BURNING INTUITION (Intuition Series Book 2) Read online

  Erin tilted her head slightly. How much should she tell Barb? How much could she handle?

  “She is the one who made Gunther sick, isn’t she?” Barb frowned.

  “Let’s concentrate on what happened to you.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes. You wouldn’t have driven all the way up here, otherwise.” Barb adjusted herself on the seat and pulled her blouse away from tender skin. “After a few months, she changed. It was like it was too much trouble to pretend to be nice and she let her real self show. I was walking her to school one morning, like I always did, and she turned to me and told me to stop making her ‘stupid sandwiches’. It was a slap in the face! I put a lot of effort into making those nutritious lunches. Can you imagine that was what started it all?”

  “I’m sure her attitude had nothing to do with your lunches.”

  “I couldn’t believe the change in her! She was like a different person.” She balled up a reddened fist and released it. “I told her in no uncertain terms that she was never to speak to me like that. I was only trying to help. She looked me straight in the eye and told me to F off! Can you imagine the language? She said she didn’t need anyone taking care of her.”

  While Barb talked, Erin scribbled notes. She filled two pages before Barb paused and patted her forehead with a napkin.

  “I told her that we would see what Albert had to say about all of this, and she had the audacity at that moment to ask me for twenty dollars. I turned around and left her standing there right in front of the school.” She folded and arranged the napkin on the counter. “That’s when it got bad.”

  She unfolded the napkin and laid it flat. “Lily only did it when Albert wasn’t home so he thought I was making it all up. He thought I didn’t want to be a sixty-year-old parent to a teenager. I did not make up anything!”

  “What did she do?” Erin redirected.

  Barb’s face flushed crimson. “What did she do? I’ll tell you what that awful girl did to me.” She picked the napkin up and tore it in half. “First, she started with little things, like moving items around in the house so I couldn’t find them. My car keys, my purse, even my underpants for heaven’s sake! Some things I found hidden in strange places and some I never saw again. Once I found my grandmother’s necklace in the toilet. Albert complained that I kept putting the coffee in the oven and he thought I was getting Old Timer’s Disease. He wouldn’t believe me when I told him the girl was playing mean tricks on me. She was always so sweet to him!”

  So far, this merely sounded like the work of a mischievous or upset child. How did it progress from hiding an elderly woman’s panties to attempted murder?

  “I didn’t trust that girl. Not one bit, and I told her so. I told her that if she didn’t like the hospitality we were showing her at our home, she was welcome to find another. I said maybe I could ask the social workers to find her a new place to live.”

  Erin raised her eyebrows. “What did she think of that idea?” Considering Lily’s experience with Child Protective Services, it couldn’t have gone over well.

  “She looked at me with such hate that I felt afraid. Afraid of what she might do.” Fear crept into Barb’s sleep-deprived eyes. She fidgeted with the torn napkin and then crumpled the pieces into a ball. She tucked the ball into her purse and brushed tiny shreds of paper from the counter.

  Erin watched the entire process with fascination. It was interesting to see the things people fixated on when they struggled with upsetting emotions. She laid a gentle hand over Barb’s. “What did she do?”

  Barb’s pupils constricted. “Albert was at work. He gets more money for night shift, you know.” She stared into the distance. “Ever since that girl moved in, I’ve had trouble sleeping. That night, Lily was acting particularly unusual.”

  “Unusual? How?”

  “Well, she was usually surly and mean to me but that night she acted kind. She made me a cup of tea before bed and I honestly thought the tides had turned, that she was over her angry phase.” Barb planted a foot hard on the floor. “I should have known better. After I drank that tea, I felt groggy. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I went to bed early and completely conked out. Sometime during the night, the smoke woke me. Evil black smoke coming under my bedroom door. I put on my dressing gown and tried to get out but I couldn’t. The doorknob was tied from the outside. I could open the door a crack but I couldn’t get out. All I could see was smoke but I could hear strange noises, like laughing or giggling.”

