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

‘Are you sure you were at the right stall? I mean … maybe you were in the wrong aisle or something? Those stalls all look sort of the same, you know.’

‘No, I was definitely in the right spot. And like I said, I’m sure I saw them. And I’m not a hundred per cent sure, but I think they saw me. But then they were gone. And it was so strange, this old man, telling me he didn’t know either of them. Anyway, it was so cold, and my feet were freezing, so I didn’t want to hang around any longer. And I never made it back a third time. Really, I didn’t see the point. I mean, Tom knows my number. And I’m sure he saw me. He could have rung if he’d wanted to see me. So, I left it at that. Sorry, I know you wanted an update on Sam, but that’s all I’ve got.’

‘Oh, well, you tried. But it does sound awfully strange. Of course, maybe it wasn’t them you saw but some other guys of similar size and colouring—maybe your mind was just playing tricks on you—filling in the blanks with what you wanted to see.’

‘Yeah, maybe … but why did that old guy say he didn’t know them?’

‘Well, it could be true I suppose. Maybe the shop changed hands, and they lost their jobs? After all, it’s been a long time since either of us saw them there.’

‘Yeah … all right, it’s possible. But, I don’t know … I mean, it was all just a bit too strange for my liking. If I go over at Christmas I’ll go back to the market. It’ll be warm then at least. Anyway, do you want to go out one night while I’m here? Go see a band or something?’

‘Uh, sure,’ I replied, hesitantly.

‘Cool. Girls night out,’ she said with a glint in her eye.

And that was how easily Claire put the whole thing with Tom and Sam behind her. As for me, I was relieved that I didn’t have to hear any bad news about Sam, but I was also disappointed not to get any good news either. But there’s a saying about no news being good news, so I’d have to settle for that. Maybe I’d ask a few questions in my next email, and hope for some answers. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. I had to move on with my life, even if it meant not knowing things. I had to trust, as Crystal had said, that things would turn out as they are meant to.

~ Chapter Three ~

I decided to enrol in a psychology class at the community college. I’d go Tuesday nights for three hours. Mom didn’t mind staying with Ceylona. In fact, she seemed to really enjoy it saying Ceylona was quite good company.

I was sure that Ceylona was developing incredibly fast, but Mom was still convinced she was completely normal. At fifteen months she could walk quite well, and was even running a little without falling down. And she chatted with me every moment that she was awake. I couldn’t really understand much of her chatter with the exception of her favourite questions: ‘what’s that?’ and ‘why?’ I always answered her truthfully, and gave her reasons for things—just as if she were an adult. She’d frown (she was her father’s daughter, that’s for sure) and tilt her head, and then she’d point to something else and we’d start all over.

The fall weather was superb as it usually is California—warm days and balmy nights. And since Ceylona was still happy to ride along in the stroller, we often got out for late afternoon runs in the park. I’d gotten really good at running with the stroller—only tripping up occasionally. We’d often see her favourite dogs, the big Golden Retriever and the old black Lab, but there were always lots of others as well. I’m sure that even though I didn’t recognise them all, she did.

We also continued to spend a lot of time at the beach, where Ceylona would toddle along the sidewalk until she hit the sand then fall to her knees and giggle. She was quick to get back up and then she’d be off again. I always kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn’t get into the water, but so far she seemed quite content to stay up in the dry sand.

~~***~~

At Christmas, Debs came as promised, but she brought no news of Sam with her. She hadn’t seen him, or Crystal. Not that I really expected she would—I’d just hoped.

And I’d already been warned that I’d have no updates from Claire either—she wasn’t going home at Christmas this year. She had a new boyfriend and was spending the holidays with him in San Diego. So any updates from her would have to wait until the summer break, assuming she went back to see her mother. With Claire, that was far from a sure thing.

~~***~~

As Ceylona’s second birthday approached, Raye got busy organising, determined to make it bigger and more memorable than her first birthday.

Susan agreed to bring her nieces again, and then surprised me by asking if I would mind if David came along too. They’d started dating and she hoped I was okay with it. I was a bit surprised to hear it, yet on some level I knew he must be seeing someone as he hadn’t dropped by to see us more than a few times since Christmas. One side of me was relieved, knowing that he definitely saw us as just friends now, but the other side of me was feeling a bit jealous. But of course I told Susan it would be fine. Ceylona really liked David, and it was her party after all.

Raye did all the normal decorations, and for a special treat organised a pretend dog sled. Mother Nature came through for us once again, putting on another fine spring day for the party—warm and windless. And just as I’d expected, Ceylona was rapt with the dog sled. It was pulled by four very fat Malamutes that looked like they’d have about as much chance pulling a real sled as I would. But to Ceylona they were perfect. By the end of the day the grass was just about worn to the roots where the small sled had gone around and around, and the dogs lay panting in the shade, looking exhausted but content.

