Imprints Read online

  I didn’t believe it. Tawnia’s picture hadn’t shown a happy woman but someone who’d desperately needed help, and after seeing Scarlet, I believed in Tawnia’s newfound talent as I’d been forced to believe in mine. Because we were identical twins, it only followed that we should each have a similar oddity, our strange abilities perhaps starting out the same and then growing into something different. Had our birth mother also been gifted in some odd way? Or maybe another relative? Since our birth mother and the doctor who’d delivered us were both dead and no other blood relatives were in sight, it was possible we would never know.

  Wherever my ability came from, I felt good about helping Ethan find Marcie and hopefully talking Victoria into coming with me when I left.

  Aside from my stretched bladder, I was warm and comfortable. Except now that I was alone in the dark, accompanied only by the soft snores of my two companions, my mind went inevitably to the day’s events and particularly the two kisses. One too brief to really savor, and the other a complete and utter surprise. Life was like that, it seemed. A long dry spell, and then suddenly multiple possibilities. Or was there only one?

  With Ethan, of course, because Jake was just a friend, after all.

  Except his kiss hadn’t felt like friendship. Even thinking about it made my heart feel funny. Not funny ha-ha but funny as though I might pass out.

  Or was that my bladder?

  I pushed myself to my feet. Well, while I was awake, I could at least investigate the women’s dorm. On stockinged feet, I crept slowly to the door, where the wooden floor creaked. Neither of my companions stirred. Our door was one of the few closed, and it squeaked as I opened it. I guess I should have thought to bring oil. Shannon would get a kick out of that idea, if he ever found out. He and his fellow detectives probably carried a can around in their pocket whenever they planned to sneak around.

  Or did detectives always get a warrant first? Probably.

  I felt my way down the hallway, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the sheer curtains over the single windows between each set of bunks. In each room everyone seemed profoundly asleep, as though exhaustion had irrevocably claimed them. Shadows reared up in the corners of the room and seemed to flit and dance as I passed, but the movement was only in my imagination.

  It was weird. Subdued. Otherworldly. There was no reading with a flashlight or giggling in the dark. Were the women drugged, or just plain overworked?

  I didn’t think I’d find the answer here, but I was determined to check every room. My heart thumped furiously as I opened the few closed doors, not a lock in sight, but those rooms were tiny and had only a single bed with a sleeping woman. Most of them were older. One gray-haired granny had her mouth wide open under her hooked nose, snoring loud enough to wake her neighbors. No wonder she slept by herself.

  Besides the closet and the bathing room, there was nothing else to see. Every bed was occupied, except the one in my room and another in the room next door. Thus, the reason for Jake and his supposed building skills.

  I saw no one who remotely resembled Marcie, though I might have been mistaken in the dark. Had she left the commune? If so, why hadn’t she contacted her brother? Or was she somewhere else? Perhaps in that dark room where Tawnia had drawn her.

  An urgency I couldn’t explain fell over me. I needed to find Marcie.

  I was hungry, too, despite the dinner I’d eaten. Ravenous, in fact. Only Tawnia would understand how that could be true. I wondered if I could find my way to the kitchen for a snack. I mean, it wasn’t as if the fasting day had begun, and I didn’t intend to follow it anyway. I’d fast for a good cause but not for joining the commune. I also thought about emptying my bladder somehow in the bathing room, but I remembered Harmony saying the refuse water went to the fields. That was why they only used biodegradable soaps, toothpastes, and shampoos, so using an inside drain was out of the question.

  But I really, really did not want to go to the woods. Maybe they had a port-a-potty somewhere.

  The outside door to the women’s dorms didn’t have a lock, either, so I went out onto the long porch overlooking the deserted square. The lights atop the poles were still on but dimmer now, with only the bottom half of the crystal glass gleaming as though there might be two bulbs inside, one for regular use and one to act as a nightlight. The brightness of the moon overhead did a far better job at illuminating the square than did the dim light. The tables were gone, and there was no litter anywhere to be seen. Several lights filtered through curtained windows in the married dorm, but even as I watched, they winked out.

