Turn

18

When the knock came on her door at seven o'clock, she answered. Greyson stood there, wearing a leather jacket, with his hands clasped behind his back. Just off to his side stood Quinn, in a light blue shirt and dark blue jeans, looking directly at her.

"Are we good?" asked Greyson.

"We will be," she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Catherine, then stepped out and shut the door. "As soon as you tell me what's going on, how you did that to Catherine. She's fine now, just like she was before. I don't understand how or why, or what you did, but you need to tell me."

With his teeth clenched together, Greyson looked at Quinn. "That's what I was hoping to do this evening. But not here."

Virginia nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll go with you."

She glanced over at Quinn, who looked pointedly at her, then slid his eyes away. Swallowing hard, Virginia dropped her head and followed the two of them out. They walked out to Greyson's car and he opened the door for Virginia to get in. Smoothing the skirt of the dress over her legs, she sat looking straight ahead as the two boys got in as well.

"Where are we going?" asked Virginia.

"To a special spot," Greyson revved the engine.

A smile tugged at her lips. "Does that mean you're taking me somewhere to kill me? Virginia Davis sleeps with the fishes?"

Greyson laughed at that. "No, that's not exactly what I was thinking."

"Then where is it?" she pressed, somewhat surprised by her level of comfort and ease in that moment.

"Right up here," Greyson pointed as he turned at a sign that said Rochford Lake. "It's fed by a tributary of the Mississippi, and it's nice and quiet."

She pursed her lips and looked out the window as Greyson turned into a small, gravel parking lot. He parked the car and the two in the front seat got out. Quinn didn't move.

"What's with him?" after they both shut their doors.

"He doesn't exactly agree with what I'm doing here," Greyson said quietly. "But I think you need to know. You deserve to know."

His words took her aback. It had been obvious that Quinn wasn't wholly on board but it surprised her that Greyson was being so forthcoming. "Thank you. I appreciate the honesty."

"You might not when I get done telling you," he said as they started to walk toward the edge of the inky water, reflecting the emerging stars.

Virginia shrugged. "I think you might be surprised to discover how open-minded I am."

"Yeah, well, this is crazy," Greyson paused at the edge of the lake. "I've never actually just told anyone before."

Virginia turned to face him. "I see ghosts. I saw them in the Piers Mansion."

"You saw them too?" his eyes sparkled, the moonlight glinting off the blue.

"Yes," she knit her eyebrows together. "I didn't know you could. That was supposed to be a crazy thing to convince you I can handle insanity."

"That's sort of a facet of what I'm going to tell you," Greyson turned to walk along the shore.

She stayed silent as they stepped along the rock-riddled sand beside the still lake that wasn't more than half a mile across.