Someone's Watching (29 page)

Oh, Kate
, she thought.
I’ve finally found you
.

When they pulled apart, Robbie noticed that Jeremy hadn’t moved from the club chair. He was staring in the direction of the window and his cheeks were wet, as though he’d been crying.

He caught Robbie’s eyes on him, wiped his face, then walked toward the kitchen. “Anyone want more water or something?”

Robbie shook her head.

Kate was studying Robbie’s hand. “He should have told me.”

“Yes. He should have. But right now, Jeremy’s in a lot of trouble. The police think he killed someone. Anything you could tell us about what happened to you would be a big help.”

Kate looked over at the club chair where Jeremy had been standing. “Is he your boyfriend?”

“Not exactly. Maybe. He was. It’s a long story.”

“That’s okay,” Kate said. “He’s a really nice guy.”

Jeremy came back in the room, put a platter of cookies on the coffee table, then sat down on the ottoman. “My grandfather. He always keeps cookies in the house.”

Kate leaned back on the sofa and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Okay.” She folded her fingers together and squeezed them. “Those guys at the tiki bar? Well, I think they drugged us, or something.”

A wave of heat passed over Robbie. So here it came.

“They drove us somewhere. I don’t remember much. Just that everything felt wrong and strange. And then, I remember walking around the house looking for Joanne.”

She stopped talking. The room filled with the sound of white noise, the hum of the air conditioner, the clock ticking over the piano.

“She . . . she was in the pool. And I called her, but she didn’t answer. She . . . she just floated. And I knew. I knew she was—”

Robbie slipped her arm around her. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

Kate pulled away. “But it was. They told me I killed her. And they, they said they would tell the police if I didn’t do what they said.”

So that was it.

“But you didn’t kill her, Kate,” Robbie said. “Those men drugged her. And then, she probably drowned accidently. But it wasn’t your fault. It was absolutely not your fault.”

Kate got up and went to the window that overlooked the backyard.

“What did they tell you to do?” Jeremy asked.

“They gave me a lot of drugs.” She continued facing the window. Robbie had to strain to hear her. “Then I went to live withTyra. And they said to do what she said or they’d change me back to the way I was and the police would find me.”

“Change you back?” Jeremy asked.

“My face and hair. They said they changed me to protect me. So no one would recognize me.”

“And you believed them?” Jeremy asked.

Kate turned to them. “I don’t know. I was so scared. And Joanne. Poor Joanne. If I hadn’t made her come with me, none of this would have happened. She’d still be alive.”

“They drugged you, Kate,” Robbie said. “They took advantage of you.”

Kate returned to the sofa and folded her hands over her lap.

“So when you moved in with Tyra, what happened?” Jeremy leaned forward on the ottoman, elbows on his knees. “What did she tell you to do?”

“Mostly she gave me pills and I slept a lot. Then at night, we’d go to the club. And we’d bring men home with us.” She looked at her hands. Her knuckles were white. “I’d rather not talk about that.”

“What about during the day?” Jeremy said. “Did any people come by to see Tyra? Was anyone angry?”

“Everyone was always angry.”

“Who’s everyone?”

“Well, mainly Tyra and Luis. And then, this morning, this old guy came by.”

“Luis and an old guy?” Jeremy asked. “Who are they?”

“Luis was one of the guys who brought me and Joanne to the house.”

“What does Luis look like?”

“He’s like really built. He shaves his head and has a lot of tattoos.”

“And the old guy?” Jeremy asked.

“He was really creepy looking. You know, like Michael Jackson?”

“How like Michael Jackson?”

“Skinny and his face was fake, like he’d had a lot of work done on it.”

Creepy, like Michael Jackson. Something was gnawing at Robbie.

“And you said they were angry?” Jeremy asked.

“Well, mainly the man was angry. He was yelling at Luis and Tyra. Something about the DVDs. And Tyra got all pissed at him. She said, ‘You don’t tell me what to do, mister. You don’t own me.’ And then the man said, ‘I made you, I own you. And I can just as easily unmake you.’ And Tyra said, ‘You got that backward, mister. I can unmake you.’ ”

Jeremy’s face was alive. “What do you remember about the house in Key Largo?”

“Huh?”

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m jumping around here. The house they took you to after the tiki bar. What do you remember about it?”

“Not much. I slept a lot.”

“Anything,” Jeremy said. “Any little detail.”

