“It’s faded a bit, but I can’t forget the terror in her eyes. I don’t want his thoughts in my head! I can’t stand to think the way he does! And I will if he keeps this up like he means to.”
“Simon, look at me.”
I faced her. Lucinda gripped my wrist. “Listen to me! After each infusion session, you will erase his handiwork. It’s a process of visualization, of nullifying his imprint. You must stay awake. It will take all your effort, but you mustn’t fall asleep. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
“Make sure that you do. An infusion will exhaust you. You mustn’t allow yourself to fall asleep. His imprints will settle into your mind if you do.”
I shuddered. “I’ll be careful. Now what about the visualization?”
Lucinda went through the procedure with me, making sure I understood every step along the way. Then we went through it again.
“Do you still remember the image of the dying girl?”
I nodded. “As though it were a picture in a book. Her fear, the awfulness of watching her die, is gone.”
“Good.” Lucinda’s smile turned into a yawn.
“You’re tired,” I said. “I should let you rest.”
“I’ll rest when I’m done. On to Part B.”
“Part B?” I asked.
Her expression turned sly. “Just as important as keeping Raymond out of your head is making him believe he’s succeeding. Give him some of his own back. Backtalk, sass—whatever you kids call it these days.”
I laughed. “Kind of like when Hansel kept sticking out a chicken bone so the witch would think he and his sister were too skinny to eat.”
Lucinda grinned. “Exactly.”
I shuddered. My example was too close for comfort.
“As for Lucy,” Lucinda said, “when you speak to her, make use of your keen sense of hearing. Take note of every background noise you hear.”
“I will.”
“While you and she are talking, instruct her silently to tell you where she is. Repeat this again and again.”
My mouth fell open. “You think Lucy has special abilities?”
Lucinda grinned. “Let’s find out. She’s a Davenport, isn’t she?”
“Yes, but Lucy and I never communicated that way.”
“You never had to. Did you know of your special abilities before you came to Buckley?”
I thought a bit. “I only knew my senses were extra-keen. I had no idea of the extent of my abilities until you told me. Lucy’s only nine and she’s all alone.”
Fear for my sister filled my chest until I could hardly breathe. I wanted to race around the room so the pent up energy could escape. I felt like a pressure cooker about to explode.
Lucinda’s eyes bored into mine. “Take deep breaths,” she murmured. “Relax. Relax.”
I inhaled, exhaled, inhaled, exhaled until my panic attack subsided.
“Simon, you’re living through a nightmare right now, but believe me when I tell you the good in this world outweighs the bad. I sense Lucy’s talents.” Lucinda gave me an impish smile. “After all, your parents named her after me.”
Tears burned my eyes. I wiped them away with my sleeve. My head swarmed with a hundred questions I needed to ask her.
“Aunt Lucinda,” I began.
Aunt Lucinda was fast asleep.
***
“Weird” doesn’t begin to describe how I felt at dinner. My aunt and uncle greeted me as though nothing unusual had taken place earlier in the day. I nodded to them both and took my seat. We passed around the cold salads Aunt Mary had prepared, then sat chewing and swallowing as though we were a normal family sharing an August evening meal. Raymond was in high spirits.
“You look well rested, Simon!” he boomed.
“I took a nap.”
Raymond patted Aunt Mary’s hand. “And your potato salad is delicious, my dear. As always.”
Aunt Mary nodded but avoided his gaze. “I’m glad you like it, Raymond. Have some more.”
“Don’t mind if I do!” He held out his plate so she could serve him.
We ate in silence until my uncle said, “By the way, I’ve been rethinking some decisions I’ve made and plan to change my course of action.”
Which decision? I wanted to shout. The one to keep your niece a prisoner? Instead, like Aunt Mary, I said nothing.
Our lack of interest irritated Raymond. He made a tsk-tsking sound and looked from his wife to me. “Aren’t you going to ask about my new plan?”
Aunt Mary managed a small smile. “Of course we want to know, Raymond. What have you decided?”
