Free Bird (Anna Series Book 1)

by Lee Alan

  Was it empty before? She wondered.

  They moved silently toward the kitchen; the atmosphere was so heavy that Anna could hear the beating rhythm of her body.

  Feels like a morgue, she thought, breathing heavily. To her dismay, a fetid aroma greeted her nostrils.

  “The smell, Julia…‌”

  “Shh!” Big Bird hissed urgently. “Where’s the living room light switch?” Anna froze, not wishing to see the gruesome truth. “The light,” Julia repeated.

  With only the hallway lit, the kitchen floor appeared an ominously concealed mystery. Anna gazed into the blackness, imagining a pale, decaying corpse, its eyes staring back, forever etched with hatred for her.

  Take a good old look at what you did. Do you like your handy work? She imagined it whispering.

  I have, to be honest with you, love of my life. I’m not sure I like it.

  Anna firmed herself and then pulled them both toward the nearby kitchen dimmer control. Mercifully, it’d been positioned just outside the food preparation area, which allowed her to avoid traversing the patch of unknown blackness. She reached for the dim white outline on the flower‌–‌patterned wall and her thumb touched the dial. In a moment of racing panic, however, she found herself unable to carry out the irreversable action. All would be revealed in its hideous glory.

  How many days has it been, Anna? Get a grip! She screamed inwardly, before turning the switch to full.

  The scene flooded with an unnatural, yellow glow. There was no body. Anna subconsciously touched her hand to her mouth in shocked relief. The blood was gone and no signs remained of the struggle. The source of the rancid odor she’d found so jarring now became apparent as the smell emanating from the unemptied trash can.

  “Has he been moved by the cops?” Anna speculated aloud.

  Julia looked pensively around them, visibly at a loss. “No,” she said at last. “There would be signs. This place has been empty for days.”

  A blur of possibilities flitted through Anna’s mind. Despite the unexpected twist, she realized two other rooms remained where he could be: the bathroom and the bedroom. “He might have crawled,” she suggested, her stomach tightening at the implications.

  The women checked both quickly without finding any trace of a disturbance. Tony was gone.

  After a few minutes of speculation, they gave up, and then packed a case with the few things Anna needed in order to leave the unhappy place for good. While driving away, her mind filled with a renewed hope for the future and a determination to never return.

  Chapter 5

  On a bright and already‌–‌warm Saturday morning, Anna woke and fetched a bowl of cereal from the generously stocked pantry. She found Julia in her spotless living room, staring at the screen of the home PC. A picture of them hugging at summer camp as children perched on the glass desk next to the monitor.

  “What’s “firefighters with big hoses.com?” Anna teased, while kissing her elder on the top of the head.

  Julia jumped at the unexpected intrusion, and then laughed at the outrageously false question. “Better than your browser history, kiddo: ‘hairy dudes with boobs.com,’” Julia retorted. This earned a playful slap on the same spot as the kiss preceding it.

  In fact, Anna could see that the browser had been opened on two subjects: one about adult education in the area and the second was a job search.

  “Just checking out the school and job situation for you,” Julia explained. “There’s a community college across town and it’s only a five‌–‌minute drive away.”

  This is Big Bird code for “Time to shake your ass and stop moping around, kiddo,” Anna thought.

  She’d been living with Julia for over a month, each day regaining a little of her old self. They’d laughed lots and cooked together most evenings. Occasionally, the pair would visit Phoenix for some much‌–‌needed retail therapy. It had been a carefree time without the crushing anxiety caused by the prospect of being branded a killer. Anna had experienced a first glimmer of happiness, but the future also demanded a direction beyond larking around. And her big sis had obviously decided that time had come.

  Am I ready?

  Getting a part‌–‌time job would be relatively easy here, with Scottsdale so close to the city. All she needed was enough money to cover her classes and pay rent to Julia, who’d already made it clear that she could stay as long as necessary. College, however, hadn’t occurred to Anna during the years since leaving high school.

