by Mae Clair
“I don’t know why we were never close in school.” Ryan brushed his thumb over hers. “Eve and Sarah were always around in my group.”
A fluttery feeling spread through her stomach. Self-consciously, she lowered her gaze. “I wasn’t friends with Eve and Sarah. Not then.”
“Yeah.” He expelled a breath. “We were stupid kids. I’m glad that’s changed.”
They were sitting close enough that when he tugged on her wrist, she naturally fell against him. And when he bent his head and touched his lips to hers, she responded. The kiss was tentative at first, but when he pressed close, the movement of his lips grew bolder.
Katie’s head spun.
A perfect ending to a perfect night.
* * * *
Caden stood on the screened porch, arms folded across his chest as he stared silently into the moonlit darkness of the rear yard. Eve’s property swept down an embankment to a narrow creek bordered by a small strip of woods. His sister, Maggie, used to play there with Eve and Sarah Sherman when the three girls were children. For years it had been hard to think of Maggie without suffering guilt over her death, but he’d put that stranglehold of grief behind him.
Caden had been there when the Mothman crushed Roger Layton’s bones and carried him, shrieking, into the sky. It wasn’t the first time the Mothman had intervened on his behalf. Once before, it had saved his life, wrenching him from the icy waters of the Ohio River the night the Silver Bridge fell. For fifteen years following that tragedy, not a single sighting occurred. Then four months ago, the creature reappeared, spotted by several eyewitnesses. It was still out there, haunting the TNT, and it wanted something.
Or so Ryan thought.
His once skeptical brother expected him to hunt the thing down for a personal powwow. Stupid, except Ryan had gotten himself wrapped up with Katie Lynch and wasn’t thinking straight. Women had a habit of doing that to a guy. He was a perfect example, sitting on an engagement ring he’d tucked into a drawer, waiting for the right moment to ask Eve to marry him.
What if that moment never came? Life got effed up on a regular basis. Look at Parker Kline. One day a kid playing a prank, the next booked for murder.
Cold must return. Evening will follow.
Caden exhaled and dragged a hand through his hair. Somewhere in the distance, a dog yapped, a nighttime sound that trailed into silence. He hoped it wouldn’t end up in a barren field, its brain bleeding through its ears. Effed up didn’t begin to cover the parade of oddities in Point Pleasant.
“Hey.” The door to the house creaked open, spilling a puddle of light onto the porch. “What are you doing out here?” Arms wrapped close for warmth, Eve stepped to his side. Without a doubt, she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
“I thought you were reading?” he asked.
“I was. I must have dozed off.” She huddled more deeply into her sweater. “It’s cold out here.”
“Yeah.” He offered his arm and she ducked beneath it, snuggling close. So much had changed in such a short time. He’d never imagined himself getting married or raising a family, but those were all things he desired. Would his kids play in the same creek Eve had, echoes of yesteryear ringing in their laughter? “It is cold. We should go back inside.”
She tilted her head to look up at him, her eyes sparkling in the darkness. “The moonlight is nice. Romantic too.”
“No argument.” He kissed her temple, enjoying the warmth of her pressed to his side.
Cold must return. Evening will follow.
Time to set his own rules. “Let’s go inside. I have something I want to ask you.”
The suggestion of a smile touched her lips. “That sounds mysterious.”
He kissed her lightly. “Let’s hope there’s nothing mysterious about your answer.”
Chapter 9
Katie hummed softly as she mounted the steps to the front porch of the Parrish Hotel. Morning sunlight cut beneath the covered overhang, splashing on vibrant orange pumpkins and brightly colored gourds. The light-hearted setting matched her mood as she swept into the lobby and dropped her purse on the reception counter.
“Someone’s cheerful.” Eve rounded the corner from her office, carrying a cup of coffee. A mischievous smile flirted with the corners of her mouth. She glanced at her watch. “You’re early too.”
“I couldn’t help myself. Ryan had a morning shift and I wanted to make him breakfast.”
“Ryan?” Eve’s perfectly tweezed brows arched higher. “Breakfast?”
