Protector - Laurel Dewey [159]
“You know, I meant it when I said that you could call me day or night if there was a problem.”
Jane’s eyes were pinned on Emily. “Yeah. I know.”
“If you need to talk or somethin’ . . .” Jane turned back to Dan. He leaned closer and was just about to kiss her lips when she backed off. “I’m sorry!” he said, nervously. “I don’t know what I was thinkin’.”
“No, it’s not you. Honestly. Take my word for it, you don’t want me.”
“Why would you say something like that about yourself?”
“Because it’s true.” Jane painfully searched for the right words. “You don’t know anything about me, no matter how much you think you do.”
Dan lovingly touched Jane’s hand. “That’s what conversation is for.”
Jane let out a deep sigh. “Dan, you’re a good person. I wish I could tell you the truth. But I can’t. You just have to accept it. Okay?”
Dan patted Jane’s hand. “Will I get to know the truth one day?”
“Maybe.”
Dan lifted her hand and gently kissed it. “Maybe is good enough for now.”
They crossed over to Emily who was finally at the front of the line and getting change for her popcorn. Dan leaned down, wrapping his arm around Emily’s shoulder. “How’d you feel about a ride on the Whirlwind Roller Coaster?”
“I’d love to!”
Emily looked at her greasy hands from the popcorn. “Wait up! I’m gonna get a napkin!” She darted off toward the popcorn stand and started to pull a napkin from the dispenser when she was drawn into the shiny, reflective surface. The carnival sounds rapidly melted into the background and were replaced by the pounding beat of her heart. Staring into the dispenser’s mirrored side, she saw the reflection of a male figure. Her heart beat faster. She turned toward the figure. Standing about ten feet away was a man with his back to her. A woman stood across from him. He wore a black leather coat, black jeans and dark cowboy boots. Emily’s eyes moved down his body to his right hand. In it, there looked to be a shiny, sharp object concealed between his sleeve and the palm of his hand. For a millisecond, another image flashed across her view. That image was a gloved hand, holding a knife dripping with blood. As quickly as the knife appeared, the image disappeared. She jerked backward in shock.
The woman who was with the man leaned toward him and said, “Isn’t that thing hot against your face? Why don’t you take it off?”
Emily looked up at the back of the man’s head, just in time to see him turn to the left. A rubber mask in the shape of a pig’s head concealed his face. He brought his left hand up to his face and began to peel off the mask. At that point, a rush of flickering images alternated in front of Emily. As he pulled off the pig’s mask, a new image of another male dominated Emily’s vision. That man pulled off a dark nylon face mask. Quickly, the pig mask flashed into view. A second later, the nylon face mask burst in front of it. The images rotated at rapid speed until finally the man with the nylon mask ripped it off just as Emily turned away, covering her eyes. “No!” she shrieked, stumbling backward into the crowd.
Turning quickly, Jane saw Emily’s disoriented behavior and her obvious terror toward the man with the mask. Instinctively, Jane went for her gun. “Who’s that guy?” she yelled at Dan.
Dan squinted toward the man. “That’s just Bernie. He’s cool. What’s wrong?”
Jane took her hand off her gun. “Hey!” Jane yelled toward Emily.
Just as she heard Jane’s voice, Emily saw Bernie turn toward her and take a step. Like a thoroughbred bolting from the gate, Emily fled from the scene, racing through the crowd.
Jane jumped to attention. “Oh, Christ!” she yelled at Dan. The two of them took off after the kid. Dan ran to the left around the crowd while Jane took the right-hand flank. Emily broke through the streams of carnival visitors.
“Patty! Sweetheart!” Dan yelled out. “It’s okay!”
“Patty!” Jane called out to her, desperately trying to keep up with Emily.
Jane’s voice caught the attention of Sheriff George who happened