Devil May Ride

by Roberts, Wendy

  To the right of the front door, dangling on a chain was an oval wood plank that had ONYX HOUSE branded into the wood. It was old and faded from the sun, but the O in ONYX had red spokes that reminded Sadie eerily of the Fierce Force flaming O.

  You’ve got bike gangs on the brain, she chastised herself.

  Dawn lifted her fist to knock when the door flew open. A surprised look creased the face of a middle-aged man with a clean-shaven head and a blond goatee.

  “Hi!” he said, smiling broadly as he stopped short. “I just about ran you two over. Sorry, I didn’t hear anyone at the door and I was just on my way out.”

  “We hadn’t knocked yet,” Sadie said, smiling back.

  “You’re early, but no worries, the rooms are ready and we’re just about to put out some coffee and fresh baked goods.” He stepped to the side and held the door open for them. “Let me help you with your bags. Are they in the car?”

  “We’re not checking in.” Because some explanation seemed necessary, Sadie continued. “We just heard about your place and thought we’d come by for more information.”

  “It looks lovely,” Dawn added.

  “Come on in, then. I’m Tim and Onyx is my baby.” He smiled, flashing a spark of silver from a cap on his eyetooth. “There are pamphlets about our rates and services on the side table to your left. My gal is in the kitchen setting the table. I’ll just go get her for you. She can give you a quick tour and answer any questions you have about our little B and B.”

  Sadie took a few steps inside the wood-paneled foyer and Dawn followed. The floors were dark hardwood covered in faded area rugs that led up a staircase in front of them as well as into a bright room to their left and down a long hall straight ahead. Dawn took the left into the sitting room.

  Tim retreated down the hall, then returned.

  He nodded to a nearby matching console table. “Help yourself to the brochures. I have to make a run to the store, but Joy will be out in a moment and she’d be happy to give you a tour.”

  When Tim left, Dawn and Sadie simultaneously mouthed the name “Joy.”

  “Now what?” Sadie hissed.

  “I guess we talk to her.”

  Dawn picked up some advertisements and brochures from the console table and took them across to an overstuffed chair by the window. She lowered herself onto it and looked perfectly relaxed. Sadie sat down on one of the straight-backed chairs, feeling suddenly even more awkward and uncertain. What could she possibly say to her dead brother’s fiancée after not speaking a word to the woman in six years?

  “This is too weird. Let’s just leave.” Sadie got to her feet and took a step toward the door.

  “Sit down,” Dawn whispered. “You worry too much.”

  Sadie turned around to plead with Dawn. Her back was turned, but she heard someone step around the corner.

  “Hello? My husband s-s-said you had questions regarding our little place here?”

  Sadie turned and smiled sheepishly. She remembered Joy as a timid, wide-eyed young woman with a sheet of flaxen hair. Gone was the shy nature—this woman carried herself with an air of self-confidence, and her previously long blond hair was cut severely short and spiked on top. She wore a sheer black blouse, chocolate Capri pants, and shockingly high black heels.

  Suddenly recognition hit Joy’s fine features, and the wide eyes Sadie remembered grew huge.

  “Wow! S-S-Sadie, is it you?” Joy asked. Then her gaze whipped across the room. “And Dawn too?”

  “Hi,” Sadie and Dawn greeted simultaneously.

  Unsure of what the proper form of greeting was for someone who used to be almost family, Sadie erred on the side of familiarity. She stepped forward and embraced Joy in an upper-body-only awkward hug.

  “I’d get up but it’s not as easy as it looks these days,” Dawn quipped.

  “Well, just look at you,” Joy gushed, walking over to place a hand on Dawn’s stomach in a move that Sadie knew would annoy her sister. “Is this your first?”

  Dawn nodded.

  “When are you due?”

  “A couple weeks,” Dawn replied.

  “Sorry to just pop in on you like this. We were just curious and wanted to get more information about this place,” Sadie blurted, trying to assure her that they weren’t spying on the place, or on Joy. Even if they actually were. “So this is a surprise that you work here.”

