Chapter 70
If it hadn’t been for her pounding head, Anna thought she might not have woken at all, and as she tried to sit up, the world rolling nauseatingly around her, that might have been a blessing.
Pain bloomed at the back of her skull and her throat ached.
Had she been drinking last night? Everything was a blur, as if not only the thing was lost but her entire life.
She looked at her phone. It was nearly eleven. Shit.
Her laptop listed sideways on the untidy sheets, the screen blank, the battery dead.
One of Bonnie’s yearbooks had fallen on the floor, pages now bent backward.
Her dry mouth tasted of metal. As she hauled herself upright, the world spun some more and she thought she might puke as dregs of her dreams flashed behind her eyes, sharp as migraine sparkles.
Bloody handprints. Being pulled backward. The ceiling of the basement.
She groaned, stumbling to the bathroom, sure she was going to vomit.
Dreams or memory? Anna put her head under the cold running faucet, the water making her gasp, but it was nothing compared to the chill of realization that suddenly gripped her.
The awful pain in her skull. The ache in her throat that was fading fast. Had she been murdered again?
She reached for a towel and straightened up. This was her last day unless something changed. What had she done wrong last time? What could she do right? She took a deep breath. She was alive now. Anything was possible. And after her research last night, at least she had a lead to go on.
Callie was long gone to school, and as Anna came downstairs, she felt a sharp pang of grief that she hadn’t been awake to say goodbye, or to at least make some kind of amends for what she’d done, to try to explain. To hug her little sister one last time. Just in case.
She pulled herself together as she headed to the kitchen for coffee, the headache almost gone. None of that maudlin thinking was necessary. Because this time she was going to catch the bad guy. This time, she was going to survive.
“Glad you’re up.” Dr. Burdett was pouring two mugs of coffee.
“This is fresh, if you want one. I know you’ve got work, but I didn’t feel comfortable coming upstairs to wake you.
” His hand trembled as he added sugar to his drink, and Anna wondered if there was more than arthritis going on with him.
Maybe the start of Parkinson’s. Perhaps that was why he always had a lot of patience with Grandma.
Because he knew someone was going to have to be as kind to him in the future too.
“I had a headache. Overslept.” She poured herself a cup, keeping it black and adding some cold water so she could drink it quickly. She had stuff to do.
“Your sister is really excited about this weekend. Especially the party tomorrow.” He smiled, his crinkling eyes warm. “I’d forgotten what it’s like to be young. To have everything so new.”
“Can’t believe she’s not still freaked out about that whole Farmhand urban legend bullshit. She gets creeped out easily.”
“She’s over that. We had a good talk. Came up with a plan to deal with it.”
“Oh really?” Anna looked across at him, curious.
“That’s between me and her.” He winked.
“If it stops her being scared, then it’s fine by me.”
“Her hair looks good,” he said cautiously, studying her over the top of his cup. “Was that the kind of look you’d been going for? When you messed up the cut by accident?”
As her cheeks burned, she felt a rush of affection for the old man.
No accusations. No anger. Just a polite pretense that Caroline’s hair had been unintentional so they don’t have to talk about what Anna had really done.
“Yeah. Something like that.” She downed her cool coffee, waiting for the caffeine hit.
“Are you going to be here tonight? Visiting Grandma?” For the first time the idea of a man being here with her and Grandma felt comforting rather than terrifying.
Not that she was sure an old man could help if someone came for her, but it was better than being alone.
“Sorry, no.” He burst her bubble of hope fast. “I’ve got some scheduled patient visits—human and animal—out across the farms that are going to take most of my night. Your mom said you’d be home, isn’t that right?”
“Yes. I’ll be here.” A cloud blocked the sun outside like a coffin lid closing on her.
“Good, because I don’t think she’s doing great today.” He glanced out toward the hallway and the loud TV. “She was agitated when I got here. I’ve not seen this disease come on so fast in a person before.” He paused. “But there’s still moments of Evelyn there and that makes it worth it.”
“It does.” Anna looked down at her phone. “I really have to go. Thanks for sitting with her. I’ll go say goodbye.”
Grandma was staring at the TV but not watching it, one hand twitching on top of the blanket that any normal person wouldn’t need in this stifling heat.
She looked thinner than yesterday. Anna would make it better.
She had to. She leaned forward and kissed the old woman’s cool, dry forehead.
“I’ve got to go. I love you, Grandma. I’ll see you later.
” There was no response and she was turning away when Grandma’s hand grabbed hers.
Anna looked back. Grandma was still staring, vacant, at the TV. “I can’t do it again,” Grandma whispered. “This is the last time.”
After a long moment, Anna squeezed her hand before putting it carefully back on her lap. “It’s okay, Grandma. It’s going to be okay.” As she grabbed her scooter and left the house, she prayed to a god she didn’t believe in to make it so.