THE SHADOWED ONYX: A DIAMOND ESTATES NOVEL (32 page)

Ooh. Joy had forgotten about that. Perfect.

“But I’m going to be keeping an eye on you, Joy. I don’t have room in my life for the kind of trouble you’ve been messing around with. Not anymore.”

Silas growled.

Savvy might want to sleep with that eye open.

S
omething tugged on the sleeve of her denim jacket. Joy looked down, expecting it to be Silas. No, no Silas. Not really a surprise since he seldom accompanied her into the youth room at church. Then who pulled on her shirt? She looked into the row behind her. Everyone behind her swayed to the music and had eyes closed as they sang. Didn’t seem like it could have been any one of them, and it was just too dark to see beyond them.

She felt the tug again. What on earth? She tipped her head down and looked under the seat. No one, nothing there.

“Joy? Are you Joy?”
a voice whispered in her ear.

Joy squelched a scream and whipped around again. She had to find the face of the voice. Was it the same voice she’d heard before?

“No. Don’t turn around. Don’t draw attention. Are you Joy?”
The voice sounded irritated. If Joy could just see where it was coming from.

Should she answer? Was it even a human? It sounded like a male voice. Joy nodded. Oh, no way the nod would be seen in that room. She’d have to speak audibly. “Yes. Why?”

“
You need to go to the bathroom. Go all the way to the back, and enter the second stall from the wall. Behind the toilet you’ll find a cell phone. Someone wants to talk to you.”

“Who is it?” Joy hissed into the dark. Good thing the music blared.

No answer.

Seriously? Some unidentified stranger whispers in her ear and then disappears after telling her to sneak off into a private bathroom stall. Right.

No one but a ghost could’ve disappeared that quickly. Joy searched the darkness around her. Which meant it probably wasn’t a real person. Even more reason not to go to the bathroom.

But … who wanted to talk to her? Would Joy be able to sleep if she didn’t find out? Maybe she should just go find the phone and get it over with. She could handle whatever she found in there. After all, it wasn’t like she was alone. Couple thousand people in that church building at that very moment.

She glanced at the stage. The worship team was just getting into it. The drummer was going crazy, and the singers were lifting their hands and swaying with their eyes closed. It would be another fifteen, maybe twenty minutes until the lights came up.

But what if she went in there and got attacked by somebody? Yeah right. Attackers didn’t usually use first names. Did they?

No. She had no choice. She had to find out.

Joy leaned in front of Paige and tapped Ginny’s arm. “I’ll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom.”

Ginny nodded and opened her mouth.

Nope. Joy was out of there. If she stuck around, Ginny would make her bring someone along. How would she explain to Paige that a headless voice gave her an order and she followed it?

Joy made for the aisle, stepping over feet and purses and weaving around bodies, nudging the closed-eye worshippers aside to let her pass. She passed through the double doors into the bright lobby.

Now for the bathroom. She hurried in and swept past the sinks and five stalls on each side. No feet. She arrived at the second stall from the wall, just like the voice had said.

She looked both ways. All alone. It was time.

Joy pushed the door open and winced, expecting to see someone crouched on the toilet ready to pounce. It was empty. Phew.

Okay. Breathe.

Joy moved to the toilet and reached behind it. Gross!

A phone lay right there on the tile just like the voice had said.

Should she talk? Oh no. What if it was a trick? Maybe Ben had set this up to see if she would sneak around. Now that she thought about it, that was a real possibility … if not a probability. She was on thin ice already….

Okay. Options? Speak and risk it being a trick. Or don’t speak and never find out who’s on the other end of the call.

No contest.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

“Joy, is that you?”

“Raven? How on earth … how did you find me? How are you calling me?”

“I’ve been there before, remember? I have friends.”

“But how …?”

“I just got in touch with someone and had him track you down. How are you?”

Why had she gone through all that trouble? “I’m good. So that voice … it was a real person?”

“I see your perception of reality hasn’t fully expanded yet. It will if you allow it.”

Was that an answer to the question Joy had asked? Looked like Raven wanted to stick with the mysterious.

“Have they brainwashed you yet?”

