The Dreamstalker (14 page)

“I mind, but I'll try. And you can bet your badge I'm going to stay here.” Her father perched on the arm of her chair. It made Karen uncomfortable to have him there. She wasn't used to his acting like a father.

“Karen, we found the professor's car. He went off Lydecker's Hill, crashed his car over the embankment there.”

“Is he—is he—?”

“Yes, he's dead. Killed instantly, I would guess. I left the investigation to the highway patrol. I'll piece it together later. Did you have a dream?”

“Yes, I saw it. It was awful. He was going downhill, out of control, backward. It was something he feared. He had dreamed about it before, but woke up before—before—Then he got the car stopped and the dream never returned. Before tonight.”

“How do you know he'd had this dream before?”

“He told us.”

“Who all knew it?”

“The class. He told us in class.”

“So every person in your class knew this. Tell me the whole dream, Karen. Every detail.”

She didn't want to think about it again, but she recited the events, trying not to think about them, just tell it. When she had finished, the phone rang.

“It's for you, Captain Martin.” Her mother held out the receiver of the kitchen wall phone.

When Martin returned he reported to Karen. “That was McArthur's wife. She said he woke her up talking in his sleep. He kept saying, ‘I can't sleep. I've got to go to sleep. I'll have to take something.' He got out of bed, pulled on his coat and said, ‘I've got to buy some sleeping pills so I can sleep.' Then he left.”

“He woke up saying he couldn't sleep?”

“Yes. Mrs. McArthur said neither of them had ever taken sleeping pills. Both are sound sleepers who fall asleep easily. She was confused by her husband's actions.”

“Why didn't she stop him?”

“I think she was too shocked, and before she could do anything, he was gone.”

“And now he won't be coming back.”

“That's right.” Martin sat staring at the same dead fire that Karen was watching. Her father finally spoke.

“Would you like some coffee, Martin?”

“Please. I feel as if I haven't slept in weeks.”

“I tried not to go to sleep, Captain Martin. I tried, but I was so tired. If I hadn't fallen asleep, gone into deep sleep—”

“You didn't cause this by sleeping, Karen. Listen, I've explored every angle of this. I called a friend in New York who sometimes works with psychics. He thinks you're tuning in to these—these deaths in some way. He says we should think of the air being full of radio waves. You tune in to some of those waves and what you pick up on is what you're calling a dream.”

“I'm asleep.”

“Okay, let's call it a dream, but it's like a vision. You ‘see' something that's happening.”

“That didn't really happen. I mean, the car wreck did, but Alysia wasn't swimming with killer whales. She wasn't Queen of the Whales. She didn't—”

“Okay, I don't know how it works. Oh, what the hell, I don't even know what I'm trying to explain to you. It doesn't make a bit of sense to me. I think I'm going to ask the department to fly him out here. He can tell you. All we really know is that people are getting killed and you seem to know about it beforehand.”

“Or while it's happening.” She shuddered. Grabbing an afghan, she wrapped it around her. Her father appeared with a tray of hot drinks, coffee for Captain Martin, cocoa for her. She grasped the hot cup gratefully. “Thanks, Dad. Captain Martin, you don't still think I'm doing this, killing these—?”

“How could you? Look at you. You've obviously been here all night. Did you talk to Dr. McArthur?”

“Yes, I had tea with him yesterday after school. I told him everything. He was interested, but I didn't get any feeling that he knew any of what I was telling him before. He was going to try to make sense of it, too. I guess—I guess this rules him out as a suspect, doesn't it?”

“I wonder if your talking to him—Who knew you were talking to McArthur yesterday? Who knows you told him everything that happened so far in this case?”

Karen shook her head. “My mother. I borrowed her car. My brother, Kerr. He met me in town and we went to the grocery afterwards. I didn't go to school. So none of the other kids knew. At least, I don't think they did. Dr. McArthur may have told someone. His secretary knew. Maybe he told the class. He said they were all upset and all they could talk about was the—the deaths.”

“Where's your brother? Can I talk to him? Was he in class? Maybe he'll remember something.”

