Suddenly Psychic (Glimmer Lake #1)(4)

This.

This is my life.





“Whoo!” Val was cackling in the back seat. “I knew we were going to surprise you!”

Monica was beaming. “I wondered why Jake was so insistent that I dress up for dinner. I was actually a little irritated with him. I’d already taken off my bra.”

“Truth,” Val said. “I’m glad you decided to put your knockers back in the boulder holder, because we are taking you out. There will be wine. There will be dancing. I’m going to make Robin sing karaoke at the lodge.”

“Uh…” Robin navigated a sharp turn leading up to the dam. “I don’t think that will be happening, but I’ll be sure to gather video evidence of you two. Emma can post it on YouTube for me.”

Big Creek Lodge was mostly for tourists, but they did have Thursday-night karaoke and half-price drinks, perfect for both the vacationer and the celebrating local. The only downside was the road leading up to the lodge, which was narrow, twisted, and had almost zero lights. Robin absolutely hated driving it at night.

As long as there are no drunk tourists coming down the hill, we’ll be fine.

Robin listened with a smile on her face while Val and Monica chatted about their day. Val had recently shaved one side of her short hair and dyed it green. Her makeup was ruthlessly cool, and her fitted halter top showed off numerous tattoos. Monica, on the other hand, was in a dress. Monica loved wearing dresses. And lace. And ruffles. Anything soft and feminine. Her short, curvy figure looked amazing in wrap dresses, and she had a closet that took up half her bedroom.

Robin… well, she’d thrown on a pair of black pants and a leopard-print top that Val had forced on her last spring. She also had a pair of sensible shoes and a large purse. She didn’t need to carry a large purse anymore; she just couldn’t seem to break the habit.

Why am I always the uncoolest friend?

Val and Monica were approaching their midforties with style and attitude and way better wardrobes. They had plans and adventures mapped out. Monica was taking her daughter to Spain for the summer. Val had been approached by an investor to expand her café.

And Robin sold antique dining sets to rich couples from the Bay Area.

She had slipped out of the house without anyone even noticing. Mark and Emma had cooked dinner without her and were engrossed in a new TV series they were bingeing. They hadn’t even noticed Robin saying goodbye.

A squirrel ran in front of the road and Robin tapped the brakes, certain it was too late to miss the little creature. Luckily, she didn’t feel a thunk. She was a careful driver, but this road freaked her out.

Val and Monica had started singing. The lyrics to “Always Be My Baby” filled the car, and Robin glanced in the rearview mirror when Val hit a particularly painful high note.

“Robin!” Monica yelled next to her.

She glanced back at the road to see a massive white deer frozen in the middle of the road.

Her heart stopped.

Robin swerved in the darkness, letting out a single hard breath when she realized she’d avoided the deer. Then her stomach dropped when she realized there was nothing.

No deer.

No road.

Nothing but the darkness and the moon over the water.

Val screamed a second before the car nosedived into the dark water of Glimmer Lake and everything went black.





Chapter 2





She woke to the feeling of cold all around her. Crying and a low thunk like the sound of Mark chopping wood in the backyard.

“Robin!”

“She’s not waking up.”

Why was she wet? When her eyes finally blinked open, she thought she’d fallen in snow. It was white and wet.

“Robin, wake up!”

She looked to the side and nothing made sense. Val was next to Monica, but she had her feet in the air.

“Did I fall?”

Monica’s face was red and wet.

Wet. Everything was wet.

It came back in a horrid rush. The deer. The road. Flying into the darkness and the crash of water around her. The white was the air bag that had exploded in her face. The wet was the car, filling quickly with water.

“Oh my God. Oh my God.”

Val had crawled from the back to the front seat, bracing herself in the middle as she thrust her legs up toward the windshield, trying to break it open.

“The doors won’t open.” Val kicked at the window. “I tried the windows, and they don’t work either.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure!”

The car was sealed shut. Robin tried opening the door, but the pressure of the water was too great. The window lever did nothing. They were completely immersed. She could feel them moving downhill as Val kept kicking. They’d hit the bottom of the lake and were slowly but surely rolling toward the deepest part where Grimmer Canyon had once cut through the mountains.

A scream had worked its way up from her chest and stopped in her throat as Val slapped her. “Robin!”

“Why did you slap me?”

“We cannot panic. You have to help me. What do you have in your car? We need to break the window.”

Monica was crumpled against the far door, weeping and holding her arm. Her head was bleeding. “I can’t feel my arm.”