A Deep and Dark December

by Beth Yarnall

  “Something else is going on here,” Aunt Cerie said to Graham. “It’s not the storm.” She rubbed her temples.

  Erin didn’t like how pale her aunt was or how shaky her hands were. Cerie never got sick. “Are you okay?”

  Graham moved closer to Cerie. “What makes you say that?”

  Aunt Cerie started for the door. “I need to talk to Donald.”

  “Auntie, wait.”

  Erin moved to follow her aunt, but Graham caught her elbow. “You stay.”

  She tried to wiggle free. “I have to find out what’s wrong with her.”

  “It’s nothing you can help her with right now and I can’t let you leave before getting your formal statement.”

  She rounded on him, but it was Keith who stepped between them, breaking Graham’s hold.

  Keith put his arm around her shoulders. “Not a word until your lawyer gets here.”

  “My lawyer?”

  “That’s a smart move,” Graham said. “You should have representation.”

  “But I’m just a witness.”

  “We’ll be testing the samples I took from your hands and hair, and sending your clothes to the lab as evidence. They’ll be testing for DNA and gunshot residue among other things.”

  “What other things?” Keith asked.

  “Signs that Erin might have had a personal relationship with either Greg Lasiter or his wife.”

  Graham said it so casually as though it was a normal thing for him to accuse someone of murdering her lover. Worse yet, accusing Erin of murdering her married lover. Is that what he thought of her? Is that what the whole town would think happened?

  “What?” Keith went as white as his shirt.

  “You think I was sleeping with Greg Lasiter?” She could hardly see Graham for the red haze that filled her vision.

  “Or his wife,” Graham added. Was he trying to bait her or Keith?

  “His wife,” Keith repeated, teetering a little on his feet.

  “Actually, no. I don’t think you had a personal relationship with either one of them,” Graham said. “But I do have to run every possibility. And a witness having a personal relationship with one or more of the victims is a possibility. I’m sorry,” he added with a shrug. “It’s what I have to do.”

  She barely managed to control the emotions tripping over themselves inside her. Anger warred with shock, which wrestled disappointment that fought with hurt, all of them brewing a storm to beat the one raging outside. “So basically what you’re saying is that you’re treating me like a suspect.” Her voice cracked, trying to get past the knot in her throat.

  “A suspect? I don’t believe it. Erin wouldn’t hurt a spider.” Keith’s voice was strong with conviction, but his gaze shifted away.

  “Everyone’s a suspect until they’re ruled out.” Graham poked a finger at Keith’s name badge. “Even the manager of Lucky’s Bag N Save. You knew the Lasiters. They probably shopped in your store. Can you account for your whereabouts today?”

  “My whereabouts? Today?” Keith squeaked.

  “Hang on. Let me grab my notebook.”

  “Graham, stop it. You know he didn’t have anything to do with this.” She turned to Keith. “He’s pulling your leg.”

  Keith adjusted his apron. “I knew that.”

  “Hello?” Elmer Farnsworth III, Esquire, shuffled into the room. “I’m here about my client, Ellen December.”

  “It’s Erin, Mr. Farnsworth,” Keith said, ushering the elderly lawyer into the room. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

  Graham pointed at Elmer. “He’s her lawyer? Is his license still valid?”

  Elmer shook his cane at Graham. “Since before your daddy was a twinkle in his daddy’s eye.”

  Erin pressed her hands to her face. “Tell me this isn’t happening.”

  “He’s the best lawyer in town,” Keith said.

  Graham muttered, “God help us.”

  “He’s the only lawyer in town,” Erin said, dropping her hands.

  Elmer pointed his cane at Erin. “Not true. My granddaughter just passed her bar exam.” He rocked back on his heels. “A proud moment indeed.”

  “Brilliant,” Graham said. “And where is she?”

