Pretense (62 page)

Consequently, she was way behind on the writing schedule she had set up for herself. She had to call her sister.

"Hi, Deej."

"Hi, Mic. What's up?"

"Delancey," she wasted no time in getting to the point, "are you going to be really bummed if we don't go away for spring break?"

"No," Delancey said honestly, her voice kind. In truth, she had been having a hard time with the idea of being so far from Chet. "What's up? You're not sick, are you?"

"No, but I've just been so down about Tom, and I'm only just now getting back into my writing. The story's going so well that I'm afraid to stop. Do you know what I mean?"

"I know just what you mean, and we'll go some other time. Maybe this summer. Then we'll have all the time in the world."

"Thanks, D.J. I was so worried about what you would say."

"Well, you shouldn't have been. If I get a chance to come and visit, I will. Or if you can come here, you know you'll be welcome."

"All right. How's Chet?"

"He's wonderful."

Mackenzie smiled at the tone in her sister's voice. She had never tried to figure out who would fall in love first, but now that it had happened, it was fun to watch.

"I'll have to come and meet him."

"Oh, Mic, I wish you would. He's so special, so sensitive to my feelings."

"He sounds too good to be true."

"But he isn't. He's real, and he's all mine. I wish you could meet someone just like him."

"Sometimes I wish I could meet
anyone,
but most of the time I'm too wrapped up in the book to notice."

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"Is the release date still intact?"

"Yes. April 9- I can't wait."

"And how close are you to being done with
Seahorse?"

"Within a hundred pages I would guess, but I never know for sure. If it keeps going well, I should be done in just a few weeks."

"Great. I want to read it. When you're finished, why don't you box it up and send it to me?"

"Okay. I'd love to have your input. D.J., are you really okay about spring break?"

"I am, Mackenzie, I promise you. I've got so many projects going that have had to wait while I do schoolwork. Or I just might sleep the whole week."

"Okay. Well, take care of yourself."

"I will. You do the same."

The girls rang off but neither one lingered over the call. Delancey headed back to her easel, and Mackenzie returned to the keyboard.

Chicago

"What's this?" Delancey asked Chet after he had arrivedather apartment. He had kissed her and said hello but then immediately handed her an envelope.

"You'll have to open it and see."

Delancey looked at the smug expression he wore a smiled. He loved surprising her, and surprised she was.envelope held an airline ticket in her name.

"Jamaica?" Delancey gawked at it and then at him.

"That's right. You did tell me you got your passport, did you?"

"Yes, I did, but I never dreamed-"

Chet smiled, loving her response. "To be honest with you,Ihave to work some of the time, but it's a special chartered flightand while I'm off, we can be together."

"Oh, Chet. It sounds wonderful. What are the dates?"

"Right after school lets out. It's your graduation present fromme."

Delancey reached over to kiss him but in the process hadasudden thought. "Will I have my own room?"

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Chet's eyes were direct. "If you want that, yes."

Delancey swallowed hard. This was new ground for her. "May I let you know?"

"Of course." His gaze was tender. "I haven't pressured you before, Delancey. I'm not going to start now."

Just his saying that made her want to say yes, but she didn't. She waited another week to say it and was very glad she did; Chet said he loved her for the very first time.

Alexandria

"It's as good as your first," Paxton told Mackenzie. "I wasn't prepared for that, but
Seahorse
is as good as
Access Denied."

"Well, I'm glad to hear I'm not losing my touch," Mackenzie said lightly, but she was very pleased.

They were in Farrell's for dinner. Paxton had called her just the day before to say that he was finished reading and needed to meet with her. Mackenzie had been a bit fearful of his response but need not have worried. He was ecstatic.

"The ending is such a surprise," Paxton went on. "I think that's what I like so much. I love it when I don't see something coming."

"There were several ways I could have gone, but this ending won out."

"I'm glad it did. I think I would have figured out anything else."

They ordered their food when the waiter came, thankful for the private booth, and went right back to talking.

"I started another story, Pax," Mackenzie told him in between bites of salad and bread. "It's different from the other two, but I'm excited about it."

"Tell me about it."

"It all takes place in the United States-nothing out of the country this time-and centers on a police commissioner. I know it's been done before, but I hope to add a few new twists to it."

"What's the driving force?"

"A serial killer."

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"You're right." Paxton's voice was flat. "That has been done before."

Not put off, Mackenzie sat thinking. Like her first book, she did this for herself. She had a story in her head and had to write it, even if Paxton didn't want to publish it.

"Do you even want to hear about it?" Mackenzie finally asked.

"Yes, I do, but I felt I should be honest. By the way, what's it called?"

"Blue Crayon."

"Blue Crayon?"

"That's right," Mackenzie teased. "Want to know more?"

Paxton nodded and smiled, keeping in mind that she hadn't let him down yet. He sat transfixed for the next 20 minutes and listened until Mackenzie gave him the wrap-up.

"The commissioner is completely stumped by now. Sixteen people in the Chicago area are dead-children, women, and men-all from different walks of life, but all killed in exactly the same way, and each is left with a blue crayon in his or her hand. The commissioner is so perplexed that he's getting ready to turn in his badge. He's lost weight and his hair is falling out, and the governor is breathing down his neck to solve the worst set of crimes in the state's history. He's beside himself, but he's so tired he can't think, so he takes a day off. He spends the day with his children, and that's when he sees it: his daughter's crayon box. The blue crayon is a completely different brand. When he questions her, she says she got it from Mrs. Edmondson. Mrs. Edmondson is an adorable middle-aged woman who has lived with them for five years-she's nanny to the commissioner's children."

