The Stepchild

by Joanne Fluke

  “I don’t know,” Kathi answered, her voice sounding puzzled. “Only the Tiger knows where they really are. But I’m glad they’re not where Auntie said, down in the ground with the dead people. Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t like that at all!”

  Harry shuddered. He found that he didn’t really want to hear any more, but it made sense to get all the information he could from her. He didn’t know how it all tied together. Doug and Vivian, a little girl named Sheri, relatives they didn’t have, and a tiger! But Harry had to ask one more question. What had happened to Sheri’s brother?

  “Where is your baby brother, K—Sheri? Where’s Baver?”

  Her whole body trembled, and all the color vanished from her cheeks. Two glistening tears dropped from her wide, unfocused eyes, and a small sob shook her shoulders.

  “Gone!” she whispered at last. “He’s gone! The bad ladies came and took him away. He didn’t want to go, and he cried awful hard, so I gave him the Tiger so he wouldn’t be all alone. Auntie and Uncle cried too, and then . . . then . . .”

  Harry watched Kathi’s grip tighten on the cup that she was holding. Then her fingers relaxed and her face went slack as the cup dropped to shatter on the tile floor.

  “Oh!” Kathi gasped, whirling to face Harry. Her eyes were wide awake, and her voice had returned to normal.

  “Oh, Harry! What are you doing here?”

  Just as Harry was about to answer, Kathi cried out again, looking down at the shards of pottery and water on the floor. “Harry! You . . . you scared me! What a mess!”

  She gave a little self-conscious laugh and bent down to pick up the pieces of the cup, looking back over her shoulder at him.

  “I left the door open again, didn’t I? You must think I’m a ninny! Anyway, I’m glad to see you. How about having a cup of coffee, and then you can tell me all about Dad’s campaign.”

  “Sure,” Harry agreed quickly, glad now that he hadn’t called the doctor. She seemed to be fine now, embarrassed about breaking the cup and about the water on the floor, but very much the self-confident young woman he knew. At least her episode, or trance, or whatever it was, was over for now, but Harry knew that he had to do something fast. He’d have a little talk with Kathi’s boyfriend before he left. They had to get Kathi away from here before she wrecked Doug’s chance for election. They could hide her someplace until after the election was over, and then they could figure out a way to get some help for her. Kathi was going to be a first-class problem if she stayed anywhere in the state. If the voters found out about this, Doug didn’t have a chance.

  CHAPTER 19

  “Holy shit!” Harry moaned, staring at David in consternation. “She thinks she’s possessed? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard! Are you really serious?”

  David nodded, taking a sip of his beer. David had walked into the apartment no more than five minutes after Kathi had snapped out of her trance; after a half hour of polite conversation, Harry asked if David would show him the nearest bar, so he could have a quick drink before catching his plane back to Los Angeles. They’d left Kathi at the apartment fixing dinner, and she had seemed completely normal, but Harry didn’t want David to leave her alone for long. This could be a real disaster, and he wanted the boy to know it.

  “Now look, David . . .” Harry stared at the young man seated across from him. He didn’t look like a radical or a doper, but you couldn’t be sure about anything nowadays. “You can talk to me straight. I’m not going to turn you in or give you a lecture, or anything like that, as long as you play straight with me. What’s she on anyway? Some kind of pills?”

  David’s eyes narrowed, and his face blotched with anger. He gripped his beer glass so tightly that Harry could see his knuckles turn white.

  “No!” he denied vehemently. Then his glance wavered, and his fingers trembled visibly. Was she? He stared at Harry with a strange, pleading look on his face.

  “Jesus . . . I don’t know! I don’t think she is. I don’t know what the hell’s the matter.”

  “Okay, take it easy,” Harry said. “Sorry about that. I guess you can understand, I just had to ask. I don’t think Kathi’s the type to take drugs or anything like that either. So she’s just plain crazy?”

  “I . . . I guess so,” David admitted, hating the admission, the pleading look still on his face. It seemed strange to be asking this short, quick-spoken man for help when he was a relative stranger. It was somehow disloyal to Kathi, but David was at his wit’s end. He really didn’t know what to do.