  “She’s… ah… celebrating. Just received the good news today.” Elmer checked his pocket watch. “Can we get on with the business at hand? Bingo at Saint Paul’s starts at eight and I don’t want to get stuck sitting beside Alvin Buttertin again. He farts like a rabid dog and blames it on the person next to him.” He nudged Keith’s arm. “Can’t have the ladies thinking I’ll stink up the boudoir, am I right, son?”

  “Er… sure.”

  Graham jabbed a thumb at Elmer. “Are you sure you want him for your lawyer?”

  She sighed. “Why not?” How could things get any worse?

  “Then have a seat by my desk and we’ll get on with it. I’ll have to ask you to leave, Keith. Police business. Sorry.” Graham didn’t sound sorry as he showed Keith the door.

  “I’ll wait to drive you home, Erin,” Keith said as he left. “I’ll just be out front.”

  “Uh-huh. You do that.” Graham shut the door and came around to sit behind his desk. “Do you mind if I record our conversation, Erin?”

  “No.” She struggled to catch up. Everything was happening all at once. “I guess not.”

  He pulled a recorder out of his desk drawer and started it. He rattled off the time, date, place, and other salient information. “Okay, Erin. Start from the beginning. Tell me why you went to the Lasiters.’”

  “My boss gave me the file on the Lasiter house.”

  “Where do you work? What’s your boss’s name?”

  “Oh, right. Earlier today my boss, Ramie Singh of Kavender Investments, gave me the file on 321 Amiable Lane, also known as the Lasiter house. My job was to meet with Greg Lasiter to exchange the keys to his house for a check for fifteen hundred dollars. This saved the company time and money from having to forcibly remove Greg…er, Mr. Lasiter, from the house and change the locks. We had an appointment to meet today at four o’clock at Mr. Lasiter’s house.”

  Should she mention the vision she had when she’d received the file and then again after she spoke to Greg? The visions had been wrong… no, incomplete. Greg had fallen in almost the same position in her vision as he had in reality. She closed her eyes, bringing up her vision and picturing it side by side with what she remembered. It was like putting two photos next to each other and comparing them. His body position was the same. The gun in his hand the same. But Deidre wasn’t in her vision. The table and chairs weren’t either. Why were they so different?

  “Erin? Are you all right?”

  She touched a hand to her forehead and opened her eyes. “No. I mean, yes. I’m fine.”

  “You had an appointment with Mr. Lasiter,” Graham prompted. “Then what?”

  “I had to walk to his house because my aunt had my car. It wasn’t far, only a few blocks.”

  A blinding flash of light. A jolt. She was suddenly back on Amiable Lane. The wind tangled her hair and slipped into her coat. She shivered. The sky was black, the clouds almost close enough to touch. She could smell the ocean and the sweet scent of impending rain. Her mind skipped like a scratched record and then she was at the back of the house, on the porch. She’d never been at the back of the house, but she somehow knew that’s where she was. She reached a hand out to knock on the door except her arm was longer, her hand larger. She wasn’t herself. She was a man.

  This was new. She’d never taken over a body in her visions. Trapped. There was no other word for it. She was trapped in this body and this vision. Would she be able to get out of it? Somewhere in another time she shivered.

  The man’s other hand—her hand, his hand—held a gun snug in the pocket of his coat. He gripped the gun harder, the squeak of his leather gloves almost deafening in the silence. Annoyance. Anger. Shame. He had to stop Deidre. Should’ve gotten rid of her sooner. This had gone
too far. Deidre had taken things too seriously. But oh, how he wished he could screw Deidre just once more. He loved the way Deidre’s breasts bounced when she was on top, riding him. The way Deidre made him feel when he was with her, inside her. He was a king with Deidre.

  He knocked on the door, plastered on a smile. Deidre answered. He’d always remember Deidre in this moment, the way she smiled up at him, happy, worshipful. Like he was a freaking hero. But then Deidre had to go and ruin it all by getting pregnant. He pulled the gun from his pocket—

  Blinding light shattered the vision. Pain split Erin’s head. She fell forward, vaguely aware of Graham saying something, holding her. And then, just as suddenly as it had come, the light and pain were gone.

