Demons are Forever: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (26 page)

“Kate? Is this Katherine Crowe?”

I clutched the kitchen counter, my knees going weak at the sound of my former name. “Who’s calling, please?”

“Kate? Is that you? This is Betty Lackland. You know, from the library?”

“Betty. Hi.” I let out a sigh of relief. Allie had just talked to her, which means she was probably calling to tell me what my daughter was up to. “Thanks so much for talking to Allie the other day,” I said, wanting to nip in the bud any suspicion that Allie was poking around behind my back. “She really appreciated it.”

“Oh, I didn’t mind at all, dear. She’s a lovely girl.” She hesitated, then lowered her voice to a stage whisper, “But that’s actually why I’m calling.”

“Okay,” I said. I held up a finger, then signaled to Allie to stay while I went into the other room. I didn’t know what Betty was up to, but I could already tell I wasn’t going to like it. “What’s up?”

“It’s just ... oh, dear. I wasn’t going to bring this up,” she said. “Not ever. But I’m just so afraid that if your daughter keeps poking around that, well ...”

“Betty, what?”

“Well, I’m afraid she’s going to find out some unpleasant things about her father.”

I immediately tensed. “Like what, exactly?”

“Oh, sweetie, I didn’t even want to tell you this. But, well, Eric was acting quite peculiar before he took that trip to San Francisco.”

“Peculiar how?”

“Well, he always kept to himself, but I’d never gotten the feeling that he was hiding something. But that week ... Well ... it’s just that ...”

I drew in a breath. “Betty, please, don’t worry. It’s been almost six years. I’m remarried. Whatever you have to tell me, I’ll be fine.” That was about as blatant as a lie could be, but it served my purpose.

“It’s just that there were so many telephone calls. With that woman,” she added, as if women by nature carried disease.

“I’m sure it was nothing,” I said, trying to sound cheery. In fact, though, it was probably everything. The calls from Nadia—from Diana—were what convinced him to go to San Francisco in the first place, and the secrecy certainly didn’t surprise me. Not under the circumstances.

“It’s just that, you know, she was such a pretty thing.”

That caught my attention. “You met her?”

“She came into the library once. And Eric was very remote after she left. Honestly, he seemed a bit irritated that she’d come at all.” She sighed heavily. “Oh, Kate darling, I just hate telling you all this, but—”

“Nonsense,” I said, my throat tight. “I appreciate your concern. But she’s a family friend. Truly. There was nothing going on. Nothing at all.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I’m so relieved.”

“Quite a burden to hold on to for all these years,” I said, forcing myself to smile so that I sounded cheerful and happy.

“Yes, it was. And I’m so glad to know it was all a misunderstanding. I couldn’t believe that Eric would cheat on you. That just didn’t seem like him.”

I gripped the phone so hard I was afraid it might break. “No,” I said, “not like him at all.”

An affair. As I hung up, I turned the possibility over in my mind. No way. It simply wasn’t feasible. I don’t care how much sneaking around he was doing. Eric Crowe would not cheat on his wife. He wouldn’t cheat on me. Period. End of story.

But as I tried to push the thought from my head, Betty’s words kept coming back to haunt me. And once again, I had to remind myself that I didn’t know Eric nearly as well as I’d once believed.

I did finally manage
to pull myself together enough to go back into the kitchen, where Allie was waiting impatiently for me.

“Well?”

“Nothing,” I said, hoping I was speaking the truth. “Turns out it was nothing at all.”

“Then can we call, already?”

“Absolutely,” I said. I picked up the phone and dialed the number, only to be rewarded by the telltale clicking of a forwarding service, and then a live voice. “Wayside Answering.”

“Ah,” I said. “Hi. I’m not sure I called the right place.” I read the number in the book back to the operator.

“That’s correct,” she said. “Would you care to leave a message?”

“Is this the number for Nadia Aiken?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Aidan A?”

“I’m sorry, no.”

“Diana Kaine?” I tried, figuring the third time’s the charm.

“Yes, ma’am.”

