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“You’re leaving if she says you’re leaving. This is her property, and you’re a trespasser.”
“I’m her cousin!”
“She doesn’t think so,” he pointed out, and Elizabeth got the feeling that this kind of conversation went on between them more often than not.
“Are you related?” she asked him, indicating Ravinia.
“No.” He was definite on that. When she didn’t immediately shut the door, he pulled out his wallet and took out several pieces of identification, his California driver’s license and a PI license, both of which could be bought on the streets of LA. You just had to have enough cash and the right connections. “Ravinia showed up in my office and asked me to locate you. That’s how we met. That’s how we ended up here,” he said.
“It’s important I talk to you,” Ravinia insisted, throwing Kingston a look that said, you’re not helping.
But he was helping, she realized. He’d disarmed Elizabeth with his honesty. If it was a ploy, it had certainly worked because she turned her attention to him again.
He spread his hands. “As I said, you might want to hear what she has to say.”
Elizabeth hesitated. More out of curiosity than anything else, she almost let them in. But she had enough to deal with. More than enough. “Sorry.” With that she shut the door. She didn’t have the time nor the energy for this. Her life was enough of a shambles as it was.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The knocking was so loud, Elizabeth whirled to face the do
or again just as the bell chimed. Oh, for the love of God! They were going to wake Chloe and she—
“Mommy?”
Elizabeth gritted her teeth. Damn it. Too late.
Rubbing her eyes, and gripping onto her favorite blanket, Chloe stood in the hallway. Her hair was tousled, sticking up in all directions, the line between her brows etched deep.
The damn bell rang again. “Elizabeth! Open up!” Ravinia called, her voice muffled through the door panels. “We are related! I’m just trying to help, and I need to tell you things.” She sounded frantic, almost hyped up.
Elizabeth hadn’t gotten the hit that either one of them was on any kind of drug. Nor, after the brief conversation did she think they were running some kind of obvious scam. Because they’re good at it. Ignore them.
“I’m one of your cousins.”
There are more?
“I’ve come from Siren Song. It’s a place near Deception Bay. In Oregon. I . . . Your mother is my aunt.”
Oh, good Lord.
“Who is that?” Chloe demanded and pointed her free hand toward the front door.
“No one.”
“It’s someone,” she said in a tone that said Elizabeth was lying to her.
“No one I know,” Elizabeth corrected. “I’m sorry for the racket.” Refusing to answer the door again, she shepherded her child back toward her bedroom, guiding her daughter in the glow of a night-light. “I didn’t mean to wake you. Just go back to bed and—”
“No!” Chloe balked, digging her heels into the carpet.
“Chloe, it’s late. I’m sorry that you woke up, but it’s time to sleep.” Elizabeth was growing angry with the girl on her doorstep. Worse yet, the pounding continued only to be interrupted by the peal of the doorbell again. If she weren’t already in trouble with the damn police, she would have dialed 9-1-1 in a heartbeat and have the cops remove Kingston and Ravinia from her property. Maybe she would, anyway.
“Not going to bed,” Chloe insisted and to prove her point, dropped to the floor and wrapped her blanket around her as if it were some protective shield.
“Of course you’re going to bed. Me, too. Real soon.”
“Who’s out there?” Chloe demanded.
