“Stop.” His voice sounds ragged and tired.
“I saw someone else, too—like Lev.”
Griffin closes his eyes as though trying to calm himself. For all I know, he’s forcing himself to count to a hundred. Maybe he should try for 1,000. “Okay, I’ll bite.” His tone is clipped and angry. Griffin doesn’t mind pushing, but he never has liked being pushed. “Who is it, and how do you know?”
“I saw the aura.” I throw my can into the trash and ignore the first part of the question, hoping it will just go away.
“Okay, again, who is this person you think is an angel?” He looks up at me, narrowing his blue eyes in hopes doing so will force an answer.
“Scott Matthis. I can take you to him.” My heart starts hammering in my chest, and I hope I can keep just enough information from Griffin to drag him to Knoxville, too. If Jimmie thinks Griffin is a suitable babysitter, who am I to disagree?
“And did he tell you he was an angel?”
“I didn’t ask.” I rush upstairs to get the scrap of paper Scott handed me and head back to the kitchen, where a shell-shocked Griffin awaits. I want to burst out laughing, and while that might be a good thing, I don’t think Griffin would appreciate it.
“I must be insane,” he mutters, rising. “All right, let’s go find this Scott Mathis—under one condition.” He blocks my path to the door.
“Which is?”
“If he doesn’t corroborate your angel story, you let it go. You stop putting your life on the line, and you focus on the future, not the past. Agreed?” He folds his arms across his chest and waits. His left eyelid twitches nervously, and it seems Griffin is hardly prepared for this babysitting gig, after all.
“But what if—”
“No buts.” Griffin shakes his head. “I’m letting you lead me into madness, Lizzie. You’ve got one shot to prove you’re right. Otherwise, you let it go.”
And why should I? Who does Griffin think he is all of a sudden? Jimmie? My father? Once again I’m reminded of my first impression of him—some rich kid whose money refuses to take no for an answer. I should so throw him out—tell Jimmie this isn’t going to work. God, how could I have even trusted him? Maybe there is something wrong with me. Gritting my teeth, I know what he’s asking, but the answer is hell no. I’m not dropping anything and he has no right to ask. Still, I can play nice and pretend to let him have his way. What harm is there in that? Still, I hate lying so it’s going to take a lot for me to pull this off.
“Do we have a deal?” Lev asks, trying to make me look him in the eye.
“But—”
“No.” He slips his hand over my mouth. “We do this my way or no way. Your way almost got you killed, so we’re not about to do that again. I just now got in Jimmie’s good graces, and it was no small feat.”
My eyes bulge. Good graces? What good graces? Jimmie’s got a spy. That’s all there is to it.
“All right,” I agree, letting my shoulders sink, knowing he’s not about to go unless he thinks I’m giving in. Then again, Griffin should know I’m not planning on stopping until I find Lev, one way or another. But, see, that’s just it—he doesn’t. He and Jimmie, they don’t know anything outside of what they want to know.
His shoulders sink, probably in relief over not getting deeper into this argument. Then again, I don’t think he would be so relieved if he knew where we’re headed. “Thank God,” he exhales and turns away.
“So can we go?”
“Is Jimmie going to have a bird you left the house?” He pulls out his keys reluctantly.
“Not if you chaperone. Your coming was his idea. What am I supposed to do to entertain you in the house? No, the way I see this, it’s his fault. If you’re with me, nothing’s going to happen.” I grab his arm and lead him to the door.
“Yeah, like nothing happened at the waterfall or at the school. I’m your lucky rabbit’s foot, all right.”
Rabbit’s foot. Horse’s rear. Same thing. “So come on, rabbit’s foot. Let’s get going.” He lets me lead him outside to his car, where he even opens the door for me. I used to think Griffin was all about Show and Tell, that his manners were just a good way to get a girl horizontal. Now I know better, that part of him is real. I can’t fault him really. He means well. He does—annoying as that is. He just doesn’t quite know what to do with the flash and dazzle of being from a family made of money, and I’m beginning to think maybe he actually hates money these days. Or maybe not. It doesn’t matter, one way or the other.