Kate scrunched up her forehead. “Lots of windows, like mirrors. A swimming pool inside. Pictures on the wall. Red, blue, green.”

“What was in the pictures?”

“Don’t remember.” She shook her head. “Oh. But there were pebbles. Like millions of pebbles.”

Pebbles, Robbie thought. An indoor swimming pool.

“Anything else?” Jeremy asked.

“It’s really blurry.”

“Do you remember what shoes you wore to the tiki bar that night?” Robbie asked.

“My Cinderella slippers.”

Robbie’s heart lurched. “Can you describe them?”

“White,” Kate said. “White sandals with see-through heels. I remember I lost one of them. Just like Cinderella.”

“Lost it where?”

“In the pebbles. In the pebbles by the jumping red dragon.”

“What is it?” Jeremy asked her.

Robbie realized she was taking short, quick breaths. “Mike,” she said.

“I know. There’s obviously a connection.”

Robbie shook her head. “I think he believes I’m involved.”

“Involved? What are you talking about?”

“The flyer. The one with Kate’s picture.”

Her sister was looking at her, frightened.

“The flyer had my phone number. And I wrote ‘Call Robbie’ on it.”

“So?” Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck.

“Mike saw the flyer on the bar at the Fieldstone event. He said something about it being my name and number. He knows I’m connected to Kate.”

“Okay. Let’s say he does.”

“I think he broke into my apartment.”

“What? When?”

“Yesterday afternoon. My cat got out and my neighbor saw someone outside my door.”

Kate had brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly.

“So if Mike was involved with killing Brett and believes you’re somehow able to connect him to Kate—” Jeremy turned toward the sound of the front door opening.

His grandfather stepped into the living room, wisps of white hair floating around his shiny scalp like cotton candy. Beside him, tail wagging, was Geezer, a low, brown shadow.

“Jeremy,” he said, “you gave me a scare. I didn’t see your car in the driveway.”

“Sorry, Grandpa.” Jeremy went to hug his grandfather. He towered over the frail old man.

Robbie could tell by the strain in Jeremy’s face that he was trying hard not to alarm his grandfather. She tried to calm herself, to not think about Mike lurking in her apartment yesterday. What had he planned to do if she’d arrived home while he was still there?

“We took a taxi, and let ourselves in,” Jeremy said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“Taxi?” Mr. Weiss pulled back, surveying Jeremy. “Your eye. Have you been in a fight?”

“Nothing serious.” Jeremy bent over to scratch the dog behind his floppy ears. “Hey, buddy. How ya doin’?”

His grandfather pushed his thick glasses up on his nose. His scowl lifted. “Robbie, dear.” He extended his arms. “It’s been too long.”

“Yes it has.” Robbie stepped around the coffee table and club chairs to hug him. “Way too long.”

“And this young lady is?” The old man smiled at Kate, who hadn’t gotten up from the sofa.

“This is Kate. My sister.” Robbie got a shiver saying it. My sister.

Mr. Weiss raised an eyebrow, but made no comment. He hadn’t known Robbie had a sister, but Mr. Weiss, an old-time accountant himself, was always scrupulously discreet. “So nice to meet you, Kate.”

“You, too.” Kate’s voice was barely audible as she tugged on her straight blonde hair. Geezer went over to sniff her, but Kate seemed uncertain what to do.

Robbie wondered if they’d done the right thing bringing her here.

“I have a granddaughter about your age,” Mr. Weiss said. “Elise should be home from school any time now.”

“This is her in the photo, right?” Kate pointed at the family portrait.

“That’s right.”

“She’s very pretty.”

“Just like you.”

“Thank you, but—” Kate looked down at the dog.

Mr. Weiss cleared his throat. “Well, I think I’ll go make some nice hot chocolate for everyone.”

“We’re good, Grandpa,” Jeremy said. “Why don’t you sit down and we’ll fill you in.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Actually, it is,” Jeremy said. “We need to borrow your car.”

“I see. This should be interesting.” Mr. Weiss arranged himself on a club chair and Jeremy sat down facing him on the ottoman.

His grandfather’s car. Robbie’s abdomen contracted as she sat back down next to Kate. What was Jeremy planning?

“Grandpa, did you read about the two high school girls who disappeared on Miami Beach during spring break?”

“Yes, of course,” Mr. Weiss said. “One of them—oh dear.”

