Silver Falls - Anne Stuart [71]
She woke up in a cold sweat, the dream still haunting her. She took deep, calming breaths, trying to shove away the sick, awful feeling that still lingered. Marrying David hadn’t been a mistake—it had been the smart thing. For once in her life she’d done what her head had told her, not her heart.
She managed to push herself out of bed, moving across the polished hardwood floors to open the heavy linen curtains. The dull, gray day was like every other day, and she wanted to beat her head against the thick glass. And then she noticed that despite the darkness of the weather, it was later than she realized.
She looked back at the clock, and let out a shriek of panic. It was after ten—Sophie was due at school by eight. Grabbing her ancient silk kimono she slammed out of the room, calling Sophie’s name.
The house was empty, all the lights off, making the place thick with gloom on such a dismal day, and she ran into the kitchen, ready to call everyone, including the National Guard, the FBI, the CIA, and the president himself until she was sure Sophie was safe.
There was a note by the phone. Got a ride with Kristen’s mom—going there this afternoon. Get some rest.
She almost burst into tears of relief. She’d been an idiot, panicking over nothing. Despite Maggie’s suspicions, Rachel knew that the killer was long gone, and her daughter was out of danger. In the cold, gloom of a northwest day her worries seemed ridiculous.
David had left for the day as well. She moved through the house, turning on the lights. Today she wasn’t going to go anywhere. If by any strange miracle the sun actually came out then she could change her mind, but the chances of that happening seemed astronomically small, and she really couldn’t stand the thought of going out into the rain one more time. After she showered and dressed, she’d go see what she could salvage of the disaster in the darkroom.
The adoption papers were lying on her work-table, prominently displayed with a pen right beside them. She picked them up, planning to scan them, then set them down again. Right now she didn’t want to think about anything. She wanted to immerse herself in her work. There’d be time enough to deal with legalities later.
She only emerged from her studio once, to find something to eat. The message light was blinking, but before she pushed the button she picked up the phone to check caller ID. Two calls from David, one from the lawyer. They could wait.
It was late afternoon by the time she closed the door on her makeshift studio. The house glowed in the artificial light, but beyond the windows the darkness loomed. More messages. They could wait.
She was free for the next few hours. With luck, free for the rest of the night. David had said he’d be home late and he meant it—he usually didn’t come in until long after she was asleep. She might be able to get through the entire day without seeing him.
And why did that suddenly seem so desirable? She could blame Caleb for putting those doubts in her mind. Caleb, who tortured animals and taunted his brother, who was driven out of town and whose occasional return was barely tolerated. Caleb the monster.
Except that he didn’t seem like a monster. In truth, he seemed like someone who didn’t bother to hide who he was, daring people to accept him or not. He clearly didn’t give a damn. Unlike David, who went out of his way to charm people, who’d twice been voted the most beloved professor on campus, a fact that had rankled Stephen Henry no end until he decided they weren’t considering professors emeriti, he’d informed her.
Suddenly the yogurt lunch began to feel meager indeed, and she wanted, no, she needed another In-N-Out burger, a double order of fries, a Diet Coke, with a chocolate milkshake on the side, a total pig-out in the confines of her Volvo. Why hadn’t she paid more attention to Caleb’s route?
Well, because she’d been a little preoccupied