  She shuddered. “I screamed as loud as I could, but no one came. Through the crack I swear I could see someone jumping up and down like a maniac at the end of the hall. It looked like Lily but she was acting like a crazy person. Then she was gone. I fought to untie the rope but my arms were burning and I had to shut the door.”

  Barb told the story in a monotone, as she had probably already told it many times before today. “I opened the window. It was too far. I was afraid to jump. Besides, I knew Lily was out there somewhere and I certainly didn’t want her to be the one that found me lying helpless with a broken leg.”

  “Is that where the firefighters found you?” Erin already knew the rest of the story. Luckily, someone reported the smoke. First responders had rescued Barb from her second floor bedroom. No one had mentioned a rope on the doorknob. Had it burned off before their arrival?

  Covered in soot, Lily had been located a block away. She’d told police that Barb often left the stove on because she abused her sleep medication. She boasted that she had heroically attempted a rescue but the intense heat forced her out. The presence of Triazolam in Barb’s Tox screen at the hospital seemed to confirm Lily’s claim and the whole incident was written off as a tragic accident caused by negligence.

  “That story that girl told isn’t true,” Barb blurted. “I’ve never taken a sleeping pill in my life! She tried to kill me.” Eyes darting from Erin to window to door, her agitation could easily be mistaken for mental instability.

  “I believe you.”

  “I miss my husband.” Barb twisted the ring on her finger. “I don’t like that he’s got to stay in that motel with her. She’s destroyed our home, and now she’s ruining our marriage. We’ve never been apart this long before. At least Albert promised not to tell anyone where I am.” Barb’s eyes flicked back to Erin and she exhaled. “She’s filling his head with her poisonous words so who knows what she’ll talk him into. Sleeping pills, the nerve! Even Albert doesn’t really believe me. He doesn’t think she’s following me.”

  “I do. I’m going to help—”

  “There she is!” Barb jammed her sunglasses back on and sprang to her feet. She ducked behind Erin and pointed out the window. “She’s hiding by my car! Oh my God! She’s found me!”

  Erin leaned to the window and scanned the street. It looked deserted, Barb’s car still exactly where she’d parked it. The other patrons in the coffee shop watched the spectacle with amusement. “Mrs. Schmidt,” she said calmly. Palm out, she motioned for Barb to sit back down. “Maybe it’s time you thought about seeing a counselor—”

  “There!” Barb squealed and Erin turned her head in time to see the peak of a gray hoodie slip out of sight behind the car.

  Erin reacted on instinct, bolting to the door in one fluid motion. “Wait here.” She dashed across the street to the sedan. “Lily!”

  A slight figure darted from the car and sprinted away.

  Erin pursued, her feet pounding only yards behind. Lily was quicker. She had never met a girl who could run so fast. She was losing ground.

  At the next intersection, the hooded figure narrowly missed a car turning left and easily vaulted over a low wrought-iron fence, arrowhead points scraping at pant legs.

  Erin stopped to avoid colliding with the car and vaulted the fence with less athletic grace. Am I losing my edge? Already a half-block behind, her lungs burned and she pushed herself to keep up.

  Ahead, her quarry veered to the left and she lost sight. By the time she reached the alley, i
t was empty. She bent, hands on knees, to catch her breath. She kept her eyes on the alley for any sudden movement.

  Three houses away, a dog’s surprised bark alerted her and she crept outside the gate. The dog took on a frantic tone. Someone’s terrier or shih-tzu was becoming protective of its territory and it was a matter of time before the dog drove off the intruder. All Erin had to do was be quiet, be patient, and wait.

  On cue, the gate eased open and the thin figure in the hoodie backed cautiously out. Right in front, a fluffy white mixed-breed asserted all twenty pounds of her fury with gnashing teeth and frenzied barking.

  Thank you Miss Fuzzy Pants.

  Erin kicked the gate closed and pulled the hood over the suspect’s face, bringing her target to the ground.

  Miss Fuzzy Pants quieted and Erin saw a brown eye peeking at the action through a crack in the fence. “Good doggie,” Erin murmured and the dog responded with an angry yelp. Erin was a stranger too.