Once behind the wheel, he starts asking for directions. It only occurs to him after we leave Tellico Plains behind and start towards Knoxville that perhaps he should have asked more questions before agreeing to my prospect of meeting an angel.
“So where exactly are we going, Lizzie?” His voice has that sarcastic edge that tells me he realizes he’s been had and he can’t do much about it.
“Just down the road a bit.” I point straight ahead of us as though we’re driving to a small town, not Knoxville, but the farther we go, the more apprehensive I get—claustrophobic, even.
“This isn’t funny. Where are we going?”
I take a deep breath. “Knoxville.” My voice sort of squeaks out, and the minute I say it, Griffin snaps his foot on the brake pedal before he even realizes there are people behind him. A horn sounds, and the Lexus behind him zips past. Griffin veers to the shoulder and pulls off, glaring at me.
“What in the hell are you thinking? Yesterday wasn’t enough for you?” He shakes his head and smacks a hand on the steering wheel. “I can’t take you to Knoxville, Lizzie. Jimmie will kill me.”
“No.” I shake my head. “He will never know. I swear.”
He grits his teeth and leans back in the seat. “Damn it. I didn’t come here for this.” He glares out his side mirror and pulls out.
“Then why did you come?” My voice is thin, like cling wrap stretched too thin.
“For you. Jimmie sounded out of his mind with worry, and I knew Lev’s death hit you hard.” He presses the accelerator down and quickly zooms up to speed. “I’m going to find a place to turn around and take you home.”
“You promised!” I snap. “Or did you even mean anything you said?” I scowl at him.
“That’s not fair. You didn’t even clue me in on where you wanted me to go, now did you?”
I stare out the windows as tears build up in my eyes. “Does it matter so long as I can prove what I say is true? That there are angels here?”
“Lizzie, I can’t—”
“I swear it won’t be dangerous. I know one of them. He’s a cop. No matter what he says, he is an angel. There’s no harm in just talking to him.”
“Unless it’s in the middle of a drive-by.”
Ahead, we both see the overpass where Griffin will be able to turn around if he chooses. I feel the car decelerate as his foot wavers.
“Please just do this one thing, Griffin. I need to talk to Scott. I need to find out what he knows about Lev.”
“And what if he knows that Lev is dead and won’t come back?”
I shake my head and look back out the window. “No, I won’t accept that. It’s not a possibility.” My whole body shivers from an unexpected chill, and I see Griffin glance at me as though he, too, realizes how vulnerable that suggestion makes me. I won’t believe Lev is gone. I can’t. He has to exist somewhere. Angels don’t just die, not like us.
Do they?
The overpass looms just ahead. Griffin is still shaking his head. His foot is wavering, and right now I wish I had the power to make him see what is locked inside my head—the truth about Lev, Celia, and Evan. There would be no room to doubt what I’m trying to tell him is true.
“Please, Griffin. There’s no way Jimmie will let me come to Knoxville, and he won’t listen to me.” I’m torn between eyeing the overpass and Griffin’s resolute expression.
“Lizzie, I’m sorry. I promised Jimmie I would take care of you when he couldn’t be around.”
/>
“So do it. In Knoxville. Just for a few minutes. Please.”
The exit ramp is just ahead, and I can’t read Griffin. Whatever he decides, I know he’s trying to keep me intact, but the pieces will never heal to form the person who once existed in this body. She’s seen too much. Her eyes have been opened, and she’s looking everywhere for angels.
Chapter Five
Griffin slows the car, and I feel my heart thump convulsively in my chest as the fear of turning around makes me grip the armrest. I can tell he’s watching me in his peripheral vision, but I don’t know what he’s expecting. I lean back, eyes closed, figuring that nothing I do is going to change Griffin’s decision. Here again, I’m at the mercy of someone else—my fate determined by someone who’s not me. I hate the feeling. I hate it. And why shouldn’t I? Who is Griffin to decide? Why should he even have a choice? It’s my life—my delusion, if that’s what it is. If I’m wrong, so what? This has to stop. And soon.
