A Tiger's Tale (A Call of the Wilde Mystery) (6 page)

“Ozeal said she’s been trying to call her.” Caitlyn hesitated before admitting, “I tried to call Brooke, too, but she hasn’t answered.”

“Maybe I should go look for her. Do you know any of her hangouts? Someplace she might’ve gone?”

“She said she liked to hang out at the Regency Mall sometimes. But, you know, they make you stop hanging out with most of your old friends. I used to go out to Jax Beach but my PO says I can’t do that anymore. I mean, how is hanging at the beach supposed to be a bad influence? We even have a fu—” She caught herself and cast me a sidelong glance. “Uh. A freaking curfew. It sucks.”

“Sounds like it. Was there anyone in particular Brooke wasn’t supposed to see?”

“Her boyfriend, Stefan. He got busted for drugs.”

“Do you know his last name?”

She shook her head. “Sometimes, Brooke would call him Butter.”

“Butter? Is that like calling someone honey?”

Caitlyn giggled. “No. It’s his street name. ’Cause he thinks he’s smooth as butter.” She rolled her eyes.

“I take it you don’t think he’s so smooth?”

“He’s kind of a dick.” Her eyes widened. “Sorry.”

“Hey, call it like you see it—that’s what I do.”

She nodded. “I met him a couple of times.”

“He came here?”

She shrugged. “Me and Brooke would go to the movies; he’d meet her there.”

I thought it was really stupid to risk getting in trouble to see a boy. But it wasn’t my place to point that out. “You think he’s a jerk, huh?”

“He’s a total wangster. Like he’s all bad or something because he thinks he looks like that guy on
Pretty Little Liars
—you know, the bad boy, Caleb?” She rolled her eyes again. “Like you can grow your hair out and look like Tyler Blackburn.”

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I nodded anyway. “Total wangster. Do you know where Stefan lives?”

“Somewhere off Cesery, I think.”

Cesery was a long road with access to everything from housing projects to mansions, if you crossed over into Oak Park. Not the greatest lead, but it was a start.

We were quiet as we finished our task and finally I asked, “Do you know what’s up with Brooke’s parents?”

“What do you mean?”

“They haven’t reported her missing.”

Caitlyn shrugged. “Brooke said her mom told her if she ever ran away again, she shouldn’t come back. And her stepdad said she was cut off or something.”

“So Brooke and her parents didn’t get along?”

“She said her mom was just emotional but her stepdad’s a real asshole.” She shot me a guilty grimace. “Sorry.”

“Apologize to the donkeys, not me.”

She blinked at me. “Huh?”

“You know—they’re asses and . . . never mind.”

I helped Caitlyn maneuver the can through the gate but hung around as she headed off. I had an appointment with a jackass of my own.

I’d kept my eye on Jack-Jack while we cleaned the pen. As soon as Caitlyn was out of sight, I turned to find he’d moved away and turned his back on me.

“You’ll have to do better than that, buddy.” I slipped back through the gate and crept toward where he stood.

Here, donkey, donkey.

As I edged forward, I nudged Jack-Jack’s mind with my own.

Nothing.

He wasn’t just ignoring me, he was . . . blocking me?

“No way.”

It had taken me years to learn how to block out the intrusive buzz of the animal minds around me. Pulling a mental shield into place was tricky and took practice. I couldn’t believe a donkey could do it—not even one as smart as Jack-Jack.

I put my hand out and eased toward him. If I could get my hands on him, my connection would be stronger and I’d know for sure.

The other donkeys watched as I stalked closer to Jack-Jack. I cast out my feelers to them, thankful to find they weren’t alarmed. Donkeys could be very protective when they perceived a threat. The last thing I wanted was to be the victim of a misguided donkey stomp.

As I neared, Jack-Jack’s ears swiveled backward, listening. I was only a few feet away.

Closer. Closer . . . just before my hand connected with his rump, he trotted away.

I tried again with the same result. Each time, I would get within inches and he would prance off.

A game?

I glanced at my watch and saw I had time before I was supposed to meet Kai for pizza. If the little donkey wanted to play, so be it.

How about hide-and-seek?

I turned in a circle and began scanning the pen. Since Jack-Jack wasn’t going to let me come to him, maybe he’d come to me.

The donkeys, being grazers of the highest order, had shorn every blade of grass to oblivion. Their main source of food was a large pile of hay by the barn.

A small lean-to protected the hay container and feed buckets from the elements. I walked to the structure and looked for a good place to lie in wait. A glance over my shoulder told me Jack-Jack still stood with his back to me.

