Gary’s face looked twisted with shock as he listened to the caller. He was sitting up on the bed, his feet on the floor, a sheet draped across his lap. He glanced at her.
“No, no, there’s nothing you can do,” he said into his phone and paused, listening. Erin sat beside him cross-legged on the bed. She could hear the voice on the other end of the line. It was a man’s voice—shrill and loud.
“You think he knows who it was?” Gary asked.
Again Erin could hear the shrill voice, then both Gary and the voice were silent. Gary covered his face with his hand and combed his fingers back through his hair. He looked at the ceiling.
“Shit,” he whispered. Then louder, “I’ll head back now. Where is he?” A pause. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. About an hour and a half.” He disconnected and looked at Erin. The color was drained from his face, and his eyes were hard and cold. He looked away again.
“I’ve got to go. My partner Henry was shot. He’s in the hospital. I’ve got to get down there.”
“Oh, my God. He was shot?” Erin was horrified. She reached her hand out and rested it on his knee. “Of course. Go see Henry. Is there anything I can do? How about if I make you some coffee for the road?”
“Yeah,” he said. “That’d be good.” He stood up and pulled on his pants and shirt. Erin jumped off the bed and went downstairs to start the coffee. It was just about ready when Gary came down, fully dressed, hair combed and face washed. Erin filled a tall travel mug and handed it to him. He took a sip, put the mug on the counter, and pulled her close.
“I don’t want to leave,” he groaned. He crushed her close to him and kissed her hard, then picked up his coffee and rushed out the door.
Erin poured herself a cup and looked at the clock; it read five forty-five. She sat down at the dining table. Henry shot, one of Gary’s close colleagues. How horrible. She wondered if Gary was in any danger. She’d never seen him so upset before; he’d looked outraged.
*****
Michael opened his eyes to the darkness of his room and checked the clock on his nightstand—four-ten. He rolled onto his back and lay there staring upward with his hands behind his head, thinking about the dream. Someone must have awakened Erin to pull her away so abruptly. Maybe one of her kids. He hoped everything was all right.
He smiled thinking of their visit to Domus. Salina could certainly stir things up. But Erin had held her own. Ariston was even impressed in the end. The work had become so much more interesting since he’d discovered Erin there, and he found himself always watching for her to show up in whatever dream he entered. He hadn’t wanted her to leave so abruptly from their dream tonight. When he’d picked her up, she had embraced him and pressed her lips to his neck, stirring feelings in him he hadn’t felt in a long time.
He heard the soft voices of Bruce and Aleesha in his guest room. Apparently Bruce was awake now too. After his visit with Salina, Bruce should be feeling much better, and he’d be even more amorous with Aleesha. Besides being a wonderful healer, Salina also enhanced sexual desire. Michael rolled over, covered his head with a pillow, and drifted back to sleep.
Chapter 32
“Mommy, can we have pancakes?” Gwen’s voice stirred Erin to consciousness. She had fallen asleep with her head resting on the dining room table. She lifted her head, and her neck and shoulders ached.
“Sure.” She looked at the clock. Half past seven.
“Can I help?”
“All right.”
They woke Matt and ate pancakes together. Erin made another pot of coffee and joined her children on the couch for Saturday morning cartoons.
Her head still hurt, but watching cartoons with her children was a welcome distraction. After a while, though, her thoughts drifted back to Gary’s friend. Finally, about ten o’clock she dragged herself off the couch, went upstairs, and called Aleesha. She might know something about Henry’s background and why someone would want to shoot him, or maybe she could find out something from Kenneth.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Leesh, it’s Erin. Are you going to be around today at all? Could I stop by?”
“I’m at Michael Woodward’s house, dear, but we’d love to have you stop by,” Aleesha said. “Is everything all right?”
Erin paused. “You’re where?”
“Bruce is in town.”
“Oh, of course. Everything’s fine—I’d just like to talk with you.” Erin brushed her hair away from her face. “Gary was over last night.”
“That’s great. I’m so glad you two are hitting it off together,” Aleesha said.
“Do you know his friend Henry?”
“Umm, yes, I have met him once or twice.”
“He was shot last night and is in the hospital,” Erin whispered.
“What? Shot? Who shot him?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know any details. Gary got a call from someone, and he left right after to go see Henry. I haven’t heard any more.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Yes. What do you know about Henry? What’s he like?” Erin asked.
“He’s a lawyer. A decent-enough man, so far as I know—divorced, middle-aged, drinks too much. I really don’t know a lot.”
“Gary called him a business partner.”
“Yes, they work together. I believe they make good money. Kenneth has done some work with them in the past. Darling, I’ve got to run now, but will you come to Michael’s?”
“Are you sure I won’t be in the way?” Erin asked.
“Of course not—we’d all love to see you and the kids. You and I can wander off by ourselves for a tête-à-tête.”
“Where does he live?”
Aleesha gave her directions, and Erin was getting ready to step into the shower when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hi.”
“Gary, how’s Henry?”
“He’s okay. Right now he’s asleep. They finished surgery, and he’s pulling through.”
“Thank God,” Erin said.
“Yeah.”
There was a little silence.
