by R. G. Angel
He smiled and it was one of those smiles he used to give me after Port Harbor, but before I’d left him. It was a smile I had missed more than I thought I would and it made my heart jump in my chest.
Taylor chose this moment to walk in, holding a moss green leather-bound book in her arms.
“You called?” Archie sniggered.
She turned to me. “Best friend.” She then looked to Antoine, Caleb, and Archie, calling them respectively, “Daphne, Velma, Shaggy. Sorry to interrupt the investigations of Mystery Incorporated but I have news.”
Archie pointed at himself. “I’m Shaggy?!” he asked offended.
Taylor raised her eyebrow in silent confirmation.
“Oh, come on! I’m at least a Fred!” He turned to Caleb and Antoine. “Go on, tell her you’re not Daphne or Velma.”
Caleb shrugged. “Velma’s the brains. I’ll take it.”
Antoine winked at Taylor. “And Daphne is the pretty one. I’m good too.”
“Anyway,” I started, trying to bring back the conversation on a safer ground. “What did you want to say?”
“Ah, yes.” Taylor shook her head. “While you were all busy using your spying systems, super-computer, and your spy networks,” she snorted, “you forgot to look at the basics.”
“Care to explain?” Caleb asked, gesturing toward the table.
“You were so busy trying to find what was there instead of noticing what wasn’t.” She slammed the book on the table. “Your answers are here.”
“Okay…” Antoine trailed off, coming to stand beside her. “No offense, babe, but how can a yearbook from over twenty years ago provide us with an answer?”
She rolled her eyes. “I went to the library and looked for our Father’s yearbook, thinking that maybe there was something there. And you know what’s strange? Their final year at Brentwood and the three years after that were missing.”
I frowned, looking at Archie. “Okay, that’s strange.”
She snorted. “You think? Especially since you can’t check out yearbooks. So I went to my dad and asked him to see the yearbook of his last year at Brentwood as a memento for my last year here too.” She shrugged. “He gave it to me and here we go.”
She opened the book to where she’d stuck a red tag and turned it toward me.
It was my father holding a debate trophy. It was scary how much he and Archie looked alike, but he had this wickedness in his eyes that my brother was missing.
I cringed at that photo, at all of the surroundings and the people almost bowing to him as though he was a king.
Archie glowered, probably hating the reminder of how similar he was to our father. “I don’t–”
Taylor tapped her perfectly manicured fingernail to the left corner of the photo. “Look closer.”
We all leaned down at the same time. I gasped when I saw it, jerking straight. She was a child there, with crazy hair and braces, but it was unmistakable. Ms. White was looking up at my father adoringly.
I looked at Caleb and I was sure that I had the same look on my face as he did. I was impressed by my friend. She’d been the quiet one in the background. Yet, she was providing us with gold while Antoine and his thousands of dollars, hadn’t even gotten us anywhere close to a breakthrough.
“Who is she?” Antoine asked, turning the yearbook toward him to have a better look.
“It's our librarian, Ms. White.”
He nodded. “Ah, the fishy one. The woman without a past.”
“Turn to the blue tab.”
She tapped on the yearbook photo. “Anna-Maria Valkoinen has a past. I'm sure you’ll find plenty.”
“Valkoinen. It means ‘white’ in Finnish.” He cocked his head to the side. “Minus seven for lack of originality.”
“How would you even know that, Sherlock?” my brother asked, trying not to show how impressed he was.
“Because I’m European and we’re cultured, contrary to you lot.”
“Smug asshole,” Caleb grumbled.
“I second that,” Archie confirmed, grinning at Caleb.
Antoine snorted. “You’re just jealous.”
“You were right,” I said to Caleb. “She lied to me.”
He nodded. “Yes, it was obvious.”
“Takes a liar to know a liar.” Archie went straight for the guts.
Caleb’s face closed in the cool impassive mask of indifference that I knew now was an evidence of hurt. “Yeah, so?”
“I need to talk with her.”
Caleb grabbed my arm before I could exit the room. It was a possessive, firm grip, but somehow still soft enough not to hurt me. It was Caleb’s contradiction in a nutshell. “You’re not going by yourself.”
“Oh, come on Caleb. She’s a middle-aged librarian, not the boss of a Mexican cartel.”
Caleb sighed. I knew he was about to start a tirade, but Archie interrupted. “I think Astor is right.”
Everybody froze and turned to Archie, looking at him as if he’d just grown a second head.
“What?”
“You’re agreeing? With me?”
Archie shrugged. “There’s a first for everything, but Caleb’s right. Going by yourself is not the way to go. Besides, she will be busy now. Let's go together at the end of the day, okay?”
Caleb frowned. “I’m the expert, remember? I can see right through her.”
“Maybe, but it’s not your mother; it’s ours.” Archie stood beside me. “No offence.”
Caleb rolled his eyes. “I don’t think–”
I rested my hand on Caleb’s arm. “I’ll go with Archie, but I’ll tell you what she says.”
Caleb detailed me in a way that made me rethink all of my life choices. He sighed in rendition. “Fine. It’s your mystery to solve.”
I could hardly believe he’d given in so easily. Based on Archie’s incredulous look he couldn’t either.