I edged closer to the hay, leapt into the pile, crouched, and covered myself as quickly as I could. I brought up my mental shield so I wouldn’t inadvertently broadcast my plan, and settled in with my back against the barn wall.

Now, all I had to do was wait for Jack-Jack to get close and I’d be able to touch him. Simple enough.

After a few minutes, I started to itch. Nothing horrible—just enough to make me want to squirm. I held still so I didn’t give myself away.

I could do this. Mind over matter.

The thought inspired a random Dr. Seuss quote to float through my mind.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

My mother had told me this repeatedly as a child.

It didn’t matter that I was different.

Different was beautiful.

But after the age of about five, people no longer thought it was cute when I told them I was talking to the squirrels. They thought it was weird.

Mom had stuck to her guns. “Your true friends will like you the way you are. Forget everyone else.”

I’d learned to forget a lot of people. Even people I thought loved me.

In college, I’d been dumped in spectacular fashion by Dane Harrington—of
the
Harringtons, one of the oldest, wealthiest families in the Southeast. He’d broken it off when I’d finally revealed my ability. Not because he thought I was crazy but because he thought I was a freak.

For a long time, I’d used that as an excuse to stay closed off, never letting anyone in.

Then I’d met Kai. A man of science who believed in my psychic ability despite everything he’d been taught. A man who made me feel things that scared me. A man who . . . was probably already on his way to meet me for dinner while I was hiding in a haystack trying to ambush a donkey.

I wasn’t crazy and I wasn’t a freak, but sometimes, I was really stupid.

I shot to my feet and staggered out of the hay, brushing myself off as I marched past the donkeys, who were clustered in the shade of a tree around a salt lick.

Jack-Jack coughed out a laughing bray—which I ignored—as I walked through the gate. As I climbed into Bluebell, I caught sight of the bag of Halloween candy. I knew one mini-donkey who would not be getting any more Skittles from me.

• • •

I managed to make it to the Pizza Bar only a few minutes late. Like always, I felt a little rush when Kai saw me and smiled.

His smile widened as I slid into the booth across from him.

“Is that a piece of straw in your hair?”

“Probably.” Stupid donkey. I reached up and began patting my head as I inwardly vowed to retaliate. After a few seconds, Kai leaned across the table and gently pulled the stalk free.

He held it up, then locked his eyes on me. “You haven’t been rolling in the hay with someone else, have you?”

“Uh . . . nope.” I met his gaze, ignoring the heat that threatened to flush into my cheeks.

The waitress arrived, saving me from having to come up with anything better. We ordered a couple of beers and a half-veggie, half-pepperoni pizza.

“How did everything go with your call?” The restaurant was packed and noisy enough that I knew we wouldn’t be overheard talking about a murder scene.

“Busy. We’re shorthanded.” He waved the subject away. “What about you? Did you get anywhere with the other girl in the rehab program?”

“Caitlyn. Surprisingly, she opened up to me.” At least I thought she had. “She told me where Brooke used to hang out, so I guess I’ll look into that. And Brooke has a boyfriend—Stefan someone. He also goes by the name Butter, if you can believe that.”

“I’ve heard some stupid street names.”

“Well, according to Caitlyn, Stefan is a total wangster. Whatever that means.”

“It means he’s a wannabe gangster. Someone who looks the part but isn’t a member of any gang,” Kai said. “How long has Brooke been on probation?”

“About a year.”

He nodded. “Brooke’s old hangouts are worth checking on, but they might not lead anywhere. Hot spots tend to move depending on how many times the cops have shown up there. Plus, if you start nosing around, you might spook someone who knows where she is.”

I hadn’t considered that. “Caitlyn also said Brooke didn’t get along well with her parents. No big surprise there. Other than that, I didn’t get very far.” I explained briefly about my run-in with Brooke’s probation officer. “The woman didn’t even acknowledge she knew who Brooke was.”

“Brooke’s a minor. Legally, her probation officer can’t tell you anything.”

“I know, but she acted like she couldn’t have cared less about Brooke. And she was creepy.”

He arched an eyebrow at that.

“Trust me. Clara Johnston is like the ice cream man who keeps dead bodies in his truck next to the Dreamsicles.”

“You’ve been watching too many horror films.”

“It’s almost Halloween, what else is on?”

Our waitress brought the drinks, and I took a sip of cold Abita beer. “I’m not sure where to go next,” I said.

“The only thing you can do is hope her parents call the police and report her missing.”

I blew out a frustrated breath, shook my head, then angled it as I studied him.

“Are you saying that because you really think there’s nothing I can do, or because you still don’t think Brooke was kidnapped?”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“No, you’re trying to discourage me.”

“Right. Because that would work.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Grace, you’re one of the most hardheaded people I’ve ever met. It would take a tsunami to discourage you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a little tenacious.”