“That was Kate’s friend Joanne they found in the creek,” Jeremy said.

“I’m so sorry,” Mr. Weiss said to Kate. “What a tragedy to lose someone close to you.”

Kate nodded, but was unable to look him in the eye.

“And the other girl?” Mr. Weiss asked. “Was she also a friend? Have they found her? I’m not always able to keep up with the news.”

“Kate’s the other girl,” Robbie said.

He blinked several times behind his thick lenses. “But you’re safe now.” He took in Kate’s lowered head, trembling shoulders, withdrawn manner, then he leaned forward on his chair and spoke softly. “I’m sure you’ve had a terrible time of it.”

“Kate was kidnapped,” Jeremy said. “They changed her hair and face so she wouldn’t be recognized. She managed to escape, but we’re still sorting out what happened and who’s behind everything.”

“I understand,” Mr. Weiss said. “But I’m sure the police will pick up the pieces and take care of whoever did this terrible thing to Kate and her friend.” He looked from Robbie to Jeremy, then shook his head. “Please don’t tell me the police don’t know Kate’s here.”

“It’s a long story,” Jeremy said.

Mr. Weiss’s face reddened. “I don’t know what’s going on here, Jeremy, but I sense that you and Robbie have decided to take matters into your own hands.” He inhaled deeply. “Please. Don’t try to play the hero again. Call the police. Talk to that nice detective Lieber. This poor child shouldn’t be left in limbo like this. She needs to go home, to be with her family.”

“No,” Kate said, so abruptly that Robbie jumped.

Geezer sat up, alert.

“No police. Please, no police.” Kate began to cry.

Mr. Weiss looked distraught. He cocked his head toward Jeremy.

“It’s complicated, Grandpa.”

“It’s always complicated.”

Jeremy picked up one of the photos from the coffee table. Would he tell his grandfather about Brett’s murder? Tyra’s? How the police were probably looking for him? That Mike might be after Robbie?

“Please, Mr. Weiss,” Kate said, “don’t be angry with Jeremy. I asked them not to call the police or my father.”

“But why not, dear?” Mr. Weiss’s voice was gentle.

“I’m afraid the police will think it was my fault. That Joanne died because of me.”

“I’m sure the police—”

“We need to check something out before we go to the police.” Jeremy put the photo back down on the coffee table. Robbie could now see it was his mother’s picture. His grandfather could see it, too. “Please, Grandpa. We have to borrow your car so we can show the police who’s behind all this.”

Mr. Weiss had his eye on the photo. “I’ve always had a sense that your mother never left us. That she’s watching over you, Jeremy.” He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Then he put his glasses back on and sighed. “I pray to God I’m right.”

“So we can have the car?”

His grandfather nodded, barely perceptibly. “But I ask you one thing. Let Kate stay here with me and Elise. She’s been through enough.”

“Of course,” Jeremy said.

“Please, Mr. Weiss,” Kate said, “I must go with them.”

“Must go where?” said a familiar voice. Elise came into the room and flew into her brother’s arms. She was small and delicate despite her ungainly school uniform—a navy polo shirt and knee-length khaki shorts. She looked more like her mother than ever with her green eyes and shiny dark hair pulled into a high ponytail.

“And why do you only come here at moments of grand drama?” Elise drew her head back and studied her brother. Her iridescent skin glowed beneath a dusting of freckles across the bridge of her upturned nose. “Damn, Jeremy. Your face is a mess.”

“One of my clients missed the punching bag,” he lied.

Robbie wondered how long Elise had been standing in the hallway, how much she had overheard.

“Here we thought you’d stay out of trouble as a personal
trainer.” Elise gave Jeremy another squeeze, then crossed the room to embrace Robbie. “Hey, girl,” Elise said, “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Robbie said. She sensed Kate fidgeting on the sofa.

Elise smiled at Kate. How much more confident Elise had become in the last year. “I’m Elise, Jeremy’s sister.”

“I’m Kate. I’m—” She hesitated as though not sure.

“Kate’s my sister,” Robbie said. “We just found out about each other.”

“I can sort of see a resemblance.”

“My hair.” Kate ran her fingers through her white blonde hair. “My eyes. This isn’t what I look like.”

“I overheard you talking,” Elise said. “I can change you back, if you’d like.”

Kate was still holding a strand of pale hair, looking at it. They called me Angel,” she said. “Me. An angel.”