The Stepchild

by Joanne Fluke

  Kathi shut her eyes and then opened them quickly again, staring intently at the mirror as if she could catch a glimpse of the spirit hovering there, waiting for the moment to enter. But there was nothing in the mirror except the reflection of the pink tiles and her own fearful eyes staring back at her. Her face looked unfamiliar, slightly off-center, but everything else was the same as it had always been, the blond hair falling in waves around her face, her lips full and soft, her cheekbones high—a trait that her father claimed went back generations in their family. It was her face—and yet it was not her.

  Now the mirror was moving, or perhaps she was moving? The image was blurring, becoming fuzzy around the edges, waving and weaving like the mirrors in the fun house yesterday. Then it sharpened again, growing smaller, and there were pink roses around a white border—a small mirror, for a child.

  “This one’s yours, honey. It has little roses on it because you’re a girl. We’ll hang it right here on the bathroom wall, so you can see yourself.”

  “For me? Just for me? But, Auntie! Baver needs one too! He’s too little to see in mine. Did you get one for Baver with roses on it too?”

  “Boys don’t need roses on their mirrors, Sheri. We got one for him, but flowers aren’t right for a boy. See the nice little train on his mirror? Do you think he’ll like it?”

  “No! No trains!” Kathi gasped aloud, hands gripping the edge of the sink. “Baver hates trains! He hates trains as much as me!”

  “What did you say, ma’am?” one of the green-uniformed waitresses asked, staring at Kathi curiously.

  “Um . . . nothing, really. Just talking to myself, I guess.” Had she said something aloud? The girl seemed puzzled. What had she said?

  The waitress gave Kathi one last bewildered look, and then turned back to the mirror to smooth her dark hair. She had been hoping for a quick smoke between customers, but this woman made her uncomfortable with her intense eyes and startled expression. No telling what weird thing she’d say next. The smoke could wait for a while. With a final tug at the hem of her uniform, the dark-haired waitress hurried out the door, letting it swing closed behind her.

  Now she was alone. Alone, but not alone.

  “Go away!” Kathi hissed, staring into the mirror with a fierce expression. “Go away, and leave me alone!”

  With a snap, she turned on the water faucet, washing her hands vigorously and toweling them off with impatient briskness, as if she could banish Sheri Walker from her mind with the force of her action. She had to hurry and get back to the booth before David guessed she wasn’t feeling well again. It was the package; she knew that now. It was the package that made her feel this way. She’d have to think of some excuse to get him out of the apartment later, so she could open the box in privacy. Then, if something in it made Sheri Walker come to her again, at least she’d be alone.

  * * *

  Kathi forced a mouthful of food past the lump in her throat. She’d used the chopsticks on purpose, blaming the trembling of her fingers on the use of the unfamiliar utensils. She felt ready to jump out of her skin.

  “Yes, delicious,” Kathi responded dutifully, smiling weakly. David was watching her now, and she felt the color rush to her cheeks. Did she look normal? Was she behaving the way she usually did? It was so hard to tell, with him examining her every action this way. Was her smile too strained, her jaws working too rapidly chewing the food? Everything seemed bigger than life, yet two-dimensional, as if she were watching a videotape of herself eating.

  “You seem a little nervous, honey,” David remarked, expertly capturing a water chestnut between his wooden chopsticks. “I bet you’re wondering what I was going to ask you.” His eyebrows rose in a question.

  For the space of a second, Kathi’s expression was blank. Then she remembered. David had said he had something important to ask her over lunch. Of course! A prayer formed in her mind. Please, God . . . nothing about the dreams! Please!

  “Y-yes, I was thinking about that,” she said. “What was it, David?”

  “Well . . .” David reached out and removed the chopsticks from her nerveless fingers, holding her hands tightly between his own. “I don’t know if this is the right place or time, but, . . . well . . . let’s get married, Kathi. Will you marry me?”

