Bone Music (Burning Girl #1)(27)

Outside, peeling paint and a rusty chain-link fence allow the one-story tract home to blend in with its neighbors. Inside, it’s scrubbed spotless, barely lived in, and studded with clean, anonymous-looking furniture that belongs in the lobby of a Holiday Inn Express.

Charlotte’s lost count of how many times she’s told the story.

Each time through, Kayla has stopped her at various intervals to ask prodding, detail-oriented questions, the same way she’d prep one of her own witnesses to testify.

Kayla holds Charlotte’s upturned right hand in both of hers, studying the light bruising along her wrist. A result of the car accident, Charlotte’s sure. But maybe it came from her fight with Jason.

“How many days ago did you get this?” Kayla asks.

“It’s a few hours old,” Charlotte answers. “And it looked ten times worse right before I met you.”

Kayla goes rigid. Looks up from Charlotte’s hand with an expression that combines fear and disbelief.

“You don’t believe me,” Charlotte finally says.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“What would you say?”

“I definitely think you were drugged.”

“So you think I hallucinated everything?”

“Part of it, maybe. I mean, the bikers . . . there’s nothing on the news about an explosion.”

“It’s only been a few hours. Almost no one drives that road. That’s why I lived out there. There’s no regular truck traffic; the mine’s been closed for years. There’s no reason anyone would find it right away.”

“So you think the guy with the shotgun called for backup before they drove you off the road, and that’s who came from the direction of the mine. And that’s who this Dylan character met up with before . . . boom.”

“Something like that. Yeah.”

“Describe the explosion again.”

“I don’t . . . I’m not an explosives expert, but it wasn’t messy, if that makes sense. Whatever it was, I think Dylan set it. It wasn’t the result of a gunfight. It happened too quickly for that. The other thing, though. It was the way he said it . . .”

“Said what?”

“‘I need to take care of these guys.’ Like it was nothing. Outlaw bikers. Riding straight for him. Hopped-up on God knows what. And he’s cool as ice. He said he’d take care of Jason, too.”

“And what do we think that means?”

“Well, he killed all those bikers for getting in the way of his plan. How’s he going to treat someone who’s no longer useful to him? Someone he manipulated into doing his bidding?”

“You’re sure he was out there when you called him? I mean, how do you know he was right where those bikers drove you off the road?”

“I could hear the second group through the phone. They were driving toward him. They must have been going to check on their hideout, and he was there.”

“So he follows you, he watches what happens with these guys who drove you off the road, and then he just . . . stays out there?”

“Maybe he was cleaning up.”

“The bodies, you mean.”

“Yeah.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Kayla, don’t you get it? I’m his test subject. He set the whole thing up. The clearest thing about this drug is that it turns my fear into strength. In order to see if it worked on me, he had to scare the shit out of me. And what better way to do that than to show Jason Briffel how to get inside my house?”

“Jesus. Who is this guy?” Kayla whispers.

“So you don’t think I was hallucinating him, at least.”

“I don’t think you hallucinated most of it, Charley. I think Dylan’s real. I think he lured Jason out there so you’d have a run-in with him. I even think, to some degree, the bikers are real. I think this guy gave you something that made you believe you were doing these terrible things. But—”

“Terrible?” Charlotte asks.

“Come on. You know what I mean.”

“Jason was probably going to rape me in my own house. And those bikers, they were gonna do worse. A lot worse.”

“I understand.”

“But you think what I did was terrible? No, wait. Moot point. You don’t really think I did it.”

“I think your perception was altered. Chemically. Look, you’re absolutely a victim here, but—”

“So you don’t believe me? You don’t believe anything I’ve told you?”

“I said I think it’s more complicated than what either of us can see. Look, I want you to get some sleep.” Kayla gets to her feet. “I’m here for you all day. All night, if need be. I’m not going anywhere. But you need to get some rest.”

“I’m not tired.”

“You’re exhausted. Your mind just doesn’t know it.”

Kayla takes her by the hand and pulls her out of her chair. “Come on.” She leads her toward the hallway.

“No,” Charley says. “No bedroom. Sofa. I don’t want to be alone.”

“Fine. Compromises are good so long as you at least pretend to sleep.” With one arm around her shoulders, she guides Charley to the sofa. “I’m gonna make some calls, and I’m gonna do it in the other room. But I won’t let you out of my sight. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”