  Below her, Lily struggled against the knee Erin pressed between her shoulder blades. Solid muscle rippled under her hoodie. What kind of young girl had such physical power at the age of thirteen? She eased the pressure and allowed Lily to turn over.

  “I didn’t do it!” The male voice stunned Erin and she backed away. “Who are you? Undercover cop or what?” A young man pulled his twisted hood from his face and rose to his feet. She reeled back against the fence. That explained a lot.

  Around twenty years old, he had the scarcest shadow of stubble across his chin and unkempt brown hair. He was also much taller than Lily. No wonder he could run so fast. How could she have mistaken him for her?

  “I was just looking at the car. I wasn’t breaking into it or nothing! It wasn’t me.”

  So, that was it. He was only some random petty criminal pilfering valuables from unlocked cars. She glanced at a tear in the leg of his pants where a trickle of blood dripped onto the top of his running shoe. Miss Fluffy Pants had punished him for intruding on her property.

  “I’m going to let you off with a warning this time.” Erin placed her hands on her hips. She had no authority to arrest anyone outside her own jurisdiction, but he didn’t need to know her back-story. “If I catch you around here again…”

  He was halfway down the alley before she finished her sentence and Erin hurried back to the coffee shop.

  Barb’s green car was gone.

  CHAPTER 12

  School’s out for summer and I can sleep in every damn day if I want. I wiggle my toes out from under the blanket to give them some air. My jagged nails catch on the sheets. I gave them a try with my knife yesterday and I would have to rate that a fail.

  The sun through the blinds makes a triangle of light on the pile of dirty clothes in the corner. Back home, I could always guess the time by the position of the sun in the sky.

  “Eleven,” I say out loud and twist around to the clock radio. The red digits read 11:08. I’m that good.

  It’s a cushy life here but Albert sulks all the time. I can’t believe he misses his nosy wife. Good riddance! With Barb gone, I can enjoy my life. He should do the same but all he does is work and sleep. I hardly ever see him. I snatch up the twenty-dollar bill he left on the table.

  I’ve been bored since Nina was grounded. She stayed out late with me and made her mom late for work. Now she won’t sneak out, no matter how stupid I tell her she is. She has two more days of torture, but I know she’s going stir crazy and I can talk her into it. I’ll let her trim my nails. She loves doing shit like that.

  I roll over and fish my shorts off the back of the chair. As I step out of bed, I slide my legs in and I’m on my way. At home, I ran barefoot every summer but not here in the city. There is too much broken glass and I learned that the hard way. I twist my feet into a pair of worn flip-flops and head out. On the way, I finger comb my wild hair and tuck it behind my ears.

  At the convenience store, I grab a bag of chips and two sodas. I consider my footwear choice and decide to pay for them today. If I had to make a run for it, and the cashier chased me, I’d wipe out on my face. The checkout guy rings in my purchases and then I get lucky. Another customer distracts him. I can’t resist. I pocket the closest roll of candy from the shelf.

  There’s a strange white van in Nina’s driveway with decals that read A-1 Electrical. Half a dozen crumpled beer cans and papers are scattered across the floor. Nothing worth breaking in for. I veer around the rusty bumper and skip up on the back step. Her mom must be having some work done. That house is a piece of crap.

  At the door, I rap twice with my knuckles. Where’s Nina? After a minute I go to the front and peek through the window. Duct tape crisscrosses the hole from my rock. The TV is on really loud in the living room but there are no people. I knock on the glass and the whole pane shakes as if it will shatter. I back off and head to the rear.

  Always on night shift, Nina’s mom sleeps during the day but not today. Today her window is wide open, curtains blowing sideways in the breeze. I stop dead in my flip-flops when I hear a man’s low voice coming from inside.

  “Come on, sweetcakes.”

  “Not again. I told you if you ever—” Nina’s mom’s voice shakes like a kid in the principal’s office. I lean under the window.

  “Aw sweetcakes, I had time to think about what I done wrong. All this time apart made me a better man. I promise—”

  “You promise. You promise. You always break your promises!”

