by Savannah Mae
“He wasn’t completely upfront with us about the costs and the risks involved,” my father answered.
“What property was it?” I asked.
My parents looked at me quizzically.
“You said you made a property investment; what was it?” I asked again.
“Property in Hog’s Nest,” my father answered.
“Hog’s Nest? Where? Why would you invest in a house in that dead-end town?” I asked.
My father hung his head. “The whole town.”
“The whole town? You were going to buy the whole town?”
My father nodded, averting his eyes from mine.
“Why?” I asked.
My mother’s shoulders shook as she began to cry.
Chapter Eleven
The look on Ben’s face reminded me of what a surgeon might look like after he’d made a tragic mistake. My instinct was to poke fun at him, but being the great best friend I was, I reluctantly refrained and just mimicked his expression, narrowing my eye until I could only see the tip of my nose and pursing my lips until my lungs were ready to explode.
Noticing my not-so-discreet antics, he flicked his finger against my cheek and said, “Stop it!”
“What?” I feigned ignorance. “That wasn’t necessary.”
“I’m thinking. I know you don’t recognize it because you’ve never attempted to think a day in your life.” Ben was never short of insults for me. I loved him for it when I was away at school. Right now, I wasn’t so impressed.
“Ha. Ha. You’re so funny; you should take your act on the road, Red Skelton,” I groaned.
He rolled his eyes in dramatic fashion. “Dude, how old are you? Who calls someone Red Skelton?”
I had to laugh. This was a common theme throughout our lives. Having parents who were almost a decade older than my friend’s parents, put me into a whole other generation sometimes. When my friends enjoyed the latest movies released in our local theater, my parents educated me in all things classic, including classic movies and classic books. I knew all there was to know about old Hollywood starlets and vaudeville performers.
Yeah, I was that kid!
“You get funnier by the second. Slow down there, Bob Hope,” I said.
Doubling over with laughter, he told me that comment wasn’t helping my cause.
“Enough already! Back to the original issue, why were you making that horrible face?” I asked.
The scrunched-up face returned in an instant.
I bit my lip to prevent myself from mimicking his grimace yet again.
He slumped onto my father’s recliner and propped his feet up. I settled into my seat on the sofa, knowing this was going to be one of his long, drawn out explanations. There should be a limit on how many times per day a person should be allowed to speak in one sitting.
“So, the way I understand it-” Ben started.
“Oh, please tell me you’re not going to do this I’m a professor thing with me,” I groaned.
Ignoring my remark, he continued with his speech, “My mother recommended Zephyr to your parents. We don’t yet know where on Earth my mother met him, but I’ll find out. Your parents were in a financial bind and somehow my mother thought Zephyr and his lucrative investment business would help them.” He paused for unnecessary emphasis because he knew it would annoy me to no end.
“Yes, that’s right,” I said, hoping he’d get to the point before I died.
“Your parents always warned us - you - to not buy into the hype around the Jinx family. They went so far as to tell you not to go near their shop, right?” Ben asked, already knowing the answer to that question.
“Yeah. See how well that turned out.” I laughed.
Ben pushed his shirt sleeves up to his elbows, exposing a tattoo I didn’t know he had.
“Whoa! What is that?” I asked, jumping up to get a closer look.
He immediately pulled his shirt sleeves down to cover it.
“Nope. Let me see it.” I grabbed his arm, but he resisted, pulling his arm out of my grasp.
“Stop! It’s stupid.” His face reddened.
“Let me see. Please?” I begged.
His beautiful eyes hardened, but not with anger. I think, it was sadness I saw and I didn’t understand it. I’d seen the same look in my father’s eyes and in my mother’s eyes recently. Why did it make me feel like I was the only one who hadn’t been let in on a secret? What weren’t they telling me?
Snorting as he laughed, Ben rolled his sleeve back up. “No comments from the Peanut’s gallery.”
