The Fire and the Veil (Veronica Barry Book 2) (7 page)

“Gee, thanks for the sincere apology,” Veronica said, and then wished she hadn’t given in to the urge to be sarcastic. But her ability was a sore spot for her—all of her life she’d paid for what she could do, in myriad ways. She couldn’t just let Khalilah’s accusations go.

“Veronica, I said I’m sorry, and I am. After it was all over—I can’t deny what you did. It was real. I apologize for saying the things I said. I just want you to understand that I didn’t say them out of malice.”

Veronica didn’t answer right away. Then she released her breath. “Okay. I do understand. Apology accepted.”

“Good,” Khalilah said. “Now, will you please agree to meet with me tomorrow, at, say, four?”

“Where?” Veronica asked.

“Penny Coffee?”

“Alright.”

“Thank you,” Khalilah said. “I’ll see you then.”

“Are you sure you can’t give me some idea of what this is about?” Veronica asked.

“I’ll explain everything tomorrow. See you then.”

“See you then,” Veronica echoed, and then Khalilah hung up. Veronica gazed at the phone, feeling confused. At least Khalilah had apologized. That was something. Still, this whole thing was weird.

She went back to cleaning, wiping down the kitchen counter and disinfecting the bathroom. The cats, Binky, a three-year-old seal point Birman, and Blossom, an eight-year-old long-haired white cat, sat in the middle of the living room floor, watching her walk to and fro as if they were spectators at a tennis match. Harry was in the backyard. She shared it with her neighbor who had the other half of the duplex, but there was a wooden fence dividing it.

She was just about to take out the trash when she heard Harry start barking. Binky and Blossom bolted into the bedroom to hide under the bed. Veronica tied off the bag and washed her hands. Then a knock came on the door.

It was Daniel. As he came in he gave her a kiss on the mouth. It felt nice—his lips were soft and dry. She smiled at him.

“Are you about ready to go?” he asked.

“Let me change into some sneakers.”

Daniel waited as she did. Then she went and got Harry, who saw his leash and began dancing in circles, making it nearly impossible to put his harness on. Veronica often felt like she was letting him down, not taking him out to run and get his ya-yas out more often. Especially since her car was in the shop, it had been over a week since he’d gotten a decent walk. But he was a sweet dog and he didn’t seem to hold it against her.

“Well, looks like somebody’s happy to be going to the lake,” Daniel said.

“Folsom’s like Disneyland to Harry,” Veronica agreed. “Do you have a sheet on the back seat?”

“I forgot.”

She went to her linen closet and found an old flat sheet. “His paws will be muddy, I guarantee it,” she said.

Once they had everything ready and everyone was in Daniel’s car, they set off for Folsom Lake. It was a half-hour drive from Midtown Sacramento. Daniel put the radio on—oldies, of course—and sang along with all of the songs. Veronica relaxed into the seat and let her mind wander as she watched the buildings and trees fly by.

Why did Khalilah want to see her? She didn’t think it was just an attempt to renew the friendship. They hadn’t ever really been friends, anyway. When Veronica met Khalilah, she liked her. She admired her. Khalilah had emigrated from Tunisia. She spoke English, French, and Arabic. Not only was she credentialed in all three, but she held a doctorate and she was National Board certified, a high distinction for school teachers. Veronica was even a little intimidated by her. And Khalilah had been helpful, at first. She’d shared more information about Grant Slecterson and Angie’s difficulties at school than was strictly allowed. She clearly cared about her students.

Could this meeting have something to do with Angie? Maybe one of the kids who had been part of Grant Slecterson’s crowd was up to something. Grant had had quite a little following at Saint Pat’s. Maybe someone there missed him enough to want to seek out Angie. Maybe they blamed her for his death?

Veronica took a deep breath. It was a stretch. Grant was a sociopath, and he knew how to be charming. He was a handsome boy. The girls who hung around him at Saint Pat’s were not immune to his looks and charm, certainly, but that didn’t make them sociopaths, too.

Could that dream she had on Friday night have something to do with it? Were the kids she didn’t recognize from Saint Pat’s? Were they Khalilah’s students? Was the girl she’s been in the dream one of Khalilah’s students? But how would Khalilah know she’d dreamed of her?