  “Erin. Can you hear me?”

  She blinked up at Graham, the light fixture overhead haloing him. What’s happening?

  Opening her eyes fully, she realized she was in his lap on the floor. He smoothed her hair back from her face. His hands were warm and gentle, not cold. They smelled like soap.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “I…” What? What could she tell him? Someone or something was interfering with her ability, getting into her head and bending her visions. There was almost a purposefulness to it, as though a tripwire had been installed in her brain, triggering a trap.

  “This young lady isn’t well enough to give her statement,” Elmer said, slipping his watch back in his pocket. He stood up. “I’m calling a halt to these interrogations until the young miss is well enough to sustain them.” He thumped his cane on the floor to punctuate his point and left for his bingo game.

  Graham’s eyes had a curious blue-black ring around the paler blue of his irises. His lashes looked like they’d been tipped with gold. He stared down at her with concern and something that felt strangely like interest. He lifted a strand of hair off her face. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  It was interest. She blinked up at him, caught by an unexpected answering tug of longing. His gaze dropped to her mouth and for a moment she thought he might kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her. This had to stop. She had a boyfriend. What was she doing entertaining these thoughts, let alone encouraging them? She pushed at him, trying to scramble off his lap.

  In her haste she accidentally planted her palm on his groin.

  He doubled over, knocking his head against hers.

  They both jerked back. “Ow!” they said in unison, then, “Sorry.”

  Graham had one hand on his crotch and one on his head and suddenly it was all too much for her. This whole thing was ridiculous. The very idea of them was ridiculous. She burst into giggles. Graham’s concern morphed into surprise, and then laughter. His laugh was deep and rich, the sexy throatiness of it arrowed straight through her. She reached out to touch the bump on his forehead, lifting strands of hair away with the tips of her fingers. He caught her wrist and their laughter slowed, then died altogether. Frozen in the moment, she couldn’t look away. He held her gaze, then slowly turned his head and kissed the underside of her wrist. She lost her breath.

  Mirroring her, he reached out and touched his fingertips to her forehead, then trailed them around her face to her temple, her cheek, her jaw. His gaze followed the movement as though memorizing the curve of her face.

  “So soft,” he whispered.

  She clasped his wrist, stilling his hand.

  “Tell me what happened,” he said, pulling her ever so slightly toward him.

  She couldn’t look away, didn’t want to pull away, caught by whatever was going on between them. “I-I’m not sure.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  “Erin, I know.”

  She shook her head. He couldn’t.

  “I know about you. I know all about you.”

  All about her? The hard thump of her heart echoed in her ears. He was close, so close. She felt herself arching toward him as though he were a magnet. Everything else in the room faded and it was just him and her and this overwhelming link they seemed to share.

  “You can’t.”

  “I do.” His breath whispered across her skin as he leaned closer. “I know about your ability. I know something’s wrong, something’s happening to you.”

  She thought to deny it, then nodded. Unable to resist.

  “Tell me about it. Let me help you.”

  4

  The loud thump of a door closing broke through the haze that had invaded Erin’s brain. She shook her head, suddenly realizing where she was and whom she was with.

  What the hell just happened?

  She’d almost told Graham her secret, that’s what. No good could come from that. He’d never understand. How could she explain the unexplainable? What if he told other people about her? What if he told Keith?

  Then another thought struck. How did he know about her ability?

  “You can’t help me.” She pulled free and stood. Too many things were happening inside her. She couldn’t catalog them all fast enough to put them neatly in their slots to deal with later. She had to get out of there.

  He rose and shook his head as though he didn’t understand what had just happened either. “What was that?”

  She didn’t think he was only talking about her collapse. Hugging herself to ward off the sudden chill, she shook her head. She had no answers for him.

  Graham watched her closely. “You know what I think—”

  “Elmer left,” Keith said from the doorway.

