Fear Familiar Bundle (50 page)

The gondola started to pitch up and down. Gripping the bar, Cassandra pushed into the back of her seat, hoping for some sensation of steadiness in her revolving world. She gritted her teeth and kept her eyes open, fighting the sense of complete loss of control. She focused on her fingers gripping the bar. She felt like…Ellen in the convertible as it sped down the woodland trail.

She felt her control slipping. The dream crept onto the edge of her consciousness, pushing hard against her. It was like the day she'd nearly totaled her car. There was nothing she could do to hold it back. Her head fell back against the rest, and as the gondola sped and whirled, Cassandra drowned in her dream.

"I
HATE
this place."

She heard a woman speak, but the voice was unfamiliar. The woman was standing in shadow.

"It's beautiful here. The only real beauty is that of nature." The man spoke with deep regret. "I'm sorry."

His hand touched the woman's face. The fingers were soft and cool. She was facing the view and there was no place for her to put her feet to get away from him. The mountain dropped away. It was a sheer cliff.

Cassandra had never seen the dream so clearly before. The night was crusted with stars, and below the lip of the mountain where the woman stood, only blackness could be seen. She could sense the woman's terrible sadness, her fear and her worry.

The man stepped up behind her, closer, and she tried to turn around to face him. He grabbed her arms. "Don't turn around. I told you. Don't! You know the rules."

"Why?" she asked. "Why are you doing this? It can stop now, if you'll let me help you."

Held beneath the dream, Cassandra struggled to help the unknown woman. She was new, a different victim. She wanted to encourage her to stay calm, to think. The killer never forced the victim over the edge of the cliff, but that was how he controlled them. If they struggled too much, they might fall. So they died like cattle in a slaughterhouse line. No real struggle.
Fight!
she mentally urged the woman.

"It doesn't matter. It's my destiny. Would you like some champagne? I brought some, just for you. A toast to Eagle's Roost." The man laughed, an easy, practiced sound. "You're the kind of woman who should go out in style."

"Yes, I'd like some champagne."

That's right,
Cassandra urged her.
Do the unexpected. Get him to move away from you.

"I knew you wouldn't be a baby. Not like the others. You're a beautiful woman. Beautiful skin. Beautiful hair." He picked up a strand and let it slide through his fingers. "So beautiful. I'm surprised you haven't asked about JoAnn. She hasn't gone far, you know."

"Have you hurt her?" The woman inched away from the cliff. A rock slipped beneath her foot. It echoed in the night as it struck several outcroppings of stone before it disappeared into the black void.

"I sent her…to a safe place." He laughed a little at his own cleverness. "Until I could finish this with you. You've put me through a lot of trouble, you know. But it's made it all…interesting. A worthy adversary, and one with such beautiful hair and skin. I almost hate to kill you."

"H
EY
! H
EY
, E
LLEN
! Wake up!" Ray brushed Cassandra's hair out of her face.

Cassandra felt the hand on her shoulder. Someone was shaking her roughly. There was a din of confusing noises all around her, smells that made her reel. She tried to open her eyes but lights throbbed and pulsed at her, blending with the rhythm of the pounding of her head.

"Someone call an ambulance," Ray ordered.

"No," Cassandra forced herself to say. She struggled to sit up, but there was a wooden bar across her lap. At last, she opened her eyes. Ray stood hovering over her, his eyes squinting with concern.

"What happened?" he asked roughly.

"I don't know," she said. "I started feeling funny. I must have eaten something." She fumbled with excuses. What had happened? She had been back in the dream, back with the killer. He'd found a new victim, a woman she hadn't seen clearly at all, except for the long hair. They'd been at the place the killer called Eagle's Roost. He was ready to kill again!

"Wait a minute," Ray said. He unbolted the bar that held her prisoner and easily pulled her out of the car. "Calm down a little." He held her tight.

"I have to go," she whispered. Her head was pounding and her heart felt as if it were going to burst.

"You can't even walk." Ray helped her over to the wooden platform where he controlled the ride. "Wait here a minute. Let me get them loaded and I'll be back."

