by Makenzi Fisk
“It went that well, eh?” Allie put her tablet away.
Erin twisted the key in the ignition and the engine caught. “Let’s just say Derek is not having a good day.”
“I know.” The shoes Allie had tossed to the floor had somehow made their way under the seat and she contorted her legs to wiggle into them.
Erin regarded her with a slight smile. “Right now the sunlight is reflecting into your eyes and the cute little green flecks are absolutely on fire.”
“You don’t want to talk about it, do you?”
Erin looked out to the parking lot. “Tell me.”
“It felt like his life was in danger, right before we arrived.” Allie had tuned in to Derek’s energy. Focusing on the story made it easier to block out the rest of the world. Still, the world seeped in.
Erin looked over, and a wrinkle formed between her eyebrows.
“He’s safe for now, but he’s furious.”
Erin shook her head. “I guess I don’t need to tell you the rest. You already figured out that he wasn’t helpful.”
“He’s afraid.”
“Afraid? That’s not how I would have described him.” Erin’s hands gripped the wheel. “He would have taken my head off if he wasn’t handcuffed to the floor. He can be a jerk, but I’ve never seen him so volatile. Did I do that to him?”
“His actions were not your fault.” Allie turned in her seat to face Erin. “He did this to himself.”
Erin pushed the shifter into drive. “I nearly killed him. Who’s the one with control issues now?” She put her foot on the gas pedal and the truck lurched forward. “I damaged his vocal chords. The guy sounds like a bullfrog.”
“But he might have shot you. And don’t forget the knife.”
Erin nodded. “He deserves jail time, but he shouldn’t go down for crimes he didn’t commit.”
“Forgive me if I don’t understand your sympathy for him right now.”
“He brought it on himself. It’s the part where I lost control that still bothers me.” Her voice softened. “You saved us both.”
“We’re here for each other.” Allie paused. “I’m sure you’ve made the right decision. Besides, it’s only a temporary leave of absence. Time away from work could be a good thing for you.” She glanced over at Erin who stared at the road. “Well, I took the day off to keep you company, so let’s make a real outing of it, shall we?” The truth was that staying home alone still tortured Allie. Wrong-Way Rachel slept most of the day, as cats do. She was wonderful, but a feline’s company was on its own terms. Allie missed the unconditional love of her dog. Every day she missed Fuzzy Fiona’s presence. The sound of toenails clicking on hardwood echoed in her memory. When she put out her hand to touch soft fur, the memory faded to the grave marker and rock cairn along the river. Fiona, there would never be another like her.
“All right. We should take advantage of the lovely weather.” Erin slowed when they neared the businesses near the St. Croix River.
Allie forced a smile.
Erin pointed to a parking lot off Water Street. “Let’s go have lunch at that café.” She turned the wheel and found a spot in the shade. “Afterward we can check out the famous Stillwater Lift Bridge.”
They held hands while they walked to the restaurant and a spiky-haired young man asked them twice if they really wanted to sit on the patio.
“Of course, it’s a beautiful day,” Erin told him.
He shook his head and hustled them to a table outside with a view of construction barricades between the end of the parking lot and the river.
“Somehow I imagined this being more romantic.” Allie plucked her napkin from the table and dropped it into her lap. She ordered the poached salmon and steamed vegetables, along with a glass of ice water. Erin ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a beer from the local brewing company.
Allie shook her head. Erin’s metabolism was so fast that she would burn off every last calorie with an hour and a half of fidgeting. Allie needed to work harder to keep in shape. She hit the gym at least five days a week, six if she was stressed. A side benefit was that working out was better than reading. When she focused on exercise, the intruding thoughts blurred.
“I didn’t notice the construction from where we parked.” Erin offered up her lopsided grin when a front loader’s bucket screeched against concrete. “We can escape this noise after lunch and walk across the bridge.”
“I’d like that.”
“Did you know it was built in the 1930s? Cables keep snapping and the downtime is horrendous. They say it’s obsolete. As soon as the new bridge is built, they’ll convert this one for pedestrians. The lift will still operate to allow water traffic.”
