?” Jade asked nervously.

  “He wouldn’t try anything that dumb. Still, I’ll keep watch.”

  Jade nodded, looking relieved. But I felt a sick sense of dread and knew it wasn’t over. Since I was the only real witness, I had some hard decisions ahead. If I didn’t go to the police with the truth about that night, the murderer would go free and might kill again. But I’d be humiliated and embarrass my family if I reported a murder I witnessed while out of my body. No one would believe me.

  After the campout I’d figure out what to do.

  Simon’s piercing whistle split the air, and we all headed back to mentor duty. Only this time the ride took on a new, improved personality for me. Jade wasn’t my enemy anymore. It’s strange how seeing her smile at me lifted my spirits. I guess deep down my half-sister mattered to me all along. Maybe that’s why I’d spied on her, not out of anger, but because I wanted to know her.

  She seemed to want to know me too.

  At the next break, she excused herself from the group of guys hanging on her and came over to sit on a log next to me.

  “That day we met wasn’t the first time I saw you,” she admitted. “I was at the Santa Clara County Fair and you were part of a fencing group. You wore this cool silver costume.”

  “I remember that. It was nearly two years ago and I was so nervous. It was my first performance with Foils and I was afraid I’d fall or drop my saber.”

  “But you didn’t. You were amazing! That’s when I decided to be just like you. I took fencing lessons, only I never really got the hang of it.”

  “No award-winning competitions?” I teased.

  “Okay, so I may have exaggerated a little. I’m more into gymnastics.”

  We talked like this for a while, comparing likes and dislikes. There were still a lot of rough topics we avoided. It was easiest talking about Dad, especially when it came to his terrible lawyer jokes.

  “What’s wrong with lawyer jokes?” Jade quipped.

  I knew this one. “Lawyers don’t think they’re funny and—

  “—nobody else thinks they’re jokes.” Jade finished.

  We laughed, switching to some “how many lawyers does it take to screw in a light bulb” jokes. When Melina and Lindsay, who were eating granola bars near us, asked what was so funny about light bulbs, we laughed harder.

  Simon’s whistle blasted and we hustled to help the kids back on their horses.

  The next few hours were peaceful, with no warning visions of shadowy riders. Aside from some minor complaints from the kids, they were doing great—better than some of the mentors. Even Melina was more confident on a saddle and hadn’t squealed all day. With brief splashes of sunshine and crisp mountain air, it was hard to believe there was any danger. Tomorrow, I’d deal with issues like killers and breaking up with my boyfriend. But for now, on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, I was enjoying myself.

  We made it to the lunch spot ahead of schedule.

  Jade waved me over to her table, but Evan was glued to her side so I shook my head and sat with K.C. again. After we were done eating, Jade came over and hooked her arm through mine. “Come on, we have to talk private,” she whispered.

  Once we were confident Melina and Lindsay were safe with other mentors, we found a trail that led down to a bubbling stream. It was a steep climb down, with large boulders to climb over and slippery ribbons of water trickling off the hillside into the stream. Once we reached the bottom, there was a large granite plateau reaching over the stream. It made a great place to stretch out and enjoy the sun.

  “So what did you want to talk about?” I asked her.

  “I’ve been thinking about your being psychic and having that séance and astral traveling.” She pushed red bangs from her eyes. “Can you teach me?”

  “Being psychic is just something I am. I have no idea how to teach anyone else. Most of the time I can’t figure out my own abilities.”

  “Could your grandmother teach me?”
/>   “I don’t know … maybe. Why are you so interested?”

  She glanced down, her feet dangling over the edge of the slab and a few inches over the rushing water. Then she looked back at me with moist eyes. “I want to see my dad once more—I guess he’s technically my stepdad—just so I know he’s okay.”

  My heart ached for her, and I assured her that her stepfather was fine. But she wasn’t satisfied and kept after me to show her how to contact the other side. I told her I didn’t know to explain anything. But she was persistent. Finally I promised that after the ride, I’d talk to Velvet and arrange a séance for Jade. I thought that would satisfy her, but no—she wanted me to demonstrate astral traveling.

  “It’s not like a circus trick. You’d only see me lying down like I was asleep.”

  “Please, you can check in on Darlene’s murderer to make sure he’s far away,” she wheedled, clearly used to getting what she wanted. “I’d feel so much safer if I knew he wasn’t after me.”

  “It won’t work in the daylight,” I argued.

  “Can’t hurt to try.”

  Exasperated, I threw up my hands and gave in. I doubted anything would happen anyway. I told her I needed complete silence while I meditated. She nodded eagerly, even finding a thick pine branch and sweeping off pebbles from the rock so I wouldn’t get poked in the back. I cleared my mind, took cleansing breaths, and called on my spirit guide for assistance. I didn’t see Opal, but I sensed her comforting support.

  I lay back on the rock, closing my eyes. Then I shut away all thoughts and focused on leaving my body. It felt good to relax with the sound of bubbling water and sun warming my skin. I hadn’t slept well last night, so I was tired. Tension flowed away.

  I was surprised to feel myself lifting. Through closed eyes I watched as I floated above myself. I looked down on a large granite rock and two girls far below. It was so surreal; I didn’t quite believe it was happening. But a part of my brain urged me to go on, to complete the task, so I surrendered myself to the light.

  That same buzzing echoed in my head as I hurtled forward, colors and shapes flashing by at a speed beyond human sight. Only I didn’t get the same sense of traveling to a far distance as I had before. It was almost like I was circling in the same place, waving through treetops and zooming down into a dark fog. As I neared the darkness, the shapes clarified and I saw a man. He crept through prickly bushes like a cougar creeping up on his unknowing prey.