Just a short sanity break, a chance to catch my breath.
Lord knows, I’d earned it.
THIRTEEN
WITH THE WINDOW ROLLED DOWN AND THE RADIO BLASTING, I maneuvered the land yacht down the highway, breaking the speed limit if not the sound barrier. The wind lifted my hair and my fingers kept a steady beat on the leather clad steering wheel. Freedom!
I entered the city limits, cruising past an army base. On the left was a sign—”Royal Military College.” Hmm... their version of West Point? Hot guys in uniforms? Things were looking up already.
I crossed a bridge and was in the heart of downtown Kingston. Compared to New York it was pretty small; you could fit the downtown core with its few high rises into Central Park and not even notice it was there. Still, it was a city; I could feel myself relaxing into the bustle. I’m a city girl through and through. A country setting’s nice and all, but I feel more at home with sidewalks and traffic lights.
When I cruised down the main street, I spotted the universal green sign with the mermaid wearing a crown and smiled. It even says Starbucks in Canada! Yes! I could almost taste the cinnamon in the latte as I searched the street for a parking spot.
I found a space on the block just past the coffee shop and parked the car. Just as I pulled the door open, someone called my name and I spun around.
“Keira?”
Coming up the walkway was a brunette in a white shirt and navy shorts waving hi. The mail lady? What was her name? Gwen, that was it.
“Hi Gwen.” The last thing I expected when I walked down the street in this city was to meet someone I knew. Talk about a small city…
I was still holding the door open and she grinned at me. “This is my after-work ritual. Nothing says you’re finished for the day better than a butterscotch latte.”
“No way! Cinnamon’s the best, even if I didn’t spend the day working.” I held the door open for her and followed inside.
The smell of fresh roasted coffee filled the air as I looked around, checking the place out. It was doing a steady business with the under-thirty set. Gwen turned and her voice was low. “There’re still lots of students in the city even though it’s summer break.” Her dark eyes flitted across the room. “I see an empty table. Want to join me?”
I smiled. “Sure.” We were close in age and it would be a welcome change from the octogenarian set. I watched her turn to give our orders to the guy behind the counter. She spun quickly and grinned. “It was cinnamon latte right?”
When I nodded she continued. “Coffee’s on me. Consider it a welcome-to-the-city gesture.”
“Thanks.” In just a minute the server set the two cups of frothy drinks on the counter. We made our way to the empty table near the large window overlooking the street.
She tugged the chair out and set her latte on the small wooden table. “So how long are you in town, Keira?”
I took a seat and emptied a bit of sugar into the hot cup. “I don’t know.” I looked down into my coffee, stirring it. It was a good question. Could be, I’d never leave or I might be gone tomorrow. But I couldn’t tell her that. “I came here to look after my grandmother, but to be honest, she seems pretty healthy. I mean, Mom made it sound like she was on death’s door.”
Gwen took a sip of her drink and her eyebrows rose high. “You too, huh? I take care of my dad. He’s had MS for years but now it’s progressed to the point that he can’t work anymore.”
The smile dropped from my lips. “I’m sorry to hear that. That must be rough.” I couldn’t imagine if my parents weren’t healthy. Dealing with GM was one thing; she was old, but Gwen’s dad was probably a lot younger.
She looked down, slowly stirring the foam into the dark mixture. “He’s not completely helpless but it’s hard for him walking. My brother spells me off sometimes, so that helps.” She brightened and managed a smile. “So what’s it like living in your grandmother’s house? I’ve always wondered what it’d be like inside. The grounds are gorgeous, I can only imagine how... how elegant it would be on the inside.”
I nodded. “It’s straight out of Downton Abbey—high plaster ceilings, wooden paneling all over the place, hardwood floors…” I leaned in. “And the bathrooms have those huge claw-foot tubs you can almost swim in!”
“Yep. I was right; it sounds elegant.”
I nodded. “Yeah, and it has a beautiful view of the river from her sunroom. That’s her favorite room in the house. You can see the river flowing to Lake Ontario from it. We have breakfast and lunch there.”
She chuckled. “That doesn’t surprise me. Judging by the gardens, she’s got a real green thumb. I’m sure Lawrence does a lot to help... how else could she manage that huge house?” Her eyes met mine over the rim.
“Yeah. He’s pretty devoted to her.” I grimaced and looked down into my own latte. “Me, not so much.”
“What do you mean? You don’t get along with your grandmother? She’s—”
“No, not her; she’s fine. A little eccentric, but at her age she’s earned it, I guess. Let’s just say Lawrence isn’t my biggest fan.” I wasn’t going to get into my suspicions over him wanting GM’s inheritance.