I grinned at Allie and gave her a thumbs-up sign. In a day gone terribly awry, at least we’d managed one victory.

“Is this service still active? I mean, does she get a lot of calls?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t disclose that information.”

“Right. Thanks.”

“Would you like to leave a message?”

I did, keeping it short and sweet but to the point.

“My name is Kate Connor, but I used to be Katherine Crowe,” I began. “We used to work for the same people. And I think I’ve got information about a buddy of yours. A Mr. Andre.” I ended with my telephone number, then turned to Allie with a shrug. “I guess we’ll see.”

“There was a person on the other end?”

“That’s how answering services used to work,” I said. “Before voice mail.”

“Freaky.”

“Mmm.” From my daughter’s perspective, anything not run with a microchip was freaky indeed.

“So now we wait?”

“You need to be prepared for the fact that she may never call back. Who knows how long ago that service was set up? It might have been paid years in advance. Nadia really could be dead. We just don’t know.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Okay. So, like, what else can we do? There’s got to be a way to find the ring, right?”

I hoped there was, but it was a long shot. “We’ll see what Father Ben and Father Corletti come up with,” I said. I’d called Father Ben right after we learned the ring was missing, and we put together a conference call to Rome. Father Corletti had immediately dispatched the news to all active watchers and alimentatores. Forza would keep a close watch on cult activity. If any of the Andramelech cults became active, we’d hear about it. And we’d know that he’d been released from the ring.

“But that only works if a demon stole it,” Allie said, after I reminded her of all that.

“True enough,” I said. I pulled her student list from my back pocket. “That’s why we need to get busy on this.”

She sighed. “I don’t know most of these kids well enough, and none of the ones I do know are the type who’d steal someone’s stuff. But I’ve been thinking, and I think I can figure it out if I just ask around. I mean, Coronado’s a pretty good school, all in all. If someone’s bragging about stealing a ring, I bet I can find out about it.”

“Allie,” I said sharply, “you need to be careful.”

She presented me with a major eye roll. “Come on, Mom. I’m only going to talk to other kids. I’m not even going to threaten them with a crossbow.”

“Allie ...”

“Honestly,” she said, holding up her hands, a mischievous expression on her face. “I’d never manage to smuggle a crossbow into the school. Your stiletto, though ...”

I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “Go,” I said. “I’ll call you when the pizza gets here.”

“Cool.” She bounded off through the living room, and I leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to shake the dark mood that was beginning to settle over me once again. Diana Kaine.

Who are you? More important,
who were
you to my husband?

I was balancing on a knife edge, with the man I’d loved so desperately right there, close enough to touch. And yet I couldn’t have him. Wasn’t even sure if I trusted him.

And I told myself I didn’t want him. I had a new family. A new life. And as sad as that made me, my life with Eric had died when his body did.

I knew that. I knew it a thousand times over. In my head, the answer was so clear. So simple.

My heart though ... my heart wanted to cry.

“The boy’s asleep on the couch,” Eddie said, shuffling into the kitchen. He peered at me, then planted himself in my path. “Give it up, girlie. This ain’t cramps. What’s got your panties in a tangle?”

I couldn’t help it. The tears began to flow.

And Eddie—curmudgeonly Eddie, who’d known the truth all along and didn’t trust David at all—held me tight and let me sob.

Sixteen

I cried myself to sleep,
and was awakened by the press of something soft against my cheek. Immediately, I was on alert, but I managed to rein in my reaction before I impaled my husband with the stiletto I’d slipped under the mattress on my side of the bed.

“Hey,” he said from beside me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Weird dreams,” I said, noticing the rose he held out for me. “Stuart?”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

I blinked, wondering if perhaps I wasn’t still asleep and having a very odd dream. “What are you sorry for?”

“For being mostly AWOL these last few months getting ready for the campaign. And because I know I’m going to be absent even more, now that it’s officially started.”

I propped myself up on an elbow. “Stuart, I’m the one who missed the announcement.”

