The Werewolf Whisperer (The Werewolf Whisperer Series Book 1) (35 page)

Chapter 26

"Lucille
Elizabeth Lowell, how do you plead?"

"Guilty."

21 months ago

Lucy is at Snowflower with Mama and her
first-ever puppy Biscuits. The campground feels peaceful and idyllic —
another happy summer day. She finds herself on a raft in the middle of the
lake, unsure of how she got there. Mama waves to her from the shore. Biscuits
dances in clumsy puppy circles, his fluffy golden fur gleaming in the afternoon
sun.

Lucy jumps into the lake, but instead of
swimming to shore she sinks helplessly down into the murk. She feels cold, and
above her stars blaze in a black sky. As the darkness folds around her, she
struggles to take a breath. Terror shakes her.

"Do it." Hanna's voice rings in
her head like a gong.

Lucy
woke shivering and covered in cold sweat. Tears were streaming from her closed
eyes. Her heart beat fast and hard. The sharp scent of antiseptic made her gag,
yet she felt staggering relief as if she'd barely escaped something
unspeakable. She felt dazed and unable to lift her head. Her eyes were caked
shut, and a searing pain made her aware of her arms. Sluggish, as if submerged
in mud, Lucy tried to move her left arm, but found that she couldn't. Flicking
her eyes open the tiniest bit, she saw that she was strapped to a hospital bed.
Her forearms wrapped in heavy gauze, dried blood told the story of the cuts
underneath. Since she couldn't wiggle her feet either, she gathered her legs
were strapped down as well. She felt the heaviness of a belt around her
midsection. The fruitless effort to get up made her tired, and she closed her
eyes again, shutting out the sting of the bright fluorescents.

I'm
in the prison infirmary. Can't get anything right.

Shame
and deep exhaustion tormented her equally. Confusion whiplashed her awareness
as her senses snapped into high alert at the sound of faint, disembodied
voices.

"She's
starting to come out of it." Lucy recognized the mellow resonance of the
woman's voice.

Myra,
nurse or inmate orderly or candy striper. Definitely Myra.

She'd
said, "I'm Myra and everything is gonna be okay now, honey." And Lucy
had believed her.

Myra,
Myra, angel of mercy.

"We've
been weaning her off the Valium," Myra continued. "She's been in
dreamland for days."

That
explains why I'm so dizzy
.

She'd
been drugged. Nausea coursed through Lucy like an ocean current; she'd
experienced this feeling once before. Her thoughts shot back to that morning on
the ranch with Mama...

Lucy
labored to steady her breathing. Soon she felt like she was floating, the
unfamiliar sensation causing a deep-rooted knot of panic to form in her gut.

"She
may continue to need anti-anxiety medication. Or maybe valerian root and lemon
balm will do...Warden Bucknell said she took the glasses from that poor
pregnant girl," a high-pitched voice cooed with what Lucy took for studied
concern.

"Dr.
Friel, you talkin' 'bout Celia, that axe murderer? She's not even showin',"
Myra interrupted.

"Celia
said it was an accident...the murder not the pregnancy. Well, maybe the
pregnancy was an accident too. Regardless, it's not for us to judge." The
tone of the second woman's voice reminded Lucy of crotchety old Mrs. Brennan, her
neighbor.

"Lucy
Lowell, did you let my chickies out of their cage?" Lucy heard Mrs.
Brennan's voice as if she were standing on her pillow.

Some
accusations just stick with you. Even if they are true.

"Celia
cut off her boyfriend's head with an axe. Then stabbed him forty-eight times
with a butcher knife. Got any idea what that would look like? She's in for
life. Somebody judged."

"Let
he who is without sin cast the first stone, Myra."

"I'm
innocent. You know that Dr. Friel. My husband dared me to shoot him..."
Myra's voice faded into silence.

Myra,
Myra, angel of death.

"Anyway,
Lucy Lowell swiped Celia's glasses and cut herself with the plastic shards
during lights out. It's a miracle Doctor Cormier-Renault was able to save her."
The voice trailed off into a squeaky but rhythmical hum.

"I
was there when they brought her in. I helped with that Code Blue. Frenchy had a
hell of a time stitching up the mess Lowell made," Myra came back strong.

