Kasey climbed into the car beside Leena. “I was almost looking forward to all of us getting together tonight.” She did up her seat belt. “If it wasn’t to read an autopsy report, I would definitely look forward to it.”
Leena laughed. “You just want to see Chris again. Really, Kase I don’t know why you don’t just tell the man how you feel.”
Kasey sighed, “I’ve wanted to, and then I remember I’m a factory worker and he’s a lawyer. Could you see me schmoozing at social events with him? So, Miss Wright, what line are you in?” She grinned. “Oh, Mister Successful, I’m in recycled paper, quite literally most days, when one of the machines jam.”
Leena pulled out into the traffic. “I don’t think it would matter to Chris if you worked at the dump, hun.”
Kasey sat silent for a few minutes. “Maybe.” She grinned, “I wanted to just climb right on top of his drum during the May Eve dance. That man sure can kiss.” Then she leaned toward her. “I noticed Mr. Grey held your interest without much effort as well, Ms. Duncan.”
Leena grinned at the windshield. “No, he has no problems doing that at all.” She laughed. “When I was in school I watched him constantly, but I was five years younger, and didn’t have breasts at that point, he never really noticed.”
“Well, you should show him them now and see if he notices.”
Leena’s mouth gaped at the suggestion. “I don’t think that’s advisable. We’re friends.”
Kasey looked over at her. “I’m sure he’d rather be a lot more, Lee.”
“Probably.”
“He’s not Tyler. He’s not going to bang you around, Leena. I don’t think he’d hurt a fly.”
Leena looked over at her then back out the windshield again. “I know. I’m just not ready yet.”
Kasey put her hands over her face. “Six years is more than long enough. You were a kid then. I was a kid. Tyler wasn’t, but he was an asshole. Have you ever heard from him?”
Leena shook her head. “Not since the divorce. I’m hoping he moved to Bermuda and got lost there. Start watching the house numbers. We should almost be there.”
She grinned. “At least meeting at Owen’s, we’ll get a peek at his house. I think the way a bachelor lives says a lot about the type of person he is.”
Kasey shrugged, “That would make the Doc a slob then.”
Leena leaned forward to look at the numbers. “Steven is so busy at the hospital, I’m sure he only comes home to drop his clothes on the floor, shower, sleep, and wake up to do it all again. We’re here.”
They all sat around the living room in silence. The pages Chris brought with him were being passed around one by one.
“So...” Leena took a deep breath before continuing. “Basically, these don’t tell us much but how they were killed?” Steven lowered the sheet. “They tell us a lot more than that, Leena. First, they weren’t violated in any way. I don’t know about you, but I feel better knowing there isn’t a rapist running around. They also tell us the type of knife, but as almost everyone there would have some sort of athame or blade, isn’t any help. The killer was left-handed, which helps a bit in narrowing down people.” He took a drink from his cup and shook his head. “According to the decomposition of cells, we know that they died approximately when all of us were tucked up in our bunks.”
“Please,” Kasey said as she held up a hand. “I understand what you’re saying, Doc, but please try to refrain from using words like decomposition.”
Rachel nodded quickly in agreement.
“I say we take a break for a few minutes.” Dade suggested as he got up and walked around the room.
Chris reached down to the woman resting her back against his chair. “You okay, Kase? Want a drink of something?” She shook her head, but didn’t move away from his hand rubbing across her shoulders.
“Is this all you were sent, Chris?” Leena referred to the reports on the table.
Owen ran his hand over his face, and she scowled at him.
“There’s more?”
Chris stopped rubbing Kasey’s neck and looked over at her. “There are pictures, but I wasn’t going to just drop them on the table. We men know what they looked like. We wrapped them up.”
Rachel bolted up from the carpet. “I can’t look at those. I can’t see them and ever close my eyes again. I can’t.” She headed out of the room toward the kitchen. Steven was up and going after her before anyone else could move.
Dade stopped across the room from Cora and looked at her. “It won’t help you find him by looking at morgue photos, Coralee.”
Cora lowered her head. “I know, Dade.” She looked over at him with a sad look in her eyes. “I can’t look at them either.” She glanced over at Leena.
“I’d like to think I could not fall apart, but I can’t be certain. I still see them when I close my eyes sometimes.” Owen stood up and walked toward Leena. She met his eyes. “But maybe I’ll notice something.”
Owen stopped in front of her. “Something the trained professionals doing the autopsy wouldn’t notice? Come on, Leena.” He towered over her. As he looked down, he knew from the sadness in her face he wasn’t going to stand a chance against those eyes.
“I want to look, too,” Kasey whispered. “Maybe I’ll recognize them and remember someone that was hanging around them, or something.” Chris’s hand tightened on her shoulder for a moment. “Kase...”
“No, Chris, I need to. I’ll probably regret it, but I need to.” She turned to him and held out her hand.
Swearing under his breath, he reached into his briefcase. As he pulled them out, he looked around the room and hoped someone would stop this.
Kasey stood up and took the pictures from him. She held them against her chest and looked at Chris. He didn’t say anything, but she could see in his eyes how much he didn’t want her to look.