“Mom, go get Kerr. Where is he? Surely he didn't sleep through all this?”

Karen's mother had been sitting, watching, listening, but not saying a word. She headed for the stairs. Kerr and Karen had bedrooms upstairs. The master bedroom was at the back of the house on the first floor. Maybe Kerr was still asleep.

Her mom hurried right back. “He's not there.”

Where was Kerr, and when had he left? Had he come into the room and heard all the fuss, then left? She remembered her father had come to her, which only now surprised her. Had Kerr seen her father holding her while she cried? Had he seen that she was the center of attention, got mad, and left?

Sometimes when they were little, if Karen was getting attention, Kerr would throw a temper tantrum. He couldn't stand to be left out. He'd been acting so silly lately, she wouldn't put it past him to throw one now.

“I'll tell him you want to talk to him, Captain Martin. He can tell you what happened at school yesterday. He's good at remembering details.”

“Where are you going to be today, Karen?” Captain Martin stood up to leave. “Are you going to school?”

“I don't think I can. Why do you want to know?”

“You might be in danger.”

She stared at him. “I'm not. You still think I have something to do with all these deaths, don't you, Captain Martin? You said you didn't think I was doing this, but you don't believe it.”

“You know too much, Karen. You know things are going to happen.”

“I don't know in advance. I never knew any of this in advance of its happening. I'd have stopped it. I'd have told you, or someone. I'd have warned them.” She was practically yelling at him. He stared at her, but didn't try to stop her or calm her down.

She crumpled into a heap at the foot of the stairs. I'm losing my mind, I have to be. Oh, Kerr, where are you? I need you. Why did you leave when I need you? You're my only friend now. Come and help me!

Chapter 17

The smell of bacon frying made Karen nauseous. Suddenly she knew she couldn't stay home today. She had to be with people, not be alone.

She showered, dressed, stopped to brush her hair and pin it back. Her keys were in a heap on her dresser. One was lying loose. She picked it up and studied it. Why was it off her key ring? A pink dab of fingernail polish identified it as the key to Alysia's house. She should return it. Not today, but soon. Why wasn't it with her other keys, though? She turned it over and over, the brass-colored metal hard and slightly greasy in her fingers. Someone had entered Alysia's house while they slept. The door hadn't been forced. Someone must have had a key. Her key?

An insane thought entered her mind, dangled there for a second. She pushed it down, dropped the key into the bottom of her purse, and separated out the key for her mother's car.

Downstairs, she paused long enough to see her mother and father eating breakfast together, an unusual sight.

“I'm going to school.”

“Eat some breakfast, Karen.” Her mother started to get up. “I'll—”

“I'm not hungry.”

“Karen, what—”

“Talk to you later.” She dashed out, pulling her coat close as the cold air assaulted her.

The normal sounds of people entering the school building failed to make her feel any better. She stood just inside the building, letting people hurry past her in the halls. Biting her bottom lip, she joined the river of kids, letting it sweep her to her locker. She fumbled with the combination lock.

“Karen, I haven't seen you lately.” Bill stood beside her. “Cut first period class. Let's go get a cup of coffee.”

It's not safe to be around me, Bill. My friends get killed
. “I—I—”

“Karen, there you are.” Kerr skidded to a stop beside her. “Get lost, Jergens.”

Bill looked at Karen. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Maybe he needed to talk, but not now. “I'll catch you later, Bill. Thanks.”

“I thought you needed me.” Kerr took her arm, held it too tightly.

“How'd you know that?”

“You sent me a message. We used to do that, remember?”

“Yes. Where were you last night?”

“I went out.”

“Out where?”

“Just out. You don't need to know everything I do. You want us to be separate people, didn't you say that?”

“I needed you last night. I'm going to classes today.” She turned her back on him, shuffled through books and papers, the mess in her locker. She and Alysia used to tease each other about who'd break down and clean a locker first.

He kept standing there behind her.

Slamming the locker door, she hugged the stack of books in her arms. “And Kerr, thanks for returning the key.”

