Part 7 (1/2)

”That's one place I'd like to visit.”

”I'll keep that in mind. Maybe the next time I go you could come with me.” Erica slid her index finger down her gla.s.s.

”Sounds great. I can be packed by tomorrow.” Tayler slowly lifted her eyes off the table and looked directly at Erica.

”Don't play with fire,” Erica warned. ”You might get burned.”

”I'm not afraid,” Tayler smiled.

Seven.

The winds.h.i.+eld wipers on the Jeep moved to the cadence of the falling rain. Lightning flooded the sky while thunder filled the air with the sound of its fury. The green lights from the dashboard made Tayler feel like she was in the c.o.c.kpit of a plane. She was warm and dry and snug in Erica's company. Few cars were on Interstate 694. Tayler noticed that Erica had reduced her speed and wondered whether it was because of the stormy weather or to prolong their inevitable separation. Tayler was sure that she didn't want the evening to end.

The lightning outside the car was nothing in comparison to the electrical surge Tayler was feeling in the car. The intensity frightened her and she began to wonder if Erica was feeling it too.

She's probably got her mind on the merger and not on her hormones, Tayler thought but quickly reprimanded herself for her behavior. I've made a complete idiot of myself tonight.

”You're frowning,” Erica turned down the volume on her compact disc player.

”How can you see, it's so dark?” Tayler watched the drops of rain stream down Erica's side window. Her profile was dominated by the darkness of her eyes.

”I see better in the dark,” Erica chuckled.

”I suppose that's quite an advantage for an architect.” And, a witch, Tayler thought. She rubbed the b.u.t.ton on her coat between her fingers. ”I mean, it would make it easier for you if the lighting wasn't the greatest at a construction site.”

”Hm, I wasn't thinking of that situation exactly, but you're right, it does help at construction sites.” Erica laughed. She concentrated on her lane change before continuing. ”You seem tense, Tayler. Is it my driving?”

Tayler shook her head no.

When they circled around the northwest corner of the Cities and got on Interstate 494, Erica glanced over at Tayler. ”I know it's late, but I'm wondering if I could interest you in a cup of tea before taking you home?”

”It's really out of your way,” Tayler's heart jumped.

”I know, but I think there's enough time to go an extra 1,000 feet.”

”If it wasn't lightning I could run across your lawn to my front door.” Tayler smiled at the image of running through the rain soaking wet with Erica.

As they drove up the long and winding driveway a crash of thunder shook the car. Tayler looked through the intermittent darkness and light for Erica's house. Neither Erica's nor her own house could be seen from the street. Large oaks loomed before them. A strong wind came up and caught the Jeep.

”Wow, this is quite the storm,” Tayler shouted over the thunder.

Erica drove the Jeep around the circle and parked it in front of the house. ”Ready?”

Tayler nodded. She heard Erica's door slam. The rain picked up just as she opened her door. She was soaked before her feet hit the pavement. Erica stood on the porch laughing. By the time Tayler reached the stoop she was wet and out of breath.

On the porch, Tayler turned toward Erica. She started to tell Erica what a good time she was having, but Erica's closeness made her stop. For a long moment she gazed longingly at the raindrops clinging to Erica's eyelashes. Her own senses exploded. She reached up to wipe away a drop on Erica's face, but her hand froze in midair.

Tayler's eye grew wide. She gasped, ”Erica, it's burning.”

”I know-”

”No, no Erica,” Tayler interrupted, ”look, my G.o.d, my house is on fire!” Erica turned around and saw the flames.

Tayler pulled off her shoes and bolted toward the burning house. ”Maria. She's in the house. We've got to get her out.” She screamed, running and slipping in the wet gra.s.s.

Erica sprinted after Tayler and caught up with her in front of the house. ”Tayler, wait here,” she barked.

”I'll help.” Tayler's eyes darted back and forth. Flames were spewing out of the first floor windows.

”No, I want you to stay here. I designed this house. I'll find Maria.” Erica commanded.

”Hurry, Erica, hurry.” When Erica disappeared, Tayler quickly ran to Erica's Jeep to use the car phone and dialed 911.

Minutes seemed like hours. As Tayler ran back to the burning house, she could hear sirens between claps of thunder. Tayler nervously paced back and forth watching for some sign of Erica and Maria. Out of the storm came three fire trucks with their lights flas.h.i.+ng and horns crying.

A firefighter jumped out of a truck and quickly approached Tayler. He shouted over the noise. ”Is anyone in the house?”

”Yes, yes, it's Maria,” Tayler choked, ”Erica, Erica went in to find her - ” Her voice faltered.

Between the claps of thunder a loud explosion shook the ground. Wood, bricks and gla.s.s flew in every direction. The firefighter threw his body in front of Tayler to protect her from the flying debris. A chair crashed through a window on the second floor. Two firefighters hurried over and quickly hoisted a ladder to the front window. Erica yelled and helped Maria through the window. A firefighter a.s.sisted Maria down the ladder. As they reached the ground another explosion was heard. Erica disappeared from the window.

”The stairs have collapsed. The whole second floor is giving out,” one of the firefighters yelled above the roar of the flames.

”Get her out of there!” The firefighter standing next to Tayler was sweating profusely under his helmet.

”It's an inferno in there. We don't know where she is,” the firefighter's words seared through Tayler.

”Erica!” Tayler silently screamed running toward the house.

”Hey, you can't go in there!” The firefighter ran, catching up with Tayler and bringing her to the soaked ground. Tayler struggled to get up, but the firefighter was too big for her to fight. He pinned her to the ground. He saw that she was going into shock. ”Chuck, get me a blanket quick! We've got to move her out of this rain. Pete, what have you got?”

”We're going to have to let it go,” the firefighter yelled back, his face black from the smoke. His boots were covered in mud.

”Where's that G.o.dd.a.m.n blanket?” the firefighter bellowed. Someone ran up with a thick wool blanket and covered the struggling woman.

”Please get her out of there, please, I - ” Blackness began to flood Tayler's vision and she drifted into a deep abyss. It echoed with the voices of the firefighters and the sound of the rain.

Just before the abyss swallowed her completely, Tayler heard a far away familiar voice say, ”Tayler, everything's going to be okay.”

”When you noticed the fire, where were you standing, Ms. Windquest?” Detective Steffan snapped. He had arrived shortly after Tayler regained consciousness. She was sitting on a sofa in Erica's library, wrapped snugly in one of Erica's thick robes, and trying her best to answer Steffan's questions. It was now the third time Steffan had asked her the same question.

Tayler looked at Erica from across the room. Erica paced back and forth with black soot on her hands and face. Her wet clothes were caked in mud. Tayler reached for her tea cup with trembling hands.

”I was about to enter Ms. Laird's house when I saw the flames.” Tayler's voice was a whisper. She cleared her throat to gain some volume, but her voice was gone. Her hand went to her neck and she touched the scar.

”Did you see a streak of lightning hit the house or a flash of light?”