“We’re the same age,” Lisa pointed out, “but you’re the one who always took care of the details of our lives. You’ve had to battle the same trauma as I have, and you have a heart condition. John may have been my brother, but he was your husband. We both loved him. We both lost him. Why am I such a chicken about life? Why am I so afraid to hear anything that might upset me? That’s why you didn’t tell me what you knew about John, and it’s why you didn’t tell me about the baby. You were afraid I’d fall apart.” She looked down at her hands. “I would have fallen apart.”
“Lisa” – Corinne said her name softly – “you’re being way too hard on yourself. You always worried about me and took on all the jobs you thought were too strenuous for me. We work as a team together, we always have. I didn’t tell you my suspicion about John’s murder because that’s exactly what it is, just suspicion. John and I are” – she searched for the right word – “different.”
Lisa ducked her head, shaking it, ashamed. “And I never wanted to hear about it. Not once. It was because…” She trailed off.
“It was scary,” Corinne finished for her.
Lisa shook her head adamantly. “It made me feel left out. It created a bond between you and John that I wasn’t a part of. We were always together. I wanted John to love you because I was afraid someone would come along and steal you away from us. I was the one who talked you into marrying John, remember? You told him no so many times, but I cried and fussed and acted so childish. I was afraid we wouldn’t be together anymore. I was lost there for a while, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. I feel that way now. Everything is so scattered. John is dead. I know your heart’s been acting up lately; I’ve seen you fighting for air, and taking more medicine. Now you’re going to have a baby, and for the first time ever you’re really interested in someone.” The last was almost an accusation.
Corinne could feel Lisa’s pain. Their world was changing around them very fast, and it was frightening to think of all the dangers they were facing. She couldn’t blame Lisa for being scared or for wanting things to be the way they were before. “I loved John very much, Lisa – don’t think for one moment I didn’t. Maybe it wasn’t romantic and passionate, but I loved him deeply and I’ll never regret what we had. I don’t want you to think I was forced into marrying John. I’m excited about the baby, but I’m nervous too. And meeting Dayan is very unexpected. I don’t know how I feel about him. I don’t know why I respond to him the way I do.” She took a deep breath and admitted, “It is frightening, Lisa. I’m afraid too.”
Lisa swallowed hard and summoned up her courage. “Tell me what you think happened – why someone wanted to kill John.”
“John went to the university to talk to a professor about his talent.” Corinne looked straight into Lisa’s eyes. “You know what I’m talking about – his ability to know certain things before they happened.” She took Lisa’s hand in hers. “It was how we managed to save you. John knew you were in danger, and I was able to open the trunk of the car.” She closed her eyes, remembering finding her mother’s battered body lying next to Lisa. Her heart gave a lurch, and she forced her mind away from the haunting memories. “The university sent him to the Morrison Center, which does psychic research. John felt strongly that we should be using our talents to help others.”
“Because of me; because you saved my life,” Lisa said softly.
“He thought maybe he could save others,” Corinne confirmed gently. “A few weeks later, he told me he thought someone was following him. He became secretive. You saw the changes in him. He left that morning to meet someone. He was nervous, edgy, and he wouldn’t say why. I don’t know if he had started working with them and discovered they were doing something illegal. You know John – he would have wanted to go to the authorities. Dayan suspects that the people who murdered John are part of some organization who fanatically believe in the existence of vampires.”