“What key?”

She tried to read his mind. It was closed off. There was darkness, a wall. “Alysia's key.” She started down the hall. It was almost empty. A few stragglers ran to beat the tardy bell. He let her go.

She knew she went to classes all day. She realized a few people tried to talk to her. She didn't register anything anyone said. Except the police report relayed from the principal, who told them Dr. McArthur wouldn't be continuing his classes.

Someone had tampered with McArthur's brakes. The accident wasn't an accident. Who told her that? The principal? She couldn't remember.

“The police will want to talk to each of you sometime this week. Meanwhile you can go on home early.”

Karen stumbled to her locker. Kerr was right behind her. “Want to go skating?”

“Kerr, I don't think it's right just to leave here and go skating as if nothing has happened. One of our teachers died. It—it doesn't show any respect for him.”

Kerr shrugged. “We can't do anything about it. It's a great day to go skating. Come on, Karen. I don't want to go without you.”

“Well, I'm not coming with you. I'm going home.”

“Jeez, you're not much fun anymore, Karen.”

“Well, what do you expect, Kerr? I don't feel like having fun. What's been happening in
my
life has not been fun. It doesn't seem to bother you, but it bothers me. I feel all—all—” Without meaning to, she started crying. She leaned against her locker, burying her head in the crook of her arm.

She felt Kerr's hand on her back. Only for a moment; then he left her there. Taking deep breaths, she got control of her emotions, slammed the metal door, and headed for the car.

She felt so alone. When she was seated in the cold car, she put her head down on her folded arms. There was a darkness inside her. Her mind seemed dark, cold, frozen like the lake where Kerr wanted them to go.

She had to drive past the lake to get home. With no plan, she turned into the driveway that led to the parking lot and the warming hut. A crowd of people was out there. The sun was low, but it still hit the tops of the trees on the east side of the rink, sparking the snow-laden branches of the pines and spruces.

She stopped the car, but didn't get out. Sitting there, she watched until she caught sight of Kerr. Sure enough, he had come over here alone. He was skating alone, slowly circling the rink, around and around and around. Dressed all in black, he was in sharp contrast to the colorful knit hats and parkas circling the ice with him. He looked lonely. She realized he often looked lonely to her. Her heart went out to him, but not enough to get out, find his car where she kept her skates, and join him. It didn't seem right. Maybe it was right for Kerr. Maybe he was more bothered than he'd admit, and this was the way he worked out his feelings. But he couldn't expect her to be with him always.

And now she had more questions inside her head, pounding at her, making her feel she was surely wrong, surely—no, no, it wasn't possible. She shivered, shook her head, turned the key in the ignition, and pulled out of the lot.

Her sleepless night was catching up with her. She got into the house and up to her room with no one stopping her. The house was so warm, cozy. The bed looked so inviting. No, no, she couldn't sleep. No way was she going to sleep. Her yellow spread rippled, like sunlight dancing across a meadow. There was an almost magnetic pull. Tossing back the covers, she sat down. She'd just rest a minute.

She was asleep instantly.

He grins at her, his dark eyes teasing. Reaching out his hand, he invites her to skate. She takes it. They pump and glide, pump and glide, gathering speed. She reaches her right hand over to his, and they partner skate
.

Around and around and around
.

It is cold, cold as a gravestone in winter, cold as the shadowed dead waiting to enter the frozen ground. She looks up. Watching them, their frozen smiles approving, are all her friends. Jesse and Alysia are surrounded with a white radiance, not unlike fresh snow sparkling in the morning's light. How strange to see them together. They are dressed all in white, and wear white wreaths of hoarfrost around their heads
.

She stops to talk to them. “What are you doing here?” she asks, puzzled by their presence
.

“We came for Kerr,” Alysia replies
.

“But he can't go with you, Alysia. Don't be silly. You're dead.”

“He can't stay with you now, Karen, now that you know.” Jesse smiles at her. There are blue shadows in his cheeks and around his eyes, and his face has a translucent look to it. He isn't the same Jesse she knew, but she still loves him
.