  The porch moaned horribly as I crossed it, and the outside air was cool, though I was well protected in my long-sleeved flannel nightgown. I edged down the stairs, my feet feeling confined and almost clumsy inside their stockings. It was amazing how the thin covering insulated my feet from the usual sensations.

  Only the smallest sound gave warning, and then an arm went around me and another over my mouth. I experienced a sense of déjà-vu, though I realized how unlikely it would be that Ethan could have sneaked back so quickly. That left the person who had killed Inclar. My heart pounded in my chest. I readied my elbow for an attack.

  “It’s me,” Jake whispered before I launched the jab. When he was sure I understood, he started to release me.

  I avoided my first reaction to sag with relief and slapped his hands away.

  “Sorry. I didn’t want you to scream.”

  I certainly was jumpy enough to have screamed, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

  He was looking at me oddly, and I realized it was because of my gown. “I didn’t pack pajamas,” I said defensively. Another small point of contention between me and my sister. She believed in pajamas, three fresh pair a week. I, on the other hand, didn’t see any harm in sleeping in underclothes or a T-shirt as long as it was fairly clean.

  “Looks like something my grandma wears.”

  Great. Just the image I wanted him to have of me. “I saw Victoria,” I said to distract him. “No Marcie, though. Unless she’s in the married house.”

  “I don’t think so. I watched them pretty carefully as they went inside tonight. I did some looking around, too, and there are no hidden rooms that I can find.”

  “You’ve been in there?” I jerked my head toward the front house.

  He nodded. “Kitchen, big work room, laundry, offices, and rooms for Dar and Gabe. No basement.”

  “Do you think Marcie left? Maybe we could ask around.”

  He shook his head. “We’ll have to be careful. I mentioned the possibility of leaving to one of the men, and he wouldn’t even look at me after that.”

  “There have to be work places here,” I said, thinking of Tawnia’s picture. “Where they make the soaps and things. Maybe she’s there.”

  “The kitchen’s big enough for that. And the meeting room has tables that probably double as workstations for some of those crafts they sell.”

  “Well, they have barns and a henhouse.”

  “Two barns from what I’ve been able to learn, a big one out behind the married housing and a smaller one beyond the outhouses.”

  “Oh, and a greenhouse,” I added, remembering my new roommate and her herbs. “They raise their own food, so they could have a lot more buildings we don’t know about. Any of them could have a secret room.”

  “Let’s go look for them.”

  I glanced reluctantly toward the woods, but I wasn’t quite so afraid now that Jake was with me. Besides, the police would be here soon. “I need a pit stop first,” I confessed.

  “I want to get another look at where you saw Inclar’s body, anyway. Look what I brought.” This time instead of the borrowed lantern, he held up a chunky blue flashlight, the one he used at the store back in Portland during blackouts. It had the most powerful beam I’d ever seen.

  “They let you keep it? They took Ethan’s phone and the radio he gave me.”

  “Didn’t seem to bother them. They
did say something about the batteries running out eventually. Apparently, they don’t restock batteries often.”

  “Probably because they’re more expensive than whatever’s in those smelly lanterns. Plus, they’re hard to recycle. Not good for Mother Earth.” I caught his smile. “Hey, I can’t help it if I happen to agree with some of their beliefs. Humans can be terrible for the environment. I think I’d give up my cell phone altogether if it weren’t for Tawnia.”

  “Thank heavens for Tawnia then. Don’t you remember how many times you’ve had to call me when your car has broken down?”

  “Maybe I should give up driving.” Winter and Summer had never owned cars.

  His grin was mocking. “Maybe. But you won’t.”

  He was right. I did need my car to search for antiques. I was a terrible hypocrite. “Come on.” I tugged on his arm. “Let’s go.”

  We walked into the woods a short distance before he turned on the flashlight. It wasn’t exactly like walking in broad daylight, but the path was completely illuminated, the dark shadows pushed back to a safe distance.

  “Here.” He shoved something into my hand. An organic blueberry muffin.

