The Edge of Eternity

by Amanda Stevens

  Like a woman possessed.

  The notion made him distinctively uncomfortable, and he tried not to dwell on what Elizabeth’s behavior might mean as he sat up in bed and rubbed the back of his neck.

  Where was she anyway? And how long had she been gone?

  Frowning, Paul called out her name. When she didn’t respond, he jumped out of bed and grabbed his pajamas. Slipping them on, he went through the cottage looking for her. He’d begun to panic a little when he found a note she’d taped to his bathroom mirror. She’d gone up to the waterfall.

  Why in the world would she go back up there? he wondered anxiously. After her confrontation with Nina, he thought they’d agreed that she wouldn’t go there alone again.

  Quickly showering and dressing, he headed out. The overcast sky gave the day a somber look and deepened Paul’s anxiety as he followed the trail back into the trees. It had rained during the night. The canopy dripped steadily as strands of mist drifted like gossamer across the path.

  The woods all around him were eerily silent. Paul had never been the skittish sort or one prone to a wild imagination. But he found himself glancing over his shoulder now and then, almost expecting to see a wraith-like figure slinking along the trail behind him. A diaphanous form with the face of the man he’d seen in Zoë Lindstrom’s book.

  Roland Latimer was a very nasty customer. Alive or dead, I wouldn’t want to cross paths with him.

  As Paul thought back on his conversation with Zoë, he also remembered something Elizabeth had said last night when he’d come into her room and found her naked on the bed. You have to save me from him, she’d whispered frantically. And then, Make love to me. It’s the only way.

  Paul had been too caught up in the moment to worry about her motivation, but now he had to wonder what she’d meant by that.

  You have to save me from him.

  He couldn’t get her plea out of his mind, and he found himself glancing over his shoulder once again. For one split second he could have sworn he saw someone standing under one of the trees, and his breath quickened. The man was there one moment, gone the next.

  It was nothing, he thought in relief. An optical illusion created by the patchy fog.

  He certainly hadn’t spotted Roland Latimer lurking in the shadows. The man had been dead for seventy years, and contrary to local legend, Paul refused to believe that Fernhaven was haunted by the spirits of those who had perished in the fire. He’d never believed in the supernatural and he wasn’t about to start now.

  As he neared the fall, the mist thickened and it was like stepping into another world. A thick, gray, shifting world that seemed to hold time suspended. Over the roar of the water he heard Elizabeth’s voice and he wondered who on earth she could be talking to. Hopefully not Nina Wilson. Surely the woman wouldn’t have the gall to follow her up here again.

  He hurried his steps anyway, and as he emerged from the trees, he heard Elizabeth again. But as he drew within a few feet of her, she fell silent even though she gave no other indication that she was aware of his presence.

  She was sitting alone on a log. No one else was around, so she must have been talking to herself.

  No big deal. He sometimes muttered to himself at work.

  But somehow the sight of Elizabeth sitting alone on that log, staring up into the trees, jarred him more than he cared to admit.

  As he followed her gaze, the blood in his veins turned to ice.

  Beady eyes stared back at him.

  Vultures, he thought in amazement. Through the curls of mist he caught glimpses of their distinctive red heads and hooked beaks. There must have been dozens of them perched in the trees. He’d never seen anything like it. “What the hell—”

  “They smell death.” Elizabeth’s words sent another chill up Paul’s spine. He still had no idea if she was addressing him or not, but he chose to believe that she was. Because the alternative was not something he wanted to contemplate.

  “They can smell decaying flesh,” he corrected. “I don’t think they have any particular psychic abilities.” Still, he’d never seen so many of them in one place before and he had to admit the sight was a little unnerving.

  “I found your note,” he said as he came over to sit beside her on the log. “I was a little surprised that you’d come back up here alone.”

  “I like it up here. There’s something special about this place. Can’t you feel it?” she said in a hushed, rev erent tone. Her face looked beautiful and strangely serene. “It’s peaceful, like a chapel.”