  Kathi felt her mouth drop open, and she closed it quickly. Marry him? Marry him! Didn’t he know that she couldn’t possibly marry him now?

  “Shocked you, huh?” David chuckled, squeezing her hands. “Look, honey, I know this is a bad time for you, right before the election. But you know I love you, and I thought we could start making plans. I want to take you home to meet my parents, and then, after your dad’s elected, we’ll tell your family. How does that sound?”

  Kathi was incapable of speech. This was a total surprise to her. She had no idea at all that David was planning to propose. The thought hadn’t even entered her mind.

  “Kathi?” David questioned, beginning to get a little nervous himself. He had figured that his proposal would be a shock, but her face was dead white, and there was a look of panic flickering in her eyes. Didn’t she want to marry him?

  “Oh . . . y-you did take me by surprise.” Kathi forced a tense little laugh. Under any other circumstances, she would have blossomed with joy. He wanted to marry her! Of course, she wanted to marry David. They could be married, and her baby would have a father. But now?

  For a moment, Kathi thought she was going to scream in anger. No! It wasn’t fair! Nothing was going to take David away from her! She would fight to keep the man she loved, and somehow she would do it! She’d marry David, and nothing would stop her.

  “Kathi? What’s the matter, baby?” David asked, reacting to the fierce, determined expression on her face. She looked as if she were waging a battle within herself.

  “Kathi?” he asked again, frowning. “What’s the matter? Don’t you want to marry me?” He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, but it was there all the same. He had been so sure Kathi would be overjoyed by his proposal. “I thought you’d be happy.”

  “Oh! I . . . I am!” Kathi stammered, willing her hands to stop shaking. “I am, David!” Was that too loud? Was her voice too desperate? Could he guess how confused and frightened she was right now? Confused and frightened and relieved, all at the same time. He wanted to marry her! He did love her, even now!

  “Well?” David prompted, relief beginning to show in his face. “Shall we start making plans?”

  “I . . . I . . . yes!” Kathi faltered, hating the weak, thin sound of her voice. “Yes, David.” That was better. Her voice was growing stronger now. “Let’s start making plans. Of course I want to marry you! I just thought that . . . well . . . I haven’t exactly been fun to live with lately and . . . and . . . I didn’t think you’d want to marry me.”

  “For two people in love, we don’t understand each other very well,” David said seriously. “I know you’ve been nervous and upset lately, and that’s all right. Everyone goes through bad times. I want you to share them with me, Kathi, good times and bad times. Maybe you didn’t really know that before, but I want you to know it now. That’s why now I hope you’ll tell me what’s bothering you. It doesn’t make any difference what it is. I want to marry you, and I love you. Nothing could ever change that.”

  “Oh, David!” Kathi murmured, tears welling in her eyes. “I . . . I guess you’re right. Maybe I’ve been a fool, keeping everything to myself. I . . . I just thought you wouldn’t understand, but I haven’t been giving you very much credit, have I?”

  “No,” David answered quickly, stroking her cold hands. Now she could tell him about the baby, and then he’d tell her that he was delighted. That would make her feel much better. “Let’s go back to the apartment, and then we can really talk. I promise you, I’ll understand. That’s a solemn promise from the guy who loves you.”

  Kathi looked down at the table. The love in David’s eyes was almost too much to bear. Her eyes rested on the fortune cookies in their
white bowl, untouched. Usually she loved to read the fortunes, but today she wasn’t going to suggest they even open one. Sheri Walker wasn’t going to give her any message through any medium today. The fortune cookies could stay right there, and she would tell David everything the minute they got back to the apartment. Maybe he could chase her fears away.

  She watched him as he paid the bill, his strong, straight back, and those kind, gentle hands handling the money. His hair was growing down in a line from the back of his neck. It would have to be trimmed. She could do that. Somehow the thought of trimming David’s hair, doing something that personal for him, was much more intimate than anything she’d ever done before. It made her feel like crying. He would understand. He had solemnly promised that he’d understand. But, did he have any idea what it was that he had to hear?