“Give them back, Kase. Put them away, Chris.” Leena stood up and walked toward Kasey. She knew Kasey was trying to prove something to Chris, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she allowed Kasey to do it. Chris stood up and reached out slowly, taking the pictures from her hand, then pulled her small body against his and hugged her tightly. He just stood with her head burrowed in his chest, running his hand up and down her back.
With a tear running down her cheek, Leena turned and looked at Owen before quickly walking out of the room and hoping somewhere along the way she’d find a bathroom to hide in for a moment.
When she opened the bathroom door, she wasn’t surprised to see Owen leaning against the wall across from it. “I’m fine.”
He stepped over to her and pulled her gently to him and wrapped her tightly in his arms. “I know. I’m not, though.” Owen lowered his face into her hair and inhaled. She still smelled of fresh leaves and rain. Leena wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. She knew he was doing better than her, but accepted the small lie because she needed to be held for a moment or two. “Are Kase and Rachel all right?”
Owen nodded and leaned her back to look at her. “They’re okay.” He brushed the hair back from her face, his palm lingering on her cheek. “I missed you these last few days,” he whispered. “I thought about you too much.” Her eyes held his.
“There you two are. We’re thinking of healing circle.”
Owen continued to hold her and turned to look at Dade, who was standing there with his hands in his pockets, giving him a big grin. “We’re coming.”
Leena pulled her arms from around him and grinned. “We better go.”
“You aren’t going to run from me forever.”
“I’m not running, Owen. I’m just not ready for more.”
“Fair enough.” He put his arm around her and led her back toward the living room. “What is a healing circle, and am I going to get hurt?” he whispered.
She laughed and patted his cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
The eight sat in a circle on the living room floor, surrounding a plate, with small candles burning on it. Candles that had appeared from thin air, for as far as Owen knew, he didn’t keep any in the house. To his right sat Leena. To his left, Cora, across from him was Chris, who held Rachel’s and Kasey’s hands.
Leena spoke quietly to Owen. “Hold each hand lightly in a comfortable position, and close your eyes. We’ll do the rest.”
He dropped his head down, relaxed, and closed his eyes. He could hear a few chanting softly. He startled and almost let go of Cora’s hand when he felt heat go through his hand and up his arm to travel all the way through him, then down his other arm into the hand that Leena held. It didn’t burn but was more of a warm energetic tingle.
Twice more this happened, each time he felt the same warm buzz spread through his body. He chanced opening his eyes to look at everyone. They all felt the tingle too, he could tell by their expressions. Looking at Leena, he noticed her eyes were open and she watched him, a smile on her face.
“Feel better?”
He grinned. “Much.”
Dade looked down at Cora’s hand in his own. “Do you need a ride home, Coralee?”
Cora pulled her hand from his and smiled sweetly. “I’m not relaxed enough to climb into that van with you, Dade Jones.”
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”
Rachel burst out laughing, and everyone else followed suit.
“Wow, if you guys could bottle and sell that, you’d be rich!” Owen leaned back on his elbows. “I’ve never felt a buzz like this before in my life without the help of a mind-altering substance. It’s boggling.”
Steven grinned over at him as he stood up. “We save that for special occasions, and never when we’ve been drinking.” He glanced down at his watch. “I have to go; I’m in serious need of sleep.”
“So, what day are we meeting next week?” Rachel asked as she stood up and picked up the plate of candles.
“Wednesday work for everyone?” They all nodded at Steven as he put on his jacket. “Let me know the location.” He headed out the door.
Cora stood up and walked to the kitchen with her cup.
Dade scrambled up after her.
Owen smiled up at Leena. It was as though Leena knew the look in his eyes and shook her head. “No.”
“Aw, but why not?”
She laughed. “If you kissed me right now, I’d melt into a puddle at your feet.” She stood up and walked out toward the kitchen.
Owen stood up and went after her. “I’m not seeing the problem with that, Lee...”
They both stopped in the doorway and looked at Cora wrapped around Dade in front of the dishwasher, their mouths devouring each other. He smirked. “That’s easier to use if you open the door.”
Leena smacked his arm as Dade and Cora jumped apart.
Dade threw a nasty look his way and then shrugged at Cora. “We’d have figured that out eventually.”
Cora let out a deep breath. “No more healing circles around these men, Leena.”
Leena grinned, “It’s never had quite this effect before.”
Walking back out of the kitchen, the four stopped and stared at Kasey and Chris. She lay with her head in his lap just looking at him, and he beamed down at her.
“Comfy?” Dade drawled slowly at them.
“Quite,” Chris answered without looking away from Kasey.
“Okay, who spiked the energy with all this?” Cora demanded, waving her hands about at all the couples.
“I blame Leena,” Dade whispered.
Leena spun around and looked at him. “I did not! It was one of you men.” She smirked. “It is more interesting, though, isn’t it?”
Rachel came back from the bathroom and looked around at everyone. “What have I missed now?”
They all burst out laughing.
“Obviously, there has to be an attraction for it to work,” Kasey mused as she sat up.
