Don't Close Your Eyes (Don't Look Series Book 2), page 4
Tick...
Tick...
Tick...
So far, a handful of people have read for the part of the girlish, naive Cecily, the other leading female role, but none of them have stood out. I can tell because Esau slumps forward in his chair, tapping his pencil on the paper. None of the people we’ve seen so far have made him sit up and pay attention. Miss Crabtree keeps looking at her lap. I suspect she’s taking peeks at whatever vampire novel she’s currently reading.
My sister hasn’t gone yet. She tortured Esau all during lunch today, trying to get him to swear that he would treat her just like any other person when he casts the show. No special treatment. Finally, after an agonizing twenty minutes, he agreed. I honestly don’t think he’d ever play favorites, but it was entertaining watching her cajole him. For Esau, putting on a compelling play is tantamount to the meaning of life. He’d never sacrifice quality for anyone, even his girlfriend. Taryn should have known that after the way Esau treated Marisa last semester when she was struggling to learn her lines. But Taryn wanted assurances.
Hence the random drawing for the tryout order.
“Next,” Esau calls, waving to Fiona where she’s standing in the aisle between chair rows.
A pretty blond girl tiptoes to center stage and starts talking. At least, I think she’s talking. Her mouth is moving, anyway. I don’t hear a single sound.
“Louder.” The tap of Esau’s eraser on his pad gets faster.
The girl tries again. Still nothing.
“Try to project, please.” Miss Crabtree doesn’t even look up from her e-reader.
The girl’s shoulders slump. Fiona walks to where she’s standing center stage and leans in to talk to her. Shaking her head, the girl tiptoes out.
Only two to go before they move on.
A brunette is next. She’s not bad. Esau’s pencil tapping slows.
Taryn catches my eye from backstage and points to her own chest. She’s next.
“Did I miss it?” Noah plops down in the folded seat beside me, stowing his backpack underneath. He pulls two candy bars out of his jeans pocket, handing me one, before settling fully into his seat.
Thanking him, I shake my head. “Looks like she’s going last. So far, six other girls have read for the role Taryn wants, but Esau isn’t impressed.”
Noah gives an amused head shake. “Is he ever?”
“Touché.”
Noah unwraps his candy bar and takes a bite. Swallows carefully. “So I’ve been thinking… Since this whole Simeon thing. I need a new case to dive into. I’ve been looking into old crimes that happened here in Hacienda. There are some interesting ones. Plus, with the advances in technology, some of the really old cases are finally being solved. It’s pretty awesome. Want to help me find one?”
I gnaw at the candy bar, taking a big bite of chocolate and caramel to give me a second to think. Digging into another person’s suffering doesn’t sound that great. Now that the Gemini Killer is dead and his brother is behind bars, I’d rather move on. Put together a life that isn’t framed by secrets and bloody knives. But that’s only because I’ve had closure. The months when I could barely breathe for the fear that hobbled my lungs—they were hell. What would it be like to live like that for years, or more? I can’t begin to imagine the pain of clawing my way through something like that. But if Noah and I can help take the pressure off someone else for a little while? That would make the digging—the staring straight into the face of evil and asking why—worth it. It might be worth it.
“What did you have in mind?”
Noah grins. “You’re the best. No, seriously. You are.”
My cheeks color at his compliment. “I try.”
“You succeed.”
Warmth unfurls behind my sternum. If we’re gonna find a new cold case to dive into, that will take hours of research and discussion. If helping Noah find a new pet case brings us closer together, that would be worth it too.
Noah’s head bobs when I ask him how he wants to start. “I was thinking we could hit the library and look through the newspaper archives. We may find some leads there.”
“When—”
“In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.” Taryn’s voice rings out through the room, snatching away my attention. She’s standing at center stage, her form illuminated by the sole spotlight Dariel turned on before auditions began. She looks girlish and innocent in her creamy, turtleneck sweater dress and skinny jeans. Her blond hair is up in a braid crown. She has absolutely nailed the young ingenue note she was trying to hit.
