Dime Store Magic
Page 40
As my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit storeroom, Shaw settled into her chair and busied herself with her papers. I waited a few minutes, then cleared my throat.
"I'd-uh-like to get going," I said. "I'm not comfortable being here."
"Wait."
I did. For another two minutes. Then, before I could comment again, Savannah sighed. Loudly.
"We don't have all day, you know," Savannah said.
Shaw glared, not at Savannah, but at me, as if Savannah's rudeness could be no one's fault but my own.
"I'm sorry," I said. "She's not feeling well. If you're not ready, we could grab lunch, then come back."
"Here," she said, thrusting a file folder at me. "The bill is on top. We require a certified check, which you can courier to the address shown. Under no circumstances are you to contact the Carys regarding payment or anything else related to your case. If you have questions-"
"Call you. I get the idea."
I walked to the door, yanked on the handle, and stumbled backward when it failed to open. How's that for a gracious exit? Regaining my balance and my dignity, I grasped the handle again, turned, and pushed. Still nothing.
"Is there a lock?" I said, peering down at the handle.
"Just turn and pull, as with any exterior door."
Bitch. I almost said it aloud. Unlike Savannah, though, my upbringing did not permit me to do any such thing. I tried the door again. Nothing happened.
"It's jammed," I said.
Shaw sighed and heaved herself from the chair. Crossing the room, she waved me out of the way, took hold of the handle, and yanked. The door remained closed. From the other side, I heard voices.
"Someone's out there," I said. "Maybe they can open the door from the outside-"
"No. I will not have you bothering the mourners. I'll call the custodian."
"There's a front door, isn't there?" Savannah said.
Again, Shaw glared at me. This time, I didn't apologize for Savannah.
"For obvious reasons, you are not exiting through the front," Shaw said, picking up her cell phone.
I sighed and leaned against the door. As I did, I caught a muffled exchange from outdoors. I recognized the voices.
"-really too easy," Leah said.
Sandford laughed. "What do you expect? She's a witch."
The voices faded, presumably walking around the front. I yanked on the door again, this time murmuring an unlock spell. Nothing happened.
"Leah," I mouthed at Savannah, then turned to Shaw. "Forget the custodian. We're leaving. Now."
"You can't-" Shaw began.
Too late. I already had the interior door open and was propelling Savannah through. Shaw grabbed the back of my blouse, but I pulledfree and pushed Savannah into the hallway.
Chapter 18
A Memorial to Remember
ONCE IN THE HALL, I PRODDED SAVANNAH FORWARD.
"Take the first door you see," I whispered. "Hurry. I'm right behind you."
To the left, an empty corridor snaked off into unknown territory. Sunlight radiated through a door less than twenty feet away to the right-twenty feet of hallway clogged with somber-suited mourners. I turned left. Following my advice, though, Savannah turned right, toward the front door, through the crowd.
"Sav-!" I whispered loudly, but she was out of reach and moving fast.
Taking a deep breath, I lowered my eyes, prayed no one recognized me, and followed her. I'd gone less than five feet when Shaw's voice boomed from behind me.
"Paige Winterbourne, don't you dare-"
I didn't hear the rest. A dozen heads turned toward me and a dozen pairs of eyes met mine. My name hurtled down the hallway on a blast of whispers.
"Winterbourne?"
"Paige Winterbourne?"
"Isn't she-"
"Oh, my God-"
"Is that her?"
My first impulse was to hold my head high and march to the door. As Savannah said, I hadn't done anything wrong. But consideration won out over pride and, in deference to the mourners, I ducked my head, murmured my apologies and hurried after Savannah. The whispers snaked after me, petering out before turning to slander.
"Did she?"
"I heard"
"They say"
I forced more apologies to my lips and pushed through the crowd. Ahead, a huddled quartet swallowed Savannah's thin form and I lifted my head, picking up speed, bobbing on my toes, trying to see her.
The crowd around me rustled, whispers swelling into chatter. A brief commotion erupted ahead to my left, inside two large double doors. I paid no attention as I moved forward, gaze scanning hostile faces, struggling to find Savannah while not making eye contact with the mourners. Someone grabbed my arm. I only half-turned, catching a glimpse of blond hair under a black hat.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, eyes still roving the crowd ahead, searching for Savannah.
Without looking, I brushed the hands from my arm, tugging away. Someone gasped. There! The back of a dark head appeared near the exit. Savannah. I lunged forward, but the hands caught me again, nails digging into my arm.
"I'm sorry," I said again, distractedly. "I really have to-"
I turned to brush my assailant off, then saw her face and stopped cold. Lacey Cary stared down at me with eyes rimmed in red grief and black mascara. Around us, the crowd went silent.
