Page 75 of Double Take

“At least he waited until she was out of the house.” She shuddered and her free hand gripped the key. “I still can’t believe he went to that extreme.”

They fell silent and he drove, watching the mirrors, the side roads, and the air—no need to assume the man didn’t have access to drones—just in case.

“Is your mom still texting you?” James asked. “Wondering where you are?”

“Of course.”

“We can do whatever you need to do, Lainie. If you need to go see your parents, we’ll figure something out.”

“No. I’m worried about her. Them. But I’m more worried about leading a killer to them.” She paused. “I just want my mom to be happy, James, but she’s not. Never really has been, that I can remember. She can’t grieve her father’s death and move on. It’s like she’s stuck in the grieving mode with only a few spurts of happiness sprinkled in when the depression lifts.”

“Meaning when she takes her meds?”

“Yes, but she’s pretty typical of a lot of people. She takes the medicine, gets her life back the way she wants it, then goes off the pills. I mean, I get it. I know they can have unpleasant side effects, but it seems like those are the lesser of the two evils.” She paused. “Then again, I’m not the one dealing with it, so I can’t say. I pray for her every day, but...”

“But?”

“Some days it just feels hopeless.”

“It’s not hopeless. At least, I have to believe it’s not. I pray for my dad and our relationship too. Seems like maybe I should just give up and let him wallow in his misery, but I don’t want that. With your mom, I don’t know. Maybe it’s a mental illness. In the beginning, I believe my dad was just acting from a place of hurt, but now, I think it’s pride, and I have to believe God is still working even if I can’t see it.”

She reached out and gripped his fingers. “I’m going to choose to believe that too.”

“And keep praying.”

“Absolutely.” She twisted the key between her fingers and stared out the window. “I need to call my brother. He’s a contractor and can take care of the repairs on my house.”

“That’s convenient.”

“Very. If he’ll agree to do them.”

“Why would he not?”

She shrugged. “If he thinks I’ll try to talk to him about our parents, he’ll avoid me.”

A sorrowful sigh slipped from her and he wanted to call the guy himself. Or shake him until some sense rattled into his head. “I’m sorry, Lainie.”

“Me too.”

They fell silent for a moment before he checked the mirrors and glanced at her. “Tell me about that key. Why do you wear it on a chain when it’s got to be a reminder of a really bad time in your life?”

She pulled her hand from his, but it was an emotional withdrawal too. She fell silent, fingers fisting on her thighs, and he wanted to take the words back, but then she gave a tiny shrug. “Itisa reminder. A reminder that I have lousy judgment and that mistakes can be fatal. It’s a reminder not to be too proud to listen to people who may know more than I do.”

“You’re the bravest person I know.”

She huffed a short laugh. “Adam wasn’t the only one who knew how to wear a mask.” She pressed against the key again.

“Lainie—”

“And it’s a reminder that getting involved with a man is something to think real hard about, because if I ever fall for someone again, he’s going to have a lot of baggage to deal with. I have to decide if I can trust him. And if it’s even worth it.” She cut him a sideways glance. “We’re just friends and I can’t help but wonder when you’ll get tired of my ‘issues’ and decide...”

“Decide what?” James kept his roiling emotions in check. He wasn’t sure whether to be mad or insulted. Maybe both.

“Decide that I’m not worth it. Adam...” She bit her lip. “Never mind. It’s hard to put what’s in my head into words.”

“Thanks a lot, Lainie.” The words came out sharper than he’d intended. Okay, mad it was.

She whipped her head to face him. “What? Why are you mad?”

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