There just wasn’t any way to know what Khalilah wanted. Over a month had passed since that day by the river. If she’d wanted to apologize, she could have done it weeks ago. So. She probably had never intended to apologize. So why do it now? Because she wanted something from Veronica? But what?

“Something on your mind?” Daniel asked. They exited the freeway on Douglas. The rest of the way was on surface streets.

“You’ll never guess who I ran into on Friday,” Veronica said.

“Friday? I give up.”

“Khalilah Jadeed.”

“Really? You didn’t say anything before,” Daniel said.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” Veronica said. “I saw her at Penny Coffee, for maybe five minutes. She acted sort of strange. She said hello, but she didn’t seem happy to see me, and then she hovered for a minute, and she left.”

Daniel frowned. “That’s weird.”

“Yeah. Well, I figured she was still… ambivalent, let’s say, about my ability. And I didn’t think about it. But she called me today, just a little while before you came over.”

“She did?”

“Yep. She apologized for the things she said to me.”

“Like that you were trying to con Melanie? That you were working with Slecterson?”

“Yep, those very things.”

“How noble of her.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of how I feel about it. I mean, she could have called me weeks ago if she really was sorry. Why now? I figure she wants something.”

Daniel pondered this. “What do you think she wants?”

“I haven’t figured that out.”

“Something to do with your ability.”

“No doubt.”

“Well, keep me informed,” Daniel said seriously.

“Yes, sir, Detective.”

“I’m not kidding, Veronica. I want to know what she wants from you. She was helpful when we were looking for Angie, but I didn’t like the way she turned on you.”

“You know, that didn’t happen in a vaccuum,” Veronica said.

Daniel said nothing and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“How
is
IA’s investigation going?”

“Felsen’s on desk duty while they figure out if there’s any solid evidence that she tampered with the crime scene.”

“I’m heart-broken for her.”

“Felsen’s a good cop, Ronnie. She’s a good person. She just made a mistake.”

“She tried to
frame
an innocent person for Sylvia’s murder.”

Daniel exited the freeway. “And she dug up some dirt on you, too, I know. It’s never pleasant when someone airs your dirty laundry.”

“Do you really think that’s what my problem is with her?” Veronica demanded.

“I think it didn’t help.”

“Daniel, I didn’t do anything wrong. Not six weeks ago, with the Grant Slecterson mess, and not three years ago, with that case she dug up. So no, that’s not why I have a problem with her.”

Daniel shrugged, one hand resting on the wheel. “You just don’t know her very well. You two got off on the wrong foot.”

“She threatened to have her friend at the
Sacramento Bee
print an article about what a fraud I am!”

“I’m not saying she’s blameless…”

“And you know the part that really gets me? She did all that because unlike you, she
believed
me. She
believed
I’m psychic. She did it because she was afraid I’d rat her out.”

“She was trying to help someone,” Daniel said.

