“What did you see?” Dorsey’s voice was gentle.
“I was alone, but I got turned around in the sand,” the woman rasped. “I was confused … and afraid that I’d head in the wrong direction and get lost forever. You hear stories like that.”
“You do,” Dorsey confirmed, nodding. “You’re safe here. You didn’t get lost. I’ll have you back in the city in a few minutes. Everything will be fine.”
“I was trying to find cover,” the woman said, her voice cracking. She was lost in her own world as she remembered. “I knew the circus was close. I saw the big tent. I thought they would help.”
“They did help,” Dorsey soothed.
“I got turned around,” the woman offered. “I heard whispering. I heard noises. Growling. Then I … saw.”
“What did you see?”
“The eyes were red … and on fire.”
I swallowed hard. “Did you see anything else? A face to go with the eyes?”
I refused to meet Dorsey’s gaze even though I felt him burning holes in my profile.
“Just the eyes,” the woman said. “It saw me. It knows what I look like. It will never stop coming now. I … it wants to kill me, consume me. It won’t stop. I can feel it.”
9
Nine
“I don’t like it.”
I pooled my nervous energy from Dorsey’s visit into dusting off the furniture around the abandoned bonfire as soon as he pulled out of the parking lot. The woman didn’t offer much more information – not even her name – so I was happy to release her to Dorsey’s custody. Once he was gone, my temper got the better of me.
“I don’t blame you for not liking it,” Kade said, retrieving a chair from beneath Raven’s trailer while casting me the occasional glance to make sure I didn’t wander too far away. “It’s troublesome.”
“What’s troublesome?” Raven appeared in her open doorway and graced Kade with a flirty smile. “I can be troublesome if you want me to be.”
“You know I can hear you, right?” I scorched Raven with a dark look. “He has more than enough trouble where I’m concerned. He doesn’t need you adding to it.”
“I only said it because I knew you were listening,” Raven said, descending the stairs. “I saw the cops at your place a little bit ago. What were they doing here?”
“We found a woman in the middle of the storm,” Kade explained. “She was kind of messed up, so we called them to take her off our hands.”
Raven didn’t look surprised by the story. Of course, we lived in a world where evil clowns were a real thing and one of our ringmasters turned into a wolf when the mood struck. A woman lost in a dust storm hardly made the top of our “weird meter” this month, let alone this year. “What was she doing out in the desert?”
“She said she had a flat tire and decided to head in our direction to get out of the storm,” I replied. “We didn’t get much more than that out of her.”
“That’s interesting.”
The way Raven said the words told me she found something else interesting about the discussion, something I apparently missed. “What?”
“Well, I’m just thinking out loud here, but anyone who’s done any sort of reading about Las Vegas knows it’s hit with dust storms regularly,” Raven replied.
“Yes, but she was caught unaware on the road,” Kade argued. “That could happen to anyone.”
“Why did she get out of the car?”
“To see what was wrong with it,” Kade answered. “When your vehicle dies, you get out to look around … even if you don’t know how to fix it. It’s human nature.”
“I understand that,” Raven said. “My issue is that she got out of the car and stayed out. Now, if the dust storm was already hitting she would’ve stayed in the car and waited it out. That’s only common sense. It’s nearly impossible to drive in a dust storm.”
I saw where she was going right away. “And if she was outside of the car when the storm hit, why did she walk instead of getting back inside and waiting it out?”
Raven bobbed a finger. “There you go.”
“What are you saying?” Kade asked, his eyes probing. “Do you think she was lying?”
“I don’t know that I believe that,” I cautioned. “It’s just … maybe Raven is right. Maybe we shouldn’t believe everything we see simply because that woman seemed helpless.”
“You saw her, Poet,” Kade prodded. “She was terrified.”
“I believe that. But we don’t know why she was out here. And we know the cops have been watching us. Maybe that woman has been watching us, too.”
Raven’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Why have the cops been watching us?”
“Detective Dorsey said it’s because they’ve been getting weird reports about this area. I’m not sure I believe that. Part of me thinks he might try to pin whatever is happening out here on us.”
“Why would he do that?” Kade asked. “We clearly weren’t here for the earlier events, and he said he wanted to warn us.”
“Because he seems like a man who wants to close a case and put it behind him,” I replied. “I don’t know that he would blame us out of malice. But I think he might blame us out of convenience. We need to keep an eye on him.”
“I still don’t understand,” Kade challenged. “He came out here to get her. Why don’t you trust him?”
“Because if you’ve been in this business as long as we have you’ll come to understand that people find it easy to hate what’s different,” Raven answered. “We’re what’s different in this scenario, and we’ll be easy to blame if he decides he wants to.”
“We don’t know who that woman is,” I added. “I should’ve touched her to see if I could see inside her mind. I didn’t even think about it. You carried her inside. I tried to clean her up, but she made such a fuss that I gave up. I didn’t try to touch her again.”
“Do you think she wanted to keep you from doing that because she knows what you are?”