That night as I put Ceylona to bed, she looked up at me with eyes that reminded me so much of Sam’s it was startling. I’d never seen her look so sorrowful, as her little face screwed up in a frown.

‘Doggie?’ she asked, in a voice that sounded suddenly much older than my toddler had sounded this morning. ‘Please Mommy, I want doggie.’

I brushed the hair from her face, and leaned down and kissed her forehead. ‘We’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay sweetheart? You go to sleep now, and we’ll talk tomorrow.’

She smiled at me, and said, ‘Okay. My birthday too-mah-ro, Mommy.’

‘Yes, it’s your birthday tomorrow—you’re a big girl now. How old will you be, Ceylona?’

‘Two,’ she answered, the frown gone and a big smile lighting up her face.

‘Right! You’ll be a big girl then. But big girls need their sleep. So, you go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.’

She was asleep before I’d even switched off the light. I left the door ajar and then tiptoed down the hall and downstairs into the kitchen.

‘My little girl is growing up, Mom. She’s asked for a dog. She’s been crazy about them ever since we started going to the park. Every time she sees a dog, she just has to pet it—or at least point to it and acknowledge it. And today, well she was just so excited with those sled dogs.’

‘So, I guess we’re getting a dog then?’

‘Oh, Mom, I’m not so sure it’s a good idea. I mean, we’re still … you know … not entirely sure that she’s
normal
. What if we do have to go back to Australia? I wouldn’t be able to take a dog. It wouldn’t be fair to you or the dog, and it would break Ceylona’s heart to leave it behind.’

‘Lili, do you still think that’s a possibility?
Really
? I mean, she’s two now, and seems very normal to me.’

‘Yeah, maybe. But you should have heard her tonight. She had such a clear strong voice, and I’m not sure that’s normal for a two year old.’

‘It might be a little advanced, but we’re talking high IQ, not, well, you know.’

‘No, I don’t know. That’s the thing. I wish there was some test Mladen could do, so we’d know for sure.’

I sat looking at Mom for a few minutes, trying to make up my mind about the dog. I knew Ceylona would be up early, and it would probably be the first thing out of her mouth. But Mom was the voice of reason.

‘Well, dear, why don’t we just wait a bit then; see if she mentions it again. She may have forgotten all about it by tomorrow.’

‘Good idea. Let’s wait and see.’

~~***~~

That night I had an incredibly vivid dream. It was one of those realistic ones—the kind where you wake up, and you aren’t entirely sure if you were dreaming, or if it actually happened.

Ceylona and I were walking in the park. It was a beautiful warm summer day; the sun was shining and there were birds twittering in the trees. As we walked along, Ceylona chatted away about the dogs here and there. Suddenly, she looked up at me and said, ‘Mommy, we need to go home now.’ I reached down and rubbed her little arms, asking, ‘Are you okay, Ceylona? Are you cold, sweetheart?’ She shook her head and said, ‘No, Mommy, I mean
home
; to Daddy, and Crystal, and Elizabeth.’ I stopped dead in my tracks, and I lowered my voice to a whisper as I asked her, ‘You remember them?’ She looked up at me with this expression of annoyance, and said, ‘Of course I remember them, Mommy. And I know why we left too. You were afraid of the bad men. But Mommy, there are bad men here too. Look,’ she said, pointing toward the other side of the park. I followed her gaze, and could see four men standing there. They were dressed in dark suits, and had slick black hair and dark glasses. They looked like they were straight out of some sort of gangster movie. And there in the middle of them stood a beautiful woman. She had long black hair and was dressed like a jazz-club singer in a long-sleeved, red gown. The woman was beckoning to people as they passed by, luring them over. Only when they approached, rather than her talking to them, they were whisked away by one of the men so quickly it looked as if they simply disappeared before my very eyes.

I woke with a start, and sat up looking around the room; relieved to see the familiar surroundings. I could see Ceylona resting on her side in her bed, but her eyes were wide open and she was staring directly at me. She didn’t speak; just blinked a few times, then closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

I sat there for quite some time before my heart-beat returned to normal, and I could breathe quietly again. But even then, I didn’t go back to sleep. Not all night.

I didn’t talk about the dream to anyone, not even Mom. But I watched Ceylona more carefully after that. And oddly enough, I had the distinct feeling that she was watching me more carefully too.

~ Chapter Four ~

Mom was right. Ceylona seemed to have forgotten all about the dog—but I hadn’t. I knew how much she’d love having her very own dog, but I also thought it had the potential to cause all kinds of issues if we did have to leave. Taking a dog to Australia wasn’t possible—well, not easily anyway. There were all sorts of problems with rabies vaccinations and quarantine. It would be a nightmare. In the end, I decided to try something else—I’d get her the most adorable stuffed dog I could find.

