“I don’t believe you. You’re too comfortable around people to be the type of person who enjoys being alone. I’ve seen you in action, remember? I’ve witnessed you worming your way into the town’s good graces. Everyone thinks you’re wonderful.”
“Including you?”
An unladylike snort slipped out before I could stop it.
“Well, that answers that question.”
Rick stopped and turned toward me. He stood there, his hands in his pockets. His eyes were full of humor. Self-confidence hung around him like an aura.
It almost made me jealous. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be that comfortable in your own skin, to accept who and what you are without question. I kicked at the wet leaves in front of me while I walked away, mumbling to myself.
“Yeah, and I bet you were voted Most Popular when you were in school, too.”
Rick had followed me, and now his laughter echoed in the empty woods. “I heard you, and yes, I was. It annoys you, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t be silly,” I said as he caught up. “Why should it annoy me? Those are empty titles. The Most Likely to Succeed from my class is on welfare now and has six kids. Didn’t exactly become the ball of fire everyone expected.”
“Okay, tell me the truth. What is it about me that pisses you off so much? You’ve already told me I’m an arrogant self-absorbed jerk. Anything else?”
“The list is endless.”
Rick looked down at the ground and shook his head.
“You’re determined not to like me, aren’t you? I’ve never met anyone who resists friendship as much as you do. Why is it? What happened? Did someone hurt you, let you down, disappoint you?”
He was getting too close to the truth. If he learned about Brian, he would figure the rest out. The whole ugly story was in the police report at Iowa City and in the old newspapers. Thanks to that snoopy journalist, anyone could read about the murder in the papers, and the part I had played in the investigation. I tensed.
“I thought you weren’t going to pry?” I said.
“All right, I won’t pry. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. But that does seem to cover a lot of subjects. What is safe for us to talk about?”
The conversation was going around in circles. I lost my temper. Again.
I whipped around to face him. “I don’t understand any of this, Mr. Rick Davis. Just who are you, anyway? You blow into town and ask a lot of questions—not normal behavior for a chemical salesman. Oh, you’re smooth enough to be a salesman, but I don’t believe you are. Who are you and what are you doing here? Maybe if you tell me the truth, I’ll answer some of your questions.”
Of course, it was a bluff. I had no intention of telling him anything.
He had stopped walking and stood staring at the trees. It was his turn to be uncomfortable. I could see by his expression that he was struggling to think of an answer. For once, I felt I had the advantage. My tension eased. Maybe I could do this, after all. I tilted my head back to look at the sky, trying to think of a way to press my advantage. Buzzards were making lazy circles in the air above me. Rick saw them, too.
“What are those?” he asked.
“Turkey buzzards. Means there’s something dead nearby.”
Dead, oh no, Abby’s vision. I started running across the packed leaves, toward the river.
“Ophelia, where’re you going?” Rick called out behind me.
I skidded to a halt when I saw the body. The buzzards, startled at my sudden approach, took flight. The bile rose in my throat at the sight before me. I fought to keep it down. A man lay faceup on the damp leaves. His eyeless sockets stared at the cloudless sky. Even from where I stood, I could tell he’d been there a few days. The buzzards hadn’t been the only ones to find him. Bones protruded through the raw, puffed-up flesh where the coyotes, wolves, and other carnivores had been at him.
And the smell. Oh, Lord. The smell. Since the surprise snowstorm, the temperature had been above freezing, and now the stench of a rotting body was thick and cloying. Every breath I took drew the stink inside my lungs. I could almost taste it in my mouth. My stomach heaved, and grabbing the nearest tree, I vomited.
When I raised my head, Rick was nearby, his face blanched. He walked toward me as I stood doubled over, leaning against the tree and hugging my rebellious stomach.
“Stop.” I held up one hand, afraid if he touched me, I’d lose the battle with my stomach and wretch again.
“Ophelia—-”
“No, I’m okay. Give me a minute.” I slowly uncurled my body, still gripping my sides.