I shrugged, my emotions disjointed. “I don’t know. But Raven is right. That woman’s story has a few holes in it. No one would get out of a vehicle in the middle of a dust storm. And if you saw one barreling down on you, wouldn’t you get back in the car to wait it out?”
“I would,” Kade said. “But you’re leaving one possibility out of this scenario.”
“And what is that?”
“The woman said that her car broke down and she had a flat tire,” Kade said. “She also said that she saw the circus, knew where it was, and wanted help. Maybe she began walking in our direction before she saw the storm. Have you ever considered that?”
Sadly, I hadn’t. “I … no,” I admitted after a beat. “I guess that makes sense.”
“Not everyone is out to get you, honey.” Kade’s expression was plaintive. “I know you guys have dealt with a lot – including the fact that I didn’t have the best reaction when I found out what you could do – but I honestly believe that woman was a victim.”
I ran my tongue over my teeth, buying time as I worked out my internal conflict. “What if she’s up to something, though?”
“What?” Kade challenged. “She saw the same thing you did the other night. She saw red eyes in a storm. That can’t be a coincidence.”
“I know, but … .” I left the sentence hanging, unsure how to continue.
“We need to find out who she is,” Raven interjected, drawing my attention to her. “If she’s really just some hapless tourist, we need to know. It will make everyone feel better. If she’s not, it will give us a direction in which to look.”
“How do you suggest we get that information?” Kade asked. “We didn’t get a name. Dorsey took her. We have no idea who she is.”
“We have some idea where she is,” Raven argued. “The cops either took her into custody or to the hospital. Either way, that’s something I should be able to find out if I drop in and visit the night shift after dark.”
“What do you mean?” Kade asked, intri
gued. “Are you just going to wander in there and demand they tell you what you want to know?”
Raven and I snorted in unison.
“I have no intention of asking them to do anything,” Raven replied. “You’re forgetting who you’re dealing with. I simply need someone who is alone and has access to a computer. I’ll find out who she is. Trust me.”
Kade remained unconvinced. “But how?”
Raven grinned and splayed her fingers. “Magic.”
I joined in Raven’s mirth and bobbed my head. “That’s a place to start. You’re right. We need to discover whatever we can about her. We’re either dealing with a monster in the desert or something else.”
“And we can’t pick a direction to point our efforts toward until we rule her out,” Raven said. “I’ll leave in about an hour. It will probably be late when I return. If I get anything that needs immediate attention I’ll wake you so we can make some decisions.”
“That sounds like a plan.” I cracked my knuckles, uncomfortable. “You probably shouldn’t go alone.”
Raven’s expression was hard to read. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“I didn’t say otherwise. There’s still something random and weird going on here. No one should go anywhere alone.”
“Are you holding yourself to that same standard?”
“I am.”
Raven sighed. “Fine. I’ll take Percival.”
I wanted to argue with her choice – taking a guy who enjoys dressing as a clown and fakes a British accent for no apparent reason seemed a bad idea – but I didn’t want to push my luck. “Well, I hope you have fun.”
Raven wrinkled her nose. “Anything is more fun than helping you guys clean up this mess. At least I got out of the manual labor.”
“That indeed is something.”
“I THINK that’s everything.”
I planted my hands on my hips shortly before midnight and glanced around the fairgrounds. As far as I could tell we hadn’t lost anything in the storm, but it was obvious we’d need to come up with a better storage strategy if we were going to keep a handle on our belongings.
“It looks good.”
I expected Kade to respond. Instead another voice echoed throughout the darkness, and when I turned I found Max standing a few feet away, watching. “You scared the crap out of me,” I complained, shoving my hair away from my face. “Make a noise next time.”
“I thought I did.” Max chuckled. He was my boss and I was genuinely fond of him, but he gets an odd sort of pleasure out of irritating me. “That’s why I spoke … to make a noise and alert you to my presence.”
“Oh, well, good job.”
Max stepped closer, his white hair gleaming under the bright moonlight. “I heard we had some excitement.”
“How did you hear?” I asked, glancing to the far side of the parking lot where Max set up his personal trailer. He was fond of most of his workers – nobody likes the clowns, for the record, including him – but he prefers spending large stretches of the day on his own. He wasn’t exactly what I would call a people person. “Who have you been talking to?”
“Dolph dropped by looking for missing chairs,” Max replied. “He caught me up on things.”
“How did he know? He wasn’t here when we were talking about it.”
“How does anyone know anything around this place?” Max asked, turning his hands palms out. “We’re a gossipy bunch, and not above spying on one another. Are you all right after what happened?”
“I’m fine.” I knew Max loved me. I also knew he wasn’t here to see if I was okay. He wanted to know about Kade … who had wandered off somewhere. “He’s fine, too.”
“I know he is,” Max said, rubbing the palms of his hands against his hips. “If you’re wondering, he’s near your tent making sure nothing was disturbed during the storm.”
I slid my eyes in that direction, but it was too dark for me to see if what Max said was true. “He’s very diligent.”