“I’d like to come see you tomorrow,” Gary said.
“Oh. Yes, do come. I’ve promised the kids a picnic by Deception Pass. Come with us.” Erin lay back on her bed and gazed out the window.
“What time?”
“Can you get here by noon or one?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there.”
She sat up. “Do they know who shot him?”
Another silence. “They’ve got some leads but nothing for sure.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hold on a minute.”
“Sure.” Erin heard the muffled sound of a man’s angry voice speaking to Gary. He snapped back, and there was more heated conversation, but Erin couldn’t hear what was said.
Gary came back on the phone. “Sorry. I’d better go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“All right. See you then.”
Erin stared at the floor for a few minutes wondering about Henry. She shuddered, then got up and looked out her window at the Sound. The sun was shining, but the wind blew the water into whitecaps. A small sailboat rushed past, heeled over so its gunnel nearly touched the water. Erin watched it sail past, then she got into the shower.
Matthew rode his bike to visit Jacob for the afternoon, leaving just Erin and Gwen to drive to Michael Woodward’s house. Erin found it easily and parked on the street. Surprised by how small his house was—no larger than her own—she smiled at its welcoming appearance: the lawn was trimmed and the gardens well-tended. She felt a little uneasy about intruding into his home. She rang the doorbell.
Michael opened the door. “Erin. And this must be Gwen. Come in.”
He held the door open wide, and they walked into a small entry hall with a slate floor and a suit of armor in the corner. A faint scent of pine trees lingered in the air, and Erin was struck by its familiarity. She took a deep breath.
“It’s good to see you again,�
� she said.
“You too.” He stepped forward as if to embrace her, then stopped short.
Aleesha came from the living room and slid her arm around Gwen’s shoulders. “I’m glad you could make it, sweetie, and thanks for bringing your mom.”
Gwen took Aleesha’s hand. They went into the living room, and Bruce came down the stairs.
“Good morning.” He looked at Gwen. “I’m Bruce.”
“I’m Gwen.”
Erin gazed around the room. Her eyes widened as she studied the medieval weapons and gargoyles, and she reminded herself that Michael wrote horror stories and thrillers. A tall upright piano was in a corner of the living room with photos on top, many of a young boy. Aleesha sat down on the arm of Bruce’s chair.
Erin smiled at Bruce and asked how he was feeling. His eyes sparkled with a smile. “Much better.” He slipped his hand into Aleesha’s, brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
Michael sat down next to Gwen, and she scrunched closer to Erin on the couch. “We’ve got lunch just about ready,” he said. “Would you like to join us?”
“Thanks,” Erin said. “That would be nice.”
Aleesha got up. “Would you two gentlemen finish fixing lunch while Erin and I go outside for a few minutes? Gwen, dear, how about if you set the table for us?”
“For lunch?” Gwen asked.
“Yes, for lunch.”
“All right.” Gwen sighed. “Show me the silverware.”
Aleesha grabbed Erin’s arm and took her outside onto the back patio.
As soon as the door closed Erin told her, “I heard from Gary right after I talked to you on the phone. Henry’s had surgery, and he’s going to make it. They have some leads on the person who shot him but nothing definite. That’s all I know.”
Aleesha led her down a gravel path through the garden, further into the backyard. “Was it a random shooting?”
“I really don’t know—but somehow I don’t think so.”
Aleesha frowned. “That’s frightening.” She shook her head. “What do you think of Bruce?”
“How could anyone not like him? He’s great.”
Aleesha held Erin’s eyes steadily with her own. “I want to marry him,” she said.
“What?” Erin grabbed both of her friend’s arms. “But this is so sudden.”
“I know, but it’s what I want.”
“Don’t rush. You haven’t known him long, and there are so many differences between the two of you. I hate to point this out, but he is a lot younger than you. How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t care. I’m happy with him—happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Have you two talked about getting married?”
Aleesha sat down on a wrought-iron bench under a birch tree. “He asked me. I said yes.”
Erin sat down next to her. “I’m stunned. You just met him.”
“I feel like I’ve known him forever.”
Erin stared at Aleesha’s eager face, so full and open, and she hugged her. “I never thought you would want to marry, but I think you’ve found the right person. Bruce is a great guy. Where will you live, though? And have you talked about when?”
“We’re not sure just when. We’re going to look at our schedules and decide the details later. That goes for where we’ll live, too. We’ll take our time to decide.”
They walked back to the house. The short time Erin had known Bruce had already convinced her of his worth, and she couldn’t have been more thrilled for Aleesha. They went inside, and Bruce, slicing bread in the kitchen, looked at them expectantly. Aleesha kissed him, and Erin gave him a hug.
“I’m so happy for you both.”
“Thanks. We’re pretty happy ourselves,” Bruce said.
“Is there anything I can do to help with lunch?” Erin asked.
Bruce put the bread into a basket. “No, thanks, Erin. I think we’re about ready. Michael ran upstairs to change his shirt—he spilled his drink. But he’ll be back in a minute.”
“I’ll just go use your bathroom. Is it this way?” Erin pointed down the hall.
Bruce nodded. “To the right.”
