Deception (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 3) (17 page)

I drew in my breath, feeling the blood drain from my face as the recognition set in. Sam squeezed my hand slightly, and frowned, but said nothing. Angelica continued smiling, seeming not to notice.

In that flash of a moment, I wondered how it was that I hadn’t picked it at Mladen’s. Any wonder I’d been so suspicious of her … my subconscious no doubt had recognised her, even though on a conscious level I hadn’t. Then, as quickly as that thought raced through my mind, another followed it. Was I stupid or what? It was a dream. I recognised her, yeah, from a dream, not from a real place.

‘So, here you are finally,’ said Michael, pulling a sad face as he walked over to give me a big hug. ‘You’ve been back how long now? It’s been weeks. And you haven’t even come to see me.’

‘Michael, it’s good to see you,’ I said, trying to sound excited to see him, peeking around him to keep an eye on Angelica.

‘Well, your day job’s gone … we don’t do the lunch shows anymore, but we could always use you in the evenings if you’re interested. You made an awesome witch,’ he said with a broad smile.

‘Thanks, Michael. I’m sorry I’ve not been in to say hello.’

‘No worries, I didn’t take it personally. Are you working, though? I’m quite serious about giving you a job, if you’re interested. We have a lot of turnover,’ he paused, looking at me hopefully. ‘We have secure parking out the back, and I make sure I watch all the girls as they get in their cars … and the ones that take the train in, I make sure they get in a taxi for the trip home, but even so, some of the girls get scared and quit. I could use someone with a clear head … and I’d make sure you get home safely.’

The last bit was directed at Sam, and when I turned to look at him he was frowning a little, but sort of tilted his head and gave me that ‘your decision’ look.

‘Sure, Michael. I mean, I’d love to help out. I always liked working there, but I’m not much of an actress.’

‘Great. And don’t worry about the acting. The girls that do the acting wouldn’t leave for anything. It’s the waitresses that don’t stick around.’

He looked at Angelica then, and laughing, said, ‘I’ve tried to get this one to help out, but neither she nor Crystal will have a bar of it.’

‘Oh, Angelica, Happy Birthday,’ I said, stepping past Michael and walking over to hand her the small present. It was beautifully wrapped, done by the shop I’d bought it from, with a red ribbon that nearly matched the colour of her dress.

‘Thank you, Lili. A gift wasn’t necessary, but thank you very much,’ she said, taking the gift and lightly touching my hand afterwards for just a moment.

‘You’re welcome,’ I said, not sure if I was meant to lean forward and kiss her cheek. In the end, I took the light hand touching as being enough, and stepped back to stand beside Sam.

‘Lili,’ said Crystal from the kitchen. ‘Don’t let Michael talk you into working at that silly restaurant unless you really want to.’

‘Hi Crystal. Dinner smells great.’

‘I’m serious, Lili. You don’t have to work there you know.’

‘Oh, I don’t mind. I liked it before … well, that was with the kids. I suppose it wasn’t so much fun at night, with the older crowds, come to think of it,’ I said hesitantly, looking at Michael, who raised his eyebrows. ‘But I’m happy to help out occasionally.’

Michael smiled at me and did this fist in the air, ‘Yes’, then laughed, saying, ‘that’s my girl.’

‘Come, sit. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes,’ said Crystal. ‘Lili, would you like a drink?’

‘What are you having?’ I asked.

‘Sauvignon Blanc; from New Zealand. It’s really lovely. Would you like a glass?’

‘Yes, thanks. I’m sorry; I didn’t think to bring any wine.’

‘No worries, we’ve got plenty in the fridge.’

She poured a glass and handed it to me, then gestured for me to go into the dining room. I turned to Sam, and he raised his eyebrows quizzically, then followed me. Crystal followed us to the door.

‘Here Lili, you’ll sit here, next to me. Sam, you can sit at this end of the table, Michael, you’re at the other end. And Angelica will sit here,’ she said, pointing to the seat directly across from where she’d placed me.

Great; so I had to stare at Angelica all night. Well the upside would be that I could at least see her reactions and facial expressions clearly during dinner.

