taken her sister was going to die. And his death would be ugly beyond belief.
Knowing she was capable of something like that almost scared her.
Almost.
1:41 AM
About the time she was ready to leave, the phone rang.
The sound of it sheared right through Tara, piercing her heart like an icy needle. So soon. He was already calling back.
She snatched the cordless up. Her voice was flat, emotionless: “Yes?”
“ Hey, lady,” the party on the other end said. “You still up?”
For one crazy, reeling moment, Tara could not honestly remember who that voice belonged to. Her mind was filled with fuzzy images, all of them disjointed and terribly out-of-focus. Then it came. Steve. Steve Crews. It’s Steve, you idiot. Your boyfriend. She swallowed down something like fear and said quite calmly, “Steve. I was just going to bed.”
“Well, now there’s an idea.”
She froze. She wasn’t at all sure how to answer that. Sexual innuendo. Play the game. “That sounds nice. But I’m too tired. Busy, busy day.”
“ Poor thing. When will I ever see you again?”
“ Not until the end of the week. Maybe Friday.”
He laughed. “That long. I’ll perish.”
“Keep your chin up.”
There was silence for a moment. Then: “Tara… are you okay? You sound kind of funny. Is everything all right?”
“ Yes. Fine. Really fine.” She sighed, trying to relax. “Bad day. Busy week. I’m okay.”
“ Maybe I’ll sneak over one of these nights and—”
“No! You can’t do that!”
“Whoa, lady! I’m just goofing around.”
She was breathing too hard and he must have heard her. “I’m sorry, Steve. It’s just that I-I-I-I-I’m a little on edge.” Had she just done that? Had she really stuttered like that? All this time she thought that was always bullshit when people did that in books and movies. But the syllables just kept coming, rapid fire. “I’ll make it up to you. I just need some sleep.”
“ Okay, I understand.” But it was in his voice that he didn’t understand at all. “You sure you wouldn’t like me to come over? Kick back with you?”
“ No. It’s late. I need to sleep. So do you.”
“ All right, Tara. See you.”
He hung up before she could say another thing and maybe that was for the best. Her mind was rushing in too many directions at the same time, thoughts tripping over themselves. The line of communication between her brain and her voice had been badly disarranged. She knew then she could not count on herself to say what she was thinking or think about what she saying.
Good God, nothing was making sense.
She wondered if it ever would again.
1:46 AM
She breathed in and out very slowly, trying to keep her world from spinning out of control any worse than it already was.
She saw Steve’s face in her mind and where once it had brought great joy, it now brought sorrow and pain. “I know I love you, Steve. I know you’d help me. You’d do anything for me and for Lisa. But I can’t take the chance of involving you. Of involving the police, the FBI. No one can do what has to be done now but me.”
Knowing this, she pressed her face into her hands and then screamed as loud as she could.
Hurry, Tara… the clock is running.
17
Steve tried to sleep after he talked to Tara, but it just wouldn’t come.
He laid there, balled-up with tension, still hearing Tara’s voice. There was a strange undercurrent there he did not recognize and could not put a name to. He knew her plate was full with two jobs and trying to raise her kid sister. It was a lot for anyone. She was worn thin only she didn’t see it or wouldn’t see it and if you told her to slow down, she got pissed-off and Steve had been on the receiving end of that more than once.
Maybe it was like she said.
Maybe she was just tired, a little frazzled.
Steve did not know. It made perfect sense, yet something about it simply did not wash and try as he might he could not leave it alone. The moon shined in
Knowing she was capable of something like that almost scared her.
Almost.
1:41 AM
About the time she was ready to leave, the phone rang.
The sound of it sheared right through Tara, piercing her heart like an icy needle. So soon. He was already calling back.
She snatched the cordless up. Her voice was flat, emotionless: “Yes?”
“ Hey, lady,” the party on the other end said. “You still up?”
For one crazy, reeling moment, Tara could not honestly remember who that voice belonged to. Her mind was filled with fuzzy images, all of them disjointed and terribly out-of-focus. Then it came. Steve. Steve Crews. It’s Steve, you idiot. Your boyfriend. She swallowed down something like fear and said quite calmly, “Steve. I was just going to bed.”
“Well, now there’s an idea.”
She froze. She wasn’t at all sure how to answer that. Sexual innuendo. Play the game. “That sounds nice. But I’m too tired. Busy, busy day.”
“ Poor thing. When will I ever see you again?”
“ Not until the end of the week. Maybe Friday.”
He laughed. “That long. I’ll perish.”
“Keep your chin up.”
There was silence for a moment. Then: “Tara… are you okay? You sound kind of funny. Is everything all right?”
“ Yes. Fine. Really fine.” She sighed, trying to relax. “Bad day. Busy week. I’m okay.”
“ Maybe I’ll sneak over one of these nights and—”
“No! You can’t do that!”
“Whoa, lady! I’m just goofing around.”
She was breathing too hard and he must have heard her. “I’m sorry, Steve. It’s just that I-I-I-I-I’m a little on edge.” Had she just done that? Had she really stuttered like that? All this time she thought that was always bullshit when people did that in books and movies. But the syllables just kept coming, rapid fire. “I’ll make it up to you. I just need some sleep.”
“ Okay, I understand.” But it was in his voice that he didn’t understand at all. “You sure you wouldn’t like me to come over? Kick back with you?”
“ No. It’s late. I need to sleep. So do you.”
“ All right, Tara. See you.”
He hung up before she could say another thing and maybe that was for the best. Her mind was rushing in too many directions at the same time, thoughts tripping over themselves. The line of communication between her brain and her voice had been badly disarranged. She knew then she could not count on herself to say what she was thinking or think about what she saying.
Good God, nothing was making sense.
She wondered if it ever would again.
1:46 AM
She breathed in and out very slowly, trying to keep her world from spinning out of control any worse than it already was.
She saw Steve’s face in her mind and where once it had brought great joy, it now brought sorrow and pain. “I know I love you, Steve. I know you’d help me. You’d do anything for me and for Lisa. But I can’t take the chance of involving you. Of involving the police, the FBI. No one can do what has to be done now but me.”
Knowing this, she pressed her face into her hands and then screamed as loud as she could.
Hurry, Tara… the clock is running.
17
Steve tried to sleep after he talked to Tara, but it just wouldn’t come.
He laid there, balled-up with tension, still hearing Tara’s voice. There was a strange undercurrent there he did not recognize and could not put a name to. He knew her plate was full with two jobs and trying to raise her kid sister. It was a lot for anyone. She was worn thin only she didn’t see it or wouldn’t see it and if you told her to slow down, she got pissed-off and Steve had been on the receiving end of that more than once.
Maybe it was like she said.
Maybe she was just tired, a little frazzled.
Steve did not know. It made perfect sense, yet something about it simply did not wash and try as he might he could not leave it alone. The moon shined in
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