A Deep and Dark December(39)

“Have you had any more visions?”

She thought about the one she’d had of Keith and his mother. She’d asked a lot of Graham and he’d given it to her when he didn’t have to. She owed him the full truth.

“I’m trying not to have any at all. But it seems as though I don’t have a choice in the matter anymore.” She described the vision she’d inadvertently had of Keith in his mother’s kitchen, which had taken on a whole new meaning now that she knew about Keith and Deidre’s affair. It wasn’t easy to tell after she’d defended Keith to Graham so vehemently.

“Shit.” He put a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

“Are still you having pain with the visions?”

She was grateful to him for the subject change and for not delving further into what her vision could mean. “Pain and a bright light that whites out everything. It’s almost as though someone flips a switch, filling my mind with blinding white light.”

“What about your aunt and father?”

“Aunt Cerie is having the most trouble,” she answered. “My dad and I learned how to shut her out to keep her from reading our thoughts. She never learned to block off her mind that way so for her, the light keeps burning. She’s exhausted, but can’t sleep. The more she uses her ability, the more she has these episodes.”

“Has she thought about seeing a doctor?”

“I’ve been trying to get her to go, but she’s resisting. Not many people can get my aunt to do something she doesn’t want to.”

“I bet.”

“Are there any new leads?” she asked.

“We’re following a few threads. Mostly we’re waiting on lab results. There was a surprise in the autopsy report though. Deidre had sex within a few hours of her death. No semen, but there was a hair sample we’re testing.”

“Do you think she might have had sex with her baby’s father?” Keith or someone else?

“It’s a strong possibility. We do know that both Deidre and Greg were shot with the gun that was found at the scene. Only Greg’s fingerprints were on it though.”

“The killer wore gloves. Leather. Black. They squeaked.” She shuddered, reliving her vision of the killer entering the house to commit murder.

“Can you think of anything else? Any details you haven’t mentioned before? Maybe something new you’re just remembering?”

“No.”

“Let me know if you do.” Graham climbed off the barstool. “Thanks for the tea.”

“Sure.” She followed him to the door where he pulled on his coat.

He turned to the door, then back. “One more thing.”

“What?”

“This.”

He reached for her, pulling her into his arms. She went without question, wrapping her arms around him, the scent of him familiar and thrilling. His chest was warm against her cheek. He smoothed a hand over her hair. She closed her eyes, savoring the sensations that barreled through her. Somehow this embrace was more intimate than the kisses they’d shared, more dangerous. She soaked up the comfort he offered, wanting to hold onto him as long as she could.

“I’m worried about you confronting Keith.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I bet Deidre thought the same thing.”

His words made her take a step back from him. “He wouldn’t hurt me.”

“No?”

“It wasn’t him I saw in my vision of Deidre’s death.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I just am. It wasn’t him. I don’t know how to explain it other than it didn’t feel like him.”

He looked like he might argue the point, then changed his mind. “Call me afterward. Let me know how it went.”

“Why?”

“So I know you’re okay.”

“I’ll be fine. You should go. The longer you stay, the more stories my neighbors will invent about why you’re here.”

“Call me,” he insisted, reaching for the doorknob. “No matter how late.”

“That’s not a good idea.” Furthering this whatever it was between them would only make her life more complicated. But oh, how she wished she were brave enough to accept the unspoken challenge in his eyes.

He must’ve seen something in her face that belied her words. “Call me and we’re even.”

“Fine.”

The edges of his mouth kicked up into the smile she had a hard time looking away from. “It’s just a check-in call, Erin. Not a hook-up call.”

“That’s not… I didn’t think…”

He opened the door, laughing as he went down her walk to his car. Dang that man.

But she was smiling as she closed the door after him.





“You’re not dressed,” Keith said when Erin opened the door to him. “Not that you don’t look great.” He gave her his charming smile, the one he reserved for difficult customers at the store.

“Come in.” Erin gestured him inside, her pulse kicking out a ragged beat, her mouth dry. He looked different. Or maybe it was her seeing him through different eyes.

“Aren’t you feeling well?” He stepped across the threshold and followed her into the living room. “I guess we can stay in. I’ll have to make a quick call to cancel our reservation though.”