“But Avalon...” Eleonore wailed.
“He sounds very different. Have you ever heard Avalon whine like that before?”
Eleonore rubbed her arms around her out of uncertainty. “I thought it sounded like Avalon.”
“Then he'll find his way back home if he wants to. Clervaux isn't that big.”
Before he closed the door, a yowl resounded again, this time it came from deeper into the town.
Aidan knew with certainty now that it was indeed Avalon. He could recognize his sighing intonation, except that Avalon also sounded different now, malignant almost - as if he were angry with them and was warning them to keep their distance.
Aidan touched his daughter's arm and softly pulled her inside. “Come on; you'll be freezing.”
CHAPTER 15
Simon had already worked 11 hours at the cat clinic today, and he started to feel dizzy with hunger. He had begun the day by evaluating for stability the cats that had spent the night at the emergency compartment and phoning the owners with progress reports. Simon examined new animals admitted for surgery and discussed procedures. Even though the only surgeries today were dental cleanings and tooth extractions, Simon preferred to do these as early in the day as possible; this allowed the patient to recover while he and Aidan were around to monitor progress. Then came the house-calls, with appointments ranging from new kitten visits, vaccinations, checking lumps and bumps, and suture removals. With so many cats in and around town and no other veterinarians available apart from Aidan, there had been no time for a lunch break.
He suspected most days would be this busy as long as David wasn't back. He'd be better off hiring a new veterinarian, but he also understood the increased risk of bringing outsiders into town.
Now, Simon and Aidan sat at their desks, returning phone calls and making final notes in records. He looked forward to going home, eating a meal Claire had prepared for him and reading a good book. Once the clinic closed, though, he would continue to think about the cases of the day, mentally preparing for tomorrow.
It was already past seven when the doorbell chimed.
“Don't tell me it's another patient?” Aidan said. He was obviously as tired as Simon. “What if we just ignore them? It's after hours already.”
“It can be an emergency. Do you want to have the death of another cat on your conscience?” Simon asked. He didn't realize how arrogant he sounded.
“Of course not,” Aidan mumbled, almost inaudible.
“I want you to understand one thing if you want to work here,” Simon said.
Aidan looked away.
“Can you look at me when I'm talking to you, Aidan?”
This kid may be good technically when it came to veterinary medicine, but he knew nothing about how important it was to run this clinic. Nothing.
Aidan turned to face him. Obviously, it didn't suit him to hear the truth.
“I want you to save the life of each cat you see both here and outside of the clinic. If you want to work here, you can't be lazy,” Simon said.
The doorbell rang again, and Simon pushed on the buzzer to open.
The cops, Chadov and Debaillie, entered, giving him a pair of tight-lipped smiles. It was strictly business. He instantly knew why the police were there. Not necessarily the best end to a long day. Now all he had to do was get rid of Aidan so he wouldn't talk.
Simon gave the officers a cheerful smile. “How may I help you, officers?”
“Is David Kollmann here?” Officer Chadov asked, devoid of his usual glass-fragile smile. The mention of David's name caused Simon's face to elongate with a deep sort of concern. He felt the room constricting. “He called in sick on Monday. I haven't seen him all week,” Simon replied, feeling anxiety sweat coming up. “Why? Did he do something wrong?”
“His mother reported him missing. The last time she saw him was Monday evening,” Officer Debaillie said, clasping his hands together. “We thought maybe you knew something considering you went out together during the weekend?”
“Sorry to hear that.” Simon felt his face flush. A tremor rippled just beneath his skin, his thoughts veering in different directions. “No, I haven't heard a thing.”
A few steps behind him, Officer Chadov was scoping out the place.
“Let me close down here, so we won't be disturbed.” Simon locked the front door and gestured to the officers to sit down in the waiting-room, which only one of them did.
He wanted to offer them some coffee or tea, but before he had the chance to make a suggestion, Officer Chadov spoke again: “People don't disappear here without a good reason. You know that. Did something happen that might have caused his disappearance?”
Simon wondered if David was okay, because if he wasn't, what would that mean for him and Claire? They had all been there when it happened. Of course, it was entirely possible that David was sitting in a seedy hotel somewhere, looking for that girl who'd turned him down.
No. Simon didn't believe that for a second. David wasn't a man of action. He would only whine about that girl but never truly go after her.
Or was it possible that David had run off and left Clervaux, knowing the potential danger that lurked around?
“What are you thinking about?” Officer Debaillie asked. There was something in his voice that put Simon on edge. “We've put a lot of resources into looking for him. Many people gave up their time... If you have more information, we'd like to know about it. In order not to waste too much effort if it's not necessary if you know what I mean?”
Simon told the officers what he knew about David's ex-girlfriend and his plans to win her back.
“You haven't seen him then?” Officer Debaillie asked.