“Do you know him?” Rick asked almost hesitantly.
“I don’t think so, but I don’t intend to get close enough to find out. We need to notify the sheriff. My cell phone is in the car.”
I took one step away from the tree when the world tilted and darkness descended.
Eleven
I floated in darkness that washed around my body like warm water. From a great distance I heard a shuffling noise. It stopped when strong, gentle hands picked me up. They were hot and they clutched at me. I felt their heat traveling over my body. Ripples of it drifted over my skin, warmer than a hot breeze. My flesh seemed to absorb the heat through every pore until it not only covered me, but was inside me as well—just below the surface. It flowed through my body, touching each nerve along its way. My muscles melted like chocolate left in the sun. Somewhere, in the corner of my mind, I wondered if I might be dying—would the warmth stop my heart from beating? I didn’t care. It felt so good—I would die happy, here on the waves of soft, dark heat.
The waves tumbled about me, but I was anchored by the hands that held me. Their pace was sometimes fast, sometimes slow—-sometimes rough, sometimes smooth. The heat expanded and contracted around me. The breath would whoosh from my lungs when it squeezed, only to rush back in when the grip of heat relaxed. It seemed to toss me about like a cork, only to change and caress my skin with a whisper. I wanted it to go on forever, but too soon the ebb and flow of heat stopped.
An abrupt noise pierced my warmth and darkness. I tried to shut it out, but it kept pulling at me, pulling me away from the darkness where I floated. I didn’t want to leave, but the sound wrapped around my mind and tugged. Other harsh sounds pressed against the edges of my mind. There were too many, and I couldn’t shut them out. Hands, no longer gentle, tapped at my face. They were cold, and they chased the last of the warmth away.
“Ophelia! Wake up!”
I scrunched my eyelids tight, refusing to open them. I fought to return to the darkness, to sink once again into the heat. It was gone. I opened my eyes and found Rick kneeling next to me, his face inches from mine. I jerked upright and, in the process, bumped heads with him.
“Jeez, Ophelia, you’ve got a hard head,” Rick said while he rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah-yeah.” I scooted backward like a crab across the hard ground.
“Sorry, but you’d better let me check you out,” a voice to my right said.
It was then that I noticed the medical examiner’s car parked next to mine, the sheriff’s car on the other side. The ambulance was some distance away. I remembered what we’d found and my stomach threatened to revolt again. I put my head between my knees and drew in great, gasping gulps of air.
“Lord, you’re not going to faint again, are you?” Rick asked.
I raised my head and gave him a hard stare.
“Of course not, I never faint.”
“That’s funny. What do you call what happened in the woods? I had to carry you all the way back. You were dead weight, too.”
His tone of voice was light, but he repeatedly ran his fingers through his hair till it stuck out in tufts. His expression was puzzled. “And you made these strange snuffling noises.”
I felt the blush spread over my face like a red stain. The EMT on my right saved me from explaining.
“I need t
o check her out now, sir. I think Bill wants to talk to you.”
“The sheriff will have to wait,” Rick said. “I’m not leaving until you make sure she’s all right. It’s not normal to be unconscious for such a long time.”
Normal? What around here was normal anymore? During the last few days, it was as if I’d been transported to the middle of some really bad movie.
Rick’s face was still white; his dark brown eyes looked like a pair of shiny marbles. Was the cause concern for me, or the awful sight we had seen down by the river?
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll take good care of her. We go way back, don’t we, Ophelia? She was my babysitter when I was a kid.”
I looked up at Jerry, the EMT, and gave him a weak smile. This was humiliating. I had babysat for his parents when I was fourteen and visiting Abby for the summer. He had been an ornery little devil and tormented me relentlessly. And he was going to examine me? What next? Abby riding in on a white charger and telling the sheriff she knew all about the dead man?
“Go on, Rick,” I said, “go talk to Bill. I told you I’m fine.”
