Deep Within The Shadows (The Superstition Series Book 1) (26 page)

“It doesn’t need to. There are members of your force who have the ability to deal with things like this. All you have to do is ask for help.”

“I’m not handing over my case to anyone.”

“I didn’t say you had to. You might want to find out who they are and ask them to work with you.”

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

“When I make the phone calls, I’ll put out feelers about people in the department who might be able to help.”

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, his masculine features set in a scowl of frustration. With his jaw shadowed by stubble, he looked dangerous.

She had shed her craving for bad boys a while back when she gave up pot, cigarettes, and a few other things she didn’t want to think about. She’d been trapped in a senseless quest to either feel normal emotions like other people or dull the pain from the past.

But now, for the very first time, she was tempted by real attraction. And it scared her to death. He was unapologetically all man. No beta tendencies with him. And that was probably why they were butting heads every time they spent more than ten minutes together. They both needed to be in control. Him because he was used to it, and her because she was afraid to allow anyone to have power over her ever again.

“Tanner’s death wasn’t my fault. I did everything I could to save him. Don’t ever try to use it to hurt me again, Chase.”

He heaved a sigh and brushed a hand over his jaw. “I won’t. But from here on in you’re straight up with me about everything, Juliet. Even the witchy stuff.”

She studied him for a long time. Would he be able to control his instinct to push? She doubted it. But she could trust him to try to discover the truth. She extended her hand. “Deal.”

A
s she looked
out over the library’s main floor from the second floor landing, Miranda evaluated her morning with as much objectivity as she could. She and Caleb had actually flirted and been playful, and she’d felt like a normal woman with the man she loved. They’d made love. As if they’d been made for each other. He’d been inside her, and she hadn’t felt sick or afraid. For one brief, glorious moment she’d been happy—truly, fantastically happy.

And then Clay Maddox had once again stolen it from them. No. She was responsible. She should have guessed how Caleb might misconstrue her reaction when he mentioned her stepfather the night before. Of course he needed to push to understand what had held her back for so long. She only prayed he’d accept what she told him and not keep digging.

Miranda turned back to her office. Juliet lounged on the small sofa against one wall reading some information she’d printed off the computer earlier. Now she held a pencil gripped in her hand and was busily scribbling something on one of the sheets. There was an inherent grace in her pose, with her legs tucked up on the cushions and her hair draped over one shoulder. Her sister was more vibrant and passionate. She recognized in herself the need to be more introspective. They were mirror images of each other physically, and complete opposites emotionally.

Juliet struggled so to put her life back together, and come so far just in the last year.

“Because I work here, and you’re my immediate family, the college has a policy that I can donate the free classes I earn each semester to a family member if I don’t use them myself. You’d have to pay for your own books, but the tuition would be free.”

Juliet raised her brows. “You’re not interested in working toward your doctorate?”

“There isn’t a doctoral program here. I’d have to go to summer school or commute to UK on the weekends. An independent study might be an option or online classes. Right now I’m not ready to take on anything more.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Encouraged, yet trying to keep her excitement under control, Miranda asked, “What would your focus of study be?”

“If I said social work, you’d go all warm and fuzzy on me, but I’m more interested in business.”

She couldn’t really picture Juliet behind a computer working as a CPA, but running a business might be an option. “Sounds good. If you decide to try it, I can help you get up-to-date for the entrance exam.”

Juliet smiled. “Thanks, sis.”

Miranda sat down in a chair across from her. “I’ve been thinking about how we could—”

Juliet cleared her throat, her gaze cutting to someone behind Miranda. She turned to look behind her. Susan stood, waif-thin and pale, in the doorway. In contrast, her hair hung a vibrant black down her shoulders and stood out like ink against her skin. “Ms. Ward called and said she was having some issues with her car but she’d be here ASAP.”

“Thank you, Susan. Do you need me to come out and help at the front desk?”

“No, thanks. Mary Janet and I can handle things until she comes in.”

“Buzz me here in my office if that changes and you need me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The girl’s gaze focused on the drawing in Juliet’s hand. “That looks a lot like a Sasha Carlton character.”

“Sasha Carlton?” Juliet repeated. “You know what this is?”

“It looks like one of her shadow demons from the graphic novel,
Twist in Time
.”

Excitement brought Miranda to her feet. “Do we have a copy of it here in the library, Susan?”

“Several. I can get one off the shelves for you if they’re not all checked out. They’re very popular among the art students.”

“I’d like to see a copy if one is in.”

“Sure.” Susan darted away in the direction of the south corner of the floor where the art texts were stored.

Juliet came to join her at the door. “I’ve never heard of anyone being able to create an imaginary creature to kill someone.”

“I haven’t either. But if they’ve patterned it after this book, they may have inadvertently built in the same weaknesses as the one in the book.”

“And what if they don’t have a weakness?”

“Authors always build in strengths and weaknesses to their characters. It gives the characters something to overcome to increase the conflict. The shadows can’t appear without the artificial light. I want to know what the spiders’ weaknesses might be.”

Susan was back with a large, rectangular coffee table sized book. She handed it to Miranda. “Thank you, Susan. We’ve been looking for information about this for a few days.”

“Glad I could help.” The girl’s wan face lit up with a smile.

“Are you into the characters?” Juliet asked.

“Yeah. I’ve read all her books. The graphic novels were patterned after them, but are separate stories.”

Juliet smiled. “Why don’t you come in and tell us about them? I was planning something of my own, but I don’t want to infringe on another author or illustrator’s idea.”

