“Really. They got a gift shop here?”
“Sure … ” Raya eased the truck back into the parking space.
“Great. You want to go swimming?”
“Um—”
Erin unbuckled her seatbelt. “I’m going swimming.” She opened the door and slid out of the truck.
Raya hastily turned off the truck and followed her into the hotel.
Erin marched into the gift shop and found a rack of overpriced bathing suits. She rifled through the rack until she found her size. “How about you?”
“This one.” Raya took a suit for herself.
“My treat,” said Erin, holding out her hand for Raya’s choice of bathing suit.
Raya handed it to her.
Erin purchased the suits and strode to the pool area. She handed the other suit to Raya.
They used the changing room to slip into their newly purchased suits, then emerged with bare feet onto the warm concrete pool deck.
“Back so soon, ladies?” Phoenix’s voice carried from his perch on a nearby lounge chair.
Erin dropped her things on the chair and closed her eyes, tilting her face upward to the rays of the sun.
She opened her eyes and smiled. With quick steps, she closed the distance to the edge of the pool and cannonballed into the deep end.
18
Erin ignored the flashing light on the answering machine and followed Nancy Drew out into the backyard. She settled in one of the two chairs on the back porch to watch Nancy cavort in the sparse grass under the gathering storm clouds.
Her gaze swept the sandy backyard as she considered planting flowers. A rose bush over here, perhaps, and a container garden of succulents over there. Right now there wasn’t a lot of money for anything extra—especially after the swimsuits—but it didn’t hurt to dream.
She toyed with the crystal on her necklace and watched tiny flickers of concentrated sunlight dance. Of course she was stalling rather than doing what she needed to do—namely, listen to her voicemail message, which was most likely from her mother, who would demand to know why she hadn’t been at church on Sunday. Explaining that she’d been at a magic shop buying a bag full of magic paraphernalia probably wouldn’t go over well.
Erin let her mind drift back to the magic shop.
The sound of Nancy barking at her feet brought her back to the present. “Okay, girl,” she said. “I’m coming.” She stood up and went inside with the dog at her heels.
In the kitchen, the answering machine continued to blink its red light on and off. She pressed the button and waited to hear her mother’s voice.
“Erin, it’s me,” said the recording.
It wasn’t her mother.
It was Genevieve.
“I was hoping we could talk. Please call me.”
Erin froze, gripping the edge of the kitchen counter. After all this time, she wanted to talk? About what? Erin’s hand darted out and hit the button again.
“Erin, it’s me. I was hoping we could talk. Please call me,” said the machine, with Genevieve’s voice.
Nancy Drew trotted over at the familiar sound and looked up at Erin expectantly.
“She’s not here, baby,” said Erin.