Her mouth pulled to the side in a small smirk. “Well, old people get set in their ways, I guess; he’s been with her for years and years and you just showed up.” She looked out the window and waved to a middle-aged man, also in the postal garb. He was getting into his car and waved back.
When she turned back and smiled, I spoke, “So, do you like delivering mail?”
“It’s okay. It wasn’t the career I studied for but it’s probably worked out better than being a physicist.”
“A physicist?”
“Yeah,” she smiled as she started toying with her napkin. “Theoretical physics to be precise.”
“I didn’t even take physics in high school. All that math and stuff…”
Gwen waved her hand, dismissively. “Yeah, I got game when it comes to math; but I really sucked at writing papers.” She looked away. “It was pretty cool though. We were doing some backup work here at Queen’s University for the Higgs boson project in Europe when I left.”
“The what?”
She was still staring out the window. “They called it the search for ‘The God Particle.’” She turned back to me, her eyes bright. “And they found it!” She shook her head. “When I left, I was just about to wrap up my master’s and I was going back and forth whether to work in that area or string theory for my doctorate.” She shrugged. “But life made my decision for me.”
“What happened?”
“My dad got sick. Well… sicker. It got so bad he had to stop working. His disability pension isn’t enough to live on, so I got the job with the post office. I had been part time when I was in school, so it was easier for me to grab a full-time slot when it opened up.” She shrugged again. “So here I am.”
My academic efforts, as scattered as they were, seemed small time. The woman delivering our mail was a Brainiac. I felt for her. She had something she had worked on for years and had to give it up, and I couldn’t even finish a course in photography. “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.
She shrugged again. “It’s really not that big a deal. The pay and benefits are okay, and I’m done by three so I can be home to look after Dad.” She pointed her chin at me. “How about you? What do you do when you’re not visiting your grandmother?” There was an easy way about Gwen. She’d asked like she was really interested rather than being in some kind of pissing contest.
I made a crooked smile. “I’m an underachiever. I tried my hand at social work, photography and my latest venture was in acting school. I pretty much got booted out of everything I tried.” I could just about laugh now about my parents kicking me out of the nest. The nest I’d landed in—if I decided to stay, that is—was pretty feathered.
“You just haven’t found your passion yet. That’s all.” Her face had turned serious and she leaned over the table folding her hands pri
mly together.
I couldn’t help the chuckle which bubbled in my throat at her words. “Seriously? C’mon Gwen. You can’t tell me that delivering mail is your passion.” Talk about underachiever, especially if she’d studied physics.
She took a breath and her head fell to the side, looking down at the table. “No… but it’s my job.” She lifted her eyes at me. “My family’s my passion.”
My cheeks flared hotly and I looked down into the cup of coffee. “Sorry about that crack. You did the right thing. Life sucks sometimes, doesn’t it?” I couldn’t imagine looking after an aging parent and worrying about money. “So it’s just you and your dad living together?”
“Yup. My brother, Sean, lives in Toronto. He’s a Customs Broker. I was always closer to my dad anyway, so it made sense for me to look after him.” She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “It works for all of us.”
She hadn’t mentioned anything about her mother and I wasn’t asking. I’d already put my foot in my mouth once. “So, what do you do for fun? I noticed that military college. Must be lots of guys around here.” She also hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend. Maybe we could hit the night life sometime, even if she was worlds away from Cerise and the Greenwich Village club scene. Gwen wore very little makeup and she certainly didn’t need it, not with those eyes.
Her eyebrows bobbed high before she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “There’s no shortage of single men in this town, that’s for sure. In addition to the military college there’s a huge military base in Kingston.” Her lips pulled back in a small grimace. “I’m not into the bar scene though.”
I smiled thinking of Cerise and me hitting nightclubs until four in the morning. It seemed like another lifetime now. “So what do you do for fun?” I took a sip of the latte and smiled. Surely there was something fun to do in this town.
“I swim, read, and play with the dog.” Her face flushed and she blurted it out. “There’s the odd date... meeting someone online but that hasn’t worked out too well, so far. Lots of frogs but no princes. How about you?”
Well that answered one question, although my gay-dar hadn’t picked up any vibes. “Different swamp but same old frogs although some of them were more like alligators. I had a boyfriend for about a year but we broke up.” A picture of Barry flashed in my mind. Was he still seriously hooked on Minecraft? It had gotten boring being with a man-child.
“You know, I don’t live that far from your grandmother’s. You should come over for a swim in the pool.”
That could be fun. She seemed okay, and having a friend close by would be a welcome break to my routine with GM. “My grandmother takes a nap every afternoon. I like to spend time with her, but anytime after four, I’m free.”