  Peaceful wasn’t the word that came to Paul’s mind. Not with the roar from the waterfall and the mist that seemed to swirl greedily over the rocks.

  And vultures gazing down at them from the trees.

  But if Elizabeth found it peaceful, even mystical for some reason, perhaps that explained why she felt so drawn to the place. Maybe she hadn’t been talking to herself after all, but praying. She’d always been a spiritual person.

  “I hope I’m not intruding on your privacy,” he said carefully.

  “No, of course not.” But in spite of her assurance, she had yet to meet his gaze. It was as if she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Was she embarrassed about last night?

  Paul studied her profile. “You’re not trying to avoid me, are you?”

  She turned in surprise. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because we’ve been avoiding one another for months. We’ve avoided a lot of things, I think. Maybe we’ve gone about it in different ways, but we’ve both been avoiding life in order to avoid more pain. I don’t want to do that anymore,” he said softly. “Not after last night.”

  She glanced away. “I don’t want to talk about last night.”

  “Why not? And don’t say it was a mistake,” he said harshly. “Because it wasn’t. It was the sanest thing either of us has done in a long damn time.”

  “I’m not saying it was a mistake.”

  “Then what?”

  She lifted a hand to brush back damp hair. “I’m just not sure it changes anything.”

  “Maybe not for you,” he said, trying to conceal his hurt. “But it changed everything for me. It made me realize how much I’ve missed our closeness and how badly I’ve handled things since Damon died. I never should have let you push me away. I never should have let you go through your grief alone.”

  “I wasn’t alone.”

  He wanted to believe that she was referring to her family and friends, but he wasn’t at all sure that was what she meant. She seemed so distant this morning. So…lost.

  He reached out suddenly and took her hand. “Let’s get out of here, Elizabeth. Let’s go back to the cottage, pack up our stuff and get the hell away from this place.”

  She said, almost in shock, “You want to leave?”

  “Why not?” He looked around, trying to suppress a shudder. “This place gives me the creeps,” he muttered.

  “But…what about your meeting with Boyd Carter this afternoon?”

  Paul would have liked nothing better than to blow off that meeting, but he couldn’t afford to. Not the way his luck had been running at work lately. “We’ll get packed up and leave as soon as the meeting is over. We can be on the road before dark. What do you say?”

  But Elizabeth was no longer listening to him. Her attention was caught once again by the vultures in the trees.

  “Elizabeth?”

  “It’s like they’re waiting for something,” she said in a near whisper.

  Paul shrugged. “I expect they’re migrating south for the winter.”

  “I don’t think so. I’m afraid…” She broke off on a shiver.

  “What, Elizabeth? What are you afraid of?” Something in her voice lifted the hair at the back of Paul’s neck.

  She put a hand to her throat. “I’m afraid they’re waiting for me.”

  Her words stopped his heart. “Elizabeth, my God, don’t talk like that!”

  She frowned, her expression perplexed. “I do
n’t—I don’t know why I said that.”

  He grabbed both her arms and turned her toward him. “You’re scaring the hell out of me. All this talk about death…” His grasp tightened. “Promise me you’ll never try to hurt yourself again.”

  She gasped in shock. “I would never do that.”

  “I don’t think you would, but…” He pulled her into his arms then and held her as hard as he dared. “I couldn’t bear to lose you, too. I couldn’t stand it.”

  As her body trembled against his, he couldn’t seem to shake the memory of the day he’d found her unconscious on their bed. She’d been so still and pale and silent, her expression almost serene….

  PAUL HAD BEEN RELUCTANT to go off to his meeting once they’d returned to the cottage, but Elizabeth had finally convinced him that she was fine. Although he’d done a good job of hiding it until today, Elizabeth knew he was still haunted by her suicide attempt. She couldn’t blame him, of course. She’d tried to kill herself once, and that wasn’t something either of them would ever forget.

  Still, she knew that no matter what happened, she would never go to that dark place again. It would take some time, but Paul would finally come to realize that, too.

