She assumed that Miranda had picked that particular location to ensure her own safety. The woman had sounded genuinely spooked when she had talked about “Bluebeard” to her.
Her pulse hammering, Krys arrived at the park in minutes. She pulled into the park via its only entrance and then drove into the general area that was reserved for people who wanted to enjoy the family park.
Given that it was the middle of the week, there weren’t all that many people in the park. In Krys’s estimation, the park attendants probably outnumbered the people who had actually come to the park to enjoy a picnic with their small children.
Ian’s car had turned out to handle a lot better than she had thought it would. It had started out a little sluggish, but once it kicked into gear, it drove very smoothly.
Thank heaven for small favors.
After parking the car in a designated spot for vehicles, Krys went to the appointed area that she’d agreed to meet the woman—by the picnic tables.
Every step she took seemed to vibrate through her.
She looked around, and at first she didn’t see a lone woman who resembled the general description Miranda had given her. She was afraid that the woman had had a change of heart.
And then a movement by one of the tall shade trees along the perimeter caught her eye. She saw a flash of yellow. Looking, she saw that it turned out to be blond hair.
Krys wanted to call out to the woman, then decided against it. During their brief conversation earlier, Miranda had struck her as being definitely skittish. Krys didn’t want to risk scaring her or say anything that would make Miranda take off before she had a chance to talk to her.
So Krys picked her way carefully over to the woman’s location, keeping her stride even and never taking her eyes off her.
She didn’t say a single word until she was practically right on top of her quarry.
“Miranda?”
Startled, the tall, thin woman swung around. Krys couldn’t tell if Miranda was going to bolt or take a swing at her. Prepared for anything, Krys took a precautionary step back and caught the woman by the arm.
“Miranda, it’s me. Krys,” she told the woman in a calming voice meant to reassure her. “You called me earlier, remember?”
Myriad emotions filtered across the attractive face. Krys couldn’t even begin to guess what was going through Miranda’s head.
“You’re here,” Miranda finally said in an almost surprised, breathless voice.
“Yes, I told you that I would be,” Krys said. “And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she apologized. She saw the woman’s eyes darting about. It made her think of a deer that had been caught in the headlights and didn’t know which way to run. She guessed at what Miranda was afraid of. “Don’t worry, I didn’t bring anyone with me. I’m alone. Completely alone,” Krys emphasized.
“Just like me,” she thought she heard Miranda murmur coldly under her breath. And then a strange look came into the woman’s sad eyes. “How do I know that you came alone?” Miranda asked. “You could have people planted all around here,” she accused in a nasty voice. “Listening.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Krys insisted. “You told me not to.”
But Miranda’s eyes continued darting around the immediate area. “I don’t want to stand out in the open like this,” she insisted. “Anyone can see us.”
Krys looked around, then pointed over in the distance. “There’s a more secluded area a little ways from here. There’re some benches there overlooking the lake.” She smiled, recalling something she had once read. “I think it’s a romantic spot for teenagers. They go there at night thinking that they were the first ones to ever invent giving in to their romantic urges.” She was hoping to put the other woman at ease. “We could go there if you like. Nobody will bother us in the daytime,” she speculated.
Miranda nodded. “That sounds good,” she agreed. She gestured ahead of her. “Why don’t you lead the way?”
Something cautioned Krys not to move ahead. Instead she said, “The terrain is a little bit rocky around here. I think we’d be better off going over there together. That way, if one of us happens to slip, the other one can grab her arm and hold on to her.”
Miranda’s expression told Krys she didn’t really like this suggestion, but finally the woman pressed her lips together, sighed and reluctantly nodded. “All right, we’ll do it your way. Where’re these benches again?”
“They’re right this way,” Krys answered.
She began to slip her arm through Miranda’s. She intended on guiding her to the benches, but the woman abruptly jerked her arm away, acting as if she had just been burned.
“What’s the matter?” Krys asked, surprised by the other woman’s reaction.
“You touched me!” Miranda cried, her voice cracking. And then she seemed to get herself under control. “I don’t like being touched.”
Being touched probably reminded Miranda of what Bluebeard had done to her, or perhaps even what he might have tried to do to her, Krys thought. She should have realized that.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Miranda. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, you weren’t thinking, were you?” Miranda accused, raising her voice again, glaring at Krys. “You weren’t thinking at all.”
Krys stared at the woman. Miranda was beginning to look more and more wild-eyed and incensed.
She had dealt with crazy people before and this was beginning to feel like that, Krys thought. “Excuse me?”
“No, I can’t,” Miranda shouted at her. Before Krys was able to say anything or realized what was happening, Miranda seemed to be having a meltdown right in front of her.
The woman pushed her hard. Krys stumbled, hitting her back against one of the trees that were spread out in the immediate area. They offered seclusion for those who wanted it.
She should have given this more thought, Krys realized, before she agreed to this location. She stepped away before