Crystal filled the wine glasses and then brought in a plate of antipasto for everyone to share. Then she sat, and raised her glass to make a toast.

‘To Angelica, who has become like a sister to me. Here’s wishing you all the best for your birthday. I’m so glad you found us, Angelica, and I hope you never feel the need to leave,’ she said, smiling genuinely.

We touched our glasses together when she finished speaking and I was surprised to see even Sam drink some of the wine. I didn’t think he liked wine, but perhaps it was something else about him that had changed while I’d been away.

The meal was perfection. Crystal had always been an excellent cook, but tonight she’d surpassed anything she’d ever made for me before. After the antipasto, there was a minestrone soup, followed by veal in a rich tomato-based sauce, served with delicately seasoned pasta and lightly steamed vegetables. I was a little surprised when Sam tried a bite or two of each, nodding his appreciation. There certainly was no need to pretend in front of this group, but perhaps it made him feel more comfortable, rather than just sitting there.

Crystal drove most of the conversation throughout the evening, keeping it very light. But from time to time Michael managed to get a word or two in about the vampires they’d been catching. Each time he did this Crystal would glare at him, and change the topic back to something more appropriate for the dinner table.

Finally, when Crystal went back to the kitchen to get the cake ready, I took my chance.

‘So, Angelica, I never really heard—how was it that you came to know about Crystal?’

She met my gaze nervously, then looked over my shoulder, presumably searching for Crystal. She was no doubt looking for support.

‘It was Lorenzo that told me about her, actually,’ she began, very hesitantly.

She smiled and then I could feel Crystal standing behind me. Angelica nodded, and looked down at the table, then began again.

‘It was Lorenzo that told me about Crystal. He had heard about her from some travellers.’

I smiled, and asked, ‘Lorenzo? Was he a relative?’

She laughed at this, and shook her head. ‘Ay, Dios mio! No, he wasn’t a relative. He was the one who saved me however, and so I looked up to him as one might look up to … say, an uncle, I suppose.’

Crystal’s hands were on my shoulders now, and they squeezed, ever so slightly.

‘Who’s ready for dessert? Cake and ice-cream?’ she asked, obviously wishing to change the subject.

Angelica looked relieved, and quickly chirped up saying she was well and truly ready for cake. I simply stared at her, disappointed that the conversation had been halted, wondering about this Lorenzo, and how he might factor into my dream as well. Had it been just a dream? Or was it a premonition? Or a real vision, like the one I pretended to have with Rachel?

My thoughts were quickly cut short when Crystal returned with a large cake that had six candles spread out evenly across the top. She lit the candles and then asked us all to stand so we could sing ‘Happy Birthday’. No one around the table seemed able to carry a tune so the song was quite a disaster, but Angelica laughed and clapped her hands like a small child would.

I started wondering if maybe I’d judged her too harshly; maybe she really was what she claimed to be; a six year old dhampira who was still just learning. But just as I thought this, she looked up at me under her long dark lashes, and her eyes narrowed giving her face a sinister look for just the slightest moment before she flashed a wry smile.

Then again, maybe she was just a good actress.

~ Chapter Eighteen ~

‘Ooh, I like it already,’ I said as we walked toward the house the following morning. I could see the wrought iron fence and trees in the front yard.

‘So far, so good,’ said Elizabeth from just behind me.

‘I like it too, Lili,’ said Cassie, skipping ahead of us.

‘Now, don’t get your hopes up too much,’ said Sam, squeezing my hand. ‘Let’s have a look inside before you make the man an offer, alright?’

I punched him lightly on the arm, making a face as I pulled my hand free from him. Then laughing, I skipped ahead following Cassie’s example. Somehow, this morning, I felt like all our luck had changed. Our lives were going to get on track, and this was the starting point. Everything would be perfect from here on in.

The agent stood at the doorway with a clipboard, taking names and phone numbers. Cassie and Elizabeth just slipped past, giggling, but I stopped and waited for Sam. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face—both because the house looked perfect, and because Elizabeth and Cassie had gone inside without a worry.

