Obsession (6 page)

Melissa's eyes sparkled as she loosed the strand of hair and leaned forward expectantly. “I think that would be great! What time? Did she say? Is her little boy going to be there? His name is Tyler. I've seen him before, and he's really cute. Does this mean I can do it? I can start baby-sitting for her on Monday?”

Toni laughed. “No, she didn't specify a time, but I imagine around ten or so. I told her I'd call her in the morning and we'd figure out the details then. I don't know if her son will be there, but I imagine he will be. And we'll work out the rest at our meeting tomorrow. Fair enough?”

The phone rang before Melissa could respond. Beaming, the excited teenager reached over to the end table and grabbed the receiver. “Hello?”

Toni wondered briefly if it might be Brad, but then she heard Melissa say, “Yes, she is. May I say who's calling?” Toni watched her sister's face change from mild surprise to a puzzled frown as she handed her the receiver. “It's Abe Matthews, the detective from the police department. He says he wants to talk to you.”

Taking the receiver from Melissa, Toni's thoughts raced in several directions at once. Had Abe already learned something about her
father's death? If so, did she really want to hear what he had to say? And if it turned out that there was more to Paul Matthews's death than just a simple heart attack, what would she tell Melissa? Would this fragile teenager be able to handle such devastating news on top of the loss she had already sustained? Then again, how could Abe have found out something so quickly? But why else would he be calling? And regardless of his reason for calling, how was she to explain this call to Melissa? Brushing the questions aside, she took a deep breath, reminding herself not to call him by his first name.

“Detective Matthews,” she said, trying to sound as impersonal as possible. “Hello. What can I do for you?”

A pause on the other end of the line confirmed that her impersonal touch had been convincing. “‘Detective Matthews’?” he repeated. “What happened to ‘Abe’ and ‘Toni’? Did I miss something, or aren't you the same lady I went on a cinnamon-roll-eating binge with today?”

Toni's smile sneaked out before she could catch it, and she glanced at Melissa from the corner of her eye. The look on her face was not an approving one.

“Yes, I… of course,” she stuttered. “I just—”

“Ah, caught you at a bad time. Sorry.”

“No, no, it's not a bad time. Not at all. Really. Melissa and I were just… talking.”

“Well, I won't keep you, ‘Miss Matthews.’” Toni couldn't tell if the slight hint of sarcasm in his voice was real or just a tease. She concentrated on looking disinterested as he went on. “It's just that I have to catch up on some paperwork tomorrow morning, but after that I thought I'd take a run up to Eagle Lake and do a little preliminary sleuthing. Any chance you might want to come along? If this were an official investigation, I couldn't invite you, being a family member and all. But since it's unofficial, I thought, why not? It's supposed to be another beautiful day, and it's such a great ride to the lake. What do you say? Can you come?” When she hesitated, he added, “Hey,
partner, it may be unofficial, but it's still strictly business, I promise. I can go on up by myself if you think it would be too painful for you to see where—”

“No,” she interrupted. “No, that would be fine. I'd be glad to. What time?”

She could hear the smile in his voice. “Pick you up about one-thirty?”

“Sure. See you then.” She handed the receiver back to Melissa, whose eyes mirrored her confusion and disapproval.

“What was that all about?” she asked, replacing the receiver on the hook. Before Toni could think of a plausible answer, the phone rang again. This time she reached across Melissa to answer it.

“Hello?” Her voice was guarded, wondering if Abe had already changed his mind about taking her with him. As uncomfortable as the situation with the handsome police detective might be, and as unsure as she was about what to say to Melissa about Abe's phone call, she knew she wanted to be there when he did his so-called “preliminary sleuthing” at Eagle Lake. She had no idea what he might find, if anything, but whatever it was, she wanted to be in on it.

“Toni?” Brad's voice was a mixture of confusion and hurt. “Are you all right? You sound… different.”

Toni felt a rush of relief sweep through her at the sound of the familiar voice she loved so dearly. “Brad,” she said, his name a joyous exclamation that brought a smile to her lips. “It's so good to hear your voice. I've been meaning to call you.”

“I wish you had,” he answered, the hurt still evident in his words. “It's not like you to forget our plans. I'd really been looking forward to that picnic. I was worried when I got to your dad's office and found it locked. Then, when I looked up the street and saw you walking with that detective, talking and laughing…”

“I'm so sorry,” she said, wishing she could say more, that she could explain why she had been with Abe, what they were talking about, and why she might very well be seeing quite a bit more of him in the near
future. But this was not the time. Explanations would just have to wait. “Please forgive me,” she added. “I guess I lost track of the time.”

Toni knew Brad well enough to realize that the pause that followed meant he was restraining himself from saying something he might regret, and she loved him for it. Her headache was getting worse, and she was too emotionally drained to deal with an angry or jealous fiancé on top of everything else. Brad was just going to have to be patient and understanding with her throughout this time, whatever it might bring. She touched the solitaire diamond on her ring finger. “I love you,” she said.

“I love you too,” he answered, his voice cracking with emotion. “Truce?”

“Truce,” she agreed, a surge of gratitude forcing a lump into her throat. Once again, from the corner of her eye, she glanced at Melissa. This time she was smiling.

“So,” said Brad, “how do we go about celebrating this truce? Can we do something special? Tomorrow, maybe? You name it. Time, place—I'll be there. I'm at your disposal for the entire day. Can't beat an offer like that, can you?”