"How dare you?" she hissed. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"I'd-uh-like to get going," I said. "I'm not comfortable being here."
"Wait."
I did. For another two minutes. Then, before I could comment again, Savannah sighed. Loudly.
"We don't have all day, you know," Savannah said.
Shaw glared, not at Savannah, but at me, as if Savannah's rudeness could be no one's fault but my own.
"I'm sorry," I said. "She's not feeling well. If you're not ready, we could grab lunch, then come back."
"Here," she said, thrusting a file folder at me. "The bill is on top. We require a certified check, which you can courier to the address shown. Under no circumstances are you to contact the Carys regarding payment or anything else related to your case. If you have questions-"
"Call you. I get the idea."
I walked to the door, yanked on the handle, and stumbled backward when it failed to open. How's that for a gracious exit? Regaining my balance and my dignity, I grasped the handle again, turned, and pushed. Still nothing.
"Is there a lock?" I said, peering down at the handle.
"Just turn and pull, as with any exterior door."
Bitch. I almost said it aloud. Unlike Savannah, though, my upbringing did not permit me to do any such thing. I tried the door again. Nothing happened.
"It's jammed," I said.
Shaw sighed and heaved herself from the chair. Crossing the room, she waved me out of the way, took hold of the handle, and yanked. The door remained closed. From the other side, I heard voices.
"Someone's out there," I said. "Maybe they can open the door from the outside-"
"No. I will not have you bothering the mourners. I'll call the custodian."
"There's a front door, isn't there?" Savannah said.
Again, Shaw glared at me. This time, I didn't apologize for Savannah.
"For obvious reasons, you are not exiting through the front," Shaw said, picking up her cell phone.
I sighed and leaned against the door. As I did, I caught a muffled exchange from outdoors. I recognized the voices.
"-really too easy," Leah said.
Sandford laughed. "What do you expect? She's a witch."
The voices faded, presumably walking around the front. I yanked on the door again, this time murmuring an unlock spell. Nothing happened.
"Leah," I mouthed at Savannah, then turned to Shaw. "Forget the custodian. We're leaving. Now."
"You can't-" Shaw began.
Too late. I already had the interior door open and was propelling Savannah through. Shaw grabbed the back of my blouse, but I pulledfree and pushed Savannah into the hallway.
Chapter 18
A Memorial to Remember
ONCE IN THE HALL, I PRODDED SAVANNAH FORWARD.
"Take the first door you see," I whispered. "Hurry. I'm right behind you."
To the left, an empty corridor snaked off into unknown territory. Sunlight radiated through a door less than twenty feet away to the right-twenty feet of hallway clogged with somber-suited mourners. I turned left. Following my advice, though, Savannah turned right, toward the front door, through the crowd.
"Sav-!" I whispered loudly, but she was out of reach and moving fast.
Taking a deep breath, I lowered my eyes, prayed no one recognized me, and followed her. I'd gone less than five feet when Shaw's voice boomed from behind me.
"Paige Winterbourne, don't you dare-"
I didn't hear the rest. A dozen heads turned toward me and a dozen pairs of eyes met mine. My name hurtled down the hallway on a blast of whispers.
"Winterbourne?"
"Paige Winterbourne?"
"Isn't she-"
"Oh, my God-"
"Is that her?"
My first impulse was to hold my head high and march to the door. As Savannah said, I hadn't done anything wrong. But consideration won out over pride and, in deference to the mourners, I ducked my head, murmured my apologies and hurried after Savannah. The whispers snaked after me, petering out before turning to slander.
"Did she?"
"I heard"
"They say"
I forced more apologies to my lips and pushed through the crowd. Ahead, a huddled quartet swallowed Savannah's thin form and I lifted my head, picking up speed, bobbing on my toes, trying to see her.
The crowd around me rustled, whispers swelling into chatter. A brief commotion erupted ahead to my left, inside two large double doors. I paid no attention as I moved forward, gaze scanning hostile faces, struggling to find Savannah while not making eye contact with the mourners. Someone grabbed my arm. I only half-turned, catching a glimpse of blond hair under a black hat.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, eyes still roving the crowd ahead, searching for Savannah.
Without looking, I brushed the hands from my arm, tugging away. Someone gasped. There! The back of a dark head appeared near the exit. Savannah. I lunged forward, but the hands caught me again, nails digging into my arm.
"I'm sorry," I said again, distractedly. "I really have to-"
I turned to brush my assailant off, then saw her face and stopped cold. Lacey Cary stared down at me with eyes rimmed in red grief and black mascara. Around us, the crowd went silent.
"How dare you?" she hissed. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"
