Fire Within - By Ally Shields Page 0,9
finish, but he didn’t. Was he really worried about confidentiality? Or something else? Something about his manner was off. Maybe just discomfort over the murder of a client. Proximity to death affected some people that way.
Whatever his reservations, he didn’t voice them. Instead he said, “Well, then, Miss Calin, I look forward to hearing from you.” He turned one last time toward his client. “I’ll call to see how you’re doing. Believe me, my dear, it will get better.”
Ari eyed him thoughtfully. Why did people say that? The losses in her life—her parents, her Great-Gran, her mentor, Yana—were still with her. It didn’t get better; it just got different.
Once Shale was gone and Mrs. West had busied herself in the kitchen, Ari gave Lorraine the standard line. “I’m sorry for your loss,” which Lorraine accepted with a brief nod. It wasn’t that Ari didn’t mean it. She did. But nothing sounded right at a time like this. “I know my timing’s bad.”
“No, please sit down. It’s all right.” Lorraine dabbed at her cheeks with the tissue. “I’ll answer anything I can.”
“I saw Eddie this morning,” Ari said, taking the upholstered chair directly across from the woman.
“How is he?” Lorraine showed the first sign of interest in the conversation. “Is he all right? I’ve been so worried. He shouldn’t be locked up in jail.”
Ari knew Eddie and his sister were close. Still, she was a little surprised he’d been forgiven so quickly. “He’s fine. A little scared, I think. He won’t talk about what happened, and I’m struggling to figure this out. I was hoping you could help me.”
“But I don’t know anything.” Lorraine’s voice was reedy from distress. “Why is Eddie saying these crazy things? They’re not true. Can’t be. He’d never do this.” When Ari waited for her to go on, Lorraine said, “I can only tell you what happened to me. I was here, at home. Ju…Jules was coming over. I was wishing he’d hurry and had just checked the clock. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain.” Lorraine touched a hand to her chest, and her lashes closed for a moment. “All across here. It was terrible. Like a heart attack, I suppose. I didn’t know what was happening. Now I’ve been told it was the bond breaking. The exact moment…he died.” Her voice broke as a sob escaped. She stopped, pressing her fingers against her mouth.
“Take your time.” Ari fidgeted. “Can I get you a glass of water or something?”
“No, I’m fine, really, but thanks. I must have fainted afterward, because I woke on the floor, knowing something horrible had happened. At first, I thought I was ill. I reached my cell phone on the coffee table and called Jules for help, but all I heard was voice mail. Since I thought he was on his way, I just waited. It seemed forever. Then the police officers came.” She twisted the tissue around her fingers in agitation.
“And they told you what happened?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I called Eddie, but he didn’t answer. Guess they wouldn’t let him.”
Ari kept her voice matter-of-fact. “Your brother was upset about the bonding. Did he talk to you about that?”
Lorraine was slow in responding, a haunted look pinching her face. “Eddie’s protective. Has been ever since we were kids. He thought this was a passing thing, didn’t understand my feelings were real. But he would have accepted Jules in time.” Her voice sharpened. “He wouldn’t kill anyone. The police have made a terrible mistake.” She trailed off, as if this protest in her brother’s defense had sapped the last of her energy.
“Why would he confess?”
Lorraine shook her head. “I don’t know. But it's a lie. My brother would never do anything to hurt me.” She slowly shredded the tissue in her hands; small pieces escaped her lap and fell on the floor.
“Can you talk about Jules? Tell me a little about him.”
The question brought a smile, a slight curving of the lips. For the next ten minutes, Lorraine put the grief aside and shared their casual meeting at a movie theater, the subsequent romantic period of getting to know one another, the flowers, the little gifts, and eventually their decision to enter a bond. Her face took on a far-away expression as she walked back in time reliving those memories. The vampiric strengths and abilities that made others steer away from Jules only made her feel safe and secure.
Ari shifted in her seat. A vampire had once made her feel the same, when