“Whatever,” Veronica said. She gazed out at the strip malls they passed on their way into Roseville.

~~~

Harry barreled along the water’s edge as small waves lapped over his paws. He managed to scare up some ducks and after they flew off, he turned back to Daniel and Veronica as if to say, “Look what I did!” His pink tongue hung out as he trotted up to be petted before bolting off again.

“He loves it here,” Veronica said, standing a few feet from the water’s edge, Daniel beside her.

“I don’t blame him,” Daniel said. “On a nice day this place looks like the Mediterranean. White sand, blue water.”

“Have you ever been to the Mediterranean?” Veronica asked.

Daniel glanced at her. “No.”

She nodded with a smile.

“Still, you have to admit, it’s a pretty lake,” Daniel said.

“Oh yeah. I’ve been swimming in it a few times.”

“Really? Wow. I haven’t gone that far.”

“It’s nice as long as the water’s clear. When the level’s low I wouldn’t want to go in.”

Daniel nodded. “Maybe someday we could really see the Mediterranean,” he said lightly.

Veronica looked out over the water, letting the comment sink in. So he foresaw a time when they would travel together as far as the Mediterranean. Like, for a honeymoon, maybe? How did she feel about that? She wasn’t sure. She did want to see the Mediterranean, of course. And she liked Daniel, a lot. In fact, when she wasn’t freaking out, she enjoyed his company more than anyone’s she’d known, even Melanie’s, and Melanie was by far the best friend she’d ever had.

She was gazing at him, without realizing it, and he noticed. He reached out and took her hand. “You don’t say what you’re thinking much,” he noted. “Did you know that?”

She smiled. “I was an only child,” she said. “I guess I’m in the habit of living inside my own head most of the time.”

He grinned at her. “That explains a lot of things.”

Veronica frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I think you’re not used to letting people into your life much.”

“Oh.” She dropped her eyes, studying the patterns of the rock that pushed up through the sand. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “You take good care of yourself. That’s a good thing. It’s become pretty important to me that you be… okay.”

“Only okay?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Well, it’s good starting point. Ecstatically happy is my ultimate goal.”

“Better,” she said. “Do you think I’m high maintenance?”

The question was out of her mouth before she considered whether to ask it, and she felt her cheeks burn.

Daniel didn’t seem taken aback, however. He furrowed his brow and his eyes traveled over her.

“Not in the traditional sense,” he said slowly. “I mean, you don’t spend hours on your hair or get manicures every week. But maybe you are, in another way. I mean, you are different from any of the women I’ve known before.”

Veronica’s heart was beating faster—it felt unpleasant, and she was uncomfortable. So he did think she was high maintenance. Difficult. Not physically high maintenance—no. An emotional mess. Lovely.

“See, this is where I wish
I
was psychic,” Daniel said. “What are you thinking right now, Miss Barry?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “I—uh—I just appreciate your honesty.” She gave a firm nod.

Daniel pursed his lips and looked up at the sky. “Okay. Dating-speak 101. ‘Nothing’ means you’re pissed. Let me try this again.” He took a deep breath and caught her hand as she stepped away from him. “Ronnie, wait, please.”

“No, really, it’s okay. You’ve had to deal with a lot of mixed messages… I get it.” She turned away from him, but let him keep hold of her hand.

“I didn’t mean to make it sound like you were hard to be around or something,” he said. “I lo—like how you are. You’re unpredictable, but your heart is always in the right place. You may run a little hot and cold, and I’m hoping eventually that switches to all hot all of the time, but you’re complex and that makes you an interesting person. You’re very real. And you have this added quality of knowing things, and hearing and seeing things that I can’t, and that really makes things interesting.”

She peered at him over her shoulder, through a few strands of dark hair. “So you like the psychic thing.”

“Yes!” he said. “I never believed in anything I couldn’t hear or touch or see for myself, until I met you. You’ve opened up all of these amazing possibilities.”

“Would you like me as much without it?”

Daniel sighed. “Yes. I liked you before I believed you had it. When I thought you were maybe a little nutty, or well-meaning but recovering from a traumatic experience… either way, I liked you when I thought you weren’t a psychic.”

Veronica let out a breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding. “That’s something, I guess,” she said. She still felt like he either saw her as mentally unstable or as some sort of alien. But at least he liked both options.

And let’s be real,
she told herself.
You are a pretty volatile person a lot of the time these days. Not angry or dangerous, but prone to mood swings.

Usually prompted by something the spirits shared with her, but the reasons didn’t make much of a difference when it came to defining her behavior. If Daniel could deal with that, shouldn’t she just be glad?

“I’m sorry I’m being so insecure,” she said, turning around to face him. “I’ve been on my own for a really long time. It’s… different, being around someone who knows about my ability and accepts it and still wants to hang out with me.
I’m
still getting used to accepting it.”

“Melanie doesn’t seem to have any trouble.”

“No, she doesn’t. Melanie’s been fine with my ‘gift’ for a lot longer than I have.”

“Funny how that kind of thing works out sometimes.”

“Yeah.”

Harry chose that moment to scoop up a large branch in his jaws and come racing over to her, splattering the jeans she wore with wet sand. Veronica laughed. She always caught Harry’s joy. She managed to wrangle the stick away from him and she hurled it as hard as she could. Harry charged into the water, switching to a doggy paddle when it got too deep to run.

“So, I wanted to ask you…” Daniel paused.