  CHAPTER 16

  “But don’t you see, David?” Kathi heard her voice grow shrill and frightened. He wasn’t looking at her at all. Instead, David was staring mutely at the rug, tracing the design with his eyes, his eyebrows knotted in concentration.

  “It’s the only thing that makes any sense!” Kathi cried. She had promised to tell him, and he had promised to understand. “I told you what Sally said. She remembered what I had dreamed all these years.” Kathi stifled a sob. “Sally and I know, David. Can’t you see it? Sheri Walker is trying to possess me!”

  Now the shameful confession was past her lips, hanging still and cold in the air between them. David still hadn’t raised his eyes, and Kathi was afraid that when he did, doubt would appear on his face, the pitying look that meant he didn’t believe. She would be able to see that he felt compassion for her, but there would be no belief.

  How could she have been so stupid, so misguided? Her explanation sounded like the ravings of a madwoman, even to her own ears, now that the words were spoken. He would think she was crazy, and any minute, he would jump up and run to phone the doctor or the state mental hospital to cart her away.

  Kathi’s heart pounded, her throat dry. She could feel the pulse pounding in her temples, waiting . . . waiting for some reaction from David. How could he sit there, immobile, when she was in an agony of waiting?

  At last, David looked up. “Yes,” he said slowly. “I can see why you believe you’re possessed. I understand, honey. Really, I do.”

  But, no, he was only mouthing the words. Perhaps he did understand, but he didn’t believe. She could see it in his eyes. She could tell that he thought she was deluded, the victim of a psychosis. He didn’t believe her at all.

  “All right, honey,” David said calmly, hoping the sorrow didn’t show in his voice. “You’re right, you know. All the symptoms point to a classic case of possession.”

  Symptoms? David shuddered. A bad choice of words. He would have to be very careful how he worded what he was about to say. He didn’t want to alienate her when she had, at last, confided in him. Kathi was much more disturbed than he had imagined. A well-systematized pattern of delusions. Jesus!

  “Look, honey,” David tried again. “You know me pretty well, and you’ve got to know how hard it is for me to accept something like possession. I understand why you believe that Sheri Walker is possessing you, but there’s got to be some other explanation that fits the pattern equally well. Will you let me try to find that explanation? Just let me try. And if there isn’t any other explanation that fits, I’ll just have to agree with you. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes.” Kathi sighed, letting out her breath with relief. He didn’t believe it, but this wasn’t quite as bad as she had expected. At least David hadn’t ruled out the possibility of possession. He hadn’t accused her of imagining the whole thing. That was a good sign. And when he couldn’t find another reasonable explanation, then he’d know too. He didn’t believe her yet, but he wasn’t unwilling to believe her.

  “All right, Kathi, let me ask you one thing,” David went on. “Are you sure you didn’t have a friend named Sheri Walker? Someone you might have known when you were young, and now you’ve forgotten?”

  “I’m sure. I talked to Sally right after I knew the name,” Kathi explained. “She didn’t remember anyone named Sheri Walker. There was just the Sheri in my dreams. That’s not the explanation, David. I thought it might be, but it’s not.”

  “An imaginary playmate, then?” David pursued. “When you were young, you might have been lonely and invented another little girl to play with. Kids do it all the time. Have you thought about that?”

  Of course she’d thought about it, but David’s face was so hopeful that she couldn’t bear to tell him. She shook her head silently and let him hope. Someone had to hope. Let David do it for both of them. All her hopes were dead and buried.

  “Hey,” David said, grinning suddenly. “We forgot all about that package from Sally. Why don’t you open it now and see what she sent? Let’s get our minds off this thing, honey. It won’t do any good to dwell on it.” He moved to the couch and slipped his arm around her cold shoulders. “And this whole thing doesn’t change the way I feel about you at all. I want you to believe that. Now, let’s see a smile on your pretty face. Girls who get engaged are traditionally happy.”

