The Dark Side Of The Moon

by Margaret Watson

  “Black is fine.”

  He sounded preoccupied, so she risked a took into the other room. To her relief, he was engrossed with his examination of the lock on the front door and didn’t look at her. She watched him for a moment before retreating.

  Her heart pounded and her mouth was dry as dust. Even though he wasn’t wearing his uniform, everything about Holt screamed cop, from the way he held himself to the quick confidence in his hands as he worked on her lock. His self-assurance and calm assumption of the authority role were disturbing and uncomfortable. But she was glad that he was here, and that disturbed her more than anything else.

  Pouring tea and coffee into mugs and putting some packaged cookies on a plate, she walked into the living room and set the tray on a table. “Here’s your coffee.”

  He looked at her and straightened. “This lock is fine. No signs of tampering.” Picking up the coffee, he watched her, his eyes guarded once more. “You should have a dead bolt installed, though.”

  Thinking about the minuscule balance in her bank account, she cringed inside but nodded with resignation. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  Setting his coffee down, he said, “Is there a back door into your house?”

  Thankful that he was concentrating on business, Tory nodded. “And one into the basement. I’ll show you where they are.”

  Holt pronounced the back door fine also, then they headed for the basement. Tory hadn’t been down there since she’d moved in, but she remembered how dark and dusty it had been when she’d looked at the house last summer. She grabbed an extra flashlight, and they headed down the stairs.

  “Cheerful place,” Holt said as they looked around the open space. The basement had one light bulb that dangled from the ceiling. It barely managed to illuminate the corners of the room, and its slow movement threw grotesque shadows on the walls.

  “It’s a typical basement for this kind of house.” The basement was part of her home, and it held no terrors for her. Whatever had been making her uncomfortable had been coming from outside, not down here.

  Holt cast her a curious look and headed for the door. It had a dead bolt on it, and after a few minutes he looked up at her. “This lock is sturdier than the door. You shouldn’t have to worry about it. And no one’s been fiddling with it, either.”

  “Great,” she said lightly. Heading up the stairs toward the welcoming pool of light that spilled onto the floor, she heard him right behind her: He was close enough that she could feel his heat and energy surrounding her, just as she had as they’d walked to the clinic.

  When they reached the living room she paused, uncertain. She hadn’t wanted him to come into her house, but when he left she would be alone with the trees. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Would you like more coffee?”

  He watched her for a while. Finally he said, “I’d love another cup.”

  She reached for his cup, and his fingers brushed hers when he handed it to her. The sensation that shot through her made her fingers close tightly around the cup. She cursed herself for asking him to stay as she hurried into the kitchen.

  “So,” she asked a few minutes later, safely seated on a chair opposite the couch. “How do you like Eagle Ridge so far?” That was an innocuous enough topic of conversation.

  “I like it just fine, with one rather glaring exception.”

  Swallowing a gulp of her too-hot tea, she realized the question hadn’t been so innocuous after all. “Do you, ah, have any idea who might be involved in the murders?”

  Something flickered in his eyes before he shuttered them. Something hot and blazing, hinting at the emotions boiling below his calm surface. “Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” His voice was deceptively mild. “Actually, I was telling you the truth earlier today. There are no leads and not a lot of evidence.”

  “I thought there was always evidence at a crime,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

  “Damn little in this case.”

  “Why is that?”

  “The guy who did it is either smart or lucky. Personally, I hope he’s lucky. Luck won’t hold forever. Sooner or later, it turns.”

  “What if he’s smart?”

  His lips tightened. “Then I have to hope that he makes a mistake.” He gulped his coffee, set his mug on the table and looked at her. “And that’s all I can say about the case. I shouldn’t even have said that much.”

  Tory looked away, wondering if one of the people she’d grown up with had managed to hide a twisted sickness. She’d never been close to the people of Eagle Ridge, but the thought that someone she knew could be responsible for two murders made her feel ill.

  “Think about what I said earlier.” His voice was unexpectedly gentle. “You don’t have to leave permanently, but you should think about moving into town until I catch the murderer.”

  “I can’t, Holt.” His name felt intimate on her lips, and she wasn’t sure she liked the feeling. “Besides the fact that I couldn’t afford to, I can’t run away.” This was the place she’d run to, trying to get away from her problems. “I’m here to stay.”

  His eyes seemed to soften as he watched her. Their silvery depths beckoned her, urging her to get lost in them. As she stared back, he murmured, “As much as I would like you to leave, I think I understand. I couldn’t run away either, Tory.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “I just hope the evil in Eagle Ridge hasn’t noticed you yet.”

  “I just got here, remember?” Her voice echoed with bravado, and she knew it. “It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with me.”

  He stood and looked at her. “I hope to God that’s true.”

  She stood, too, watching him reach for his keys. “Thank you for coming out tonight to check my locks. Especially since you weren’t on duty.”