  Erin started. She’d been so focused on trying to figure out what Graham did and didn’t know about her that she hadn’t noticed Keith’s entrance.

  “He said you were sick or something.” Keith walked over and put his arm around her. “Are you feeling okay, angel face?”

  “Not really.”

  “You’re pale and you’ve been through so much. Let me take you home.” Keith gave Graham a look that dared him to argue.

  “I can finish getting your statement tomorrow.” Graham didn’t look happy about having to wait. Or was it Keith’s sudden appearance? Had something gone on between them that she didn’t know about?

  Erin started to gather her things, and realized her cell phone wasn’t among them. “My phone’s missing.” She looked to Graham, thinking maybe he might have taken it.

  “I don’t have it.”

  “I must’ve dropped it at Greg’s house.”

  “We’ll look for it tomorrow,” Keith said.

  “I need it now. I have to call my boss to tell him what happened, plus I need to check in with my aunt and dad.”

  Keith steered her toward the door. “All right. We’ll get it tonight if that’s okay with the sheriff.”

  “One thing,” Graham said, causing them to pause in their tracks. “Erin rides with me.”

  “I don’t see why—” Keith began.

  “I have to control the scene,” Graham interrupted. “I want a tight case. Not that she would, but I don’t want anyone to come back and accuse her of tampering with evidence.”

  “Fine,” Keith bit out. “I’ll follow you over, then take her home afterward.”

  “Fine,” Graham agreed.

  Erin had to endure Jessica’s blatant gawking and Mabel’s not so stealth staring as they passed through the front office. No doubt tonight’s events would be all over town by morning. If they weren’t already. Just what she needed—another reason to stand out. She was grateful to finally be out on the porch and out from under their watchful stares.

  It was still raining in great sheets, the sound constant and unrelenting. Lightning flashed, followed closely by a loud crack of thunder. The storm hovered over the town like a punishment.

  “After this we’ll get you home, snuggle up on the couch, and maybe watch a movie or something,” Keith said. “How does that sound?”

  “Good.” It actually kind of did. She didn’t want to be alone tonight.

  Keith kissed her cheek and went down the steps to his car.

  Graham grabbed his umbrella from th
e stand by the door and opened it. “Let’s get you in the car so you can hurry up and do that snuggle movie thing.”

  Was that sarcasm in Graham’s tone?

  He took her elbow and helped her into his car. She tried to get a read on him, but the cloud-covered moon darkened the night, making it difficult to see his expression. He tossed the umbrella in the back, climbed in, and started the engine with a hard yank of the key. Something was definitely going on here. More than the deaths of Greg and Deidre, and his supposed knowledge about her ability. She didn’t know Graham well enough to know what that something was, but she had a feeling that not all of this controlling the scene business was completely on the up and up.

  “That stuff about keeping your eye on me was all bullshit, wasn’t it?” she asked.

  He hesitated. “Yes and no. I don’t want any mistakes on this case and I wanted to talk to you alone without tall, dark and grocerly hanging around.” He put the car in reverse and backed out.

  More sarcasm directed at her boyfriend.

  “What do you have against Keith? He’s a good guy.”

  Frowning, he put the car in drive. “I know.”

  He hit the gas and their car went ahead of Keith’s. She pretended to focus on the passing scenery, but the storm made that impossible.

  “Did you see something back there?” he asked after a moment.

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I think you do. Come off it. Tell me what you saw.” She didn’t answer right away, so he prodded her again. “Erin. I told you, I know. You don’t have to hide who you are from me.”

  “That would put you in the minority.”

  “Along with Keith?”

  “No.”

  After a beat he said, “Did you see something about the Lasiters?”

  How could he possibly know about her ability? He’d been hinting about knowing her lifetime-long kept secret since she came to on the floor of his office. She bit the inside of her cheek.

  “Cerie’s worried about you. She thinks you might be having problems with your your ability, too.”

  Her aunt told him about her ability? Why? Why would she—?