  Looking back, Julia had always been the academic one, and their parents had naturally encouraged her, rather than their shyer younger daughter. Anna really did want to learn, though, and not least because of her dream to be an author. As a kid, she’d kept a journal and had even submitted some short stories for publication in various magazines. Of course, they’d all been rejected, which stifled any resolve to keep trying.

  Maybe this is the right time to change that?

  The possibilities seemed tantalizing. Previously, she’d never considered what the world might offer beyond the dispiriting confines of waitressing in Kingman. These past weeks offered the hope of changing that. But, the question lingered: under what form would her future take?

  “Let’s do it,” Anna said.

  ***

  The following weeks became a heady mix of planning and unknowns. She’d found a suitable English course with the pretentious name: “The Experience of Writing.” Despite Julia’s reservations that the title made it sound like “politically correct bullshit,” Anna liked the syllabus, which included an interesting blend of creative writing and journalism. She went with her gut and signed up.

  On the day her entry exam results were due, Julia returned from the post box looking subdued. She held an official‌–‌looking envelope stamped “Private and Confidential: Arizona Department of Education.” Clearly, the contents had already been viewed.

  Anna’s heart sank because her sister’s body language spoke volumes. Suddenly, however, Julia’s solemn expression changed to a wide grin. “You’re in!” She said.

  Anna could barely contain her excitement; she would get her chance to be an author. They celebrated by sharing a whole tub of double chocolate chip ice cream while watching re‌–‌runs of old comedy shows.

  The morning after, Anna made an early start in front of the PC. She sipped from a steaming cup of Americano while scrolling through endless dead‌–‌end waitress jobs. The depressing list only served to dredge up unwelcome memories of fat Audrey. But, ironically, they also offered her the best chance of making a successful application. Her other dilemma came from the meagre wages on offer, which would never be enough to cover her college fees, let alone contribute toward her keep.

  Numerous call centers were scattered across town, making customer service another possibility. They paid better money, and she wouldn’t be on her feet all day. By late morning, she’d dismissed the scams promising huge rewards for little effort, to be left with few real opportunities. The unfortunate conclusion loomed, that she’d be living off her sister for the foreseeable future.

  She was about to give up when an ad for an entry level personal assistant at a local attorney’s office caught her eye. The hours seemed perfect, and, surprisingly, they did not ask for previous experience. As she heard Julia’s car pull up outside, she decided to ask her opinion.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Julia greeted her as she walked into the living room. She looked great today in a cream pantsuit, which contrasted well with her dark curls. Her role as a real estate agent demanded a professional look.

  “What do you think of this?” Anna ushered her over, pointing at the screen.

  Big Bird looked over the ad and nodded. “Perfect. You can type, and you’re great with people. I say go for it! Why not?”

  Seizing the moment, Anna picked up the landline handset beside the monitor and dialled the number on screen. The following ring tone served as a late reminder that she’d not made any preparation for the conversation. Befor
e she had the opportunity to chicken out, though, a pleasant female voice answered.

  “Good morning. Howard and Moyer, attorneys at law. How may I help you?”

  Anna’s throat suddenly felt dry, and she hesitated to speak. But a pointed look from Julia soon put a stop to that.

  “Oh, hello. My name is Anna Price. I’m calling about the ad on The Gazette website for a legal assistant,” she said, hoping her question sounded calmer than she felt. Julia didn’t help matters by pulling a comical face to signal how she felt about Anna’s posh phone voice.

  “Right. Well, we’ve had a lot of people call already. Hmm…‌ the only time I could fit you in for an interview would be tomorrow morning at nine.”

  Holy shit, Anna thought. That’s all? No “Please submit your resume?”

  Without time to think further, she found herself saying, “Perfect.” After noting the details of the location in town, she hung up the phone. “Nine AM tomorrow,” Anna confirmed with a smile…‌ “Nine AM tomorrow!” She repeated with alarm. “I’m not ready for an interview.”

  Julia, however, eyed Anna speculatively.

