Part 3
"Danny! Danny! Come out and play." 11 year old Lacey laughed hysterically as she jumped off her swing. "I'll go get him, he's taking too long." Lacey told Jo, who simply nodded. She laughed as she ran towards the Desai house. Yanking the front door open she ran into the living room. Her laughter lodged in her throat as she took in the scene.
Danny looked up in shock as he hovered over the limp body. "Lacey?" He said in slight confusion.
Lacey's eyes widened as her heart started to race.
Danny untied the red jump rope from his aunt's neck as he gave his best friend an apologetic look. "Lacey I had to." He said softly taking a step towards her. Lacey shook her head and backed away, a bloodcurling scream escaping from her mouth.
"Lacey! Lacey wake up." Danny said shaking her shoulders.
Lacey opened her eyes and shot up. She gasped as she looked around the familiar room.
"Baby it's okay." Danny said pulling her into a tight embrace. His lips brushed over her cheek as his hand reached up to smooth the tension in her neck. "It's just a nightmare."
Lacey nodded as she leaned into him, still trying to catch her breath. "You were-you-you…the dreams…the dreams are coming back." She stuttered out.
Danny lifted her chin slowly and stared into her deep dark eyes. "Are you scared of me sweetheart?" He asked, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.
Lacey shook her head. "No-no…I….I…"
"Don't be…" Danny whispered. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. Lacey relaxed under the kiss as she pressed her lips harder against his. "You'll never be on my list." Danny whispered. His lips brushing against hers after every word.
Lacey froze as she opened her eyes. A cold chill sweeping over her body. She slowly removed her lips from his, staring into his big brown eyes. She reached up and touched his hand on her neck. It was wet. Why was it wet? She slowly brought it down and looked at it. Her hand now covered in blood. Blood that came from his hands. She stared down in horror at their hands. A deadly red color. The stench of death filling the air. Deep shallow breaths came out of her mouth. Her heart pounding through her chest.
"Danny…." She gasped. What did he do? What did they do?
Danny looked at her lovingly. "I had to Lace. I had to."
Lacey tried to back away from him as she scooted around on the bed.
Danny look disappointed. "Don't do that…Lace…"
Lacey fell off the edge of the bed unto a body. A cold limp body. Her heart stopped beating as she looked at the familiar face. Regina's lifeless black eyes staring back at her. She didn't know when the screams started.
"Lacey ssshhh…." A deep voice said. A hand placed over her mouth. Lacey thrashed about in her bed. "It's me…Lacey wake up please…" The voice pleaded.
She gasped beneath the stifling hand and opened her eyes. A pair of concerned light brown eyes peered down at her. She shoved him away and sat up gasping.
Danny put his hands up in surrender from the other side of the bed. "You were having a nightmare." Danny whispered. His eyes softening as he looked at her carefully. "Lace…"
Lacey stared at him, fear and confusion written all over her face. Her shallow breathing didn't stop. She scooted further to the edge of the bed.
Danny noticed. A flash of sadness passed through his eyes as he put his hands down. He got off the bed and took a couple steps back. "You're-you're scared of me?" He asked, his voice cracking. It was a question that sounded a lot more like a statement.
Lacey looked around her room as the familiarity sunk in. The sunray lighting up her bedroom. In any other circumstances she would have enjoyed the way the rays hit his face perfectly. Giving Danny a golden glow. She squeezed her eyes shut as the fear subsided.
"I'm gonna go." Danny said reaching for his boots.
She heard him mutter 'fuck' under his breath as he slipped his boot on.
She opened her eyes and turned to him. "Wait…" Lacey said.
Danny looked up from his crouched position.
"I just…I just had a bad dream." She whispered.
Danny nodded and went back to putting on his other boot. She saw the way his shoulder slumped in defeat. The way his head hung low. His messy hair, halfway out of it's bun. Loose tendrils framing his face.
"Danny I had a bad dream…." Lacey whispered again her voice shaking. Her hands were trembling but she put her arms out towards him. She needed to do this. For her own sanity.
Danny looked up in surprise at her outstretched arms, thinking the last thing she wanted to do right now was have him touch her. But she didn't drop her arms as she stared at him, a pleading look in her eyes. He got up and made his way over to her side of the bed. Silence filled the room as he bent down and wrapped his arms around her waist. Lacey's arms went around his neck as she pulled him into a hug. She sighed and closed her eyes. There it was. What she was looking for. The only thing that made it better. The tension released from her body as she laid her head on his shoulder. Danny hugged her tighter as he buried his face in her the crook of her neck.
"I'm scared." Lacey whispered. Her fingers playing with the soft hairs at the back of his neck. "But not of you."
Lacey slowly ate her toast as her sister chatted away.
"And then coach said…."
Lacey snorted at the mention of coach Mitch. Judy looked up from her cup of coffee and gave her daughter a blank stare.
"What?" Clara asked looking back and forth from her sister to her mother.
"Nothing." Lacey said. They still hadn't told Clara about Dad and the coach. In fact she was surprised that Clara was still on the team. Typical of their family to pretend that nothing was wrong, when in fact everything was wrong.
"So why'd you do that face?" Clara demanded.
"Clara hurry up." Judy said. "I have to be at work on time today…no more dropping you off late."
Clara sighed and rolled her eyes as she moved the eggs around her plate. "I have to watch my weight-"
"Eat that breakfast now." Judy demanded. "Talk to me about weight one more time and you're off the team." She said sharply to her youngest daughter.
