Written In Blood by Shelia Lowe Page B

.”
    She grinned. Jovanic was a little like Annabelle. Getting him to share his feelings was about as easy as stripping old wallpaper.
    She said, “I miss you, too.”
    It was an understatement. Paige’s case and other work had kept her busy, but over the past couple of weeks Jovanic had been out of town and his absence gnawed at her like a toothache. He was four hundred miles away—only an hour by air—but it could have been another galaxy. Tony Bennett’s signature song I Left My Heart in San Francisco had taken on a whole new meaning.
    “It’s been pouring down here,” she said. “How’s your weather?”
    Why am I talking about the weather when he’s telling me he misses me?
    “Raining like a monsoon,” he said. “But right now I’m looking at a very cool rainbow.”
    “Really? Me, too. I wish you were here and we could look at it together.”
    His voice faded on the cell phone.
    “Can you hear me? Damn signal’s breaking up. I’m losing you. When are you coming home?”
    “. . . real soon.”
    “I can’t hear you. How soon?” She turned the corner of her street.
    Her driveway came into view and there was Jovanic, standing outside the garage, his cell phone at his ear, wearing a goofy grin.
    Suddenly, the rainbow looked even brighter and more beautiful.

Chapter 10
    The week after her first meeting with Annabelle Giordano, Claudia returned to the Sorensen Academy. She wanted to check Annabelle’s graphotherapy exercises early to correct any mistakes before they became ingrained.
    Paige wanted to see her first, so she went up to the office. Angry voices from inside froze her hand midknock.
    “. . . and when we’re through with you,” shouted a woman’s voice, “you won’t have a pot to piss in!”
    Paige’s lower-voiced response was muted by the door and the sudden barking of her dog.
    “Didn’t your mother tell you eavesdropping is a no-no?” a husky male voice said, close to Claudia’s ear. The spicy scent of cinnamon chewing gum hit her nose at the same instant.
    She swung around to face Cruz Montenegro. “I’m not eavesdropping.”
    He grinned, splitting the light scar line that ran across his lips. “Hey, come on, somebody’s gotta bust your chops.”
    She gave him a withering look. “Listen, dude , I don’t need—”
    A crash and the sound of glass breaking interrupted her retort. Cruz shoved past her and flung open the door. Over his shoulder, Claudia could see Paige and Diana Sorensen. They faced each other like snarling tigers in front of Paige’s desk. Paige’s face was leached of color. Diana’s complexion matched her cherry red suit.
    Shattered crystal and a bouquet of roses littered the carpet. Water spilled from the vase left a dark stain.
    Growling and barking, Mikki, the bichon frise, hurled his pint-size body at Diana’s legs. Diana kicked out, doing her best to stomp the dog, which was doing its best to bite her.
    “You crazy bitch,” Paige cried, grabbing up her dog and holding it close. “Get the hell out of here!”
    “This is my school! You’re just a gold-digging—”
    It happened in an instant, too fast for either Cruz or Claudia to react. A guttural sound came from Diana’s throat as she lunged, grabbing at Paige’s sweater, and shoved her with both hands.
    Paige’s arms windmilled. She staggered backward and landed on her butt in the midst of the broken glass and roses. With a cry of pain she let go of the dog. Mikki ran to his basket, yelping, and cowered there, his little body trembling.
    For a nanosecond no one moved. Then Cruz thrust Diana aside and lifted Paige to her feet as if she weighed nothing, asking her if she was okay.
    She leaned into him, whimpering, shaking her head. Bright red blood ran between her fingers, streaking the front of her white angora sweater.
    Turning to leave, Diana spotted Claudia still standing in the doorway. Her eyes narrowed to slits. “This is your fault,” she cried. “This is all your fault!”
    Claudia