Allie smiled indulgently. “Thank you, tour guide. Did you read a brochure or something?” This trip to town, the insistence on patio seats, Erin’s knowledge of the local landmarks, she had planned this whole outing.
The loader turned and scraped gravel in a different direction. Erin raised her voice above the screech. “Believe it or not, I searched up the most romantic lunch spots in Stillwater before we came. They had a blurb on the historic bridge, but there was no mention that half the waterfront was under construction.”
“Well, I suppose everyone for a block radius has discovered if they have any loose fillings.” Allie grinned. She dug into her meal, eager to finish and get away from the loud machinery.
Erin crumpled her napkin. “Why don’t we skip the dessert menu and go someplace quieter?”
Their stroll along the river was refreshing. They walked past the white gazebo, and across the lift bridge. A historic tour bus emptied tourists onto the trail and they hurried to keep ahead of the crowd. At the boat dock, they considered taking a paddleboat cruise, but the next one wasn’t until dinner.
Allie glanced at her watch. She’d hoped to be back home by then. There would be a lot of catching up for the day off. Her heightened job demands were directly proportional to the toxic atmosphere in the office. The company was downsizing, if that was the correct term for firing half its staff. She might be next unless she quit first.
A woman stepped onto the path ahead. Beside her, a young child held the leash of an energetic golden retriever.
“Look.” Erin pointed and quickened her pace. “That dog is gorgeous. Let’s catch up and maybe they’ll let us pet her.”
An image of the rock cairn that covered Fuzzy Fiona’s grave flashed into Allie’s mind. I’m not ready. I can’t. I just can’t. She turned abruptly and peered out at the bridge. “We should go across again.” As fast as she could, she walked the opposite direction.
“What’s wrong, Baby? Are you getting one of your premonitions?” Erin jogged on her stiff ankle to keep up with Allie.
“No, it’s not that.” How could she explain the scar on her heart that ached whenever she thought of Fiona? She studied the steel cables that supported the ancient bridge with more interest than she felt.
Calm down, that’s just a dog. It’s not your dog.
She took a deep breath and the painful knot in her chest began to unwind.
“You’re missing Fiona aren’t you?” Erin squeezed her elbow.
Warmth pulsated through Allie’s body and centered in the middle of her chest. Who was the intuitive one now? Erin might not have intuition, but she had no trouble reading her.
“Let’s go home.” Erin held out her hand.
Allie intertwined her fingers in Erin’s for the walk back. She’d never had another girlfriend who was so comfortable with herself. Erin never cared if anyone noticed or if they frowned. The knot in Allie’s chest unwound a few more turns.
They skirted the barricades on their way to the truck. It had started out as a nice break, but virtual storm clouds gathered around Erin. It was only a matter of time before she voiced her concerns.
“I’m going after Lily,” Erin blurted once they reached the main highway.
“I know.”
“I contacted Albert Schmidt. He t
old me his wife is being released from the hospital this week.”
“You didn’t tell him about the girl?”
“I lied.” Erin’s cheek twitched. “I said I was the admin assistant from Lily’s old school, sending out her records. He told me she’s doing great, making all kinds of friends. I didn’t believe that for a second. He also mentioned that Barb was in an accident and would be in hospital for a few more days. Then I got the name of the school wrong and the conversation went sideways.” She was a terrible liar, and that was another thing that Allie loved about her. “He got suspicious and said Lily warned him about people out to get her. I can imagine the lies she concocted. Albert hung up on me.”
“He won’t help us when we get to Winnipeg,” Allie said.
“Us?” Erin’s eyebrows shot up.
“I told you, we’re in this together.” She’d already arranged a place to stay in Winnipeg but she’d tell Erin all about that later. “Besides, you need me.”
“I do need you. I won’t have my trusty sidekick Z-man to back me up on this case.” She tickled Allie’s palm.
“You and Z-man were a pretty good team. I doubt I can measure up.”