  His eyes darkened as he watched her. “I didn’t think of it as strictly a business call, Tory.” The words sounded almost reluctant, as if he’d spoken them against his better judgment.

  “You know nothing about me,” she whispered, her heart pounding. “And I know nothing about you. How could it be more than business?”

  Slowly, almost as if unwillingly, he reached out and touched her cheek. His caress was featherlight, stroking down her face and across her lips, but she felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. Holt dropped his hand as if the searing electricity had flashed through him, as well.

  “That’s how.”

  She stood in the middle of the floor and watched as he let himself out the door. After a moment, she heard the rumble of his engine as he drove away.

  Staring at the door, she touched her face. It still tingled where Holt’s finger had traced a path down her cheek and across her lips. She didn’t want this, a panicked inner voice cried. She didn’t want to get involved with anyone right now, especially not a policeman. She feared and mistrusted all of them. And Holt Adams, for all his hidden secrets, was a policeman.

  She wasn’t sure how long she stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door. When she finally moved away, looking at the clock, she realized it was time to head to the clinic to turn off her patient’s intravenous fluids for the night.

  Grabbing her keys from the kitchen counter, she let herself into the night and carefully locked her house behind her. As she hurried toward the other building, she tried to ignore the trees around her, but the sense of being watched was almost overwhelming. Finally, slowing down, she glanced over her shoulder.

  A dark car sat in the entrance to her property, its lights out. Watching her.

  Chapter 3

  For a moment Tory was too frightened to move, trapped between the clinic and the house. Finally, though, as she stared at the car, she realized it was a Blazer. A black Blazer with the Eagle Ridge police insignia on the door.

  Closing her eyes, she let both relief and anger flood through her. She held tightly to her keys as she stalked toward the car.

  Holt stepped onto the driveway as she approached. “What’s wrong?”

  “W
hat’s wrong?” she echoed, her voice rising in disbelief. “What are you doing here? You scared me half to death when I saw your car.”

  He started toward her, but stopped before he reached her. “I just wanted to make sure everything was all right. I knew you had to go back to the clinic, and I didn’t want you to be alone.”

  She struggled to keep her anger at bay. Finally she said, “Thank you, I suppose, but you didn’t have to do this. I’ve been going back to vet clinics in the evening for years.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “You just checked the doors, and you nailed a two-by-four over the broken one. What could possibly happen?”

  He studied her for a moment, then shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know, but I don’t want to find out. You’re alone out here, with no one around for miles, and you’re walking into a dark, empty building. Why shouldn’t I worry?” He looked at her again, but in the darkness she couldn’t read his expression. “And I don’t think you enjoy going back there alone, do you?”

  She bit her lip, thinking of all the times she’d walked into an empty clinic at night and how she had always hated it. There was always that brief moment in the dark, before she turned the lights on, when she wondered if she was really alone, that instant of holding her breath and listening to the silence. No, checking on her patients at night had never been one of her favorite parts of her job.

  She looked at Holt. How had he known? Where did he get the kind of perception that allowed him to see that? “How did you know that bothered me?” she asked in a low voice.

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. No one likes walking into dark, empty buildings.” His gaze found hers in the darkness, wrapping them both in a cloak of intimacy. Something twined around them, drawing them together.

  Fighting the pull of him, she shook her head and looked away. “It’s all right. The dog would bark if anyone was there. I always have a built-in warning system when I go to a clinic at night.”

  “I still don’t like it.” His words sounded ominous in the darkness, and she fought against her fear.

  “It’s not my favorite part of the job, either, but it has to be done. Thank you for being concerned, but you can’t sit out here every night while I go to the clinic.” Her voice softened. “Go home, Holt. You’ve been working for at least twelve hours. You must be exhausted.”

  The light from the stars gave his silver eyes a bleak, desolate look. “I’ll stay until you’re finished.”

  “It may take me a while. It’s all right,” she insisted. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll at least wait until you’re in the door safely. Once you’re inside and sure everything is in order, blink the lights two times. If I know everything’s all right in the clinic, I’ll leave.”

  “All right.” She didn’t want to tell him how relieved she was that he’d be there until she was safely inside. She started to turn away, then paused. “Thank you again, Holt.” Brushing his arm with the lightest of touches, she felt his heat and tension pulsing through her fingers and she pulled quickly away. After one more look, she turned and walked toward the clinic.

  She knew Holt stood outside his truck, watching her. She could feel his gaze on her back as she walked toward the low building. When she reached the door she turned and looked at him. He stood there, still and watchful. Raising one hand, she waved, then slipped inside without waiting for a response.

  It was just like any other veterinary clinic at night. The furniture cast odd shadows on the walls, and there was the sense of life beyond the next door. It was just her patient, she knew, but it never failed to unnerve her. Switching on the light, she walked into the kennel area and glanced around. Everything was secure, and it only took a minute to check the rest of the building.

  She walked to the front door and flicked the light switch two times. Almost immediately she heard Holt’s truck start, and she listened to the growl of his engine fade into the distance.