  “Tim, my husband, and I own the place,” Joy said. “Wow. It’s good to s-s-see both of you!” Joy said, but her big smile looked unsure and her face was pinched. It was obvious Joy felt even more uncomfortable then they did. “Well, I’m sure I can answer any questions you have about Onyx House, s-s-so ask away.”

  She bustled past, towering over Sadie in her heels, to choose one of the chairs around the coffee table and perched herself on the edge expectantly. Smiling stiffly, Sadie walked over and sat down on the other side where she could face Joy.

  “My mom said you were back in Seattle,” Sadie said. “She mentioned that she ran into you at the store. I thought you were still in Los Angeles with your parents.”

  “No,” Joy said quickly. “I was only there for a few months. It was nice to be with my family after . . . well, you know. . . .”

  “Yes.”

  “But,” she quickly rushed on, “living with my parents wasn’t exactly easy after being on my own for s-s-so many years and I missed Seattle. Even the rain.”

  “And I guess you knew about Onyx House from when you were here with Brian for the weekend,” Sadie said matter-of-factly.

  Joy looked momentarily startled. Her color deepened.

  “Sadie just now got around to going through some of Brian’s things,” Dawn explained. “So she found the brochure and invoice showing you two had stayed here and, of course, we got curious, so here we are.”

  “We had no idea you worked here, though,” Sadie said, “or we would’ve called first.”

  Joy nodded, her face growing less red.

  “But finding the brochure made me think back, because I remember that you and Brian were supposed to go on a holiday . . .” Sadie prompted.

  “Yes, of course you all knew we were going away and thought we were camping for two weeks and that’s why—”

  She seemed unable to find the right way to finish. Sadie helped Joy out without sugarcoating the anger that had built up inside.

  “That’s why Brian’s body was rotting in his bathtub for a couple weeks before we discovered it?”

  It was a low blow, Sadie realized, but she didn’t care. Even when Dawn gave her a scolding look. After all, Sadie’s very first trauma-cleaning job had been wiping up the remains of her own brother. Sadie felt entitled to the heat behind her words, even though six years had passed.

  “I’m s-s-so s-s-sorry,” Joy said, her stutter becoming more pronounced with her nervousness, but the sincere look on her face made Sadie feel guilty.

  “What Sadie means is—,” Dawn began, but Sadie cut her off.

  “What I meant to ask is, what happened, Joy?” Sadie softened her tone, but her words were still firm. “I’m guessing you two came here for the weekend instead of going on a two-week camping holiday like we thought, right? But then what? You never even went to see Brian afterward, or tried to call and wondered why he wasn’t answering the phone?”

  Because I wondered why he didn’t phone when he got back from his trip. I wondered about it enough to go to his house. Enough to use my spare key and let myself into his place. Enough to be blindsided by the stench inside his house and still push forward to find his bloated body in the tub and his brains spattered all over his bathroom walls.

  Sadie closed her eyes and put a hand to her stomach to ward off nausea that threatened to overpower her.

  “I wanted to explain what happened at the time. really, I did,” Joy exclaimed. “But, well, I didn’t think Brian would hurt himself, and when he did, I was in just as much shock and pain as the rest of you.” Joy drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowl
y. “Our original plan was to camp on Mount Rainier for two weeks. Brian loved camping. You know that. But, well, I didn’t exactly love it as much as he did and we both only had two weeks’ vacation.” She looked from Sadie to Dawn. “Well, I suggested we come here to Onyx House for part of the time and go camping afterward. I’d been here before and I loved it. I thought Brian would enjoy it too.”

  “Sounds like a good compromise,” Dawn said.

  She’d positioned herself so that she was leaning forward to listen, but she wasn’t the only one. Sadie realized they were both hanging on Joy’s every word. It was the first time they’d been able to hear about their brother’s last days and it was as if both sisters were afraid to breathe in case they missed any of it.

  “Go on.” Sadie’s throat burned as she swallowed the emotion that accompanied questions that had been a stone in her heart. “Why didn’t you and Brian go camping afterward?”

