Blood Red

“Eyes. Being watched.”

Lauren stared blankly at her friend, then asked slowly and carefully, “Um…do you think Mark Davidson is watching us from his cottage?” she suggested.

“No. He’s not there.”

“How do you know?”

“I knocked on his door while you were still changing to see if he wanted to hang with us at the pool.”

Lauren digested that information. “Maybe he just didn’t answer his door,” she suggested.

Deanna shook her head firmly.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I saw the maid go into his cottage, and she left his door open. He wasn’t there.”

“Okay, so Mark isn’t watching us. But you think someone is?”

“I don’t think. I know.”

Despite herself, Lauren felt her pleasant aura of peace and calm evaporate. She looked around. The breeze was rustling the foliage around the house and pool, but it wasn’t as if they were in a deep, dark forest.

She stood, then walked around the courtyard, around a hibiscus and a croton; she went so far as to head to the parking lot at the rear and check the trees there.

“No one,” she told Deanna, returning to her chair.

Deanna didn’t seem appeased.

“Maybe someone was watching from the main house,” Lauren suggested. “Maybe our hostess, checking to be sure we aren’t throwing a wild pool party.”

“I’m not making you understand,” Deanna said.

Yes, you are. You’re totally giving me the creeps

, Lauren thought.

“Well, Heidi should be out of the shower by now. We can both go in. You can have first dibs. I think I’m going to brew up some coffee before you guys decide to hit the bars again.”

“Okay,” Deanna said and began to gather her belongings.

Lauren did the same, then stopped. “Deanna,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“Do you…do you think it was the man you ran into last night at the bar?”

“The cute guy?” Deanna asked.

“I didn’t really see him. I don’t know how cute he was,” Lauren said.

Deanna frowned in thought, then shook her head. “No. There was nothing…creepy about him. Now, the other guy…”

“What other guy?”

Deanna hesitated. “I don’t know,” she said, puzzled.

“You’re losing me. What are you talking about?” Lauren asked.

Deanna shook her head. “There are two guys.”

“Two guys?” Lauren said, frowning. “Do you mean Mark Davidson, maybe? Mark and the man you met at the bar?”

“No, Mark is your guy,” Deanna said.

“Then who do you mean?”

“I…don’t really know. Maybe I had too much to drink or something, but I can’t exactly remember. But I’m sure I’ve seen…or met…two men. The one at the bar last night. His name is Jonas. I like him. He’s very sweet. And I ran into him today, right when…”

“Right when what?”

“What you said,” Deanna told her. She sounded impatient.

“What I said about what?”

“The carriage ride.”

“You did take a carriage ride?”

“No. But I was tempted to.” She looked at Lauren. “This is crazy. You know what? I’m with you from now on when it comes to fortune-tellers. But…”

“But what?” Lauren persisted.

“There’s someone else,” Deanna said, troubled.

“The second man you’ve seen? Have you talked to him? Maybe you’ve just walked past him a few times or something. Deanna, I wish you made sense. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”