He fired up the engine and prepared to end the call. “Wow. Okay. You know what, maybe this was a badide—”
“Well, who areyou?What gigs haveyouplayed recently?” shesnapped.
“I’m Jacques Gilchrist,” he said calmly. “I was with Epoch before we broke up, and my last gigwas—”
“You’reJacques Gilchrist?” she asked, her raspy voice nowhushed.
“Yeah. Who areyou?”His patience was nearly gone, but the sudden change in her tone made what remained just enough to keep him on theline.
“Um… I’m Kate. Kate Crawford,” she said. “I’m lead vocals and guitar. My sister Kara is on drums and synth, and my girl Des playsbass.”
Jacques decided to give Kate Crawford a taste of her own medicine, so he waited to see what she’d saynext.
“Look… I’m not gonna lie to you. We’re new, alright?” she admitted. “And we’re young… but we’regood.”
Jacques narrowed his eyes. “Howyoung?”
“Des and I are nineteen. Kara’s eighteen. She’s still asenior—”
“Inhigh school?”Disbelief pealed through his voice.What thehell?
“Yeah? So? After she graduates next month, we’ll officially be acollege band,”she stressed, her snark returning. “And we’regood.As inreallygood.”
Jacques shook his head. “I’m sure you are,but—”
“I’m texting you a link to our YouTubechannel.”
“I don’t think that’snec—”
“Toolate.”
Indeed, he heard the whoop of an incoming text on hisphone.
“Just listen for three minutes. If you think we suck, you can roll on. If you like what you hear, call back,” she ordered. “That is, if you’re not an asshole or the prospect of rockin’ with three younger girls — two of which only dig girls and the other who’s practically engaged to her high school sweetheart — doesn’t turn you into anasshole.”
Jacques felt his mouth open and close, but no words came to hisaid.
“You cool with that, big shot?” Kate Crawford’s voice snapped like a rubber band, and Jacques felt itssting.
But he was cool with that. For a reason he couldn’t fathom, he liked Kate Crawford of the fledgling band Heroine, and he found himself hoping he’d also like what he heard on the YouTube channel she’d senthim.
But she didn’t need to knowthat.
“Guess so. If I have time to give it a listen, and I see that you’re not full of BS, I’ll give you acall.”
“Fab,” she growled. And the line wentdead.
Jacques pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. Then he shook his head,laughing.
But before he could tap the link, his phone lit up with a riderequest.
“Holy fuck,” he muttered as he read the pick-up destination. Lourdes Hospital. He accepted the request and tapped the clipboard icon on the top right of his screen just to be sure. He grinned when he saw the Oakview address.R.M.It was RaineyReeves.
Jacques made a quick left out of the parking lot and changed lanes to turn right ontoAmbassador.
What did it mean that she hadn’t responded to his text but had ordered anotherride?
Nearing the hospital entrance, he spotted Rainey immediately, and — inconveniently — his heart sped up. As he approached, he saw she was wearing exactly the same clothes she’d had on the day before. He pulled up to the curb and caught a glimpse of her face through the windows. Her color was washed out. Ashen shadows stained the skin under hereyes.