  He’d only been gone a few minutes when the phone rang. Thinking that he might have forgotten something, she hurried to pick up. But it was Frankie, not Paul.

  “I’m glad I caught you in, Lizzy, because I want to apologize for last night. I’m so sorry for all those things I said. Can you ever forgive me?”

  “We both said some harsh things,” Elizabeth murmured.

  “I know, but I couldn’t sleep last night for worrying about how badly I upset you. I’m hoping you’ll let me buy you a drink and make it up to you.”

  Elizabeth glanced at her watch. The afternoon was already slipping away and she still had a lot to do.

  “Lizzy? Are you there?”

  “Yes, I’m here, but I don’t have time for a drink. Paul and I are driving back to Seattle today.”

  “Oh.” Frankie sounded disappointed. “Didn’t I see Paul in the lobby a few minutes ago?”

  “He has a meeting with some of his investors, but we’re leaving as soon as he’s finished.”

  “That could take hours,” Frankie said. “You know how those things go. Come on, Lizzy. Surely you can make time for just one drink. I don’t want to go another day with all this tension between us.”

  “I don’t know—”

  “Wait. Before you say no, I have an even better idea,” Frankie said excitedly. “We can’t leave Fernhaven without trying the hot springs. That’s what this place is famous for! The waters are supposed to be very therapeutic. Almost spiritual, I hear. Have you seen the pools? They’re gorgeous. We could order a bottle of wine and just relax while Paul’s in his meeting.”

  After Paul had expressed such deep reservations about Frankie the evening before, Elizabeth wasn’t at all certain she wanted to spend the afternoon with her. What if Frankie really had mismanaged the shop’s assets? Or worse, deliberately embezzled from their capital? Those were matters that would have to be dealt with seriously, and as soon as Elizabeth called for a review of the books, Frankie would know something was up. She’d realize that Elizabeth no longer trusted her, and whatever the outcome of the audit, their friendship, as well as their business relationship, might very well be damaged beyond repair.

  But Elizabeth couldn’t ignore Paul’s warning. Sooner or later she’d have to find out if there was any basis to his concerns. Maybe it was time she started feeling Frankie out about the possibility of an outside examination.

  “All right,” she finally said. “But I can’t stay long.”

  “You can leave whenever you want,” Frankie said eagerly. “I’m just glad you’re coming. I’ll meet you at the pools in ten minutes.”

  Elizabeth hung up slowly, hoping she’d done the right thing. Before she could change her mind, she hurried over to her half-packed suitcase to dig out her swimsuit.

  A few minutes later she joined Frankie at the pools. They had the whole area to themselves. The threat of rain and the cooler temperatures must have chased everyone else inside, Elizabeth decided as they disrobed and slipped neck-deep into the steamy water.

  The place was wonderfully secluded and serene. Mist covered the lush underbrush like a soft blanket, while vapor from the heated pools curled upward through the tall trees, disappearing against a gray sky.

  It was a strange, mystical place, and after a few moments Elizabeth began to relax. She felt more at peace than she had in days. The minerals in the water really did seem to have restorative qualities.

  Frankie gave a long, contented sigh. “I could stay here forever. This place is heaven.”

  “You’d get bored sooner or later.” Elizabeth sat down on a ledge and reclined against the wall of the pool.

  “You’re probably right. But it’s a great way to spend a cloudy afternoon, you have to admit. I’m glad you came, Lizzy.”

  “It is nice,” Elizabeth murmured.

  “Do you know what I was thinking about before I called you?” Frankie asked softly. “I was thinking about the first time we met. It had to be—what—ten years ago. You and Paul had just moved to Seattle.”

  “Of course I remember.” Elizabeth tilted her head back and gazed at the hazy sky. “I’d been beating the pavement for days. I saw your shop and was intrigued by the name, so I decided to walk in and ask for a job.”

