"Can you leave out the part about visiting the old woman?"
He nodded. "I'll just say I found the book and basically got the same message. That's only if they ask, though. I don't want them ..." He made a face, then shrugged.
"You don't want them thinking we took her message seriously enough to follow up on it. Because you don't want them thinking we'd betray the town to a corporate spy?"
A half shrug this time, which meant that was only part of the reason.
"Serena, then," I said, lowering my voice even more. "You're thinking about the drugs they gave her before she died. If those drugs had anything to do with Serena's death, you don't want them suspecting that's why we wanted to talk to Mina Lee."
He nodded as my dad and Chief Carling came toward us. The chief asked where Rafe was. When I explained, I think he jumped a notch in Dad's estimation, same as he had in Daniel's.
Next I got grilled. This time, the subject wasn't the victim but the killer. Or the supposed killer.
"I don't think M--" I stopped myself, knowing my argument would be stronger without using his pet name. "I don't think the cougar did it."
I lifted my hands as my dad opened his mouth.
"I know it doesn't matter, Dad. Whether he killed her or scavenged her remains, he's a man-eater now, so he can't stay. I just don't want to jump to the conclusion he's the killer and overlook the possibility she was--" Daniel's arm nudged mine. A subtle gesture that could be accidental, but when you've been friends this long, you know when you're being told to shut up. "Killed another way," I continued. "Maybe a fall. Or a hunter's bullet."
"Well, that's the good thing about having the best doctors around," Chief Carling said. "They'll find out what killed Ms. Lee, no matter what the condition of--" She coughed and hurried on. "My guess is you're not far off saying a fall. The way she was tramping around these woods? I don't think she'd ever been out of the city in her life. Lots of cliffs and ravines to stumble in around here."
Mom bustled me and Daniel into the house. Even if I couldn't stomach the thought of food, she wanted me to have something. So the three of us sat at the table, and ate toast and drank tea and talked about everything we could think of that had nothing to do with cougars and reporters.
Another rough night. My roller coaster of a day all jumbled together in dreams and nightmares. Rafe kissing me. Rafe kissing Hayley. Rafe laughing. Marv snarling. The climb. The run. The body.
The body should have taken center stage. It didn't. Instead, it was the run that played through every scene, like a thread tying it all together. Running with Kenjii, laughing, my hair flying. Then running with Rafe, grinning, my heart pounding. Then running from Rafe, giddy, my pulse racing. Then running with a cougar, seeing it out of the corner of my eye, keeping pace, and feeling, not fear but something incredible, like all the other runs rolled together, exhilaration and excitement and a weird kind of peace.
When I was running with Rafe, we found ourselves at the cache and I could see Mina Lee, her eyes wide, face streaked with blood, and I could smell that blood, and it didn't smell bad. It smelled--
I jerked awake. Sweat rolled off me. My bed was soaked with it, my camisole pasted to my chest. I went to the balcony door and threw it open. Cool night air washed over me, but it wasn't enough. My chest ached and before I knew it, I was on the balcony, leaning over the railing as far as I dared and breathing. Just breathing.
"Mrrr-upp?"
I jumped at the sound, as familiar as it was. I glanced over to see Fitz stretching on the railing.
"How did you get up here?" I said.
A baleful look, like he was offended that I'd ask.
"I'm not carrying you down," I said. "You're here until morning."
He lay down on the wooden rail, as if in answer. I patted him, then headed back inside. As I climbed into bed, I could see him, sitting now, a gargoyle watch cat. Yellow eyes peering into the night. I smiled, pulled up the sweat-damp covers, and fell back to sleep.
I woke up in a weird mood. A good mood, which was the weird part, all things considered.
After I finished feeding the animals, Mom offered me another "get out of school free card." I refused it. I needed to talk to Daniel about Mina's and Serena's deaths, and school was the best place for that.
I was getting my lunch ready. Mom had gone into the studio, leaving Dad on "watch our child for signs of an imminent breakdown" duty, sitting at the table, sipping his coffee.