Instead of answering, he turned his attention to me. “I suppose your friends are still rallying for that town meeting, hoping we Davenports will keep the land as playing fields.”
We Davenports! I looked away so Raymond wouldn’t see the contempt I felt for him for calling on the family name. Then I remembered Lucinda’s instructions and decided to take the offensive.
“What do you care about the meeting? You’re the Davenport set on using the land to build condos.” I winked. “Are you planning to finish off Lucinda and me, and get all obstacles out of your way?”
A strangling sound came from my uncle’s throat. His eyes bulged and his face burned a bright red. He turned to Aunt Mary, expecting her to scold me for showing him disrespect. When she continued to look down at her hands in silence, Raymond found his voice and his outrage.
“Simon, you’re a guest in my house! I’ll ask you to keep a civil tongue in your head!”
I met his gaze straight on. “Why, Uncle Raymond, I’m only joking—and stating the obvious. You want to build condos. Lucinda and I want to keep the playing fields as they are. We stand in your way.”
“Hah! Your great-aunt Lucinda’s as crazy as a loon. And you’re a minor! You have no vote concerning this matter!”
I regarded him steadily as I spoke. “But I do, Uncle Raymond. As the land deed was drawn up, every Davenport over the age of sixteen has a vote regarding the use of the land. I’ll be sixteen in November, three months from now. I think any judge would take that into account. Remember, seventy percent of the owners must approve the sale for it to go through.”
Raymond made a froglike sound.
I forced myself to smile with as much confidence as I could muster. “Living with you has been rubbing off on me, Uncle. I’m becoming more and more like you each day.”
Aunt Mary gasped at my words, but my uncle merely nodded. A minute later he was beaming. “So you are, Simon, so you are. And you are correct about that old legal paper. I’ve been considering another property for the condos.” He gave a disparaging shrug. “One not as well located as the playing fields, but it’s a property I myself own.”
Now I was puzzled. “Then what do you care about the town meeting? In fact, there’s no need for a meeting if you’re no longer considering the playing fields as the condo site.”
Raymond nodded. “An astute observation, Simon. But the meeting’s been planned. Feelings are high and I don’t want to disappoint our fellow townsfolk.”
“How can you disappoint them if you don’t intend to take away the fields the kids use for soccer and baseball?”
“I choose to make the grand gesture, my boy!”
I shot him a look of disbelief. “What are you talking about?”
Raymond beamed, eager to reveal his plan. “By hosting the meeting with refreshments and agreeing to leave the playing fields as they are, I’ll earn myself many brownie points, as we used to say.”
“Huh!”
“Come on, Simon, don’t act dense. If I concede what the entire town is after, they’ll have to cut me slack when I ask for consideration in future business deals.”
“Oh,” I said. My uncle was back in the world of financial wheeling and dealing, something I knew little about.
“Don’t be discouraged,” Raymond said kindly. “You’ll learn all about my business concerns in time.”
“I do
n’t care about your business concerns,” I said.
“So you say now,” Raymond said, clearly amused. “That will change sooner than you think.”
A tremor ran down my spine. My uncle was planning to make his big move. But when? How? He gave off a strong whiff of anticipation. I tried to catch his gaze, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Did you happen to receive an invitation to Melanie Lewis’s party?” he asked.
“Melanie Lewis?” I asked, puzzled by the change of subject. “The head of arts and crafts at camp?”
“Yes. I understand she’s throwing a party and every counselor’s been invited.”
“Oh, yeah.” I’d gotten an email a week ago, inviting me to some get-together Sunday evening, and had deleted it without giving it much thought.
“I’d like you to go.”
“Why? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell everyone about your evil ways?”
Raymond burst out laughing. “Try it and see how fast you end up in the psychiatric ward of the hospital.”
“Raymond, don’t,” Aunt Mary said softly.
Her husband ignored her as if she hadn’t spoken.
