Of course, you realize,” Jake said, scowling, “that all this time you and I were tied for first place as the murderer.”
From the hospital bed Elliott gave a wan smile.
“Well, can you blame me?” Darcy chuckled. “Every time I turned around, Elliott was showing up, watching me.”
“He was keeping his eye on you a lot more often than you ever knew,” Jake retorted. “He’s very good at hiding.”
“So he told me.” Darcy moved closer to the side of the bed, gazing earnestly down into Elliott’s face.
“I’m sorry, Elliott. If it hadn’t been for you—”
“Come on, let’s not get dramatic here,” Jake interrupted. “I just didn’t trust my creditors, that’s all. They’ve been known to get ugly when they don’t get paid.” He lifted his bandaged hand and pointed first to the cuts on his face, then to his injured eye, which was finally beginning to resume its normal color. “That’s why I had Elliott tailing you in the first place, so they wouldn’t get any ideas about using you to get back at me. How was I supposed to know what was really going on?”
“When Jake found out you were staying with him for a while, he told us he was going to put a lookout on you.” From the chair in the corner Brandon spoke for the first time. “We didn’t think anything about it—we knew Jake owed money to some pretty mean characters. We thought it was a smart thing to do.”
Darcy looked at Jake in surprise. “So that’s why you told me to stay away from you.”
“And why I was so nervous at the market that day—two guys jumped me the night before, and I got some pretty good licks in before they sliced up my hand.” Jake shook his head. “Then they tried to burn down the Club. That’s when I decided I just can’t live like this anymore. So yesterday I went to the cops and to a lawyer to try and get my life back on track. That’s where I was when you tried to call me about Liz.”
“And you didn’t think it was a little strange when all those weird things started happening to me?” Darcy accused them.
“I thought it might be Liz at first,” Jake said. “And then I thought you were just imagining things. You know, just coincidences.”
“I thought it might be Liz,” Brandon admitted.
“Then I thought it might be you,” Jake said to Brandon.
“Me! You jerk! Why’d you think it was me?”
“You’re too smooth, Brandon—too slick. I’ve known guys just like you my whole life, and I wouldn’t trust any of them.” Jake looked like he was trying to hide a smile as Brandon’s mouth opened in indignation. “When Darcy told me about Liz’s warning, I sat up waiting for you and had Elliott take Darcy and hide her.”
“Well, that’s just great—”
“You didn’t have to drug me, did you?” Darcy joined in.
“I didn’t want you getting all nervous,” Jake defended himself. “And I’m sorry about the ropes and gag—when I told Elliott to keep you quiet, I didn’t know he’d take me so literally! I figured I’d catch Brandon, and you’d sleep through the whole thing. Anyway, if I’d told you I suspected him, you’d never have believed me.”
“I don’t know …” Darcy cast a sly look at Brandon, who was looking injured all over again.
“So Kyle slugged you on the head, and you slept through the whole thing,” Brandon snorted to Jake. “Some hero.”
“Why did you come over?” Darcy glanced from Brandon to Jake and back again. “On the phone you thought I was being ridiculous.”
“Well, I kept thinking how funny it was, the way you just hung up on me like that, when you’d been so upset. And the more I thought about it, the weirder it seemed. So I finally thought, what the hell, I’ll just go over and see for myself if you’re okay. That’s when I found Jake, and we realized what was really going on. If I hadn’t gotten there when I did, I hate to even think what would have happened.”
The implication was sobering, and their faces went grim.
Elliott’s eyes flashed to Darcy, then away. “I found that girl at the market that morning. I touched her, and she was dead. I was scared for you.”
Darcy’s eyes misted. “Oh, Elliott …”
“I thought you would die. I saw it in a dream. That’s why I wanted to watch you.”
For a long moment there was silence. It was Jake who finally broke it, his voice quiet and uncustomarily sad.
“I never thought about Kyle. He was always the balanced one. The sensitive one. I never dreamed …” He trailed off and looked unhappily at Brandon. “How’s Liz taking it all?”
Brandon shook his head and looked away. “She said … she has a lot of soul-searching to do.”
“Yeah, well …” Jake mumbled. “Maybe we all do, huh?”
“She wants to see him.” Brandon gave a smile. “But Kyle won’t do it. I don’t know … maybe it’ll happen. Someday.”
Jake straightened, clapping his hands on his thighs, breaking the uncomfortable mood. “So what about you? You and Liz patch things up?”
Brandon shrugged evasively. “Well—hey—us famous actors don’t have much time for romance, you know? There’s so much adoration out there and so little of us to go around.” He looked pleased with himself as Jake laughed. Even Elliott looked amused and shook his head indulgently.
“And anyway”—Brandon cast Jake a sly look—“I might be pretty busy, visiting Darcy at her aunt’s house. She does get back tomorrow, right?”
“But you don’t know where she lives.” Jake stretched and looked totally unperturbed. “I know where she lives … but you don’t.”
“But I can find out—”
“I want everyone to come and see me,” Darcy broke in, laughing. “I can’t stand Aunt … Piranha.” She winked at Jake, who winked back. “You’ll come and get me, won’t you, Jake? I mean, I do still have a summer job, don’t I?”
Brandon raised an eyebrow. “Oh, right. Never trust a guy who lives with monsters, Darcy. He’ll either lock you in the attic with his bats or put you in one of his exhibits in the dungeon.”
“I’ve been in one of the exhibits,” Darcy returned, deadpan. “I prefer the bats.”
“You can tell the future, Elliott.” Brandon leaned back, folding his arms lazily across his chest. “Care to give a prediction?”
Elliott looked at Darcy, as if studying her face. “I see happiness,” he said quietly. “And people who care about you.”
As Jake grinned and Brandon nodded, Darcy reached out to squeeze Elliott’s hand.
“Well”—she smiled, nodding at the three who watched her—“that would certainly be a nice change.”