A few days after Ceylona’s birthday, I left her with Mom and headed to a large toy store. After looking at every stuffed animal they had, I settled for an adorable floppy dog with fur as soft as a rabbit’s. It had big reddish-brown glass eyes that were surrounded by long thick lashes, and a big black nose. And it was wearing a collar with a tag that read ‘Archie’. It was so soft and cuddly I found it hard to put down, so I hoped she’d like it too.

When I walked in the house, I handed the stuffed dog to Ceylona, gave her a big smile, and took in a breath as I said, ‘Look, Ceylona; look who I found! This is Archie! Can Archie be your doggie?’

She looked at me, then at the stuffed dog, then back at me. She screwed up her little face and stuck out her lower lip, and I thought for sure she was going to cry. But then she blinked, and her face went all calm. She reached out and took the dog from me, and hugged it to her chest, burying her face into it. When she looked up at me, she smiled, and said the name, ‘Ah-chee’. Maybe, just maybe, this would work—at least for a little while.

A few days later I got a call from Claire. She was at her Dad’s.

‘Hi, Claire … how’d the exams go?’

‘Okay I think. But I tell ya, one more year, and I’m outta there. I can’t wait. So, what are you doing? I thought I’d come over and take you to lunch.’

‘Okay, lunch sounds good,’ I answered, looking over at Mom who was nodding her head and waving her hands in a gesture that said, ‘yes, go’. I mouthed a thank you to her, and then said, ‘but I thought you were going to San Diego—for the summer. What happened with that?’

‘Yeah … well, I changed my mind. I’m heading over to see Mum for a couple of months instead. I don’t suppose you’d like to come with me? To see Mum, and you know, everyone else? I mean, it’s not exactly like you have a high powered job that you can’t get away from,’ she said, with just the hint of a question in her voice.

I’d known for a while that my luck was running out when it came to Claire. She’d been so distracted with Shane, and then San Diego (I could never remember his name), that I’d gotten away with practically no discussion about what was happening in my life. I had a sick feeling that the questions were about to start.

‘Oh, well … that’s a thought,’ I answered, not entirely surprised by her suggestion.

‘So you might be interested? Oh, that’d be awesome. Anyway, I’ll be there in forty-five minutes. Hope you’re hungry—I need Mexican food … and a margarita.’

An hour later, the waitress had just walked away after setting down our drinks, chips and salsa. Claire took a huge sip of her drink, then put her hands on either side of her face and closed her eyes.

‘Frozen brain,’ she said, after a few moments. ‘So, do you think you could come with me for a couple weeks? Mum would love it if you stayed with us. But of course, if you wanted to stay with your aunt that would be cool too.’

‘Oh, um, yeah … it’s not really all that easy for me to get away, you know. With Mom working full-time and Raye, well, she’s really serious about her courses … so I kinda have to look after Ceylona.’

‘Haven’t you guys ever heard of a crèche? Or whatever they’re called … pre-school or whatever? I mean, it’s been really nice of you to help your Mum out the way you have, but you really need to get a life.’

‘Yeah, well, about that … Ceylona sort of is my life.’

‘I know … that’s what I mean. You need to get out and get a job, meet some new people. You’re not going to meet anyone by staying home with your kid sister all the time are you?’

‘Uh, well … yeah, I know what you mean. But Claire,’ I hesitated, still unsure how to come clean.

‘But nothing. Seriously, you’re twenty-two, not forty-two. So, it didn’t work out with Sam. Like, how many relationships have I had that didn’t work? You’ve got to get back on the horse—as the saying goes.’

‘I’m still married, you know. We … we’re just separated, not divorced.’

‘Separated, well, yeah, that’s nearly as good as divorced isn’t it? Anyway, you can see Sam when we get there; talk to him, see if you think there’s anything left between you. It might help you to move on you know.’

‘Yeah, well, like I said, there’s Ceylona.’

‘Ah, come on Lili, your Mum’s a big girl. I’m sure she can figure something out. She can get along without you. Come on, please? Say you’ll come with me. Please?’

‘Well, about Ceylona … there’s something I didn’t tell you.’

‘Yeah? Like what? Is she sick or something? Is that why you stay home with her all the time? She looks healthy enough to me.’

‘No, she isn’t sick. It’s just that, well, she isn’t exactly my sister.’

‘What do you mean, isn’t
exactly
your sister? She’s your half-sister, right?’

I took a deep breath, and then replied in a rush, ‘She’s my daughter. Ceylona is my daughter; mine and Sam’s.’