"You really like that boy," he said. "Rafael."
"Sure. I like him."
A pause, as if that wasn't the answer he wanted.
"I thought you didn't date boys from school."
I shrugged. "There's always a first time."
More silence. I glanced over to see him studying me.
I sighed and turned to him, peanut-butter-covered knife in hand. "If you've heard something about him, just spit it out."
He sipped his coffee, debating, then said, "They say he's something of a Romeo."
"Romeo?" I sputtered a laugh. "Seriously?"
"You know what I mean, Maya. He likes girls."
"Which, all things considered, is good."
He gave me a look, and I sighed. "Okay. You mean he's a player. I'd point out that doesn't make him a Romeo--which would imply he sets his sights on one and sticks to her, 'til an early death do them part. But I get it. And you're right. He likes girls."
"That doesn't bother you?"
I shrugged. "If he had a reputation for sleeping around, I'd steer clear. He doesn't. He likes to catch and release. I get that, which is why I'm being careful not to expect too much."
He took another slow sip of his coffee, which meant more was coming. I licked the peanut butter off the knife as I waited for it.
"No one in town really knows this boy, Maya. He showed up with his sister, and moved into a cabin that doesn't even have electricity. People have been concerned about them, but he's made it very clear that he doesn't want anyone's help. It bothers some people, the way they just appeared."
My eyes rounded. "You're right. Do you remember the night they arrived? That big flying saucer hovering over the park?"
He shook his head and pushed his chair back.
"I know you're serious, Dad, but I'm okay. Really."
"I just ... I understand you might want to start dating more seriously, and that means dating someone from town. But if you're going to do that ..." This time he took a long drink of coffee, and the mug was still at his lips when he said, "I like Daniel. He takes care of you."
I blinked. "Oh my God. Did you really just say that? He takes care of me?"
Dad flushed. "I didn't mean it like--"
"Takes care of me? Did I go to sleep and wake up in the nineteenth century?" I looked down at my jeans and T-shirt. "Ack! I can't go to school like this. Where's my corset? My bonnet?"
Dad sighed as Mom walked in with her empty teacup.
"What did I miss?" she said.
"Dad's trying to marry me off to Daniel." I looked at him. "You know, if you offer him a new truck for a dowry, he might go for it."
"Apparently, I said the wrong thing," Dad told Mom. "Again."
"Never hard with our daughter." She walked over and slid my sandwich into a bag. "Leave your father alone and get going before you miss your ride."
"They're still looking for next of kin," Daniel said as I climbed into the truck. "But they found her cell phone so I'm glad I came clean on that."
I nodded. "Last night, when I was about to raise the possibility she was murdered, you stopped me. Was it because of Serena and the meds?"
"Because the medication caused her death and Mina found out, so the St. Clouds killed her? No. That'd be crazy. But all it takes is one person to be a little crazy, decide the research has to be protected at all costs, decide to take matters into his own hands ..."
We drove along in thoughtful silence before Daniel said, "So I might not be completely nuts?"
"Not yet. I think
we need to break into the Braun place tonight. They won't clear it out until her next of kin shows up, and it sounds like that won't be anytime soon. It'll be our last chance to find out if she knew anything about Serena's death."
TWENTY-FOUR
WE DECIDED TO VISIT the Braun place after dark. As we reached town, the truck bounced from the dirt road to the pavement, and something underneath made an ugly cracking sound.
"It's been doing that," Daniel said. "Just ignore it. Corey says he'll take a look on the weekend."
"Well, no matter how dire the situation, if my dad offers you a new truck, don't do it. There's a serious string attached."
"Huh?" he said.
I told him what my dad had said. That got him laughing and as we pulled into the school parking lot, even the sight of Rafe waiting for me only made him roll his eyes.
We got out. I glanced at Daniel.
He sighed. "Go on."
"You sound like you're giving a five-year-old permission to play with an unsuitable friend."
"If the shoe fits ..."