  Joy lowered her gaze to hands clasped tightly in her lap and a fat tear rolled out from under the fringe of her lashes.

  “We had a fight when we were here. A big one,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’d thought being here would bring us closer. The first couple days I just hoped he’d relax and enjoy himself, but he had, um, things going on. Problems. I guess coming here just brought them to a head.”

  “Problems?” Sadie repeated

  She nodded and looked up to meet Sadie’s intent gaze.

  “Brian hadn’t been himself. After our weekend was over, I thought we were still okay. I thought the fight would blow over and we’d just keep on. But Brian said he didn’t want to get married anymore. I was shocked and, well, I was pretty pissed off.” She smiled sadly and looked over at Dawn. “I’d already bought my dress. My parents were busy planning the wedding. I freaked out and told him to leave and never call me again.” She drew in a deep breath to finish her story. “Brian left Onyx House.” She looked up. “You can see why I didn’t want to explain all that to his grieving family?”

  Sadie and Dawn nodded.

  “So after Brian was gone, I signed on to stay a few more days on my own to, well, clear my head. I think part of me expected Brian to call or come back and tell me he’d changed his mind. He never did. I was so mad at him, I never tried to call him either. After Brian’s funeral, Tim offered me a part-time job here, but of course, I was too devastated to think about anything. All I wanted was to go home to my folks.”

  Even though Joy’s tone was quiet and sincere, Sadie got the distinct feeling she wasn’t telling them everything. Maybe not quite a lie, but not the whole truth. Sadie wanted to confront her about it. At least ask her a few more questions, but Dawn was already on her feet.

  “I’m really sorry we just showed up like this,” Dawn said. “But it was nice to see you again and thanks for telling us what happened and putting our minds to rest.”

  Put our minds to rest? Sadie thought. My mind isn’t resting. My mind is wide-awake.

  Dawn was walking to the door and Joy was following, so Sadie felt obligated to go along. She considered asking a couple more questions about Brian’s stay at the B and B but right when they reached the front door, a young woman in preppy designer clothes walked through the front door.

  Joy greeted her warmly and then made brief introductions, informing Sadie and Dawn that the woman would be giving a class on cleansing auras that afternoon.

  “It’s one of our most popular s-s-sessions,” Joy said.

  “You’re welcome to stay for the session,” the woman, a bubbly redhead named Louise, gushed. “Any friend of Onyx House is welcome.”

  “Of course,” Joy said politely. “You should s-s-stay. Both of you. You might find it very interesting.”

  But even as she said the words, Joy had her hand on the door and was opening it to usher them out.

  Dawn thanked her politely for her offer and before Sadie could say anything, they were out the front door.

  “Let’s stay in touch,” Joy called after them in that we’ll-do-lunch tone people use when they don’t really mean it. “I’ll call you.”

  Back in the car, Sadie realized she was fighting tears. She looked away so Dawn wouldn’t notice, and found herself looking into the grinning round face of a brown-eyed girl with lopsided pigtails. It was the same little girl who’d sat on the sidelines while the other two skipped. She was maybe five years old and smiling brightly at Sadie.

  Sadie lowered the window and smiled back.

  “Yes?”

  “Are you visiting my mom?” she asked.

  “We were just getting information on the B and B,” Sadie replied as Dawn started the car.

  “Yeah, from my mom,” the little girl said, pointing to Onyx House. “Joy.”

  “Joy’s your mom?” Sadie asked.

  “Yup.” She nodded and a wavy lock of brown hair fell loose from a pigtail. “My name is Rhea. I’m almost six. What’s your name?”

  “Who are you talking to?” Dawn asked.

  “This is Rhea, Joy’s daughter,” Sadie told Dawn, then turned back to the little girl. “I’m Sadie. Nice to meet you.”

  “Sadie,” Rhea repeated slowly as if trying the name on her tongue. She smiled and nodded. “Come back soon.”

  The little girl took a step back from the car. She waved as she turned to go and Sadie saw a wink of silver on the girl’s wrist.