“A little?”

“Okay, a lot. Who cares? If being stubborn means I stick to what I know is right, then so be it. And I
know
Brooke was kidnapped. There’s no other reason Boris would tell me she was taken.”

“How can he tell the difference between going willingly and being taken by force?”

“Boris may not have a human understanding of some things, but he’s a predator, Kai. Whatever happened to Brooke, it wasn’t friendly.”

The pizza arrived, but I’d suddenly lost my appetite. I stared at my plate, frustrated that I hadn’t found any evidence to bolster my argument, and hurt that I needed it.

“Grace,” Kai said softly when the waitress left.

I met his gaze, knowing my face reflected the chill I suddenly felt toward him.

He leaned forward, keeping his eyes on mine. “You shouldn’t do that if you want my help.”

“What?” I asked as he scooped a slice of pizza onto my plate then served himself.

“I want to learn more about your ability, Grace. I can’t do that if you freeze me out every time I start asking questions.”

I blinked at him. “Wait, you mean all the questions about Boris are because you want to understand?”

“That’s how this works. You asked for my help. I can’t do that if I don’t understand all the facts.”

“Oh.”

“Why do you think I’m asking?”

“I didn’t think you believed me.”

“I told you last night I believed you.”

“I know, it’s just—” I stopped, not knowing how to explain without feeling like more of an idiot.

Flustered, I did the only thing I could think of—I took a big bite of pizza. Though I was going to need more than a moment to work through my thoughts.

I wasn’t about to admit that a disastrous college romance had left me hesitant to open up to others—that was pathetic. Even though I’d come to learn that people could accept my ability, I still assumed the other shoe was always poised to drop.

I washed down the pizza with a swig of beer and sighed. “I can confess my deepest fears to a cockatoo but can’t figure out how to talk to another person. How crazy is that?”

“A little.” His tone was teasing. “I have another question.”

“Of course you do.”

“Do you have a problem talking to everyone or just me?”

I thought about it. “I don’t socialize well. But besides that, you fall into a special category.”

He raised his brows with a grin. “Which is . . . ?”

“Outside my family, I can count on one hand the number of people who know about my ability.”

“Even your friend, Tiger Bait?”

“Hugh?” I frowned. “He doesn’t know.”

“Really?” Kai studied my face, though I wasn’t sure what he was looking for.

“Yes, really. He’d think I was nuts—like you did.”

“So I
am
special. Good.” The playful gleam in his eyes heated, as if lit by an inner fire.

Suddenly, it seemed to have grown hot in the small restaurant. “Anyway, you’re the only person who’s interrogated me.”

“Once.”

“More than once. And you’re doing it again.”

“You’re telling me no one ever asks you about your ability? What about your clients?”

“They don’t know the truth. As long as I get results, people don’t care about the how.”

“And your family? Your parents never questioned you? Even when you were little?”

“Not the way you do.”

He leaned back and studied me. “I like the idea of being special to you, Grace. But not if it means you don’t like talking to me.”

“I don’t like talking to anyone—” Kai’s phone rang, cutting me off, which was good because I had no idea what I was going to say.

“I’ve got to head back in,” Kai said and signaled the waitress.

She dropped off the check, then brought us a box for the two remaining pieces of pizza. Kai laid a few bills on the table and asked if I wanted to take home the leftovers.

I shook my head. “Share them with Jake. He always says he doesn’t eat when he’s working.”

“You’re going to meet me at the range tomorrow?” he asked as he walked me out.

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

He smirked. “You miss a lot, which is why you need to be on time.”

“I’m getting better.”

We reached Bluebell, and I was starting to feel awkward about how we’d ended the conversation earlier.

I hesitated before opening the car door then turned to Kai and blurted, “I want to do it.”

His brows shot up.

“Talk to you!” I clarified, embarrassment making my voice an octave higher. “I want to talk to you.”

“Okay.” Kai moved toward me, a slight smile curving his lips.

“I mean—not now.” I swallowed hard and said more calmly, “That’s what makes you special—that I want to.”

Kai placed his hands lightly on my hips and leaned closer. The heat of his body seemed to wash over me.

“One day, we’re going to have a real date—and I’ll get to kiss you good night.”

“We have to have a real date?”

His smile widened. His gaze heated as his eyes locked on my mouth.

My phone wailed the opening notes of “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne. I nearly jumped out of my skin and Kai eased back.

Damn Emma and her obnoxious ring tones. I fumbled with my phone, finally hitting the button to silence it.

“Sorry—my sister.” A few moments later the phone chimed to announce I had a text message. I glanced at the screen.