“You have skills.” Erin smirked. “I sure hope your surveillance skills are better than his. He does not have a sneaky bone in his body and stakeouts with him are painful. I love that guy but every single thing he does is loud. I swear you can hear him chew gum two blocks away.”
“You’re exaggerating.” Allie raised an eyebrow. Chris Zimmerman had been Erin’s best friend and colleague for years. In another life he must have been a southern gentleman. Every time she’d spoken to him, he’d been like a bashful teenager. He’d even called her ma’am once and she’d burst out laughing. He’d shuffled his huge feet and blushed from ear to ear. He was adorable.
“Nope.” Erin retorted. “I talked to him on the phone before we left. He’s worried about some guy in a red sports car prowling the alley behind his mom’s house. He tries to keep an eye on the place when he’s working nights but the guy sees him coming a mile away and takes off. Z-man hasn’t even been able to get a license plate number. He’s really worried about her safety.”
Allie squinted out the windshield and the road blurred. Nothing about this story felt threatening. Exciting maybe. “I don’t sense that she’s in danger.”
“That’s the weird thing. He says his mom’s ignoring the whole thing. She doesn’t seem worried at all. In fact, every time he brings it up, she changes the subject.”
“A security camera is a bad idea.”
“How did you know he was going to?” Erin rolled her eyes. “Of course, you just know things. Well, if it was my mom, I’d get her a ninety-pound Rottweiler.”
“The next time you talk to him, tell him not to worry so much about his mom, okay?”
“He won’t take my word for it. Do I tell him that I heard it from my psychic?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not psychic. If I was, I’d buy lottery tickets and we’d go to the Bahamas.”
Erin tilted her head back and laughed.
“And remind him that it’s time to tell his mom he’s dating Gina.”
“I can’t imagine the sheer volume of stuff you know.” Erin shook her head. “You’re such a beautiful puzzle.”
CHAPTER 4
Frances Anne Hopkins Junior High is an ugly brick building on a boring street. Some colorblind loser chose the paint. The front doors are Barney the Dinosaur purple. Everything else is puke yellow. Yellow tile, yellow walls and yellow lockers. Yellow must have been on sale when they built this place.
A huge painting of a voyageur canoe hangs on the wall in the main entrance. Who cares about history? Not me. The only time is right now.
Lily wuz here. With a fat black marker I add my scribble to the graffiti on the painting.
Late again, I need a stupid pass to get into math class. I aim the toe of my shoe at the raised edge of a loose tile on my way to the office. It snaps off. I chase the wedge down the hall, kicking it every time I catch up. School is a waste of time, but it’s better than sitting home watching daytime TV.
Home. I smirk. There is no home. I’ve been staying with Albert at a crappy motel since what he calls the incident. Barb pissed me off for the last time and now half their kitchen is ash. The rest of the house stinks like smoke and everything’s ruined.
Someone boarded up the doors but I can still get in through an unlocked basement window. I don’t go very often because it smells like burnt garbage, and my clothes reek all day. I can’t get the stink out of my nose for a long time. I skipped my last class yesterday to go get my knife. That’s all I missed from that place.
Maybe I’m a nomad. Maybe there’s a time limit for how long I stay in one place. I sure hope we aren’t in the motel forever. Even with all the movie channels, it can get boring.
When I get to the office, I pull my hood off before the receptionist gives me a lecture. She’s on the phone and waves me to a seat. Sure, I don’t give a crap if I’m another five minutes late. I sit in the plastic chair and put my hand in my pocket to turn my knife over in my fingers.
My minion, the man who called himself my father, stole mine. This one is better. I found it in a drawer at Albert and Barb’s house. As soon as I saw it, I knew it should be mine, so I took it. No one ever mentioned it so I guess I was right.
The first night, I sat up and practiced until I could flick the blade open with one hand, in case I ever needed to. When I had that down, I faced the mirror in the bathroom and pulled down my jeans. I always heard so much about this at school. I ran the blade across my thigh and there was a brief flash of pain. I looked at the blood for a minute and wiped it off with my finger. Nah, not my thing. I’d pulled up my jeans and put the knife away.