Erin went down the hall and around the corner. She passed the laundry room and saw Michael standing inside with his back to the door. He had taken his shirt off and was reaching for a new one hanging from a rack. His body was lean, his muscles carved like a statue’s, but when she saw him, Erin almost gasped. Down the entire length of his back Michael’s flesh was crisscrossed with long red scars. Round shiny patches of purple skin showed the trauma of past burns. She rushed past the doorway and into the bathroom nearby, her heart pounding.
She took a few deep breaths as she washed her hands and closed her eyes as if that could erase what she had seen. What could have done that to him?
When she rejoined the others in the kitchen, Michael was washing strawberries, but he stopped and watched her as she came in. “So Aleesha’s told you about her whirlwind romance with this scoundrel?” he asked.
“There’s only one scoundrel in this family, and it’s not me,” Bruce laughed. He wrapped his arms around Aleesha, and she kissed him.
“I feel like an outcast,” Michael said.
“Oh, sorry. We wouldn’t want that.” Aleesha gave Michael a hug and kissed his cheek. “You’re both a couple of wily rascals.”
Erin smiled at their playfulness, and when Michael glanced at her with his eyebrows raised, she laughed and brushed her lips across his cheek. The scent of pine and spice on his face brought back more memories of her dream: Michael picking her up from inside a boat and holding her tight. The feeling of his warm, rough neck against her lips. She sucked in a breath and stepped away from him.
Michael watched her, frowning. “What is it?”
Her head felt light. A sudden dizziness came over her and she swayed.
Aleesha stepped forward and put her arm around Erin’s shoulders. “Are you all right?”
Erin shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just a little dizzy spell. A dream suddenly came back to me.” She looked up at Michael again. The memory was there, powerful and clear. In his eyes she saw recognition and a sense of anticipation. Did he know somehow? How could that be?
“You’ve had a difficult morning. Come sit down,” Aleesha coaxed her.
“I’m better now, really.”
Gwen stepped into the kitchen. “Is lunch almost ready?”
“Yes, we’re ready. I hope everyone’s hungry,” Michael said.
The five of them sat down at the long dining table. A small fire burned in the hearth. Erin studied the swords and spears on the wall as she ate her salmon bisque and salad. She was quiet, overwhelmed with her thoughts about the shooting of Gary’s friend, her own foolish lapse of judgment in sleeping with him, Michael’s scarred body, and now, this vivid memory of a dream.
Aleesha was openly affectionate with Bruce while he was just as devoted to her. Michael tried talking with Gwen who was shy at first, but she opened up to him as he gave her extra strawberries for dessert and asked her about her friends and what activities she enjoyed. Erin ate in silence unless one of the others asked her a question.
When they finished lunch and Erin and Gwen were getting ready to leave, Michael pulled Erin into the hallway. He held onto her elbow and said, “Thank you for coming today.”
“Thanks for lunch. It was delicious.”
His eyes were intense as they searched her face. “The dream you remembered earlier, was I part of that dream?”
Erin blushed and lowered her voice. “Yes. There’s a lot I don’t remember, but you were part of it.”
He let out his breath and smiled. “Don’t you ever remember your dreams?”
“Not very often,” she said. How much should she say? “Sometimes I’m awakened by nightmares, but I don’t remember them. It’s terrible. I lose a lot of sleep because of them.”
He nodded slowly, still holding her arm. “I might know something of your nightmares.”
“What do you mean? How?”
“It’s a long story. I know you have to leave now, but we could get together sometime and talk about it.”
Erin hesitated a moment. “Sure.”
“Are you busy tomorrow?”
“Yes, actually I am. But what about lunch during the week?”
“All right. Monday?”
“Okay.”
He stood looking at her for a moment in silence. Erin hesitated, then pulled her arm away and squeezed his hand.
“See you Monday then,” she said.
Chapter 33
The waves slapped softly against the side of the rowboat as Erin sat still on the seat. She scanned the shoreline. The fir trees lining the shore were black silhouettes against the clear twilight sky. It was a small lake; Erin was sure she could swim across it if she needed to. Stars began to glimmer, but no moon was out to give its light.
As she gazed around the lake, a low moan from the shore behind her spread until it encompassed the entire lakeside. It grew louder and echoed from the trees. She sat still, waiting.
There it was. A flash of light in the forest to her left, and Erin’s oars hit the water. It took only minutes to reach the shore, and she leapt out, her bare feet splashing in the icy cold water. She tied the line around a nearby tree branch, and her eyes searched the darkened forest for the source of the flare. The moaning stopped, and she heard no sound except her own breathing and the gentle lapping of the water.
Another light blazed in the forest. She was close, and she crept carefully toward it, trying to keep from making any noise in the underbrush. The ground was soft and yielding, but she still wished for her boots. Immediately they were on her feet. Shrubs and trees grew crowded the further she went, and it was hard to see more than a few feet ahead. The air became musty, and the moaning began again, this time on the other side of the lake. It spread around the entire lake again, but Erin ignored it, intent on reaching the source of the flare.
Another flash of light, nearby and to her right. A very tall, black shadowy shape stood there holding a long staff, its back to her.
Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) Page 18