Clara shoved the eggs in her mouth and chewed, giving her mom an innocent smile.
"I'll uh-I'll head to school." Lacey said standing up.
"Your father wants you to call him as soon as you have time." Judy said as she moved around the counter.
"Yes mom." Lacey said. She noticed the frigid way, Judy held her shoulders as she flipped through the magazine. After dumping her plate in the sink she went over and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist.
Judy straightened up in surprise.
"Sorry I didn't' tell you." Lacey whispered resting her face on her mother's back. "I just didn't want you to worry about something that wasn't important."
Judy turned around and lifted Lacey's chin. She gave her a small smile. "I just want what's best for you."
"I know." Lacey said smiling. "I want what's best for you too."
"She just doesn't want to be grounded." Clara spoke up ruining the moment.
Lacey turned to her little sister and made a face at her.
Judy held back a laugh as she brushed her daughter's cheek. She knew her daughter well enough to know when the tactics came up. But it was still enduring to have her display some kind of emotions. "Seriously call your dad."
"Do I have to?" Lacey whispered.
"Yes." Judy said smiling. "Besides I think he wants to retry the psychiatrist."
Lacey rolled her eyes and groaned. "I hate them."
Judy kissed her daughter's forehead. "Well if you started opening up more we wouldn't have to do that."
"Burn." Clara said loudly.
"Shut-up." Lacey told her sister jokingly.
"Clara let's go." Judy said. "And stop teasing your sister."
Clara hopped off the stool and grabbed her book bag and duffel bag. "Bye sis." She said happily. "Oh so I can tell my friends you made out with a murderer? How badass is that?"
"Clara Porter!" Judy yelled reaching out to smack her daughter's head. Clara dodged it in time as she ran out the front door. Judy sighed as she grabbed her purse and turned to Lacey. "Call your dad." She said walking out the kitchen. "And don't be late for school, I don't want them to keep calling me."
"I'm right behind you guys." Lacey remarked.
She waited till she heard the door slam. She quickly grabbed an extra plate as she scooped up the leftover eggs and toast. Picking up two bananas and the bottle of orange juice she hurried back upstairs.
"Okay they're gone." She said as she pushed her door open.
Danny got up and rushed over, releasing her of the food.
"Okay…I have to go to school, so you lay low here for right now. If you go anywhere, you'll get caught. Stay until we figure out what to do."
"So you don't think I killed her?" Danny asked carefully as he sat on the edge of her bed with the plate of food.
Lacey sighed. "The way I see it…it you did, you'll get caught either way. If you didn't…it'll buy us a little more time."
Danny stared at her with shaky smile.
Lacey looked away. "I'm just…gonna give you the benefit of the doubt…because…I don't know…things are confusing."
"Thanks." Danny said his smile becoming more confident. "Thank you Lacey." He said seriously. She didn't answer. So her scooped the eggs up with the toast since she forgot to give him a fork.
Lacey sighed as she grabbed her phone. "I'll call Jo."
"Don't!" Danny said quickly, his mouth full of food.
Lacey looked up in surprise.
Danny chewed quickly and swallowed. "She's uhm…she's not really a big fan of us…me right now."
Lacey shook her head. "Jo doesn't hold grudges. She's forgiven you by now." She said looking through her phone.
"No." Danny said confidently.
"Danny I'm telling you-
"Lacey I'm telling you…" Danny said cutting her off. "Jo really doesn't want anything to do with me."
Lacey looked up from her phone. "I'm sure she's over it. We've apologized. Jo forgives so easily."
Danny stared at Lacey, blinking rapidly. He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it. He sighed and looked off to the side. "I uh…I…I talked to her after the whole diner thing….and uhmm…yeah…" He gave off a small laugh. "She's uh…she's a little upset."
Lacey shrugged. "What did you guys talk about?" she asked.
"Uh…." Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Jo just has a lot of… feelings." He looked confused. "…look don't worry about it." He said quickly. "Besides if we contact Jo, then chief Masterson will know…and there goes everything."
Lacey looked like she wanted to ask him more stuff but thought against it. She put her phone in her back pocket and grabbed her bookbag. "Okay…don't leave the house. I f you want anything…you can go downstairs but stay away from the windows. I'll lock everything. Don't worry I'm always the first one back."
Danny nodded as he watched her. A sense of awe raising in him as he saw her take charge. "Yes ma'am." He said with a playful smile on his lips.
Lacey stared at him, caught off guard. She looked away and licked her lips. "I'll uhm…I'll see you later."
Danny grinned. "I feel like this is the part where you kiss me goodbye." He joked.
Lacey rolled her eyes to keep from blushing and walked out of her bedroom.
Lacey closed her locker and looked around. At least the janitors had wiped everything clean from the other day. She was still getting glances and whispers from the student population. She rolled her eyes and held her head up higher. The really needed to get a life. She turned and saw the big frizzy blond hair she was looking for ever since she came to school.
Jo's head was down as she put books in her locker.
Lacey braced herself as she walked towards her friend. They were going to get past this. Reaching Jo, she leaned her back against the closest locker.
Jo didn't say anything but the way her body stiffened up, Lacey knew she was aware of her presence. Jo lifted her head and slammed the locker. "What do you want Lacey?" she asked coldly, swallowing hard, her eyes staring straight ahead at the blue locker.
Lacey sighed and chewed her bottom lip. "Jo…we need to talk."