Rick frowned at me, but at least he walked away, over to where Bill stood talking to one of the deputies.
I turned my attention to Jerry.
“You’re not going to put a worm down my shirt or anything, are you, Jerry?” I said, shifting uncomfortably on the ground.
He laughed. “Come on, I was only seven. I’ve changed.”
I lowered my head and tried to block Jerry touching me from my mind while he took my blood pressure. After he pronounced me well, I stood, ignoring the hand extended to help me to my feet. Somehow, on unsteady legs, I managed to join Rick and Bill.
“You stopped at the line of trees and didn’t approach the body?” Bill asked.
“That’s right.” Rick’s eyes darted away from Bill’s face.
“Good, maybe the crime scene is still intact. If we’re lucky, we might get a shoe print, but I doubt it. The leaves are packed hard. How are you feeling, Ophelia?”
I wished everyone would stop asking me that question. I was getting tired of telling them I was fine. “I’m fine, Bill. Do you know who the man is yet?”
“No. No ID on the body. His one hand is chewed up pretty bad, but we might be able to get a set of prints off the other one. Have to wait and see. Since you were here before Mr. Davis, Ophelia, did you see any strange cars or anything unusual?”
“Sorry, nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Okay. I don’t have any more questions. Mr. Davis answered everything I have for now. You two can leave, but if I think of something else, I’ll call. Where did you say you’re staying, Mr. Davis?”
“The bed and breakfast.”
“Georgia’s place? My deputy spends a lot of time there, so if I have any more questions, Alan will be around to ask them.”
He glanced toward the woods, his attention captured by two deputies carrying a body bag followed by the medical examiner. I turned away from them. I didn’t want to think about what was in the bag. The best place for me was home, with the doors locked and the phone off the hook.
I walked to my car and left Rick rooted to the spot, staring intently at the men carrying their gruesome load. He didn’t notice I was gone.
First, it was Abby. So much for locking my doors and taking the phone off the hook. A moat and drawbridge wouldn’t have kept her out.
“Are you all right, Ophelia?” she said, wrapping her arms tightly around me.
“Yes.” I looked Abby straight in the eye. “It would’ve been nice if you’d have warned me about this, though.”
Abby released me and strode into the kitchen. I had no choice but to follow her. She walked to the table and sat down.
Eyeing her cautiously, I joined her.
“Any more little surprises? More dead bodies? Another bad dream? Mysterious strangers? No, let me guess, those images are vague, too,” I said, shaking my head.
“This will help; give me your hands,” Abby said, and reached across the table.
Before she could touch me, I pulled my hands back and tucked them under my legs. “Uh-uh, no you don’t. Not going to do it, no way.”
“Come on, don’t be such a baby,” she said, wiggling her fingers. “You know it doesn’t hurt.”
“I don’t like my psyche poked and prodded.”
“I’ll get a clearer picture of what happened to you today.”
“I was passed out most of the time,” I said, and lifted an eyebrow. “So there isn’t any picture for you to see.”
“That’s not true. Even when we’re unconscious, the mind continues to receive energy and impressions from what’s going on around us. It will help.” Abby’s hands were still outstretched.
“You’re not going to give up, are you?” I asked. When she didn’t answer me, I reluctantly placed my hands in hers. “This is—”
“Shh, I need to concentrate.”
Abby turned my hands so they lay palms up in hers. Her eyelids drifted shut while she used her thumbs to stroke the center of my palms. It had a hypnotic effect. My mind became sluggish and dull. My eyes closed. Images of the riverbank passed through my mind as if on a movie screen, but without any of the sickening horror. The same dim rustling sound I had heard after passing out came back to me. It was followed by soft thudding footsteps. I sank deeper into my mind. All I felt was the rhythmic stroking of my palms.
When I opened my eyes, it took me a minute to get my bearings. Abby watched me with a funny look on her face.
“Interesting. It’s nice to know you haven’t repressed everything.”