“Go to the party. Find out what your friends and other people have to say about the upcoming meeting.” He winked. “You might even tell them I’ll be attending and catering an array of refreshments for the occasion.”
I shrugged. “Sure. Fine. Whatever you say.”
Raymond nodded his approval, then turned to his wife. “Mary, I think it’s time to serve dessert.”
“Certainly, Raymond.”
As I ate my apple cake and vanilla ice cream, I wondered what my uncle was planning. Why did he suddenly want to attend a meeting that was set up to argue against his own intentions? I wished I could read his mind. He had something in the works. But what? If Raymond was happy with the way things were going, they were bound to turn out badly for everyone else.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LATE SUNDAY MORNING I was in my room, worrying about Lucy, when Raymond shouted from downstairs that I was to join him in his office. I took my time about it. Sure, I hoped he was going to talk to me about Lucy, but most likely he had an infusion in mind. Whichever it was, I refused to appear as vulnerable as I felt.
Raymond shut the door behind us and pointed to a chair. I sat down as he went around to his chair and punched in buttons on his phone. I memorized the numbers. This was great! If he was calling the people who had Lucy, I’d have Chuck check out the number and get the address! Then I realized Raymond was probably calling a throwaway phone and we’d have no way of tracking the call.
He said a few words to whoever answered, listened, spoke again, then handed me the phone. “Talk to your sister.”
I took it in a daze. While I’d been thinking and plotting, I’d missed the few words my uncle had exchanged with Lucy’s captor, along with the chance to hear the person’s voice.
“Hello, Lucy,” I said as I began my silent mantra: Where are you, Lucy? Where are you?
“Is that really you, Simon?”
She sounded timid. Terrified. As if she’d been crying. “Yes, it’s me, Gretel.” Where are you Lucy? Where are you?
“Come and get me! Make them take me to you!”
“I hope to visit you soon. Are you all right?”
“Of course I’m not all right!” She burst into tears.
Raymond tapped my shoulder. “Tell her to behave and she’ll come out of this all right.”
“Lucy, try to be brave. Like in the witch’s house.” Where are you?
“That’s only in a story.” This is a barn, I think. On a farm.
Good girl! I exhaled and then coughed so my uncle wouldn’t notice my excitement. I could communicate with Lucy the same way I did with Lucinda!
“The story came out all right in the end, didn’t it?” I said. “We’ll be together soon.”
Raymond yanked the phone out of my hand while Lucy was speaking. “Enough.” He pressed the “off” button to disconnect the call.
I scowled. “You could have waited till we were finished.”
“No, I couldn’t. It’s time for a little session.”
His smile made me long to kick him in his paunchy stomach. Instead, I steeled myself to prevent him from gaining all but the smallest access to my mind. When it was over, I pushed past Raymond and stormed up the stairs to my room.
“Lie down and rest,” Raymond called after me.
“I’m going out,” I shouted over my shoulder. The session had left me disoriented and dizzy. I needed fresh air to stay awake so I could counteract the infusion. Besides, defying Raymond every chance I got helped me keep from going bonkers.
I splashed water on my face, then grabbed my phone and flew back downstairs, eager to leave the house. The office door was closed, which meant my uncle was probably on the phone. I put my ear to the door. He was talking to the person watching Lucy.
“Keep her comfortable.” There was a pause, and then he said, sounding annoyed, “Of course she can watch TV!”
I sighed, somewhat relieved. It didn’t sound like Raymond was planning to hurt Lucy, at least not in the immediate future. I ran through everything I’d learned so far: I had the number of the person’s cell phone; they were keeping Lucy in a barn on a farm; the farm had a TV.
“Simon!”
I spun around, my heart in my throat until I realized Aunt Mary was beckoning to me from the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” she demanded. “I know he’s up to something awful.”
“He took my baby sister.”
“Oh!” Her hand pressed against her mouth. “Your sister. I didn’t know.”
“I found out Lucy was alive and went to see her. He must have had me followed or traced her calls.”