  “Let’s go shopping.” They said in unison.

  Julia grabbed her credit card and pulled Anna out the door without saying another word. Finally, they’d gotten the kind of challenge the Price girls excelled at: finding a good dress and a decent hair stylist.

  “We’re getting proper branded stuff,” Julia said, matter‌–‌of‌–‌fact, during the drive into Scottsdale center.

  “You’re not spending that much on me,” Anna replied.

  “On the contrary, my dear, you’re going to get the job, and I’m not going to let you walk into the interview looking like the kind of woman who gets a second dress free with every purchase.”

  Anna knew from experience that there was little point in raising an objection. She would be turned into a designer pin‌–‌up whether she liked it or not. The insistent nature of Julia’s generosity conjured pleasant memories of Mom and her elder sister each refusing to allow the other to pay for coffee during one of their legendary‌‌—‌‌not to mention embarrassing‌‌—‌‌standoffs.

  The mall seemed close to empty, way too expensive, and filled with the latest fashions‌‌—‌‌not that it mattered. Of course, her sibling organized the next hour like a well‌–‌rehearsed military campaign. Mission priority one: find a killer interview outfit. She had a theory to guarantee success, namely: picking something “tight, but not too slutty.” Not wishing to curb her sister’s obvious enthusiasm for the task, Anna didn’t dare question the dubious sexual politics of the plan. Instead, she found herself being indulged and loving it.

  They came to a fancy looking store front lined with size‌–‌zero mannequins, which made Anna feel inadequate. “Perfect,” Julia said, leading them in without further discussion.

  Anna’s sense of being out of place wasn’t helped by the immaculately‌–‌presented clerk, who had the figure of an eight‌–‌year old boy and gave her a sour look that said: “You’re not good enough to be in my shop.”

  Julia pulled her into the corner. “You’re beautiful, period. Does madam comprehend?” Her voice left no room for argument. “Don’t take any notice of Miss Fancy Pants‌‌—‌‌the woman’s probably a fem bot,” she whispered, obviously sensing her hesitation.

  “What the fuck is a fem bot?”

  “Half‌–‌woman, half‌–‌robot…‌ with machine guns for tits.” Julia made a shooting gesture with her breasts, making them both giggle while causing the frown to deepen on the clerk’s dour face.

  “I trust you,” Anna said more seriously, feeling another wave of affection for her wonderful Big Bird.

  “Good. Now, come over here,” Julia replied, pointing to a well‌–‌stocked clothing rack. “We’re not leaving until we find something.”

  Anna tried a slinky, red dress first, but, after looking in the mirror, she concluded that it appeared a little too tight around her bony butt. I wish I’d gotten a curvy frame, she thought in frustration.

  An hour later, they’d scoured the store, trying various combinations before settling on a gorgeous black pant suit. “It shouts ‘look, but don’t touch.’” Julia approved, before helping her select underwear and a dainty pair of platform shoes to complete the look.

  Just when Anna thought they were done, Big Bird insisted that their mission wouldn’t be complete without a makeover. So, clutching a half‌–‌dozen bags filled with their booty, they proceeded to find a stylist on the lower floor of the shopping complex.

  Upon entering, they were greeted by a flamboyant male couple who introduced themselves as Georgios and Theo. Much to Anna’s secret amusement, they had complimentary hairstyles featuring long side partings. Georgios’ was colored blue and parted to the left, while Theo’s was red and parted to the right.

  The warm welcome put their anxious client at ease, and Anna buried herself in a style magazine, looking for inspiration from the latest fashions. But despite the guide, the sheer number of choices on offer overwhelmed her to the point that she asked for a simple trim. She noticed Julia give a slight shake of the head, though, and Theo nodded solemnly in agreement. Wimping out was not an option.

  As the transformation got underway, the positive attitude of the eccentric pair became infectious. Anna began to relax and enjoy the experience.

  ***

  She didn’t dare look in the mirror, but, after a few words of encouragement from her new style gurus, she found the courage to view the fruits of their labor.

