Rest In Peace by Richie Tankersley Cusick Page B

about eight-thirty.”
    â€œThat can’t be right.” Lucy stared at him in amazement. “I couldn’t have been out there for nearly an hour.”
    â€œAn hour? People have frozen to death in half that time!”
    â€œIt wasn’t that cold. In fact, the car was still warm inside.”
    Now it was Matt’s turn to look surprised. “That’s impossible. I brought it over about five o’clock.”
    â€œBut I’m sure it was . . .” Her voice trailed off as something began to dawn on her. “Matt, the electricity’s on.”
    For the first time since they’d come in, she noticed the glare of the foyer light, the glow from surrounding lamps, the stuffy heat and muted hum of the furnace. Matt was staring at her as if she might clarify her remark with some earth-shattering revelation.
    â€œIt wasn’t on before,” she murmured.
    â€œSo that explains why your clock’s wrong.”
    â€œSomeone shut it off.”
    His expression grew more puzzled. “Shut your clock off?”
    Before he could question her further, Lucy threw the afghan aside and stood up, only to feel Matt’s hands on her shoulders, pushing her down again.
    â€œWhere do you think you’re going?”
    â€œTo the car. I’m telling you, someone shut off the electricity in this house tonight. And someone deliberately put stuff in the car. And if you’re not going to help me, then I’ll do it myself.”
    â€œOkay, okay. Hold on.” Sighing in defeat, Matt turned toward the hall. “I’ll go.”
    â€œA blanket. And a jacket. They’re both in the front seat.”
    â€œRight. But in the meantime, I want you to stay here and cover up again.”
    Lucy did as she was told. She sat huddled beneath the afghan, her mind spinning in a dozen different directions. Questions pounded at her brain. She could feel her body beginning to thaw, but fears and suspicions sent a different kind of chill to her heart.
    She heard a door slam and looked up to see Matt poised in the threshold. He was holding the car key in his hand.
    The car key and nothing else.
    â€œWhere are they?” Lucy’s voice rose hopefully. “You found them, didn’t you? In the front, like I said?”
    But when Matt didn’t answer, the chill deepened inside her.
    â€œNo,” Lucy whispered.
    She saw him hesitate . . . saw the concern and sympathy in his eyes.
    â€œLucy—” he began, but she cut him off with an angry shout.
    â€œ No! Those things were there ! I didn’t imagine them—I’m not crazy!”
    â€œOf course you’re not crazy.” Matt spread his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “I don’t think that, Lucy. Nobody thinks that—”
    â€œ Everybody thinks that!”
    â€œYou’re wrong. Please don’t get upset. Just tell me what’s going—”
    â€œMaybe he did it at school! He could have broken in, right? In the student parking lot, when no one was looking? Can you tell if anybody broke in?”
    â€œWho are you talking about? Nobody broke into your car at school—”
    â€œHow can you be sure? Did you check?”
    â€œLucy—”
    â€œThen why did you just leave the car out there in the driveway where anyone could get in? Why didn’t you come to the door and tell me you were here?”
    â€œI did go to the door. I rang the bell over and over, but nobody answered. You said you might be with a friend tonight. I figured you’d gone out.”
    Was he telling the truth? Maybe the power outage had affected the doorbell. Had she been asleep?
    â€œAnd I tried to call, too,” Matt went on, “but nobody ever picked up. So I decided to drive by again, just to see if you’d gotten home.” When Lucy didn’t comment, he took a step toward her. “What’s going on, Lucy? What’s this all about?”
    Lucy kept silent. She