Page 31 of Tide and Seek
“Water?God, no.”He waved his hands as if I’d offered him motor oil.“I got enough water in me.Humans are like, what, sixty percent water?Or is it seventy?I can never remember the exact science, probably cuz I hate water.”He laughed, swaying.“Which is funny because I surf a lot and you can’t surf without water, right?”
“Yes, that’s so… funny.”I bit the inside of my cheek and decided to abandon my plan of asking about the night of the break-in.Luke was obviously on something, as usual, and I doubted he’d have anything useful to share.Unfortunately, now that he was inside my home, I wasn’t sure how to eighty-six him.
He peered past me.“Ooh, nice couch.Aren’t you going to invite me to sit?”
Clenching my teeth, I fought the urge to shove him back onto the stoop and be done with him.Honestly, I’d have preferred spending time with Reggie from Tippity Top Car Rental over Luke.But he was already inside, and it would have been extremely awkward to ask him to leave.So I gestured stiffly toward the living room.“Please, have a seat.”
“Thanks, neighbor.”Luke brushed past me, drifting in a crooked line toward the living room as he spoke.He trailed his fingertips along the back of the sofa before dropping onto it, limbs sprawling as if his strings had been cut.“I’ve never been inside your house, Doc.It’s cool.Very fancy.Kind of like you.”
Royce gave me a commiserating smile.
“Oh.”Luke sat up straighter, as if just remembering something.“I heard about the break-in.Did they take anything?”
“I’m not sure yet.”I cleared my throat.“Um… I’m glad you brought up the subject of the break-in, Luke.I wanted to ask you—”
“Hey,” Luke interrupted.“Are the walls moving, or is that just me?”
I frowned.“Are the walls moving?No.Of course they’re not moving.”
He gripped the arm of the couch.“You sure?Maybe we’re having an earthquake.”
“We’re not having an earthquake.”Whether I liked him or not, the doctor in me was concerned by his behavior.I already suspected he was high, but I worried perhaps he’d taken something stronger than marijuana.
Luke gave a wheezy laugh.“That was so weird.I could have sworn the walls were moving.”
I took the seat across from him, leaning forward.His eyes were dilated, and his cheeks flushed.“I know you like to smoke weed, but did you take something stronger, Luke?”
He flicked a paranoid glance toward Royce.“Why do you ask?”
“Well, uh…” I grimaced, not sure how to continue.I didn’t want to come right out and accuse him of being on drugs, but also didn’t want him to OD in my living room.“Are you feeling okay?”
“Oh, yes.”His eyes shifted around the room as if he saw things that we couldn’t see.“I feel better than okay.I feel amazing.”
“Okay, well, that’s good… I guess.”I rubbed the back of my neck.“I’m concerned you might have taken something you’re reacting badly to.You seem to be hallucinating.”
“Nah.”Luke let out a snort of a laugh.“You should see your face right now, Doc.Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.I know how to mix things safely.”
“So you did mix things.Mind telling me what else you took?”I pressed.
“Nothing dangerous.Just a cap or two.”He shifted, glancing around the room like something might leap out at him.
My brow furrowed.“Cap?You mean you took some capsules?Of what?”
Luke laughed.“No, not capsules.I’m talking about shrooms.”
“Oh, I see… so you took mushrooms?”If he was telling the truth, I was relieved it wasn’t something more dangerous.Although, I still didn’t love the idea of him wandering around Malibu tripping.
“Shrooms are next level,” he said distractedly.“I prefer to experience the world in textures and colors, ya know?”
“Er… of course.”I grimaced.“Who doesn’t?”
Luke gave Royce a wary look.“You’re a cop back in Texas, but you don’t have any jurisdiction here, right?”
Royce nodded.“That’s right.”
“That’s what I thought.”Luke blew out a shaky breath as if relieved, but then his bleary gaze seemed to fix on the camera in the upper corner of the room.“I never realized you had cameras, Doc.”
“Yes, they came with the security system I had installed a few years ago.”
