Forever (29 page)

Tom returned the vacuum to the closet and rubbed his palms together. “All right, man, let’s get that boat on the lake.”

Five minutes later, he steered the Stratos into his favorite cove, and ten minutes after that Dave hooked his first large-mouth bass of the day. Sibling rivalry spurred them on. As they fished, they exchanged light-hearted jabs at each other’s angling skill. Tom thought Dave had forgotten the earlier scene in the kitchen. He was wrong.

After an hour of small talk, Dave launched directly into the heart of the matter. “Are you sick, Tom?”

He started to laugh it off, but Dave’s dead serious face stopped him. “You talking about the broken glass? Just reflex, man. I got mad when I hit my head, slammed the damned cupboard door, and the glass broke.”

“No. I’m wondering what you were doing when I walked into the cabin. You were standing in the kitchen, but you weren’t really
there
! The look in your eyes . . .”

Tom’s shifted his gaze from Dave’s and ran a hand through his hair while he tried to think of a way to reply. He opted for a half-truth.

“I was lost in thought, I guess. Thinking how easy it is to cut yourself cleaning up broken glass.”

“It was more than that.”

Tom sighed, deciding to go for broke.

“Okay. I don’t exactly remember picking up the piece of glass. I sort of blacked out for a second.”

“But that wasn’t the first time you’ve blacked out, was it?”

“No.” How many times had he blacked out? He didn’t know. Maybe he didn’t want to know.

“Have you been to a doctor?”

“I don’t need a psychiatrist, Dave!”

Dave’s right eyebrow shot upward. “I didn’t mean
that
kind of doctor,” he said. “I’m concerned you’re having absence seizures.”

Seizures? Epilepsy, maybe? He’d never even considered that a misfiring in the brain synapses could be the explanation for the visions and the blackouts—and his personality changes. Dare he hope he could blame his crazy behavior on something physical?

“Tom?” Dave cocked his head to peer directly into his face.

“I don’t think I’m sick.” A part of him hoped he was wrong, but he couldn’t ignore that Annie had visions too. He met Dave’s eyes. “I’m just stressed.”

“Well, little brother, who knows better than us that stress can kill?”

He exchanged a look with Dave and knew they both were recalling the day their father died. “Dad probably had high-blood pressure and didn’t know it,” he said. “Mine is fine.”

“Maybe so, bu—” Dave jerked up on his pole and reeled in another bass. “Look at this,” he said, practically rubbing it against Tom’s nose. “Give it up, T. J., you’re not going to top this one today.”

“I’ve never topped anything you’ve done, have I?”

Dave chuckled, but the sound was cut short when he glanced at Tom. “Hey man, what exactly are we talking about here?”

Tom lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before answering.

“We’re talking about Mom, I guess.”

“Mom! Why the hell ruin the day by talking about her?”

“You were her favorite.”

“I was? Unless we’re just doing a Smothers Brother’s routine, I’d like to know how you came to that fucked-up conclusion.”

“She was proud of you. You’re a doctor forgodsake.
You
made the grade.”

Dave grimaced, slowly shaking his head. “
No one
made the grade with Mom. She never made the grade with herself, don’t you know that?”

Tom focused watery eyes on the far side of the lake.

“You’re a Class A guy, Tom, but something’s really kicked your ass. I’m no shrink, but if you want to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

Tom reeled in his line and swiveled around to face him.

“What do you think of Julie?”

“Whoa,” Dave said. “You threw me a curve ball on that one.” He grabbed a couple of beers from the cooler, handing one to Tom. “I love Julie like a sister, and that’s the truth.” He took a healthy swig of his beer. “At first, I didn’t trust her much, but that was because I didn’t trust any woman—thank Mom for that. But after I got to know Julie a little, I realized she was the perfect woman for you.”

“Perfect? We don’t have anything in common.”

“You’ve got Lindsay.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Dave grinned. “I know that’s not what you meant. Let me tell you something. I know quite a few couples that had
plenty
in common, and they’re divorced now—or should be.” He tipped the neck of his bottle toward Tom. “Sometimes opposites attract for all the right reasons.”

“Things have changed, and—”

“Yeah,” Dave shot back. “You’ve started taking each other for granted. Julie’s spending all her time with that shrew Patricia, and you’re out chasing tail.”

