by A. D. McLain
But now she was no longer a child. It was time she knew where she came from. She should know about her real parents. At least David had agreed with him on that point.
He heard footsteps, followed by the door opening, and Tony entered. Tony was a young cop with all the enthusiasm which went along with youth. He was always excited to take on a new assignment, but this was only his first couple of weeks on the job. Before long, he’d be just as cynical as everyone else. It was too bad, because Mark kind of liked the kid. He reminded him a lot of himself, before his wide-eyed enthusiasm had been snuffed out by years of witnessing death and suffering.
“Hey,” Tony said in surprise. “I thought I’d be the only one crazy enough to be here this early. How long you been here?”
Mark glanced back down at the file. “A while.”
“Weren’t you wearing the same thing yesterday?” Tony squinted in the dim light. “You haven’t been here all night, have you?”
“I had a lot of paperwork to do.”
“Have you at least gotten some sleep?”
“I’m not all that tired.”
Tony shook his head and whistled in amazement. “Man, even I’m not that energetic. Do you do this a lot?”
“Sometimes.” Mark shrugged, still reading over the file and only half paying attention to the conversation.
Tony just shook his head and settled at his own desk, starting on his own stack of paperwork.
Meghan trudged up the last couple of steps to her apartment and unlocked the door, trying twice before she realized she was turning the key in the wrong direction. She let her bag slip down to the floor and turned the television on, unable to stand the silence. She flipped through a few channels before picking one and going to heat up some leftovers. Pouring a glass of water, she jumped up on the counter and let her legs swing back and forth as she contemplated what to do for the evening. Her options were TV, sleeping, eating, sleeping, a shower, sleeping, homework, and sleeping. She thought about the homework, deciding she didn’t absolutely have to do it tonight. She could goof off and eat large quantities of chocolate instead.
The microwave dinged, and she jumped down from the counter and grabbed the food. Deciding to flip through the channels once more before settling on a movie, she plopped down onto the couch and started eating. She paused in her channel surfing a few times, momentarily captivated by a program on the history of sex, one about celebrity homes, and an infomercial regarding some new workout machine.
Finally, she got up and started going through her movies. A piece of white paper lying near the door caught her eye, and she picked it up. It seemed as if it had been slid under the door, because she didn’t recognize the paper.
She unfolded it slowly and read the note.
The paper fell from her hands, a chill rippling over her skin. Taking a deep breath, she knelt down and picked up the paper again. Reread the words carefully, there was no mistake.
The past never really dies.
—Tammy Knight
Carefully, she refolded the paper and clutched it in her hand. She needed to talk to someone about this. How could anyone know? Maybe whoever had slipped this paper under her door was still in the hall. After all, she had no idea when it was left. She went to the door and peered up and down the hall, but nobody was there. So much for that idea.
She studied the paper for another minute and decided to call Nicole. She was the only one Meg could possibly talk to about this.
She dialed Nicole’s number and waited impatiently as the phone rang several times with no answer. That was strange, Nicole was usually always home at this time of day. Maybe she was doing research at the library.
Meghan reluctantly set down the phone and thought about what she should do. She didn’t know who’d left this here, so she couldn’t question them about it. She couldn’t talk to Nicole, and there was no one else who would understand. It seemed her only option was to wait and see what happened. She hated the idea, but in this case, she had no other choice.
She was suddenly very cold. Absentmindedly, she turned up the heater and grabbed a sweater. She decided to do some of that homework, after all.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!” Nicole yelled, the wind rushing up to meet her and blow her hair back. Her stomach seemed as if it was back where her head had been, but it felt great. She laughed giddily and looked over at David. His much shorter hair was standing straight in the air, and he was laughing, too.
A sudden jolt stopped their downward descent and her hair tumbled down, covering her face and momentarily blocking her vision. The hum of the ride grew softer, and her stomach started to settle back into its correct position as the ride ended.
The shoulder harness was lifted and David took hold of her hand, helping her stand. She stumbled anyway and fell up against him, laughing. He held her tightly, and she allowed herself to stay there, in his arms, enjoying the sensation. She looked up at him with what she knew was a goofy grin and found him grinning back. There was some emotion in his eyes, too, but she didn’t allow herself to think about that too much. Tonight, no thinking was allowed.
She nodded when he asked her if she could stand and managed not to cry out in protest when his arms loosened from around her. Instead, she put her own arm around his waist and leaned up against him, as he led her to the next ride.
David glanced over at Nicole as they walked up the steps to her apartment. The fair had been great and Nicole had really begun to relax by the end of the night. And she’d laughed – a lot. He loved spending time with her and after tonight, it seemed she felt the same way. After all, she’d agreed to go back with him the following night to see a concert at the fairgrounds. David reluctantly removed his arm from her shoulders when she unlocked the door. She pushed the door open and turned back to David. “I had a great time”
“Me too.” A second later, her arms were wrapped around him. He recovered quickly from his surprise and hugged her back. After a minute, Nicole pulled away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
She closed the door and sighed. David wasn’t the only one she had surprised with that impetuous hug. She didn’t generally go around hugging people, but she was glad she’d hugged him. It felt right. It felt so absolutely right to be in his arms. She relived every moment of the evening as she fell asleep, her two wolves nearby. She found herself still smiling the following morning.