“Brainwashed? Naw. I’m holding strong here.” No way Joy could be honest with Raven about her fears and the dangers she’d been facing. If Raven hadn’t figured it out for herself already, then she was in far too deep and wouldn’t be of any help to Joy. Joy couldn’t break herself free, let alone Raven.

“You sure about that?”

“Oh yeah. I’m doing good.” Silas bounced against her leg. Joy giggled. “It’s like Silas can hear you. He must recognize your voice…. He’s going bananas.”

“Oh cool. Silas is there?”

“He has barely left my side.” Which had its pros and cons, for sure.

“Good boy.”

Joy was out of responses. What could she say to Raven anyway?

“Well, you lasted there a lot longer than I did. How are you doing it? I mean, if you haven’t given in to the program?”

“Well, they don’t know that part. A lot has gone on since I got here, a fire … all kinds of stuff, and I’ve just been able to fly under the radar.”

“Good for you. That’s really great!”

“Yeah.” Joy guessed it was good. Didn’t feel all that great.

“Well, I’m going to let you go so you don’t get into trouble, but I just wanted to let you know we’re home pulling for you and anxious for you to get back.”

“Wait. How’s Austin?” Joy chewed her lower lip. Did she really want to know? Raven’s answer might include the words
new
and
girlfriend
. Could Joy handle that?

“Hoo boy. That dude hasn’t looked at another girl since you left.”

Why did that make Joy happy? She shouldn’t care.

Shouldn’t have even asked. He’d kissed Melanie—she needed to remember that. But what if her vision had been accurate and he’d been trying to push Melanie away? Joy would have to find out one way or another.

“Well, thanks for getting in touch with me. I’d better go.”

“‘Kay. Bye, girl.”

Joy touched the S
TOP
button and stood staring at the phone. What should she do with it now? Set it back under the toilet or take it with her? It made more sense to put it back. Its owner would claim it.

Then again. She had a phone in her hand. She was calling Mom.

She pressed the familiar numbers and waited for that voice.

“Hello?”

Sound bright. Happy. Don’t make her worry
. “Hey Mom.”

“Joy? Is that you? Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah. I’m great.”

“Phew. I don’t usually hear from you on Sunday.”

“I’m fine. I’m actually in the bathroom at church using a friend’s phone. Just wanted to hear your voice. Nothing major.”

“No problem. I’m so glad to hear everything’s going okay for you. I miss you.”

“Miss you guys, too. I would love to be sitting there playing Yahtzee with Grandpa.”

“Oh, your grandfather hasn’t been playing too many games lately. He hasn’t really been feeling well. Had pneumonia and now he’s having a hard time bouncing back. But by the time you get home this summer, he’ll be raring to go.”

“I’m counting on that. Would you tell him I love him?” Joy waited. “Mom? You there?” Joy looked at the phone. Oh no. The battery died.

Hope she heard the last part.

T
he forest stretched on for miles, but the library … not so much. The walls were closing in. Joy had to get out of there. Too bad Ginny wasn’t the teacher today. Joy wasn’t sure about Tammy yet. Three weeks at Diamond Estates, and Joy still hadn’t had enough time with her to know which buttons to push to help her get her way. With Tammy being deaf, it was a bit more difficult to read her.

Joy approached the desk and put her workbook down in front of Tammy. “I finished everything I’m supposed to get done for the whole week, and it’s only Wednesday. I’d really love some fresh air. What would it take to get some time out on Buttercup? I mean, am I allowed to go by myself, or how does that work?”

Tammy reached for Joy’s schoolwork and flipped through the pages. She raised her gaze and enunciated carefully. “Nice job on this. Sure, you can definitely go for a ride. But not alone. You’ll either need to find a riding buddy whose schoolwork is far enough ahead, like you, or I can find one for you. I’m sure there are plenty of girls in this room who would jump at the chance to get out on the mountain.”

Joy turned around and looked at the twenty-eight girls scribbling in their workbooks, taking tests, or reading a book. Yep. They definitely would prefer it. But Joy wouldn’t choose to spend the next couple of hours with most of them. “How about Paige? I know she’s worked way ahead.”

Tammy laughed. “No, no. Paige is terrified of horses. She’d rather be in school.”

Oh right. How had Joy forgotten?

“I think Savvy is your best choice. She loves to ride.”