I flipped him off.
"Watch it or I won't marry you," he said. "Truck or no truck."
I laughed and jogged over to Rafe.
"Did he just say ...?" Rafe began.
"Yes. And don't ask. How's Annie?"
"She's fine," he said as we walked along the forest's edge, skirting school property. "I tried to convince her to stay indoors for a few days. She doesn't get it. A couple of years ago, she was the one always telling me ... Well, you know."
I didn't have any experience with brothers or sisters, but I suppose it would be as if Daniel got into an accident and stopped watching out for me. It'd be like losing the Daniel I knew.
"If you can't get her to stay out of the woods, I've got something that should help. A present from my dad." I swung my backpack off my shoulder and rummaged. "One for you and one for Annie. He makes me carry it all the time. You guys should, too."
He took the cans of pepper spray. "Good idea. Thank him for me."
"I will. If you need to use it, aim for the face--not just the eyes but the nose. Oh, here--and my dad threw in a pamphlet on animal encounters, even though I told him you seem to know how to handle yourself in the woods."
"Make lots of noise so you don't surprise them. Make more noise if you meet one. Try to be as big and intimidating as possible. Don't drop eye contact. Don't turn away."
"You got it."
As we walked, he'd been looking around. I asked what he was looking for.
"Someplace private," he said.
"So we can talk more? That's so sweet."
He laughed. "Talking's good, but the bell's going to ring. Not much time for deep conversation."
"Not much time for anything else, either."
A wicked grin. "There's enough."
He scanned the building and the forest. I knew he'd never officially dated any of the girls at school, but I'd figured that didn't mean he hadn't slipped off to a quiet spot with one. Obviously not.
"There's a nook around back," I said. "It's an emergency exit, so no one ever uses it."
"I thought you didn't date guys from school?"
"Doesn't mean I don't know the make-out spots."
"Make-out? I thought we were talking. But if you insist ..."
I tugged him into the nook, wrapped my hand around the front of his shirt, pulled him to me, and kissed him. He chuckled, the vibration buzzing through our kiss. I'm bold, but I'd never been this bold. With Rafe, I could be. He liked bold. If his return kiss was any indication, he liked it a whole lot.
We kissed until the bell rang, then he pulled back but only to glower in the direction of the bell.
I laughed.
He stayed put, hands resting on my hips.
"You're okay, then?" he said. "After last night?"
"Better than I should be."
"What do you mean?"
I shrugged. "I feel like ... like I'm holding up too well. I mean, I feel awful about it, but I'm not having any trouble coping."
"Because you're tough."
"It feels insensitive."
He shook his head, fingers sliding into my belt loops, leaning toward me until we were eye to eye. "I was there last night, Maya. What I saw was strength. You were upset, but you knew what had to be done and you did it. I was impressed. Seriously impressed."
He kissed me again and my arms went around his neck and I didn't care about the bell, didn't care if I ever got to class.
A throat-clearing behind Rafe made us both jump.
"I believe that was the bell, Rafael."
I couldn't see the speaker but recognized the voice as Ms. Tate's, the primary grades teacher.
"Whoops," he said. "Guess we'd better get inside, then."
When Ms. Tate saw me, she gave a little "oh" of surprise. "Maya ..."
"Sorry," I said. "We were just going in."
I could feel her gaze on my back as we walked away. When we got around the corner, Rafe whispered, "I think she's disappointed in you."
"She'll get over it."
He grinned and we headed inside.
If I'd felt insensitive earlier, it wasn't long before I was feeling downright callous. Everyone kept telling me they'd heard what had happened and how horrible it must have been. But inside, I was still buzzing, my pulse racing, as giddy as the time Serena and I sneaked champagne at her cousin's wedding.
Rafe didn't make it easy, either. During first period, he found an excuse to walk past my desk and drop off a note. It read, "Not dating classmates means you've missed out on an important part of fifth grade. Time to catch up." Below that, he'd drawn a heart with our initials in it. I'd laughed, added "2 be + 2-gether = 4-ever" and passed it back.