Katie waved the coming interrogation aside. “It’s not what you think.” She disappeared into Eve’s office long enough to fetch her own coffee before returning to the lobby. Her friend sat perched on a stool behind the counter, an expectant look on her face.
“Well?” Eve prodded.
Katie resisted the temptation to share a while longer, tipping her cup to her lips while she inhaled the nutty aroma of almond decaf. “Well, what?”
Eve rolled her eyes. “Don’t play dumb. You can’t drop ‘Ryan’ and ‘breakfast’ in the same sentence and not share.”
Katie laughed. “Okay. Honestly, though, it’s not what you think.” Eve’s imagination was probably in overdrive. Time to squash those ideas before they took flight and sprouted gossip. “Ryan came over last night and I made dinner. We talked about Jerome and I showed him a note I’d found.” She explained about the coded message in her jacket. “Afterward, he stayed the night—on the couch—in the event Lyle returned.”
“How gallant.” Eve appeared to overlook the emphasis Katie placed on his sleeping arrangement. “I hope Lyle showed up and Ryan put a scare into the creep.”
“No luck. The van never came back.”
“Figures. Just when he would have gotten what was coming to him. What do you think the note means?”
“I don’t know. Ryan was going to run it by Parker’s doctors.”
Eve shivered. “I hope they find him. I don’t think Parker would actually hurt anyone, but the thought of him roaming around is scary. You know…all that stuff about communicating with UFOs and aliens.”
Ryan was on the fence about most of that, but he’d shown another side of himself last night. He’d let her set the pace when their kisses grew heated. It had been far too long since she’d been involved with a man, and she had Sam to think about. Ryan had understood when she’d slowed things down, worried they were moving too fast. It came as no surprise their attraction was mutual and had simmered beneath the surface for a long time. Rather than act on impulse, they’d finished the night talking about UFOs, Parker, and Men in Black. This morning Ryan had kissed her good-bye and told her he wasn’t interested in seeing anyone else. Only her.
Fairytale words that had left her floating on a high. By the end of the day, the late night hours would take their toll, but she’d manage the fatigue. The cost was well worth the trade-off.
Eve cleared her throat and poked her on the arm.
Shaken from her thoughts, Katie gave a guilty start. Warmth swept across her cheeks. “Um… Why are you staring at me?”
“Because you’re so obvious. You’re completely gone on a Flynn brother. Take it from someone who knows.” She fluttered her left hand.
“We’ve agreed to date.”
Another roll of the eyes from Eve. “You make it sound like a contract. You’re lucky Sarah isn’t here. You’d better invite her to lunch and tell her.” She wiggled her hand again. “I’ve got news too.”
“What news?” Katie waited. Then waited some more.
Finally, Eve huffed out a theatrical sigh. “Do I have to flash it under your nose?” Extending her left hand, she wriggled her fingers. Light bounced from a glittering square-cut diamond.
“Oh my God.” Katie’s mouth dropped. “Caden proposed!” With a squeal, she tugged Eve from the stool and caught her in a hug. “I am so happy for you two. Wait, wait. Let me see the ring.” Overcome by a flood of warmth, sh
e held Eve’s hand and gazed at the shimmering stone in its delicate gold setting. “It’s so beautiful.” If there were two people meant to be together, it was Caden and Eve. “Did you set a date?”
“Not yet.” Eve positively glowed. “But probably this summer, if we can arrange everything.”
“I’ll help. And you can have the reception here, in your own hotel. It will be perfect.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
“Eve, I’m so happy for you.” Katie hugged her friend.
The sound of a man clearing his throat pulled them abruptly apart. “Ladies, I hate to intrude.”
Katie swept hair from her eyes, embarrassed she hadn’t heard anyone enter the lobby. “I’m sorry. Can we help you?”
The man who stood before the reception counter was incredibly striking and oddly familiar. He wore a black suit, black tie, and crisp white shirt with gold cufflinks. Neatly trimmed hair, nearly as pale as his shirt, contrasted sharply against coal-black eyes. A tailored overcoat lay draped over one arm. Instantly, she was reminded of the strange visitor who’d warned her and Sarah to caution others not to speak of UFOs.
