Sanctuary Lost WITSEC Town Series Book 1 (19 page)

“I’m sorry. It’s just…why didn’t you bring
her here? You would be a great mom.”

Andra took a breath. “I wasn’t in a good
place. I needed Helena to have a better life than the one I could
give her. Petros and Anya give her that. Two parents who love her
and love the Lord. I couldn’t give her that. Not back then and not
when I came here.”

Nadia tucked the pictures back in the
envelope. There was no letter. But when you received a gift that
rich, there was no need for words.

Andra tucked it back in her jacket.

“He seriously likes you.” Nadia was good at a
lot of things. One of which was deflecting Andra from the swirling
drain of her life before Sanctuary.

Andra grinned, even though she didn’t feel
it. “What about you? You went into the lion’s lair on Battle Night.
Any chance encounters with a certain someone?”

Nadia stilled, which meant trouble since the
woman was pure energy. “Uh…I got the flag.”

“Yeah, there’s not a story there.” Andra
turned her chair toward her friend. “Spill, woman.”

“I told you, I got the flag.”

“What about Bolton Farrera? He must have been
there, guarding it with his boys.”

Nadia chewed her lip. “He…uh…might have
caught me.”

“No! Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because it’s embarrassing. He got me in like
two seconds even with the distraction you showed me. It’s like he
knew. He must be trained in that stuff. Maybe he’s secretly some
kind of superhero, but it all went wrong and he had to hide his
identity here. That’s probably it. Anyway, I don’t want to talk
about Mr. Tall, Dark and…what was your name again?”

Andra groaned. “Tell me Bolton didn’t say
that to you.”

“So embarrassing. Ugh, whatever. I’ve decided
it’s my lot in life to be tragically attracted to men who don’t
even know I’m alive. And also men who steal fabulous paintings,
sell reproductions and then try and blame it on
moi
so those
two snooty French guys try to kill me instead.”

“Sorry.”

Nadia shrugged. “I’m over it. Ancient
history. I like my life, cutting the same hairstyles week-in and
year-out and getting crappy tips. It’s the high life. Excuse me
while I go drown my sorrows by listening to Kelly Clarkson and
eating a giant bag of peanut butter cups.”

“You’ll find someone. You’re gorgeous, you
have a fabulous smile.”

“Now I know you’re lying. Next to you, I’m
totally the plain one.”

“No way, you look like a young Jamie Lee
Curtis.”

“Actually, I heard they’re getting Sandra
Bullock to play me in the TV movie detailing the tragic story of my
life and the downfall of an international ring of art thieves. But
seriously, other than making a great Princess Leia for Halloween,
exactly what good does that do me?”

Andra smiled. “Maybe Bolton will dress up as
Han Solo.”

“I’d like to see that.” Nadia’s lips
twitched. “I’d actually pay money to see that.”

“There you go.”

“I’d still kill to have your exotic, Spanish
coloring.”

Andra chuckled. “My mom was from
Nebraska.”

“Seriously, how did I not know this?”

“Maybe because I haven’t told you.” She
hadn’t told anyone. “How do you think I’m American? Anyway, I’m
serious. Miss Nebraska, 1972.”

“No way. How do you know that?”

How did she think Andra knew that? “The
internet.”

“Oh. Right. How did she meet your dad? Isn’t
he Spanish?”

“Yep. She became an actress and my dad was a
movie producer. I figured they met through a work thing, but I
never could work out how. I only found pictures of them together,
in magazines. They had me and then dropped me at boarding school in
Barcelona when I was five. I don’t really remember them, but I
remember the nanny. She smelled like lavender.”

“Where are they now?”

Andra swallowed.

“You know?”

“They have a pied-a-terre in Paris and a
summer home in Palm Springs. It’s busy being rich. Not a lot of
time to be social with your only daughter.”

“Wow.”

“I saw my dad once. I was twenty-one.”

“No way.” Nadia’s mouth dropped open. “You
met him?”

“No. It was a big party and I was across the
room. He had on this expensive suit. His hair was slicked back and
he had all these rings. Fit, you know, like he hired a personal
trainer. I just saw him for a second. I was…uh…working. And I don’t
know what I would have said. Hi, I’m the daughter you abandoned and
forgot about. How do you like how I turned out?”

