The Shattering (14 page)

‘We're pretty sure it's Sergeant Rafferty,' Sione said. ‘But we need proof.'

‘We're going to break into his house,' Keri said. ‘Serial killers take trophies. We find those, we've got him.'

‘Didn't you hear me?' Janna spotted the bright white cast on Keri's arm. ‘Oh, wow, what happened?'

‘Don't ask,' Keri said. ‘I think Sandra-Claire hexed me, the evil cow.'

‘Sandra-Claire wouldn't hex you,' Janna said tentatively.

‘Sure she would,' Keri told her, yanking at the sling knot. ‘She hates me.'

‘She wouldn't curse you,' Janna insisted. ‘She knows evil magic comes back to you.'

‘An ye harm none, do what ye will,' Sione said in a posh voice. Janna blinked and he forced a laugh. ‘What, you don't think we have any goth kids at my school?'

Well, that was reassuring, sort of, Janna thought. Maybe Sione would be on her side. But she would have to correct his misconceptions first.

‘I was actually referring to the Rule of Three, which states that any energy put out will return threefold to the practitioner, not the Wiccan Rede,' she said. ‘Some witches believe the Rule of Three, and some don't, but I know Sandra-Claire
does
believe, because she lectured me on it for, like, half an hour the first time I bought a book from Inner Light. She wouldn't curse you, because something even worse would happen to her.'

‘I was joking,' Keri said with heavy patience. ‘Magic doesn't work. Man, this thing itches already.'

Janna tugged at her shirt and wished she could summon some of Stardust's confidence right now, when she really needed it. ‘Magic does work, though,' she said. ‘That's what I meant. The boys were killed
with
magic. And it's not Rafferty. It's Tiberius Maukis — probably Octavian, too.'

That got their attention. Sione's mouth went round with shock, and Keri lifted her head from her plans and glared, a narrow-eyed look that said she planned to be angry with
someone
, and Janna was getting close to the top of the list.

‘
Listen
,' Janna said, and began to explain her theory. It didn't come out all that well; words describing fictional ancient rituals and what she'd seen in the gallery didn't sound right in the sunny hotel room with its ocean view. They let her finish, but by the time she was done, Sione was fidgeting with his shirt cuffs and Keri had her good hand on her hip. The other hand kept dipping down, trying to mirror it, but the cast got in the way.

‘You think the Maukis brothers are Wiccan,' Keri said flatly.

‘Ugh! I hope not. Definitely not right-hand path. But that crown is magic. I
saw
it. Tiberius isn't doing it to kill the boys, like a serial killer would; he's using their deaths for what he
really
wants. Think about it. Why are all the victims about the same age, with younger siblings?'

‘Because serial killers oft en have narrow victim preferences to support their pathology,' Keri said. It sounded like a quote. She frowned. ‘Though not usually across ethnicities or using different methods. But it's possible.'

‘Well, think about the
other
stuff,' Janna insisted. ‘Why is Summerton so successful, while the other towns on the coast aren't? Why is everyone employed? Why doesn't anyone do meth or die in car accidents? Why did people keep coming even after the Steps to Heaven disappeared? Those were the major tourist draws, and they vanished, but it didn't make any difference. Summerton got
more
popular.'

‘Well, it's really beautiful,' Sione began.

Janna whirled around to face him. ‘Is it? It looks nice to me, but only nice, like any other town along the coast. Is it
really
beautiful, or is that just what outsiders see? Why does it never rain from Christmas to New Year, prime tourist season? On the West Coast! That's
impossible
.'

‘I never thought of that,' Keri said slowly.

‘And why did you never think of it? Why does no one move in, Keri? Why can't anyone leave? And why don't we think about that, either?' She felt tears prickling at her eyes and blinked them away. ‘It used to rain in the summer holidays. Don't you remember? Before Schuyler died, it rained.'

‘Coincidence,' Keri said. ‘Microclimate.'

‘This Summer King,' Sione said. ‘Tell me again. He's sacrificed, and the sacrifice ensures a good year.' His dark lips twisted, like he was trying to be scornful but couldn't quite manage it. ‘With his life energy or something?'

Janna nodded, willing him to believe. ‘Something like that. The Maukises specifically choose older brothers, there's a lot of ritual significance there.'

