Dawn of Eve, MJ Howson [lightweight ebook reader TXT] 📗

color never killed anyone.” Dawn ran her fingers across the dagger’s turquoise inlay. “This one calls to me.”

“Really?” Janet frowned and said, “That’s so . . . odd.”

Dawn looked around the store and said, “I wish I could stay longer and browse some more, but I have an appointment. What’s the price?”

“For the dagger? Oh, please, it’s on me.”

“What? No.” Dawn opened her purse. “I insist.”

“No. Really.” Janet placed her hands on Dawn’s and gently forced her to close the bag. “Consider it a gift. For freeing Eve. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this day.”

“Well, thank you.” Dawn picked up the dagger and opened her purse. She frowned and said, “I hope it doesn’t cut a hole in my bag.”

“Oh, wait.” Janet knelt back down and opened a drawer in the bottom of the cabinet. She rummaged through the bags and clutter until she found what she was looking for. She stood up and handed Dawn a brown leather sheath. The thread in the stitching was frayed and weathered. “Here. This came with the knife. Be careful. It’s sharp.”

“It’s exactly what I need.”

Dawn slid the dagger into the sheath and then put the weapon in her outer coat pocket. She raised her hood, picked up her purse, and walked toward the door.

Leo jumped back onto the counter and ran to Janet. She pulled him close and began to stroke his neck. Leo closed his eyes and started to purr.

Dawn turned the handle and opened the door. The wind swirled and howled, blowing leaves into the room. Black and gray clouds dotted the sky. She slid her sunglasses on and said, “I think it’s going to be a lovely afternoon.”

∞∞∞

Dawn clutched the dagger in her coat pocket as she stood in the hallway outside Dr. Cole’s waiting room. Her heart raced, but not with fear–with excitement. She took a long slow deep breath and opened the door. Flo looked up from behind her desk in the waiting room and smiled briefly. Luna was asleep sprawled out beside the monitor on Flo’s desk.

“Can I help you?” Flo asked.

“Hi,” Dawn said. The smell of the cat box tucked in the corner instantly hit her, causing her to frown. She removed her glasses and said. “I’m here for my four o’clock.”

“Miss Easton?” Flo asked as she stood up, looking on in disbelief. “Well, look at you.”

Dawn tossed her head back and forth, causing her hair to wave. She spun around to showcase her outfit and said, “What do you think?”

“You look so much better. I never imagined you as a redhead. But I like it. And your makeup is stunning!” Flo shook her head and smiled approvingly. “I . . . I didn’t recognize you.” Flo sat back down and reached for her phone, moving Luna aside. “You’re early. Let me see if he’s ready for you.”

Dawn ignored Flo and walked to Dr. Cole’s door, placing her hand on the knob.

“Wait!” Flo said.

“Is he with someone?”

“No. But . . . you can’t just barge in there.”

Dawn removed her hand from the door handle and walked over to Flo’s desk. She smiled, reached into her pocket, and discretely pulled the dagger from its sheath. She said, “I’m not here for you. I’m here for the doctor.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dawn looked around the waiting room. The artwork on the walls looked dull and lifeless. Flo’s desk and nearby cabinets had pictures of cats and her and her husband. Dawn said, “You never told me why you never had any kids.”

“Excuse me?”

“Why no kids?”

“Oh, I, uh, well . . . .” Flo glanced at the door to Winston’s office and lowered her voice. “He doesn’t like me getting personal with his patients. But, well, I . . . I can’t.”

Dawn slowly slid the knife back into its sheath but kept her hand wrapped around the handle. “You can’t conceive?”

“No.” Flo lowered her head and sighed. “We tried everything but eventually gave up.”

“I see.” Dawn took a few steps back and smiled. A part of her felt angry that Dr. Cole never shared that during their sessions. She wondered if it would have made a difference. At this point, it didn’t matter. “Can you tell him I’m here?”

“Sure.” Flo picked up her phone and buzzed her husband’s office phone. When he answered, she said, “Dawn is here. Can I send her in?” Flo smiled and hung up the phone. She looked at Dawn and said, “He said to go in.”

Dawn walked to the office door and took a deep breath. She entered and closed the door behind her. Luna immediately began to claw at the door from the waiting room. Dawn scanned the room in which she’d spent so many therapy sessions. She felt like she was viewing all of it from behind a glass wall.

The overhead clock’s rhythmic beat ticked relentlessly. The air in here, as always, ran a few degrees cooler than the warmer waiting room. A fine layer of dust seemed to cover everything.

“Dawn?” Dr. Cole asked. His voice sounded as confused as the expression on his face appeared. “Is that really you?”

“I keep forgetting how different I look.”

“You . . . you look like a completely different person.”

“I feel like one.”

Dr. Cole leaned back in his chair and scratched his beard. The springs beneath the seat squeaked as he spun around and grabbed a blank cassette tape. He said, “I’m sorry, Dawn, I wasn’t ready for you. Please have a seat while I get the recorder ready.”

“No recorder today.” Dawn walked into the middle of the room and took a seat on the couch. As she did, she realized she’d never sat here before. The sofa felt lumpy, and the fabric smelled like the cat. She patted her hand on the cushion and said, “Would you join me?”

Dr. Cole stared silently at Dawn. Her request to sit beside her unnerved him. He grabbed a blank yellow notepad, Dawn’s history folder, the notes he’d made during his meeting with Jeffrey