  “That’s right. God, it seems like yesterday, doesn’t it? I even remember what you had on—that terrible green dress you’d made for yourself.” Frankie gave a wry chuckle. “Who knew that lurking beneath that shapeless sack was such a talented designer? I took one look at that chartreuse menace and almost dismissed you on the spot. Then I saw your sketches and was completely blown away. I knew you could help me put Frankie Loves Johnny on the map, but I couldn’t afford to hire another designer.”

  “So you offered me a partnership.”

  “Smartest thing I ever did,” Frankie said. “Your talent and my marketing savvy—we’re a hard team to beat, Lizzy.”

  It was the opening Elizabeth had been looking for. She knew she should mention the discrepancies in the financial statements Paul had told her about, but she couldn’t seem to bring herself to do it. Not now, not in this place. There would be plenty of time for that once they got back to Seattle.

  So she closed her eyes and said nothing as the water lapped at her chin.

  “Can I make a little confession?” Frankie said after a moment.

  Apprehension fluttered along Elizabeth’s backbone. “What is it?”

  “I used to be a little jealous of you. Even though I realized I needed your help to make a go of the shop, a part of me resented the fact that I couldn’t do it on my own.”

  “But that’s not true,” Elizabeth said. “You’re a talented designer in your own right. You were successful long before I came along.”

  “There’s success…and there’s success,” Frankie said with a shrug. “I’m a realist. I don’t have your training or your natural talent. But that’s okay because I have other strengths. Your designs may have put us on the map, but I’m the one who’s kept us there. Especially these past eighteen months.”

  Who was she really trying to convince? Elizabeth wondered uneasily. Why did she have the unpleasant notion that Frankie was setting her up for something? That this whole afternoon, including Frankie’s apology, had been a subtle manipulation? “I know I haven’t been pulling my weight, but that’s going to change,” Elizabeth told her.

  “Then you’ve decided not to sell your partnership?” Frankie asked anxiously.

  “I haven’t made any decisions yet. But if and when I do decide to sell, we may need to get an independent appraisal to establish fair market value. That could mean a full audit of the books. You wouldn’t have a problem with that, would you?”

  Frankie shrugged. “Why would I?” But in spite of her nonchalant response, she sou
nded a bit defensive.

  “I just wanted to mention it,” Elizabeth said carefully. “If an audit becomes necessary, I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m going behind your back.”

  “I’ve always appreciated your honesty, Elizabeth.”

  Elizabeth—not Lizzy all of a sudden. A wedge had already been inserted into their relationship, and Elizabeth knew that the chasm would probably grow wider in the coming weeks. She didn’t want to believe it, but she suddenly had a strong suspicion that Paul could be right. Frankie was hiding something from her.

  “Could I ask you something?” Frankie asked with a frown.

  “Of course.”

  “Does Paul have something to do with your sudden desire for an audit?”

  “I told you why an audit might be necessary. If I decide to sell—”

  “I know what you said, but I have a feeling there’s more to it. What has he said to you?”

  “Paul has nothing to do with this,” Elizabeth insisted.

  “Who are you kidding?” Frankie said bitterly. “Everything you do involves Paul.”

  Elizabeth shot her a surprised look. “What do you mean by that?”

  “You’re never going to divorce him no matter what he does. We both know that.”

  “Frankie—”

  “Oh, I know. I sound like a bitter old maid, don’t I? Well, guess what? That’s what I am.”

  Elizabeth stared at her in astonishment. She’d never heard Frankie talk this way before. “You’re a beautiful woman, Frankie, and you’re barely forty years old. You could have any man you wanted, but you’ve never shown the slightest interest in settling down. So what’s brought all this on now?”

  “I don’t know. Biological clock and all that, I guess. Or maybe sometimes I just think it would be nice to have someone look at me the way I’ve seen Paul look at you.”

  “But you’ve never wanted a serious relationship. I’ve heard you say it a dozen times.”

  “I still don’t. Didn’t. It’s just…lately I’ve started to wonder….” Frankie trailed off and glanced at Elizabeth. “I actually was in love once. Does that surprise you?”