Susan glanced in Miranda’s direction. “They might need me downstairs.”

“I’ll get one of the other work-study students to cover the desk for you while you help us out, Susan. We’re both eager to hear your perspective on this.” Miranda left the office in search of one of the other students to sub for Susan for a while. For the first time she felt like they might have an opportunity to level the playing field.

Forty-five minutes later, Miranda sent Susan on her way. The young woman had provided a wealth of information about the author, the books, and the graphic novel’s characters.

“She needs to eat more,” Juliet said softly.

“She and I have had several conversations on that subject. I think she has a boyfriend with whom she shares an apartment. He must get the bulk of things.”

Juliet’s brows crimped. “Not a good situation.”

“No.” Miranda sighed her discontent. “I’ve approached her several times and offered to help.”

“You can offer, but it’s up to her to make the change, Miranda.” Juliet stared through the open office door after Susan. “Her name is Susan, but she’s definitely not our Suzette. She doesn’t look like someone who would hook up with Samuel Newton. And she’s not a witch. Whoever is doing this is a witch, very powerful, and is fixated on the creatures in these books.”

“I’ve given Chase all the background info on the student employees, contracted employees and fellow faculty. Maybe he’ll find something I couldn’t. In the meantime, I’m going to look up all the students and faculty who have checked out the graphic novels.”

“That will be hundreds. From what she told us they’re extremely popular.”

“I know, but it might give us a list to compare to others.”

“Chase has the info on the employees at the bar. He’s looking hard at one of the bartenders who works with me. I’m certain I saw him outside the police station before the spider attack on the car. Samuel’s psycho girlfriend had a brother named Justin.”

“That sounds promising. If he’s on the checkout list, we have a tie-in with this idea. Why don’t you call Chase and update him on what we’ve discovered?”

Juliet laid aside the papers she’d taken notes on and reached for her cell phone.

*     *     *

There had to
be some record of Clay Maddox once he’d left Superstition. He couldn’t have just disappeared. Unless he’d left the country or was living under an alias. After what he’d done to Juliet and Mandy, he very well might have done both.

Caleb had been searching the web off and on for hours, and had looked through a number of Clay Maddox profiles. There were over a thousand, but none he’d looked at so far was the man he remembered. Since he had neither Clay’s social security number nor birth date, his research was slow going.

And what the hell did he expect to do once he found the perverted fucker? Hunt him down and call him out? The painful repercussions of such a move would harm Miranda and Juliet. Juliet possibly the most. But dammit, there had to be something they could do about the son-of-a-bitch. What he’d done for ten long years had ruined their lives. He deserved to pay for it. And what if he’d moved on to someone else?

Caleb’s concentration on the computer screen was broken by the jingle of the door opening and closing. He looked up to see one of the students from the library. He recognized her at once. “Hi. Vivian isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” She smiled. “And you’re Caleb, Ms. Templeton’s friend.”

Caleb waited for her to continue.

She shifted close to the counter. “I’m having a problem with my car, and I was hoping you could help me.”

Caleb shut down the computer search, grateful for something else to focus on. He got down from the stool he was perched on behind the counter. “Sure. What’s the vehicle been doing?”

“I think it’s leaking oil. I came out to go to work, and when I moved it there was dark fluid on the ground.”

“We can put it up on the rack and see what’s happening. It might be a leaking seal.”

She frowned, gripping her purse so hard her knuckles turned white. “Can’t you look at it right now? I really need to get to work, but I was afraid if I waited it might damage the engine.”

He leaned back to take a look through the heavy plate glass windows separating the office from the mechanic bays. “All the bays are full right now, and I wouldn’t be able to track the leak from just looking at the engine. From underneath we’ll be able to see where it’s coming from. If you’ll leave the keys, I’ll pull it in as soon as I have a free bay.”

“Well, if I have to leave it, can you give me a ride to the library?”

“Sure, I can arrange that. We can call you when we’ve figured out what it is and let you know what repairs if any are warranted.”

Her frown cleared and changed into a smile. “That would be great.”

He pulled out the form and filled it out with the problem cited by the customer, make, model, and color, and scooted it over the counter for her to sign.

He studied her long-sleeved blouse. Long sleeves in ninety-degree heat seemed odd, but she worked in an air conditioned library at night.

He slid the paper into a plastic sleeve and dropped the keys in with it. He hung the plastic bag on a hook reserved for work orders. He leaned in the door leading into the garage and yelled at Edgar, one of his mechanics. “I’m dropping a customer off at work. Next one up will be that blue Malibu parked out front.”

Edgar threw up a hand. “Ten-four, boss.” He disappeared back under the hood of the car he was working on.

Caleb turned and froze. Vivian stood across the counter, a Beretta pistol, too large for her hand, pointed at him. His heart rate soared and a quick rush of adrenaline flooded his body. “We don’t keep much cash around, most of our business is done through check or credit card.”

“I’m not interested in your money, Caleb. I want something much more important.”

He judged his chances of survival if he rushed her. From this distance, even with the counter between them, there was no way she’d miss if she pulled the trigger.

“You know what I’m capable of. Unless you want your mechanics to die in an avalanche of spiders, you’ll do what I say.”

He met her gaze head on and recognized the unflinching resolve of a zealot. He’d seen enough of them in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Come out from behind the counter. You’re going to give me a ride, just like we planned.”

He walked around the desk, his eyes never leaving her. She moved immediately to grip his arm and rest the barrel of the gun against his ribs. “Which vehicle?”