Paula Graves - Forbidden Temptation

Iris disconnected and gave Rose an apologetic look. “That was Shelley. The storm that blew through last night knocked out the power at the nursery and she can’t get the generator going. I’ve got to get there within a couple of hours or we’re going to lose all the tropicals in the hothouse.”

“Go. I’ll be fine.”

Iris frowned. “Are you sure? Maybe I could call someone to go check on it-”

“You know you’re the only one who can ever get that old thing going. Hurry, before the orchids die.”

Rose helped Iris pack up her things and walked her to the back door. “Drive carefully, and call me when you get there.”

Iris hugged her. “I love you. Thanks for telling me what was bothering you. I promise, you’ll figure everything out. You’ll know exactly what the veils mean and what you’re supposed to do about them. I have faith in you.”

Tears pricked Rose’s eyes, and she gave her sister a second, fierce hug. “I love you, too. Thanks for everything. You’ve already made me feel so much better.”

Wiping her eyes, she watched her sister drive down the back alley, wishing she could return to Willow Grove with her, back to the life she used to know, the security of a world where the only thing she saw was happiness and hope.

But that world didn’t exist, anymore, and Iris was right about one thing: No matter how much she hated the death veils, they obviously weren’t going away. The only thing left was to figure out how she was supposed to use them.

And she had to start with Melissa.

“I WAS SURPRISED by your call,” Daniel confessed as he entered Melissa Bannerman’s office. He’d figured Rose would have already clued her in on his real reason for seeking her out.

Melissa’s knowing look as he took the seat across the desk from her gave him little reason to think otherwise. “I wonder why that could be?”

He didn’t bother to feign ignorance. “I really am in the market for a publisher for the book we discussed, but you’re right, that wasn’t my primary reason for coming here.”

“You could have just told me that.”

“Maybe I should have. Wasn’t sure at the time, and I needed information.”

“About my relationship with Alice Donovan.”

“Someone said you and Alice had plans to go out the night before she died. I wanted to know what you knew.”

“What about Rose Browning? You seemed awfully interested in her when I saw you together at the meeting Tuesday night.”

He kept his expression neutral, though the memory of Rose Browning’s lips, soft and warm beneath his, still lingered. “You mentioned that she was there at the club, as well, and that she’d left soon after Alice.”

“You wanted to pump her for information, too?”

“Yes.” And he’d wanted to know what she’d been looking for in the bar where he’d seen her earlier, and why she’d fled Alice’s apartment when the police had arrived. But he wasn’t going to share that information with Melissa.

“There’s something you need to know-” Melissa’s phone buzzed, stopping her midsentence. Frowning, she picked up the receiver. “Melissa Bannerman.” Her frown deepened as she listened to whoever was on the other end. She rose from her chair and walked to the window behind her desk, the phone cord stretching out behind her. “Oh, for God’s sake-”

Daniel craned his neck, trying to follow her gaze, but from his seat, he could see little more than the building across the street.

“No, just make sure she doesn’t leave. I’ll be right out.” Melissa hung up the phone, meeting Daniel’s curious gaze with flashing blue eyes. “Come with me. I have to deal with something, and I think you may find it of interest.”

Puzzled but intrigued, Daniel walked with Melissa outside to the fenced-in parking lot behind the redbrick loft building that housed the publishing company. There were about twenty cars in the small lot.

One of them was Rose Browning’s Chevy Impala.

A uniformed security guard fell into step with them as they headed across the lot. “Is she dangerous?” he asked Melissa.

“I don’t think so.”

Daniel stared at Melissa’s grim expression. “What the hell is going on?”

She didn’t answer, striding forward as the driver-side door opened and Rose stepped from the car.

Rose’s eyelids fluttered briefly as she looked at Melissa, almost like a flinch, Daniel noted with surprise.

“I told you to stay away from me,” Melissa snapped.

Rose’s chin came up. “Not in those exact words.”

“Well, let me be clear. You need help. And, until you get it, I don’t want you anywhere near me, my home or my business.” Melissa folded her arms across her chest. “I’ve already talked to the police about you. They know everything you told me. It’ll take one call to get a restraining order.”

Rose’s lower lip trembled, but she didn’t drop her gaze. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“What’s going on here?” Daniel asked.

Both women turned their gazes to him. Melissa’s fiery, Rose’s apprehensive.

Melissa was the first to answer. “There’s something you don’t know about Rose, Daniel.” She looked at Rose. “Should you tell him or should I?”

Rose’s gaze dropped, her hands trembling.

Melissa looked back at Daniel. “Yesterday, Rose informed me that I was going to die if I didn’t get out of town.”

Daniel frowned, not understanding. “What?”

“How’d you put it?” Melissa asked Rose. “Oh, yeah. She sees death.”

Rose looked at him, her expression a mixture of anger and shame. But there was no sign of denial, no hint of refutation.

“You see death?” he repeated.

Her mouth tightened, her eyes locking with his. “Right now, Melissa’s face is covered with a translucent image of itself. Sort of like a veil.”

Daniel couldn’t keep his gaze from shifting to Melissa’s face. He saw nothing but her pretty, even features.

“You can’t see it. Only I can.”

“And that’s all there is? The image of her face?” That made no sense, Daniel thought. None of this makes any sense.

Rose shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. “The death veil is covered with bloody slashes. Several crisscrossing gashes on her forehead and cheeks.” Her voice weakened. “And her throat is slit.”

Images flashed through Daniel’s mind. Body after body, disfigured by a killer’s escalating rage.

She was describing the marks of Orion.

Melissa held up her hand. “Enough. I want you off this property now or I’m calling the police.”

Rose dragged her gaze from Daniel’s narrowed eyes and looked at Melissa. “Okay. I’m going. But please, please be careful.” She looked at Daniel again, trying to read his dark expression. He was skeptical, obviously. Thrown by the whole thing. But she’d seen something else in his eyes.

Recognition.

She had described the killer’s handiwork perfectly, and he knew it.

“This is why I called you here, Daniel,” Melissa said, her voice low with anger. “To warn you about Rose.” She hooked her arm through Daniel’s, turning to the nearby security guard. When she spoke, her voice was cold. “See that she leaves.”

Daniel turned away, walking back to the building with Melissa. The security guard held his ground, his grim look making Rose’s stomach hurt.

She returned to her Chevy and slid behind the steering wheel, gripping the wheel with shaking hands before fumbling her key into the ignition.

Okay, so coming here wasn’t a good idea.

But she couldn’t bear sitting at home, wondering if Melissa was even still alive. Though there’d been no report of a new murder on the news, she’d figured it was possible that the body just hadn’t been found yet. She’d tried all the numbers she had for Melissa, without any response.