Sound of Darkness

Colleen was proud to wake up before Mark. She wasn’t sure why she woke up so early, but the remnants of a dream were playing in her head, and she wondered if her last hours of sleep hadn’t been restless.

But she didn’t think she’d had a nightmare. She wasn’t prone to nightmares, and the few times she’d had them, she’d woken right up. And waking up assured her she’d had a dream—just a dream and nothing more.

Once she’d dreamed about an alien invasion.

But instantly awake, she’d known it hadn’t happened. And she was glad she hadn’t shared her dream with anyone, though she always thought she’d tell Megan about it one day, maybe for one of her authors to write up.

Now she’d awakened, but she hadn’t had a nightmare. There was just something that seemed disconnected in her mind and she didn’t know what. And so she dressed quickly, aware Red was waiting politely for her to take him out.

Which, of course, she did.

She didn’t see Ragnar downstairs yet, but it was barely light. And it made sense he and Mark were both still sleeping. It was easier seeking a wooden piece of needle in a wooden haystack by the light of day than by the remnants of darkness.

When she returned to the room with Red, Mark was up.

“Hey, thanks,” he said, referring to Red.

“No problem,” she returned. “I’ve got the back of all my partners,” she assured him.

“I know Red appreciates it.”

“He does.” She grinned. “As the saying goes, poor fellow peed like a racehorse.”

“He does do that. Anyway, Ragnar just called. He’s heading down now. We’ll meet up with him and discuss our plans for the day.”

She shook her head and grimaced. “I’m hoping we find a cabin and not another victim. Any word on the woman we found?”

“I’m expecting a call from Angela. She’s been tracing possible suspects, their movements, credit cards, and so on. Naturally, she has a Bureau ME going out to politely observe with the local ME. But the autopsy isn’t scheduled until nine, and it’s barely seven thirty. And...” His voice trailed for a minute. “We’re talking about distances someone could have traveled relatively quickly. So, we need to find the cabin, and either find the forensic clues to identify a killer or get a stakeout set up.”

“Right,” Colleen said. “Okay, then. Breakfast sounds good.”

They stepped out and almost ran right into Ragnar, who was heading down as well.

“Good timing,” Ragnar said cheerfully. He didn’t murmur a word about the two of them coming out of the same door. But then, he was the one who had implied they hadn’t really needed a third room.

And it was as if it was nothing or simply accepted.

“Is Red joining us?” he asked.

“I’ve got his service coat on him. He’ll be fine. And he loves bacon. Naturally, his vet does not approve of a lot of bacon, but now and then, well, the doctor told me the same thing.”

Ragnar grinned, setting his arm around Colleen as they headed to the elevator.

“Another long day,” he said. “And all these extra eyes—three agents and the dog, that’s actually eight eyes, plus four pairs of great ears, and one stupendous nose—are better than just me. Angela is sending another agent out to work with me, and the Bureau has a couple pairs already driving around.”

“Good,” she said.

“And if you do hear anything...”

“You know we’ll call you immediately,” Colleen assured him.

They were seated at the diner-style restaurant when Ragnar asked innocently, “Everyone sleep all right?”

“Almost overslept,” Mark said. “Colleen was up bright and early.”

“I think I was dreaming,” she said.

“Oh?” Ragnar teased. “That’s not the man of your dreams—or nightmares—next to you?”

She grinned.

“If I were any younger,” Mark warned, “I’d kick you under the table.”

Colleen shrugged. “I don’t know. It was strange. I woke up with the feeling I could almost touch something at the back of my mind, and then it was gone.”

Ragnar leaned forward. “With you, that could be relevant.”

She shook her head. “No, it was just strange. Snatches from being a kid. My folks barbecuing, playing at a park...stuff like that.”

“Hmm. Anyway, I’m going for the Combo-Combo,” Ragnar said. “Did I ever eat last night? I don’t even remember. I do know I’m hungry now!”

“Yeah, looks good,” Mark agreed. “I can share with Red. The vet really wouldn’t approve of pancakes, but Red loves a taste now and then.”

“Veggie omelet,” Colleen said. “And Red is welcome to share.”

She glanced at her phone for the first time and noted she’d made the idiotic mistake of not charging it the night before. Then again, she’d dug up a corpse, showered a little desperately, and then desperately in a different way fallen into bed with Mark.

“Can I charge my phone in the car?” she asked him.

“Of course. But my charger is up in the room.”

“So is mine. I’ll just run up and get both,” she said, rising. “Excuse me. Order for me, please. Oh, yeah, and coffee!”

“A bucket of it,” Ragnar promised solemnly.

She grinned and left them, returning to the elevator and taking it back up to the third floor. She entered the room, found her charger, and started back out again when she paused.

Her dream was coming back to her.

Such a strange thing to have a dream about. She hadn’t dreamed snatches of different days and different places.

She’d dreamed of one day. She’d been with her folks at the park and her father had brought them all out for a barbecue.

They’d been maybe fourteen at the time.

Different personalities, but triplets, close by birth.