That image will forever be ingrained in my memory. I don’t know what I expected to find, but the familiar shape I’d scrawled millions of times on high school notebooks was undeniable.
“Oh, no you didn’t.” I said as I took in the whole image. “Why would you do that?”
Ben’s face changed colors, from a beet red to a bright, bold fire truck red. “It was dumb. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“What are you, a girl? Why would you brand yourself with her name?” I didn’t know whether to laugh or scold him. Scrawled on his right forearm were two hearts joined together, each emblazoned with his initials and his ex-girlfriend’s initials connected by a padlock.
“What does that mean? That had to have taken hours to tattoo. Are you insane? Did you drink the Kool-Aid? What is wrong with you?” I cried. It made me dislike his ex.
A smile formed on his face, but he resisted laughing out loud and changed the subject. “I didn’t know your mom and the Jinx sisters were friends.”
“So, it’s okay for you to admonish me for any and everything, but I can’t say anything about you marking yourself for life?” I wanted to discuss his tattoo and his feelings around his relationship with Jacqueline. It was like he was someone I didn’t know. When I left Jinx Cove, the Ben I knew would have never considered settling down with anyone. He wasn’t ready. And, now he had her initials branded on his arm? What happened?
He wrinkled his nose in the way someone would if they smelled something putrid. “No. I’m not going to talk about it. It’s a non-issue. Now, can we get back to business? Your mom and dad asked the Jinx sisters for advice. Why would they do that if they didn’t want you anywhere near them? Why the sudden change of heart?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t sure I knew anyone anymore.
“How did I not know that your father worked for Zephyr? How did he not know?” Ben asked.
I shrugged again. “Why didn’t anyone tell me that my father was out looking for a second job? Did you know?”
Sadness appeared in Ben’s eyes again, confirming there was so much more I didn’t yet know.
“I heard about it. What did the sisters tell them?” Ben asked, changing the subject again.
The sting of being left out of the loop lingered. I answered, my voice filling with emotion, “How would I know? They don’t tell me anything. Maybe, you should tell me.”
Reaching for my hand, he said, “I’m not the enemy. You can take it out on me if you want to, but I’m just trying to help you and your family.”
I swallowed hard, grasping his hand. “I’m sorry. I just feel like all of this is my fault and that’s why they didn’t tell me what was going on. I’d caused too many problems for them.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s not their fault. I’m sure your father didn’t decide to go in on whatever deal this was with Zephyr, thinking he was going to lose everything. He’s not a risk taker. In fact, he’s the most level headed man I know. I don’t know what happened, but I’m almost positive this guy intentionally tried to dupe him,” Ben said.
“They really thought they were going to buy a whole town? Albeit, Hog’s Nest is about the size of the palm of my hand, but why would they want it? What were they going to do with it?” No matter how I looked at the situation, none of it made sense. My parents were sensible people. They didn’t have an extravagant bone in their bodies, so what would make them decide to invest in something as ludi
crous as that? What was in it for them?
Ben moved back to my father’s recliner and fell back into character. I had my fill of his dramatic play.
“Will you get to it already? What is with this Sherlock Holmes thing you’re trying to do?” I groaned at his antics.
Placing his hand to his chin, he answered, “Sherlock Holmes? Not a bad comparison. I’ll take it.”
“That wasn’t supposed to be a compliment.”
He cleared his throat and answered in what I think was supposed to be an English accent, but it sounded more like someone in dire need of a laxative. “Well, my dear Watson, if that’s not what you meant, why did you imply it?”
The pillow that hit him in the face, stopped his nonsense right away.
“Hey, why are you throwing things at me? I’m going to tell your mom.” Ben tossed the pillow back at me. When in doubt, revert to juvenile behavior. It won’t solve my problems, but it did make us laugh.
My mother entered the room in a heated rush. “What is all the commotion about in here?”
As if we were small children who’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, we placed blame on each other.
Ben cried, “She threw your throw pillows at me!”