"Well,
you're a treasure, Myra. The warden knows how valuable you've been." Dr.
Friel's voice paused, searching. "I can't imagine the pain that poor girl
had to be in. If the guard hadn't walked into the women's dorm right then for bed
check—"

"More
like beaver check. I say, Peklar wasn't even supposed be in the women's dorm.
He's a pig, always tries to catch the women naked or having a private moment,
Dr. Friel."

"Call
me Imogen."

Lucy
forced her eyes open once more, but the glare hurt so much she shut them again
tightly.

She
remembered sawing away at her left arm with the jagged piece of plastic lens
and then changing sides to work on the right until she saw blood. She felt
mortified and sick all at once.

What
was I thinking?

Through
her eyelids, she saw colors blurring and spiking. The voices were coming
closer, and she battled to stay sharp but felt herself spinning and being
dragged under by the incontestable return of slow-wave sleep.

Chapter 27

The Regents of the

International New Age University

have conferred on

Imogen Agnes Friel

the Degree of

Doctor of Psychology

with special concentration in

Psychodynamic Therapy

and

Electro Magnet
Homeopathy

with all the rights and privileges
thereunto appertaining

Bags in hand, Xochitl bounded down the porch stairs toward El
Gallo. Parked in his usual spot on the small patch of gravel off the driveway,
the flaming orange Toronado gleamed in the morning sun. Xochitl felt a surge of
adrenalin pulse through her body at the prospect of revving his engines and
tearing down the highway again. It had been too long for either of them, and
they needed to stretch their legs.

Rounding the back of her muscle car, Xochitl almost tripped over
her own feet as she gazed upon the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen —
a brand new cherry red Tesla Roadster parked next to El Gallo. She dropped the
bags on the ground. As if she were a piece of metal and the Roadster a giant
magnet, Xochitl was uncontrollably drawn to the supercharged electric car. She ogled
the exquisite convertible, running her hand down the two-seater's sleek body
and over its velvety black leather interior, which strangely had a child safety
seat strapped to it.

Who in Empyrean owns a
hundred thousand dollar Tesla? And why would the pendejo have a car seat
inside?

Xochi took one last longing look and sighed before tossing her
bags in El Gallo's trunk.

"Don't worry, baby," she patted her own sweet ride, "Mama'll
never leave you."

"Hi," a high-pitched voice shrilled from behind Xochitl.

"¡Híjole!" Xochitl spun around.

A forty-something woman with dark, thick-rimmed glasses and
streaked hair, concealed under a floppy hat, wiggled her fingers in a prissy
wave. A cross between schoolmarm and flower child, she looked like a confused mess.

Please God, don't let her
be the Tesla's owner!

"Kennels are in the back." Xochitl pointed toward the
rear of the ranch house.

"You must be Xochitl," the woman cooed and offered
Xochi a limp hand.

Am I supposed to shake it
or kiss it?

She did neither.

"Do I know you?"

"Of course!" The woman's hand lingered in the air for
another moment before dropping to her side. "It's me. Imogen."

Stunned by the realization that Lucy's psycho psychiatrist had
somehow found them, Xochi threw her hands up in disgust.

"¡Híjole! I don't have time for this!" She stepped
around Imogen and headed back to the house. "Kai! ¡Vámonos!" she
yelled over her shoulder as she took the stairs two at a time.

"Quite an interesting Aztec name." Imogen matched her
stride to Xochitl.

"Uh, huh." Xochitl flung open the screen door and
entered the ranch foyer. The scent of freshly baked cookies filled the living
room.

"Gerri," she called out. "We gotta leave. Will
you pack us up some food?" She grabbed Lefty's military jacket off the
coat rack.

"Sure thing, Xoch," Gerri replied from the kitchen. "I'll
throw in some chocolate chip and lemon bars."

"I myself went the traditional route," Imogen
continued, oblivious to the exchange, "picking a name more befitting a
person of Hispanic heritage...So, this is Lucy's home."

Xochitl reared on the crazy woman invading Lucy's haven. "Out!"
Xochitl shooed Imogen, who nearly tripped over her sandals, outside and down
the stairs, backing her up until they'd reached the side of the house.

"Kai, now!"

Just then, a pretty little girl with raven ringlets, dressed
like a doll, ran around the corner of the house, Kai, Tau and Thandi following
behind.