Nadia closed her mouth. Probably because she
knew exactly who Andra had been in those days. It wasn’t something
even an estranged parent was going to be proud of.

Andra didn’t like the silence, not with
Nadia. She looked at her friend but Nadia said, “You know, you give
off this air of being all tough. But you’re like an egg. Crack the
shell and the middle is all goo.” She smiled, like she’d had a
happy epiphany.

Andra didn’t move or react in any other
way.

Nadia laughed. “Fine. Ignore me, what do I
know? I only cut people’s hair.”

She waited but Andra wasn’t going to give her
the satisfaction of being right.

“Don’t you have to change a tape?”

Dead air. “Crap.” Andra loaded up the next
song and got it playing. “Quit distracting me.”

“Are you sure it’s not Sheriff John Mason
doing that?”

“I’m sure.”

Nadia was quiet for a second and then she
said, “What if you could have a relationship?”

“I can’t.”

“But—”

Andra shifted to face Nadia. “What do you
think is going to happen when he reads my file? Nothing is going to
be fine. And definitely not fine enough for a relationship. He’s
going to arrest me for Betty Collins’ murder.”

“But you didn’t do it. You were coming to
meet me with the flag.”

“No one else believes that.”

“I’ll vouch for you.”

Andra took a breath. “Do you really think
when he figures out what I used to do for a living, he’s even going
to care about that? All he’ll be concerned with is keeping the town
safe and keeping me away from his son.”

Nadia pressed her lips together, conceding
the point. Which was good, because Andra didn’t want to argue about
what couldn’t be.

“It’s going to happen. He’s going to arrest
me.” Andra sighed. “Can we just talk about something else while I
have a night to breathe free before the inevitable happens and my
whole world is gone again?”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’m not naïve, Nadia.” Andra sighed. “I just
want to enjoy what I have while it lasts. I’ll deal with whatever
comes later, when it happens. I’m just not looking forward to the
look on his face. That’s always the worst part.”

Nadia Marie’s voice was quiet. “Did I do
that…look at you like that?”

“You were fine. That’s why I told you at the
diner because if I’d told you half a mile out of town on the ridge
you’d have thought I brought you out there to kill you and hide the
body.”

Nadia’s lips flickered in a smile. “I’m glad
you told me.”

“Me too.”

“I’m sorry about everything that happened to
you.”

“It was a choice. A lot of it was just
choices that I made. Good or bad, they’re done and I can’t erase
any of it. But the fact you’re sorry is exactly why I told you.”
Andra smiled. “And why I don’t mind you showing up all the time and
talking my ear off.”

“Ha.” Nadia laughed. “You’re the chatty one.
Can’t get you to shut up half the time. Yeesh.”

**

Pat sat on the steps of the school with his
backpack on his feet. He should just get back on his bike and
ride…somewhere. His dad had been tired and grumpy at breakfast,
yelling about wearing a coat even though it wasn’t cold. And
telling him being on time for school meant you were late. Whatever
that meant. On time was on time, right? Tardy was tardy.

He sighed. His mom had dropped him at school
every morning. It was a long drive, not a walk. But still, she made
sure he got there. Just not that he got to Sanctuary. Apparently
she didn’t care anymore. Who did that? Who just stopped loving
someone all of a sudden?

What if she never loved him in the first
place?

Pat didn’t want to think about his mom, but
not trying to think about her meant he didn’t see the girl until
she was blocking out the sun peaking over the mountains. She didn’t
say anything. She just stared at him with her beady eyes and her
mean-looking mouth.

Was he supposed to talk first? “Hi, I’m
Pat.”

“I know who you are.” She dumped her backpack
at the bottom of the stairs and folded the arms of her sweater.
Apparently she didn’t have to wear a coat.

“Well, who are you?”

She shrugged.

She wasn’t going to tell him what her name
was?

“I heard your dad’s protecting a killer. He
won’t arrest Andra because he’s full-on hot for her.”

Pat didn’t know what that meant, but it
didn’t sound good. “Andra didn’t kill that lady. She’s nice.”

“Nice? She’s a weirdo. I heard she lures
people up to her cabin, and murders them and buries the bodies in
the woods where no one will ever find them.”

Pat’s cereal did a twist and swoop in his
stomach like the diving guy on the Olympics. “I don’t believe
you.”

