The Gathering

TWENTY-THREE

WE LEFT MINA LEE there and climbed down the cliff. I got cell phone reception less than twenty feet from the base. I called Chief Carling, then my dad.

My dad got there first, driving as close as he could get. Then he bundled Rafe, Kenjii, and me into the Jeep, where Mom waited, anxious and worried.

Kenjii was worried, too, whining and watching me, sticking so close she was practically on my lap in the backseat.

Chief Carling arrived next with Dr. Inglis. They went up to look at the body, then came back and got our statements. Chief Carling couldn’t tell us much. Dr. Inglis didn’t know how Mina Lee died. I’m guessing that’s because she’d been partly eaten, but of course no one was saying that. No one was saying much of anything—to us or to each other.

Dad took us back to the house after that. More people were there—the mayor, the principal, and some other members of the town council. They converged on my dad as we got out of the Jeep. I slipped away. Rafe followed. We sneaked off to the forest’s edge with Kenjii.

I was about to say something, when the roar of an engine cut me short. Daniel’s truck whipped around the corner, spewing clods of dirt. He pulled in behind the others and was jumping out almost before the vehicle stopped.

I walked toward him. “Hey.”

He looked from me to Rafe and I braced, but he only nodded at Rafe. A brusque nod but not unfriendly.

“Corey called,” he said as he strode over. “He got the news from his mom. Are you okay?”

“Shaken and spooked, but otherwise fine.”

“I heard from Nicole, too, after her dad was called. She offered to catch a ride with her dad …”

He didn’t finish, but I knew what he meant. Nicole had offered to come in his place and he’d told her no. Probably told her to stay home, too, figuring it’d be crowded and chaotic enough. Now he was asking if I’d rather he’d let her come.

“This is good,” I said. Which was true.

“Corey said—” Daniel’s gaze shifted to Rafe and he lowered his voice. “Can we talk for a second?”

“I’ll be over there,” Rafe said, waving, before I could answer.

Daniel gave him another nod, a little less curt this time. He steered me off to the side.

“Is it really Mina Lee? That’s what Corey thought his mom said, but she had to take off, so he couldn’t ask.”

“It is.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “The cougar … They usually leave the head alone.”

“Oh,” he said, like he’d just realized exactly what I’d seen. He stepped forward, arms going around me. I lingered there a moment, then backed away. I could see Rafe staring into the forest, giving us privacy to talk, but he looked like he expected to see a cougar at any moment.

“I guess that’s why she wasn’t answering her phone,” I said. “It may explain why her car was at the Braun place and she wasn’t. I don’t know if I should tell Chief Carling about that, to give her a better idea about time of death …”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Just a sec.” I looked over at Rafe. He’d shoved his hands in his pocket, still watching the forest, clearly worried, fidgeting now. He glanced at his watch.

“Someplace he needs to be?” Daniel muttered.

“Actually, I think there is. Hold on.”

I walked to Rafe. “You’re worried about Annie.”

“Kind of. Yeah.”

“Go on.”

He looked at me. “I didn’t mean I want to—”

“Yes, you do and it’s okay. I know Annie likes to walk in the woods, so right now, you’re freaked out. With good cause. Go. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” He started moving away, then paused. “Are we okay?” He looked toward the adults, huddled near the house. “I guess that’s, uh, the wrong thing to be thinking about under the circumstances.”

“No, it’s fine. We’re good. I’ll see you tomorrow. And I’ll get your jacket from Chief Carling.” I’d wash it for him, too, but I had a feeling I shouldn’t mention that or he’d refuse.

His hands brushed my waist. “I’d kiss you good-bye, but considering your parents and Daniel are watching …”

“Tomorrow.”

A crooked smile. Then he took off, walking at first, breaking into a jog when he thought no one could see him.

“Supportive guy,” Daniel said, walking up behind me.

“He’s worried about his sister. She goes for walks in the forest and they can’t afford a phone. I insisted he go.”

“Oh.” He looked in the direction Rafe had gone. “I could give him a lift.”

“He’s fine. About Mina, should we mention the calls?”

“I say yes. If they find her cell phone, they’ll see I called and wonder why I didn’t tell them. I’m going to give them the card, too. I won’t bring up the library or the visit. But if they ask point-blank, I’m going to tell the truth.”

“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.”