BURNING INTUITION (Intuition Series Book 2) Page 14

  “Why didn’t you call me, leave a message, or something?”

  Erin regarded her as if surprised. “I didn’t want to interrupt your important meeting. Then after all this,” she swept a hand in the direction of the crooked tire, “I tried to call, but my phone was out of juice. Were you worried? I thought you would just know…”

  “I’m not psychic, for Pete’s sake,” Allie huffed. “There’s no crystal ball.”

  “I’m sorry. I guess I never realized you would worry.” Erin looked down.

  “I’m sorry too. Maybe I worry too much.” Allie laid a hand on her arm. “How did you find Lily?”

  “That kid is a real prowler.” Erin aligned the forks, tightened the nut and lifted the wheel off the ground. She gave it a spin and the tire wobbled. She set it back down. “I wrecked the rim. I guess I’ll be buying Ciara a new wheel. Do you think it comes in pink?”

  “Oh fer geez, Erin!” Allie exploded. “Would ya tell me what happened?”

  Erin’s face broke into a wide grin. “I knew you had it in you.” She chucked Allie on the shoulder with a grease-smeared knuckle. “I guess you can speak Minnesotan if you try hard enough.”

  She followed Allie into the kitchen and told her story while Allie cleaned her scrapes.

  “I’ve been trying to locate Lily but I kept missing her at the motel. Turns out that the kid sleeps during the day and prowls the city at night. I wanted to go out and you took my… uh, our truck to your meeting, so I had no choice.”

  “Don’t worry, Honey, it’s still your truck.” Was Erin deliberately trying to frustrate her? “So, you were forced to take Ciara’s chick-magnet-bicycle on surveillance, with a chihuahua in your backpack. That must have been a sight. I’m truly sorry I missed it.” Allie smirked. “What happened when you found Lily?”

  “I spotted her leaving the motel and she skulked down the alley like she was up to something. I followed her to the mall. It was almost six o’clock, closing time, and there was a fair amount of activity in the parking lot. She’s one sneaky girl. One minute she’s ahead of me, and the next she’s three rows over. Somehow I lost her.”

  “I was at the end of the lot when suddenly this car came speeding toward me with no one at the wheel. I jumped out of the way and pulled the bike with me, but I crashed it into the pavement on the way down. Before I hit the ground, I thought I saw Lily’s head pop up. God knows she could barely see over the wheel. Her eyes bugged out when I dove for it so I’m sure she recognized me.” Erin made a face when Allie cleaned the scrape on her shoulder. “I can’t believe she stole that car!”

  “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Allie applied a large bandage.

  “I only skinned my knee and the bike will be okay when I get a new wheel. I’m glad Arthur wasn’t hurt.”

  “I imagine you did your famous special agent dive roll.” Allie had seen Erin in action.

  “I imagine so.” Erin chuckled.

  “So… Arthur? You named your muskrat?” The chihuahua peered up when she spoke and his tail wagged tentatively. The warm orange glow surrounding him pulled at her like a tiny beacon of light at the end of a dark hallway. She bent to pat him.

  A knot of pain seared her belly. Pain like the anguish of losing her loyal canine friend. Deep in her soul, she knew Fiona was at peace. No longer blind, she frolicked in doggy afterlife. Allie snapped upright. This creature that Erin called a dog looked more like a rat.

  “I can’t decide what to call him.” Erin stroked his soft ears. He cuddled into her but kept his adoring gaze on Allie. “I’m going to try a new name each day until one sticks.”

  “Sounds reasonable.” Allie scowled. Not really. She should find his real owners who would already know his name.

  “Speaking of names,” Erin smoothed the dog’s ears back like a rabbit’s, “have you ever had a pet named Ciara?” She avoided eye contact.

  Allie exhaled through her nose. “Is this your way of asking if Ciara and I were lovers?” She might as well say it out loud. “You crashed into the pavement, dragged a twisted bicycle for miles, and you’re still oozing blood on the floor. You pick now to be worried about Ciara?” She could see that Erin was serious. The ever-confident Erin Ericsson was jealous. Jealous of what Ciara and Allie might have shared. “Let me assure you that we’re only friends.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re just friends now, but were you ever not just friends?”

