Free Nowhere Safe by Nancy Bush Page A

invisible vapor trail.
    She tilted her chin up. Could she play the part of a teacher, or a teacher’s aide?
    â€œI would like to apply for a job,” she said aloud, forcing her normally grim face to lighten with an almost smile. “I hear Twin Oaks Elementary is a great school. . . .”
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    September lay next to Jake in bed, her head tucked onto his chest while they watched a lineup of sitcoms. Jake’s arm rested lightly around her, and she felt content and languid. “Sorry I’ve been such a bad patient,” she mumbled sleepily.
    â€œNah, you’ve been fine.” He was distracted.
    â€œI’ve been a royal pain. You don’t have to spare my feelings.” She smiled. “Today was fun, though.”
    â€œMmm.”
    Realizing he wasn’t paying attention, she glanced up at him, her gaze traveling down the firm line of his jaw. “I’ll move in this weekend as long as I don’t have to do any heavy lifting.”
    â€œYou will?” His attention came back to her with a bang.
    â€œI’ve been delaying, I realize. We haven’t known each other all that long.” When he opened his mouth to protest, she corrected herself, “We’ve known each other, but it hasn’t been that long since you and I got like this.” She lifted a hand, to encompass the fact that they were lying in bed together.
    â€œI spent too much time with Loni.”
    â€œWe both were living our lives.”
    â€œI know, but a lot of it was . . . a waste.” He looked down at her. “I can move your stuff myself.”
    â€œI have a queen bed. And your brother’s laid up and making babies. I wish I could promise Auggie’s help, but his schedule’s too unpredictable.”
    â€œDon’t worry. I’ll figure it out.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
    â€œYou’re a happy camper now?”
    â€œVery happy.”
    â€œWe’re not kidding ourselves, are we?” she asked suddenly. “Making all these plans too soon?”
    â€œNah.”
    â€œOkay. Good.”
    There was silence between them for a few minutes, and then the news came on. Jake had the television on channel seven and Pauline Kirby, in all her feral glory, came up, her attractive but sharp features making September’s skin crawl a bit as she remembered how the relentless reporter had drilled her with questions during their interview about Do Unto Others. “Can you—” she started, but Jake had already switched the channel.
    â€œA little of her goes a long way,” he said, and he settled on a station with its reporter outside a post office.
    September recognized the flagpole that the male reporter was standing by. “Oh . . . they’ve already made the connection.”
    â€œWhat?” Jake asked, as September hadn’t filled him in on the case in detail.
    She didn’t answer as the reporter launched first into an account of Christopher Ballonni’s death, and then, how the recent crime at the basketball pole mirrored Ballonni’s.
    â€œThey don’t have Stefan’s name yet,” she realized.
    â€œAh . . .” Jake said, as she’d told him over dinner about her earlier trip to the hospital to see Stefan and his story about being tied to the basketball pole. “You didn’t say what happened to Stefan was part of a pattern.”
    â€œI’m not on Stefan’s case. But they’re letting me follow up again on Ballonni. I’ve put a call in to his widow, but I haven’t heard back yet.”
    Jake nodded. September couldn’t tell whether or not he was bothered that she hadn’t told him everything. “It’s not the only case we have,” she reminded him, recalling the woman’s body found in Foxglove Park. Wes was following up on that one, hoping to learn her identity.
    â€œNo, it’s fine. I was just thinking that if Pauline Kirby realizes