9
Billy dropped the stack of books on his desk, creating a loud thud and unsettling a lot of dust. His hand closed on empty air when he attempted to catch a falling picture, and it hit the floor with a shattering sound. Carefully, he picked up the picture frame and gathered the broken pieces of glass. At least the picture hadn’t been damaged. He stared at the smiling faces of him, Nicole, and his parents. It was the last photo they’d taken together, so long ago, yet it was the most recent picture he had of them. Dad had never liked professional photos that much. It had taken a long time to convince him to have one taken. Now, his parents were both gone.
He wondered how Nicole was doing with all of this. He hadn’t spoken to her since before the funeral. He should never have left that to her to deal with, she deserved better than that. He should call her, but what good would that do? A few minutes on the phone to assuage his guilty conscience is all it would be. It wouldn’t make up for anything.
He looked from the photo to his desk and sighed. Maybe there was something he could do. With a new sense of purpose, Billy pulled out the phone book and started dialing.
Nicole was roused from the book she was reading by a knock at the door. She reluctantly set the book down and went to find out who it was. Before she’d even reached the door, she heard soft music starting to filter through her mind through her near telepathic connection with her best friend.. She smiled. They never shared thoughts with each other, but somehow Nicole was always able to hear whatever music or song Meg was thinking about when they were in close proximity..As s
oon as she opened the door, Nicole was greeted by Meg’s cheerful face.
“Hello, Megnificent.”
Meghan’s face brightened considerably. “You haven’t called me that in forever.”
Nicole shrugged. “Well, it seems like a Megnificent kind of day.”
Meg smiled. “Cool. So, are you busy?”
“No. Why?” Nicole asked suspiciously.
“I was wondering if you’d help me pick out a dress for that committee thing I’m going to on Friday. I don’t have anything except formals and sundresses, and I’m going to be busy all week, so today is the only day I can shop for one.” Meg plopped down on the couch, catching sight of the book Nicole had been reading. “So what’s this one about? Bigfoot or the Bermuda Triangle?”
Nicole closed the door and joined Meg on the couch. “Actually, this one’s about vampires, werewolves, and other paranormal creatures. So far, all it’s done is come up with a hundred scientific reasons why none of them really exist. My parents could have written it.”
Meg scrutinized Nicole. “What are you really looking for in all these books? Do you just want someone to agree with you, or do you want someone to convince you that your parents were wrong, and you’re justified in thinking the way you do?”
“What are you talking about?” Nicole twirled a piece of the fringing on the couch around her finger and fought back the usual nauseated reaction to discussing her parents. Refusing to dwell on the bad thoughts, she concentrated only on the current conversation.
“Nicole, I saw how you were around your parents. Whenever they talked about paranormal studies being a waste of time, you started to doubt yourself. You could never bring yourself to argue with them, because you were too afraid they might be right.”
Nicole squirmed uncomfortably. “So, what about getting you a dress?”
Meg sighed, conceding the topic for the moment and returning to her reason for coming over. “I figured we could hit Cleo’s, but I’ve got to hurry, because I still have to find another source for my paper today.”
“Okay, I’ll get my purse.”
They traveled in Meg’s car to Cleo’s Clothing Hunters, where there was always a large selection of dresses ranging from replica medieval gowns to simple sundresses. Meg and Nicole headed for one of the dress racks which held more formal attire and started searching.
A wisp of black material on a nearby rack caught Meg’s eye. She ran her hand across the slinky material. It was like nothing she’d touched before. Pulling out the dress, she saw it had a plunging neckline and she suspected it revealed a lot more than it covered. It was exactly the type of dress a femme fatale in the movies might wear. A quick glance confirmed it was her size.
“I thought you were looking for a professional dress?” Nicole said from over Meg’s shoulder.
“I am, but just look at it. Better yet, touch this material.”
Nicole reached for the dress and ran her fingers over the material. It had to be the softest fabric she’d ever felt. And smooth… it was incredibly smooth and lightweight.. “Wow.”
“I know. I’ve got to try it on, at least.” Meg turned back to the other rack of dresses her purpose for being there, the black dress draped over her arm. “Oh, by the way – where were you yesterday evening? I tried to call.” She suppressed the shudder which tried to escape at the thought of the note. She’d already convinced herself it was silly to get so worked up about it. She’d just gotten carried away. It had probably come from some whack job who happened across an old newspaper article about what happened and decided it would be a kick to mess around with her head. Still, she could feel goose bumps erupting over her arms.
“Oh, David took me to that fair in Starview. He’s taking me again tonight. There’s going to be a concert.”
"Oooooh, he’s taking you to a concert. This is getting serious.”
“What’s getting serious?” Nicole asked innocently from the other side of the clothes rack.
Meg shot her an incredulous look. “You and David, that’s what.”
“There is no me and David. Coverton is just being nice. That’s just the kind of guy he is. He’s nice, and considerate, and…”
“And sooooo cute,” Meg finished for her.
