Deceptions (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 2) (2 page)

~~~~~

I shifted in my seat and stared out the car window at the passing houses. The setting sun would soon transform the sky into the magical hues of twilight and it reminded me of how late it was getting. Aside from all the drama today, it sucked that the day was almost over. Mom pulled the car into the driveway, and I quickly undid my seatbelt, eager to escape.

I gazed toward Barry’s grandma’s house as I stepped out into my driveway. Parked in its normal spot, a dark figure sat behind the driver’s seat of Barry’s car. My eyes narrowed, straining to figure out what he was doing.

Was he asleep?

A silly grin spread across my face at the thought of him sleeping there in the driveway. I raised my hand to my mouth to hide my smile.

“What are you laughing at now?” Mom asked.

“I think Barry fell asleep waiting for me,” I answered, pointing to his car.

A chuckle escaped from Mom and she glanced over at him. She said, “All right, I’ll be inside if you need me,” and took off toward our house.

I stepped toward Barry’s car and halted about five feet away as I devised a plan to mess with him. I pulled out my phone and typed a quick “
I c you”
in a message. After hitting the send button, I paused to allow the text to go through, drinking in the sight of him. Barry’s facial features were smoothed into angelic stillness and his head was tipped back against the headrest with his mouth partially opened. He appeared younger. Vulnerable. A soft smile crossed my lips, mixed with a hint of regret over sending the text. He was so content that I shouldn’t have disturbed him.

A few seconds later, Operation Mess with Barry was complete. The tone of his cell phone jarred him awake and I snickered despite my guilt. He straightened in his seat and reached for his phone while the corners of his mouth drew into a half–smile at the text. His head immediately jerked to where I stood. My chest filled with warmth the moment our gaze met. I waved, but it probably went unnoticed since he turned and sprung out of his car.

“There you are,” he said, jogging over to me.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey, gorgeous.” His eyes peered into mine, loaded with unasked questions. He leaned down, drawing me close, and gave me a gentle kiss.

After moving away from him, I suggested a walk to discuss the vision I had seen. He agreed without hesitation. He knew I wouldn’t want Mom overhearing our discussion. Barry slid his hand into mine and we took off down the sidewalk. My personal refuge spot seemed taboo. We hadn’t been back in the woods since Johnny’s discovery, and to be honest, I didn’t have any wish to return there. Those trees no longer held power over me, and the last thing I wanted to do was dredge up horrible memories‌—‌not just for my sake, but for Barry’s as well.

“Okay, I’m dying to know. What exactly did you see after the mayor touched you?” he asked.

“Something weird. The police chief and mayor were together, but they weren’t at the City Hall or anyplace normal. They were alone in a dark alley. I can’t place where, but there was a rusty metal door behind them.” My head turned to face Barry. In a hushed voice I said, “It was nighttime, and the police chief handed the mayor a thickened manila envelope before saying, ‘This should hold you for a while.’ Barry, I know that envelope contained something important, like a payment for something, but I didn’t actually witness him opening it. It was the way he smirked and his eyes widened when he looked at it…‌that was greed. The envelope
had
to contain money or something equally valuable.”

Barry released my hand and ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair, letting out a slow exhale. His eyes widened as he contemplated the information I had just given him. With a shake of his head, he cleared his throat before saying, “Wow. Everyone has been wondering what the relationship could be between the mayor and Bart, the police chief, since
Bart
isn’t the the most reputable guy.”

My eyebrows arched at the venomous way he spat out Bart’s name.
Why the sudden hatred?

“There have been multiple complaints against Bart throughout his years on the force, and yet he retains his position as police chief. The mayor keeps backing him every time someone wants him to step–down or be fired. I guess now we know why‌—‌Bart’s probably paying him off. Your intuition has been spot on thus far, so there’s no doubt in my mind. I just wonder what the reason is behind the pay off.”

His furrowed eyebrows made it clear how unsettling he found this news. I was disturbed that he was so concerned, but what bothered me more was how much I wanted to ease his frustration. I wanted to interlace his fingers with mine and kiss him until I had smoothed every worry line, then run my hands through his sandy soft waves. Stunned by the direction of my thoughts, I lowered my face, trying to hide the sudden redness inflaming my cheeks.