I wait for the sound of the turn signal to start clicking and the unavoidable slowing of the car. Resigned, I grit my teeth, knowing what’s coming.
Yet we keep driving, never veering toward the turn lane. Finally, after a couple of minutes pass, I open my eyes and look at the roadside. A sign just head tells me we are still headed toward Knoxville, and I suddenly want to hug Griffin. Instead, I offer him a smile.
“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling the tightness leave my chest.
His jaw clenches, and he shakes his head. “Yeah, well, just remember your promise when all of this is over.”
“All right,” I agree dutifully. Chewing my lip, I try to figure out by yesterday’s drive how long it’s going to take, but I’ve never been all that great at judging distance. Still, Scott does deserve some advanced warning I’m coming, so I pull out the paper with his number and then my cell phone.
“Who are you calling?” Griffin asks, nervously watching me push buttons.
“Scott, so we can set up a place to meet.”
The sound of the phone ringing at the other end arrests my attention, and I focus on the call. As Scott answers, I somehow hear Lev’s voice buried in his even though I tell myself he’s not Lev.
“Hey,” I begin, deliberately making my voice more cheerful and carefree than I actually feel. “This is Elizabeth Moon. I was heading into Knoxville, and I wondered if I could meet with you for a few moments.”
An exasperated sigh comes out at the other end. “Elizabeth, does Jimmie know where you are? Is he with you?”
“No, but Jimmie has sort of paired me up with a babysitter to keep me out of trouble, so you don’t have to worry about that, okay? I just want to meet face to face because I have a couple of questions I want to ask.”
There’s a lengthy pause, then he says, “I’m not working today, so if you’re coming to Knoxville, I guess you can swing by here.”
He goes on to give me the address with directions, and I can tell by his tone he’s reluctant, probably anticipating what our conversation is going to be about. I politely thank him and hang up, but even after the call, some part of me lingers with his voice. Maybe it does sound different, but what if it is Lev’s soul inside his body? Chills dapple my skin with that thought, and it takes my breath away to think I could actually be that close to him again. I just don’t understand why, if he is Lev, he won’t admit it. Has he forgotten me?
“So where are we headed, Lizzie?” Griffin asks, half peering at the directions Scott has given me. Then again, I doubt he can read them, considering my chicken scratch and abbreviations.
I tell him the address and slide the cell in my pocket. Although I know we’re getting close to the outskirts of Knoxville, we still have a little time, and I figure maybe I should ask what Griffin meant when he said things weren’t going so hot at home.
“So what’s going on with you?”
He grabs his sunglasses from the console and shakes his head. “Well, I’m not exactly ready to do the college thing, and my dad is freaking out. He won’t listen. He thinks I’m supposed to follow in his footsteps and become a point of interest in Hauser’s Landing’s history when all I want to do is leave that damned town.” Without his realizing it, Griffin has curled his fingers around the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turn white.
Tension threads my shoulders, and for a moment I’m glad to hear someone else’s problems, things that don’t involve dying or angels—not that much consolation to Griffin; I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes. I used to think Griffin had too much freedom, but no—just a lot of money, which doesn’t amount to the same thing at all.
“How did you manage to escape here?”
“I told him I was touring college campuses.” He flips the air conditioner lever down, and I’m glad of the reprieve. “I guess he figures that since classes are going to be starting next week, this will give me a chance to enroll The truth is, I haven’t applied to any campuses because I don’t want to go.”
I shake my head. “Maybe you could swing by The University of Tennessee while we’re here?” I suggest, smirking.
“Don’t help,” he growls.
“I’m sorry things aren’t going so well,” I say. “But I am glad you are here.” And I believe that, I think. Almost.
“You’re just glad I’m taking you to Knoxville, Lizzie. Don’t even deny it.”
I shrug. “Okay, so that’s true. But it doesn’t mean I’m not glad. You’re the only part of Hauser’s Landing I missed.”
Griffin grins. “Now that’s more like it.”
“Should I have flattered you sooner?”