‘No need to take your shoes off,’ said the agent after he took our contact details. ‘But the grass in the back yard is rather wet so if you do go out there, please wipe your shoes well before you come back in. If you have any questions, come back and see me.’

As we walked in I could see there were already several other couples looking around. I looked at Sam, then frowning I said, ‘Hmmm, looks like it needs quite a bit of work, don’t you think?’

Of course, that was entirely for the benefit of the couple standing in the hallway looking up at the ceiling roses. The lady turned and looked at me, and I just shook my head and made a face that suggested I wasn’t at all happy with what I was seeing.

But in actual fact, I was more than happy with everything I could see. The house was perfect. It was no doubt an older home but it had been modernised at some stage. There were four bedrooms downstairs off the wide entry hall; one was set up as a bedroom, another was a sitting room with a comfy chair and television, the smallest was being used as a study, and another was set up as a formal dining room. The back of the house, not unlike Michael and Crystal’s place, had a modern extension with a large kitchen, family room, and informal dining area that opened out to the backyard. The yard was quite substantial, with a paved under-cover area, as well as a large lawn with trees and shrubs all along the boundaries.

Then there was the upstairs. There were three large bedrooms, and a central bathroom. The master bedroom was complete with walk-in wardrobe and an en-suite, and a small balcony facing the street from where, sure enough, you could just make out the tops of trees in the distance. I imagined one of them might very well be Sam’s tree.

The whole house had been freshly painted and it even looked like the wooden floors had just been re-polished. I could see nothing that needed to be done. It was just what I’d been hoping for—maybe better.

‘I love the backyard,’ said Elizabeth, flying past me on her way up the stairs as I was coming back down. ‘It will be perfect for Ceylona’s dogs.’

‘Oh, and I love the staircase. I always wanted to live in a two-storey house when I was growing up.’ said Cassie as she followed Elizabeth.

‘It’s great that they can come here, don’t you think?’ I asked Sam, as we made our way back to have another look at the backyard. ‘I mean, Elizabeth wasn’t sure she’d be able to travel this far, but she obviously can.’

‘Yes, she obviously can. And you’re sure you’re fine with this?’ he asked, sort of frowning.

‘What’s the matter, Sam? Is there something you don’t like about it?’

‘No, it’s fine—quite nice actually—except that with those two flitting in and out all the time you won’t have much privacy. Are you sure you’re okay with that?’

‘Oh that … of course I’m fine with it. They’ll be great company for me, especially on nights when you have to be out.’

‘True. But they’ll know every thought.’

‘I’m sure we’ll work something out. Don’t worry about that. But the house itself, you do like it?’

‘Yeah, it’s great. It’s big, that’s for sure.’

‘Tom can have his own room and we can still have a spare room as well as a study … and Ceylona and the boys can have rooms upstairs with us.’

Sam just laughed, and squeezed my hand, then raised it to his lips and gave me one of those looks of his that nearly made me melt on the spot.

‘If you want it, let’s get it.’

‘Oh, I want it, Sam.’

‘So, where’s that agent gone?’ he asked, looking over his shoulder toward the front door.

~~***~~

‘Well, the agent says the best they’ll give us is a sixty day settlement. The owners won’t go for anything less. Seems they expected to go through to the auction and then do a sixty day settlement after that. I guess they need time to get themselves organised. Are you happy with sixty days? We’ll still be in by early November,’ said Sam, standing in front of me with a cheeky smile on his face.

‘Oh, Sam, you mean they accepted your offer? The house is ours?’ I felt numbed by his news. It just seemed too good to be true.

‘Yes, that’s exactly what I mean—if you’re happy with the settlement that is. You are happy with that, aren’t you?’

‘I’m happy,’ I replied, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him quickly.

‘Well then, I guess I better race home and get some cash for the deposit. He said he’d take five thousand today, as a holding deposit, with the balance when we sign the contracts.’

‘Oh Sam, I’m so happy I think I’m in shock. But are you sure this is what you want? I mean, I don’t want to push you into anything.’

‘Lili, the house is great. But even if it was a bombshell, if it made you this happy, I’d still love it. I’m just sorry it’s taken so long for us to find something.’