Unable to argue, Cassandra nodded. She was feeling desperately sick. Even the solidness of the hard platform felt good as she sat on it and leaned her head forward into her hands. Beneath her headache and nausea was the drumming fear. He wasn't gone. He was only waiting, hiding out, thinking sharper and faster than those who pursued him.

He was sick and smart, and he loathed his victims. He hated women. Hated, feared, and envied them. Cassandra started to shake, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Ray returned and gave the controlling stick to the ride a fearful punch. The Spider took off with an unusual burst of energy.

"Maybe you'd better let me call an ambulance," he said. He sat down beside her. "You look really sick."

"I'm better," she said. "It will pass, and there's not much a doctor can do." She forced her gaze up and looked at him. Was he planning the murder of a young woman even as he sat beside her? And, dear God, what had he done with JoAnn?

"The color is coming back," he said, nodding at her. "You really scared me. I've seen people get sick on rides, but not like you. And that scream you gave. It almost stopped the midway."

"What scream?" Cassandra felt anxiety rumble in her stomach. What had she said?

"You screamed 'no' like someone was trying to murder you."

"I, uh, didn't want to get sick. Not on the ride."

"Thanks," Ray said, and there was a glint of humor in his face. "But you are looking better. How do you feel?"

"Like I'd better get out of your hair and let you earn a living." She stood up. The jackhammer in her skull kicked in a little harder, but she could walk. She could get away from Ray before she collapsed.

"If you'd rather cancel tonight…" He gave her a grin that might have charmed some women.

"Not on your life," she said, smiling at her own pun. "Not on my life, either. I'll be there. At nine. And I'll be on time," she said.

Before he could reconsider, she walked away. She needed to lie down and rest, and she needed to do it right away. Where had they parked? The little convertible would not offer much of a bed, but she had to rest. Just for a few moments.

There was so much to do. JoAnn. Where could she be that the killer would have "sent her to a safe place?" The silly woman was putting her life in danger as each minute ticked away. And the latest victim. Cassandra had no idea who she might be.

She had to think. Clearly. With her head filled with a crescendo of pain, she had no tool to work with. And where was Adam? When she found him, she was going to pickle him.

When she was certain she was out of sight of the ride, she slipped behind one of the trailers and leaned against the wall. She felt horrible.

Nausea made her double over and she fought for control. She had to get home.

"Cassandra!"

She recognized Adam's voice and tried to straighten up. His warm hands grabbed her shoulders and supported her. "What happened? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No. It was a dream. He's after someone new. He's going to kill her."

"That's why I left," Adam said hurriedly. He put his arm around her and began a hasty retreat to the car. "I thought I saw JoAnn. She was coming down the midway with a bunch of her friends and I wanted to dodge away before she saw me. But it was too late. She saw me and they scattered. I went after her, but I lost her in the crowd."

"Do you think she was going to see Ray?" Putting her thoughts into JoAnn seemed to steady Cassandra. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture.

"She was headed straight for the ride."

"He made a date to see me tonight. This may be the only thing that saves that girl's life."

"Ray's a busy man." Adam didn't like the idea of Cassandra meeting Ray anywhere, anytime. "You're too sick to do anything, thank goodness. We'll have to watch him…"

"I'll meet him." Cassandra's voice brooked no nonsense.

"Cassandra…"

"It's tonight or never. Do you think he'll go out with me after the television show tomorrow?"

Weariness tugged at Cassandra's bones as she got out of her car at the Blue Ridge Lounge. It had taken all of her reserve to argue Adam into letting her keep her appointment with Ray. Adam had finally capitulated to her logic— if they didn't find out about Ray tonight, she'd never stand a chance once she appeared on television. Everyone would recognize her as "the local whacko psychic who had some mental link to the murderer."

As it was, Adam had parked fifty yards from the lounge. While she was making small talk with Ray, Adam would take his position near Ray's convertible. They had a plan, but it was one that depended on Cassandra's ability to lie.