“I told you that’s over.”

“Then
get
over it. Talk to your wife and work things out.”

Fuming, Tom spun back around and started the engine. Without another word between them, they sped back to the dock. Leaving Dave to collect the fishing gear, Tom jumped out of the boat and stalked into the woods.

* * *

Julie stood on the terrace overlooking Los Angeles, her mind screaming.
Think, for God’s sake, stop and think
. What the hell was she doing nearly two thousand miles from home? Eddie and Patricia had kept her so busy since their arrival in the city, she’d hardly had a moment to herself in four and a half days. Last night, she’d awakened in a panic with the realization she’d actually asked Tom for a divorce. How had it come to that?

Behind her, Patricia stretched and yawned. And that raised another question. Why was Patricia sharing a room with
her
instead of Eddie? When she’d asked Patricia that question, the answer had been a vague “I don’t know. Eddie said . . .” For some reason, the usual got-an-opinion-on-everything Patricia had become an airhead.

“I’m starving.”

Startled out of her reverie, Julie turned to find a rumpled Patricia, looking every minute of her fifty years, squinting against the morning sun. Since they’d left Indianapolis, everything about the woman set her on edge.

Julie forced a smile. “Ready when you are.”

Thirty minutes later, the two women sat at a table across from a beaming Eddie.

“I have wonderful plans for today,” he said. “I made reservations at The Ivy for lunch. But first we’ll do some shopping on Rodeo—”

“I’d rather sit around the pool,” Julie said.

Eddie looked sharply at her, and for a second she thought she saw a cold glint in his eyes, but then he smiled. “Julie, love, you can sunbathe at home. We’re in L.A., City of the Angels, the land of milk and honey. Surely, you don’t want to just
sit
.” He glanced at Patricia, and she chimed in instantly.

“I can’t believe you’d suggest passing up a shopping trip.” She reached for Julie’s hand. “Stop this foolishness. After breakfast we’re off to spend Eddie’s money.” She looked at Eddie. “Aren’t we, dear?”

Eddie nodded furiously. “We are, my loves. We are indeed.”

* * *

When Tom returned to the cabin with Max trotting alongside him, he found Dave sitting on the porch with his feet propped on the railing and cigar in hand.

“I could smell the stink of that thing at fifty yards.”

“This is healthier than those damned Camels you chain smoke.”

Tom dragged a chair up next to Dave’s. He lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then held it out at arm’s length.

“Coffin nails, we called them. Remember? Then it was cancer sticks.” He took another drag, blowing a smoke ring as he exhaled. “You know, those things you smoke cause cancer too. You could be walking around without a tongue someday—like Kharis in those old mummy movies.”

“Klnh khnk hhrlh,” Dave said.

They both cracked up, allies against the injustices of life, as they’d always been. For a few minutes, they sat in amiable silence smoking their addiction of choice.

Dave reached out and noogied Tom’s head. “Since lunch was only liquid, I’m starving. Let’s raid the fridge.”

While Dave surfed the TV channels for a ball game, Tom filled a tray with chips, crackers, salty preserved meats and high-fat cheeses. He placed it between them on the sofa. They cheered for the Reds while they ate.

“I hate to risk sending you into another snit, but who’s this third person in your head?” Dave asked. “You mentioned it yesterday but never explained.”

Tom rested his head on the back of the sofa and studied the ceiling for a moment. “It’s a long story, a
freaky
long story, but I’ll give you a rundown.” He sat up, keeping his eyes on the television while he talked. “About two weeks ago, Julie and I went to the movies. When I paid the woman for the tickets, I accidentally touched her hand, and it caused us to have this vision or something.”

“
Both
of you saw something?”

“Yeah. I saw a woman in the woods, I was the man with her, and we were running from someone. Anyway, I got shot and killed and that was the end of the vision. The whole thing only lasted a few seconds. I was sort of stunned afterward. Besides, I was with Julie, so I couldn’t just stand there talking to this woman about what happened. So, a couple of days later, I went back to the theater to talk to her.”

“What did Julie say when you told her about the vision?”