Toni's mouth went dry, and the lump in her throat seemed to grow. Now what? How was she going to explain to Brad, of all people, why she couldn't spend the day with him—especially with Melissa sitting right next to her?

“I… I can't,” she said, struggling to get the words past her throat. “I've already… made plans. Melissa and I…”

The hurt was back in his voice, although it was obvious he was trying to hide it. “You and Melissa have plans? Is it… I suppose it's a ‘girl thing,’ right? Hey, no problem. How about Sunday? We can all go to church together—you and me, and Melissa too—and then out for a nice brunch afterward. How does that sound?”

At the moment it sounded absolutely wonderful—if only she could get past the guilt she felt over her deceptive answer. True, she and Melissa had plans for the next day, but only for the morning. How
could she tell Brad—especially now, with Melissa right there and without first having a chance to explain to him about their awkward sidewalk meeting that morning—that she would be spending the following afternoon at Eagle Lake with Abe Matthews? She resolved to tell Brad as much as she could, as soon as possible. For now she would just have to let him think that her plans with Melissa included the entire day.

“Brunch on Sunday sounds perfect,” she said, looking directly at Melissa. “The three of us.” Melissa nodded happily. “You've got a date, counselor. Melissa and I will be looking forward to it.”

“So will I.” His voice softened considerably. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” said Toni, meaning every word. “See you then.”

She reached over and hung up the phone, then leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes.

“He's pretty awesome, isn't he?”

Toni nodded. “Yes, he is. I can't imagine what I'd do without him.”

“I hope you never have to find out.”

Toni opened her eyes and looked at her sister. “What does that mean?”

Melissa shrugged and looked down. “Nothing. Just… I hope you two never break up or anything—that you get married like you've planned for so long.”

“Why wouldn't we?”

She shrugged again. “I don't know.” Then, looking up, the fourteen-year-old was suddenly very serious. “You're not dating that Abe Matthews guy, are you? I know he's a hunk and everything, but… but you've got Brad, and he loves you, and—”

Toni reached over and put her hand on Melissa's arm. “And I love him. Brad and I will get married, just like we've planned. You have nothing to worry about. I'm not dating Abe Matthews, no matter how much of a hunk he is, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Brad.” She smiled, wondering if she should
explain further, but decided against it, at least for the time being. “I promise. OK?”

Melissa smiled and nodded. “OK,” she said. “Thanks, Sis.”

The haunting images of the frightened teenager with the flowing blonde curls drifted through her mind as she tossed and turned, never quite certain if the images were vague, unconnected thoughts or snatches of a dream. In that surreal world between conscious thought and sound sleep, Toni agonized over the young, insecure girl, one moment cheering her on as the teenager seemed to rise to her full stature and stand steady on her feet, the next urging her to run before some illusive danger overtook and devoured her. Finally, just after midnight, Toni sat up in bed, her heart pounding in her ears, her nightgown drenched in sweat and clinging to her.

What was it about Julie Greene that she couldn't let go, even in her sleep? Was she truly obsessed with the girl as Brad had suggested? Or was it just that there was some macabre, intangible tie between Julie and Toni's father? Whatever it was, Toni shivered at the ominous undercurrent that seemed to permeate the entire matter. Then she wondered, Was the girl in the dream really Julie Greene, or could it have been Toni herself?

Either way, why did she feel such fear, as if she were stepping off the edge of everything familiar and dear into some nameless black hole from which there was no escape?

Saturday had dawned bright and sunny, just as predicted. The meeting at Mrs. Johnson's had gone well, and Melissa and Tyler had gotten along famously. Everyone agreed they were a perfect match, and the decision was made for Melissa to show up for work at the
Johnsons' home at 7:30 on Monday morning. To celebrate, the sisters had gone out for cheeseburgers and fries on the way back to their house.

They hadn't been home more than thirty minutes when Abe Matthews pulled up in his black ‘96 Honda Accord. As Toni grabbed her purse and headed for the door, Melissa had glared at her as if to say, “But you promised!”

“This is not a date,” was all Toni had said as she hurried out the door and down the steps before Abe could get up the walkway. This was something she wanted to explain to Melissa on her own terms, when she felt the time was right—and with Abe there, the time was definitely not right.

As a result, the ride to the lake had started out in a somewhat stilted manner. But before long, Toni had found herself relaxing as she shared with Abe about Melissa's new job, her concerns for her younger sister since their father's death, and various other topics. She had scarcely noticed the scenery or how far they had come until Abe pulled the car to a stop in front of the small general store that marked the southwest entrance to Eagle Lake. The tiny dirt parking lot was full, which was not unusual for a sunny Saturday afternoon.

“Can I get you something?” Abe offered, shutting off the ignition and turning in his seat until he was facing Toni. It was the first time they had looked directly at each other since he had arrived to pick her up. The annoying flush was once again making its way up her neck and cheeks, and she scolded herself for acting like a foolish teenager. True, the man's dark, expressive eyes, his finely chiseled features, and his broad shoulders were hard to ignore—he was, after all, a “hunk,” as Melissa had pointed out. But she was here with Abe Matthews on business—unofficial but very serious business—and not pleasure. Besides, she had a fiancé she loved very much and had every intention of marrying, just as soon as this situation with Julie Greene and her father was cleared up and she and Brad could get around to setting a date and making the necessary arrangements. So why was her heart
racing as she looked at this handsome detective sitting so near her on the front seat of his car?