Sam stood there smiling for a moment, then went back to talk to the agent again, while I waited with Elizabeth and Cassie for moral support. They were giggling and jumping up and down—their excitement palpable.

In a few minutes he was back.

‘Lili, I want to put the house in your name, if that’s alright with you,’ he said, taking my hand.

‘My name? Why? I mean, of course it’s alright with me—but are you sure that’s best?’

‘Yeah, I’m sure. Come with me and we’ll give him the holding deposit—you might need to sign something. He’ll get contracts ready and we’ll sign them early next week.’

I followed Sam back out onto the front porch where the agent was waiting for us, his hand extended to take mine.

‘Mrs Todd, congratulations on purchasing this fine home. I hope you’ll be very happy here,’ he said, shaking my hand warmly.

And I bet you’ll be very happy with your commission that you’ve earned without having to do much work I thought to myself, but not in a resentful way. After all, this man had helped make my dream come true. We were finally going to have a home.

~~***~~

Debs wasn’t in yet when I got back to the apartment. Exhausted from the busy day, I put on my pyjamas thinking I’d have an early night, but before I went to bed I decided to send emails to Mom and Claire, telling them about the house and attaching a link so they could see the listing. Within a few minutes, my phone rang.

‘Wow!’ said Claire, her voice high and excited.

‘It’s nice, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah, I love it! But it’s massive; which I suppose is a good thing, of course. You’ll have plenty of room for me to stay whenever I need a place to crash in the city,’ she laughed.

‘Of course, any time. But, you know Tom will end up living with us again?’

‘I’m sure he will. He won’t want to stay in that house with that weird girl—what was her name? That friend of Crystal’s? I mean, he’d be mad not to move in with you.’

‘Angelica. Yeah, you’re right. He doesn’t like her much. He’ll be rapt when he finds out about the house.’

‘Too right he will. And you never know, maybe that new girlfriend won’t last. I mean, you said yourself they didn’t seem to have a lot in common.’

‘Did I? Yeah, well, who knows? So, how’s the job going?’ I asked to change the subject.

‘Uh, no better than it was on Tuesday, but thanks for asking, again,’ she laughed.

‘Hmm, so, what else is new?’

‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I need to find a new party partner—someone to go clubbing with me, now that you’re an old married lady with a massive house to clean.’

‘Yeah, sorry about that.’

‘No you’re not. You’re over the moon. And why wouldn’t you be? You got to marry that handsome man of yours … you don’t have to work at some stupid job just to make your Mum happy … you’re about to move into a beautiful home … what’s to be sorry about?’

‘Well, I guess I’m just sorry that I seem to have gotten everything you wanted.’

‘You did. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have it too! You just wait—I won’t be far behind you. The past four years have been a royal pain in the backside, but guess what? I’m dedicated to the cause once again. And who knows, maybe I’ll win Tom back from this new girlfriend of his, eh? Oh, and something just occurred to me; you might just be the perfect party partner. You’re married, so you’re no competition.’

‘Yeah? Well, I don’t know.’

‘I’m just kidding. I won’t drag you out to the nightclubs with me—at least not unless I’m desperate. Steph and Holly are both single still—they took me to a great place last weekend. And this other friend who I don’t think you’ve met, Sara, she was telling me about this place she hangs out that has live bands. So I don’t think I’ll need to drag you out—not often anyway,’ she giggled.

That was a relief. Images of previous times I’d been to nightclubs with Claire raced through my mind, and didn’t exactly make me in a hurry to try it again. But I knew I’d give in anyway—if she was stuck for someone to go with.

When I got off the phone, I printed out a couple of the photos of the house so I could send them to Ceylona with my next letter. She would no doubt be excited to learn she would have her own room when she arrived at Christmas. Then, even though it still wasn’t all that late, I took myself off to bed so I could snuggle under the covers and dream of how wonderful it was going to be in our new home.

I must have dropped off quickly, as I was sound asleep when my phone woke me.

‘Hello?’ I said sleepily as I fumbled with the phone.

‘Lili—I’m sorry if I woke you. I just wanted ... I needed to make sure you were home and safe.’