“Yes, well, I think he’s checking on your tent because he’s especially devoted to you,” Max said. “I find it … adorable.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“We haven’t really had a chance to talk since everything happened in Utah.” Max trailed his fingers across the top of the picnic table, perhaps looking for dust or simply trying to ease his own unrest. “I know you and Kade seem happy. I’m glad. I want you both to be happy.”
“Max, I think it’s sweet that you’re out here checking up on me at the one time I happen to be separated from Kade,” I said. “I’m not going to talk out of turn about him, though. I’m done with that. If you want to know how things are between us, you need to ask him.”
“Oh, yes, that should go well,” Max muttered. “He’ll punch me in the face if I ask.”
“He’s won’t punch you.”
“I guess I should be glad for that.”
“He’s also won’t be the first to reach out,” I added. “He’s not built that way. You’ll need to do the work on that front.”
“What do you think I’ve been doing?” Max protested.
“Hiding in your trailer,” I answered without hesitation. “You’re a brave man, Max, but you’re a coward sometimes. Kade is more settled now. He’s not leaving.”
“Because of you.”
“I don’t think it’s strictly because of me,” I countered. “You need to talk to him. If you want to move forward you have to let go of the past. That goes for both of you. I won’t get involved. I won’t put you before him. I … can’t.”
“I don’t want you to.” Max’s words strained under the weight of his honesty. “I want you to put Kade first. He deserves it. I think you two are good for each other. I can’t wait to see how you grow together.”
His words touched me, yet … . I tilted my head to the side when I felt Kade’s presence move into the dining area. “Max is just checking on how we’re doing after the storm,” I offered. “He really wants to know how you’re doing, but he was polite and asked about me first.”
Max murdered me with a look. “Thank you, Poet.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We’re fine,” Kade said, his tone even and somewhat remote. “Are you okay?”
Max masqueraded as Kade’s favorite “uncle” his entire life. Shifting gears and accepting that the man who told him tall tales about a father who never existed was really responsible for supplying half of his genes wasn’t easy. He was dealing the best he could, and showing much more grace under pressure than I probably would.
“I’m fine,” Max replied. “I heard about the woman … about the potential monster in the storm. If it helps, I haven’t sensed anything out there. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. I simply am not privy to it if it is.”
“We’re not sure what to think of it,” I volunteered. “Raven headed to the police station to find out if the woman was really out here by accident. We can’t know which direction to look until we ascertain that.”
“You think she’s lying?”
“Not necessarily, but you’re the one who taught me to never rule anything out.”
“Yes, and you always do what you’re told,” Max drawled. “Well, keep me updated. We have another full day of set-up tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a quiet one.”
“Despite the two storms, we’re actually ahead of schedule,” I supplied. “Things are looking good for the weekend.”
“And we have a liquor license for this venue, so it should be quite profitable,” Max added. “In fact … .” He broke off, his craggy face focused on Kade for a long moment. He made up his mind on the spot. “In fact, I was hoping you could spare Kade tomorrow … before things get busy and we lose the entire week.”
I raised an eyebrow, surprised. “I … sure. If he wants to be spared, that is.”
“Do you?” Max was pathetically hopeful.
“I don’t know.” Kade rolled his neck, the crack audible. “What did you have in mind?
”
It was clear Max hadn’t yet gotten that far. He recovered quickly, though. “Golf. There’s a very nice course five miles away. I thought we could go together.”
“I haven’t golfed in years,” Kade said. “I don’t know how good I’ll be.”
“I don’t think that matters,” Max said. “It’s just an afternoon. I … we have to start somewhere.”
Kade flicked his eyes to me and I read the uncertainty there. “Well … .”
“You should take advantage of the timing,” I offered. “After tomorrow we’ll be too busy to spare any time for a week. You’ve done a lot of work tonight. You deserve a day off.”
Kade looked caught. “Okay,” he said finally, blowing out a sigh. “I guess we’ll give it a try.”
Max’s face split with a wide grin. “I … well … great. I’m looking forward to it.”
I waited until Max was gone to speak, the warmth he emanated when Kade agreed to spend time with him still flowing over me. “That was a good thing you just did.”
Kade met my thankful gaze. “I hope so. Now … come on.” He held out his hand and waited for me to take it. “I want to do a good thing for you before bed. I have some tension to work off.”
I giggled as he hurried me toward the trailer. “I think that can be arranged.”
10
Ten
“Is this what one wears to golf?”
Kade was so nervous about his outing with Max the next morning he changed his outfit three times.
I glanced up from the computer, more research about the area mines on the screen, and smiled. “I think you’re supposed to wear short pants with tall socks. Do you have any of those? If not, Luke might be able to hook you up.”
“Ha, ha.” Kade didn’t bother to muster an eye roll. “I think this was a bad idea.”
“It’s a good idea and you’re going.”
Kade arched an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
“Whether or not you and Max adopt a father-and-son relationship isn’t for me to say,” I replied. “You need to come up with a relationship you can both tolerate, though. That means you have to come to a meeting of the minds of sorts.”
[Mystic Caravan Mystery 04.0] Freaky Games Page 8