  “Wait a second, can I see your bracelet?” Sadie asked, reaching out the window toward the girl.

  “It’s mine.” She tugged her arm quickly against her body.

  “It’s very pretty,” Sadie said quickly. “I knew someone who had one just like it. Could you just hold it up so I can take a look at it?”

  Rhea reluctantly held up her hand. The man’s thick-linked ID bracelet slid up her forearm as she held up her hand. Sadie’s throat went dry. The name engraved on the bracelet was BRIAN.

  Then the girl turned and bolted under the vine-covered arbor into the yard of Onyx House and disappeared behind the tall hedge.

  “Did you see that?” Sadie said excitedly to Dawn.

  “See what?” Dawn said, looking worriedly at her sister.

  “The bracelet Rhea was wearing. It had Brian’s name on it!”

  “Sadie, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You were talking to air. There was no little girl.”

  11

  “So Joy had a daughter named Rhea, who died,” Dawn said. “How sad.”

  “I guess . . . ,” Sadie said, sounding skeptical.

  Dawn pulled her car away from the curb and circled the cul-de-sac to pull off the street. Just as she turned the wheel, a small white dog darted out of a yard right in front of them. Dawn hit the brakes. The little pooch sat down on the pavement and barked loudly at them but didn’t move.

  “Sheesh. That was close,” Dawn muttered. “Stupid dog.”

  Sadie got out of the car and walked around to the front. She picked up the small Chihuahua mix, scooped it under her arm, and walked up the sidewalk to the small corner home. Sadie knocked on the screen door and soon an older woman with her head in curlers came to the door.

  “Peanut!” she exclaimed, flinging the door open. “How did you get out?”

  Sadie handed her the dog.

  “He ran in front of our car,” Sadie said, thinking that Peanut was almost peanut butter.

  “Oh my God. Well, thanks for stopping.” To the dog she said, “You’re a very bad boy, Peanut.”

  Sadie smiled and turned to leave, but then she turned back.

  “By the way, the place across the street . . . Onyx House . . . what is it like?”

  The woman frowned. “Well, Tim and Joy are nice enough. Are you thinking of staying there?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I hear it’s quaint and relaxing. Although I could do without all the weirdos coming and going.”

  “The guests?”

  She nodded.

  “Lots of people show up for their seminars and workshops. Sometimes our str
eet is clogged with vehicles. I don’t complain because they had a tough year.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Their little daughter died last year.”

  “How sad,” Sadie said. “Did she have a terrible disease?”

  “No, a terrible accident. It was a hot day like this one. The bedroom window was open and Joy was working in the garden beneath. I guess the poor little thing leaned out the window to say something to her mom and she fell. Landed only a few feet from Joy.”

  “Oh my God!” Sadie exclaimed, genuinely appalled. “That’s awful.”

  “Yes. I heard Joy’s scream all the way over here, so I rushed over. I was the one who called nine-one-one,” she said proudly. “But of course there was nothing that could be done.”

  Peanut was squirming in her arms, so she stepped back inside the house and set him down.

  “Thanks again for stopping your car,” the woman said, and walked back inside her house.

  Sadie returned to the car and as they drove out of the area, she told Dawn what the neighbor said about Rhea.

  “That’s the saddest thing I ever heard,” Dawn replied.

  Sadie agreed that it was tragic.

  They headed to Macrina Bakery to eat, but there were no tables available, so Dawn took advantage of the bathroom and then they took their lunch to go. Sadie drove Dawn’s car and ate a Morning Glory Muffin, washing it down with coffee. Dawn devoured some kind of a sandwich made out of ciabatta bread and stuffed with vegetables.

  “You have something green on your chin,” Sadie said, smiling at her sister’s exuberant eating.

  Dawn dabbed at her face with a napkin. “It’s avocado.” She took another bite. “Man, I was starved.”

  “Are you sure it’s all baby in your belly? I’m beginning to think it’s all food,” Sadie joked.

  “Oh, it’s all baby,” Dawn said, lovingly brushing crumbs from her stomach.