  Instantly, I forgave him everything. Even for the kiss, which I was thinking about way too much now that we were together and alone, but not for a million muffins would I admit it.

  I gobbled my muffin on the way to the bathroom, where Jake waited for me. Then he led me back to the place where I’d seen Inclar’s body. With my wonderful sense of direction, I wasn’t sure it was the right place until we were actually upon it, but Jake’s steps were sure.

  With the flashlight it was easier to see the indentation in the sparse shrubbery at the base of the tree where Inclar’s head might have been. Something that looked like dragging marks curved off to the left, vanishing into a stretch of undergrowth.

  “Wait. Is this blood?” Jake held the light closer to the indentation. A patch of darkness marred the dirt between the greenery, as though someone had poured a cup of used oil there. Except it wasn’t glistening like oil. Tiny bits flaked off one of the leaves when Jake moved it aside.

  Dried blood.

  I was both relieved and frightened at the same time.

  “He didn’t drag himself away,” Jake said.

  “No.”

  “Let’s follow it. If they have a hidden place, you can bet that’s where they’ll put him—at least temporarily.”

  It took a while to locate a trail, but once we did, it was a matter of following the bits of dried blood and depressed vegetation. Whoever had moved Inclar was either too slight to carry him or hadn’t wanted to get blood on his own clothing.

  “This isn’t going anywhere except toward the dirt road we came in on,” Jake said after awhile.

  I grunted. I’d thought we’d been going in the direction of the fields.

  “We’d better be careful, then,” I said. “Because of the guards.”

  “Guards?” Jake stared at me.

  “Ethan said he saw some.”

  “Did they have guns?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Jake switched his light to a lower setting, and we crept along. When we reached the road, the signs of dragging and the blood vanished altogether. Jake indicated the hard-packed dirt. “Must have loaded him into something.”

  “Did they go out or in past the house?” Earlier I’d noticed another dirt road skirting the married house, presumably the way to the barns or fields.

  “They could hide him anywhere. There’s nothing for miles. Three hundred acres, plus all the land between here and Rome.” Jake scrubbed a hand across his face, which for some reason made me stare at his lips.

  He caught my eye. “Uh, Autumn, about before.”

  “You mean when you kissed me?” The words fell from my lips before I could bite them back.

  “I hope it was okay. We’re still friends, right?”

  Friends. I hated that word. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’d take more than a kiss to drive me away.” I spoke jokingly, but instead of my words reassuring him, an annoyed glint came to his eyes. Obviously, he wasn’t prepared to joke about it.

  “Let’s follow the road to the larger barn,” he said coolly. “It’ll be easier than going through the woods, and we won’t need the light out here on the road. No use in announcing our presence.”

  We’d gone about fifty yards when we heard a shout behind us. “Uh-oh,” I said.

  Jake pulled me off the road, and we began running. I stubbed my bandaged toe painfully on an exposed root.

  “Must be a guard,” I panted, looking around to see if the man had a gun.

  Not one but two men were behind us, though they didn’t seem to be carrying anything except flashlights. I hoped I wasn’t wrong.

  “Split up!” I yelled at Jake. I was sure I could outrun anyone, but the darkness was making it difficult.

  “No!”

  Ignoring him, I curved away and sprinted for a large tree. If I could reach it before they caught up to me, I could use the tree to change my direction without being seen. Behind me a light bobbed between the trees. I wondered if our pursuers could make out the details of our faces.

  I darted around the tree and changed direction. I was mentally congratulating myself when I slammed into a solid figure. Without hesitation, I jerked my foot upward at his flashlight, hitting it with the ball of my foot and knocking it away. With a grunt he lunged for me. His fist caught the left side of my face, the side Spring’s husband had bloodied, making me cry out with pain. The momentum from his punch hurled me backward into a bush, and everything went black for an instant. Then he was coming toward me, his round, flat face lit eerily by the moonlight.