Kai threw his red ball high in the air as the life-sized doll
leapt up five feet off the ground and caught it square in her mouth.

"Hands!" Imogen cried. "Lupe not with your mouth!"

Lupe spit the ball out and ran to Imogen's side.

"
Mommy!
Mommy!"
Lupe
howled, her voice, though high in pitch like Imogen's, was more pleasing to the
ear. "Did you see? Did you see how high I jumped?"

"Yes." Imogen doted, taking Lupe by the hand. "What
a special little girl."

"¡Híjole!" Xochitl rolled her eyes.

"Kai's been playing with me, Mommy." Lupe squirmed out
of her mother's grip and raced over to Kai, who patted the child on her head.

Tau and Thandi circled the two Were kids, and a chase game was
on. Kai dashed toward the kennels with Lupe close on his heels as the ridgeback
puppies loped alongside.

"No running, Lupe!" Imogen called after her daughter. "I
really must see Lucy."

"Well, she's busy right now." Xochitl threw Lefty's
jacket on. "I know. Why don't you email her whatever it is you need to
ask, and she'll get back to you."

"I got the impression Lucy wasn't much for emailing,"
Imogen said, not realizing Xochitl was mocking her.

"Exactly." Xochitl cupped her hands to her mouth. "Kai,
we have to go!"

Kai instantly came to a halt and headed back to Xochitl and
Imogen. Lupe stayed right where she was with her head drooped and her arms
crossed.

"Lupe Rosita Agnes Friel!" Imogen yelled. "You
come here this instant."

Lupe stood her ground and stomped her feet.

How adorable.

"Excuse me a moment." Imogen put up an apologetic hand.

"Take all the time you want." Xochitl waved Imogen on,
and was about to turn back toward El Gallo when she saw Lupe's head fly up, her
nose sniffing the air. She stood still for a moment, then darted up the hill
where Lucy was saying goodbye to her mother.

"Bubala, stop!" Imogen yelled.

"Crap!" Xochitl pointed to Kai. "Stay here. Get
ready to leave." Then she sprinted after Imogen.

Tau and Thandi howled as
they ran past Xochitl.

*

Bewildered,
Lucy watched Imogen Friel hike clumsily up Skylark Hill. The bedeviled woman
looked like a refugee from the Renaissance Faire, costumed as she was in a billowy
blouse, a patchwork skirt, leather sandals and a ridiculous hat. This was a far
cry from the professional pantsuits she had worn at Folsom Prison. Imogen had
also grown her chin length bob out into a mess of long hippie hair streaked
with shades of cotton candy pink, fuchsia and cerise.

A
little girl with perfect sable ringlets, outfitted in a velvet dress complete
with matching blue cloak and shiny black patent leather Mary Janes ran in
circles around the out-of-breath Imogen.

The
girl pointed at Lucy and yelled, "See, see. I found her Mommy. I found
her. I'm a good girl!"

Imogen
smiled indulgently at the child and cooed, "Who is just the best little
girl in the world?"

The
child preened. "I bet it's me."

"Yes,
my little Lupe. You are the best little girl in the world." Imogen sounded
serious.

Lucy
protectively stood in front of her mother's stone heart. "What are you
doing here, Imogen?" She felt antagonistic toward the shrink for
intruding.

"Oh,
you know, the mountain comes to Muhammad and all that." Imogen paused to
take in the panoramic view of the Empyrean Valley. "This place is
fantastic. Taking up permanent residence will look very good on your report,
Lucy."

"Nothing
is permanent," Lucy started but thought better than to give Imogen a hook.
"I can't leave California, so here I am. For now."

"Oh,
but this is beautiful," Imogen said and took a long look around. "Fresh
air, biodynamic farming. Which reminds me, the solstice is coming. Paradise.
Well, Empyrean was the highest heaven to the ancient Greeks after all. You
deserve this, Lucy. And it's so wonderful you still get to work with the
animals."

Lucy
looked at the woman, then at the child. "Is this the—"

"Lupe!"
Imogen jumped in. "Lupe, this is your Aunt Lucy. She was there the day you
were born."

A
wave of nausea coursed through Lucy at the uninvited memory of Imogen standing
over the ripped-open body of a woman in a pink jumpsuit.