Lying had never been one of her strong suits, but she was desperate enough to try anything. They had to get Ray outside, alone and in his car. Then Adam could subdue him. If Cassandra could lure him outside, and then keep his attention on her for a few moments, Adam could subdue him. Once captured, he might confess. At least he'd be immobilized until JoAnn could be found.

She checked her lipstick in the rearview mirror and got out. The fear that she'd anticipated had not materialized. She didn't particularly like Ray, but she wasn't afraid of him. It was strange. In the dreams, he terrified her. He was so cold-blooded about the murders.

She pushed open the heavy door and stepped into the dim interior. It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust as she checked out the floor plan. The bar, on her right, ran the length of the room and about half of the stools were occupied. The dance floor was at the back, and the stage was empty. To the left, she saw a scattering of tables, several with couples, but the majority empty. Ray was seated at the bar, a beer in one hand and his eyes riveted on her.

Tension tightened her shoulders, but still, she noticed her own lack of fear. Even when their eyes met, she wasn't afraid. She walked forward and took a seat on a stool beside him.

"Glad you could make it." He asked what she wanted and signaled the waitress over and gave her drink order for orange juice, on the rocks. "Still feeling under the weather?"

"Just a little." She smiled and continued. "But I really wanted to see you tonight."

He chuckled. "Not bragging, but I've heard that before."

"I'll bet you have." Cassandra hid her sarcasm behind a flirtatious smile.

The waitress set her drink down with a snort of derision. "Ready for another, Ray?"

"Sure, Rita. I don't have a lot of time."

"You must come here a lot." Cassandra found it difficult to make small talk, but she had to give Adam time to set up beside the car.

"Yeah, every season when we come through, I come by here. Rita and I have known each other for a lot of years, haven't we, Rita?"

"Too long," she said. "But you never stop amazing me. I thought I knew your taste." She looked at Cassandra knowingly.

"Folks change, Rita." He grinned at her, and she turned back to her bar.

Cassandra gave her watch another surreptitious glance. She took a sip of her orange juice and put the glass on the bar. "Ray, I don't want to stay here. It's too stuffy. Maybe we could go for a ride, look at the stars. It's a beautiful night."

He stood up immediately. "You're a real piece of work. I figured I'd be wining and dining you for the rest of my stay here. You're one classy-looking lady."

"Like your other girlfriends?" she asked, leaning toward him slightly. It was too soon. She hadn't anticipated that he'd act on her suggestion so suddenly! She had to think of something to keep him in the bar a little longer. She was making a real muck of the night. "I was talking to a friend of mine and she said she'd seen you around with someone else. Like on a regular basis."

"You're worried about that, aren't you?" He grinned with pleasure.

"I just like to know the score." Play it cool, a little flirtatious, she encouraged herself. Smile.

"I was seeing someone. It's over now." A slight frown wrinkled his brow. "Who told you…"

"How can I be sure it's over?" Cassandra cut in, watching every shift of his expression.

"Take my word for it, there's not a chance I'll be seeing Sarah again."

Adrenaline shot through Cassandra at the mention of Sarah's name. This was the direction she wanted to go. Ray had admitted knowing Sarah— now for some link to JoAnn. "Wasn't there someone else?" Cassandra played coy. "I think her name was Ella, or Anna, or something like that. Maybe JoAnn."

Ray gave her a puzzled look. "Nope. Her name was Sarah. She's the only girl in these parts I've seen lately." He stood up so abruptly that his stool crashed over. "I thought you wanted to get out of here. How about that ride?"

Cassandra swallowed. "Any place special?"

"I know a few good places." He checked his watch. "I have to get back to work in an hour or so, but we have a little time. Let's go."

"Sounds good." Cassandra could feel her heart beating. The rush of blood was like the wind in her ears. She'd given Adam all the time she could. Now her future was in his hands. If he failed her, she'd be all alone with the man she suspected of at least three murders.

"How come you and Sarah broke up?" she asked as she led the way to the door.

"What's with you and this fixation on my ex-girlfriends? I don't grill you about the men you've seen. This is a date, not a proposal of marriage."

His anger was very close to the surface. Cassandra wanted to recoil, but she knew she couldn't. "I'm the jealous type."