Touch of Rain

by Teyla Branton

  Time to make an exit. Jake was sidling to the far door where a knot of youths were chatting animatedly, and I started after him.

  I was too late.

  “Hey! What are you doing here?” Shannon waved imperiously, and I knew if I didn’t respond, he’d come after me. He was that kind of man.

  He was going to ruin everything.

  “You know him?” Spring asked.

  “He’s a police detective.” I made the words sound like a curse. I couldn’t help myself. I’d come so far, and to have him stick his nose once again in my business when I was close to discovering the truth about Marcie and Victoria was too much to endure.

  My feet dragged as I made my way over to where Shannon stood with Korin and Gabe.

  “You can be sure we will do anything we can to help,” Gabe was saying. “We had no idea that Inclar had become so unstable since leaving us. If we hear from him, you may be sure I’ll contact you.”

  “Thank you.” Shannon’s demanding gaze shifted to Korin. The detective seemed so involved with his questions that I began to hope I could escape after all. Yet as I began inching away, he pinned me in place with his eyes.

  “My brother was very upset at his wife’s death,” Korin said. “I can’t believe he’d hurt anyone, much less Sarah. Yes, they had separated, but we all believed it was only temporary. He adored her.”

  “Well, the attack might indicate that he was responsible for his wife’s death.” Shannon glanced at me, as though for confirmation, but I held rigidly still.

  “We can’t know that for sure,” Korin said. “Was the woman he supposedly attacked known to him or a complete stranger?”

  I waited for Shannon to blow my cover, but he said, “Someone he’d apparently met once.” I stifled a sigh of relief, but already Shannon’s gaze turned to me. “So,” he drawled, “I should have guessed you’d be here.”

  “I don’t know what you mean, detective,” I said coolly.

  “Well, you people tend to stick together, don’t you?” He looked pointedly at my bare feet, his action directing the other men to look down as well.

  A smile played on Gabe’s lips. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, though we are happy to say that Autumn is joining our brotherhood.”

  “You’re what?” Shannon glared at me, his face darkening a shade.

  “How do you know each other anyway?” Korin words were mild, but his brown eyes narrowed and his strong body tensed.

  There was no way around discovery, except pure bluffing. “I don’t know him, not really,” I said quickly. “A little girl went missing some time back, and this detective interviewed everyone in the area.”

  “I see,” Korin said, looking from me to Shannon.

  “Did they find the girl?” Gabe asked.

  I felt suddenly faint. I saw the man, standing in front of the bicycle, forcing me to stop. So afraid! Mommy, help!

  A flashback of the girl’s imprint, which had apparently imprinted upon my mind as it had upon the bicycle. It was one of the biggest drawbacks to reading imprints; they forever became a part of my memory as if I’d live them. And like real memories, they could return unbidden.

  In a blur of movement, Shannon reached to support my elbow. I was glad he didn’t wear a ring because I really didn’t want to know anything more about him.

  “Are you all right?” His hand was firm, his skin smooth except for those rough patches on his palm.

  “Fine.” I shook him off.

  “Your face doesn’t look fine,” he said.

  I was glad I’d given him only vague details of what had happened last night, though he hadn’t been too happy at my evasiveness. If he knew the damage to my cheek was connected to Harmony Farms and Spring, he might not stop until he’d delved to the bottom of everything, and then Korin would know I was the woman Inclar had attacked and that I was joining them under false pretenses.

  Yet wouldn’t it be better for Spring to press charges against her husband? I doubted she would be content to hide out at Harmony Farms forever, and that meant dealing with Jimmy at some point. Maybe I could testify to the injury later.

  The ache in my cheek had become a pounding in my head. I desperately needed rest. I gave Shannon a blank look, silently begging him to let it drop. He didn’t.

  “I’m sure you gentlemen will be happy to use Autumn’s ability in your business,” he said.

  “We’ve been hoping to find an herbalist.” Gabe smiled again easily, and Korin nodded.

  Please, oh please, I thought.