“Yeah?” She shoved his shoulder. “Wadda you
know? You only just got here. I’ve lived here my whole life.”

Three of the teenagers walked up, two girls
and a boy. “Leave him alone, Clara.”

That was her name? Pat looked at her. If that
was his name, he’d probably be mad at everyone too.

“His dad is protectin’ a murderer.”

“I heard about that,” one of the girls said.
“Andra Caleri killed Betty Collins.”

The other girl turned to her. “So? We didn’t
like Betty Collins, remember?”

“Yeah but we didn’t not like her enough we
don’t care she got stabbed. What if one of us is next?”

The boy ignored them, looking at Pat instead.
“What’s your dad waiting for? Why hasn’t he arrested her
already?”

Pat looked at each of them, standing over
him. He swallowed. “Andra didn’t do it.”

“Yeah? How do you know?”

Clara stuck her hands on her hips. “That’s
what I said!”

“Yeah,” the first teen girl said. “Well, no
one is asking you.” She zeroed in on Pat. “Are the sheriff and
Andra…you know…?”

Pat swallowed. “No, I don’t know.”

Clara snorted. “He doesn’t even know what you
mean.” She laughed but it wasn’t nice.

“Quit being a turd, Clara.” The boy shoved
her aside and then looked at Pat. “Your dad’s protecting her.
Everyone knows she killed Betty.”

“She didn’t.”

“She’s done it before. Up at her house.”

Clara shoved her way back in. “She buries the
bodies in the woods!”

Pat stood up on the step so he was same
height as the teenagers. “I’ve been to Andra’s house. There aren’t
any bodies in the woods.” At least, he didn’t think so. She was a
nice lady, friendly to Aaron when she didn’t have to be. And she
made nice lemonade.

“What’s going on?”

They all froze. The teens turned and moved
aside so Pat could see Mrs. Pepper. She was dressed in gray, like
she was trying to be depressing on purpose. She should get her hair
cut like his mom did, where they put streaks in it and made you
look sunny even when it was cold outside.

“Does anyone want to tell me what this is?”
She looked at the three teens and then Clara, but none of them said
anything. “Pat?”

“Nothing, Mrs. Pepper.”

She sighed. “All of you inside.” When Pat got
up to follow the other kids in Mrs. Pepper put her hand on his arm
and said, “One minute, Pat.”

“Yes, Ma’am?”

She smiled. “I heard you say you’ve been up
to Ms. Andra’s house, was that right?”

He nodded. “With Aaron. To deliver her
mail.”

“Must’ve been quite a walk.”

“It wasn’t too far. Just up the trail. Aaron
said it was a mile.” He smiled. “She gave us lemonade.”

“That’s nice. But, you know, some people want
you to think they’re nice even when they’re trying to hide
something. So you should be careful. Maybe go with your dad if you
need to go up there again. Or better yet, stay clear of Ms. Andra.
I don’t believe what everyone’s saying about her…”

“Neither do I.”

“It’s nice to believe the best of people. But
sometimes being careful has to be more important than being
nice.”

“Okay.” He didn’t really get that. But she
wasn’t saying bad things about Andra so it wasn’t hard to just
agree. “Can I go inside now?”

“Yes, dear.”

Pat worked some on his art project, making a
dodecahedron out of cardboard and paper maché he was going to paint
with the Dolphins colors.

After that they went to the library. Pat’s
computer was pointed at the front door and Mrs. Pepper was in the
middle. He logged on with his ID and then onto the school website,
but didn’t click on his assignment. No one was looking, so he went
online and logged onto his email instead.

There was nothing from his mom.

He checked the sent folder. The three
messages were in there, so she must have gotten them. Why didn’t
she email him back?

He slumped lower in the seat. The only good
part of being here was getting to spend time with his dad. And he
couldn’t even do that right now because his dad was busy catching
who killed that lady. Even in summer, when he wouldn’t have to go
to school, his dad would be working all the time. Just like
always.

Pat’s eyes burned. It didn’t feel like he’d
gotten his dad back and now he’d lost his mom too.

A window popped up at the bottom corner of
his email.

Pat?

He sat up and typed back.
Hi
Grandma.

How are you, pumpkin?

Okay. I guess.