  He was gone. She was alone out here, with no one but a sick dog for company. Shaking off the sense of unease that settled over her, she made sure the front door was locked and walked to her patient.

  Fifteen minutes later, she switched off all the lights and stepped into the crisp evening air. It was a beautiful night, with not a cloud in the sky to obscure her view of the stars. She stared up for a moment, unwilling to face the trees. Then, telling herself firmly that she was going to have to get over this ridiculous fear, she looked at her house and began walking toward it.

  The trees whispered to her, calling her. The pull was stronger this time, as if they sent out invisible threads to wind around her and draw her closer. She was almost at her front door when something made her glance over her shoulder at the black forest.

  A dark form stood at the edge of the trees, silent and still. Watching her. For a moment, as she stared at it, the shape didn’t move. Then, without a sound, it disappeared into the trees and was gone.

  Her hands shook so badly that it took long agonizing moments to unlock her front door. Once she was inside, she turned the lock then looked around frantically for something to barricade the door. She started to pull a table in front of the door, then stopped herself.

  “It was probably just an animal, you ninny,” she said aloud. She walked into the dark kitchen and forced herself to stand at the window and look at the woods. Nothing moved except the gentle swaying of the pines in the evening breeze. In spite of what she’d seen there just minutes ago, the sense of evil she’d felt from the forest was retreating. For the first time that day, the trees in front of her looked like just that, trees. Not the personification of evil or some mysterious power that was trying to draw her closer.

  She stood at the kitchen sink for a long time, watching out the window, waiting for another glimpse of whatever she’d seen. But nothing moved beyond her window, and nothing threatened. Finally she moved away and sank down on her couch.

  It was probably just a deer, she told herself. It had been dark and hard to see. It couldn’t have been a person. Her closest neighbor was a mile away. Besides, no one would be in the woods at that time of night.

  Maybe it was Holt, a small voice inside her head said.

  She thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. “No, it wasn’t.” Her voice sounded wobbly, and she tried to push that thought out of her head. It couldn’t have been Holt. He’d know how much that would frighten her. He wouldn’t do that.

  But how well do you really know him? the same small, insidious voice continued. You just met him today. These murders started after he came to Eagle Ridge.

  She jumped up from the couch, horrified at the thought. Who said whatever was in the woods had anything to do with the two murders in Eagle Ridge?

  Walking into the kitchen, she flipped on the lights and began heating water for tea. Her imagination had really started operating in overdrive since she’d moved here. First the trees threatened her, and now she suspected the new police chief was involved in murder. That dream she had last night must have really thrown her brain out of whack.

  “This is ridiculous,” she said. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number for the Eagle Ridge police station.

  “Eagle Ridge police. Officer Williams speaking,” a young man answered. It wasn’t Holt. She wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or frightened.

  “This is Tory Falcon. I live at the veterinary clinic about three miles out of town. I think I might have seen a prowler in the trees a little while ago.”

  “I’ll be right there to check on it, ma’am,” he answered. “I know where you are. Stay inside and don’t open the door.”

  He hung up the phone, and she slowly replaced the receiver into its cradle. As if anything less than an act of God would get her to open her door now, she thought as she fought down a bubble of hysteria. Somehow, calling the police station seemed to give more credence to all her dark fears. “It was probably just an animal,” she told herself again.

  “It was pr
obably just an animal, ma’am.” Officer Williams, young and earnest, had checked the entire perimeter of the woods surrounding her house and clinic and spent a long time at the place where she’d seen the figure. “I couldn’t find anything. Not even any footprints.” He shifted from one foot to the other and looked at a spot behind her ear. “But I’m glad you called. We’ve had a bit of trouble, and you can’t be too careful.”

  She supposed she’d call two murders a bit of trouble, Tory thought, irritated that he was trying to hide the seriousness of the problem from her. “Did you call Chief Adams?” she asked casually.

  The young man looked surprised. “How did you know? We have standing orders to call him with reports of prowlers.”

  Tory clenched her hands in her pockets. Her heart pounded as she said, “Just wondering. What did he say?”

  “He wasn’t there.” Williams shrugged. “It’s his night off. I’ll make sure he hears about it in the morning, though.”

  She barely heard the rest of the young police officer’s instructions. She guessed she must have made the appropriate responses, because he eventually left her alone. Waiting until she heard his car leaving the driveway, she walked to the kitchen and poured the tea she’d forgotten about earlier. It was lukewarm, but she carried it with her as she turned out the lights and walked up to her bedroom.

  What she needed was a good dose of fiction to make her forget what had happened. She got ready for bed and slipped underneath the down comforter, picking up the book she’d left on the nightstand. It was a romance novel by one of her favorite authors. Opening the book, she tried to lose herself in another world.

  Even in the darkness, she knew she was in the forest. The thick trees, dense and close together, strangled any moonlight before it reached the forest floor. But she could feel the wind.