Nicole chose her words carefully. “Yeah, I suppose he is a little attractive,” she conceded.
“A little attractive?” Meg scoffed. “He’s drop dead gorgeous.”
“You think everyone is drop dead gorgeous.”
“Maybe, but even you’ve got to admit I’m right this time.”
Nicole wasn’t about to let Meg know she completely agreed with her assessment of David’s appearance. Admitting to her ever-growing attraction would mean she had to do something about it, and she wasn’t ready for that just yet. Still, she couldn’t help thinking about him.
“Hey, Nicole, are you listening?”
Nicole almost responded that she had been, but she knew Meg would only make her prove it. “I’m sorry, I guess I drifted off somewhere else.”
“I’ll say. Care to say where?”
“No. What were you saying?”
Meg shrugged. “What do you think of this one?” She held up a yellow dress which had an overcoat, making it the ideal dress for a professional look, yet easily switching to more casual event.
“It’s perfect.”
Meg took both dresses and tried them on, saving the black dress for last. It fit her like a second skin. “What do you think?”
Nicole studied her briefly before responding. “And you’re planning on breaking how many laws?”
“Perfect.” Meg twirled around a couple of times, admiring herself in the mirror.
The sound of a bell caught their attention. A woman walked through the beaded curtain separating the main store from the changing rooms out back. She had long, black wavy hair with a streak of white at the temple, and she wore a flowing dress in rich, dark purple. She had a presence about her which drew everyone’s attention. Her eyes sparkled in the light and she had an ethereal look about her. She was the lady who owned the store, and Nicole had seen her many times before. Each time, Nicole was entranced by those eyes. It often seemed as if the woman was watching her, but then again, Nicole always felt as if she was being watched. Still, the woman’s presence was unsettling.
The woman strode up to them and smiled at Meghan. “That dress does look lovely on you, my dear.”
Meghan suddenly seemed more self-conscious. She ran her hands along the side of the dress, smoothing out imagined wrinkles and shifted her balance from one foot to the other. “Th— thank you.”
“Are you going to buy it?” Nicole asked, trying to shake off her own apprehension.
Meg checked the price tag. “I don’t know. I wasn’t really planning on spending that much today.”
“If you really love it, I could knock off twenty percent,” the woman interjected.
“Really?” Hope sparked in Meg’s eyes.
“Yes. It’s been here a while, and it does look wonderful on you.”
“Thank you!” Meg went back into the dressing room to change, leaving Nicole standing with the strange woman.
Nicole couldn’t really pinpoint what made her so uncomfortable, the woman only appeared to be a couple of years older than she and Meg, but for some reason Nicole suspected the woman was much older, with knowledge to go along with her age.
“Sometimes it’s good to trust one’s instincts.”
Nicole started at the woman’s words. “Excuse me?”
The woman smiled briefly, then turned towards the dressing room. “The dress. Your friend’s instincts about that dress were good. Sometimes instincts can be stronger and more trustworthy than reason.” She glanced back at Nicole. “Don’t you agree?”
“I guess,” Nicole responded cautiously. She had an odd certainty that they weren’t just talking about the dress, but Meg came out before she could figure out what the woman really meant.
Nicole waited while Meg paid for
her purchases, then followed her to the car. By the time Meg had balanced the bags against the car and dug out her keys, Nicole’s mind had already turned to other things. Namely, David. Not even the strange shop owner could distract her for long from that subject. Then again, considering how her thoughts had been focused on such traumatic events not too long ago, a little obsession with a cute guy couldn’t be such a bad thing.
“Hey, guys.” John’s voice boomed from further down the sidewalk. “What’s up?”
“Just shopping. You?” Meg replied, just managing to catch her purse before it fell from the roof of the car.
“Actually, I was looking for Nicole. Here.” Ignoring her confused expression, John handed her a cell phone. “This is from the SES. Don’t worry,” he added, “it’s just a basic flip phone. I know you aren’t into phones with all the bells and whistles.”
“What?” She eyed the phone speculatively. “Why would the SES give me a cell phone?”
He glanced away, avoiding eye contact. “We were talking at the meeting last night about everything that’s happened to you since you took those photos, and we all agreed you’d be safer with a cell phone on you.”
“Whoa, what? Since when did we have a meeting last night?” Nicole demanded.
“It was a last-minute thing.” He shrugged and his efforts to avoid her eye were even more noticeable.
“I can’t take this.” Nicole held the phone out to him, but he pushed her hand away. “The SES doesn’t have money to spend on something like this,” she argued.
John shook his head. “It was a unanimous vote. We want you to have it.”
“A vote? You guys voted – on me! Is that why I didn’t know about the meeting? Because it was about me?” This was too much. It wasn’t enough for everyone to give her a hard time and worry over her while she was around. Now they were going out of their way to worry when she wasn’t around. How did she go from the quiet girl who went about her life without drawing attention to herself, to someone who had people trying to kill her, other people holding meetings to discuss her and an amazing amount of attention from a cute guy and a wolf?