Taryn worked really hard on her monologue for today, too, but the little turd wouldn’t perform it for me. She wanted it to be a surprise. She said it would be easier for me to give an honest, unbiased opinion on her chances.
Glancing around the drama room makes it obvious that Taryn has everyone’s attention. The chatter and gossip have quelled, leaving all staring at her, hypnotized. Esau grips the back of the chair in front of him as if he’s a breath away from leaping onto the stage. Even Miss Crabtree has her eyes up.
And why not? Taryn exudes charisma. I can’t look away. A pang shoots through me, recalling a time Before, when I sat in the audience just like this, with Mom and Dad to one side, equally as spellbound as I was. Taryn had made a frightening Lady Macbeth, but she’s going to make a truly perfect Cecily.
My phone vibrates. I ignore it, but it starts again. Who would be messaging me now? Everyone I talk to is in this room. Except Karen. Scrambling, I take out my phone and unlock it. If she found something about the mugger or the creep who messaged me over my social, I want to know.
It’s not Karen.
CuteAshleeXOXOXO is blowing up my phone.
Hello?
You there?
I’m right here.
Your sister is a talented actress.
She’s practically glowing.
Too bad her time in the spotlight is almost up.
No one will be watching her when my knife and I are done.
Chapter 6
Every muscle in my body clamps down tight as I stare at the messages.
Noah leans close, whispering in my ear. “Audrey? You okay?”
For a second, I can’t move. My fingers grip my phone so tightly I’m afraid I’ll never be able to pry it out of my palm. My eyes rise to Taryn, who is wrapping up her audition. In an abrupt, brutish movement, I force myself to stand up. Whirl around. Scan the crowd for anyone focused on their phone instead of the stage. Problem is, pretty much everyone is still gaping at Taryn rather than doing the endless scroll. Sharp movement near the back door snags my attention. A black hood tears open the exit and bolts. Wearing a balaclava.
Pushing past Noah, I run. Not away from the hooded figure, but toward it. No one can possibly hurt Taryn while she’s in view of a hundred people. But the hood? I can catch them if I’m quick.
A flurry of activity crops up on either side of the aisle as people notice I’m running like a demon is chasing me. And, okay, I flail a little bit when I run, but all that matters is catching the hood.
“Hey! Don’t interrupt auditions.” Esau’s sharp tone bounces off like a dart that has entirely missed the target. He’ll understand. Later.
“Audrey. Wait!” Noah is on my tail.
The door slams against the wall when I throw it open. Dash through the foyer. Out into the parking lot. My heart beats from the top of my head to the soles of my feet as I skid to a stop on the sidewalk. My eyes range over the parking lot, looking for someone. Anyone. No one. No one. No— Wait.
At the far edge of the lot, a maroon car roars to life. It backs up so fast it almost nails the car parked opposite it. I cringe, but there’s no crunch. Acrid burned rubber hits my nose as the car peels out.
Noah comes to a stop behind me, breathing loud. “What happened?”
“No time!” I run, tearing across the parking lot toward the exit. There’s still a shot at seeing the car’s license plate if I can just… My feet slam over the gravelly pavement. I can’t miss it.
The car lurches out of the parking lot and makes a right turn.
I’m almost past the final line of cars. Hurry. Run. “Seven-L-U— damn it.” My lungs heave as I keel over, bracing my hands on my knees. Repeat the first three characters of the license plate over and over in my head so I won’t forget them.
Noah puts a hand on my back, making me leap upright.
“Whoa. Whoa. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Just gimme a sec.” My neck cranes to stare at the hazy blue sky. Can’t I just be a normal teenage girl for like, five seconds? No. Of course not. That would be ridiculous. No, instead I’ve somehow attracted the attention of yet another sick-minded freak with too much information. Thanks to the newspapers who shared everything they could dig up about the catfishing I went through last summer and fall. And now I’ve got a CuteAshlee doppleganger to show for it. Yay.
As my mind starts to clear, I turn to Noah. “It could be a coincidence, right? Those exist.”
“What could be a coincidence?” Taryn jogs the last few feet toward me, her cheeks flushed. Esau’s at her heels.