And so it went, all morning, the page getting filled up with doodles as it went back and forth. It was completely fifth grade and completely silly and I loved it, because he wasn't afraid to be silly. It was like kissing him first--I could do whatever I wanted, and not have to worry what he'd think of me.
Five minutes before lunch, he dropped off another note marked "Open at the bell," then excused himself to use the washroom ... and didn't return. When the bell went, I unfolded it to find a rough sketch of the school, with a dotted line from our class to an X by the principal's office.
I stuffed the note in my pocket and took off. At the office, I found an X in marker on the floor beside the trash can. I moved it and found another note. Another dotted line, this one leading outside to another X. That one ended just inside the forest, where I found a third note under a pebble.... It was blank.
I looked up.
Rafe's laugh floated down from the trees. "Can't fool you, huh?"
I scaled the tree. When I reached his branch, he was sitting there, legs dangling.
"Will that branch hold two?" I said, looking at it.
"Maybe. The question is whether you're willing to risk it."
I swung onto the branch and started sidling out.
He grinned. "Dumb question, wasn't it?"
"It was."
"You can't resist me."
"No, I can't resist a dare."
I stopped. He looked at the distance between us and lifted his brows.
"This seems close enough," I said. "For safety's sake."
"Safe from the branch breaking? Or from me?"
He swung his leg over and reached for me, pulling me into a kiss. He started slow, shifting, checking my balance. I backed up a little and swung my leg over, so we were both straddling.
"Better?" I said.
"Much."
He gave me a real kiss then, deep and hungry, and I think the branch could have snapped and I wouldn't have noticed until I hit the ground. Maybe not even then.
We kissed, barely coming up for air, until a giggle sounded below us. Then a singsong voice.
"Rafe and Maya sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g."
"Annie ..." Rafe peered down at his sister, beaming up at us. "I thought I asked
you to stay inside today."
"I was careful." She grabbed the lowest branch and swung up. "I wanted to see Maya. I wanted to make sure she was coming over for dinner."
"I haven't invited her yet."
Annie grabbed our branch.
"Whoa, no!" Rafe said as it dipped. "She can't come over if she falls and breaks both her legs."
"She won't do that, silly. She'll land on her feet. Just like me."
"Rather not test that theory," he said and leaned over me to unwrap her fingers from the branch.
I slid down onto the one below us.
"That's cheating," Annie said. "This is how you do it."
She crouched and jumped. My heart rammed into my throat, but she hit the ground as easily as if it had been two feet down instead of ten. I flashed back to the night of my party, when I'd leaped off the roof, Rafe following.
Rafe swung onto the branch beside me. "Ignore her. She's showing off ten years of gymnastics."
We climbed the rest of the way down as Annie bounced on the ground, impatient.
"So, are you coming over, Maya? Rafe has something he wants to tell you." She grinned. "A secret."
"Does he?"
Rafe shot Annie a look, then glanced at me. He waved Annie aside.
"We just need to talk," he said in a low voice, once she'd stepped away.
"Are you in trouble?" I said.
"No, nothing like that."
"Well, I'm not sure about tonight." Daniel and I had to check the Braun place before it was cleared out. "I have that English essay that I've barely started ..."
"Can you get an extension? After finding that body, I'm sure they'd understand. I really need to talk to you."
"How about now?"
He shook his head. "It's ... not that kind of talk."
I looked into his eyes. They were clouded with worry and something almost like fear.
"You're freaking me out here," I said. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Sorry. Go have your lunch. I'm going to take Annie home. I probably won't be back, but I'll meet you in the square after school and walk you to the cabin. You shouldn't be in the woods alone."
I could have said the same for him, and this struck me as odd, coming from a guy who hadn't tried to shield me from stuff because I was a girl.
I agreed, and he made me promise to wait at the town square until he arrived. I made him slip back into school and get that pepper spray. I waited with Annie until he came back, then went to find Daniel and the others.