voice was wistful and her eyes had a faraway look that seemed one part wishful thinking and one part exhaustion.
Ben nodded hard, remembering her expression when she found the poem he’d written down for her. He knew she loved Byron’s work. He also knew that “She Walks in Beauty” must have been written about a girl who looked exactly like the one he was trying hard not to stare at.
“So what are you doing out this late at night, Ben? I thought I was the only one crazy enough to live without sleep.”
He grinned, thinking about what the faceless cop he’d decided to target would be doing in a few hours. “Hunting.”
“What are you hunting?” He loved to watch her face. She had a thousand expressions that he had never seen, because she wore so few of them at school. She was intrigued by his one word answer, and maybe amused, too. It was hard to tell, because, of course, he didn’t really know her. He just loved her. The two did not always go hand in hand in the world of Ben Kirby.
Okay, he was a little more socially awake now, and maybe even a little less intimidated by her presence, so he thought before he answered. “I am hunting revenge and a way to make a friend of mine smile again. She has a nice smile. I like to see it.”
Margaret Preston rose from her booth across from his and slid into the seat on the opposite side of his table. He managed not to dance where he was sitting, or even to let out a scream of pure delighted terror, but only because having her sitting this close was enough to stun him for a moment.
“See? You get bonus points for a neat answer.” How did she do that? How did she make him feel so comfortable when he knew good and damned well that being anywhere near her could only devastate him later? He wasn’t stupid; he knew it was dangerous to get close to anyone.
“What? You want all the juicy details?” There, his mouth was still working, even if his brain was rebelling.
“Only if you want to share them.” She stretched and then smiled as Sally brought her food over to her. He tried not to stare and failed.
The waitress shot a look at each of them and smiled, then headed back to her island of sanity in the corner. It wouldn’t be all that long before the breakfast rush started pouring in, and he suspected she wanted to rest up for it as much as possible.
“Well, that depends.” Ben leaned back in his seat and decided he’d trust her. How else could he keep the conversation going? “Can you keep a secret, Margaret?”
“Yes I can. And you can call me Maggie.”
“Okay, here’s the deal. I’m about to make a phone call, and when I’m done with that, I’ll tell you what the call was all about.”
She sliced a neat little wedge of omelet away from the mass spilling over the edges of her plate and nodded, a smile playing at her lips and mischief in her eyes.
Ben very carefully pulled the cell phone from his pocket and pulled it from its bag. He dialed the first number from his list of several and waited until he heard an irritated, sleep-muted voice answer.
And Maggie watched him, her face alight with naughty amusement.
III
The Lister house was silent. Kelli woke up only because she thought she heard a sound from Teddy’s room. She wasn’t technically working right now; his folks had eventually managed to come home, and when they were in the house, she was not in charge of Teddy’s welfare. That didn’t stop her from listening for any sounds he might make anyway.
A few seconds later, she heard another sound from the direction of his room and moved out of bed, shivering a little when the covers slid away from her body. The hardwood floors felt like someone had left them in the freezer overnight and she stepped as lightly as she could to avoid the chill.
Teddy’s room was across the hallway and to the right. She slipped over to his door and carefully opened it, mindful of any noises she might make.
He was asleep in his bed, but his rest was not an easy
Ben nodded hard, remembering her expression when she found the poem he’d written down for her. He knew she loved Byron’s work. He also knew that “She Walks in Beauty” must have been written about a girl who looked exactly like the one he was trying hard not to stare at.
“So what are you doing out this late at night, Ben? I thought I was the only one crazy enough to live without sleep.”
He grinned, thinking about what the faceless cop he’d decided to target would be doing in a few hours. “Hunting.”
“What are you hunting?” He loved to watch her face. She had a thousand expressions that he had never seen, because she wore so few of them at school. She was intrigued by his one word answer, and maybe amused, too. It was hard to tell, because, of course, he didn’t really know her. He just loved her. The two did not always go hand in hand in the world of Ben Kirby.
Okay, he was a little more socially awake now, and maybe even a little less intimidated by her presence, so he thought before he answered. “I am hunting revenge and a way to make a friend of mine smile again. She has a nice smile. I like to see it.”
Margaret Preston rose from her booth across from his and slid into the seat on the opposite side of his table. He managed not to dance where he was sitting, or even to let out a scream of pure delighted terror, but only because having her sitting this close was enough to stun him for a moment.
“See? You get bonus points for a neat answer.” How did she do that? How did she make him feel so comfortable when he knew good and damned well that being anywhere near her could only devastate him later? He wasn’t stupid; he knew it was dangerous to get close to anyone.
“What? You want all the juicy details?” There, his mouth was still working, even if his brain was rebelling.
“Only if you want to share them.” She stretched and then smiled as Sally brought her food over to her. He tried not to stare and failed.
The waitress shot a look at each of them and smiled, then headed back to her island of sanity in the corner. It wouldn’t be all that long before the breakfast rush started pouring in, and he suspected she wanted to rest up for it as much as possible.
“Well, that depends.” Ben leaned back in his seat and decided he’d trust her. How else could he keep the conversation going? “Can you keep a secret, Margaret?”
“Yes I can. And you can call me Maggie.”
“Okay, here’s the deal. I’m about to make a phone call, and when I’m done with that, I’ll tell you what the call was all about.”
She sliced a neat little wedge of omelet away from the mass spilling over the edges of her plate and nodded, a smile playing at her lips and mischief in her eyes.
Ben very carefully pulled the cell phone from his pocket and pulled it from its bag. He dialed the first number from his list of several and waited until he heard an irritated, sleep-muted voice answer.
And Maggie watched him, her face alight with naughty amusement.
III
The Lister house was silent. Kelli woke up only because she thought she heard a sound from Teddy’s room. She wasn’t technically working right now; his folks had eventually managed to come home, and when they were in the house, she was not in charge of Teddy’s welfare. That didn’t stop her from listening for any sounds he might make anyway.
A few seconds later, she heard another sound from the direction of his room and moved out of bed, shivering a little when the covers slid away from her body. The hardwood floors felt like someone had left them in the freezer overnight and she stepped as lightly as she could to avoid the chill.
Teddy’s room was across the hallway and to the right. She slipped over to his door and carefully opened it, mindful of any noises she might make.
He was asleep in his bed, but his rest was not an easy
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