“Couldn’t this have waited until after auditions?” His arms cross over his chest as he gives me a stern once-over. His man-bun is unraveling, so he reaches up and yanks it out, freeing his black hair.
Noah is looking at me like I’m a wild animal liable to dash off into the trees. He inches closer. One hand reaches out to take mine. When I don’t pull away, his grip tightens. Noah, my best friend, draws close enough that I can feel his body heat through my thin sweater. A shiver runs through me. It’s freezing out, and I left my heavy coat inside.
“You all right?” Esau asks, eyeing me warily.
I heave out a breath. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll explain.”
“Explain what?” Taryn’s eyes flick down to where Noah’s hand encases mine, but she manages to keep her expression neutral.
“CuteAshlee part two.”
This prompts a grunt, a groan, and a gasp from my companions. Guess who did what? The four of us go back inside, and in the toasty foyer, I tell them all about the messages.
Black car. White truck. Brown truck.
Cars shoot past as Taryn drives us home. My eyes scan all around as we navigate through town. Looking for any glimpse of a maroon car. I know it’ll be a miracle, but I can’t help but hope I’ll spot it. Maybe then I can see who was behind that mask.
Noah is in the back seat, helping search. Every once in a while he mutters the three digits of the car’s license plate under his breath.
Esau was not thrilled that we were leaving without him, but someone had to stay behind to finish up auditions, and there was no way Esau or Taryn would leave it up to Miss Crabtree.
A flash of maroon cuts across the corner of my vision. “Wait!”
Taryn’s foot slams the brake, jerking the car to a stop. A horn blares behind us.
“Nothing. Sorry.”
Taryn shoots a cautious look my way before she resumes driving.
“Did you see something?” Noah’s head pokes between the front seats, talking over my shoulder.
“Thought so, but—Turn left! Turn left!”
Taryn jerks the car into the left lane and banks it before the light turns red.
My fingers dig into the dashboard as I lean forward. Up ahead there’s a burgundy car. Four door. Kind of dusty. License plate: 7LUT118
“Follow that car.”
“You think it’s the same one?” Noah’s hand snakes past me, his wrist brushing my shoulder as he points. “They’re turning into the bank lot.”
“I see it.” Taryn slows the car’s progress to a crawl.
“Hurry. We’re going to miss it. What are you doing?” It’s all I can do not to throw my foot over the center console and step on the gas pedal.
“Haven’t you ever watched cop shows? If we go blazing in there it’ll scare them off. This way it doesn’t look like we’re tailing them.” My sister glides into the lot.
“Where is—there. Pull in right there.” I point to a parking spot facing away from the bank. The maroon car is parked at the curb, right by the ATMs. From this vantage point, we can spy on them from the rearview and side mirrors
My breath hitches, my eyes glued to the car’s reflection. The driver’s door swings open. I whirl around to look out the rear window. And groan.
“What I’m taking away from this story is that you tracked a little old lady to the bank and watched her take out cash from the ATM before driving to the beauty parlor to have her hair curled.” Karen looks decidedly nonplussed as she meets my eyes across the coffee table.
Noah, Taryn, and I are lined up on the sofa, with me in the middle. As soon as we left the little old lady at the beauty parlor we drove home to tell Karen about the messages. The hooded figure. Our ill-fated attempt at following the car I’d supposedly seen leaving the school’s lot.
“First of all, instead of leaving the relative safety of the school, you should have called me immediately. We cannot take these sorts of events lightly, given your history. Have you talked to that reporter yet?”
I shake my head. Truthfully, I’d been putting it off to see if the creepy messages continued. It had taken over my focus. I haven’t even called that reporter back to confirm that I wanted to proceed.
“Don’t. I’m advising you not to do that interview. At least not right now. It’s clear that someone is watching. I also think you should start wearing your tracking bracelets again.”
“Fine.”
“No way.”
Taryn and I speak at the same time.
“It’s not a terrible idea,” Noah puts in. “They saved all of us last time.”