  I strain to hear his pleading voice when it deepens. “You’re so purty. You done something new to your hair?”

  “I can’t. No more. I have to think of the girls.”

  “Didn't they tell you what a good daddy I been? Little girls need their daddies.”

  Hate churns my gut. This is no random electrician trying to get into her pants. This is Nina’s father! Is her mom going to swallow that crap? I should jump in there and stick my knife in his throat.

  There is no more talk, only bed squeaks and sucking noises. Ugh, she’s letting him! I’m only a few feet away from where Nina’s parents are doing the nasty. I push away from the wall and bail out of there before I barf.

  Around the back corner of the house, I toss a few pebbles at the window and Nina’s head pops up like the critter in the Whac-A-Mole arcade game. She slides it open.

  “You know I can’t come out today,” she whispers. Her sister’s head pops up beside her. Puffy-eyed, they’ve both been crying. Here the two of them are, holed up like rodents while their parents have disgusting sex in the next room.

  “Sneak out.” I know the cure for Nina’s sad face. “Come on. We’ll have some fun.”

  “Shhh!” She pushes her sister away from the window. One mole down, like the game. “You’ll get me in trouble.”

  “Don’t be a pussy. I promise you’ll have fun.” I mean it. It’ll be more fun than listening to her parents’ grunts and groans. “You’ll be back before they notice.”

  “No.” Nina’s brows crowd puffy eyes.

  “Chicken.”

  “I am not.” She wipes her eyes with the back of her fist.

  “Scared.”

  “I can’t leave my sister,” she hisses through the open window. “Someone has to be responsible around here.”

  “Pussy.” Nina is easy. All I have to do is get her angry and she will do what I want. She sure hates being called a pussy. “Bring Beth with you.” Her eyebrows lift, clearing away frown lines.

  “Wait out front.” She disappears from the window. I bob my head and gangsta walk to the road. Works every time.

  A minute later, Nina emerges from the side door, her little sister in tow. Beth is wearing her pink Little Pony shoes and Dora the Explorer backpack. Nina has on checkered shorts and a sleeveless shirt. They’re dressed for shopping but I hate the mall.

  “Let’s go to the water park,” I say when we're a block away from their house. It is hot and, around here, every kid loves going to the concrete water park. The one with the brightly painted flow
ers, spritzing fountains and buckets that dump water. The parents leave their purses and bags over by the picnic tables and I usually can score a few bucks whenever I go.

  “I don't have my bathing suit,” Beth announces like a spoiled princess so I give her the sassy face right back. “I want an iced coffee.”

  “You’re only four!” Nina holds out a stern index finger. “Four-year olds don’t drink coffee.”

  “Daddy said he would buy me one if I rode on his leg like a pony.”

  Blood drains from Nina’s face. “You didn’t do it, did you?”

  “No, mommy made us move away and I never got to.” Beth stomps her pink shoe. “Daddy said it would be fun.”

  Nina looks dizzy so I step in and grab the strap on Beth’s backpack. I drag her until her feet catch up. “Let’s go for a ride instead. It’ll be way more fun.”

  Nina heaves a grateful sigh and follows.

  A half block from the pub where the construction workers drink their afternoons away, I tell them to wait. Nina crumples into the shade, taking her little sister with her.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Then we’ll have fun.”

  Nina folds her arms around her sister and buries her head in her shoulder.

  I take the long way around, so I can come up to the parking lot from the alley. It is packed today. The men are all inside to escape the heat. That means some loser will leave his truck running to keep the air conditioning on. They always stay longer than they plan and that makes for easy pickings.

  It takes a few minutes to find my ride, since there are two to consider. Finally, I choose a dusty Chrysler with a sunroof and a half tank of gas, enough for an afternoon of entertainment.

  I shift into drive and squeeze through a gap in the cars, heading back down the lane. Nina jumps when I honk the horn but Beth stands and gives me a happy wave.

  Nina freezes on the sidewalk when I hit the power button to roll down the window. “Where did you—?”