  “I didn’t mean that ability.” Shannon feigned surprise. He was a good actor and so compelling that everyone nearby was riveted. “What? Don’t tell me you haven’t heard.”

  “It’s none of your business,” I said in a low, dark tone. I wondered if my hands would fit around his neck.

  “Autumn can sense emotions on certain objects,” Shannon continued. “Yep,” he added when he saw Korin and Gabe’s puzzled stares. “Or so she says. That girl she was talking about? Well, she touched her bike and saw what the girl had last seen—her killer.” Shannon gave me a self-satisfied smile.

  “Is this true?” Gabe asked.

  “I, uh, sometimes feel something when I touch certain objects,” I admitted reluctantly. “Not always.”

  Shannon arched a brow. “Oh, come on. You’re being far too modest. Unless you’re admitting to fraud.”

  I wished he were dead. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you need to talk to me, I’ll be outside.” I left quickly, grabbing my suitcase near the door. I wondered what Shannon was telling them now. When I dared a peek, Korin’s face was flushed and his large hands clenched into fists at his side. He had a good two inches on Shannon and probably forty pounds, but the gun I knew Shannon carried and his badge evened things up quite nicely. Even without the weapon, I wouldn’t put it past Shannon to have a few tricks up his sleeve.

  As I watched, Korin relaxed and smiled, as though his anxiety had been in my imagination. Gabe was nodding gravely, and he reached out to take Shannon’s card. I stepped away from the door so I couldn’t be seen. Where was Jake? I looked around the parking lot, but he was nowhere, which probably meant he was still trapped inside. At least Shannon hadn’t singled him out. I lifted my bruised face to the afternoon sun and tried not to worry.

  A few minutes later, Shannon paused as he emerged from the building, his young partner in tow. “What are you really doing here?” he demanded in an undertone.

  “I’m hanging out with my kind of people.”

  “You don’t belong here.”

  “You don’t know anything about me.” To prove my point, I added, “You didn’t even know I had a sister. Are you this careless with all your suspects?”

  “You aren’t a suspect.”

  “To you, I am.”

  We glared at each other for a long minute, and I had to admit that it was kind of fun hating him. He relented first, a hint of a smile briefly tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  “Be careful with these guys. I don’t like that man.”

  I shrugged. Maybe he was right about Gabe. I didn’t know him well enough to be sure. Even an evil man could love his wife.

  “That PI you gave the map to doesn’t seem to be answering his phone,” Shannon added. “I’ve left him messages. I need to see that map.”

  “Maybe he’s busy. Look, it’s not the same thing exactly, but I emailed myself a copy of the area. The X on the map pushed under my door was right in the middle of that green splotch in the middle of the Internet map. More or less.”

  “Very scientific.”

  I ignored him. “If you stop by my shop, my sister can get it for you.”

  Shannon’s eyes fell to my suitcase. “Are you really joining them?”

  “Just visiting for the weekend.”

  “Are you taking your phone? How can I reach you?”

  I shook my head. “I’m sure it can wait until I get back. Unless you have any more missing peo
ple you need me to find.” I tried to say this with a touch of disdain, but I’m not sure I pulled it off. At least it shut him up. Paige Duncan grinned with enjoyment at our exchange.

  Korin was coming toward the door. “Please go,” I whispered urgently.

  “You don’t have some crazy idea of playing detective, do you?” Shannon hissed. “Is that what this is all about? We can’t protect you if Foster shows up there.”

  I ignored him because Korin and Gabe were bearing down on us. Gabe had a determined look in his eyes that didn’t bode well for me. Probably coming to rescind my invitation to join Harmony Farms.

  I glared at Shannon. “Just go!” To my great relief, Paige tugged at his elbow and Shannon left.

  Forcing my mouth into a smile, I turned to face Korin and Gabe.

  “Interesting character,” Korin said, staring after Shannon’s sedan as they pulled from the parking lot.

  “With a name like Shannon, he has to be conflicted,” I muttered with what I knew was very bad grace. Winter and Summer would have warned me about attracting negative vibes from the universe if I continued in that vein.