Noah’s right. If he hadn’t picked up Taryn’s bracelet when she dropped it on the lawn. If he hadn’t been worried and followed Esau and Taryn across town. If they hadn’t found me tied up in Mr. Baugh’s decrepit barn workshop. All those ifs.
If they hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be here right now. That is certain. I’d either be Albert Baugh’s captive, or dead. Another one of the Gemini Killer’s victims. Once he realized I wasn’t interested in making myself a teen bride by marrying him for real… I shudder as my insides recoil. He’d have killed me. Definitely. Painfully.
“Audrey, you still with us?” Noah bumps my shoulder with his. His brown eyes are gentle behind his black glasses frames. Black curls fall forward over his brow, and I wonder if I’ll ever have permission to run my fingers through them.
I swallow loudly, forcing down the what ifs that threaten to drown me if I let them. Use my senses to ground myself in the here and now, just like my therapist encouraged me to do.
Thick, nubby tweed fabric of the couch. The weight of Taryn on my left and Noah on my right.
A light, clean scent of Noah’s fabric softener.
Karen watching me with concern in her calculating eyes.
My breath whooshing as my lungs work in and out, pushing oxygen through my veins to the farthest reaches of my body.
Taryn wraps an arm around my shoulder and squeezes. “You’re still here with us, Aud. We’ve got you.”
A faint smile rises to my lips. “You’re right. Thanks.” It falls immediately when I realize that maybe the person who is taunting me isn’t after me—they’re after Taryn. She’s the one the hooded figure threatened this afternoon. Not me. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I hold on tight. Rest my head on her shoulder.
“I’ll wear my bracelet, but you need to wear yours too. Promise me.”
Sighing deeply, she nods. The tendons in her neck and shoulder move under my cheek. “Okay. But Agent Biel has to swear not to track me unless it’s necessary. And me being out with Esau does not count as necessary. I’m seventeen, and I need at least some privacy. Deal?”
Pursing her mouth to one side, Karen considers for a second. Gives a definitive nod. “I can work with that.”
The door rattles as someone pounds out a knock.
Taryn looks at her phone and brightens. “Esau must be done with auditions early.” She springs to the door and throws it open. Her face falls. “What now?”
Sheriff Lamb steps inside, his boots crunching on the wood floor. Removing his cowboy hat, he runs a hand along the worn brim. Looks from Taryn, to Karen, to Noah and me. Heaves a sigh. I can’t say that I’m thrilled to see him. Usually, when Sheriff Lamb shows up, he’s closely followed by Very Bad News.
Noah shifts on the sofa, his thigh pushing against mine. I’m sure it was an accident, but I take strength from the contact. Noah doesn’t have to be here with me right now, but he is. I’ll take it and be thankful for it, even if it’s not in the way I want.
Lamb clears his throat. “Just got a call from a nice but terrified old lady who told me an older tan sedan followed her all the way from the bank to the beauty parlor. She was afraid she was going to be carjacked and her bingo money stolen. You three know anything about that?”
“No.” We all speak at once, each looking incredibly guilty.
The sheriff levies us with a weighty stare. “No following anyone, ever. Leave the policing to those of us trained to do it. Understand?”
When we agree, he continues, addressing Karen. “I talked to the ladies in the school office, and there weren’t any unusual sign-ins on campus the day of auditions. No one reported seeing anyone who wasn’t supposed to be on campus, either, but I’ll keep an ear out.” He steps closer. Slips a file from under his arm I hadn’t even noticed he was carrying, thanks to his grim expression. “Also, I brought over a copy of the report from the mugging so you can have a look. Not much to go on, but I thought you might want it.” Handing the file to Karen, he replaces his hat over his brown hair, streaked with gray. The shade reminds me of my mom, who used to tease us that we caused each of her silver hairs by stressing her out. Karen’s got some new gray hairs too. Maybe Mom wasn’t wrong. Seeing as how we’ve put Karen through her paces since we moved in with her last fall.
Karen opens the file and leafs through the pages. I edge closer to get a look, but she moves from sheet to sheet faster than I can read or process what I’m seeing.