  Allie, hands on hips, faced her girlfriend. “That’s icky. That would be like kissing a relative.”

  Erin squinted and adjusted the dog’s new collar.

  Allie frowned. The pup’s energy was bright, but Erin’s was blurry. A cocoon of warmth usually surrounded Erin. A cocoon that drew Allie in. Not now. It was as if the warmth was sucked into a shell of insecurity and fear. Allie didn’t have romantic feelings for Ciara, but how could she explain their past? This void between them made her uncomfortable. She needed to try. “Ciara and I were roommates in university—”

  “Yeah, skinny-dipping sexy roommates!”

  Allie startled at Ciara’s voice. It was rare when anyone got the jump on her. She’d been distracted.

  Eyes alight with mischief, Ciara leaned against the door frame. Her old roommate had no boundaries and certainly didn’t respect personal space. They were exciting qualities in a party environment, but not so endearing in adulthood. And her timing couldn’t have been worse. How much had she overheard?

  “Why don’t we all get drunk and I’ll tell you about our crazy escapades?” Ciara held out a bottle of wine, lips curved into a mischievous grin.

  “Ciara!” Allie sputtered. “This is not a good time.”

  “I’ve gotta go.” Erin stepped between them, pup still in her arms. “I have things to do.”

  “Honey…” Allie watched the energy between them wane with the increased distance. When Erin shut the door, what remained of her warmth fizzled out.

  “Is now a good time?” Ciara waggled the wine bottle in front of her face.

  Allie brushed it aside and plopped into a chair. “You know I don’t drink any more.” The dark energy that had taken over Erin’s space in the home brought anger with it. She reached for the cat, who turned instead toward Ciara. Allie furrowed her brows. “And I’m sure you remember why.”

  “Oh right, that weird headache thing.” Ciara slid the bottle back into its brown paper bag. “You still zone out, don’t you?” Rachel circled her legs and she picked up the cat.

  Allie sank her forehead into her hands. “Your timing always sucked, girl.”

  “I’ve got to come home sometime, don’t I?” Ciara stroked Rachel’s fur and the cat chirped. “Lovers’ quarrel?”

  “We hadn’t even got that far. But we needed to talk about some things.”

  “Is it about the dog?” Ciara held her hands out and Rachel climbed onto Allie’s shoulder.

  The cat draped herself behind Allie’s neck and tickled her nose with her fluffy tail. Rachel had not forsaken her after all. Allie closed her eyes and breathed. In and out. In and out.

  Ciara waited silently until Allie opened them again. “One cat, five minutes, and… you’re back.” Ciara looked at an imaginary watch on her bare wrist and gave her a tentative smile. “Are you back?”

  “Was it really five minutes?” Did Ciara know her that well? Better than Erin did?

  “More like a minute and a half, but you know how I like my drama.” Ciara retrieved the cat from Allie’s shoulder and made kissing noises. Rachel sniffed at the air and Ciara flipped her upside down to rub her belly. The cat flopped bonelessly.

  “Well, since you’ve single-handedly driven off my girlfriend and stolen my cat, you owe me.” Allie pulled her by the hand to the back room, piled high with boxes, cables and computer equipment. “The fiber optic connection was installed today. Erin cleared out the storage room so you are the lucky one who gets to help me set up my temporary office.”

  “Look at me.” Ciara gestured with sweeping hands to her hip
ster attire, her ink-stained fingers. “I’m low-tech. I write. With an actual pen. On paper.”

  Allie laughed. She didn’t intend for Ciara to touch a single piece of technical equipment. “You’re going to assemble the desk.”

  Ciara regarded the large rectangular box leaning against the back wall. “Aw, you bought it from that Swedish place. There are a million parts, and such teeny tiny tools. Look at my big ole fingers!” She held up her hands, each finger festooned with an ornate ring.

  “That’s why I bought you real tools.” Allie handed her a set of T-handled hex keys.

  “You’ve been plotting this.” Ciara over-enunciated each word like a Shakespearean actor.