“Oh…Katie…” Eve moved to intervene. “This is Mr. Lach Evening. He checked in last night. He’s staying in room eighteen.”
No wonder she hadn’t heard him enter the lobby. He’d come down the stairs, not through the front door. “Hello.” Recovering quickly, she offered a smile. Between his unusual name, arresting appearance, and the tugging sense of familiarity, she tried not to stammer. “It’s-it’s good to meet you, Mr. Evening. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”
“I’m sure I will. Right now, however, I’d like to find a place for breakfast. I understand your café only serves lunch and dinner.” He spoke in a modulated tone, his words flavored with an unidentifiable accent. “If one of you could kindly point me in the right direction.”
“There’s a coffee shop one street over on the right,” Katie said. “Early Start. They do breakfast sandwiches, muffins, and eggs.” She didn’t add that it was owned by Suzanne Preech or that the prices tended to be inflated. “There’s also a McDonald’s on the other side of Viand.” She indicated the direction, though judging by his immaculately tailored appearance, he might not find fast food to his liking.
Mr. Evening nodded. “And the sheriff’s station?”
Beside her, Eve blinked. “Why would you want to go there?” As soon as she blurted the question, she shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. It’s just we’re a small town….”
“No offense taken.” He offered a polite smile. “It’s a personal matter which I’m sure you’d find tedious.”
“The sheriff’s office is to your left.” Katie was every bit as curious as Eve, especially with all the strangers in town, but courtesy kept her from prying. “Several blocks down, on the corner. You’ll see the sign on the door.”
“Thank you both.” Giving a nod, he slipped into his coat. His fingers were long and thin, but the last digit of each was plump and spherical, almost bulbous. “Good day, ladies.” He crowned his pale hair with an expensive-looking black fedora, then left through the front door.
“We seem to have a lot of strangers lately,” Katie commented after he’d left.
“I know.” Eve craned her neck to watch the man pass beyond the windows. “Do you think he’s one of those Men in Black? Donnie Bradley was in the café yesterday, and said he saw one of them lurking around the hospital.”
Katie stiffened, abruptly recalling where she’d seen the man.
The night her mom discovered Jerome unconscious, a man in black had been part of the crowd. He’d loitered by the corner of the building, watching from the darkness. And her mom had said Men in Black were commonly seen in town after Point Pleasant’s UFO flap of the mid-60s. It couldn’t be simple coincidence that Mr. Evening and others like him reappeared just as people started talking about strange lights in the sky. The recent sightings didn’t come close to rivaling the flap numbers of the sixties, but the presence of the government-like men in their dark suits couldn’t be chance.
“There’s something odd about them,” Katie agreed. “And what a name—Lach Evening. Did you notice his hands?”
“You mean his fingers? Yeah, weird.”
“The guy who came in while Sarah was here had the same type of fingers. He was dressed in black too.” Far too many coincidences to be mere chance.
“Maybe it’s a Halloween stunt,” Eve suggested. “In another two weeks we’ll be overrun with kids looking for candy. It could be some kind of publicity routine for one of the stores in Gallipolis.”
Katie nodded thoughtfully, but the suggestion seemed a stretch. They would have heard if that was the case. Whatever the reason, she’d be vigilant when she took Sam trick-or-treating at the end of the month. She shivered.
Lately, there were far worse things than ghosts and ghouls haunting Point Pleasant.
* * * *
“Five bucks says he has something to do with the dogs.” Ryan stood by the coffee pot looking at Sheriff Pete Weston’s closed office door. Ten minutes before, a crisply tailored man in a black overcoat had arrived asking to speak with the department’s chief law enforcement officer. Thirtyish, with a slight accent, fair hair, and chiseled features, he carried himself in a manner that immediately turned heads. Joy, their resident clerk, had nearly tripped over herself in her haste to usher him into Weston’s office.
