Page 18 of Witch Moon

"Of course I am, Rowan. As long as you need me." She opened her arms, and Rowan came and hugged her, too.

"Why would he do it, Bella?" Rowan asked. "Why would Bryan do something like this?"

Mirabella had been trying to put it together in her mind and hearing the boy's first name finally clicked it into place. Bryan Marcomb. A junior in high school and a boy Mirabella knew as well as she knew any of the students.God what a waste."Mrs. Marcomb must be devastated," she said, stroking Rowan's hair.

She saw Jonathon's frown, saw the look he sent her.

"I should call her back. I'm so worried about her being alone right now. Not that she'sreallyalone. I mean, her parents are there, and her sisters, but..." She turned to her father. "Maybe I should go spend the night with her, just to-"

"No." He said it so quickly Mirabella knew something was up. But he softened his tone immediately. "I think your friend needs time to work through this, and I think she should probably spend it with her family. Just for a day or so. Then you can be there for her too. Right now it...it's just too fresh."

His cell phone was jangling again. He reached down, shut it off without answering it. "Go ahead, honey. Call Shauna back."

Rowan sniffed and nodded. She reached for the cordless phone, then hesitated. "I don't know what to say to her."

"You're doing just the right thing," Mirabella told her. "Just talking to her and listening. It doesn't matter what you say, because there really isn't anything that can help ease the pain. What counts is you being there for her. So you talk and you listen for as long as she needs you to. And you feel good about being the kind of friend who comes through at times like this. Okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Bella."

"You're welcome. And when you finish listening to her talk it out, you can turn right around and talk it out for yourself. To me, or your dad, or both of us if you need to, for as long as you need to, until you feel better. Okay?"

She smiled just a little. "It's so sad."

"Yes, it is. And totally senseless. Take note of that, Rowan. Take note of the incredible amount of pain Bryan's act has caused you, and Shauna, and his mother, his friends. And I promise you, it hasn't solved whatever problems he thought he had. Life is meant to be lived. To the natural end." She spoke faster, gripping the girl's shoulders for emphasis. "When you take that way out, you're only going to have to start all over from square one the next time around. It solves nothing. It changes nothing. It's a lifetime that has to be repeated. Know that, Rowan.Reallyknow it."

Looking at her oddly, Rowan nodded. "I do know it. Bella, is anything wrong?"

Bella lowered her eyes, releasing the girl's shoulders, and drawing a steadying breath. "No. Go ahead and call Shauna. She needs you right now."

Nodding. Rowan dialed her friend back again. As she reached her and began talking, Jonathon took Mirabella's arm and led her back into the living room.

"What was all that about? That reaction? Do you have some notion Rowan might be a suicide risk?"

She swallowed hard. "He was in her peer group, even if just by extension, Jonathon. I was just...taking precautions."

He tipped his head to one side. "You haven't seen any symptoms of-"

"No. Honestly. I haven't seen a hint of depression in Rowan."

He searched her eyes, then nodded, and sighed in relief. "This is awful. I just saw that kid this morning."

"What kid?"

"Bryan Marcomb." His face was grim as he turned to pace the room.

"Why?"

"He was seen running from the cemetery the night of the most recent animal mutilation."

Bella frowned. "Jonathon, do you think he was involved?"

"I don't know. But I think he knew who was. And I got the distinct feeling he was afraid to talk about it." He lowered his head. "Damn it, I'd hate to think he was so afraid he chose suicide over talking to the police." Then he sighed. "Probably not. It was probably some twisted occult thing that pushed him over the edge."

Jonathon assumed that the boy had been involved in the Craft. And that it was responsible for his death. She shivered, because this was so close to her dream...a child, committing suicide, an adult blaming it on Witchcraft. She had the distinct feeling they'd just moved yet another step closer to the final disaster.

She wanted with everything in her to tell Jonathon the truth. To set the record straight, come clean with him. But it just wasn't the right time. Already, he was turning his cell phone back on, hitting buttons. "That was my office before. No doubt calling to tell me about Marcomb's death." Then he paused in dialing, met her eyes, and offered a very slight smile. One hand rose to stroke her hair. "We have so much to talk about, you and I. I...I haven't felt this way in a very long time, Mirabella. I'm sorry all this had to come up now and get in the way."

"Rowan comes first," she told him. "And poor Bryan. You owe it to him to find out what's really going on. Go ahead. Make your calls."

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