“William.”
The name echoed in Laney’s ears and through her body, sending every inch into a hyper-aware state. She pinched her own hand to bring herself back to reality. If a weird trance overtook her every time she heard that name, she might have to move to a foreign country.
“To answer William’s question,” Richard continued, “the admission counselors at the college know the setup of my classes. When you registered, they blocked my class into your schedule on Fridays from nine-thirty until four. I guarantee that the sacrifice will be well worth it.”
“Is there a syllabus?” The question came from the red-haired boy next to Richard. He had his laptop perched on his desk, ready to take notes.
“No, no, no. I told you this isn’t your typical class. You’ll be graded on your participation in discussions and the field trips, and no hardware or software will be necessary.” He nodded at the boy’s computer. Several smiles popped up around the circle.
“Are we going on a field trip today?” A girl across from Laney seemed eager to ditch the classroom, holding her bag in her hands on the desk in front of her.
“Not exactly. I’m going to take you on a tour of Taylor Hall.”
Laney’s heart leapt as she drew in a sharp breath. She knew that Professor Rice would bring them to places they wouldn’t normally see.
“Next Friday, we’ll take a trip over to Salem. If there aren’t any further questions, please gather your belongings and follow me.” Richard moved toward the door like an excited child.
They filed out of the classroom and down the stone staircase. Richard stopped to describe the history of the paintings hanging in the corridor. When they reached the main hall, he pointed out a dumbwaiter used by the original owners, and a fireplace containing a secret broom closet.
Laney kept an eye on William the entire time, not sure what to think or feel. Walking down a hallway behind the administrative offices, Richard stopped next to a door that said Basement in red letters. He opened it, and the class followed him down another stone staircase that twisted to the right. The stairs glowed, illuminated by the light of electric lanterns.
At the bottom, two corridors stretched in different directions, lit dimly by the same lanterns that hung in the stairwell. It wouldn’t have surprised Laney to see any of the black and white horror-movie villains lumbering out of the shadows.
Richard cleared his throat. “As you can imagine, this is a place where few students go. For those of you who are brave . . . well, you will find the rewards are worth it.”
The class continued down the corridor to the right. The damp air sent a chill down Laney’s back.
When Richard reached an arched doorway, he stopped again.
“We’re not going in there.” The girl next to Laney said it more as a statement than a question. The pitch black hole echoed back their voices in the vast darkness.
“You will find, young lady, that the most interesting historical places are often located where most people don’t want to go.” Richard reached into a container next to the doorway, removing a candle and a box of matches. He lit the match and set the candle aglow.
Richard led the class into a small room containing six benches lined up in two rows of three. He walked toward the front of the room and lit two candles, illuminating the tiny space. A large table spanned the front of the room with a large stone cross as its centerpiece. Unlit devotional candles sat to the right of the table. An opening in the wall to the left of the table held the dumbwaiter they saw on the first floor.
“Samuel and Victoria Wentworth worshipped in this very spot. It was their personal chapel. At the time the home was built, the nearest church was ten miles away. Samuel, being a very religious man, came to this room to reflect and pray at least twice a day. The room is open to students for their own prayer and reflection. Please feel free to use it for these purposes.”
The mystical nature of the room must have drawn Samuel Wentworth. As the class shuffled out, Laney spent a few extra moments, not ready to leave.
“It’s time to go, Delaney.” William stood in the doorway. In the candlelight, she couldn’t make out the color of his eyes. If they were green, like the grass after a rainstorm, it would be another drop in her bucket of impossible evidence.
“How do you know my name?” Laney asked.
“The professor said it in class.” William motioned behind him with his thumb.
“Call me Laney.”
“Sure, Delaney.” William’s smile was bright in the dim light of the candles. He turned, and then he was gone.
When she reached the top of the stairs, Richard addressed the class. “Next week, same time, same place. You will need a notebook, a pen, and an open mind. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon. August will be gone before you know it, and if no one has told you yet, January sucks around here.”
“You know, you’ve been acting really weird lately.” Jennifer threw her words at Jason with the casual flair of the wind-driven Styrofoam cup rolling along the sidewalk in front of them. He wondered if she really cared, arching her back, Versace sunglasses on, taking in every sunray that could possibly be absorbed into her skin.
Jason sighed. “What do you mean by weird?” He kicked an acorn around between his feet. He knew he was acting different around her since his time with Laney. In high school they’d been all hot and heavy and couldn’t take their hands off each other. He’d barely touched her this past week. His true feelings left him with nothing but a whole load of guilt. Laney hadn’t spoken to him since the night in her room and it was driving him crazy. Maybe he screwed things up by almost kissing her. She had passed by him that morning without even acknowledging his existence. Granted, he was with Jennifer at the time, but she could have at least waved.
Jennifer’s voice broke the silence again. “I’m just wondering about the girl you supposedly rescued on that day in Boston. She went to high school with us, right?”
“She’s been my friend since we were babies, Jen. Our mothers are best friends, so it was kind of cool to hang out with her for the day. That’s all it was.”
