Chapter 75
We were silent for a while, and I listened to her breathing and the clicking of the knitting needles. We did this from time to time. I’d call her when I missed her too much and we’d talk for a while, but mostly we’d just be silent together. Being close, despite being hundreds of miles apart.
“What are you knitting?” I asked.
“Socks for your cousin Andrea’s baby.”
“What color are they?”
“Rainbow. I figure this family needs to be educated.”
I snickered. “I think you’re right.”
“I’m always right, I’m your mother. When are you coming back home?”
“I don’t know.” I knew I should go back to her house since I was flying home tomorrow, but I really wanted to stay and get to know Axel better.
“Are you at a friend’s house?”
I hesitated for a second. “Yes.”
“I see. Well, as long as you’re warm and safe.”
“I am.”
We fell back into silence. Besides the click-click-clicking of the needles, sounds from the TV turned down low in the background drifted through the line.
“Are you watching It’s a Wonderful Life?” I asked.
“Of course.”
She loved that movie and watched it at least twice every Christmas, trying her hardest not to show me the tears in her eyes.
“Oh, Mom. What if I stay here a couple days longer? I could spoil you. Maybe take you out to dinner?”
“That would be lovely, dear.”
“Great. Look, I’ll let you go. I’ll be in touch and let you know when I’ll be back, okay?”
We hung up and I let my eyes drift closed. 4
A soft hand on my arm and a whispered “Danny?” woke me up. I blinked at Axel as he hunched down next to me.
“Sorry,” I croaked out. “I fell asleep.”
He held out his hand and I grabbed it and let him pull me off the floor. His hand was so hot it almost burned me and it sent tingles racing up my arm.
“Th-thanks.” I grimaced at my stutter and cleared my throat. The call with Mom had thrown me off balance, and Axel’s mere presence added to the unsettled feeling.
He was nothing like I’d expected. It still wasn’t too late for him to drag me out back, kill me, and bury my maimed body somewhere it wouldn’t ever be found, but I didn’t believe it for a second. No one who looked at a little girl in yellow bee pajamas like she was the queen of the universe could be a serial killer.
We sat back down on the couch and he called his sister again.
“Still no luck?” I asked when he slammed the phone down on the coffee table.
“No.” He tilted his head back and rubbed his palms on his shorn hair. “I can’t believe she’d do this again,” he muttered and I wasn’t sure I was supposed to hear what he said. I bit my tongue, unwilling to pry even though I was dying of curiosity.
“I’m sorry,” I said simply.
“No, I’msorry.” He turned his head and looked at me. “I was supposed to drive you to your hotel, and instead you had to spend Christmas Day watching Elsa with a four-year-old and a serial killer.”
I smiled at his attempt at a joke. His eyes were full of regret and fatigue and I wanted to reassure him. “Nah, it’s okay. Now that I’ve met Queen Bee herself, I trust her judgment.”
“She’d like that,” he said with his crooked smile.
“What?”
“Bein’ called Queen Bee.”
“She’s adorable.”
He nodded. “She holds my heart in her little hands.”
“I can tell.”
“I ain’t got a clue when Annie’ll be back,” Axel said with a rumbling sigh. “I’ll call Ma and ask her to come watch Bea while I take you to town.”
I mirrored his casual pose on the couch with my head resting on the back cushion as I studied him. Thin lines bracketed his mouth and weariness poured off him like a waterfall. Wasn’t anyone taking care of him?
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Of course.” He tried to sound upbeat, but it was obvious even to a stranger like me that he didn’t mean it.
“You sure about that?”
He winced. “Not really.”
Just as I’d suspected. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I can keep you company if you like. Unless you prefer to be alone. I don’t want to intrude.”
His eyes widened and he looked about as surprised as I felt about the offer. But thinking about it, it made sense. There weren’t any fancy hotels in town; I’d probably end up in a sad motel where the only thing to do would be watching back-to-back reruns of It’s a Wonderful Lifeand it wouldn’t be the same without Mom. I could go back to her place, of course, but my reluctance lingered, even though Bob would be long gone by now.