Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things Novels #1)(84)

“And?”

Becky swiped a sweaty hair back from Terry’s forehead. Terry returned the favor.

“We need iced tea,” Becky said.

“That’s not what you were going to say. Spit it out.”

“And it’s probably good you didn’t. Wait. You were in love. I know you’ll treasure this child. You’ll be a good mom. I’ll help you. You don’t have to do it all on your own.”

Terry pictured that, and it didn’t seem like the worst future. The two of them in their parents’ house raising a little girl together. It would liven the place up, like Andrew’s presence had at Christmas. Funny how eight months ago, it would have seemed a fate worse than death to end up in spinsterhood with Becky. But there were far, far worse things out there. Living on the run with her child, for instance, which was just as real a possibility…

There were worse people than sensible older sisters to have in your corner.

The phone rang in the hall, shrill and loud, jarring them out of the moment.

“I’ll get that,” Becky said. “You lay down and rest. That’s an order.”

“Drill sergeant.” But Terry stayed standing to see who it was.

“Ives residence,” Becky answered. “This is Becky speaking.”

A pause while she listened to whoever was on the other end.

“Dr. Brenner, no, I’m not familiar with you. How do you know Terry?”

That hadn’t taken long. Terry crept out into the hallway and put her fingers to her lips in a shhh gesture as she approached Becky. She gently pressed Becky’s curls over her shoulder so she could hold the receiver between their heads where they could both hear.

“How’s Miss Ives feeling? I understand she’s had quite a shock. But I was hoping to get her back here soon for some tests.”

His voice alone was as good as a direct threat. Her pulse kicked up.

“She’s feeling better,” Becky said noncommittally.

“I’m so glad to hear it. When can we see her?”

Terry tensed, and Becky must have noticed. “I doubt she’ll be up to that anytime soon.”

Becky didn’t mention the pregnancy because she didn’t think it was anyone’s official business. There was no way to change the fact that Terry was about to be an unwed mother, but Becky’s philosophy was that by emphasizing the father had died in the war, questions could be limited. It didn’t have to be a scarlet letter tattooed on her. Terry hadn’t bothered to explain that adultery wasn’t what the scarlet letter signified.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He paused. “Might I speak with her?”

Terry wanted to shake her head no. But it wasn’t fair of her to ask Becky to play intermediary. It was time to stop hiding. She could learn as much from this conversation as he could. She took the phone. “It’s me.”

“Terry, I’m so sorry to hear about your young man,” he said, smooth as if they had an audience. “And I understand congratulations are in order.”

She expected to feel icy terror, but instead hot rage boiled through her. “As if you didn’t know when you were…” Becky was giving her a startled look and so she didn’t say it. Pumping me full of drugs while I was pregnant.

“The child is going to be exceptional. Our child is going to be exceptional, the one we’ve made together. Isn’t that what every parent wants?”

She could hardly breathe. You have no claim to my child. Mine and Andrew’s.

He added, “It’s all been for your own good, for the good of everyone.”

She wanted to smash the receiver into the wall. But she kept her voice steady when she spoke and got out the few words she could: “No, it wasn’t.” It was what you wanted for your awful experiments—that’s not the same thing.

“Terry, are you really thinking about not coming back? I know Eight—Kali—would be the poorer for it. You’ve forced the issue. Think of your friends…I just learned the most interesting thing about one of them.”

Now there it was. The terror beneath her rage. “What are you talking about?”

“I know about your friend Alice. I filed emergency commitment paperwork today.”

No, no, no. What did he mean he “knew about Alice”? Terry had always intended to stop the whole thing, but if he knew about Alice’s ability…He’d already filed the paperwork. He’d never let her go. A man like that wanted nothing more than to see the future, so he could do his best to control it.

“Leave her alone.”

“Terry,” Brenner went on. “I only want to help all of you reach your full potential. I can even take the pain of Andrew’s death away from you. Wouldn’t that make this easier?”

Terry couldn’t speak. Rage filled her.

“You’ll see I’m correct. Remember the day of your parents’ funeral? The first memory we explored? Revisit it in your mind. The pain is gone, yes? I did that. Let me help you.”

Terry thought of the church, of her mother in her coffin, her father in his. Usually it came as nightmares, too painful for her waking mind to live in that sorrow.

But here, now, she felt only a dull ache.

“You are evil. Leave us alone.”

Brenner went on. “I’m afraid I can’t. I won’t let you leave.”