“Attraction to what?” Rachel demanded in a plaintive tone.
Cora picked up her jacket. “I’ll explain on the way home.”
Chris stood up and picked up his briefcase. “I have to get going, too.” He watched Kasey walk out of the room. “See you next week.” He sauntered out.
Dade went out the door with no more than a wave.
“He’s probably chasing after Cora.” Owen turned when he heard the door down the hallway close. Then he turned back to Leena and grinned. “Come here, pretty Lee.” He crooked his finger at her. “Come on, you’re dying to know how we kiss with the way we’re feeling.” He pulled on her hand to drag her closer.
“Maybe.” She looked down the hall. “But Kasey...”
“Isn’t in the room right now.” He pulled her up against him and gave her no room to object. Holding her waist tightly, he lowered his mouth to hers, and the heat hit him without warning. Gasping for breath, he reached up and fisted his hand in her hair and pulled her mouth up to his again.
Kissing him back, she moaned and leaned into him and grasped the front of his shirt as she stood on her toes to fit her body closer to his. She sighed when he lifted his mouth.
Owen rested his forehead against hers he smiled. “We need to be alone.”
She ran her hands up and down his back, enjoying the feel of the muscle under his shirt. “Not yet.”
“But soon,” he whispered against her lips.
“I...” His lips brushing hers cut off what she wanted to say, and then he was stepping back as she heard Kasey walking down the hallway.
“Meet me this weekend, Leena?”
She started to shake her head.
“For research... I have pages and pages of questions, and I’ve got about twenty books of information, but I’m still lost.” He gave her a coy smile. “Please?”
He looked like a little boy, with his hands in his pockets and a smile aimed at her. She glanced at Kasey, who stood silently in the doorway grinning.
“Come out on Sunday morning, and wear old clothes. I want to start on some yard work.” She smiled. “We can help sort you out while my flower beds get their spring cleaning.”
“I’ll be there.”
Kasey stepped into the room. “You should come to the factory sometime, Owen, and have a tour. Maybe you could help convince your publishers to use more recycled paper.”
He laughed. “Convincing them my stories are worth printing, can be hard enough at times. But I’ll see what I can do.” He paused for a moment. “As long as you keep me clear of any path Rachel might be driving on.”
Kasey laughed as she picked up her jacket. “She’s been enjoying that new toy a little too much this week. I almost lost my foot a few times.”
Leena paused to look at her. “I’ve been watching and thought she was behaving herself with it.”
“Of course you would. She put a bit of a buzz on the contraption, and it slows when you look at it.”
Leena’s mouth dropped open. “Really? And what happened to our agreement to keep magic and work separate?”
Kasey grinned. “Oh, I don’t know, Miz Innocent. I was pretty sure that frightfully windy day had a touch of magic. You know, the one that prevented the big boss from being able to hang out around the shipping docks to see how efficient the system was.”
“Doc’s right, you ladies are crazy.” Owen stated.
Leena burst out laughing. “Well, the boss wouldn’t know an efficient system if it bit him on the butt. I was saving him from Rachel covering him in some sort of rash. He grates on her nerves.”
Owen sobered. “I really need to watch my step around you four.”
“You’re doing quite well.” She waved a hand. “Accepting all of this. All of us.”
He shrugged. “It’s like living in one of my stories.”
“Please, I’ve read your stories. The wizard one scared the breath out of me.”
He grinned, “But the time travel one wasn’t frightening.”
Kasey jumped forward. “You wrote that? Oh, my gosh! I forgot that one. I can’t believe it. I wore out two copies of that!” She straightened and clasped his hand. “I really, really need to pick your brain, Owen,” she almost purred.
“You do?” He knew he looked puzzled.
“Kasey wants to write, is constantly writing.” Leena smiled at Owen looking down at the small woman holding his hand. “She’s just never gotten up the nerve to actually try and get published.”
“What do you write, Kase?”
She dropped his hand. “Fiction, fluffy fiction compared to your stories. They’re not very good, really...”
“E-mail me something, and I’ll give it a read.”
Kasey clasped her hand over her mouth. “Really?”
Owen grinned. “Really.” He winked at Leena. “Maybe if I discover a bright new star, my publisher will get off my back. They want more from me, but I need time between books.”
Kasey launched herself into his arms and almost climbed him.
He caught her and looked helplessly at Leena.
“Kase, get off Owen and say thank you.”
Kasey jumped off him and blushed. “Sorry.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you!”
He wandered over to the table and wrote on a piece of paper. “Just send a few chapters to me, and I’ll read it.” He handed her the paper. “Getting to that first acceptance is the hardest part.”
Kasey moaned. “I know. They want a query, then synopsis, and the guidelines seem to be different for each, it’s overwhelming. I don’t have an agent, don’t know where to even get one of those...”
Owen held up his hand. “Let me read what you’re working on, and we’ll go from there.”
She smiled again and picked up her purse. “Thank you.”
Leena shook her head. “Well, this has been an interesting night.” She paused beside Owen. “Thank you, and I’ll see you on Sunday.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t touch her again, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop. “I’ll be there.”