All the Pretty Dead Girls Part 40

Father's Name: Luke Morgenstern.

They knew the rapist's name?

Luke Morgenstern...

As realization dawned on her, Sue stifled a scream.

"No," she whispered as she stared at the doc.u.ment she was holding with trembling hands.

The words of Bernadette deSalis came back to her.

Lucifer Morning Star.

59.

Ginny wrote it all down in her notebook, everything Sue had told her, about meeting with Joyce Davenport, going back to her grandparents' apartment, finding the article about the rape online, and discovering the strange name on the birth certificate.

"I've always known somehow that I was different, different," Sue had said last night, her voice low.

Ginny had just stared at her, not knowing what to say.

"I knew I couldn't stay in the apartment the rest of the weekend," Sue continued, oblivious to the expression of shock on Ginny's face. "I had to get out. I didn't want to know more. My instinct was just to run away."

"And so you did," Ginny said.

Sue nodded. "I wanted to go back to Lebanon. I wanted to see Billy. He was the only one I felt I could trust."

"And what were you thinking...about your parents?"

Sue gave her an odd smile. "I did an Internet search and came up with any number of Luke Morgensterns. Was I thinking that Satan might be my father? Because some crazy girl who'd seen the Virgin Mary said he was? You bet your life that's what I was thinking. That my mother was raped by the devil."

Ginny was speechless, but Sue just laughed.

"And then I decided it was all too crazy, too much like a bad horror movie, for me to even consider. If I said anything to anyone, I was going to wind up in a padded room right next to my mother. So, I decided that I was was acting crazy. There's no such thing as Satan, right?" acting crazy. There's no such thing as Satan, right?"

Sue fell silent.

"I just wanted to get back to Billy."

"You drove back to Wilbourne that night?"

Sue nodded. "I snuck out of the house. Of course, then the calls started on my cell phone. I never picked it up. Gran and Granpa were frantic. But I made it back to school."

"Did you see Billy?"

Sue's face darkened. "Oh, yes. I saw Billy."

60.

She called him when she was about an hour outside Lebanon.

"Billy?"

"Sue!"

"Billy, I need to see you..."

"I thought I'd never hear from you again! I'd given up!"

"You're the only one I can talk to, Billy. Please. Will you meet me?"

He'd promised. Enthusiastically. He'd seemed so happy to hear from her.

Even though he still saw Heidi, nearly every day...

Driving back to Lebanon, Sue felt the urge just to give in to her feelings. Why not? If I want Billy, take him. If it means Heidi croaks, who the h.e.l.l cares? I don't know her. Get rid of the b.i.t.c.h so she won't come around hounding my man anymore... Why not? If I want Billy, take him. If it means Heidi croaks, who the h.e.l.l cares? I don't know her. Get rid of the b.i.t.c.h so she won't come around hounding my man anymore...

Dear G.o.d, Sue thought. Sue thought. Now I sound like Joyce Davenport. Now I sound like Joyce Davenport.

"You have a bright and wonderful future ahead of you," Joyce had told her.

Sue sensed she might indeed-if she wanted it.

Why am I so afraid? I have powers. I can do things. I shouldn't be afraid.

Other people should be afraid of me.

She drove directly to town, not even bothering to stop at the college first. Billy promised to meet her at the Yellow Bird.

"Sue," he'd told her on the phone, "you don't know how glad I am that you called. I've been thinking about you all the time. I really started to like you a lot, Sue, and then you stopped returning my calls..."

"We can be together now, Billy," she told him. "Meet me at the Bird. I need you. I need to be with you."

She sat in the booth she always took-the one nearest the front door. Marjorie recognized her, and brought her a vanilla shake without Sue even needing to ask for it. She took a sip and looked out the window, waiting for Billy. The snow was nearly all melted now. A bit of a warming spell had settled over the town after that early snowfall. Water dripped from the roof above. The sidewalks were wet.

For a moment, Sue imagined she was just a girl-just a girl like she'd been when she first came to this place. Innocent. No worries. Just a girl meeting her boyfriend for a shake, and maybe a walk holding hands through town.

Now-what was she?

"h.e.l.lo, Sue."

She looked up. It wasn't Billy.

It was Bernadette deSalis.

"How did you know I was here?" Sue asked bluntly.

The girl smiled. "Just like I think you knew that I'd be here, too."

"No," Sue said. "I didn't know you'd be here. I'm waiting for someone else."

"He'll be along."

Sue eyed her cannily. "How do you know who I'm waiting for?"

"Just like you know certain things, Sue. Please, may I sit down?"

"Go ahead," Sue said. "There are a few things I'd like to ask you."

"I imagined you'd want to eventually," Bernadette said, as she slid into the booth opposite Sue.

"What can I get you, Bernie?" Marjorie asked, approaching the table.

Bernadette smiled up at her. "I'll have the same thing she's having, thanks."

After Marjorie moved away, Sue glared at the girl across from her. Bernadette's dark hair was pulled tightly away from her face in a ponytail. Her eyes seemed to bulge. "How did you know my mother was alive?" Sue asked.

"I told you, Sue. I know things the same way you know things."

"Well, apparently it's a little different. You've seen the Virgin Mary, but my father happens to be Lucifer Morning Star."

Bernadette laughed. "I guess that means we were destined to meet." Marjorie placed her shake in front of her. "And share vanilla milk shakes!"

"So you believe I'm the devil's daughter."

Bernadette nodded. "The Antichrist," she said matter-of-factly, taking a sip of her shake.

"This is crazy crazy!" Sue's voice was loud. Several people in the diner turned to look at her.

"Have you ever read the Book of Revelation?" Bernadette kept smiling. "Believe me, Sue, I'm not here to convert you or anything. I'm asking you for a reason."

"Yes, I've read Revelation. For Dr. Marshall's cla.s.s, in fact."

"But not the full version? I suppose not. We can get you a copy..."

Sue laughed. "Who's we?"

"Father Ortiz and I. You've met him."

Sue nodded. "Yes. He was sitting right where you are."

Bernadette leaned across the table. "Sue," she whispered. "We want to help you. It's not too late-it's never too late-and you can thwart the plans of those who plan to use you."

"Who wants to use me?" Sue stared at her. "Why should I trust you any more than I trust someone else?"

"Do you trust Joyce Davenport?"

"As much as I trust you. Which is zero."

"The seeds of evil are in you, Sue," Bernadette said, shaking her head. "But it's through no fault of your own. You can reject your destiny. Even Christ had the ability to refuse his calling. He could have succ.u.mbed to temptation and not fulfilled his ordained role. The Antichrist will also have free will..."

"I'm a freshman in college! I'm not the Antichrist!"

A man in the next booth turned and looked at her, made a face, then turned back around.

"This town has a long and ugly history, Sue," Bernadette told her. "So does the college. And you're in danger. I want to help you, because it's not too late to change things. You know the truth about your mother now, don't you?"

"Yes." Sue managed to croak the word out.

"Go see her."

"My mother..."

"Get in your car and go." Bernadette's voice was urgent. "Don't go back to the campus. It's starting, Sue. You have to get out of town."

The bell over the door jingled.

Sue looked up.

Billy.

Her heart raced.

She wanted to jump and run to him. She wanted to fold herself into his arms and forget all this madness.

Billy! It was so good to see him again.

A wide smile crossed his handsome face as he spotted her. He beamed.

"I'll leave the two of you alone," Bernadette said, standing, taking her shake with her.

"Hey, Bernie," Billy said as he approached. "What you doing here?"

"Just saying h.e.l.lo to Sue," she told him as she moved off.

Billy sat down. "Did she upset you?"