Vicki's New Apartment
Vicki Nelson sat on the new sofa leaning on the back with her feet on Henry's lap. She read handwritten notes about social media sightings near Curtis Park around the time of her disappearance. Coreen started looking into it as soon as she heard. Despite the awkwardness between them. She sat on the other side of the coffee table holding a laptop. He read a book on angels in Toronto he picked up somewhere. Holding it with one hand, he absently ran his fingers tips down the inside of her leg. Seemingly unaware he was distracting her.
There wasn't a lot of information available. December was not a good time for the park or beach. Nevertheless at night. But it meant people noticed. The drunk women weren't the only ones who saw Colin. What stood out was no one mentioned cars or her.
"Do we have pictures from the area around the Park?" Vicki realized something she should have thought of to begin with. How did she get there. If she took a taxi, the police should have that information already. But she wasn't confident they were looking.
Without thinking, she reached for her cell phone with her injured wrist. Then grimaced. "Will you hand me my phone."
Coreen set the computer on the coffee table. Then picked up the cell phone as she stood. She avoided eye contact as she walked over to hand it over and withdrew her hand quickly. The uneasiness reminded Vicki of the aura comments and wondered what hers looked like. Coreen returned to her chair as Vicki called.
Since she couldn't drive, it wasn't unusual for her to request cabs at all hours. So the dispatchers knew her. As a regular customer, it didn't take much encouragement to get details. The police instructed them not to provide information about her movements. That meant they were investigating something.
"I wasn't dropped off anywhere near the Park." Vicki set the phone on her stomach. "Either I walked or someone left me." The latter meant she was abducted. The lack of information was maddening.
"Is it possible you misinterpreted the angel?" Henry sounded distracted. "Could he have kept someone from leaving you in the Creek?"
That offered new possibilities. "What about the nightmare?"
"An unexpected side-effect?" There was something about his tone.
What aren't you telling me?
"Throwing people in the water might be part of a ritual." Coreen sounded uncertain. "A sacrifice."
When she didn't continue, Vicki looked up. "But?"
"The cult information doesn't mention angels or demons."
Using his finger for a bookmark, Henry closed his book. "In the early 1900s, a psychic had a series of visions. Each involved a powerful heathen priest attacking a cursed woman and dying. His death freed an ancient being. Beautiful, glowing white and gold."
Coreen paled. "Pacha Kamaq."
Not a good memory. Vicki used Henry's blood to taint her life force. When the Incan priest tried to absorb it, he died. Henry felt betrayed and it looked like he might not forgive her. The ritual attracted the wrong attention and led to Coreen being possessed.
"The being will lift the curse in return for her first born."
Coreen stood, looking sick and hurried toward the bathroom.
Vicki waited for the door to close. Then focused on Henry. "Does it say how the woman gets pregnant?"
He looked and sounded disturbed. "No."
Vicki leaned forward and reached out, touching his shoulder. "We don't know it means me." But she doubted any of them believed it.
That left Coreen unable to continue researching. Henry showed her the new apartment. When he returned they could talk. Easier said then done. What Vicki did to save him was still a problem between them. The idea that she would sacrifice a child, any child, to save herself was insane. But in his eyes, she had already done the unthinkable.
She distracted herself with the social media notes. His comment on misinterpreting came to mind. The cult was interested in her and probably summoning, but that didn't mean they wanted a demon. The first cemetery theft was nearly twenty years ago. That was long before she received the marks.
Vicki swung her legs over the side of the sofa, grimaced from the pain. If sacrificing her failed, she wondered, why kill Lewis? A surrogate? Except the stone had to be prepared before whatever happened in the Park. Maybe what was intended to happened failed. The angel interfered. Or he was successfully summoned. That would meant Lewis was an offering. None of it explained why Olivia made the effort at the hospital. Or how Colin was involved.
The door opened again as Vicki looked at her wrist brace. She didn't even know what caused her injuries. The doctor didn't think she was beaten. The x-rays suggested she fell or was possibly hit by a car.
"You should sleep."
Vicki wondered what worried him. "We should talk."
"In bed?" Henry flashed a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
She held out her hand. "Another night." After the bruises healed.
He looked uncharacteristically hesitant as he returned to the sofa. The uneasiness between them was a reminder of what she did to save him. The psychic prediction on how she saved herself was no less horrifying to her as how he viewed what she did.
It was ironic she lost his trust protecting him. "I don't know where to start." Vicki set a hand on his leg. "Are we good?"
"Yes." He set a hand on hers and twined their fingers together. "We need time. Not words."
"Henry…"
He leaned over and kissed her. "I have forgiven Christina for far worse." Pause. "We need time and the certainty it will never happen again."
What could she say to that? Vicki wondered.
"Come to bed." Henry stood and held out his hand. "I will stay until dawn."