Page 83 of Strangers She Knows

“What?” Mara suddenly was back in the present with Rae. “What? Why do you have to get off of the island?”

“Because of the storm. Because Dylan Conkle did something horrible, we think to Jamie. Who would hurt Jamie? She was pretty weird. But she had a thing about the environment. She wants to save it. There’s nothing wrong with that. Everybody should want to save the planet. But they don’t. They’re not like you.” Rae took a breath. “I want to be like you.”

Rae had distracted Mara again with her…her niceness. “Like me? What do you mean like me?”

“I mean coming here, camping all the time, counting bird eggs and slimy seaweed in the tide pools.” Rae was bursting with admiration and enthusiasm. “You’re great!”

Rae admired her. Admired Mara. Or rather, who Mara was pretending to be.

Never mind that.

The Di Lucas were leaving.

Rae likes me.

They were going to the mainland.

I have run out of time.

Rae said, “There’s room in the helicopter. I’ll ask my parents to take you with us. You can’t stay here by yourself. Daddy says the storm’s going to be horrible!”

“You still call him Daddy?” Mara crowed with laughter, with mockery. “Daddy. Like you’re three years old.”

“What?” Rae looked bewildered. Hurt.

Shut up, Mara. She likes me.

I’m out of time.

I don’t want to hurt her.

I’ve got to.

She looks so much like Kellen. She’s Kellen’s daughter.

“If we can’t take you, can I tell my daddy—” Rae stumbled over the word “—my father about you.”

“You haven’t told them? Really?”

Rae looked shocked. “No. I promised I wouldn’t.”

“You must have thought about it.”

Rae’s gaze dropped. “Yes,” she said faintly. “I don’t like to keep secrets.”

“That’s really honorable of you.” Sarcasm oozed from Mara’s tones.

Tears welled in Rae’s eyes.

Don’t frighten her. Don’t upset her. Not now, Mara.

Rae took a few steps back. “I’ve got to go. If I don’t, I won’t get back in time.”

Mara had to do this. She regretted it, but she’d make it up to the kid later. She hoped. “Listen, I want to give you something.” Opening her backpack, she dug through, found the bottle of pills and shook one out in her palm. “Here. Take this. It’ll make you feel good.”

Rae froze and stared at the pill. “I don’t take drugs.”

“What?” Mara hadn’t imagined that twist. Everybody she knew took drugs. Guys she slept with, girls she slept with, prisoners, smugglers, antiquity experts, museum directors, rich assholes with illegal collections, street people. They liked drugs. Everyone except her. She didn’t like them. They made her sane. And rational.

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