He was frowning, looking toward the stage."What's gone?"

"That stupid monster thing that was catching everyone's hair."

Megan looked around. It was true. Someone had removed the monster with the branch-like fingers.

"Good riddance," Morwenna said.

"I'll have to agree," Megan said, glad that the silence had been broken. "I think I have a bald patch on the back of my head."

Morwenna laughed softy. "I don't see any bald spots, but I'm glad they got rid of the thing. It really was dangerous. You got caught in it, and Finn got caught in it. Better check him out tonight-he may have a bald spot."

"The man has no patience," Joseph told her. "He didn't wait for any detangling a.s.sistance, just ripped right away."

"I'll check him out tonight," Megan said. She could chew and swallow. The world was seeming normal again.

Finn came back to the table and sat. "Steaks are delicious," she said.

"And here's my beer," Finn said, sliding one around her at the table, and lifting the bottle of Michelob in front him in the air toward Joseph. "Thanks."

"My pleasure, "Joseph acknowledged.

"You'd better eat-we've only got a few minutes left," Megan warned him.

"I'll be chewing away in two seconds, I promise," he said, setting the beer down and starting to cut his meat as well. He could eat quickly-he had learned that trick while waiting tables himself. A bad habit, actually. Megan had always heard that it was best to eat slowly. But Finn was usually a little too impatient to eat slowly.

Joseph pointed out the fact that the dangerous, hair-pulling monster was gone.

"Probably a good thing," Finn said, washing down his food with another swig of beer. "The hotel probably saw a few hairless customers walking by and got frightened of a lawsuit."

"Could be," Morwenna agreed cheerfully.

Break time was up. Finn thanked Morwenna and Joseph as he drew Megan from her chair. They both nodded happily.

On stage, Finn slid into another of their own songs, a dance number, and their last set of the evening, then proceeded to pack up quickly. Most of the tables were still filled when they finished. Finn gave Megan a thumbs-up sign as he immediately started to cover their equipment for the night and following day.

She was going to help him but Morwenna and Joseph came over to say good night.

Morwenna whispered to her, "You know... your husband really is quite incredible." Despite her words, she sounded hesitant.

She whispered back, though Finn was at some distance. "That's not what you said when you did the reading."

Morwenna stared at Finn, and looked uneasy. "I know... I don't understand. He's wicked good-looking. s.e.xy, talented... and he dotes on you. But according to the Tarot, he's... I don't know, cards can be interpreted differently. It looked as if he offered you some terrible danger, but then... maybe it's just that you're so in love with him, your heart or soul is at risk, or something. I should do another reading."

"No! Thank you. I do adore him, and our marriage is going to work. Your cards would have me offing him in the middle of the night or something!""Never!" Morwenna protested.

There was a tap on her shoulder. She jumped and turned around. But it wasn't Finn, only Darren, minus most of his costume's headgear. He had come to thank her for the CD and offer his enthusiasm for the evening's entertainment. She thanked him for his support.

When she finished speaking with him, she saw that Morwenna and Joseph had gone on out, heading home, she a.s.sumed.

Finn was almost done with the equipment, and the room was clearing out. When she would have stepped forward to give token a.s.sistance, he smiled and waved a hand, telling her to relax, he'd be ready in a minute.

She stood at the foot of the stage, waiting. Something drew her eyes to one of the balcony exits.

Andy Markham was there.

Staring at her.

His gaze was unnerving. Not because he looked at her in any manner that might be construed as dangerous.

But because he seemed to be watching her with pity, as if a great danger was headed her way, and he was powerless to stop it.

As if he knew that she was...

Doomed.

A cold trembling seized her. Ice raced through her veins. She might have been standing atop a ragged tor in the October wind, naked, entirely vulnerable, with the wind bringing shadows of whipping, screaming, darkness closer and closer...

He nodded to her gravely and turned, disappearing out the balcony door.

Chapter 5.

"Ready?"

She nearly jumped a mile when Finn's hand landed on her shoulder.

"Ready," she a.s.sured him, forcing a smile.

Finn frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, and knew how false she sounded. She shrugged. "I don't know. Something silly. I just had shivers, you know, like the expression-someone walking over your grave. But I'm fine. Really."

"You sure?" He seemed skeptical.