Jennifer seemed satisfied with this answer and went back to her sunbathing. Sitting around idle with her made him nervous, so he leaned over, kissed her on the cheek, and headed for the library.
Chapter 5
The late August sun beamed across the quad, casting a golden hue over the manicured lawn. A few stray students, meandering like ants, made their way to morning classes. Laney’s mood lifted as she removed her sandals and ran through the grass. Now, she just had to decide what she would do with a whole summer day to herself. A seagull floated over her head, and she wished she could follow him to the beach.
Slipping her sandals back on, she climbed the stairs of the library to find a quiet place to work on her homework. When Laney got to the top of the stairs, Jason walked out the door with his school bag slung over his shoulder. A wide smile crossed his face when he saw her.
“Laney.” He slowed down and leaned against the railing next to her. “How’s your week been? I would’ve stopped by, it’s just that Jen . . .”
“I guess we’re both too busy.” Laney’s hands felt damp under her binder. She clutched it closer, hoping he wouldn’t notice. She didn’t want to let him know that she’d been avoiding him after their almost kiss.
“Tell me about it. Lacrosse started this week, and it takes up almost as much time as my schoolwork. We have our first game coming up this weekend.” He rested his hand on her arm. “Are you going to come?”
“Um . . .” Laney stared down at his hand and swallowed. She wasn’t a big sports person, but she knew that it was important to him. “If I’m not loaded down with schoolwork.”
“I’d love to have you there, so promise me you’ll try.” Jason removed his hand and used it to push his sunglasses to the top of his head.
“I’ll try.” Her heart sank as she pictured Jason and Jennifer outside the science building. His girlfriend was sure to be at the ga
me.
Why should she bother? Sure, they had the whole childhood best friends thing going on, but that didn’t mean he had to like her now that they were grown.
“So, what are you up to? Shouldn’t you be in class?” There was a gleam in his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re ditching already?”
“My professor gave us the rest of the day off.” The glory of that fact still radiated through her.
“What are we going to do with this beautiful day?” Jason raised his arms to the sun. His tanned skin absorbed the late summer rays. She always pictured a Greek god looking exactly like him.
Laney raised her eyebrows, wondering if he was offering to ditch his classes to spend time with her.
“I have Fridays blocked off on my schedule for an internship later in the semester. Premeds deserve some perks.” He shifted his backpack to his other shoulder.
Jason had a car. Maybe following the seagull wasn’t out of reach after all.
“Do you want to go to the beach?”
“Yeah.” He grinned, his dimple protruding. “I’ve been wanting to check out Singing Sands beach. It’s only a ten-minute drive from here. Meet me in the south parking lot in fifteen minutes.”
Jason leaned against his car as Laney walked down the stairs to the lot. The old yellow Duster reminded her of the one her parents owned when she was young.
“Are you sure this thing will make it ten minutes down the road?” Laney laughed as she walked closer. He’d put a lot of work into the car — it almost appeared brand new.
“Hey! No messing with old Bessie. She’s a classic that could drive circles around any of the new fancy cars out there.”
Winding through the tree-lined back roads, Laney closed her eyes and let the wind blow her hair. She slipped off her sandals, even though the Duster’s carpet wasn’t as nice as the cool grass of the quad. The exhilaration of being off-campus and enjoying a summer day intoxicated her. Being with Jason added to her joyful state. Sunlight flickered through the treetops and several beams escaped, touching the ground below. Land surrounded large homes on either side of the road. Madison was in a wealthy area because of its proximity to the coast. In what seemed like no time at all, they pulled into the little parking lot by the beach. Only one other car was there.
The distinctive smell of the ocean permeated the air. Laney took off her sandals again when she reached the end of the parking lot and the beginning of the beach. Her first step onto the white sand burned, so she quickly replaced her sandal. Jason didn’t have any problem walking onto the hot sand without his shoes. They ran down the beach and found a spot to spread out their towels. Except for a lone fisherman by the rock outcroppings, Jason and Laney had it all to themselves.
Being at the beach brought back memories of Laney’s days at her uncle and aunt’s house on Cape Cod. The smell, the crash of the waves, and the cry of the seagulls were entrenched in her childhood. Her dad’s sister had a weather-beaten gray cottage overlooking the bay. The large picture window provided a perfect viewing of the fishing boats moving in and out of the harbor, their nets pulled high as they glided through the tiny waves. The private beach gave neighbors a place to sunbathe and gossip, while their children splashed in the water. Laney loved to dig a hole near the incoming tide, collecting hermit crabs from the shallow water. On her best days, she could gather thirty in her hole and spend time examining the unique shells.
Jason rubbed sunscreen on his arms. “Ready for a swim?”
“Definitely.” Laney removed her shirt.
Running to the water, they stopped short of the surf. The sand below their feet made a distinctive squeaking sound as they ran across it. They both stopped and looked at each other with confused faces.
“That must be the singing,” Jason said. They twisted their feet in the sand, laughing at the odd chirps before they walked into the water and dove into the waves.