  “I’ll pay you.” She had been hoping to hire her old roomie to assist with the business setup. Part of her contract stipulated that she hire local talent. “Real Canadian cash.” Ciara could use the money. A Masters degree was expensive.

  “Smashing. Fetch me a wine glass and I’ll drink the whole bloody bottle myself while I put it together.”

  “I can’t wait to see how it turns out.” Allie ripped open the first box of electronics. “There’s my new server.” She cradled it in her hands and her mood lifted. The disjointed mental images bombarded her and generated headaches almost every day. Images and thoughts of people she knew were not as distressing as those of the knife, running feet, smoke and fire, all crisscrossed and colliding with each other in her mind. She couldn’t make sense of any of it. Her morning walks helped, but it was getting progressively more difficult to stay focused on her work. Her senses had been way off lately and this would be a good distraction.

  “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!” On the floor, Ciara took a sip straight from the bottle and turned a page on the hefty booklet of instructions.

  “What?” Had she zoned out? She put down the computer equipment.

  “It’s a quote from Monty Python. Don’t you remember?” Ciara held up the bottle. “I was so obsessed with the Holy Grail when we were at U of T.” It was true. She was quite entertaining when she drank.

  A slow smile reached Allie’s lips before she responded. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with you… your head’s addled with novels and poems. You come home every evening reeling of Chateau le Tour.”

  “Atta-girl.” Ciara smiled. “I know you preferred the old classic movies but I’m pleased that I influenced you during my Monty Python phase.”

  “Katharine Hepburn’s 1930s movies were way better than Monty Python.”

  “Bollocks.”

  “You can’t dispute the fact that she was lovely to watch.”

  “She was exquisite.” Ciara expertly twisted a hex key and attached the back of the desk to one side. She was good at deciphering intricate instructions and skilled at manual tasks. They continued their friendly banter while they worked and Ciara had half the desk built before the wine was drunk.

  Allie checked that the phone and internet connection were working before she assembled and connected the electronics. This type of work kept her mind occupied, nearly invulnerable to distraction or intrusive thoughts. They might have the office together by the time Erin got back. Then there would be time for a real talk.

  CHAPTER 16

  Erin pressed her foot on the gas pedal and rolled down her window. She plugged her phone into the charger and the screen instantly glowed. Chris Zimmerman must be working the night shift.

  “Z-man. What’s up?” Erin put the call on speaker and kept her eyes on the road.

  “Hey love bunny! How’s the Canadian honeymoon?”

  “Don’t even start.” Her fingers tensed on the steering wheel.

  “It’s too quiet around here without you and your drama. When are you coming back?”

  “I’m working on it. We’re here for the summer, at least. Allie’s business is doing really well.”

  “You’re not thinking of staying there for good? Is this because you didn’t get the promotion to Forensics?”

  She clenched her jaw.

  “There’s a position in Traffic coming up. You love all those intricate formulas and measurements. You’d do great.”

  The last thing she wanted was a transfer to the traffic section. “Uh, it’s all kind of up in the air right now.”

  “Will you be back by fall?”

  “As soon as Allie gets her business stabilized. Another month or two.”

  “Well, talk to your wife and get back here pronto, girl. I miss my favorite sidekick.” A tinny radio played in the background. He was probably sitting in his cruiser.

  “You mean talk to my girlfriend. I can’t picture Allie as anybody’s wife,” she snapped. Wife. The word conjured a mental image of a round-bodied old fishwife in kerchief and frumpy dress. That was certainly not who Allie was. Why did the marriage issue keep coming up? Had he spoken to Allie about this?

  She realized how irritable she sounded. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.” Tailing Lily around town had taken more out of her than she’d realized. Not to mention the bicycle crash.

  “Whoa girl. Tell it to the Z-man.” Sometimes Zimmerman flamed like a drag queen but he was undoubtably masculine, and one hundred percent heterosexual. If she could talk to anyone, it would be him, but right now she didn’t feel like it.

  “How’s Picasso?” she asked innocently. His beloved lizard collection was a reliable distraction. “Has he escaped into your mother’s pantry lately?”

  “My chameleon has been a good boy, but I can’t say as much for Merlin.” He chuckled.

