13

The phone rang again on Monday morning.

It was nearly noon. Lind was sitting on his couch, upright, trying to keep his eyes open. He hadn’t slept all night. He’d finished all the coffee. He was just slipping away, giving in, when the phone rang.

It jolted him awake.

He stood on unsteady legs and walked to the window and looked out over the city. It was still raining outside. It was still gray. The cars on the street were smeared brake lights against the wet glass.

The phone kept ringing. Lind tried to ignore it. He was awake now. He didn’t need to answer the phone.

Except that wasn’t right. If he didn’t answer, the phone would stop ringing. Sooner or later, it would stop ringing for good. And then he would be alone with the visions, with nobody to help him. Nobody to make the visions go away.

Lind shivered. Felt the first wave of panic insinuate itself into his brain. It grew there, a pounding blackness, just behind his eyes. Quickly, Lind crossed from the window and picked up the phone.

“Hello,” he said. “I’m ready.”

TEN MINUTES LATER, Lind drove out of the parking garage and back through the city to the airport. He parked in the short-term lot and walked into the terminal to the Delta Airlines counters. He waited in the frequent-flier line, and when he reached the front, the girl at the counter smiled and waved him over. “Hi,” she said. “On the road again?”

She was a pretty girl. She had big eyes and clear, pale skin, mahogany hair that fell just to her shoulders. There was a hint of mischief in her smile.

“Duluth.” Lind slid his fake ID across the counter. “Richard O’Brien.”

The girl smiled at Lind another moment. Then she blinked and shook her head a little, looked down at her computer, and started to type something. She stopped and looked up again.

“It’s just I’ve seen you before.” She looked away quickly, blushing. “You’re always flying somewhere. What kind of business are you in?”

Lind shifted his weight and looked around the terminal. Felt the jackhammer panic inside his skull again. He squinted. Closed his eyes. Rubbed his temples. “Insurance,” he lied. “That’s what I do.”

“I’m sorry.” The girl’s whole face was bright red now. “I just wanted to— I was just making conversation. I’m sorry.”

She thrust a ticket into Lind’s hands. Lind grabbed it. Forced a smile and then walked away quickly. He could feel her eyes following him as he hurried toward security.