Joy took a deep breath. But would Savvy want to go off with Joy? She still seemed odd at times. Like she didn’t quite trust Joy. “Okay. I’ll go ask her.”

Tammy nodded. “Go for it.”

Joy crept around the girls working at their tables and headed for the back where Savvy sat reading by the research section. She approached and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Hey, Sav. Up for a horseback ride? Tammy said we could go.”

Savvy dropped her book and raised her eyebrows. “Seriously?”

Joy nodded. “I know. I was shocked, too. Let’s go before she changes her mind.”

Tammy smiled and waved at both girls.

“I’m in.” Savvy jumped up and followed Joy out to the barn.

Buttercup pranced and snorted while Joy saddled her, like she sensed she was about to be freed.

Joy surveyed the barn. Smoke had damaged the far wall and melted the windowsill and frame. Thank goodness the horses hadn’t been hurt.

“That would’ve been awful. Wouldn’t it, girl?” Joy patted Buttercup’s neck.

“Okay.” Joy put her foot in the stirrup and swung her leg over. She turned to Savvy. “You ready?”

Savvy gave a nod from atop Jupiter. “Absolutely. Let’s go.” She pulled on the reins and turned Jupiter’s head to face out the barn door then clucked her tongue and flicked her reins. “Come on, boy.” He clomped toward the grazing field.

Buttercup followed Jupiter through the pasture and then beyond as they headed up the trail.

“I’m kind of surprised they let us hit the mountain without any supervision. That shock you?”

Savvy shook her head. “Not really. I mean, what we can do up here? Where we going to go? Are we going to take off on horseback?”

Sounded like a pretty good idea to Joy.

The sun sat high in the sky, beating warmth onto their heads though the air was brisk and cool. Perfect. The horses clumped along the trail. They needed no direction as they headed right up to the apex of the mountain. Joy planned to take the horses up as far as they could and then head back. Similar to the plans she had with …

Joy shuddered.

Savvy studied her. “What was that about?”

“Oh, being out here took me back to a tough memory for a moment. Thought I was over it … guess not.”

“You want to talk about it?”

Joy shrugged. “It’s nothing big, just involves me bringing my cousin on a hike. We got stuck in the snow, and it was my responsibility to get her back. We had lots of trouble.”

“Why was it your responsibility? Was she little?”

“Beatrice? No.” Joy glanced up at the sun. “She has Down syndrome, and she relies heavily on our help. I felt responsible for having her out there and not being able to care for her.”

“Wow. Yeah. I could see why that would be so upsetting. So how did you get out?”

Now that was a convenient skip over the prayer debacle. “Oh, the rescue guy showed up. We hopped on the back of his snowmobile, and he drove us out of there.”

“Oh. Well that wasn’t so bad then.”

“Well, after about six hours of freezing in the snow, and low to no visibility due to the blizzard …” Joy chuckled.

“Oh yeah, never mind. That sounds pretty tragic.”

Silas was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he didn’t like horses, or maybe he trusted her to be alone with Savvy. Whatever the reason, it felt free. Even for just a few minutes. Maybe she could open up to Savvy a little bit. A very little bit.

“A whole mess of things happened in those six hours. When we finally surfaced, I decided to start looking for a way out.” Joy shot a glance at Savvy.

“A way out of what?”

Should’ve known. No one would leave a statement like that hanging. “You know. A way out of my life. You were right about a lot of what you said about me. And I’m stuck.” The tears coursed down Joy’s cheek.

Wait a second. Had she said she
is
stuck? Present tense? Please say Savvy hadn’t caught that.

Savvy locked eyes with Joy. “What do you mean you’re stuck? Still?”

“Oh no. I misspoke. I just meant then. I wanted to be free from the hold on me, but couldn’t find a way. Until … well, you know … until I came here.” Don’t search for Silas. Just act natural.

Savvy shook her head. “Not buying it. It’s pretty clear what’s up.”

Should she fight the issue or drop it? Or admit to it. Joy had no idea what her best move was—she’d never had to live like this before. Her biggest worry in her past was making sure she was the life of the party. Everywhere she went. Now? Now her biggest worry was survival.

Sigh. “I mean, I can’t get out. Every time I try, something really bad happens, and I’m afraid I’ll be stuck forever.”

Savvy nodded. “And … the fire?”