“I know,” he said. “And that got me thinking. How many Sunday afternoons have I missed? How many dinners have you kept warm for me?” He shrugged, looking both boyish and sexy. “I wanted you to know I appreciate it. And I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I said, feeling all warm and tingly inside. “Thank you.”

He pulled me close, and I spooned against him. And then I drifted back to sleep, my head filled with both Stuart and Eric, but only one man’s arms around me.

To Eddie’s credit, he didn’t mention Eric the next morning. For that matter, he didn’t mention my crying jag. He just squinted at me when he passed by on his way to get coffee. “You doing okay there this morning, girlie?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Thanks. I’m doing okay.”

He studied me, and for a second, I thought he might argue. Then he gave a satisfied snort, took his coffee, and left the room.

I collapsed into one of the chairs at the breakfast table and tried to decide if I really was doing okay. Fortunately, I was saved from extreme introspection by a tap at the back door. I heard Eddie’s gruff, “It’s open,” and then Laura’s footsteps as she crossed the short distance to the kitchen and the breakfast area.

When she passed through the arch dividing the two rooms, she blew me a kiss and flashed a smile worthy of a Miss America contestant.

“Either you’re auditioning for a commercial,” I said, “or you had a truly hot date last night.”

“I’ll leave it to your imagination to guess which one.”

“I have a very good imagination, you know.”

She rubbed her hands together. “Give it your best shot.”

“Laura!” I said with mock shock. “You wild woman.”

She waved my comments away. “No, no, no. Not that much imagination. He was much too much the gentleman.” She pressed a hand over her heart. “But, Kate, he gave me roses. And he opened the car door for me. And,” she added, holding out her hand and patting the air for effect, “the best part? He didn’t spend the entire evening talking about himself.”

“And he’s still single?” I said, trying hard not to smile. “What is his grand flaw?”

“If he has one, I haven’t discovered it yet.”

“I’m so excited for you,” I said as she got up for a cup of coffee. “I’m glad someone’s love life is getting back on the rails.”

She started to say something then stopped, cocking her head as she looked at me. The she shook her head slowly. “No, no, no. You are not getting off that easy. What happened?”

“Later,” I said. “Tell me more about Doctor Love.”

“Now,” she insisted. “Or you get no more sordid details.”

“Okay,” I said. “But only because I’m craving sordid details.” And then I took a deep breath, and I told her. All of it. The realization that David truly was Eric. Our confrontation. Betty’s suggestion that Eric had been having an affair. And, yes, our kiss.

“And then you walked away,” she said. “Oh, God, Kate.” She reached across the table and took my hand. “This has really been a crappy week for you, hasn’t it?”

I laughed. “That’s putting it mildly.”

“But you’re okay now? Really?”

“Better than last night. In case you’re wondering, Eddie’s shoulders are bony.”

“You should have called me.”

“And interrupt your date? Not a chance.”

She inspected my face, her eyes intense. “For something like that, interrupting a hot date is totally allowed. An old boyfriend living in the body of your daughter’s chemistry teacher? No, for that you’d have to wait. But a husband? Definitely allowed to call.”

I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh. “You’re insane, you know that, right?”

“Do you remember when I asked to help you? With all the demon-hunting research, I mean?”

I nodded.

“Sweetie, that was your first clue I was insane.”

“No, no, no,” I countered. “All that research is child’s play. I knew you were crazy the first time you offered to watch Timmy. Remember?”

“Oh yeah,” she said, nodding. “The weeks of explosive diapers. You’re right. I must have been crazy.”

“It’s good that you are,” I said. “Who else would put up with me?”

“I can think of two members of the male species who seem pretty keen on keeping you around,” she said. “Although maybe David counts as two people. And one more if we add in Cutter.”

“You can’t add in Cutter,” I said, laughing.

“Trust me, sweetie,” she said with a nod. “We can.”

“At any rate,” I said, turning serious again, “we can cross Eric and David off the list. I told David I couldn’t be around him anymore. It’s just too hard.”

“I know,” she said. “Although, actually, I don’t. I can’t even imagine. But I think you made the right decision.”

“Did I?” I asked. “How can I be sure?”