Part 15 (1/2)

Like a thirty-foot tidal wave, guilt crashed into Celeste. Her heart broke for her friend. She wanted to confess and tell Kelly everything she knew, but feared the repercussions. She'd never told Kelly she was psychic because she hadn't had a vision in two years. Kelly could blame her-and rightfully so-for why the police had reopened Sandra's case. While there was a chance the truth would eventually surface, Celeste hoped that whoever had killed Sandra would be caught before Kelly learned the truth. She didn't have many friends and didn't want to lose Kelly.

”I'm so sorry,” Celeste said, and handed Kelly a couple of napkins. ”Last night must have been horrible for you and your family.”

”It was.” Kelly wiped her eyes with the napkins, then her nose. ”I'm so embarra.s.sed you had to see that.”

Celeste reached for Kelly's hand. ”Don't be. The police were doing their job.”

”Where were they the day my mom died?” She shook her head, then half-smiled as Olivia squealed when Elmo from Sesame Street came on the TV in the living room. ”This is such a mess,” Kelly continued. ”The police questioned me, Dale, Lea and Brandon. I can't imagine my sister and brother-in-law doing anything to hurt my mom. And I know my husband can be jerk, but he's not a murderer.” Her chin wobbled. ”Besides, he couldn't have killed my mom because he was too busy s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g his girlfriend.”

”Oh, G.o.d,” Celeste said on a gasp. She'd viewed every interview and the detectives never told Kelly the truth about her husband. ”I'm so sorry.”

”Don't be.” Kelly sniffed and waved a hand. ”I've been thinking about divorcing Dale for a while. Not for cheating-I never suspected he'd do anything like that to me. I just couldn't stand the way he talked to me or treated Avery. I know this sounds horrible, but I was waiting until my mom died before I filed for divorce. I couldn't afford to support me and Avery on my salary alone, and needed the inheritance money from Mom to make a move.” Kelly pulled out one of the kitchen island stools and sat. ”Dale knows I'm furious with him, but I'm not telling him that I plan on leaving him until the investigation is over and the will is read. In the meantime, my main concern is making sure those detectives stay out of my business. I'm worried that if they find out that I've already been in contact with a divorce lawyer, they're going to think I had something to do with my mom dying.”

”Which is ridiculous.”

”Absolutely ridiculous.” Kelly sighed. ”I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have just dropped by and dumped on you, but, like I said, I'm embarra.s.sed.”

”Don't be. I'm glad I could be here for you to vent.”

Kelly half-laughed. ”Oh, I can do a lot of venting right now.” She fisted the napkin. ”I saw your car when I left the police station. I'm furious that the detectives had interviewed you, too.”

”It wasn't a big deal,” she said, hating herself for lying. ”Were the detectives able to tell you why they thought your mom was murdered?”

”Not exactly.” Kelly shook her head. ”Did the detectives ask you about a woman named Tracy Saunders?”

”No,” Celeste said, making a split-second decision to keep her lies to the minimum. ”Once they realized I've never even met your mom and that you and I are connected through the daycare, they let me leave. They did keep my information and said I might be contacted again.” At least that wasn't a lie. ”Who's Tracy Saunders?”

Kelly narrowed her eyes. ”Apparently Lea and I have a half-sister.”

”You're kidding?”

”Nope, and the woman was also murdered around the same time as our mom.” Kelly leaned back in the stool. ”Since I couldn't stand to even look at Dale, Avery and I spent last night at Lea and Brandon's. My sister and I stayed up late talking about our interviews. The detectives told both of us that this Tracy woman was the third person in our mom's will.” She reached for another napkin and blew her nose. ”I don't know how to feel right now. I'm angry that my mom kept this woman secret, and I'm shocked she included her in the will. Tracy wasn't the one who'd been there for my mom when she found out she had cancer. She wasn't there when Mom was losing her hair. Or what about before that? I mean, I spent the past thirty-three years believing it's just been me and Lea, and that the only man my mom had been with was my dad. To find out about this secret daughter-especially this way-is...it's...Oh, G.o.d.” Kelly's face crumpled as she burst into tears.

Celeste rushed to her friend and put her arms around her. ”I'm so sorry, Kelly.” Sandra should have told her daughters the truth. Now that Sandra was gone, so were any explanations as to why the woman had kept Tracy secret from Kelly and Lea. As she wept with her friend, Celeste thought about how her mom had died with her own secrets.

Three years after her mom pa.s.sed away, she'd discovered the man who'd raised her wasn't her real father, and that her mom's psychic abilities were stronger than she'd ever let on to Celeste. She could easily understand Kelly's bitterness and the betrayal she must feel toward Sandra, and even toward Tracy.

”No, I'm sorry.” Kelly eased out of Celeste's embrace and wiped her tear-soaked face. ”I'm so thankful I have you to talk to about this.” She released a sarcastic half-laugh. ”I'm sure it won't be the last time I'll need to vent. This is all such a mess.”

”Hopefully the detectives will sort it all out and find out who killed Tracy and your mom.”