Where had those thoughts come from?

I shook my head, trying to focus. The only person I could trust with this information was Detective Tanner. He was our friend Nicole’s uncle, who we had confided in when I had the vision about Johnny. He had been the lead detective ten years ago on Johnny’s case so he was knowledgeable about the facts, but his being Nicole’s uncle gave us the edge we needed. Too small to keep a full–time detective on staff, this town used Tanner from the next city over.

“Should we call Tanner and tell him about my vision?” I asked after clearing my throat. “I saw Tanner and Bart arguing before Johnny’s dedication, and when I said something to Nicole, she told me they don’t get along.”

“Yeah, we need to contact him,” Barry said. “If Tanner knew something shady had occurred between the mayor and Bart, perhaps he could figure out what’s going on. But Heather…‌” His eyes narrowed as he turned to face me. “I want you to be careful. Make sure no one can overhear you when you tell Tanner. I’m not comfortable with the idea of you being directly involved in any dirty police work.” Barry frowned and added, “And I don’t trust Bart.”

As we turned the corner back toward home, I nodded in agreement. Barry grabbed a hold of my hand again and my cheeks warmed at the reminder of wanting to kiss him. I looked away, suddenly finding the scattered purple crocuses interesting. We strolled beside each other, each lost to our own thoughts, with Barry oblivious to my embarrassment.

The sound of a diesel motor startled me as a pickup truck roared to life. I glanced up, noticing my house not too far away. Time was up. I huffed out a breath. I needed to make the call to Tanner
now
. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to make the call, I was just having difficulty figuring out the best way to inform him.

How do I start that conversation?

With my free hand, I pulled the phone from my pocket and stared at the screen. I was stalling. I knew this. But there wasn’t any choice in the matter, I needed to call. Taking a deep breath, I released Barry’s hand and glanced over at him. His mouth drew into an encouraging half–smile. The corners of my mouth lifted slightly in response as my heart swelled from his concern. I scrolled through my short list of contacts and tapped Tanner’s name.
I’ll just wing it
.

“Tanner,” the detective answered sternly.

“Detective, it’s Heather.” I cringed at the shakiness in my voice.

“Yes, Heather. What can I do for you?” he asked in a much more pleasant tone.

When he addressed me, his demeanor always changed. He was such a serious guy, but likable.

“Um…‌I’m not sure if it’s important, but I need to tell you about something that happened at the ceremony earlier today.”

“Okay.” He drew out. “What happened exactly?”

“After the dedication, the mayor came up beside us to offer his congratulations. He placed his hand on my back, and I saw something…‌concerning.” I paused as a sharp intake of air resonated through the phone. He remained silent, so I explained my vision.

“Who else knows about this?” Tanner asked, interrupting before I finished.

“Just Barry.”

My gaze shifted to Barry. His eyebrows rose at the mention of his name. During my conversation with Tanner, Barry’s stare never strayed. With a quick shrug, I looked down to concentrate on what the detective said.

“Good. Keep it that way. Listen, I don’t want to discuss this matter over the phone. Unfortunately, I’m getting ready to leave town and won’t be back until Monday afternoon.” After releasing an aggravated sigh, Tanner said, “I guess we’ll have to wait until then. Hmm…‌I’d rather you didn’t come by the station. Would it be all right to meet at your house after you arrive home from school on Monday?”

“Yes, that’d be great,” I answered.

We ended our conversation, and I blew out a puff of air. I hated having to wait until Monday to tell Tanner about the entire vision, but I had no choice since he was leaving. But his coming to the house posed another problem‌—‌the chances of Mom learning about the vision significantly increased. I was still hoping to keep this hidden from her.

Big eyes stared back at me as my focus shifted toward Barry. With a grimacing smile, I filled him in about Tanner leaving town and having to wait.

“I guess there isn’t anything else to do.” Barry shrugged.

“No, there’s not. Oh, and Tanner says we’re not supposed to tell anyone.” I sighed. “Another secret.”
Why was it that just when life began to settle and flow smoothly, a kink developed?
How on earth would I last through school?