  “Do you think I ought to take her to the hospital?” David asked, fearing Harry’s answer.

  “Jesus no, kid! We can’t do that! We’ve got to keep this whole thing under wraps until after the election.”

  Harry frowned for a moment, and then his face relaxed as an idea came to him. “Hey, how about taking her on a skiing trip or something? Anywhere that’s out of state. Somewhere nice and quiet and private, where you could take her and sort of babysit her until after the seventh. It’s only a little over two weeks away, and then we can make some concrete planes. I don’t dare tell Doug about this, or he’ll blow the whole campaign. I figure maybe we could sort of hide her out. A little vacation might do her good. Can you think of anywhere to take her?”

  David frowned, thinking. Then he nodded slowly. “Sure, I can think of a couple of places. Somewhere out of state and somewhere quiet, right?”

  Harry nodded. He was beginning to like David very much. The young man was mature, and he obviously cared for Kathi. Beard or not, David was all right in Harry’s book.

  “Well?” Harry prompted, glancing at his watch unobtrusively. He still had plenty of time to catch his plane back to Los Angeles, and David looked like he had decided on a place. Between the two of them, they might be able to pull this off just fine.

  “How about a little town in Arizona?” David asked, still looking thoughtful. “Kathi’s old roommate lives in a little town outside of Phoenix. Would that be all right?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Harry grinned. Sure enough! The kid had a good head on his shoulders. A little town in the Arizona desert, that was the ticket. There wouldn’t be any nosy reporters there, and Kathi could be as loony as a jaybird; no one would be the wiser. It was a hell of a lot better than sticking her in some private sanitarium under an assumed name and taking a chance that the press would pick it up. “Yeah,” Harry said. “That’s perfect, David. I’ll pick up the tab for the trip. We’ll write it off as a campaign expense, and you’ll both get a vacation out of the deal.”

  Harry snapped open his briefcase and took out a pen and checkbook. “Yeah, this trip’s a legitimate campaign expense, the way I figure it. If Kathi sticks around here, we don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning. This is probably the best investment that the People for Ellison ever made!

  “Now look, kid . . .” Harry continued, tearing off the check and handing it to David. “I want you to call if there’s any problem at all. Here’s my card and my office number. Don’t talk to anyone but me, got it? We’ll keep this whole thing hushed up until after the seventh, and then we’ll tell Doug.”

  David nodded, and then his eyes widened as he glanced at the check. “Harry, this is way too much!” he exclaimed. “We’ll only need part of this.”

  “You never know. Just keep it, David. And get Kathi everything she needs. This is a hell of a big favor you’re doing for me, and Doug’ll be grateful too, when he finds out about it. You’re helping to win the election for him and don’t you forget it!”

  Harry finished his drink in one gulp, glanced at his watch, snapped his briefcase shut, and slid from the booth, seemingly in one hurried motion. He had things to do, now that he’d averted this disaster.

  “You’d better get back to Kathi, and I’d better hustle out to the airport to catch that plane. You don’t have to tell Kathi where this money came from. Just say you saved it or something.” He turned and started to leave, then made a complete circle, frowning. “Yo
u’re sure you can get her to go?”

  “I’m sure.” David nodded confidently. “Bev is Kathi’s best friend, and she’s visited there before. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince her, especially if I call Bev and set it up.”

  After Harry left, David stared down at the check and then folded it carefully, placing it in his billfold. He supposed that Harry knew what he was doing, writing this off as a campaign expense. He was helping the Ellison campaign by helping Kathi. It made him feel vaguely guilty though, taking all this money for something he’d wanted to do anyway. He’d been thinking of taking Kathi away from Berkeley ever since Dr. Kauffman mentioned it. Of course, he could spend valuable time sitting here feeling guilty, but that wouldn’t accomplish a thing. He had to get back and convince Kathi to go.

  * * *

  A moment later, David was in a phone booth, calling Bev in Arizona. His face fell as he listened to her mother’s voice on the other end of the connection. Bev wasn’t home. She’d left yesterday to visit her sister and wouldn’t be back for a week.