“I'm sorry.” He couldn't look him into the eyes.
“And he never failed an operation on a cat?” Officer Debaillie waited, possibly for a confession.
Simon's heart sank to his stomach. He'd expected that question much earlier. “Not in my clinic.”
“We'd appreciate you keeping an eye out.” Jeremy Chadov clipped open his aluminum clipboard, fished out a business card, and handed it over. “If you see or hear anything, give us a call.”
Simon nodded and took the card.
“We'd also like to talk to the new vet.” Officer Chadov looked down to his clipboard, making sure he got the name right. “Aidan Burns?”
“Of course.” Simon nodded to Jeremy Chadov, then his eyes shifted to the other officer. “Why would you like to talk to him?”
“A couple of weeks ago he wanted to euthanize my Mixor, remember?” Officer Debaillie said. “Does he know and follow the rules by now?”
“Yes, he knows, but I don't think he has been updated on the reasons.”
Jeremy Chadov nodded. “I understand. How could you possibly explain what happens here to an outsider? Not an easy feat.”
***
Jess had a hard time concentrating on her French lessons, so she decided to bury herself in the kitchen, preparing a recipe of her own composition as a way to unwind. She started by slicing potatoes and chopping fresh parsley and garlic. She added everything in a locally fired faience dish, sprinkled the food with olive oil and lemon juice, and added some freshly cut sprigs of rosemary.
Once the potato dish was in the oven, she treated herself to a glass of red. For some reason, cooking and drinking wine were two activities that went well together. They both relaxed her, as did the delicious smells coming from the oven and into the kitchen. It was what she needed. Little by little, the stress of the day slid off her shoulders, and she no longer thought about the strange behavior of her neighbor, Avalon's disappearance, and the difficulties with finding a job. Even though Jess still regretted having come to Europe and wasn't happy here, she would do anything in her power to give her marriage a chance.
But Aidan didn't show up that evening. He didn't even bother to call or text her to say he was running late. After waiting at the kitchen table for two hours, Eleonore appeared with a question for her mot
her. “Mo-om,” she singsonged. “Can you make me something to eat?”
“I wanted to wait for your dad.”
Eleonore let out a sigh. “When will he be back?”
“I don't know, E. He said he'd be back two hours ago.”
“Well, guess it's just you and me then.” Eleonore sounded like an adult.
“I guess it is.”
“I'm hungry,” she complained.
“You can already start eating if you want to,” Jess said. She quickly fried up one of the three onglet steaks she'd picked up at the butcher's that afternoon, took the potato dish out of the oven, put a small scoop of the food on a plate, and put it in front of Eleonore.
“Won't you eat with me?” Eleonore asked, a tiny forkful of potato pausing halfway to her mouth.
Jess gazed at the dish morosely. “Okay,” she said, picking up a fork and jabbing at a sprig of rosemary, before taking a few quick bites out of her meal. The bitter anger in the back of her throat made it painful to swallow.
Why wasn't Aidan home? Was he with Lorenza? For what other reason would he stay away so many hours and leave her with food on the table without even calling her? She couldn't tell for sure he had cheated on her with that woman, but it was obvious that the idea was playing in his head.
Your intuition always knows, her best friend, Michelle, once told her.
And Jess knew.
Aidan was interested in someone else.
She wished she could go to Michelle right now to tell her about her suspicions. Michelle always had the best advice and a way of making Jess smile again, even when things were going sour.
For the sake of her daughter, Jess ate at least a little and pretended she was enjoying her food.
She poured herself another glass of red. Maybe that would help to get some food down as well.
“Aren't you going to pour one for daddy?” Eleonore asked.
“If he wants it, he can pour it himself,” Jess said and regretted her sharp tone when she saw Eleonore recoil. “Oh, I'm sorry, E,” she went on. “I guess I'm a little grouchy this evening.” She filled Aidan's glass and gulped down her own.
After dinner, Jess threw the almost entirely untouched meal in the dustbin and poured Aidan's red wine in the sink. In only a few short hours, she had decided she wasn't going to put much effort into him anymore. She had sacrificed more than enough for Aidan already. Of course, she hoped that she had been mistaken, that Aidan would become the sweet, attentive man again she fell in love with more than 11 years ago. But right now, she doubted this would ever happen.
Jess plopped down on the sofa, emotionally exhausted. In the background, the clicking of claws on the hardwood floor indicated the mysterious animal was back to keep her company.
This time, though, she didn't have enough energy to search for the intruder.
***
Aidan came home five hours late. Jess sat on the couch with a glass of red wine held between her palms. She could have easily been unwinding from a long day, but her tense posture betrayed her.
“Hi,” Aidan said, but Jess refused to reply.
“I'm home,” he tried again as if she didn't hear him the first time.