"Yep. Just tired." It was late. Nearly two in the morning.

She must have a.s.sured him at last. He offered her a slow smile, and his suggestive whisper caressed her ear-lobe. "How tired?"

Previous Top NextAn honest grin replaced her forced smile.

"Tired enough to get out of here-and into a closed room. Alone. Well, alone with you, of course."

With an arm around her shoulder, he led her toward the main exit, thanking the fellow who had manned the cashier's station for selling their CDs. A few minutes later, they were in the car, and heading out.

Despite the shift between them, Megan moved close and rested her head against his shoulder. "It was a really great night, huh?" she said.

"Fantastic. Everything went well," he agreed.

"So it was smart to come here," she said, and wondered if she was trying to convince him, or herself.

"Well, great until now," he murmured.

"What's the matter?"

"No parking s.p.a.ces," he said.

"That is a problem, once you get into town. You know, Huntington House is a big place. They should have spots right on the property, and not make their 'guests' have to park out on the street."

"Right-especially if they're going to have a Mr. Fallon on the property," Finn said lightly.

"We should have stayed at the hotel-they offered us a decent rate," Megan murmured.

"Ah, but Huntington House sounded so much more intriguing," Finn said.

"There's a lot around the corner with extra parking. Mr. Fallon did tell me about it. I'd forgotten. It says that it's a tow-away zone, but that's because the property belongs to Huntington House."

"Sounds good. It won't be much of a walk back."

Finn rounded the corner. The lot wasn't really that convenient. It was small and behind a row of colonial houses that had been altered in the Victorian period so that they were adorned with "gingerbread" latticework that had been so popular at the time. They parked and exited the car. The night seemed eerily silent. It had been clear when they'd been driving.

Now, a thick fog was rising.

Pea soup thick. Megan felt as if she were stepping into a swamp as she crawled out of the car.

"Wow, will you look at that? All of a sudden," Finn said.

"Hey, it's New England. Like they say, if you don't like the weather, it will change in a few hours. Unfortunately, it doesn't change for the better all that often."

"Come here while I can still see you," Finn told her.

He walked toward her and she hurried for his outstretched arm.

"Creepy, hm?" she murmured.

"But it's keeping you nice and close."

"You can barely see the street lamps.""True. Let's just hope we're walking in the right direction."

Megan looked up to the sky. Through the haze, she could see the moon. Not quite full, but it appeared that it was. The full moon this year was projected, aptly, for Halloween.

"'By the light of the silvery moon!'" she quoted from the song.

"Um. Well, so far, that is sidewalk beneath us."

"Right. And we're not even a block away."

"I can see the sign ahead."

Megan was glad. She couldn't explain the terror that seemed to be seeping through her, just like the dampness of the fog. And then, she thought she heard something coming from behind them.

It wasn't the sound of footsteps.

It seemed to be a strange whispering sound. As if something flew, or floated just above the ground. Something like a cold, dark wind with a scratchy human voice. She swallowed hard and started walking faster.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Finn demanded. "You don't want to trip on anything."

"Yeah, sorry. I just don't like it out here tonight."

"I'm with you."

She was silent, guiltily feeling as if his presence might not be enough to ward off the danger coming toward them.

"It's just... a mugger could pop up from anywhere."

"I did take some cla.s.ses in martial arts," he reminded her.

"Muggers carry guns. And knives."

"I haven't heard that Salem has a huge violent crime rate."

"You never know."

"Hey, a mugger would have to be as blinded as we are."

She didn't think that this particular "mugger," the one becoming more and more real in her mind with every second that pa.s.sed, was blinded by the fog. Rather, he saw better in the fog. Darkness was his forte.

And his weapons weren't conventional. No knives, no guns.

And Finn, for all his determination and prowess, didn't have the power to fight him.

Terror was becoming panic. She felt her breath coming more quickly each time she inhaled and exhaled. Her flesh was beginning to creep. That feeling was coming over her again. She was naked against a cold, dark wind that whispered...

"There's the sign for Huntington House," Finn said.

"Beat you there!" she told him.And she started to run.

"Megan, you're going to kill yourself!" he cried.

She didn't care. She ran. She heard him pounding after her. A few moments later, she was on the porch. He was there behind her.

"Meg, you could have tripped over that step, and broken your neck."