  “What now?” David mumbled softly, frowning outside the phone booth. Where could he take Kathi now? Harry had said it had to be someplace quiet and out of state.

  The wrinkles smoothed out on David’s forehead as he thought of it. The perfect solution. Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? He didn’t have to take Kathi to Arizona. They had enough money to go much farther than that. They had enough money to fly back to visit his parents, and it would be much better for Kathi there.

  As David walked slowly toward the apartment, he considered everything. Of course he wanted Kathi to meet his parents, but he’d hoped that it would be under better circumstances. Still, his mother and father could be trusted, especially if he explained the problem. He wouldn’t tell them the whole truth—that was a little too heavy for them to handle. He’d just say that the strain of her father’s campaign was getting to her.

  A brief smile flashed across David’s face, almost erasing the worry there. He knew exactly what would happen when he took Kathi home. Mom would feed her chicken soup and dumplings, and it would be good for Kathi to spend a little time in the Midwest, away from the fast pace of living in California. She could relax there, go for walks, and maybe even do a little fishing with them. There was a trout stream only two miles from the house, and the sleepy little town might be just what Kathi needed. His parents didn’t own a television, and he could keep her away from the newspapers. They didn’t even have to mention her dad’s campaign. And then there was what Dr. Kauffman had said. If something in Berkeley was setting off Kathi’s obsession, it might buy them some time if he could remove her from the whole situation. Life was very different in his home town, and it could be just what Kathi needed.

  Unconsciously, he stepped up his pace as he made up his mind. That’s exactly what they were going to do. Of course, it would take most of the money that Harry had given him, but Harry had told him to use it for anything Kathi needed.

  David’s vague sense of guilt about using the money disappeared as he walked faster. It was hot again this afternoon—muggy and miserable. The sun was low in the sky now, and the smog was rolling in from San Francisco. This weather was enough to drive anyone crazy. Dr. Kauffman was absolutely right! Getting Kathi out of this lousy heat and away from the pressure was bound to have a beneficial effect. And it would be great to see Mom and Dad again!

  David whistled as he walked the last block. Harry was an all right guy, and because of him, Kathi was going to be all right too. He was already feeling hopeful about this whole trip. His parents would coddle Kathi, treat her like a regular princess. His mother would cook all sorts of home-baked goodies, and his dad would show her the woods and the trout stream. Everything was going to be fine now. Kathi would love it in Swanville.

  CHAPTER 20

  “Kathi?” David called out as he let himself into the apartment. “Hey, baby? I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse!”

  “In the kitchen,” Kathi called out, smiling a little at the excitement in David’s voice. “You already made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, remember?”

  “Well, that too.” David grinned, coming up behind her to give her a big hug. She looked fine, thank God. He’d half expected to find her in another trance, and the relief he felt made him almost weak. Harry was absolutely right. Neither one of them could stand this kind of pressure for much longer. He was going to make her go to Swanville, even if he had to force her.

  “My parents want to meet you,” he said, nibbling at the side of her neck. “I just called them, and they insisted we fly back so they can get a chance to meet the girl I’m going to marry. How about it, Kathi? I think a trip back east is just what you need. A change of scene might do you a lot of good.”

  “You mean now?” Kathi questioned, turning to look into David’s earnest eyes. “Now? I . . . I can’t, David! What if . . . I mean . . . oh, you know why I can’t go now!”

  “I told them all about you,” David explained softly, kissing her neck again. “They know you’ve been under a strain, and that’s all they have to know. I really think we ought to get away from here, Kathi. You’ll feel a lot better once we get to Swanville. I’ll personally guarantee it. It’s just a small town, very rural, with woods all around it, and the kind of old houses you love. Just trust me, honey. I made all the arrangements, and we leave in the morning.”

  “Swanville? Your parents live in Swanville?” It wasn’t possible. Swanville was the town where Sheri Walker was killed, where the accident took place! David’s parents lived in Swanville!