"Did
you know my real Mommy?" Lupe asked shyly and batted her preternaturally
long black eyelashes.

Imogen
looked hurt by the child's casual cruelty but recovered quickly and put a
possessive hand on Lupe's shoulder.

"Not
well." Lucy dismissed the little girl. "Excuse me." She started
back down the path.

Xochitl
arrived at the crest with Tau and Thandi behind her. Xochi wasn't out of
breath, though she had clearly been running.

"The
pups took a side trip," Xochitl explained her late arrival. "Sorry I
couldn't stop that bitch." She gestured toward Imogen. "And the little
kid has a nose like a bloodhound. Can't even guess where she knows your scent
from." Xochi looked at the little girl with annoyance.

"I
see you've met the Werebaby," Lucy said.

"Baby,
my ass! Kid looks like she's five." Xochitl stopped and took another
measure of the child.

"Oh,
thank you. Lupe is growing like a weed," Imogen squawked. "It's the
good organic, gluten-free diet I think. People poison themselves with
preservatives and don't even know it. Have you tried chia seeds, Xochitl?"

Xochitl
sharply turned her back on the woman and the child and caught up to Lucy.

"I
had a call. Miguel's in trouble. We have to go," Xochitl said, dread in
her voice.

"Tell
me in the car," Lucy agreed without needing to hear more. She knew Miguel
was Xochitl's Achilles heel. Lucy didn't want to return to L.A., but she would
walk through fire for her friend. And if Xochitl needed to help Miguel in L.A.,
they'd go to L.A. to help Miguel — no matter what.

A
little yelp escaped Tau, who had stayed behind at the tree, sniffing Lupe's
hand. The pup and his sister started racing back down the path toward the
house. Long ears flopping, the dogs hurried past Lucy and Xochitl.

"I
didn't do anything!" Lupe yell preemptively. She was running after Tau and
Thandi unnaturally fast and dodged to the side easily when Xochitl tried to
grab her. Lupe let out a shrill titter and left a cloud of dust behind.

"What's
with your kid?" Xochitl asked Imogen who had awkwardly jogged up behind
them. The three women watched Lupe disappear behind a cluster of flowering
dogwood trees — apparently trying to cut the puppies off before they
reached the bottom of the hill.

"Oh,
she's a special little girl." Again Imogen sounded proud. Lucy thought
Imogen did not have healthy parenting skills. But Lucy didn't care.

That'll teach you to steal
a baby during a prison riot. You just bought yourself a crapload of trouble.

As
far as Lucy was concerned Imogen's hideous choice was punishment enough.

"Kid
or not. If she hurts my dogs, I'll kick her ass," Xochitl said, surprising
Lucy.

"Your
dogs?" Lucy asked, baffled.

"Yeah,
you know. Sometimes dogs just pick you, Lucy, whether you're ready or not."
Xochitl shrugged.

Xochi
likes dogs now. Awesome!

"Let's
run," Xochitl said, taking action to cover her concern like she always
did. "The car's already packed."

Lucy
and Xochitl kept a solid pace with one another, leaving Imogen to follow as
well as she could.

Lucy
felt good. Running down the mountain path kicked her energy level into high
gear and left her alert and excited to take on whatever challenge Miguel would
present.

Without
warning the little girl came sprinting back up the path alone, meeting them not
far from the house. She'd fallen a few times; Lucy could tell by the skinned
knees. Lupe's air of precocious superiority was gone, and she looked terrified.

"The
people took Kaaaaiiiii!" she wailed.

Lucy
dropped to one knee and put her hands on Lupe's shoulders. The child seemed
traumatized and ready to shut down.

"Lupe."
Lucy tried to stay very calm to help the Were child hang on. Lupe's violet eyes
sparkled and odd sounds belched forth from the back of her throat.

"What
happened to Kai!" Xochitl blew up at the girl.

Lupe
shrank back, but words quickly spilled forth without her pausing for breath. "A
blond lady in a chair and big men, they shot Kai with a loud boom and they put
him in a big black car."

"They
shot him?" Lucy panicked. "Was there blood?"

"No."
The little girl pointed to her neck. "There was a little thing with
feathers." She started to cry and hiccup. "Don't let the blond lady
get me."