  “Is Merlin your Komodo dragon?” It was working.

  He sighed at the old joke. “You know Merlin is a spotted gecko. He’s harmless, but he’s a rascal. He got out of his cage last week and almost gave my mother a coronary.”

  Erin laughed out loud. She imagined the portly Mrs. Zimmerman standing on a kitchen chair, shrieking at the top of her lungs. The visual image came complete with fuzzy housecoat and slippers.

  “Mom phoned police emergency but I was tied up. Dispatch called Gina to rescue her.”

  “No more secret affair?”

  “Nope, mom met Gina and they got along great.” He paused. “Last night they stayed up late swapping stories about the old days. Mom heard all about the legendary Gunther Schmidt, whiskey runner, veteran, and trapper extraordinaire. Finally, I just went to bed and left them to it.”

  “Gunther? How is he?” Erin had seriously misjudged the man and it was clear that Gina adored him as a second grandfather.

  “The old crocodile is indestructible. He’s getting out of the hospital soon and says he wants to go to a senior’s residence. No one ever figured he’d sell his place by the river.”

  “Gunther is selling?” Erin rubbed the corner of a tired eye. Inconceivable.

  “Gina thinks he likes all the nurse ladies. He’s as happy as a newly-hatched chickadee.”

  Erin remembered how he’d looked in the underground cellar after Lily had poisoned him. It was hard to imagine that he’d survived.

  She scratched the dog’s ears. “I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised that your mom is okay with your girlfriend.”

  “You know how moms are. She’s always wanted to be a grandma.”

  “Gina’s pregnant?” Erin pounded the steering wheel and the dog skittered off her lap.

  “Five and a half months.”

  “Five and a half months! How is she already that far along? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We were keeping it under wraps because there were medical concerns. You know…” His voice caught.

  “Is the baby okay?” Erin sat upright.

  “The baby seems fine now. I can’t explain all the medical stuff. Babies are an alien species.”

  “But Gina didn’t even look pregnant.”

  “It wasn’t noticeable until recently because she’s carrying the baby high. I don’t know what that means but that’s what my mom says.”

  “Now that I think about it, she did look
unusually content.”

  “Yeah, she’s happy. We’re happy.” He sounded more than happy. He sounded delirious.

  “Well, I’m delighted for you, big guy. I just hope the baby takes after Gina. Can you imagine a toddler with your feet?”

  “What’s wrong with my feet?” As if he didn’t know. Size fourteen police boots were special order.

  “They’re like a pair of canoes.” Erin snorted. She could imagine him right now, staring at his oversize feet with his forehead puckered. The police radio squawked with a series of numbers followed by an address.

  “Duty calls. Give my best to Allie.”

  “Sure thing,” Erin said automatically, but Zimmerman had already disconnected. The screen glowed for a few seconds before it faded to black. She rubbed her tense jaw.

  Icky, Allie had said, yet the two ex-roommates seemed awfully close. Were they really just friends? Ciara’s comments had not made it seem that way. Was this jealousy or did Allie's statuesque best friend intimidate her? She opened the window and shivered with the sudden temperature drop.

  Beside her, the chihuahua flattened himself to the seat, ears down. She patted his trembling back. “Come on Arthur, it’s only the wind.” The dog peered up at her with glossy brown eyes and she rolled up the window. “You’re the saddest looking little dude I’ve ever met. Don’t you like your new name?”

  The dog’s tail twitched.

  “How about Lucifer? There’s a big scary name for you. Maybe you’ll grow into it.” She scooped the pup into her lap but he continued to shiver. “Shaky Pete? You’re right, that’s stupid.”

  He snuggled against her belly.

  “Rover?” Erin grinned to herself. “That’s a good one. With those huge ears, you could track the Mars Rover. Tonight I’ll call you Rover.”

  Rover calmed as Erin drove. All she knew was that she needed to be near water. She headed onto the northbound highway. A big green sign flashed by. Lockport. There was a river and a dam and there must be fish. She hadn’t held a fishing rod in weeks and the unyielding sensation of concrete beneath her feet made her agitated. Lockport sounded good.