The sun beamed right overhead as Laney and Jason laid out on their towels. The fisherman left after what looked like a disappointing outing. Laney seemed on the cusp of consciousness and unconsciousness, so Jason woke her gently with a touch on her arm.
“Laney? Are you awake?”
She opened her eyes. He shifted to block the sun’s direct rays with his shadow. Her arms were developing that rosy, pink glow from the first bite of sunburn.
“I am now.” She turned her head to the side, squinting. A light smattering of freckles crossed the bridge of her nose beneath her beautiful, blue eyes.
“Do you know if they ever caught the man who attacked you?”
Laney sat halfway up on her elbows.
“That asshole should be behind bars rotting the rest of his life away.” Jason dug into the sand with his toes.
“Not that I know of. The only thing the police had to go on was our description of him.” Laney lifted a handful of sand, letting it sift through her fingers to the ground, possibly weighing something heavy in her mind. “Earlier this week I found a note from him in my backpack.”
“From the policeman?”
Laney smirked and let out the tiny giggle that he loved. “No, from the attacker.”
“Really? What did it say? How do you know it’s from him?” Jason’s concern for Laney grew as scenarios filled his mind. All along he’d thought it was a random mugging, but if this guy intentionally left her a note, she might have a stalker.
Laney sat up and took the note out of her bag and handed it to him. He read the note several times. “Do you know this jerk?”
“I’m not sure. He was familiar. I definitely know that he knew me somehow. I . . . ”
“What is it? You can tell me.” He scooted closer. He had to know more, if she knew more, so he could provide information to the authorities.
“I don’t want you to think I’m crazy.” She did the scooting this time — about an inch away from him.
“This is between you and me. You can trust me.” His mind moved from a stalker to an abusive older cousin. It kept getting worse and worse. Jason closed the inch between them, placing his hand on her knee. “We’re friends.”
“Alright, but you have to promise not to laugh.” Laney held out her pinky.
“I promise.” He held out his little finger to lock it with hers. Humor was his way of dealing with stressful situations and Laney’s laughing comment made him feel a little more at ease.
She chewed on her lip before nodding and taking a deep breath. “Okay. This is going to sound strange, but . . . the man that tried to steal my backpack looks exactly like someone I know very well . . . at least, how I picture him.” Laney took a moment and exhaled. “I’m pretty sure that he’s Jonas Webb.”
“Who’s Jonas Webb?”
“He’s a character in the book I’m writing.”
Jason furrowed his brow, but kept his lips smirk-free. In her mind, this was real. He searched for a way to explain this anomaly to her without hurting her feelings. “Do you think that he might have been a person who just happened to look the way you picture your character?”
Laney picked up a stone and threw it into the waves. “Sure, I could definitely accept that this man’s eyes, hair, and build were exactly the same . . . a simple coincidence. But he also had a birthmark on the side of his face that extended onto his neck.”
“Your book is a fantasy world. Things like that don’t happen.” He leaned in even closer during their conversation — his hand still on Laney’s knee. “But I told you I wouldn’t laugh, and I promise I won’t admit you to an asylum if you want to keep talking to me about it.” He lifted his hand and ran it through her hair, but retracted it when she flinched. “Make sure when you feel up to it, you don’t go running in the woods by yourself. I want to know when they lock that guy up.”
Laney bit her lip. If her best friend thought she was crazy, then that left little hope for future conversations about Jonas. The drive back home was reduced to talk about the weather and the upcoming lacrosse game. Laney’s mind wandered during their conversation.
Trusting Jason was easy, and she didn’t want their relationship to suffer because of what had transpired today. She knew she wasn’t flaking out, but she needed to convince him. Laney expected their ride home to be different, awkward, but Jason kept the conversation going.
He walked Laney back to her dorm. When they reached the lobby, Jason said, “After you clean up, do you want to grab something to eat?”
Laney took in a quick breath. Maybe she hadn’t scared him off with all the Jonas talk after all. “I’d like that.” Her smile didn’t leave her face as she got ready.
Half an hour later, Laney entered the dining hall to meet Jason. She waited in the pizza line behind a dozen other students that rejected the so-called food served in the main kitchen. Before she could spot Jason, he found her.
“We’re sitting right over there.” He pointed to a table full of people. There were two empty chairs. Laney’s heart sank.
After getting her soda, she took a deep breath and marched toward the table like she was marching to face the firing squad. She hated being the new person among a group of total strangers. Her march slowed when she saw Jennifer at the table.
A wave of anxiety swept through her gut and her tray shook slightly in her hands. Weighing her options, and fearing she might throw-up, she decided that grabbing a box for her pizza and eating in her room was the way to go. She headed back to the kitchen, but it was too late.
Jason’s voice called after her. “Laney, where are you going? Everyone will be done eating by the time you get over here.” He blocked her entrance into the kitchen.
The firing squad turned to look at them as they returned to the table. Laney now knew how a runway model felt as she paraded up and down the walkway. Every eye was on her, judging. She wanted to slip away.
“Everyone, this is Laney.” He swept his arm out in front of him. “Laney, this is everyone.” They all stopped eating to look her over and she suddenly felt very warm.
The Weaver Page 4