Page 31

Two yellow smileyfaces grinned back at Dana as she hefted the bags of takeout into her arms. But even piping hot dumplings from her favorite Thai restaurant couldn’t erase the chill Meredith’s words had left her with. There’s a darkness inside her, and we should all be afraid of what happens if it’s found a way out.

There was no denying Claire wasn’t herself, but what Meredith was suggesting was worse than anything Dana could’ve predicted. Of course, Meredith wasn’t the most reliable source, but if what she said was true, it meant either Claire had predicted the Congressman’s murder or had some hand in it.

Dana wasn’t willing to accept either.

She didn’t know what to believe, but as she walked up the dark sidewalk to her house, she knew she needed to find her poker face. The two people waiting for her inside knew her better than anyone else and she didn’t want to give anything away until she had a chance to process this information and check the facts.

Tomorrow she’d take Claire to St. Ann’s and speak to Dr. Dvita. If she could get access to the tapes of Claire’s sessions like Meredith suggested she could form her own conclusions.

Dana’s feet felt like lead as she trudged up her front steps. “I just need to get through tonight,” she reminded herself.

The normally deliciouscoconut curry soup tasted like sawdust in Dana’s mouth. Washing it down with copious amounts of wine didn’t help either. But what could she expect with Claire settled calmly between her and Jake on her living room sofa?

To an outsider, the scene looked perfectly mundane, cozy even. And maybe it was. Maybe Dana was reading entirely too much into things. The girl sitting cross-legged next to her was her friend and colleague, not a cold-blooded killer.

Though Dana knew better than most, wishing something untrue, didn’t make it so.

Pushing her unease away, she did her best to pretend it was just like old times. Her, Jake and Claire, watching cheesy movies.

Tonight’s selection was Interview with a Vampire.

Oblivious to Dana’s inner turmoil, Jake extended his arm across the back of the sofa. For an instant, he let his thumb subtly stroke the back of Dana’s neck. The fire it ignited within her was instant and all consuming. She flinched away, playing it off like she was reaching for more dumplings, but the bag was long empty.

“You snooze, you lose,” Claire teased.

“Want me to make some more popcorn?” Jake offered.

Dana shook her head. “No, thanks.” She was having enough trouble keeping what she’d already eaten down. She forced her attention back to the screen and focused on Louis and Lestat’s doomed existence.

When the last scene of Interview with a Vampire finally graced the screen of her television, Dana breathed a sigh of relief.

Claire leaned forward and grabbed the remote off the coffee table. “Anne Rice is a genius.”

“If she approved the makeup and wardrobe, I strongly disagree,” Jake teased.

“You’re missing the point,” Claire argued.

“Which is?”

“Life is death is life.”

Jake huffed a laugh. “Well, that’s morbid.” His voice was still light as he continued to rag on the costumes and special effects, but Dana had stopped listening. Her attention was fixed solely on Claire.

The way the girl had spoken jarred something loose in Dana’s memory. Life is death is life… Dana had translated that concept a thousand times, in dozens of different languages. But it all came back to a single origin—that of the Grim Reaper and it was on the blade that killed Hayes.

Suddenly, all the oxygen in the room evaporated. Dana couldn’t catch her breath as panic clawed its way up her throat making it impossible to breathe. This wasn’t a coincidence she could ignore.

First Meredith’s accusation and now this quote. If there was a Grim Reaper play book, Claire was practically reciting it.

Dana needed to talk to Jake, but first she needed to collect herself. “I’ve got some work to catch up on,” she said, starting to excuse herself.

“Now?” Jake objected. “It’s late.”

“No rest for the weary,” Dana replied halfheartedly.

Jake was on his feet now, moving to intercept her route to her office. “Come on, Doc. We’re finally all back together. Let’s make the most of this time. We could play cards, or watch another movie?—”

“Or you could tell her about New Orleans and your dad,” Claire interrupted.

Jake cut a glare across the room that could’ve shut down a firing squad, but Dana ignored it, her eyebrows raised in question. “New Orleans and your dad?”

Now it was Jake’s turn to backpedal. “You’re right. It is late.”

“Too late for you to drive home,” Claire interjected. “You should stay here tonight.”

“She’s right,” Dana agreed. “I’ll be up working, you can take my room,” she offered, quickly adding, “just for tonight.”

Jake guffawed. “I’m not kicking you out of your bedroom.”

“You won’t be. Like I said, I planned to get some work done, so I’ll be in my home office. There’s a couch in there. I usually end up sleeping there when I’m in the middle of a research project anyway.”

“What are you working on?” Claire asked. “Anything I can help with?”

Dana shook her head. “I’m just tying up some loose ends.”

Claire shrugged through a yawn. “Well, you know where to find me if you need help.”

Dana watched her disappear into the kitchen with the popcorn bowl and the last of the takeout containers.

“Dana,” Jake started. “I can just stay on the couch.”

The idea was laughable. Jake’s giant frame took up most of her antique sofa when he was sitting. Sleeping there wouldn’t be good for his back, or her beloved piece of vintage furniture. “It’s not a big deal, Jake. It’s one night. Just take my room. It’s not like we’re making it a habit.”

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “It wouldn’t be the worst habit, would it?” he asked, his voice sultry and low.

There was a sudden clatter in the kitchen and Claire swore. “Sorry. I-I just dropped a plate.”

Dana took a step back from Jake, her glare instantly shutting down his flirtation before she turned to march toward the kitchen.

“You okay?” Dana asked, rushing to help Claire who was dumping chipped pieces of ceramic into the trash.

“Yeah. Sorry, it just slipped. I’m really sorry.”

“Claire, it’s okay. It’s just a bowl. I’m not worried about it.” But Claire’s eyes were already welling with tears. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Claire shook her head, flinching away from Dana when she tried to reach for her. “Nothing. I’m just tired. I’m gonna go to bed.”

Dana watched Claire flee the kitchen, ducking past Jake on her way down the hall, slamming her door shut. He stood there, a look of bewilderment on his face. “What was that all about?”

Dana crossed her arms, jaw muscles ticking. “I have work to do. If you’re staying, there’s fresh towels in the linen closet. Try not to break any other irreplaceable artifacts this time.”

Then she breezed past him and slammed her own door.