  I jabbed out with my feet, catching him in the chest by surprise. He grunted as he fell. Leaping from the bush, I started to run, but the world spun around me. I forced myself to take a step. I was too slow. A hand closed over my ankle, and for the first time in my life I wished I were wearing heels. Sharp spiky heels that I could use as a weapon.

  Down I went, face splatting on the narrow path. It was softer here, not packed like the trail to the bathrooms, but pain reverberated through my left cheek. I had the impression of a fist coming down on the back of my head, and at the last minute, I turned over, limbs flailing. He was on me in an instant. I desperately reached for something to use against him. Finding only a handful of dirt, I threw it into his eyes. He bellowed in rage as he rubbed his face. I dug my elbows into the ground, trying to pull myself out from under him.

  He laughed, a mean sound that sent shivers up my spine. He was enjoying this! That knowledge gave me strength, and I managed to move myself a few inches. His hands reached for my neck.

  What now? More dirt? Would it stop him? There was no chance of curling my feet up to use against him as I had done against Inclar. This man was simply too big and heavy. My scrambling right hand felt a rock, one heavy enough to give me trouble moving it. I hefted it, the jagged edges digging into my skin. With a loud grunt of effort, I brought it up and slammed it into his head.

  He crumpled. Unfortunately, he crumpled on top of me, and he was so large that it took more strength to move him than I could coax from my wounded body. My right hand that had wielded the rock felt like it was broken, and the other arm pulsed pain with each heartbeat. That meant I must be bleeding there. Hopefully, not too badly. I made a mental note to ask Shannon about self-defense lessons. I’d need them if I was going to stay in this line of work.

  That’s when I knew I was delusional. I was an antiques dealer, nothing more. Coming here had been a huge mistake, and I was going to leave the first chance I got—dragging Victoria with me, if I could.

  Provided, of course, that I could get this guy off me before he woke up and finished the job he’d started.

  The pain in my arm and wrist were fading a bit, so I pushed at the man’s body. It took me three tries before I managed to get enough momentum to roll him off. I gulped in air with relief and st
ruggled to a seated position. Unfortunately, my hand touched his belt buckle as I moved, a huge piece of engraved metal at his waist. Images shot through me—terrifying images of rape, torture, of blood welling from a wound. Screams echoed in my ears until I didn’t know if the events had happened or were happening now. Maybe I was the one screaming. I saw Inclar’s rolling eye. A flash of Gabe’s face drawn in anger. And Marcie. Thin to the point of death, agony in her face.

  Gasping, I pulled my hand away as though I’d touched an open flame. “No,” I protested feebly through my sobs.

  The imprint had drained the last of my energy, and I slumped next to my unconscious attacker. When I closed my eyes, the memories of the imprints were still there, a revolving mass of confusion and terror. It was impossible to block out the scenes. I shook uncontrollably.

  I couldn’t place the imprints at any exact time, but those of Marcie and Inclar were recent. Very recent.

  I don’t know how long I lay next to the guard, shuddering and feeling the terror that wasn’t mine—and mine had been strong enough to begin with. My skin felt hot and flushed, and my stomach threatened to disgorge the muffin Jake had given me. I was totally and completely exposed.

  Sometime later I heard footsteps and felt the gentle touch of Jake’s hands. “Autumn, you okay? I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”

  I couldn’t answer. Tears slid from my eyes and into my hair. Why me? I wanted to scream. I don’t want this horrid ability!

  “Autumn, talk to me. Where does it hurt?” When I didn’t respond, Jake lifted me so I was sitting. “What did you see?”

  This time I was glad he understood what had happened, but I still couldn’t talk. “It’s going to be okay,” Jake murmured, as though to a frightened child. “I’m right here with you.” He dropped his flashlight in my lap and pulled me into his arms, cradling me to his chest like an infant.

  My hands touched his flashlight. I didn’t expect any imprint, but suddenly I saw myself—a transparent figure that signaled a fading imprint. I was illuminated by the flashlight, my antiques all around me. I heard Jake laughing. “Let’s have a picnic,” I was saying. “It’s almost closing time. Besides, with the snowstorm and the power outage, most people will be heading home.”