Nora Roberts - Blood Brothers

“You’ve been in this for days. Fox and I have lived with it for years. Lived in it. So, don’t put on your badge and call yourself captain yet, Blondie.”

“Living in it for twenty-one years gives you certain advantages. But you haven’t figured it out, you haven’t stopped it or even identified it, as far as I can tell, in your twenty-one-year experience. So loosen up.”

“You poked at my ninety-seven-year-old great-grandmother today.”

“Oh, bull. Your remarkable and fascinating ninety-seven-year-old great-grandmother came up to where I was researching in the library, sat down, and had a conversation with me of her own free will. There was no poking. My keen observation skills tell me you didn’t inherit your tight-ass tendencies from her.”

“Kids, kids.” Fox held up a hand. “Tense situation, agreed, but we’re all on the same side, or are on the same side potentially. So chill. Cal, Quinn makes a good point, and it bears consideration. At the same time, Quinn, you’ve been in the Hollow a couple of days, and Layla less than that. You’re going to have to be patient, and accept the fact that some areas of information are more sensitive than others, and may take time to be offered. Even if we start with what can and has been corroborated or documented-”

“What are you, a lawyer?” Layla asked.

“Yeah.”

“Figures,” she said under her breath.

“Let’s just table this,” Cal suggested. “Let’s let it sit, so we can all think about it for the night. I said I’d take you to the Pagan Stone tomorrow, and I will. Let’s see how it goes.”

“Accepted.”

“Are you two all right at the hotel? You can stay here if you’re not easy about going back.”

The fact that he’d offered had Quinn’s hackles smoothing down again. “We’re not wimps, are we, Layla?”

“I wouldn’t have said I was a few days ago. Now, I’m not so sure. But I’ll be all right at the hotel.” In fact, she wanted to go back, crawl into that big, soft bed and pull the covers over her head. “I slept better there than I have all week, so that’s something.”

Quinn decided she’d wait until they were back before she advised Layla to lower all the shades, and maybe leave a light burning.

IN THE MORNING, QUINN PRESSED AN EAR AGAINST the door to Layla’s room. Since she heard the muted sounds of the Today show, she gave the door a knuckle rap. “It’s Quinn,” she added, in case Layla was still jumpy.

Layla opened the door in a pretty damn cute pair of purple-and-white-striped pajama pants and a purple sleep tank. There was color in her cheeks, and her quiet green eyes had the clarity that told Quinn she’d been awake awhile.

“I’m about to head out to Cal’s. Mind if I come in a minute?”

“No.” She stepped back. “I was trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do with myself today.”

“You can come with me if you want.”

“Into the woods? Not quite ready for that, thanks. You know…” Layla switched off the TV before dropping into a chair. “I was thinking about the wimp statement you made last night. I’ve never been a wimp, but it occurred to me as I was huddled in bed with the shades drawn and this stupid chair under the doorknob that I’ve never had anything happen that tested that before. My life’s been pretty normal.”

“You came here, and you’re still here. So I’m thinking that puts you pretty low on the wimp scale. How’d you sleep?”

“Good. Once I got there, good. No dreams, no visitations, no bumps in the night. So, of course, now I’m wondering why.”

“No dreams for me either.” Quinn glanced around the room. Layla’s bed was a sleigh style and the color scheme was muted greens and creams. “We could theorize that your room here’s a safe zone, but that’s off because mine isn’t, and it’s two doors down. It could be that whatever it is just took the night off. Maybe needed to recharge some expended energy.”

“Happy thought.”

“You’ve got my cell number, Cal’s, Fox’s. We’ve got yours. We’re-connected. I wanted to let you know that the diner across the street, figuring you’re not going to try the dining room here again, has a nice breakfast.”

“I’m thinking I might try room service, and start on the books that you gave me last night. I didn’t want to try them for bedtime reading.”

“Wise. Okay. If you head out, it’s a nice town. Some cute little shops, a little museum I haven’t had time to explore so can’t give you a rating, and there’s always the Bowl-a-Rama.”

A hint of a smile appeared around Layla’s mouth. “Is there?”

“It’s Cal’s family’s place. Interesting, and it feels like the hub of the town. So, I’ll look you up when I get back?”

“Okay. Quinn?” Layla added as Quinn reached for the door. “Wimp scale or not, I’m not sure I’d still be here if I hadn’t run into you.”

“I know how you feel. I’ll see you later.”

C AL WAS WAITING FOR HER WHEN SHE DROVE UP. He stepped out, started down the steps, the dog wandering behind him, as she got out of the car. He took a scan, starting with her feet. Good, sturdy hiking boots that showed some scars and wear, faded jeans, tough jacket in I’m-Not-a-Deer red, and a multistriped scarf that matched the cloche-style cap on her head. Silly hat, he mused, that was unaccountably appealing on her.

In any case, he decided she knew what to wear on a hike through the winter woods.

“Do I pass muster, Sergeant?”

“Yeah.” He came down the rest of the steps. “Let’s start this off with me saying I was off base by a couple inches last night. I haven’t completely resolved dealing with you, and now there’s another person in the mix, another unknown. When you live with this as long as I have, part of you gets used to it, and other parts just get edgier. Especially when you’re into the seventh year. So, I’ll apologize, if you need it.”

“Well. Wind, sails sucked out. Okay, I can’t be pissed off after that or it’s just bitchy instead of righteous. So let me say this. Before I came here, this was an idea for a book, a job I enjoy on a level some might consider twisted, and that I consider vastly fascinating. Now, it’s more personal. While I can appreciate you being somewhat edgy, and somewhat proprietary, I’m bringing something important to the table. Experience and objectivity. And guts. I’ve got some impressive guts.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“So, we’re going to do this thing?”

“Yeah, we’re going to do it.”

She gave the dog who came over to lean on her a rub. “Is Lump seeing us off on our adventure?”

“He’s coming. He likes to walk in the woods when the mood strikes. And if he’s had enough, he’ll just lie down and sleep until he’s in the mood to walk back home again.”

“Strikes me as a sensible attitude.” She picked up a small pack, hitched it on, then drew her tape recorder out of her pocket. It was attached to the pocket with a small clamp. “I’m going to want to record observations, and whatever you tell me. Okay with that?”

“Yeah.” He’d given it a lot of thought overnight. “I’m okay with that.”

“Then I’m ready when you are, Tonto.”

“Trail’s going to be sloppy,” he said as they started toward the woods. “Given that, from this point it’ll take about two hours-a little more depending-to reach the clearing.”

“I’m in no hurry.”

Cal glanced up at the sky. “You will be if the weather turns, or anything holds us up after sundown.”

She clicked on her recorder, and hoped she’d been generous enough with her cache of extra tapes and batteries. “Why?”

“Years back people hiked or hunted in this section of the woods routinely. Now they don’t. People got lost, turned around, spooked. Some reported hearing what they thought were bear or wolves. We don’t have wolves and it’s rare for bear to come this far down the mountains. Kids, teens mostly, used to sneak in to swim in Hester’s Pool in the summer, or to screw around. Now they don’t. People used to say the pool was haunted, it was kind of a local legend. Now, people don’t like to talk about it.”