something Jack had done.
Derrick nodded. “When I find a girl I like, I let her know about it. I'm not one to beat around the bush."
Her fear wasn't assuaged, but she felt somewhat better. “All right, Derrick. I'll see you at seven."
He gave her a little salute and zoomed off.
Katra sat still for a good minute, until someone behind her got impatient and leaned on his horn.
She waved the jerk around her and ignored his impatient gestures. She didn't want to go home to her mother and sister. She knew Sara was in Oklahoma today so she couldn't talk to her friend. Finally she decided to head for Sara's grandmother's place. The woman was a little eccentric, but she was a great listener.
Maura lived in a prairie style bungalow a few miles from Sara's apartment in a historic district in South Dallas. Her home had huge rooms, high ceilings, and always smelled of something baking. It was Katra's ideal of a perfect grandmother house although its lavender color put off more than a few who saw it for the first time.
Katra almost drove on when she saw the black Lexus in Maura's driveway.
The Reverend Bob was one of Maura's favorites, but he tended to get excited about things. Still, the alternative was home and Katra definitely wasn't ready to go there.
Maura came bounding out of her house before Katra had decided what to do next. At seventy-five, Maura still had more energy than Katra and her sister combined. “Come on in,” the woman demanded. “I just pulled some peanut butter cookies out of the oven."
Peanut butter cookies were one of Katra's weaknesses—admittedly one of many weaknesses. She followed Maura in, helped herself to a cookie, then nodded at the Reverend Bob.
Reverend Bob looked like a young Johnny Cash, all in black with a near-permanent frown. “I hear you got yourself a new boyfriend,” he observed.
"My mother called and bragged,” Katra guessed.
Reverend Bob nodded. “Actually, I heard it from three of your neighbors first. She thinks this Derrick person is going to save the entire family. He's rich, good looking, and has all the right social connections."
Katra sank into one of Maura's Lazy Boy recliners. “My mother is like that. There's always something that will make our lives complete—of course it's never anything we can do ourselves."
"You don't seem quite so enthusiastic about this young man,” Maura commented. She poured Katra a cup of tea and handed her a plate fully laden with cookies.
Katra shook her head. “I'm probably being paranoid but all day long I've had this feeling that he was watching me."
"Sounds like love,” Maura cooed.
When she put it that way, maybe that was all it was. “I'm not sure—"
"Sounds like stalking,” Reverend Bob interrupted.
"I never got a close look. It might not even have been him."
"I've never known you to imagine things,” Maura pointed out.
Of course Maura hadn't been over at Sara's when they'd summoned a demon. That was imagination running wild. Katra decided to keep her mouth shut, for once.
Reverend Bob stood. “May I use your computer, Maura?"
"Oh, I was hoping you would. I know they are supposed to be so easy, but I'm always afraid I'll click the wrong thing. Do you think you could show me where to find those MP-3 files you were telling me about? The Orthodox Chants."
Reverend Bob smiled. “Of course. But first let's see what we can find about this Derrick. If he's a stalker, he's probably done it before."
Katra took a sip of her tea and almost spewed it on the end table. Maura had laced it with something strong.
"You looked a little pale,” Sara's grandmother told her.
The alcohol burned as it went down, but Katra did feel a little more human. “Thanks."
"Have another cookie."
The Reverend Bob clicked onto the Internet. Katra leaned over his shoulder, watching the long lists of sexual predators roll down.
"I didn't know you could just look them up.” She'd always thought there was a little more privacy than that,
Derrick nodded. “When I find a girl I like, I let her know about it. I'm not one to beat around the bush."
Her fear wasn't assuaged, but she felt somewhat better. “All right, Derrick. I'll see you at seven."
He gave her a little salute and zoomed off.
Katra sat still for a good minute, until someone behind her got impatient and leaned on his horn.
She waved the jerk around her and ignored his impatient gestures. She didn't want to go home to her mother and sister. She knew Sara was in Oklahoma today so she couldn't talk to her friend. Finally she decided to head for Sara's grandmother's place. The woman was a little eccentric, but she was a great listener.
Maura lived in a prairie style bungalow a few miles from Sara's apartment in a historic district in South Dallas. Her home had huge rooms, high ceilings, and always smelled of something baking. It was Katra's ideal of a perfect grandmother house although its lavender color put off more than a few who saw it for the first time.
Katra almost drove on when she saw the black Lexus in Maura's driveway.
The Reverend Bob was one of Maura's favorites, but he tended to get excited about things. Still, the alternative was home and Katra definitely wasn't ready to go there.
Maura came bounding out of her house before Katra had decided what to do next. At seventy-five, Maura still had more energy than Katra and her sister combined. “Come on in,” the woman demanded. “I just pulled some peanut butter cookies out of the oven."
Peanut butter cookies were one of Katra's weaknesses—admittedly one of many weaknesses. She followed Maura in, helped herself to a cookie, then nodded at the Reverend Bob.
Reverend Bob looked like a young Johnny Cash, all in black with a near-permanent frown. “I hear you got yourself a new boyfriend,” he observed.
"My mother called and bragged,” Katra guessed.
Reverend Bob nodded. “Actually, I heard it from three of your neighbors first. She thinks this Derrick person is going to save the entire family. He's rich, good looking, and has all the right social connections."
Katra sank into one of Maura's Lazy Boy recliners. “My mother is like that. There's always something that will make our lives complete—of course it's never anything we can do ourselves."
"You don't seem quite so enthusiastic about this young man,” Maura commented. She poured Katra a cup of tea and handed her a plate fully laden with cookies.
Katra shook her head. “I'm probably being paranoid but all day long I've had this feeling that he was watching me."
"Sounds like love,” Maura cooed.
When she put it that way, maybe that was all it was. “I'm not sure—"
"Sounds like stalking,” Reverend Bob interrupted.
"I never got a close look. It might not even have been him."
"I've never known you to imagine things,” Maura pointed out.
Of course Maura hadn't been over at Sara's when they'd summoned a demon. That was imagination running wild. Katra decided to keep her mouth shut, for once.
Reverend Bob stood. “May I use your computer, Maura?"
"Oh, I was hoping you would. I know they are supposed to be so easy, but I'm always afraid I'll click the wrong thing. Do you think you could show me where to find those MP-3 files you were telling me about? The Orthodox Chants."
Reverend Bob smiled. “Of course. But first let's see what we can find about this Derrick. If he's a stalker, he's probably done it before."
Katra took a sip of her tea and almost spewed it on the end table. Maura had laced it with something strong.
"You looked a little pale,” Sara's grandmother told her.
The alcohol burned as it went down, but Katra did feel a little more human. “Thanks."
"Have another cookie."
The Reverend Bob clicked onto the Internet. Katra leaned over his shoulder, watching the long lists of sexual predators roll down.
"I didn't know you could just look them up.” She'd always thought there was a little more privacy than that,
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