“Okay?”
He nodded. “Fine.” He turned to Antoine. “Look her up with her true name.”
Antoine waved his iPad. “Already on it.”
“Thank you, Tay. Really.”
She winked at me. “Anything for you, bestie.”
The day seemed to last an eternity. When the bell of the final class rang, I almost skipped on my way to the library. I found Archie already waiting in front of it.
“Ready?” he asked, hooking his arm with mine.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”
“You lied to her,” Archie announced just as we walked into the library.
Okay, then. I rolled my eyes, instantly regretting not taking Caleb with me. At least he had a modicum of restraint and patience.
Anne White frowned. She looked around the library, but it was deserted as usual.
“Ms. White–”
“–or should we say Ms. Valkoinen?” Archie interrupted me.
I glared at him. This was not the way to deal with things. “Archie could you just, just...not.”
He grumbled under his breath, but stopped talking.
“I… Just a minute.” She rushed to the door and locked it before coming back and gesturing us to the closest table.
“How did you find out?” she asked, resting her elbows on the surface.
“I don’t think that’s really relevant now, is it?” I asked, sounding sterner than usual.
“No, I suppose not.”
“I asked you if you knew my mother. You said you didn’t.”
She sighed. “Listen, Esmeralda. It took me years to get out of that life.”
“You seemed to have been in love with my father.” Antoine had already found a few things for us during lunch. “It was even said you were to get married.”
She nodded. “Yes, but your mother saved me from that fate.” She shook her head with a weary sigh. “She took my curse and I was too chickened to help her. As you probably know, my family promised me to William when I was only fourteen. He was eighteen, but was already powerful and charismatic. I was the shy f
reshman. He was the all-powerful senior.” She pointed to Archie. “Actually, he was a lot like you are now.”
Archie scowled at her, his jaw twitching. He hated being reminded how similar he was to our father.
I rested my hand on top of his in an attempt to soothe him.
“So you were in love with our father.”
“For a while,” she continued. “Or at least I thought I was until I saw he was not for me, until I fell in love with someone else.” She sighed. “Until I realized it was not a world I wanted to be stuck in. But I couldn’t really do anything. My father’s business was dependent on this union. Then your father left for university while I stayed here and studied. At least there was that. But you know, even though I was not yet officially engaged to your father, I’d already been claimed. Therefore every boy around this town stayed away from me.”
I winced. I know she’d lied, but I could only imagine how she’d felt. Her realization at being stuck in something so much bigger than she was, something my mother had experienced first-hand too.
“What I wanted didn't seem to matter anymore, you know? And instead of going to university to study literature as I’d always wanted, I ended up being sent to Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps – a school for reformed girls.” Her mouth tipped down in obvious disgust. “It was basically three years of learning how to be a proper lady. With the Guide of a Good Socialite Woman its Bible, all you really learned was how to be a perfect wife, perfect hostess. How to be smart enough to make your husband shine and make yourself valuable, but without being smart or independent enough to ever outshine your man.”
This couldn’t be real. Such a place couldn’t exist.
I turned toward Archie for confirmation, but he nodded with a grimace.
“Was I to be sent there?”
“You still might,” Ms. White warned me. “If you keep going down this path, you will.”
“I’d never allow it.”
“You’re just a boy, Archibald Forbes. You’ve got much less power than you seem to think.”
Archie leaned toward her, molten anger vibrating off of him. “And I think you’re underestimating me greatly,” he replied darkly.
She scoffed. “I hope you’re right, but I think you’re both overestimating your odds here. This will be your downfall. You are biting off far more than you can chew. Mark my words. The best thing you can do is make yourself inconsequential like I did.”
“That is not in my nature.” He grabbed my hand. “Not in our nature.”
She shrugged. “I hope for Esmeralda’s sake that you’re right.”
“So what happened next?” I asked her. We didn't have all day and I didn't think that Archie asserting his power on the librarian would be productive in any way.
“I went to school. I was in the middle of my second year when I was called back. I thought it was to make the engagement official, but that wasn’t the case. Your father had a huge party where he announced his engagement to your mother.”
“And you felt betrayed and cheated,” Archie offered.
I gave him a side look. God, he was so obvious. I really regretted not bringing Caleb. He was much more calculating.
She started to laugh. “Cheated? Lord no! I was so happy, I could’ve cried! I mean, I felt bad for your mother. I really did. She didn’t know what she was stepping into and I didn’t warn her.” She looked down at her hands resting flat on the table. “You see, I was just too happy to be free. I would have never been allowed to step away. As backward as it seemed, he was the only one able to grant me my freedom.”
Her words took me back to the cemetery when Caleb, as drunk as he’d been, had told me he was giving me my freedom back. Was that what he had meant?
“My father wanted me to go after your father and ask for compensation or force him into marriage, especially since…” She blushed, looking away. I knew what she didn’t say though. My father had taken her innocence. “But I refused and my father disowned me.” She took a deep breath. “I took this chance and went away, changed my name, and started afresh.”
“If you wanted to start afresh, why did you come back?” Archie asked, crossing his arms on his chest. That was a fair question.
