Page 21 of Already Lost

Laura’s throat went dry. She tried toswallow. “I’m sorry, Chris, I -”

“That’s alright,” he said, making whatsounded like a real effort to cheer up his tone. “Anyway, were you just callingto say hello?”

“Mostly,” Laura said. She didn’t reallyknow why she’d called. Just that she’d felt down, and her instinct had been tocall Chris. That was what was going to make all of this so much harder if hervision did happen. “How’s Amy?”

“She’s fine. Sleeping already,” Chrissaid. “Talking of the girls, are you coming over this weekend?”

“I don’t know,” Laura hedged. “I mightstill be on the case.”

“I know that,” Chris said breezily. “I getthe deal. But we can make plans anyway, can’t we? Like normal. If you’re stillout there Friday, just let me know.”

“Yeah,” Laura said, her eyes sliding shutfor a moment. She didn’t know what to say. If she accidentally let it slip thatshe had been home in time, if that happened… or if Lacey decided to saysomething about it when she eventually did see Amy again… the lie just wasn’tgoing to work. “Actually, Chris, I don’t think we could make it anyway. I justremembered, Lacey has an appointment. Marcus told me one of us has to take her,and if I’m home, I’d like to go with her. But either way, that means we won’tbe free for the playdate.”

“Oh, I see,” Chris said. He soundeddisappointed, but accepting. “That’s a shame. We missed last week as well.”

“I know,” Laura sighed, doing her best topretend she was sad about it. It wasn’t hard. Shewassad to have notseen him for so long. It was just that she was also, now, terrified to see himas well. “We’ll have to try and make it for the weekend after.”

Even as she said the words, she cursedherself. Why bring up the promise of something that she didn’t want to happen?But part of her hoped that by the time a couple of weeks had passed, she’d beable to find a way to solve the dilemma of the vision. A way to stop it fromhappening, maybe. Or maybe she’d have some further details and know that itdidn’t really mean Chris had a violent maniac lurking just below his surface,like his brother. Anything, really. Anything to put him back as the perfectdoctor and humanitarian Laura thought he was.

“What about meeting up without the girls?”Chris asked, making her stomach drop. “I know you don’t want to scheduleanything this week until you know how you’re doing with the case, but whatabout next Wednesday? Is that far enough ahead?”

“Sure,” Laura said, doing her best not tocommit to anything. “We’ll see how it goes.”

There was a brief pause after her words.“Laura, are we okay?” Chris asked. “I’m starting to feel like you don’t want tosee me.”

Laura closed her eyes, mentally shoutingat herself. What had she expected? That she could just call him for comfort andthen blow him off again, and he wouldn’t even notice? “It’s not that,” shesaid. “It’s just – this job. It’s getting to me. And I know I’m always letting youdown with scheduling.”

“I’m a doctor,” he said, stressing hiswords heavily. “It’s honestly a blessing to find someone whose schedule is moreunpredictable than mine, because it means I don’t have to feel bad aboutlettingyoudown. Trust me. I’m fine with it.”

Laura bit her lip. She needed to get outof this conversation now, before she broke down and scheduled a date with himtomorrow and booked a flight there and back so she could stay on the case atthe same time. “I know,” she said. “I just feel guilty. It’s my issue, notyours. But I’ll get over it. Look, I should really let you get to bed. I needsome rest, too. I’ve got a long day of work tomorrow.”

“Right,” Chris said. There was anotherpause. “Goodnight, Laura.”

“Goodnight,” Laura said, hanging up thephone and feeling like the worst person in the world.

Except she wasn’t, because someone outthere was murdering young women, tying them up, and stabbing them to the tuneof an old song. And tomorrow, if she did everything she could to stop that person,maybe there was a chance she could redeem herself.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tessa waved one more time and then turnedaround with a grin on her face, her long legs eating up the road as she walkedaway from the party.

What a night!

Her head was buzzing, full of the excitementof the evening and the loud music that even now was ringing in her ears. Itfaded behind her as she walked away but she could still hear it inside –especially the song that had been playing when he kissed her. She could havegone home with him tonight, but that wasn’t Tessa’s thing. She was careful. Sheknew even when she was drunk that it wasn’t a good idea to go home with someoneyou’d only just met.

And there was always tomorrow.

Tessa clapped her hands together in frontof her as she walked, remembering his number stored in her phone with anothergrin. Someone who was walking a dog on the other side of the street jumped andlooked her way, and Tessa didn’t even apologize. She was too giddy. High on thememories already.

It was a long enough walk back home andthe night was cold, but Tessa didn’t mind. Her bare legs were still fortifiedby the alcohol, and the boxy jacket she was wearing – stolen from an ex andnever returned even after they’d broken up – kept the chill out well enough. Shealways brought it with her when she knew she’d be leaving a party late in thecold and walking home.

She thought about taking off her shoes andwalking barefoot, but discarded the idea. Not until she sobered up enough toactually feel the pain in her feet. She had to keep them on for as long aspossible, because you never knew what was littered around on the sidewalk.Broken glass, needles, used chewing gum. Even the euphoria she was feeling fromthe night wasn’t enough to block out that thought, keeping her sensible.

The party faded far behind her and thereality of the night around her began to set in. Tessa held the jacket closeraround herself, her arms firmly closed over her chest to keep out any of thechill breeze. She felt like she was walking too fast, maybe about to fall, butshe couldn’t shut off her momentum fast enough to slow herself down. Besides,the quicker she walked, the quicker she got home. If she could do so before thecold and the pain in her feet started to get to her, so much the better.

The streetlights were almost blindingevery time Tessa passed under them, the darkness of the street beyond nearperfect. Each time she stepped out of the circle of illumination it felt likeshe was going to trip over something, totally unable to make out what wascoming up next. The houses around were all dark and silent, and Tessa quickenedher pace even further until she was almost running. Yes, better to get homesooner rather than later.

She felt like the alcohol was starting towear off.

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