Caden poured hot coffee into a Styrofoam cup. “I vote Wilson’s cow. Doc Holden probably asked for a second opinion. The guy looks like an expert in something.”
“Nah.” Ryan leaned back against the break counter, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Too immaculate and stuffy-looking. A guy like that wouldn’t get his hands dirty doing an autopsy on a cow. He’s probably some think-head in research. If Holden called him, it was because of the dogs.”
Caden raised an eyebrow. “Five bucks?”
“Five bucks.”
Caden took a sip of coffee. “I proposed to Eve last night.”
“What the hell?” The rapid change of topic blindsided Ryan. Jerking upright, he rounded on his brother in explosive surprise. “You’re shitting me! What did she say?”
“She said yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I’m telling you now.”
“I mean before. We’ve only been in here for—oh, hell, never mind.” Clasping Caden’s hand, he pumped it up and down. “Congratulations. I can’t believe you’re freaking getting married. Does Mom know?”
“I told her over breakfast. And Eve and I haven’t picked a date yet.”
“You’re not going to drag your feet, are you?”
“No.” The word rolled from Caden’s tongue with a sliver of amusement. “Eve wants a summer wedding, so probably June at the hotel.”
“Do I have to ask who’s going to be the best man?”
Caden raised his coffee cup to his lips. “It depends on whether or not you win that five bucks.”
“Caden. Ryan.” The summons burst across the room, delivered in Pete Weston’s deep baritone. The sheriff stood in the doorway of his office, his expression a mixture of agitation and impatience. Whatever brainiac-science-guy had stirred up, it didn’t appear to have gone over well with Mason County’s head honcho.
“In here.” Gruffly, Weston waved them into his office.
Ryan exchanged a glance with his brother before trailing behind Caden. He closed the door as Weston moved behind his desk. The man they’d seen earlier was seated in a chair across from the sheriff. His overcoat and a dapper black fedora occupied the seat beside him. Fully at ease with one leg crossed over the other, he looked blatantly out of place in the small, stuffy surroundings.
“Sergeants Caden Flynn and Ryan Flynn,” Pete introduced them. “This is Lach Evening.”
The man stood and extended his hand. “Gentlemen.”
Ryan noted th
e odd shape of his fingers as they clasped, the man’s palm cool and dry.
“Evening?” Caden narrowed his eyes. “That’s an unusual name.”
A polite smile. “So I’ve been told.”
Weston motioned them to sit, but the only who bothered was their visitor, who resumed his comfortable position.
“Mr. Evening is an expert in the field of…” Blowing out a breath, Weston looked to the stranger for help. “You’re going to have to jump in on that one, Evening. I’ve already forgotten what you called it.”
“Chimeraology.” The word rolled from Evening’s tongue with the slight inflection of his accent. “For lack of better explanation, it’s the study of supernatural creatures and objects. The organization I work for is discreet. Private and well-funded.”
Ryan exchanged a glance with his brother. “Let me guess. You’re here about the Mothman.”
Smiling tightly, Evening inclined his head. “I won’t deny your extraordinary cryptid is the root of my organization’s interest, but that’s not why I’ve come. I’m afraid my superiors and I have inadvertently created a problem that could directly impact someone in your town.”
“He’s here about Lyle Mason.” Cutting bluntly to the point, Weston plopped into his chair. The springs squeaked as he leaned forward and planted his forearms on the desk. “Not only did Lyle find his way home, he came back with a loose screw. Mr. Evening’s already produced credentials to satisfy me that what he tells you is true.”
Exasperated by the double-talk, Ryan looked from Weston to Evening. At the mention of Lyle, he immediately thought of Katie and how Mason had been skulking around in a van at night. “Someone better spit out what’s going on.”
“It’s your show,” Weston said to Evening.
The man took his time explaining.
“As I mentioned, I’m employed by a private organization that holds an interest in supernatural creatures.”
Ryan wished he could place the guy’s accent, but it was too hard to pin down. European of some sort, maybe Dutch.
“My position requires me to conduct scientific studies with people who claim to have experienced encounters.”