“Funny.” He nods to the increasing traffic ahead and the billboards that have begun popping up more and more frequently. “So maybe we should talk directions.”
“Okay.” I look at the notes I’ve scribbled and start rattling off the information to Griffin who has a better memory than anyone I’ve ever met. I just thought he was acing all those classes because of Gail. Who knew?
My stomach starts to feel all fluttery, and although I know I have to ask Scott, I’m still not sure how. I go through one scenario after another, trying to find something that doesn’t sound crazy. I can’t. No matter how I phrase it, it’s going to sound weird. So if the blunt course is all the same as the tactful one, I’m guessing the first strategy out of my mouth is going to have to be blunt and to the point. I’ve never been one for tap-dancing around the point, anyway, and I don’t intend to start now.
I’m still rehearsing the whole thing in my head when we pull up in front of a single story house with a lush green lawn and yellow flowers scatted throughout the bed up front. I never would have figured Scott as a flower person. Something else to think about.
“You ready?” Griffin nods to the front door as he takes his keys from the ignition and stows his sunglasses back on the console.
“Guess so.” I open my door, and we both walk up the flower-lined walk to the door. Taking a deep breath, I ring the bell and listen as the chimes resonate inside. After the second ring, Scott appears at the door, wearing a navy blue t-shirt and jeans. Against the dark clothing, his skin and hair seem to glow as usual, and I can still see the faintest shimmer of his wings outlining his body. Glancing from my face to Griffin’s, he finally opens the door and gestures us inside, where we sit on the couch. He closes the door.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
Both Griffin and I shake our heads. Then I point to Griffin. “This is my friend, Griffin. Jimmie called him to come and look out for me.”
Scott steps forward, and they shake hands. Then Scott turns to me. “So what’s going on, Elizabeth?”
I shrug. “Why do you call me that? Everyone else calls me Lizzie.”
He sits in the recliner opposite us. “Never thought about it. I can start, if you want.” Then he shakes his head. “Did you actually drive all the way for that?”
Flustered, I look down. “Of course not. I just wondered. Lev used to call me that, but nobody else.”
>
From the corner of my eye, I see Griffin stiffen and shoot me a warning glance, telling me I’m probably pushing too hard and too fast. Yet Griffin has no idea what these questions are doing to me.
“Coincidence, I’m sure,” Scott replies calmly. He glances over at Griffin. “Might I have a word with you privately?”
“Sure.” A flush creeps into Griffin’s face, and I can see this whole escapade has left him on the verge of a meltdown.
Frustrated, I quickly stand. “Hey, what’s going on? I came to talk to you, not sit around while you talk about me behind my back. What kind of crap is that? I’m right here. Deal with it.”
“I know.” He stands, and in passing, he sets one hand on my shoulder—a placating gesture that riles me even more. “But I have a couple of questions for Griffin since he’s the one who drove you up here despite everything. And I have a sneaking suspicion he’ll be much more honest this way.” His eyes are no-nonsense, his tone pointed.
Sighing, I shake my head. “Fine. I’ll just wait here.” Why do I keep doing this to myself? It happens every time I trust someone. I become a problem to be solved, not someone to be understood. We shouldn’t have come here. It’s a complete waste of time. Anyway, even if Scott is Lev or knows him—he obviously doesn’t want me in on it.
“Good choice.” Scott calls, slipping into the next room and closing the door so I can’t hear the exchange. I frown at the door but quickly decide that’s not going to make any difference. I’m stuck, whether I like it or not. I walk around the room, heading to the fireplace mantle where I see numerous pictures of Scott. The first one I pick up must’ve been taken the day he was sworn in as an officer, and while I see a cute blonde girl in some of the photos, most of them are only of Scott, which doesn’t surprise me. What about his parents? Who is the blonde? How long has he been a cop? This picture looks pretty recent.
More questions, but only one answer, and I know it. Betcha more than six months ago, Scott Mathis didn’t even exist. Amazing how angels easily lend themselves to lies when they’re supposed to be harbingers of truth.
Second Sight (Sojourner Series Book 3) Page 5