  “Yeah,” David chuckled. “I know that’s a strange name for a town, but wait until you hear the names of the other towns around there. Upsala, Little Falls, Sobieski, Grey Eagle . . . Kathi? What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing!” Kathi said hastily, turning toward the stove again. “Nothing at all, David. It’s just a small world, I guess. Before we moved here, my dad had a law office in Little Falls. I know where Swanville is. It’s funny that we never talked about it before. But anyway, I guess the idea of visiting your parents kind of shocked me. I . . . I don’t really feel prepared to meet them right now. After the election . . . maybe . . .”

  With great effort, Kathi gripped the spoon and stirred the macaroni and cheese on the stove. What could she say? She couldn’t let David know about Swanville!

  “Please, honey . . . just trust me,” David reassured her. “My parents are great, and you don’t have to be worried about meeting them. My mom’ll feed you within an inch of your life, and my dad’ll bend your ear with all his stories about hunting and fishing. You’ll love it, honey. I think going to Swanville is just what you need.”

  “My name is Sharon Elizabeth Walker, and I live at four-oh-two Elm in Swanville. Did I do that right, Auntie? Was that good?”

  Kathi took a deep breath to steady herself. “I-I’ll think about it, David,” she promised. Didn’t he know that she couldn’t think about anything now? Swanville! Sheri Walker had arranged this. Somehow, she had arranged the whole thing! If she went to Swanville, Sheri would do something dreadful! She was sure of it! Everything was moving too fast now; Sheri Walker was pulling her to Swanville with David’s help! Did she have to go? Would she be forced to return to the town where Sheri had lived—and died?”

  “I-I’ll go, David,” Kathi whispered, the words pushing past her trembling lips. Let him draw his own conclusions. He would think that she was nervous about meeting his parents, afraid that she’d black out in front of them. But Kathi knew that there was a reason she had to go to Swanville, and she was powerless to fight it. She was being drawn like a fluttering moth to a flame. There was no escape at all for her. It was starting now, and nothing would stop it until the end. She would go to Swanville, and she would do Sheri Walker’s bidding.

  “I’m scared! I want my mommy! I’m all alone, and I’m scared!”

  “Don’t cry, Sheri Bear. I’m here. The Tiger’s right here, and I’ll take care of yo
u. Don’t worry . . . I’ll always take care of you.”

  “Mama used to always say that the only way to fight was to find out what the spirit wanted, and do it. She said there was nothin’ to be afraid of. Find out what this Sheri wants, and do it. Then she’ll leave you in peace again.”

  The voices hurt Kathi’s ears, and she almost reached up to block her ears with her hands. They were all talking at once, whispering and screaming and crying in her head. When would this end? She couldn’t take much more! Kathi’s hands shook so hard she could barely hold the spoon. The ring glinted on her finger, the mark of the cross to keep her from harm. Would it be enough? Would the ring be enough to save her?

  “Why . . . why don’t you start packing, David?” Kathi suggested in a trembling voice. “I’ll finish dinner and call you when it’s ready.”

  “Sure,” David grinned, giving her tense body another hug. “And don’t worry about anything, honey. A trip to Swanville is just what you need!”

  Kathi glanced down at the ring on her finger again, trying to find an answer. It would happen in Swanville. There was no escape.

  CHAPTER 21

  “Come on in, Viv,” Harry shouted, not taking his feet from the top of his desk. Vivian would think something was up if he acted any differently than he always had. He didn’t dare let her know he was fishing for information, or she’d clam up on him.

  “Hi, Harry!” Vivian breezed into the office and smiled charmingly as always. She was dressed in a dark red three-piece suit with a hat to match, and she looked stylish and very much the successful politician’s wife. He could always count on Vivian to look the part. She was a far cry from some of the dumpy candidates’ wives he’d been forced to make over.

  “You said you wanted a report on the women’s groups,” Vivian said briskly, marching over to the chair next to Harry’s desk and dusting it off carefully before she sat down. “I don’t think there’ll be any problem with the women, Harry. The League of Women Voters is behind Doug one hundred percent and so are the Women for Democratic Action.”