Tom glanced at Dave out of the corner of his eye, then studied the tortilla chip in his hand. “I didn’t tell anyone. It . . . it was just too weird, man.” He shrugged. “So anyway, this woman said she’d never had an experience like that either, and we talked about what it could mean. She thinks it’s a reincarnation thing. You know, like we were those two people in a previous life? I don’t know anything about that stuff, so I sort of went along with it, but—
hey
, he was safe. Did you see that?”

Dave picked up the remote and clicked the game off. “Get on with the story.”

Tom frowned at the blank TV screen for a moment. “Well, I enjoyed talking to Annie, and one thing led to another, but I swear, I didn’t
intend
for it to. Things got real confusing. The deal is, I think this Jacob and Maggie—those were the names of the couple in the visions—”

“You had more than one?”

“Oh yeah. The first couple of times it happened when our hands touched. Then after that, we both started having them at any time—not just when we were together. And dreams. I’m dreaming about these two, so I assume she is too.”

“You assume?”

“I’m not seeing her, or even talking to her anymore. I told you that.”

Dave nodded. “Okay. You said it got confusing . . .”

“Yeah, confusing because I started feeling like some of the time, this Jacob was . . . influencing me or something.” Tom searched for the right words. “Sometimes, lately, I’ve done or said things that just weren’t
me
. You know what I mean? At work, probably at home, I’ve felt like a different person most of the time. And the blackouts—man, I don’t know
what
I might have said or done during those.”

“You’ve had trouble at work?”

Tom chewed at his lower lip, not wanting to confess further evidence of how far he’d fallen. “To be honest, I was ordered to take this week off work.”

Dave got up and went to the door of the screened porch. “Let’s sit out here while I smoke. I know Julie doesn’t like it stinking up your cabin.”

They took seats in the two cane rocking chairs that sat side-by-side facing the lake. In his mind’s eye, Tom saw the two of them in their seventies sitting here, and he was comforted by the thought that no matter what, he’d always have his brother.

“I’m trying to be open-minded about this,” Dave began. “I know you’re not one of those New Age types, but it sounds to me like you’re trying to say this Jacob person is possessing you or something.”

“I know. I know it does, and I can’t explain it any other way—unless I’ve lost my mind.”

“I don’t think that,” Dave said quickly.

“I think this ghost, spirit—whatever—has been using me to get what it wants. And that’s ruining my life.”

“What does it want?”

“To be with the woman, this Maggie. And Maggie is Annie—”

“Aw shit, Tom.” Dave shook his head. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to use some ghost as an excuse to—”

“I know how it sounds, but I swear it’s the truth. I mean, I’m not saying that I didn’t find Annie attractive, but beautiful women are everywhere, and I’ve had my share of offers. But I’ve never screwed around before. And—” he lowered his voice, “I know you’ll think this is nuts, but I’m not so sure it’s actually
me
who’s been with Annie. At least, not entirely me.”

“Oh my God and Jesus, you
are
telling me Jacob made you do it.” Dave tried to choke back his laughter but failed.

Tom leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, head cradled in hands.

Dave stifled his laughter. “Sorry. I know this isn’t funny. I can see how miserable you are.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Well, if there
is
a ghost that’s controlling you somehow, what the hell can we do about it?”

“I didn’t say he was controlling me
now
.” Tom sat back in his chair. “I haven’t been with Annie in a week. I saw her at the theater on Sunday, but that wasn’t my fault. And I don’t plan to ever see her again. So obviously, he’s—
it’s
—not controlling me anymore.”

“Then why have you been on a drunk for the last few days?”

Tom got up and walked to the edge of the porch to look out at the lake. The sun had begun its descent toward the horizon and the humidity was a layer of invisible gel suspended around them.

“Monday night, Julie told me she’s divorcing me. For real. She called from L.A.”

“I’m sorry, man. There was nothing you could say to make her—”

“We didn’t talk at all. She says there’s nothing to discuss.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Tom whirled to face Dave. “It means she knows I’m a cheating louse,
goddammit
. It means I don’t get a second chance.”

The weight of the conversation silenced them both for several minutes.

“I need some sleep,” Tom said and headed back inside. Absently he rubbed his temples where monstrous fingers of a headache had begun to probe. He was tired of talking about his fucked up life, tired of thinking about it—just plain tired.