“Hey! That’s perfect then. My house is the white clapboard farmhouse, about a ten-minute walk past yours but on the opposite side of the road. You’ll see “Jones” on the blue mailbox. Come by tomorrow for a drink and a swim.” She glanced at the watch on her wrist and then sighed. “I’d better get going. I promised Dad I’d take him to the casino after work. It’s our Friday night ritual—a prime rib dinner and the slots. He just about breaks even most times.”
“He ever think about playing poker there?” If GM went with him, it would sure increase his odds of winning. If she could have one of her ghosts tag along and peek at the cards for her. I smiled mischievously at the thought. “Well, thanks for the coffee. Next time, the treat’s on me.”
She rose to her feet and flipped a few coins on the table for a tip. “So, I’ll see you around four tomorrow?” She had a genuine smile when she looked down at me.
“Absolutely! Good luck at the casino.”
She shook her head and laughed. “Wait till I tell him I met Mrs. York’s granddaughter! He’ll be thrilled. That house is a bit of a legend around here.”
My eyebrows pulled together and my smile faltered. My grandmother’s words rang in my ear, ‘I bought this house for its psychic energy’. Did everyone know about it? “What? What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you tomorrow! It was nice meeting you. Gotta run.” She turned and wound her way through the tables and customers. Her hand rose in a wave and then she was out the door.
I held the paper coffee cup between my hands and looked down at the lacy remnants of foam still clinging to the inside. Now that I was alone, my mind wandered back to the morning I’d spent with my grandmother, specifically her desire I could follow in her footsteps.
I felt uncertain though. All my life until I came here, I never had any psychic or paranormal experiences. The only ghosts I had seen before were in movies. Maybe it had something to do with that house? That, and whatever latent ability I had—was roused when I went there. I mentally scoffed. Yeah, GM had nothing to do with my burgeoning talents. Yeah. Riiiight. But she was so positive I always had this ability... that she’d sensed it the day I was born.
And still, I only had a vague notion of the dangers involved. Who the hell were the “enemies” GM referred to?
I drained the last of the latte and got to my feet. It was still too soon to make up my mind about all of this. Maybe the answer would become clear to me in a few days. It was time to go back and face the music. For sure, Lawrence would be pissed about my taking the car without permission. Well, screw him.
FOURTEEN
LAWRENCE WAS WAITING AT THE TOP OF THE FRONT STEPS when I drove in the driveway. He ambled down the stairs, his arms folded over his chest as he walked around the car, inspecting it. His lips were pursed as he looked over the shining surface for any scratch or dent.
I got out of the car and met him eye to eye. “The car’s fine. I just needed to get out for a bit.” My fingers rose high and I dangled the keys in front of his nose. “It’s GM’s car, right?”
His eyes narrowed and he snatched the keys from my hand. “She’s awake now. She worried when I told her you had taken the car and gone off.”
“Well, I’m back now.” I tucked my purse strap higher on my shoulder and hummed a tune walking up the stairs. If he was expecting some sort of apology or explanation, he wasn’t getting one from me. GM would understand when I talked to her. She was more in touch with the way she’d been at one time—carefree—than Lawrence ever was. He acted like he was born old.
Pushing open the slab of a front door I knew there was plenty of time to take a quick shower and be dressed for cocktails with GM. With a bit of luck, my bedroom would be empty. I didn’t need any more appearances from the other side... at least not today.
Heading up the staircase, my nostrils flared when I caught a whiff of what Lawrence was cooking. Yuck, ham! I hate ham for dinner. Yes, it’s contrary—I love it in a sandwich, but not for dinner. I wondered if Lawrence knew this somehow. Sure wouldn’t surprise me if he did. Talk about passive aggressive. I sighed; I’d just choke it down.
When I stepped up into my room and looked around, I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was in order and my camera was still on the desk where I’d left it.
Forty minutes later, in a sleeveless cotton shirt dress, my hair styled and fresh makeup, I was ready for the next session with GM. I paused on the stairway and considered that for a moment. Dressing for dinner? Cocktails first? Had I dropped into an episode of Downton Abbey? I smiled and continued into the living room. I wondered what the old dame had in store for me this time.
GM was standing at the window, gazing out at the front yard. She turned when I entered. “You really must warn Lawrence before you take the car again, Keira. That Caddy is his pride and joy.” Her gaze drifted to the floor for a moment and then she looked up at me. “Actually, why don’t we get you your own car? It would be easier on dear Lawrence.” Her chin rose and she grinned. “Something fast and sporty.”
Haunted Hideout: Paranormal Suspense (The Haunted Ones Book 1) Page 26