  “Pardon?” Korin said, though I thought I saw a trace of amusement in his face.

  “Nothing important,” I assured him.

  “Autumn, are you sure you want to join us at Harmony Farms?” Gabe was studying me again, his eyes narrowed. “It’s apparent this detective has some sort of fascination for you and this ability of yours, and we have a lot of members who like their privacy. We don’t want to invite the law into our business. I’m sure you understand.”

  That was funny, seeing as Spring was joining them solely to get away from her abuser. Then again, maybe Gabe had something to hide from the law but not from a man who might easily be made to disappear. Regardless, this had likely been Shannon’s plan when he’d spilled my secret. No one wanted to be spied on, especially if they were hiding something, so if there was any chance I did have an ability, they’d cut me off sooner rather than later.

  “It’s not like I seek him out,” I said. “I’d be happy if I never saw him again.”

  “Did you really do that?” Korin asked. “Find the girl by touching her bike?” His tone was casual but compelling. Gabe blinked, as surprised as I was by the sudden question.

  Once again, the dark imprint pushed at my mind, but I held it back. “I’m not a psychic. I didn’t tell them where to find the girl. I identified her kidnapper. Working with a police sketch artist, that is.” I’d also told them where the abduction had taken place—which hadn’t been where they’d found the bike. But Korin and Gabe didn’t need to know all that.

  “I see,” Korin said.

  They probably thought I was either crazy or a scam artist. “Look, if it makes you uncomfortable, I can leave.” I regretted the words the second they came from my lips. If I didn’t go to the farm, I wouldn’t be able to locate either Victoria or Marcie.

  Gabe turned to Korin, a question in his eyes. Korin let long seconds pass without speaking. Then his hand shot out to my elbow. He had a strong commanding grip, as forceful as his speaking voice. “You will stay,” he said calmly. It was almost an order. To Gabe, he added, “I think we have a duty to offer Autumn a place with us. She’ll be safe at the farm, and I’ll take complete responsibility.”

  “Very well.” Gabe smiled at me. “Welcome to our family, Autumn.”

  Just like that I was back in his good graces. Even so, I felt a difference in the way Gabe studied me as I loaded my suitcase into one of their white vans. I told myself it didn’t matter. He was staying here, and I would be gone from the farm before he returned. That would have been a comfort if I hadn’t already learned that nothing ever turned out the way I expected.

  Chapter 12

  The van was a white, fifteen-passenger vehicle that was, according to Jake, prone to rollovers. The back seat had been folded down to accommodate our luggage, and I sat next to Jake in the middle of the remaining three rows of seats. Spring and her son were strapped in behind us.

  In front of us sat the angry young man, whose name I’d barely learned was Ronald before he announced that he was changing it to Blade. I thought that a little violent, but Korin smiled benignly and said something about the blades of grass growing long and verdant at the farm.

  Blade looked taken aback, but Jake said, “A double meaning. I like it.”

  Blade grinned. I thought the name fit his nature, if not his looks, which, from his muddy brown hair to his light brown eyes were rather ordinary. He was slighter than Jake and shorter, and when he wasn’t scowling or griping about his father, he was quite pleasant.

  On the same row sat the man in the ill-fitting suit. He had black hair and sunken cheeks and was slow of speech, stuttering occasionally, but his sad green eyes were alive with intelligence. He was taller than he looked because of the way his shoulders slumped and his body pulled inward, as though he was afraid of the world. I felt sorry for him, and I wondered who had broken his spirit. Or maybe his heart. He kept a briefcase on the empty seat between him and Blade. He called himself Menashe, which Jake later told me means “to cause forgetfulness” in Hebrew. I didn’t ask how he knew that because Jake was always coming up with interesting bits of information. He had cousins from the Caucasian side of his family who were Jewish, so maybe he’d picked it up from them.

  In the two front bucket seats sat Korin and one of his disciples, this one blond and scrawny with blotches of freckles, which had probably given him his name: Patches. He looked as though a wind might knock him over. Like many of the commune members, he had crooked teeth, which I knew shouldn’t matter, but ever since I’d paid for my own braces in my early twenties, I noticed things like that.