I countered with, “He knocked over the lamp you bought at the flea market in Tennessee!”
Bending to lift the pillows off the ground, my mother scolded us. “You act like children. I swear, it’s like a herd of animals have come through here every time I leave you alone in a room. You both know better than to throw things around, especially if those things belong to me.”
By the time she had replaced the pillows and righted the lamp, Ben and I had tears running down our cheeks. We giggled like hyenas. It was almost as if life was fine.
My father stood in the doorway, chuckling at a scene I’m sure he’d seen dozens of times over the years.
“Of course, you would get a kick out of this,” my mother growled at him.
He winked, knowing she’d melt when she saw it. “They’re adults. Make them clean it up.”
After a few minutes of gentle teasing back and forth, my parents risked leaving us alone again. It didn’t take long for the jovial mood to disappear.
“I’ve been researching these dreams you’ve been having,” Ben started. “Remember the girl that disappeared?”
“Why are we talking about her again? You don’t really believe the Jinx sisters kidnapped and murdered her, do you?”
He put his hand up to stave off any further argument from me. “Just hear me out. I think you’ll find this very interesting. Creepy even.”
Interesting facts didn’t bother me, but creepy findings weren’t my cup of tea - well, coffee, in my case.
“Okay, I’m listening. This better be good. We’ve already wasted a lot of time messing around with Miss Maita and the Jinx sisters,” I said.
“Let’s not forget the great time we had with the sheriff,” he reminded me.
I’d almost forgotten. “Yeah, that was great, wasn't it? What a piece of work Zephyr is. He robs my parents then has the nerve to call the police on us.”
Ben nodded in agreement. “He’s a whole lot of something all right. Now, here’s what I’m thinking. Let’s pretend we don’t know anything about the Jinx sisters’ pasts and we never heard anything from Miss Maita and those crazy buzzards haven’t been following us around.”
“They’re not buzzards. They’re vultures. I don’t think they’re the same thing,” I said.
“Whatever,” Ben continued, “So, if you’re an outsider looking in, what do you see?”
A moron?
“What am I considering?” I asked, already tired of his detective work.
“Pay attention, will ya? I’m saying, let’s pretend you knew nothing about any of the nonsense we know. What would your take be on what’s going on with your parents?” Ben asked.
“I don’t know. I guess, I’d think they made a bad decision and regretted it.”
“What would you think about Zephyr?” Ben asked.
“Why are we doing this? If I didn’t know him or anything about the circumstances, I wouldn’t care about Zephyr at all.”
Was there a point in all this?
“Right! So, let’s say Zephyr isn’t the bad guy, but he’s just an astute businessman.” Ben waited for my response.
I waited for my head to explode. Why did Ben have to drag everything out? Had he always done that and I never noticed it?
“Get to the point, Benjamin!” Yelling wasn’t my forte, but I did enjoy having it in my arsenal. I especially enjoyed employing it where Ben was concerned.
“I am getting to the point. Boy, living in the city sure did a number on you, Ms. Impatient,” he said.
“What I’m trying to get through that thick skull of yours is maybe we’re looking at this situation all wrong. Maybe, your visions are just the result of stress or denial. Guilt, even. And, we’re getting all worked up for nothing. Maybe, we should just focus on helping your parents through this and leave all the super sleuthing for another day. No psychics. No consulting with witches and no chasing Zephyr around. Let’s help your parents pack and get you settled into your new temporary home.” Ben thought he’d solved everything. It was almost a shame that I’d have to burst his bubble, but he forgot some crucial factors.
My parents were trying to buy a town. And, those freaky birds were still following me all over Jinx Cove.
Before I had a chance to remind him, he put his hands to his head. “That’s not going to work, is it? Those vultures mean business and your visions are freaking me out.”
“What about the research? What was it you found out exactly?” I asked, reminding him of how this whole conversation started.
