holding.
Callah sat in the rocking chair trying hard not to focus on the computer or his cell phone. But he could see her practically willing his brother to call.
“If you want to talk. See if you can remember more….”
She let her head fall back, her eyes closed as she shook her head. “Now that the memories have started, they won’t stop. But there’s nothing before that Sunday night. And nothing more vivid than the fear of those nightmares and how wonderful ice cream tasted and how easily it chased that fear away.”
Maybe he should let her sit there quietly remembering. But he didn’t think so. He flipped open his notebook and started a list. Sunday nights. Dairy Queen. Darkness. Fear. Five years old. Vince and Charlie.
What did they have in common? The answers were there. Somewhere. “Go ahead and talk. Who knows what’s important?”
She shook her head and met his eyes across the room. “No. There’s nothing important. We moved twice and then my dad got stationed in Burkette and that was it. My parents did everything in their power to make me believe I was special. You know the rest of the story. Everyone knows the rest of the story.
She was right about that. Her parents had never hidden her. Her life was very much one of Burkette, Texas royalty. Cheerleader. Homecoming queen. Prom queen. And then off to Hollywood where she’d lived a life several dreamed of but sounded like holy hell to him.
He spread the contents of the envelope out on the table in front of him and picked up one of the photos. “You said this man talked to Charlie the day before he left you.”
She nodded, then he heard her sharp intake of breath. Eyes sharp, he leaned forward as she exhaled loudly. “Oh my God, Riley. Charlie probably was killed because of me . What if the rumors are right and the accident really wasn’t an accident?”
Riley’d already thought of that. “It’s just another puzzle, Callah. Something we’ll figure out.”
She touched her hand to her forehead and shook her head. “I wanted him dead, Riley. After he left me I can’t tell you how many times I thought it. And then when it happened I was almost happy. I couldn’t help but think he deserved it. But he didn’t. He didn’t deserve to die any more than that poor girl in Pittsburgh.”
She was beating herself up, and that wasn’t going to get her any closer to the truth. “Look, Callah, I can’t think of a single person who would hold your anger at Charlie Benson against you. The man was a jerk of unbelievable proportions.”
He sat on the couch next to the chair, so close their knees nearly touched, and waited for her to meet his eyes. “I didn’t even really know him, but I’ve heard you talk about him and I’ve seen what he did to your confidence, and I’m glad he’s dead. It just saves me from having to kick his ass.”
Riley brushed her hair off her face and hoped she really heard him. “He tried to destroy you, Callah. Don’t waste time with a guilt trip on him. But maybe you can remember something more from his meetings or from the parties.”
She didn’t pull away from him, but she did shake her head. “I don’t know Riley. He was gone so much. And then after my mom died there were these phone calls.”
“Phone calls?”
She nodded. “Strange people asking to speak to her. I just figured Charlie’s girlfriends had found a new way to torture me.”
The pain in her voice hurt him. Riley knew this wasn’t the time. He knew they should concentrate on life and death and possible killers, but right now as he sat across from Callah with the rays from setting sun slanting through the curtain and shining on her hair making her look even more like the princess she should be, he couldn’t stop himself.
He brushed his thumb down her cheek, let it rest on the edge of her bottom lip. It was as soft as he’d imagined. Her breath caught and her chest rose and fell as his heartbeat thrummed hard and fast.
“I
Callah sat in the rocking chair trying hard not to focus on the computer or his cell phone. But he could see her practically willing his brother to call.
“If you want to talk. See if you can remember more….”
She let her head fall back, her eyes closed as she shook her head. “Now that the memories have started, they won’t stop. But there’s nothing before that Sunday night. And nothing more vivid than the fear of those nightmares and how wonderful ice cream tasted and how easily it chased that fear away.”
Maybe he should let her sit there quietly remembering. But he didn’t think so. He flipped open his notebook and started a list. Sunday nights. Dairy Queen. Darkness. Fear. Five years old. Vince and Charlie.
What did they have in common? The answers were there. Somewhere. “Go ahead and talk. Who knows what’s important?”
She shook her head and met his eyes across the room. “No. There’s nothing important. We moved twice and then my dad got stationed in Burkette and that was it. My parents did everything in their power to make me believe I was special. You know the rest of the story. Everyone knows the rest of the story.
She was right about that. Her parents had never hidden her. Her life was very much one of Burkette, Texas royalty. Cheerleader. Homecoming queen. Prom queen. And then off to Hollywood where she’d lived a life several dreamed of but sounded like holy hell to him.
He spread the contents of the envelope out on the table in front of him and picked up one of the photos. “You said this man talked to Charlie the day before he left you.”
She nodded, then he heard her sharp intake of breath. Eyes sharp, he leaned forward as she exhaled loudly. “Oh my God, Riley. Charlie probably was killed because of me . What if the rumors are right and the accident really wasn’t an accident?”
Riley’d already thought of that. “It’s just another puzzle, Callah. Something we’ll figure out.”
She touched her hand to her forehead and shook her head. “I wanted him dead, Riley. After he left me I can’t tell you how many times I thought it. And then when it happened I was almost happy. I couldn’t help but think he deserved it. But he didn’t. He didn’t deserve to die any more than that poor girl in Pittsburgh.”
She was beating herself up, and that wasn’t going to get her any closer to the truth. “Look, Callah, I can’t think of a single person who would hold your anger at Charlie Benson against you. The man was a jerk of unbelievable proportions.”
He sat on the couch next to the chair, so close their knees nearly touched, and waited for her to meet his eyes. “I didn’t even really know him, but I’ve heard you talk about him and I’ve seen what he did to your confidence, and I’m glad he’s dead. It just saves me from having to kick his ass.”
Riley brushed her hair off her face and hoped she really heard him. “He tried to destroy you, Callah. Don’t waste time with a guilt trip on him. But maybe you can remember something more from his meetings or from the parties.”
She didn’t pull away from him, but she did shake her head. “I don’t know Riley. He was gone so much. And then after my mom died there were these phone calls.”
“Phone calls?”
She nodded. “Strange people asking to speak to her. I just figured Charlie’s girlfriends had found a new way to torture me.”
The pain in her voice hurt him. Riley knew this wasn’t the time. He knew they should concentrate on life and death and possible killers, but right now as he sat across from Callah with the rays from setting sun slanting through the curtain and shining on her hair making her look even more like the princess she should be, he couldn’t stop himself.
He brushed his thumb down her cheek, let it rest on the edge of her bottom lip. It was as soft as he’d imagined. Her breath caught and her chest rose and fell as his heartbeat thrummed hard and fast.
“I
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