Wonderful, my seventy-three-year-old grandmother now knew what I’d felt while Rick was carrying me. Abby ignored my embarrassment.
“You didn’t touch the body or any personal belongings of the dead man’s?”
“My God, no. You saw in my mind what the body looked like.”
“Too bad, I might’ve been able to pick more up if you had. Oh well, when I meet Rick Davis, I’ll see what I get from him. He touched the body.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, he touched the body. Searched the dead man’s pockets while you were passed out and lying by the tree. I told you the subconscious continues to register information, even though we’re not aware of it. It was the shuffling sound you heard.”
“Gross,” I said, making a face.
“Yes, it was, rather. I’d really like to get my hands on whatever it was that young man took from the jacket pocket. Personal items always carry so much energy.”
“You’re kidding, right? Rick couldn’t have removed something from the body. That’s illegal.”
“I’ve got a feeling this Rick isn’t overly concerned about legalities. I really need to meet him.” Abby stood to leave. “I’m going home and concentrate on this, maybe I’ll see something else.” She settled her jacket around her shoulders and walked to the door.
I stumbled behind her, shocked at what she told me about Rick. I needed a dose of sarcasm to get my equilibrium back.
“Sometimes, Abby, I think you missed your calling. You should’ve run away when you were a kid and joined the circus. You could’ve spent every day telling people stuff they didn’t want to hear.” I looked at Abby and gave her a smart-ass grin.
Abby gently patted my face. “But then I’d have missed having a granddaughter like you, dear.”
Abby sailed out the door and down the sidewalk.
One last parting shot. “Going to use a crystal ball, are you?”
She turned. “No, a circle of salt and a candle work just as well. Oh, look. Here comes Darci. Have fun, Ophelia.”
Twelve
It sucked—all the attention. If it weren’t for Abby calling me a coward, I’d run away and join the circus myself. Madame Ophelia, she sees all, knows all. It could work. I could pull it off. Maybe.
Darci approached the house holding a big basket of fruit and a potted mum. Great, now I had to be sociable. The strai
n would probably kill me. I thought the plant and the basket of fruit were over the top. Those were usually reserved for a serious illness or when a death occurred in the family. I wasn’t sick, and I certainly wasn’t dead. It was the poor guy on the riverbank who was dead.
“Darci, what are you doing here? And who’s running the library?”
“Claire is taking care of things. After I heard what happened, I had to come by and see how you were.”
“It’s all over town?”
“Of course it is. Something like this hasn’t happened in Summerset since the Hart boy went crazy and shot Ed Barns. Ed lived, so this is much worse. It’ll keep the liars’ club going for weeks.” She shoved the basket of fruit into my arms.
The liars’ club met every morning and afternoon at Joe’s for coffee. All the retired men in town belonged and the gossip flowed faster than the coffee. What an honor, I was going to be the prime topic of discussion. I felt like beating my head against the door.
Darci stood waiting for me in the hallway.
“This is really nice,” she said, looking around. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here before.”
She hadn’t—we’d worked together almost four years and I’d never invited her. Never wanted to invite her. This was my home, and I’ve never liked intruders. In the past few days too many people had invaded my private world. I hated it.
“I’ll put this plant in the kitchen. Is it back here?” Darci waved her hand toward the back of the house.
I nodded and followed her down the hall to the kitchen. When I reached the doorway, she had already placed the plant on the table and was turning it this way and that, checking which side looked the best.
She turned and smiled. “Doesn’t it look great? Matches your kitchen perfectly.”
“Really, Darci, this wasn’t necessary. I’m not sick. I had a bit of a shock, that’s all.” I set the fruit on the counter.
She shivered. “A shock? I’d say it was more than a shock. They said you were unconscious for a long time.”
Oh yes, the mysterious “they.” Summerset was full of “theys,” but no one ever knew exactly who “they” were. My life wouldn’t be worth living till “they” quit talking about the dead body.
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