Aunt Mary sank into a chair and buried her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Simon.”
“Not as sorry as I am,” I said.
“So that’s why John Knowles stopped by this morning. Early, around eight fifteen, while you were sleeping. They went to have breakfast in the diner, Raymond said. I figured they wanted to talk.”
“Who’s John Knowles?”
“Buckley’s police chief. He looked dead serious when he came by. I wonder how he knew what Raymond had done.”
“Aunt Grace told the police Lucy was taken and Uncle Raymond was responsible.” I made a sound that was no-way polite. “I told a Buckley cop Raymond sent Craig Averil to kill my aunt Lucinda, but he’s still walking around, a free agent.”
Aunt Mary’s eyes were the saddest I’d ever seen. “Raymond’s a respected citizen. Without proof, no one will believe he’s as much as dropped litter in the street.”
“I know. Later, Aunt Mary.”
She touched my arm. “Simon, you’re not really becoming like him, are you? Like you said last night at dinner?”
“No way! I swear.”
She gave me a weak smile. “Thank God. I don’t think I could bear it.”
Outside I started running slowly, relieved that the effects of the infusion were wearing off. I stopped after a few blocks to call Andy.
“Hey, stranger!” he greeted me. “What happened to you?” I heard voices in the background.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about yesterday. You never showed up at the pool. Pol said she saw you in the library. You acted weird and took off.”
“Yesterday?” More like a hundred years ago. I suddenly remembered. Lucinda had called when I was talking to Pol. “Yeah, I’m sorry. Some family stuff came up, stuff I had to take care of.”
Andy’s laugh was mocking. “Don’t tell me you’re growing fond of your uncle?”
I had to be careful since Raymond was probably monitoring my calls. “I just apologized, didn’t I? Where are you?”
“At a family barbecue. My mom made Pol and me come.” Andy sighed heavily. “It’s worse than I expected and my uncle burned all the hot dogs. At least we’ll have some fun tonight.”
“You’re going to Melanie Lewis’s party?”
“Pol and I thought we’d stop by.”
“I was thinking of going, but I never got around to RSVPing.”
“Melanie won’t care. Come by the house around eight and we’ll walk over.” Andy paused. “Unless—”
My heart started to pound. I was scared, but it was different from my fear for Lucy’s safety. “Unless what?”
“Unless you and Pol had a fight and aren’t talking. Lately, you guys have been acting weird around each other.” Andy exhaled loudly. “Frankly, I can’t deal with all that hostility.”
“Pol and I are great!” The blood rushed to my face. “I mean, she’s the last person I’d be hostile towards. I’m sorry if she’s mad because I had to cut our conversation short at the library.”
Andy’s voice sounded funny when he said, “You’re sure it’s family business you had to take care of?”
“Of course. What else?”
“Nothing.” He paused, then said, “Oh hell, because my suspicious twin thought it was Tasha who’d called you.”
I laughed. “Well, it wasn’t. And you can tell Pol that.”
I hummed as I set out for Lucinda’s house. I had no business feeling happy when my sister was probably crying her eyes out and fearful for her life. But knowing I’d be seeing Pol later on lifted my spirits. Besides, Lucy was okay for now. What’s more, she had powers, too. Maybe everything would turn out okay after all.
Lucinda came to the door. She appeared stronger and her face no longer looked papery white. She led me to the sitting room and grinned when I told her Lucy figured out they were keeping her in a barn.
“Good girl! We Davenport women are tough and smart.” She elbowed me in the ribs. “If you and Lucy can communicate while you’re talking on the phone, you can do it any time. Just like you and me.”
“But you gave me numbers to use to contact you,” I reminded her.
“That’s because you and I were virtual strangers. You and Lucy are close siblings, and it worked immediately.”
I told Lucinda I’d memorized the number Raymond had called, and there was a TV in the barn where Lucy was being kept.
“Get me a pad and pencil, Simon.” She pointed to the small, rickety desk. “We’ll write it all down so we don’t forget anything.”
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