Claire was speechless. She just stared at me for what felt like forever, but was probably just a few seconds. Then she frowned and got this really puzzled look on her face. I started to panic about the dates, wondering if she was doing mental arithmetic. When she finally spoke, her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

‘Your daughter? Ceylona is your daughter, not your sister? And you’re telling me this … now … after, what, like … two years?’

‘I’m sorry, Claire. It just, seemed … I don’t know, easier I guess.’

‘Easier? What do you mean,
easier
? Easier than, say, telling me the truth? I can’t believe you let me go on thinking she was your sister. And your Mum … she must have been in on it to. What did you do, sit down and work out how much fun it would be to fool me?’

She sounded angry, and I couldn’t blame her. After all, it was a pretty big thing to have kept from her.

‘No, it wasn’t like that at all. You said it—that first time you saw her. You said something about her being my little sister, and I simply didn’t correct you, that’s all.’

‘Oh, yes, well
that’s all
. Yeah, right,’ she said, and I could tell she was calming down already, the initial shock of it hopefully wearing off.

‘Look, I’m sorry Claire. It wasn’t right. I should have told you. But there just never seemed to be a good time—I mean, it simply never came up in conversation.’

The anger was gone, but she still looked hurt. When she spoke, her voice was almost meek, ‘Well, still, you should have told me.’

‘I know. I’m sorry.’

She sighed, but I could see by the look on her face that she was pretty much over the shock of it.

‘Well, that makes for an even stronger case for you to come home with me. You really should see Sam, and talk—you know, maybe work things out. After all, if you have a daughter, don’t you think you owe it to her?’

She’d accepted it, without questioning the dates. A lot had happened over the past three years. She’d gone to university, I’d gotten married, she’d been back and forth to Australia several times; maybe she wouldn’t work out that I hadn’t looked pregnant when I should have. Perhaps I’d get away with not telling her the whole truth just yet.

‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should go with you … see Sam. Can I think about it for a day or two? When are you going?’

‘I’m leaving on Thursday, but you can still think about it. You don’t have to fly over on the same plane or anything. You can come a week later, or whatever works out. Oh, Lili, it will be so much fun! We can go out again … the four of us. I mean, if Tom wants to … and if Sam wants to. Please say you’ll come over?’

She was back—no more anger, no more hurt, just Claire; fun loving and happy. Any wonder I liked her so much.

~~***~~

The idea of going over to see Sam was tempting—but as soon as Claire was gone it was easier to see things more clearly and make the right decision. Seeing him again would just put me back to where I was when I’d first left—thinking about him almost every minute of every day—and I didn’t think I could bear that. Not yet—not again.

Besides, how was I to know if he’d even want to see me? After all, communication between us had nearly ceased. My emails to him were nothing more than a quick hello with a photo or two attached—generally sent on a Sunday night. But as for replies, well, they were few and far between. In fact, it had been ages since I’d received one. No, I couldn’t go. But I would be anxious to hear any news that Claire might bring back with her.

When I emailed Claire, telling her I wouldn’t be coming over, she replied saying I was a slacker and that I really should get my butt in gear and come over. But she also said she’d been to the market already, and hadn’t seen either Tom or Sam.

As I sat there, reading her email, it occurred to me that it was just as well that the conversation had stopped at the fact that Ceylona was my daughter. There’d been no reason on that day to tell her that Tom and Sam were vampires. And if there’d been no reason then, it was quite possible that there never would be a reason.

~~***~~

Claire returned a few weeks later and stopped in for a quick visit on the morning she flew in. Over a coffee at the kitchen table I learned two things. Firstly, that neither Tom nor Sam worked at the market any longer. Claire had gone back, and this time she spoke to a young man who said he’d been working there for several months, and that he hadn’t ever heard of anyone named Tom or Sam. Secondly, that Tom was definitely avoiding Claire. Since she’d hit a dead-end at the market, she decided to try to call him. She rang his number several times, but never got an answer. The phone wasn’t disconnected but there wasn’t any voice message. She was pretty sure that he simply wasn’t picking up.

Having given me her update, as scant as it was, Claire moved on and didn’t mention Tom again. Instead, she turned her attention to Ceylona. She’d brought her two stuffed animals, a koala and kangaroo, as well as a hand painted boom-a-rang. It was lovely watching the interaction between them as they sat and chatted. And while Ceylona no doubt liked her new toys, she wasted no time in bringing Archie out to show Claire. And Claire, of course, made all the right noises to show Ceylona how much she liked Archie.

I was glad that Claire had moved on, leaving the conversation about Tom and Sam well behind her. But the news, or rather lack of news, left me feeling completely uneasy, and wondering if perhaps I should have gone with her to Australia after all.