A vacant look appeared on his face. Kind of like, the lights were on, but good, old Ben was not home.
“Oh yeah. I researched your affliction.” He paused to chuckle. “And, it says that the girl who was kidnapped, complained of the same thing. Her family was having financial problems. They were trying to iron them out, but things weren’t going as planned. She sought help from a relative of the Jinx girls. I think it was an aunt. She was supposed to be a psychic. Well, that lady told her something that prompted her to go to Hog’s Nest for a cleansing ceremony or something equally weird like that,” Ben explained.
Now, I was interested. I didn’t know if any of it was true, but it did make for a fascinating tale nonetheless.
He moved closer to me, taking my hands in his in an unusual show of support. “Melanie, what I’m trying to tell you is that this girl went to the Jinx sisters for help and they led her to her death. She was having visions. Vultures were following her around. Her family was losing everything.”
The information started to sink in. “Are you sure?” I asked between breaths.
“There’s more. I don’t know how to say this. Believe me, I’m not trying to scare you. I think you should know, though. I think what’s happening is bigger than we thought it was.” He released my hands and led me over to look at a book he pulled out of his bag. “You should see this.”
I took it, my hands trembling.
“What is this?” I asked.
He opened the book to a series of photographs.
“Look,” he whispered.
I couldn’t. I stopped breathing for a moment. I looked out the window. The vultures were still overhead.
“Melanie?” he urged me.
“If this is a sick joke, I swear-” I started.
Ben raised his voice, speaking firmly. “Look at the photos!”
Tears welled up in my eyes for no reason. I don’t know if it was that I was scared or if his tone of voice bothered me, but whatever it was, my stomach was in knots. My hands shook. My heart rate increased, pounding against my chest like it was fighting to escape.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment, then braved a peek.
“I… I… who.” I couldn’t find my words.
&
nbsp; My father spoke from the doorway. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Chapter Twelve
I stared up at the building, hoping I hadn’t made a huge mistake by insisting to do this alone. At this point, considering how insane things had gotten so quickly, I wanted to see what I could accomplish by myself, without Ben’s conspiracy theories humming in one ear and my parent’s constant worrying in the other ear. I’d spent too many years, living by the rules, doing what’s right because I felt like I owed the world something for making my adoption possible. Maybe that was true in part, but I had to wonder if other adopted children behaved the same way.
“You’re here. Now what?” I asked myself, clutching the book in my hand.
This was it. The time was now. At least, that’s what I told myself.
I looked up in the sky before I stepped out of the car. No sign of them. No vultures. Good omen? I hoped so.
Clara Sauer, the town historian and all around know-it-all stood in the vestibule, her arms folded in front of her, waiting for me.
“Hi, Mrs. Sauer. It’s so nice to see you again,” I said, giving her a warm hug.
“Look at you. You’re so lovely. What I wouldn’t give to have your beautiful, black hair. You know, I was quite the looker in my day.” She flipped her long, silver bob over her shoulder. “My hair was chestnut brown. I couldn’t stand the color. I tried dying it, but it never did look quite right.”
I plastered a grin on my face to fake interest in her follicle problems. Because, you know, that is why I drove here in the first place.
When I didn’t answer her, she put her hand on my arm. “What is it you needed to speak to me about? Is it your parents? I heard they were having problems.”
Oh, here we go. The rumor mill would have had a heyday with our problems. I’m sure people had waited their whole lives to see my family fail. Of course, I would be the one to blame because, after all, they had taken in the poor orphan. Surely, I must be flawed because no one gives up a perfect child. I’d heard it all over the years. From the whisperings that I’d been abandoned in the woods to a story where I was found in a dumpster in a seedy neighborhood and was probably a crack baby. For those taking notes, Jinx Cove has no seedy neighborhoods or dumpsters, for that matter. Also, crack never made it to our neck of the woods. That’s not to say we’re not immune to things, but luckily, we avoided that nonsense.