~2~

Disconcertment

My gaze drifted toward the clock. Six. More. Minutes. I needed to focus, but as Mrs. Pickard reviewed the last section of the study guides, my thoughts strayed toward Tanner. This lack of concentration made school difficult and reinforced how much this ordeal needed to be over. I yawned, trying to conceal it with my papers. Sleep evaded me last night, worrying about that stupid vision. Perhaps talking with the detective would take the worry about what I saw and make it go away. Then the episode would be done. When the bell buzzed, my head popped up and I glanced at the clock. My body relaxed and I smiled.
Yes! Free at last!

While gathering books from my locker, I crimped my lips together. The cheerful sounds from the students’ voices resonated along the walls.
How annoying
. I wanted to yell “
Shut up
” as I jammed my belongings into my bag, all happy thoughts about leaving school gone from my mind. Even after embracing my ability, my peers' happy–go–lucky lives got to me at times. A small part of me still yearned for the carefree life others took for advantage and assumed would never change‌—‌no matter how much I wanted it to.

“You ready?”

Barry’s cheerful voice broke through my self–imposed pity party. After slamming the door, he slipped his arm around my shoulders. Contentment trumped any lingering annoyances as I reveled in the joy of having him draped around me. Being tucked beside him just felt right.

“You have no idea.” I huffed.

The endless chatter wafting through the halls became deafeningly loud the farther we walked. With spring break starting next week, people were louder than normal. Who could blame the student body for being excited and boisterous? Time off from reality was long overdue. If the load of homework assignments were any indication, it promised to be a long, hard week before we were let free for spring break. Crammed tight with tests this week, I concluded they were the teachers' punishment for having a vacation.

The heavy glass doors shut behind us with a thud as we exited. Not much longer now until we were home. A gust of cool air caused me to shiver, and I snuggled as close to Barry as my book bag allowed.

“Hey, guys.” Nicole’s voice hollered from behind us.

We whipped our heads around and noticed Nicole trying to catch up to us. Barry steered us toward the hideous brick wall to wait for her. After leaning against the bricks, he removed his arm and draped them across his chest. The sudden loss of warmth brought a surge of emptiness. I cringed. Was I becoming too dependent? To enjoy his touch was one thing, but to feel empty?
Come on
.

“The big talk around school is that everyone’s going to The Gamer on Friday night. What do you say? You guys in?” Nicole asked at a shrill pitch. Her widened eyes stared at us while her body shifted from side to side.

My lips pressed into a taut smile.
The Gamer?
The idea was crazy. Not how I envisioned spending my break. I shifted my weight, unsure how to respond. Me hanging at the local hot spot with the popular crowd? That would mean hanging around other people. Lots of people. Puh–leeze. My stomach felt queasy at the thought. It would be super crowded and I usually avoided places like that. So was I going?

That would be a big fat…‌
maybe
.

Barry’s eyes darted between Nicole’s and mine. Maybe he sensed my reluctance from my body language because he said, “I…‌I don’t know, Nicole. We’ll have to think it over.”

The brightness in Nicole’s eyes dulled as her face hardened into a scowl. “Come on, you guys never go anywhere,” she cajoled. Her hands moved to her hips and she gave Barry a pleading look. When he still didn’t say anything, she shifted her gaze toward me and frowned. “Fine.” She sighed exasperatedly. “There’s plenty of time left to decide, I suppose. It’s just…‌it would be good for
all
of us to hang around each other for a change. We haven’t had fun together in a long time.”

I leaned in to hug her, suppressing an eye–roll and smirked. Leave it to Nicole to shame me into going. “Thanks Nicole, my anxiety level needed to be raised. It’s been dull around here.” I lied with a twinge of guilt.

A slight shift of my body and adjustment of my bag jarred Barry into moving forward. Nicole complained about the unfairness of the teachers the entire time we walked toward the parking lot. I remained quiet, trying to listen, but her nonstop ranting did little to calm my nerves. My stomach tightened even more. The talk about going out Friday and the impending conversation with Tanner weighed heavily on me. I sighed and quickened my pace when Barry’s car came into view. I just needed to get home. I looked forward to having the discussion with Tanner over with.