  It seemed incredible: the woman staring back from the mirror was not recognizable as the bedraggled creature that had fled Kingman. Her hair had been crafted into a wavy bob framing her blue twinkling eyes. Not only that, but the indulgent time spent alongside Julia’s passion for good food had given her cheeks a rosier appearance. She smiled, finally, gaining an audible sigh of relief from the others.

  Chapter 6

  Julia’s borrowed silver Chevy pulled up outside the large, nineteenth century‌–‌period building with a grace her own station wagon would have flunked completely. Thankful for the small victory, Anna gathered her thoughts.

  You can do this, she reminded herself, refusing to listen to a lingering voice of doubt.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the heavy, black door. An embossed brass plaque on its lacquered surface, read: “Howard and Moyer, attorneys at law. Est. 1866.”

  She pushed against the large door‌–‌knocker, struggling against the weight of the heavy frame. With an unladylike amount of effort, the door grudgingly gave way to reveal a reception area. The walls had been inlaid with old‌–‌fashioned wooden panelling and were decorated with portraits of presumably long‌–‌dead lawyers. They stared on disapprovingly. A faded, green carpet ran down the center of the forbidding room, completing a vision speaking of former glories.

  A surly‌–‌looking older woman with an unusual white streak running through the center of her jet black hair sat behind the reception desk, eyeing her through rounded spectacles. Anna suspected this was not the pleasant young woman she had spoken to on the phone.

  Great: Cruella Deville. Just my luck, she thought.

  “Can I help you?” The receptionist’s east coast accent sounded shrill.

  “I have a nine o’clock interview,” Anna replied while smiling.

  “The position’s been filled,” Cruella said, with a long, grey hair sprouting unattractively from her chin.

  Anna felt crushed by the news, but she refused to give in to the old bag just yet.

  “I’ll take a seat while you confirm that.” Her sugary composure didn’t drop, despite the defiant edge to the statement.

  The receptionist sucked her lips to the point that Anna expected a lemon to drop from her mouth.

  What’s her problem? She wondered, realizing that the petulant display went beyond common bad manners.

  Five long minutes passed while the receptionist furiousl
y typed and generally did her best to ignore the unwelcome intrusion. In the end, the acid‌–‌tongued woman rose and, with an audible sigh, exited the room via an adjoining door. She’d evidently concluded that the problem wouldn’t solve itself. Shortly after, Anna could hear a muffled conversation, with one of the voices sounding male. Although she couldn’t make out the precise words, the exchange was heated.

  Cruella returned with a look of profound disapproval on her leathery features.

  Zowser: looks like the puppies got away, Anna reflected with growing hope.

  “Mr. Moyer will see you now,” the receptionist declared before sitting back at her desk, obviously flustered.

  “Thank you,” Anna said in a calm voice she knew the other woman would find infuriating. Savoring the small triumph, she led herself through the office door, only to find the positive vibe to be short‌–‌lived.

  Bill Moyer, attorney at law, was an aging man with pock‌–‌marked skin and the most bizarre‌–‌looking dyed black comb‌–‌over. Below his red, perspiring face, he wore a geode bolo tie, just like the ones in old western movies. Anna observed him from the doorway for a moment, speculating that there was something familiar about the guy she couldn’t quite place. But in the time it took to stride over to his large, cluttered desk, she recognized that he was the law cowboy from a long‌–‌running TV commercial. His signature theme consisted of declaring, “Bill Moyer: I am the law,” in a heavy, southern drawl while bestride a massive, white stallion. She’d always found the ads more than a little cheesy.

  Jesus, this guy couldn’t ride a cart horse, never mind a regular sized one, she thought, resisting the urge to laugh out loud at the mental image of the sweaty, little man weighing down the smaller animal.

  Presently, he sprawled in a leather recliner, not bothering to rise. Behind him, the heads of several stuffed creatures had been hung on the wall. Most of which, seemed to hold the same expression as the stuffy parade of former attorneys in the lobby.