  “Right,” Kathi said shortly, resisting the impulse to pull away from him as her lips twisted into the smile he had demanded. How could he expect her to smile and be happy when he didn’t believe her?

  “That’s better.” David grinned, apparently satisfied. “Now let’s see what Sally sent. It’s too small for a box of fudge.”

  Kathi’s hands were shaking so badly, she could barely manage to unwrap the small parcel. There was a sheet of paper inside, folded neatly in fourths, and a small box, which she opened immediately.

  A ring? What on earth?

  “Look!” said Kathi, slipping the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. “Look, David! Sally sent me a ring! Isn’t it beautiful?”

  David could see that the ring was very old. It was a thoughtful gift that obviously meant something to Kathi. Thank God, Sally hadn’t sent some superstitious nonsense in her package. That was all Kathi needed.

  “Read the letter with it,” David suggested, smiling at Kathi’s happy expression. “That’s a tigereye, isn’t it?”

  As David was examining the ring, Kathi read the note quickly.

  Here’s Mama’s ring. It always brought her luck, and she won’t mind if my baby shares some of it. I found something else for you too, but don’t tell no one. It fell out of your Daddy ’s desk, and I shouldn’t have, but I read it. I’m praying for you and so is Preacher Mason. Faith, child. Sally.

  “What does she say?” David asked, still watching the way the tigereye picked up the light. “It really is a beautiful ring!”

  “Um, she says that this is her mother’s lucky ring, and she wants me to have it,” Kathi replied, carefully refolding the note and putting it back in the box. She saw another piece of paper under the note, but that she would save to read later. She had shared enough with David for today. She wasn’t going to press her luck. Things were bad enough.

  “Kathi?” David questioned, trying to keep his tone light. “Are you sure there’s nothing else you want to tell me?”

  “No,” Kathi answered slowly. “I . . . I don’t think so, David.”

  Could he have been wrong about the baby? He wondered. Maybe she wasn’t pregnant after all. Of course, it didn’t make any difference; they’d get married just the same. But he’d been so sure that her pregnancy was the catalyst for all her problems. He really needed to get out and walk around a little to think this thing out. Surely there was something he could do to help Kathi, if he could just think of it.

  “Hey, what do you say I walk over to the liquor store and get a bottle of champagne?”

  “Sure,” Kathi agreed, hoping that she sounded properly delighted. “I’ll be fine, David. I feel much better now that I’ve told you. We can have a party, just the two of us.”

  Kathi shivered. Even the most innocent comments sounded ominous to he
r now. There would be three of them—if Sheri Walker returned. She wanted David to leave the apartment for a few minutes. His absence would give her time to compose herself, and, most important of all, she could hide the rest of Sally’s package from him. She wasn’t going to look at it now. That would only be tempting fate. She would read that other piece tomorrow, when she was calmer. With Sally’s mama’s ring she could get through tonight, and tomorrow she could face the rest of it.

  As the door closed behind David, Kathi stared down at the ring on her finger and tried a small smile. She was glad she hadn’t told David about the baby yet. She would wait, wait to see if she could lay the ghost of Sheri Walker to rest before she even mentioned the baby. David would be doubly worried about her if he knew that she was carrying his child.

  Kathi’s smile grew a little wider. It was helping already, wearing the lucky ring. Some of the panic seemed to have subsided, and she imagined a link that stretched past the grave to join her with Sally’s mama. The ring was her luck, too. She needed to believe that. She desperately needed to believe in something, now that she knew David would be no real help. Joining forces with Sally’s mama might give her some ancient wisdom, some way of controlling Sheri Walker. Sally’s prayers and her mama’s ring just had to help!

  CHAPTER 17

  Church bells pealed in the distance as Harry Adams shifted to an upright position. He had fallen asleep working again, and there were crease marks on his cheek from the paper clip on the batch of reports he’d been trying to read.