She nodded. “I know it’s strange, but it’s my home. Once my father moved, I wanted to come back. As you both know, Brentwood pays extremely well. I’m making more here in a quarter than I'd make in a full school year anywhere else.” She shrugged. “I didn't care about William and his wife. He owed me and I wanted the job.”
“What about my mom?”
She turned to me, her face softening. “I was not lying when I said I didn't know your mom. I moved here only a few months before her accident.”
I threw a quick side glance at Archie. Accident? Right.
“She came to see me once here. She had told me she was aware about the engagement and that she was sorry. She’d looked so tired and weary. I told her I was sorry about not warning her. She was so nice, saying it didn’t matter, that everything would be okay very soon.”
“Why not tell me that last time?”
She shook her head. “Because it’s a part of my life that I’d rather forget and because it has nothing to do with you. It was a long time before you, Esmeralda. Why bring back a past that has no reason for being?”
I was about to comment that it was a question of trust, when the main door opened to reveal the janitor.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” He looked at the three of us. “Is everything okay in here? The school closed over thirty minutes ago.”
I looked at my watch, surprised by how quickly time had gone and shocked that Caleb hadn’t tried to come in all guns blazing.
“It’s okay, Javier. We’re done anyway.” Ms. White smiled at him before turning to me. “Are we good?”
“For now.” Archie stood up and walked out without a look back.
I wasn't sure why he was so upset. It was not like he didn't know what a prick our father really was. I didn't expect it to come as a shock.
I was about to leave when Ms. White caught my wrist. “I don't know what you are looking for, but stop now. Give up.” The urgency of her tone made my heart race.
“Why?”
“Because you don't know what or who you’re messing with. I would be sad to see something happen to you and it will… If you continue down this path, it will.”
My heart started to hammer in my chest. Something was already happening to me. The failed attempt on my life last month was proof enough.
“Esme?” I turned to see Archie back at the door, frowning at Ms. White’s hand around my wrist. “It’s getting late. Let’s go.”
“Just let it go,” Ms. White whispered again before dropping my wrist.
“What was that all about?” Archie asked as we exited the darkened school. It definitely had a weird vibe, being here when it was empty.
“I’m not sure. She was telling me to be careful I guess.”
“Uh-huh… I still don’t like her.”
I chuckled. “You don’t like anyone.”
“That’s not true. I like you.”
“No you don’t; you love me.”
He sighed, burying his hands in his pockets. “That I do. So, what do you think of her sob story?” He asked as we stopped by my car.
I leaned against the driver’s door. “I believe it. I’m sure Antoine will be able to check her story now, to see if it’s true.”
“Yeah. I’m still not a fan.”
“Yeah, Caleb’s not either. I mean, he knew she was lying about mom from the moment he saw her.”
He cocked his head to the side. “You sound impressed.”
“I am.”
“Talking about Caleb, I noticed that you guys seem to be…friendlier with each other. How did that happen?”
Ah, this morning’s interrupted chat had not been forgotten.
I did my best to contain my grin. Archie was pretending it was not a big deal, but I could see how much he wanted to know.
/>
“Does it matter?”
He shrugged, but I didn’t miss the frustration flash across his face.
I sighed. “I’m not sure. I think he is forgiving me for walking away. I think he is starting to see I'm not the conniving bitch he thought I was. At least...I hope so.”
Archie snorted. “Took him long enough. For an evil genius, he can be so dim sometimes.” He detailed my face. “You care for him, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Of course I do. I know he won’t believe it. I even know it doesn't make much sense, but…” I shook my head. “I think you were right. I’m going to tell him everything. I don’t think he’ll betray us. He didn’t with White and he’s kept me shielded at his house even though he could have just thrown me to the wolves for the entertainment factor.”
“Maybe just wait until after dinner with father. He has something up his sleeve. I know that. I just–” He growled in frustration. “He’s not telling me much these days for some reason.”
“Do you think he knows?” I paled, panicking at the thought of Archie being made responsible. The price he would have to pay for betraying our father would be of biblical proportions.
“About us?” He shrugged. “Maybe, but you know what? I don’t care. If he does, we’ll figure something out.”
“Yeah.” But my voice didn't convince him nor me. “I’ll still tell Caleb about what White said though.”
“Of course.” He leaned down to kiss my forehead. “Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yep, I’ll text you when I get home.”
“Okay, and hey, don’t worry too much. We’ve got each other's back. We’ll be fine. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I would not allow it.”
“I know Archie. It’s just getting all too real.”
“I get that.” He looked at his car. “There’s no turning back now.”
No there wasn’t. Though truth be told, I didn’t think there had ever been a way to turn back. Everything had been set in motion as soon as I’d opened our mother’s journal. There was nothing that could have changed that.
Chapter 14 - Caleb
I was not looking forward to dinner at the Forbes Mansion. How could I? I’d always disliked William and his stupid trophy wife. Archibald and I had been friends once upon a time. It was before I’d realized that he was not as broken as I was, that he was the shiny one. Then I’d wanted him broken just like I had been. Why didn’t he wear scars too? So, I’d helped him lose the only thing he’d wanted, the only thing that had mattered to him - Taylor Oppenheimer.