Dime Store Magic
Page 24
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While Savannah reheated her dinner, I listened to my messages and returned calls to several Bostonian friends who'd seen my plight on the news. My Satanic altar made the Boston news? They each assured me it had been only a cursory mention on one channel, but that didn't make me feel better.
The teenagers left at nine forty-five, probably to make curfew. The older quartet stayed, taking turns sitting in the minivan and standing vigil on my lawn. I didn't phone the police. That would only call more attention to myself. If I didn't react, the Salvationists would tire soon enough and go home, wherever home was.
I went to bed at eleven. Yes, sad but true, I was young, single, and going to bed at eleven on a Saturday night, as I had almost every night for the past nine months. Since Savannah's arrival, I've had to struggle to maintain even friendships. Dating is out of the question. Savannah is very jealous of my time and attention. Or, perhaps more accurately, she dislikes not having me at her convenience. Like I've said, stability was one of the few things I could offer her, so I didn't push it.
Before retiring for the night, I peeked out the front curtain. Two men still stood on my front lawn, with two women in a nearby car, but the faces and the vehicle had changed. Replacement workers? Great.
I spent way too much time that night brooding about Cary. As if dealing with a Satanic altar wasn't enough, now I had a maturity-challenged lawyer stalking me. How did I get myself into these messes? Maybe publicly humiliating Cary wasn't my brightest idea ever, but how was I to know the guy would retaliate like a sixteen-year-old turned down for a prom date?
Then there was Travis Willard. I liked Willard, which made his cop-out only that much worse. If he wouldn't support me against Cary, who would? I could say East Falls was a typical small town, insular and protective, but I grew up in a small community and it hadn't been like this at all. If the Elders would only let me move but that led into a whole new area of brooding. I already had enough to last me the entire night.
All was quiet the next morning. Not surprising, given that it was Sunday and this was East Falls. At nine A.M. the phone rang. I checked caller ID. Private caller. Whenever someone doesn't want you to know who they are, it's a good bet they aren't someone you care to speak to.
I let the machine pick up and set the kettle on the stove. The caller hung up.
Ten minutes later, the phone rang again. Another mystery caller. I sipped my tea and waited for the hang-up. Instead, the caller left a cell-phone-static-choked message.
"Paige, it's Grant. I want to speak to you about last night. I'll be at the office at ten."
I grabbed the receiver, but he'd already hung up, and *69 didn't work. I considered my options, then dumped my tea down the sink and walked down the hall to Savannah's bedroom.
"Savannah?" I called, rapping atthe door. "Time to get up. We've got an errand to run."
Chapter 11
Flying Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease
WHEN WE ARRIVED AT GARY'S OFFICE, THE RECEPTION DESK WAS DESERTED. No surprise there. I doubted Cary wanted Lacey to overhear this conversation.
Our footsteps echoed through the emptiness as we crossed the hardwood floor.
"Hello!" Cary's voice drifted from his second-story office. "I'll be right with you!"
I headed up the stairs, Savannah behind me. A rustling of paper erupted from Cary's office, followed by the squeak of his chair.
"Sorry about that," he said, still hidden from view. "No reception on a Sunday, I'm afraid. The wife doesn't-" He stepped from his office and blinked. "Paige? Savannah?"
"Who were you expecting?"
He disappeared back into his office. I followed and waved for Savannah to do the same.
"New client," Cary said. "Not until ten-thirty, though, so I guess I can spare a few minutes. Lacey tells me you stopped by the house last night. Apparently I bumped your car on State Street. I did go downtown to pick up some dry cleaning. I can't say I recall hitting anything, but I did notice a scratch on the front bumper. Of course, I'm extremely sorry-"
"Cut the crap. You know what you did. If you called me here to make excuses, I don't want to hear them."
"Called you here?" He frowned as he settled into his chair. I studied his face for any sign of dissembling but saw none.
"You didn't call me, did you?" I said.
"No, I well, of course, I was going to call-"
"Where's Lacey?"
A deeper frown. "At church. It's her week to help Reverend Meacham set up."
"It's a trap," I murmured. I whirled to Savannah. "We have to get out of here. Now."
"What's going on?" Cary said, rising from his desk.
I pushed Savannah toward the door, then thought better of it and yanked her behind me before starting forward. She grabbed my arm.
"Careful," she mouthed.
Right. Barreling out the door probably wasn't the best idea. I had too little experience with running and fighting for my life. Savannah already had too much.
After motioning Savannah back, I inched around the doorway, pressed myself against the wall and peered into the hall. Empty.
"Is something wrong?" Cary asked.