For a moment she was afraid the ceremony had already happened in that one crowning, that Takeshi was already doomed. Better to believe he wasn't, she decided, because then she might be able to do something about it. So she went on, talking herself into belief. ‘The Maukises probably finish the spell on New Year's Eve, because that overlaps with the time the boys stay here, and it makes ritual sense too; the end of the year is something people celebrate — there's energy around that. And the town gets another year to be' — she looked out the window at the shining bay — ‘
perfect
. Perfect Summerton.'

‘But they're both crossed off the list!' Keri said.

Ugh, all their work with the electoral roll had been completely useless. ‘You're not getting it. I bet they don't even have to be near the boys when they die. Octavian and Tiberius do a ceremony, the boys go home, and, in winter, they die. They might even think it's their own choice. And this year, it's Takeshi.'

‘Jake didn't die in winter,' Keri pointed out, and Janna's train of thought nearly derailed.

‘Well, maybe he found out about it?' she suggested. ‘Or it was a top-up for the spell. Maybe the Maukises are doing winter
and
summer deaths now?'

‘This is crazy, Janna,' Keri said. ‘Hypnotism, I might believe. Maybe the Maukises — or Rafferty — plant a suggestion and the boys go home and kill themselves. But all the rest, the stuff about the good year and the rain . . . Magic doesn't make any sense, Janna! It's not how the world works!' Her small fists were clenched, the left one as well as it could around the cast, and her voice trembled. Janna suddenly got just how much Keri needed the world to make sense.

‘I'm sorry,' Janna said, as gently as she could. ‘But that's what I think happens. It fits all the facts.'

‘Except the fact that there's no such thing as magic.' Keri looked at Sione. ‘You don't believe this, do you?'

Sione fidgeted again, glancing at both girls in turn, then staring at his shoes.

‘Oh, for God's sake,' Keri said.

‘Why are you sure it's Rafferty?' Janna asked.

Sione told her, still unable to meet her eyes, and Janna frowned. ‘That sounds more like gut instinct,' she said.

‘Yeah, 'cause instinct makes less sense than magic,' said Sione.

‘Oooh, look at you, all brave.' Janna meant it as a joke, but Sione didn't smile.

‘It's not a game, Janna. It's not a fairy tale —' ‘Nothing to do with fairies —' she protested.

‘Or a fun summer fling, okay? This is our family.'

‘Mine, too!' Janna said, stung. ‘You think I'm playing around? I am totally serious, and neither of you will listen to me!'

Keri sighed. ‘So we break into Rafferty's, Sione?' She looked at Janna. ‘It's probably a two-person job, tops, so if you don't want to come —'

‘There won't be anything there! It's the Maukises!' Janna said, then hesitated. Rafferty had looked really concerned about Takeshi at the beach . . .‘Wait. If he's working with them, and I guess that's possible, he might have witchcraft supplies. Look for an athame — that's a ritual dagger — or a chalice.'

‘Are you kidding me?' Keri demanded.

‘I honestly am not.' Keri's face went hard again, and Janna jumped in before she could speak. ‘Look, I'd come if I could, but someone should keep an eye on Takeshi. And I'm going to try to get a look at The Pride of Summerton. Just . . . look for them, okay? I know you think I'm crazy, but just do it as a favour! Do it to shut me up, if that's what it takes.'

‘If it makes you feel better,' Sione said. He was looking at Keri when he said it, and if his tone wasn't exactly firm, it was close enough to it to be surprising, coming from him.

Keri nodded. Grudgingly, but she did it.

This was a victory, Janna decided, and exhaled at last.

‘Tomorrow's Christmas, and I don't know if Rafferty'll be working or not,' said Keri. ‘We can't break in then.'

‘And I promised Mum I'd go to midnight Mass tonight,' Sione said.

‘The gallery will be closed tomorrow, too,' Janna said, realising. ‘But it's open Boxing Day. I can check out the crown then.'

Keri nodded. ‘So everything's on hold until after tomorrow.' She put her map in front of Sione. ‘Okay. Let's plan.'

It was all right if Keri pretended to ignore Janna, as long as she looked for magical evidence anyway. Once she'd got proof, Keri would have to believe.