"What is the woman's problem?"

"She's obsessed with the commissioner's youngest child. Anyone who even looks at her cross-eyed is removed from the picture."

Paxton nodded, feeling more impressed than he'd planned on. "I like it, but I'm still going to warn you that it's been done quite a bit."

"What hasn't been, Pax? But if I put my own slant on this and keep the reader guessing, then I've done my job."

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Again the man looked at her. "I know I've said this before, Mackenzie, but you really are a surprise."

The writer laughed. "I'm glad. I wouldn't want you to be bored. By the way, how is Jodi?"

Paxton beamed. "She's pregnant."

"Congratulations!"

"Thank you," he said as he bowed his head modestly.

"Are you two ever getting married?" Mackenzie boldly questioned him.

"Yes, we will, in another few months when things slow down at work. It will be very private, but we'll have you to dinner sometime."

"I'll enjoy that."

"Will you be bringing anyone along?" Paxton asked with no work at subtlety.

"No, I'm afraid things are pretty quiet in that area of my life."

"Tom told me he blew it but didn't elaborate."

Mackenzie nodded. "It's taken me some time to get back on my feet, but I think I'll be all right. I hope Tom is too."

"I'm glad you don't hate him."

"Me too."

"How's your sister these days?"

"She's fine. At the moment she's in Jamaica with her boyfriend."

"Sounds nice."

"Yes. He's a pilot and has to work part of the time, but she needed to get away."

"She graduated, didn't she?"

"Yes. Made me wish I'd gone to school."

"For what?"

Mackenzie opened her mouth, shut it, and shrugged. "I don't know."

Paxton laughed. "Listen, Mackenzie, there are people who have college degrees and study for years to do what you do naturally. Don't ever take it for granted."

"Thank you, Pax. I'll try to remember that."

Dinner ended on that warm note, and Mackenzie went back to her apartment. She was tired and had no plans to write but got an idea while watching TV. She ended up as she often did- writing until her eyes couldn't focus on the screen anymore.

446

Delancey was in the shower when Mackenzie called, but she had left a message, and as soon as Delancey was dressed, she called her back. The younger sibling was glad that she had a few minutes to compose herself or her voice would have given her away. About the only person she wanted to hear from these days was Chet, but the summer had brought more work than ever, and she had never felt so alone.

"Hi, Mic," Delancey worked at being cheerful.

"Oh, you're home. I just called."

"I was in the shower."

"Oh, okay. I'm calling to tell you that I'm taking a trip."

"You are? Where?"

"Europe."

"Oh, Mic, how fun! When are you going?"

"Two weeks."

"Where to?"

"All over. Wanna come?"

"Oh, Mic!"

"You're welcome, Delancey, and I mean it. I have to get out of this apartment or go crazy, and I think it's time I see a little of the world. I know you have deadlines, so I don't want you to feel pressured, but I'm going for a month, and you're welcome to join me."

The first thing Delancey wanted to say was no, at least until she talked with Chet. He had talked about their going away again since they got back from Jamaica, but the summer had slipped past and it had never happened. Even their dates and phone conversations had started to slow down. When Chet was with Delancey he was remarkably attentive, but when he was working, she might as well not exist. Delancey suddenly didn't care if he wanted to go somewhere with her or not. It was already September, and she hadn't seen her sister since Christmas.

"Name the date, Mic, and I'll be there."

"Do you mean it, D.J.?" Mackenzie's voice changed with her excitement. "You'll come?"

"Yes."

Mackenzie was so elated that it took her a moment to speak. "I already bought your tickets, just in case, Deej. You fly here on the fourteenth and we both fly out on the fifteenth. When we

447

return, we both fly into National on the thirteenth, and you go home the fifteenth of October. Will that work?"

"Oh yes, Mic! A whole month together! Do you know how long it's been?"

"Too long. I can't believe how long it's been since we've even been able to hug each other. Virginia just isn't that far, but all I ever do is write."

And all I do is wait for Chet to call,
Delancey thought, but she kept still.

"Well," she said instead, "you deserve this getaway. Where do we start?" Delancey was getting into it.

"We fly in and out of London, but in between, we go anywhere we like."

Delancey nearly squealed with delight. It was a dream come true. The sisters ended up talking for more than an hour, plotting and planning how they would visit places they had only dreamed of going.

Delancey got off the phone feeling buoyant with the thought of doing this with her sister. She loved the fact that it would be private, just the two of them. Not to mention the fact that Mackenzie was always so fun. They hadn't spent a month together all in one stretch since Mackenzie joined the Army.

The mood, the excitement, and even the need for privacy held Delancey for the next several days, even through one phone call from Chet. By the time he called she was scheduled to leave in four days, but since he'd called to cancel a date, Delancey was irritated and didn't tell him of her plans. She left Chicago without a backward glance, her landlady giving her a ride to the airport and also promising to tell all visitors that Miss Delancey Bishop was on an extended vacation, and nothing more.