film, the one you said stinks?'
'She does stink,' Lacey said quickly.
'Multiply that feeling by a thousand. And the thing is, Will's not a bad guy. He'd be good for Ivy, and all I want is what's good for Ivy. I love her. I'd do anything for her-' 'Die, for instance,' Lacey said. 'But you've already tried that, and look where it got you.'
Tristan grimaced. 'Time with you.'
She grinned, then nudged him. 'Look over there. Next to the lady who looks like she got her perm and cut at the poodle parlor. Recognize him?'
'It's Caroline's friend,' Tristan said, observing the tall dark-haired man. 'The one who leaves roses on her grave.'
'He creamed Andrew at tennis and looked like he enjoyed every minute of it.'
'Did you find out his name?' Tristan asked.
'Tom Stetson. He's a teacher at Andrew's college. I tell you, who needs soap operas when you can hang around Stone hill? Do you think it was a long, torrid, secret affair? Do you think Andrew knew? Yo, Tristan!'
'I hear you,' he said, but his eyes were focused on the crowd twenty feet away, where Ivy, Will, and Beth were talking.
'Oh, the' arrows of love,'Lacey crooned. He hated it when she exaggerated her words like that. 'I swear, Tristan, that girl's put so many holes in you, one day you're going to fold over like a slice of Swiss cheese.'
He grimaced.
'It's pathetic, the way you look at her with those big puppy dog eyes.
She doesn't even see you. I just hope that one day-' 'Know what I hope, Lacey?' Tristan asked, swinging around to her. 'I hope you fall in love.'
Lacey blinked with surprise.
'I hope you fall in love with a guy who looks right past you.'
Lacey looked away.
'And I hope you do it soon, before I finish my mission,' Tristan went on.
'I want to be around to make lots of jokes about it.'
He expected Lacey to make a snappy comeback, but she kept her eyes away from him, watching Ivy's cat, Ella, who had followed them through the crowd.
'I can't wait till the day,' Tristan continued, 'that Lacey Lovitt falls in love with some guy beyond her reach.'
'What makes you think I haven't?' she muttered, then crouched down to scratch Ella. She petted the cat for several minutes.
After two years of procrastinating on her own mission, Lacey had developed more endurance and more powers than Tristan. He knew that she could keep the tips of her fingers materialized to scratch the cat much longer than he.
'Come on, Ella,' Lacey said softly, and Tristan saw the cat's ears prick.
Lacey was projecting her voice.
Ella followed Lacey, and Tristan followed Ella to a refreshment table.
Eric and Gregory were standing there. Eric was arguing with Gregory and the bartender, trying to convince them to give him a beer.
Lacey gave Ella a nudge, and the cat leaped up lightly on the table. The three guys didn't notice her.
'A bowl of milk, please.'
'Just a minute, miss,' the bartender said, turning away from Gregory and Eric. His eyes widened as they fell upon Ella.
Ella winked.
The bartender turned back to the boys. 'Did you hear that?'
'Milk, and hurry it up, please.'
Now Eric and the bartender stared at the cat Gregory craned his neck to glance behind Eric. 'What's the problem?' he said impatiently. 'Just fix an iced tea.'
'I prefer milk.'
The bartender lowered his face to Ella's. She meowed at him and leaped down from the table. Lacey snickered, but she had stopped projecting her voice, and only Tristan could hear her now.
The bartender, his brow still furrowed, poured the iced tea for Eric.
Then Gregory flicked his head to the right, and he and Eric started off in that direction. Tristan trailed them as they wove their way through the crowd and beyond it, to the stone wall that marked the edge of the property.
Far below them was the tiny train station and the track that hugged the river. Even Tristan could hardly believe that he and Philip had made it down this side of the ridge. It was steep and rocky, with little to cling to but narrow stone ledges and an occasional shrub or dwarfed tree.
'No way,' Gregory muttered to himself. 'That kid's lying to me, covering up. Who's in with him?'
'Just let me know when you're talking to me,' Eric said cheerfully.
Gregory glanced at him.
'You've been doing it a lot lately, talking to yourself,' Eric grinned, 'or maybe to the angels.'
'Screw the angels,' Gregory said.
Eric laughed. 'Yeah, well, maybe you should start praying to them. You've gotten yourself in deep, Gregory.' His face grew serious, his eyes narrowing. 'Real deep. And you're getting me in with you.'
'You idiot! You're getting yourself in. You're always high-and you're always messing up. I'm asking you one more time, where're the clothes?'
'I'm telling you one more time, I don't have them.'
'I want the cap and the jacket,' Gregory said. 'And you're going to find them for me, because if you don't, Jimmy's not getting the money you owe.' Gregory tilted back his head. 'And you know what that means.
You know how touchy those dealers can be when they don't get their money.'
Eric's mouth twitched. Without alcohol he could not stand up to Gregory.
'I'm sick of it,' he whined. 'I'm sick of doing your dirty work.'
He started to walk away, but Gregory yanked him back by the arm. 'But you'll do it, won't you? And you'll keep quiet about things, because you need me. You need your fix.'
Eric struggled weakly. 'Let me go. Someone's watching.'
'Gregory loosened his grip and looked around. Eric quickly stepped out of his reach. 'Be careful, Gregory,' he warned. 'I can feel them watching.'
Gregory arched his eyebrows and began to laugh menacingly. Even when Eric was out of sight, he continued to chuckle.
Lacey wriggled her shoulders. 'Major creepo,' she said.
They watched as Gregory worked his way back into the party, talking and smiling at the guests.
'What do you think Eric's dirty work was?' Lacey asked Tristan. 'Knocking off Caroline? Cutting your brake line? Attacking Ivy in Andrew's office?'
he materialized her fingers and hurled a stone as far as she could over the ridge. 'Of course, we don't even know for sure if Caroline was murdered or if your brake line was deliberately cut.'
Tristan nodded. 'I'm going to have to time-travel through Eric's memories again.'
Lacey had picked up another stone and now dropped it to her side. 'You're going back through Eric's mind? You're crazy, Tristan! I thought you learned your lesson the first time. His circuits are fried, it's too dangerous, and his memories won't give you any proof.'
“Once I know what is going on, I can find the proof,' he reasoned.
Lacey shook her head.
'Right now,' Tristan said, 'I've got to get Ivy to remember what happened at the train station. I've got to find Will and convince him to help me.'