CHAPTER TWELVE

SIONE

When Keri's mother came for her at five, Sione put on his
politest smile, the one he used at church or for greeting Dad's
business buddies, and opened the door.
Small, he thought, like Keri, but blonde and pale and polished — a porcelain woman. Lots of the mums at his school were like that, though he bet their clothes cost more.

‘Hello, Mrs Pedersen-Doherty. I'm Sione. Nice to meet you.'

‘Yes,' she said, and shook his offered hand. Approval flickered on her face momentarily, for his manners, for his clothes, before it was replaced with blank friendliness. ‘Nice to meet you at last.'

Sione figured the last two words were aimed at her daughter and got out of the way as Keri rose from her spot at the desk and went to the door. He had finally worked out what was strange about her movement: Most people with a cast moved as if they suddenly had an extra limb and had to be careful with it. Keri looked weird because she
didn't
look weird; she carried the cast like a weapon and went around daring the world to get out of her way.

Mrs Pedersen-Doherty seemed less impressed. ‘You left your pills in the staff room,' she said.

‘I don't need them,' Keri said.

‘Dr Ryan said two on the hour, every four hours, with some food.'

‘She said, “If you need them.” Which I don't. It doesn't hurt.'

The older woman's forehead developed new wrinkles, and Janna jumped to her feet. ‘How are you, Mrs Pedersen-Doherty?'

‘I'm fine, Janna,' she said automatically. ‘How're your mum and dad?'

‘Good, thanks.'

They all stood awkwardly for a moment. Then Keri walked forward, forcing her mother back. ‘Let's go. So you can yell at me in the car.' She was moving too fast to see her mother's expression and went down the hall without looking back. Sione looked into Mrs Pedersen-Doherty's face in time to catch the weariness and the pain, and the terrible fear that lay under both.

‘She's okay,' he said impulsively. ‘She pretends it doesn't hurt because she's embarrassed, and she doesn't want to worry you.'

Keri's mother jerked, and Sione realised what he'd said. He felt his face fill with blood from forehead to throat and knew she was close enough to see the colour under his skin. Mega-blush. Supremo-blush. Sione Felise, World Champion Blusher. ‘I mean . . . I'm sorry.'

‘Yes,' Mrs Pedersen-Doherty said quietly. ‘Thank you.' She nodded at Janna, who was shift ing from foot to foot, and followed Keri to the lift .

‘Whoa,' Janna said. ‘You're a braver man than I am. And more observant.'

‘Well, you know . . . when your mum's a therapist, it sort of gets to you, too.' He closed the door and moved into the room, and only then did he realise that they were alone in his room together. Janna was looking away from him, fidgeting with her buttons.

He remembered stroking the back of her neck, amazed that she was letting him do this, amazed that she was sighing in his ear.
Don't think about it
, he told himself, but the memory after that was the one with her lips on his and the terror and excitement that had swept through him as he opened his mouth to hers.

‘So,' he said, and cleared his throat. ‘What are your plans for tomorrow?'

‘Takeshi and Aroha have to spend Christmas with her parents,' Janna said. ‘And I have morning Mass and presents and Christmas lunch, but I think I can come visit you in the after-noon. Mum knows you're here by yourself.'

‘I guess she feels sorry for me, eh?'

Janna nodded, oblivious to his tone. ‘Yep. She wanted to invite you to join us, but I explained you'd probably feel weird about that.'

Sione stared at her, trying to find the words. ‘Did you?' he said at last.

Something in his voice must have got through, because she looked uncomfortable at last. ‘Was that wrong?' she asked. ‘I just thought . . . maybe you'd like to be alone. The first Christmas and all that. I don't really — it was pretty bad for us, that's all I can remember. You can come if you'd like. It's no trouble.'

‘No trouble,' Sione repeated. He wanted to trouble her, that was the thing — give her sleepless nights like he'd had, make her wait for him to show up online, have her be happy to speak with him even about horrors, afraid that she would say the wrong thing and drive him away.

Instead it was all about
Takeshi
.

You don't own her
, he reminded himself.
She doesn't owe you
anything, definitely not herself. You've got no right to be jealous.
But it was so, so hard.‘My parents are calling tomorrow,' he said. ‘I couldn't come anyway.'