Tuesday's Child Read Online Free Page B

she been that engrossed in prayer she hadn’t noticed him jump up? “I’m fine,” she told him, petting his ears. Long, slim fingers touched hers and she followed the arm to Nate’s worried face. Fire radiated from his touch, sending ripples of warmth throughout her body.
    “Are you all right?” Anxiety filled his eyes.
    “I’m fine. Why?”
    Nate waved his hand and Adeline glanced around, suddenly realizing the church was empty apart from the two of them. She looked back at him.
    “…on the verge of calling an ambulance.”
    Confusion filled her as there was no one around. “Who needs an ambulance?”
    “Pastor Jack was going to call one for you in a few more minutes. First we thought you were sleeping, then unconscious, but Ben didn’t seem unduly concerned.”
    “Oh.” Heat flamed in her cheeks and nausea filled her. “I didn’t mean to worry everyone.”
    A waft of aftershave and movement from the pew in front made her turn. “Pastor Jack, I’m so sorry to cause such a fuss.”
    His grey-green eyes sparkled with a hint of concern. “As long as you’re all right, then it’s not a problem. Neither is calling someone to check you over.”
    “I’m fine. It’s just as soon as you finished the benediction, this huge burden for prayer came over me, and I just had to give in to it. I didn’t realize I was praying so long though.”
    Pastor Jack smiled. “Time spent with the Lord is never time wasted. Especially when it’s a response to something He’s telling you to do. I’m glad you’re all right. I’ll see you tonight.”
    Adeline nodded. “I should go. Jasmine will be wondering where I am.”
    Nate touched her arm. “I said I’d bring you. She’s taken Vianne already.”
    “I don’t want to put you out.”
    “You’re not. She asked us over for the day. She said you were coming as well, and suggested I bring you and Ben.”
    “Did she now?” That sounded suspiciously like Jasmine-the-Matchmaker at work.
    Nate tilted his head. “Is that a problem? Did you not want to leave your car here?”
    “Ben and I walked this morning. I was thinking more of him getting hair on your car seats.”
    Nate petted Ben. “It’s not a problem. He doesn’t look like he sheds much anyway. Shall we go?”
    Adeline got to her feet, grasping the pew in front as her knees buckled. A strong sense of foreboding closed in on her. Not again…
    Her vision danced, and a red sheen dropped over her sight. For a moment she saw a teenager, blonde hair tied in a ponytail, sitting on a swing, laughing, playing, safe. Then the next moment the same girl, wearing a red sweater, lay on her stomach in the mud, her face to one side with eyes closed, and mouth drawn back in a long silent scream.
    A strong hand gripped her arm, jerking her back to reality. Everything spun and she kept her eyes closed until the need to cry passed.
    She hated these visions. The first couple had been dreams. Horribly accurate nightmares that left her pinned to the sheets, and terrified to sleep. Now they impinged on her every day activity. At least she’d been able to hide the one at work yesterday.
    Lord, God, be with the girl’s family. Comfort them in their grief. Give the police the skills they need to catch her killer quickly, before he strikes again.
    More than anything else, she hated the fact the visions were always right. This was the fifth. That meant a fifth girl had died.
    But if she said something, or went to the police, she’d be branded insane, a fool. It wasn’t as if she ever saw the killer’s face. She didn’t understand why God was showing her these things when she was unable to change the outcome.
    “I’m all right,” she said once the spinning stopped. She shot Nate a faint smile. “I’m just stiffer than I realized, and a little dizzy.”
    She wasn’t fooling him.
    His eyes narrowed and something flashed across his face. He recognized lies. “Are you sure? If you’d rather go home, I can drive there just as