CHAPTER 94
MICHELLE PACED IN HER ROOM at Casa Battle like a caged beast looking for any possible opening to squeeze through to freedom. King had gone to Sylvia's for dinner. Why that bothered her she wasn't sure. Well, maybe she was sure. She hadn't been invited. And why exactly did that surprise her?
She finally bolted from her room, took the main stairs two at a time and went into the family room. She hadn't seen Remmy all day. Dorothea was probably asleep. She slept a lot. Who could blame her? She was ruined financially, had a drug problem, was still suspected of murdering Kyle Montgomery, and her husband had turned out to be a deranged killer and was on the loose. If it were Michelle, she'd probably sleep for the rest of her life.
She stopped when she saw Savannah coming down the hall. The young woman was no longer dressing like her mother. Perhaps the invincibility of Remmy Battle was wearing thin. She had on low-slung jeans that showed the top edge of her black thong panties, a short off-the-shoulder blouse and no shoes on her feet, the toenails painted a candy-apple red.
She looked up in surprise when she saw Michelle there, as though she wasn't even aware the woman had been staying with them all this time.
'How's it going, Savannah?'
Savannah 's face clouded over. 'Oh, just great. Father dead, sister-in-law a vegetable, mother whacked out, brother a serial killer. How's it going with you?'
'Sorry, poor choice of words.'
'Forget it. It's not like you've had it easy either.'
'Compared to your family, I think everyone on earth has had it easy.' She paused, wondering whether to simply go back to her room and sulk. Rejecting that option, she said, 'I was going to make some coffee. You interested?'
Savannah hesitated before answering, 'Sure, it's not like I've got any plans.'
The two women sat on a couch in the family room with their cups of coffee.
Michelle looked toward the window where the rain was starting to ping against the panes. 'Sounds like a storm is really blowing in,' she said. 'I hope Sean gets back soon.'
'He's at Sylvia's?'
'That's right. He just went for dinner.'
'Are you two sleeping together?'
Michelle flinched at this blunt question. 'Who, me and Sylvia?' she joked.
'You know who I mean.'
'No, we're not. Not that it's any of your business.'
'If I worked with Sean, I'd sleep with him.'
'Good for you. But not really good for a stellar working relationship.'
'You like him, don't you?'
'Yes, and I respect him. And I'm glad we're business partners.'
'But that's all?'
'Why are you so interested in this?'
'Probably because I don't think I'll ever have anything like that. I mean someone in my life.'
'What, are you crazy? You're young, beautiful and rich. You'll have your pick of any man you want. That's just the way the world works.'
Savannah stared at her pointedly. 'No, I won't.'
'Of course you will. Why wouldn't you?'
Savannah started biting her nails.
Michelle reached over and snatched the hand out of Savannah 's mouth. 'Little kids bite their nails, Savannah. And while we're asking each other blunt questions, why don't you get your name taken off your ass? That might help your marriage prospects, if you're so worried about it.'
'That wouldn't help.'
Michelle eyed her warily. 'Why the poor-little-me routine?'
Savannah suddenly exploded. 'Because what if I'm as crazy as the rest of my family? My father was totally screwed up. My brother's a killer. Now I found out my other brother had syphilis. My mother is a freak unto herself. Even my sister-in-law is a total mess. It's a disease. You come into contact with the Battles, you're doomed. So what the hell chance do I have? I've got no chance. None!' She dropped her cup of coffee on the floor, pulled herself into a ball and started sobbing.
Michelle stared at her for a long moment, wondering if she even wanted to get involved in this. Finally, she reached over and hugged the woman tightly, said soothing words to her without really knowing their source. As the thunder boomed outside, Savannah 's sobs started to recede, but the young woman still clung to Michelle as though she were the only friend she'd ever had or ever would have.
All Michelle really wanted to do was get out of this place as fast as she could. She would even tackle the homicidal Eddie head-on, so long as it was away from Casa Battle. And yet she stayed right there and embraced the sobbing woman and whispered comforting things into her ear. Michelle held her like she was her own flesh and blood, silently thanking God she wasn't. For who knew, Savannah could well be right about everything she'd just said. Maybe the Battles were cursed.
CHAPTER 95
'THIS REALLY HAS BEEN a wonderful evening, Sean.'
He and Sylvia had returned to the house and were sitting in the small glass-enclosed patio off the kitchen, observing the bad weather coming in.
'I love watching storms on the lake,' she said. 'It's even prettier in the daytime, when you can see it come right over the mountain's crest.'
She turned to see him staring at her. 'What?'
'I was just thinking there's something far lovelier than a storm, and it's sitting right next to me.'
She smiled. 'Is that a leftover pickup line from your college days?'
'Yes, but the big difference is I mean it now.'
They moved closer to each other, his arm went around her shoulders and she rested her head against his chest.
'Like I said before, it's nice to be taken care of for a change,' she said.
'You two really make a great couple, you really do.'
Sylvia screamed and jerked up. King half rose from the couch before he saw it was pointless with the gun pointed at him. He sat back.
Eddie Battle leaned against the doorway, still in his wet suit, aiming his pistol first at Sean and then at Sylvia. The laser aimer danced across their torsos like a red-hot ember on a puppeteer's string.
'In fact, you're so adorable if I had a camera I'd take a photo.'
'What the hell do you want, Eddie?'
'What do I want? What do I want, Sean?'
King moved in front of Sylvia as Eddie stepped into the room.
'That's what I asked.'
'You know, I like you. I really do. I'm not pissed that you're the one who ran me down. It was a nice little battle of wits. In fact, I figured it would be you. That's why I tried to take out you and Michelle at your houseboat.'
'Why don't you save everybody a lot of trouble and just give yourself up? There's a deputy right outside.'
'No, not right outside, Sean,' he corrected. 'He's at the end of the driveway in his cruiser. I checked. And with the storm howling I could shoot both of you, throw a party, and he'd never even know it.'