I reached for Savannah. Tugging her at arm's length behind me, I ventured into the hall. We sidestepped along the wall, moving toward the stairs. Halfway there I stopped and listened. Silence.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Cary's voice fluttered from his office and echoed down the hall.
The teenagers left at nine forty-five, probably to make curfew. The older quartet stayed, taking turns sitting in the minivan and standing vigil on my lawn. I didn't phone the police. That would only call more attention to myself. If I didn't react, the Salvationists would tire soon enough and go home, wherever home was.
I went to bed at eleven. Yes, sad but true, I was young, single, and going to bed at eleven on a Saturday night, as I had almost every night for the past nine months. Since Savannah's arrival, I've had to struggle to maintain even friendships. Dating is out of the question. Savannah is very jealous of my time and attention. Or, perhaps more accurately, she dislikes not having me at her convenience. Like I've said, stability was one of the few things I could offer her, so I didn't push it.
Before retiring for the night, I peeked out the front curtain. Two men still stood on my front lawn, with two women in a nearby car, but the faces and the vehicle had changed. Replacement workers? Great.
I spent way too much time that night brooding about Cary. As if dealing with a Satanic altar wasn't enough, now I had a maturity-challenged lawyer stalking me. How did I get myself into these messes? Maybe publicly humiliating Cary wasn't my brightest idea ever, but how was I to know the guy would retaliate like a sixteen-year-old turned down for a prom date?
Then there was Travis Willard. I liked Willard, which made his cop-out only that much worse. If he wouldn't support me against Cary, who would? I could say East Falls was a typical small town, insular and protective, but I grew up in a small community and it hadn't been like this at all. If the Elders would only let me move but that led into a whole new area of brooding. I already had enough to last me the entire night.
All was quiet the next morning. Not surprising, given that it was Sunday and this was East Falls. At nine A.M. the phone rang. I checked caller ID. Private caller. Whenever someone doesn't want you to know who they are, it's a good bet they aren't someone you care to speak to.
I let the machine pick up and set the kettle on the stove. The caller hung up.
Ten minutes later, the phone rang again. Another mystery caller. I sipped my tea and waited for the hang-up. Instead, the caller left a cell-phone-static-choked message.
"Paige, it's Grant. I want to speak to you about last night. I'll be at the office at ten."
I grabbed the receiver, but he'd already hung up, and *69 didn't work. I considered my options, then dumped my tea down the sink and walked down the hall to Savannah's bedroom.
"Savannah?" I called, rapping atthe door. "Time to get up. We've got an errand to run."
Chapter 11
Flying Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease
WHEN WE ARRIVED AT GARY'S OFFICE, THE RECEPTION DESK WAS DESERTED. No surprise there. I doubted Cary wanted Lacey to overhear this conversation.
Our footsteps echoed through the emptiness as we crossed the hardwood floor.
"Hello!" Cary's voice drifted from his second-story office. "I'll be right with you!"
I headed up the stairs, Savannah behind me. A rustling of paper erupted from Cary's office, followed by the squeak of his chair.
"Sorry about that," he said, still hidden from view. "No reception on a Sunday, I'm afraid. The wife doesn't-" He stepped from his office and blinked. "Paige? Savannah?"
"Who were you expecting?"
He disappeared back into his office. I followed and waved for Savannah to do the same.
"New client," Cary said. "Not until ten-thirty, though, so I guess I can spare a few minutes. Lacey tells me you stopped by the house last night. Apparently I bumped your car on State Street. I did go downtown to pick up some dry cleaning. I can't say I recall hitting anything, but I did notice a scratch on the front bumper. Of course, I'm extremely sorry-"
"Cut the crap. You know what you did. If you called me here to make excuses, I don't want to hear them."
"Called you here?" He frowned as he settled into his chair. I studied his face for any sign of dissembling but saw none.
"You didn't call me, did you?" I said.
"No, I well, of course, I was going to call-"
"Where's Lacey?"
A deeper frown. "At church. It's her week to help Reverend Meacham set up."
"It's a trap," I murmured. I whirled to Savannah. "We have to get out of here. Now."
"What's going on?" Cary said, rising from his desk.
I pushed Savannah toward the door, then thought better of it and yanked her behind me before starting forward. She grabbed my arm.
"Careful," she mouthed.
Right. Barreling out the door probably wasn't the best idea. I had too little experience with running and fighting for my life. Savannah already had too much.
After motioning Savannah back, I inched around the doorway, pressed myself against the wall and peered into the hall. Empty.
"Is something wrong?" Cary asked.
I reached for Savannah. Tugging her at arm's length behind me, I ventured into the hall. We sidestepped along the wall, moving toward the stairs. Halfway there I stopped and listened. Silence.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Cary's voice fluttered from his office and echoed down the hall.