It was truly mine now. A relationship forged by blood. At least that’s what they would have called it in the Viking movie I watched last night.
The receptionist is still blabbing on the phone when a new girl walks in with her mom. New girl sits beside me, and smoothes her perfect slacks over perfectly shaped thighs. She looks like she stepped out of a teen fashion poster. Her mom stands at the counter, timid as a field mouse, and clears her throat a couple of times. The receptionist doesn’t look up. Mom sits beside her daughter and all three of us wait until she’s done her very important call and notices us.
“This must be Nina.” I’m totally ignored while the receptionist goes ga-ga over the new girl. “What pretty hair you have, and what a sweet smile.”
Blah, blah, blah. I grind the heel of my shoe on the floor.
Finally she addresses me. “Lily, you and Nina are in the same home room. Why don’t you show her the way while I talk to her mom?”
I glance down at my worn jeans, gray hoodie and favorite ratty shoes. Do I look like I wanna make nice-nice with the fashion princess?
She hands me my late pass and shoos us out the door. As soon as I leave the office I pull my hood back up over my hair and Nina follows me, a meek clone of her mother.
The receptionist is right. Nina is pretty. Not the clown-makeup, big-boobs kind of pretty the boys around here seem to like, but real American apple pie pretty. She peeks over while we’re walking and gives me a shy smile. I get the impression that she prefers to be invisible to adults.
I drop my cigarettes on purpose and she immediately bends to pick them up. When she hands the pack to me, I notice her shoulder-length brown hair, and the sprinkle of tiny freckles across her nose. For a second, her green eyes meet mine. She catches her breath and her pupils dilate. I curve one corner of my mouth up and she looks away. A trace of interest prickles deep in my brain. Maybe she’s not a stupid pretty girl. Maybe.
Nina sits a row over from me at the back of math class. The boys twist their necks to salivate over the fresh meat and the girls turn their catty eyes to her. Notes pass down the aisles and they whisper. I cross my arms over my chest and stare down each one of them. I saw her first.
I
can already tell Nina is smart. She’s way ahead of me but that might have more to do with how often I show up in class. She lends me a pencil and graph paper. As usual, I haven’t brought anything with me. I was expecting a sharpened-at-one-end pencil, but she’s given me a mechanical pencil. Not a cheap one from the dollar store either. It’s one of the good ones that don’t break the first time you poke it into a crack in your desk.
She leans over to help me and her shampoo smells nice, like laundry detergent and soap. I give her a real smile this time and she blushes pink as a wild rose petal when she tells me to keep the pencil.
After class, a couple of boys approach Nina. She twitches and puts her head down so I step between them and they back off. Everyone clears a path for us when I walk Nina to her next class. I’m a badass panther. No one messes with me. Not since I showed my blade to the girls in the locker room. You know how girls gossip. I didn’t need to show anyone else.
One year in this school and things have changed a lot for me. Barb walked me to school on my first few days, like a moron in Kindergarten. When I told her to lay off, she kept trying to get me ready like a baby. I don’t need anyone doing that for me. I’ve been pretty much taking care of myself for years. I’ll go to school on the days I feel like it. Teachers don’t care. It’s not like they’re gonna flunk me. No one fails any more, no matter how bad they do.
The first few months I kept my head down and watched to see how things worked. Seems every place has its own unwritten rules. I learned to ignore the boys because they’re not interested in me and they’re stupid. The girls were my biggest obstacle.
I tried. I really tried to get them to like me. I tried to fit into the popular crowd. I tried to fit in with the ones that hung out after school. I smiled at all the right moments. I laughed at their stupid jokes and even wore the stupid outfits Barb bought me.
Sooner or later, I’d say something and they’d all stop and stare. ‘You skinned a squirrel?’ The whole herd of them would move away like I suddenly had cooties. After that, I never quite fit in. I don’t care. They’re idiots anyways.