those eyes,
Caroline thought, as the taxi driver handed over his license and registration.
“We’ve already had one terrible accident here this morning,” the officer continued. “Not ten minutes ago, a teenage girl was hit by a speeding car as she was crossing the street.”
“Is she all right?” the cabdriver asked.
Caroline felt a scream building in the back of her throat. Was it possible that girl was Lili?
“Afraid not.” The officer removed his helmet, revealing a head of thick, black hair. He stared accusingly at Caroline, as if she were the one responsible.
“Detective Ramos?” Caroline whispered, the scream in her throat gaining traction and filling her mouth like bile.
“This is your fault,” he told her. “You should never have left her alone.”
The scream shot from Caroline’s lips into the surrounding air.
“Mom?” a voice called from somewhere above her head. “Mom? Mother, wake up!”
Caroline bolted up in bed, her eyes darting around the hotel room, trying to bring it into focus. “What’s happening?”
“You’re having a nightmare.”
“What?”
“You were having a nightmare,” Michelle said, relegating it to the past tense. “God, look at you. You’re soaking wet.”
Caroline swiped at the pool of sweat between her breasts. She pushed a clump of damp hair away from her forehead.
“You scared the hell out of me,” Michelle said. “What were you dreaming about?”
Caroline shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
“What do you mean, you can’t tell me? Why the hell not?”
“My mother always said it’s bad luck to tell your dreams before breakfast because the bad ones will come true.”
“Since when did you start listening to Grandma Mary?” Michelle asked.
She was right. Caroline had spent a lifetime trying to ignore her mother’s unsolicited advice. “I’ll tell you after breakfast,” she said anyway.
Except that by the time they’d finished their coffee, Caroline had forgotten all but a few vague details of her nightmare. “It was one of those frustrating dreams where you keep trying to get somewhere but something keeps getting in your way. I probably should have realized it was a dream when I saw the cabdriver.”
“What are you talking about?” Michelle asked.
“And Detective Ramos.”
“Who’s Detective Ramos?”
“You wouldn’t remember.”
They spent the morning sitting in the lobby of the hotel on the off chance that Lili would finally turn up, then called for a taxi to take them to the airport when she didn’t. As the cab pulled away from the curb, Caroline took a last look down the snow-lined street.
“She’s not there, Mother.”
“I know.”
“She never had any intention of showing up.”
“You’re right.” Was she? “Maybe we should have waited longer.”
“And miss our flight? Besides, you left her a note.”
Caroline felt a pang of guilt and looked into her lap. She’d thought she was being discreet when she’d left that note for Lili with the reception desk.
“Stop worrying. I’m sure she’ll contact you again,” Michelle was saying as they settled into their seats on the plane. “She’ll have some sort of sob story, of course, a reason she couldn’t meet you. Then she’ll promise to make it up to you. She’ll offer to come to San Diego. Of course she’ll need money. Yada, yada, yada. It’s like those Internet scams from Nigeria. They’re transparent as hell, but you wouldn’t believe how many people fall for those things.”
I’d believe it,
Caroline thought, but said nothing. She wished Michelle would stop talking. She’d made her point, her point being that her mother was an idiot. Caroline leaned her head back in her seat and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, Michelle took the hint and they spent the duration of the flight in silence.
—
Hunter was waiting for them when they pushed through the heavy, opaque glass doors into the arrival area of San Diego International Airport.
Caroline thought, as the taxi driver handed over his license and registration.
“We’ve already had one terrible accident here this morning,” the officer continued. “Not ten minutes ago, a teenage girl was hit by a speeding car as she was crossing the street.”
“Is she all right?” the cabdriver asked.
Caroline felt a scream building in the back of her throat. Was it possible that girl was Lili?
“Afraid not.” The officer removed his helmet, revealing a head of thick, black hair. He stared accusingly at Caroline, as if she were the one responsible.
“Detective Ramos?” Caroline whispered, the scream in her throat gaining traction and filling her mouth like bile.
“This is your fault,” he told her. “You should never have left her alone.”
The scream shot from Caroline’s lips into the surrounding air.
“Mom?” a voice called from somewhere above her head. “Mom? Mother, wake up!”
Caroline bolted up in bed, her eyes darting around the hotel room, trying to bring it into focus. “What’s happening?”
“You’re having a nightmare.”
“What?”
“You were having a nightmare,” Michelle said, relegating it to the past tense. “God, look at you. You’re soaking wet.”
Caroline swiped at the pool of sweat between her breasts. She pushed a clump of damp hair away from her forehead.
“You scared the hell out of me,” Michelle said. “What were you dreaming about?”
Caroline shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
“What do you mean, you can’t tell me? Why the hell not?”
“My mother always said it’s bad luck to tell your dreams before breakfast because the bad ones will come true.”
“Since when did you start listening to Grandma Mary?” Michelle asked.
She was right. Caroline had spent a lifetime trying to ignore her mother’s unsolicited advice. “I’ll tell you after breakfast,” she said anyway.
Except that by the time they’d finished their coffee, Caroline had forgotten all but a few vague details of her nightmare. “It was one of those frustrating dreams where you keep trying to get somewhere but something keeps getting in your way. I probably should have realized it was a dream when I saw the cabdriver.”
“What are you talking about?” Michelle asked.
“And Detective Ramos.”
“Who’s Detective Ramos?”
“You wouldn’t remember.”
They spent the morning sitting in the lobby of the hotel on the off chance that Lili would finally turn up, then called for a taxi to take them to the airport when she didn’t. As the cab pulled away from the curb, Caroline took a last look down the snow-lined street.
“She’s not there, Mother.”
“I know.”
“She never had any intention of showing up.”
“You’re right.” Was she? “Maybe we should have waited longer.”
“And miss our flight? Besides, you left her a note.”
Caroline felt a pang of guilt and looked into her lap. She’d thought she was being discreet when she’d left that note for Lili with the reception desk.
“Stop worrying. I’m sure she’ll contact you again,” Michelle was saying as they settled into their seats on the plane. “She’ll have some sort of sob story, of course, a reason she couldn’t meet you. Then she’ll promise to make it up to you. She’ll offer to come to San Diego. Of course she’ll need money. Yada, yada, yada. It’s like those Internet scams from Nigeria. They’re transparent as hell, but you wouldn’t believe how many people fall for those things.”
I’d believe it,
Caroline thought, but said nothing. She wished Michelle would stop talking. She’d made her point, her point being that her mother was an idiot. Caroline leaned her head back in her seat and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, Michelle took the hint and they spent the duration of the flight in silence.
—
Hunter was waiting for them when they pushed through the heavy, opaque glass doors into the arrival area of San Diego International Airport.
Similar Books
