“So, like I told Turk to tell you, I’m going to leave town. I already packed a few things.” She gestured to a backpack lying in one corner. “I just don’t think it should look like you made me go, because then it’s like Quinn won. I think I should make it be like I just chose on my own to leave.”
Caine stared at her, obviously trying to figure out what she was up to.
Penny showed a little anger then. “Hey, I’m not happy about it, all right? But I’ll get by. Believe it or not I can survive without you, King Caine.”
“Take all the food you want,” he said.
“How generous of you,” she snapped. “The deal is I leave, but you have to make sure I don’t starve. Once a week I’ll meet Bug out on the highway, right by the overturned FedEx truck. If I need something he brings it. That’s my demand for leaving and making it easy for you.”
Caine relaxed a bit. He tilted his head sideways and looked at her, considering. “Fair enough.”
“But we have to talk about how to make it look good. Let’s face it, Caine: you and I can still be useful to each other in the future, right? So I need you to stay in charge. Better than the alternative.”
“What do you have in mind?”
She sighed. “Right now I have in mind some hot cocoa. Taylor brought me some from the island. Have a cup with me and we’ll work something out.”
Caine didn’t ask why Taylor would have brought her something as precious as cocoa from the island. Taylor no doubt used Penny’s fantasy-making powers for something.
Penny saw the look of distaste on his face as he worked it out. She went to the kitchen, to the little Sterno stove she used to heat the water and the cocoa.
She lit the Sterno.
Caine did not follow her into the kitchen.
He was still sitting there with a puzzled look on his face when she handed him the cup.
They each sipped.
“So I guess if I’m leaving and making it look like it’s not your fault, we should maybe act like we’re fighting,” Penny said.
“It would have to be where people can overhear. But not right out in public, because that’ll look phony,” Caine said. And sipped again at his cocoa. “Kind of bitter,” he said, grimacing at the cup.
“I have a little sugar I could add.”
“You have sugar?”
She fetched it. Two sugar cubes, and she plopped them into his cup. He swirled it around to stir the sugar in.
“You’re right about one thing, Penny,” he said. “You’re useful. Crazy, but useful. No one has sugar, but you do.”
She shrugged modestly. “People like to get away, you know? Think about something more fun than just life and work and all.”
“Yeah. Still: actual sugar? That’s worth a lot.”
“I guess you know I have a crush on you,” Penny said.
“Yeah, well, no offense, but it doesn’t go both ways,” he said.
It took all her self-control not to lash out at him, to cause his skin to burn and bubble.
“Too bad,” Penny said. “Because I can be anyone … in your imagination.”
“Do me a favor; don’t give me any details,” he said. “Now…” He yawned. “Let’s lay plans here. I’ve had a long couple of days, and I want to get this over with.”
So Penny made a suggestion.
And Caine countered with another.
And she smiled and made a small objection.
And he yawned. A long, long yawn.
“You look tired, Caine. Why don’t you close your eyes and rest a few minutes.”
“I can’t…” He started to say, but yawned again. “Talk later. In the morning.”
He tried to stand up. He barely rose, then sagged back. He blinked and stared at her.
She could practically see the wheels turning slowly, slowly in his brain. He frowned. Forced his eyes open and said, “Did you…?”
She didn’t bother answering. She was bored with the game and sick of playing nice.
“I’ll kill you,” he said. He raised one hand, but it wavered in the air. She got up quickly and stepped aside. She came around behind him.
He tried to turn but he couldn’t do it. Could not get his body to respond.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. In fact, I don’t think you’ll be able to worry at all pretty soon. In addition to the Ambien I mixed in some Valium.”
“I’ll … k…,” he said, and breathed heavily, unable to go on.
“Nighty-night,” Penny said. She picked up a heavy snow globe from the knickknack shelf, where it had no doubt been a prized possession of whoever had owned this house. The snow globe had a little Harrah’s casino inside. A tacky keepsake.
She smashed the globe against the back of Caine’s head. He slumped forward.
The glass shattered, lacerating his scalp but also slicing her thumb.
She looked at the blood on her hand.
“Worth it,” she snarled.
She wrapped a towel around the cut on her hand, then brought in a large wooden salad bowl and a pitcher of water.
Then she dragged the heavy bag of cement from the closet.
NINETEEN
17 HOURS, 37 MINUTES
SILENT AS A shadow Astrid crept from the bunk. It was so hard to leave the warmth of his body. He was a magnet and she was an iron filing, drawn almost irresistibly back to him.
Almost irresistibly.
She crept out into the hallway. Brianna was snoring. It almost made Astrid giggle to realize that she snored at normal speed, like anyone else.