  We were a silent bunch, though we did sing a few camp songs in the beginning, led by Spring and Patches, who had a surprisingly beautiful voice, though not as rich and deep as Jake’s and Korin’s. Blade couldn’t carry a note, and Menashe didn’t even try. I stopped after the first two songs because my cheek hurt when I sang. That was when I curled up on my seat and the empty one beside me and went to sleep. I would have preferred to lay my head on Jake’s lap, but he was to my left, on the side of my hurt cheek, so I had to be content to pillow my head on my arm. Besides, that might look a little too cozy since we were still trying to pretend we didn’t know each other.

  We got out once at a gas station to use the bathroom, eat, and stretch our legs. I looked around to see if I could spy Ethan’s blue van, but only when we were pulling out did I see him drive into the station. I caught Jake’s eye and nodded.

  Then it was back into our van, where I slipped off the tracking earrings because they were bulky enough to hurt my ears. I knew from television that tracking devices could be minuscule these days, and I wondered if Ethan had bought or had borrowed ancient equipment. Maybe that’s just what happens when a math teacher turns PI.

  I ended up sleeping the rest of the way to the farm. Occasionally, I would wake enough to feel Jake’s hand on my back through the leather jacket he’d laid over me.

  “Autumn, we’re here.” Jake’s voice brought me gently to wakefulness. I looked around me, the dim light in the van bright enough to make me squint. I heard Silverstar whimper and Spring hush him. By the disarray of Spring’s hair, I knew she’d also made good use of her empty seat.

  “Come on,” Korin boomed. “Let’s meet the gang.”

  Darkness and trees filled my vision everywhere I looked, except for directly in front of us where a long, low-slung house extended the length of two or three normal houses. A few feet of neatly-tended grass stretched across the front of the house, bordered by a circular gravel drive. Music came from somewhere, stuff that sounded like what I remembered from square dancing in fifth grade.

  Leaving our luggage in the van, we followed Korin toward the house.

  “Did you see a fence?” I whispered to Jake, sticking my earrings back into their holes. “When we came in, I mean.”

  He nodded. “About
a mile back. I’d guess eight feet high but not chain link. Some thinner stuff tied to posts. Didn’t look very strong.”

  “Electrified?”

  “I don’t think so. It was kind of hard to see through the trees, but I think it was more the kind to keep animals in, not people.”

  “Good.” I relaxed slightly.

  “Heard them say this place is three hundred acres,” Jake added. “It’s somewhere beyond Rome, though they seem to have property in the town as well. We stopped for a few minutes at a building there while you were sleeping. Smelled really good, like a bakery.”

  Korin climbed the stairs to the rough porch that ran the entire length of the house, his ponytail bouncing. Instead of heading toward the door, though, he turned along the porch and went around to the back of the house. I took care where I placed my feet because the boards of the porch were so rough that even my callused feet were in danger of splinters. Small, unlit windows periodically dotted the walls of the house, reminding me of a college dorm.

  The porch continued the entire way around the house, where two similar structures sat at right angles to the first, forming three sides of a square with space for the porches in between, as well as a bit of grass that led through to the square. On what would have been the forth side, rows of vegetables stretched out into the darkness. Trees in the dark forest on either side of the second and third houses loomed tall and protective.

  In the center of the square behind the house was a large patch of pavement where electric lights blazed on top of poles set at regular intervals. Near the bases of these poles, wood fires burned in metal barrels. The moon shed her light like a blessing upon the crowd that filled the square, dancing to the music or talking with their friends. Most were in their twenties, but dozens scattered over other decades, including at least six babes in arms and two grannies in rockers. Laughter sounded above the music. There was a hoop for basketball, not currently in use, poles for a volleyball net, and a spacious sandbox in one corner. Women were carrying platters to two long tables already crammed with food. Apparently, they knew how to eat—and I was suddenly ravenous.