Kirk grows silent. His chopsticks pause in midair.
He finally says, “I can’t tell you exactly what happened, because I don’t know myself. Except that I lost my brother not too long ago under mysterious circumstances.”
She is intrigued. That must be the brother she saw in the photographs.
“I’m so sorry. What happened?”
There is a long-drawn silence where she can see that Kirk is debating how much to tell her. Just as she had left out the part about Jared’s metamorphosis earlier because it is not her secret to tell, he is doing the same – weighing how much to leave out.
He says, “I wasn’t here at the time, so I can’t really piece together what happened. My brother was out in the woods. He was a lover of the great outdoors. He was found dead . . . in a circle drawn with chalk on the ground.”
The hairs on the back of Shannon’s neck start to prickle. She knows what he is going to infer to next.
WITCHCRAFT.
Kirk says, “There were no stab wounds or bullet wounds or anything to suggest he had been physically mauled by animals. So I can only conclude that he was done in by witches.”
“Why witches?” she asks. “Why not something else?”
He pauses.
“I don’t know if you have heard the rumors, because no one likes to talk openly about it.”
“I have heard about the Walkers, yes.”
“Good. Then you know.”
“But the Walkers have ancestors who were accused of witchcraft.” She suddenly has the urge to defend Lucien. “It doesn’t mean they are involved in witchcraft today.”
Again, Kirk hesitates. Then he shakes his head.
“I shouldn’t have told you anything. Sorry. You shouldn’t be involved in our family feuds.”
She is already involved. She thinks.
“Does your family have a feud with the Walkers over your brother’s death?”
If they do, it’s a pretty big feud, she thinks. Enormous. Enough to kill over.
But he doesn’t want to say anything further on the subject.
“How’s the sweet and sour pork?” he asks instead.
She senses his mood shift, and she acquiesces.
“Delicious. Maybe I’ll ask the cook for her recipe.”
“It’s a closely guarded secret.” He laughs.
As are many things in Dolphin’s Bay, she thinks.
The rest of the evening is filled with pleasant chatter and work discussions. The time flies, and before she knows it, she has a call on her cellphone.
Lucien’s number flashes on her display.
“Excuse me, but I’ll have to take this,” she says.
“Boyfriend?” he says lightly.
Is it her imagination, but does she detect a tone of disappointment in his voice?
“Not yet. We’re still feeling our way.” She gets up from the table and grabs her phone to run outside.
“Lucien?” She closes the door behind her. It is chilly outside and she has forgotten to bring her jacket, but after knowing what Kirk Fitzpatrick feels about the Walkers, she doesn’t want this conversation to be eavesdropped upon.
“Shannon.” The way he says her name – in that smoldering, sexy tone of his – makes her stomach go aflutter.
“I’m having dinner right now with my boss. Can I call you back later tonight?”
“Your boss?” Jealousy immediately comes into his voice. “Kirk Fitzpatrick?”
“It’s a work thing.”
“Yeah, sure.” Lucien doesn’t sound sarcastic about this, merely practical. “Shannon, you should really be careful about him.”
“But why? He’s a doctor, for goodness sakes. You’re telling me to be careful about him and he is telling me that his family has a feud with the Walkers over the death of his brother.”
“He told you that?” Incredulous.
Careful, she tells herself. Lucien doesn’t know about her healing powers.
“Yes. He says it’s common knowledge.”
There comes the sound a sharp breath on the other side.
Then: “Please, Shannon, stay away from him. I know you can’t really stay away from him as much as I would like you to because he’s your boss, but don’t have anything to do with him for more than necessary. I know I sound like a jealous boyfriend – ”
Boyfriend! Her heart leaps at his first mention of the word.
“ – but I know things I can’t tell you about the Fitzpatricks. This feud . . . my family was unfairly blamed over the death of Kirk’s elder brother. But trust me on this – we didn’t have anything to do with it. I swear it!”
“Lucien, it’s all right – ”
“No, listen to me, please. Are you listening?”