Kelly nodded. ”I honestly doubt my mom was murdered. It just doesn't make any sense. As for Tracy...I don't begrudge the woman. It's not her fault my mom kept her from us and I feel horrible that she was murdered.” She glanced to the kitchen clock. ”I should go and get ready for the memorial service. I know this sounds awful, but I don't want to go.”

Celeste rubbed Kelly's shoulder. ”Not at all. You and your family have been put through so much.”

”I have a feeling it's only going to get worse.” She pushed the stool back and stood. ”I talked to my boss late last night. He handles criminal law and is willing to represent me if those detectives continue to question me and Dale. I might not want to be married to Dale anymore, but my husband didn't kill my mom and Tracy. I also told my boss about you and he suggested I give you his name and number, since they'd questioned you.”

Celeste shook her head. ”I doubt that'll be necessary. The detectives pretty much dismissed me right away.”

Kelly dug into her purse. ”Let me give you his card anyway. You never know.”

As Kelly looked through her purse, Olivia came over carrying her stuffed kitten and baby doll. When Celeste noticed the drool glistening along her daughter's chin, she took one of the napkins off the counter, then bent to wipe Olivia's face.

”I can't find one of my business cards, so I'll just jot his number on the back of this receipt.”

”It's really not necessary.” Celeste tossed the napkin in the trash. When she turned around and faced Kelly again, dread lodged in her throat. ”That's a unique pen,” Celeste managed, and stared at the wood pen Kelly held in her right hand.

”I've had it for years. My mom gave it to me when I graduated from Loyola University.” Kelly looked at the pen. ”The day you took the three girls to daycare, I couldn't find it in my purse when we were with the attorney. I was frantic. I know it's just a pen, but it has sentimental value to me. Thank G.o.d Lea found it in her diaper bag.”

Celeste's stomach soured with nausea.

Watch for physical signs. Know your body...

Worried the queasiness was due to an oncoming trance or vision, she needed Kelly to leave. Now.

”As it turned out,” Kelly continued, her voice becoming tinny, her face blurry. ”When Lea was making notes for our mom's obituary, she accidently put it in her diaper bag instead of back in my... Celeste, are you okay? You look really pale.”

Celeste tore her gaze away from the pen. The dizziness worsened. The nausea turned into painful spasms. She pressed a hand to her stomach. ”Period cramps,” she lied.

”Let me help you to the couch.”

”No,” Celeste said more harshly than she'd meant. ”Thanks, but I-” She cramped up and doubled over. With her vision blurring, she closed her eyes to ward off the dizziness. Her limbs grew limp. She slumped to the floor and desperately tried to catch her breath. When Olivia tugged at her hair, she opened her eyes. Kelly was kneeling in front of her and scooping Olivia away.

”Let's give Mommy a second,” she said to Olivia, who hugged her kitten and baby doll. ”Celeste, do you want me to call John?”

The same tunnel vision occurred that she'd experienced with Tracy. The kitchen became hazy and almost unrecognizable. Kelly's face distorted. Black wisps of smoke surrounded her head, oozed from her eyes, her nose and mouth. When Kelly reached for her, thick black liquid ate at Kelly's flesh and dripped from her arms and fingertips. Terrified, Celeste tried to speak, to take Olivia to her side, but she couldn't make her muscles move. Paralyzed, panicked, she fought to keep the oncoming trace from happening.

Your love and spiritual connection to John should be all the grounding you need.

Maxine's words echoed in her mind, blocking out the white nose buzzing through her head. Celeste closed her eyes and quickly recalled John's face, let the memory of his touch and love wash over her and ground her. Confident, hopeful using John to ground her had worked, she opened her eyes again.

The black undulating ma.s.s swelled before her. As if she were looking through a monocular, at the center the bizarre image was clear. What surrounded it was nothing but a hazy mirage of fractured gla.s.s, stained dark-gray. The ma.s.s bloated and bubbled. Fearing it would splash her, infect her with the pure malevolence it emanated, she recoiled.

But as the blackness began to suck the dim light surrounding it, something else emerged. It teased her senses until it crystalized.

Celeste stood in Sandra's office staring at a wall safe. She gasped and moved out of the way when the ma.s.s bulged through the door. It moved forward, staining the floor with black sludge, until it stood before the safe. An arm, coated in a black gelatinous substance, reached out and covered the safe. ”b.i.t.c.h,” it said, the single word echoing throughout the room. The ma.s.s moved to the desk. Papers fell to the floor. Drawers were opened and upended. The office door swung open, bouncing off the wall.

Celeste quickly looked.

Sandra.

”Run,” Celeste shouted. ”You need to leave. She's here to kill you.”

As if she hadn't spoken, Sandra moved past her and pointed an accusing finger at the ma.s.s. ”Kelly, what are you doing in my office?”

”I need the combination to the safe,” it responded, oozing over the desk and across the room. ”Now.”

Sandra frowned and shook her head. ”Absolutely not. My attorney has that information. When I'm gone, he'll give it to you. Until then, what's in my safe will remain my business.”

”I know what's in the safe, I just don't want anyone else to see it.”