No answer.
“Are you okay, Jess?”
When she finally turned to face her husband and lifted her gaze to meet his, he had this look of bereavement in his eyes as if something bad had happened. “Did you watch the local news today?” he asked her.
She shook her head. Considering the look on his face, she knew it wasn't going to be any good.
He took a deep breath. “David is missing. I just spoke with the police for several hours.”
He stood there so lost that she went over to him and took him in her arms. However, she wasn't ready to forgive.
CHAPTER 16
It had been more than a week since both David and Avalon had gone missing. Aidan didn't have any hopes of seeing either of them again. Between the two disappearances, Eleonore's grief tantrums, Jess' mounting anxiety, and Simon's nagging, there wasn't any room left for smiles.
The only thing he wanted to do now was to plump down on his couch in front of the television, without anyone disturbing him. He had been watching a French dubbed version of Game of Thrones on television recently. Luckily, he'd seen the show before, so he understood most of what the actors said. Otherwise, it would have been a little tricky to comprehend once in a while, even though his French was good. Still, it was funny to hear them say things like, “Un Lannister paie toujours ses dettes.”
But then something good happened.
Lorenza was back at the hospital.
She was fostering a new cat that suffered from watery stools, probably due to the stress of being in a new environment. Aidan had to test the animal for the Giardia lamblia parasite, but antibiotics and vitamin B12 injections would work wonders already.
It was odd seeing her again after what happened at the club.
“I'm sorry for how I behaved at your birthday party. I was drunk,” Aidan said as he loaded the first syringe with medication.
Lorenza cracked a cynical smile. “I wasn't.”
“Yes, you were drunk.” He smiled too now.
“A little,” she agreed. “But I knew what I was doing, and I'm not sorry.” She kept her eyes focused on him the entire time.
Damn, this girl was overflowing with self-confidence.
She moved closer, a mischievous smile on her face.
Aidan felt at the injection site while holding the syringe in the other hand. “I need more space to administer the antibiotics,” he said. What he meant was that he wanted some distance from this woman so he could regain control.
Lorenza took a step back, and Aidan injected the liquid into the cat's body. The animal didn't resist.
If he'd been single, he would have asked Lorenza out. But Jess didn't deserve to be treated this way. There wasn't anything he could complain about with Jess. Okay, she tended to get depressed, but that was usually over pretty quickly. He loved Jess, so he didn't have a reason to cheat. Not that there ever was an acceptable reason.
Lorenza changed the subject. “I'm sorry about David. I heard about what happened.” No declaration that everything would be okay. Just an apology, which hung heavy with the promise that things would never be the same. “No news from him, I suppose?”
“Nothing.” He pondered her question. “Why do you suppose we got no news from him?”
The usual sparkle from Lorenza's eyes faded. “You know what happened to him, right?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“The police doesn't seem to know,” he said. “Do you?”
She shook her head and looked away. It wasn't an indication of whether or not she knew the answer. She was ignoring his question. This girl knew the truth but refused to talk about it.
“You have no idea what's going on here, do you? Ignorance is bliss.” She smiled, but he could have sworn he detected bitterness behind her smile.
“What do you mean?”
“How much do you know about Clervaux?” she asked after a moment of hesitation. “About its cats?”
Lorenza didn't make any sense. What could be the link between the cats and David's disappearance?
“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Aidan inserted the syringe with the vitamin B12 and put the cat back into its carrier. “That was the last one. He's ready to go home.”
“You must have noticed something strange since you've been here,” Lorenza said.
“Strange like what?”
Lorenza looked at her feet. She turned to face Aidan once again, looking as though she'd made up her mind about something that hadn't been previously decided. “The feeling that something is watching you all the time.”
“And who is supposed to watch me?”
She waved her hand as if to dismiss what she had said. “You know, for someone who likes to travel it's weird you know so little about your destination.” Lorenza's eyes were warm and full
of compassion. “Keep safe, Aidan.”
***
The first thing Aidan did back home was to turn to the internet and look up information on the cats of Clervaux, though he had no idea what he might be looking for. He couldn't find anything. All that showed up in the search engines was travel-related information and pictures of the local cats.
But finally, he found something.
The Tengu, they called it.
A demonic figure. Nosferatu nails. Glowing eyes. Feline and human at the same time.
It was an urban legend. “Protector of the cats,” it said here.
Now that he came to think of it, he had seen images of this creature all over town, as a type of talisman above the doors of the shops and at the clinic. He thought he had seen it elsewhere too, but he couldn't remember where. It was probably some scary bedtime story told to naughty children to make them behave toward the cats.
Did they believe in this myth up here? Lorenza surely did. He knew some parts of Europe could be superstitious, especially small towns like this one, but he didn't expect it to have such an impact on their lives. He also found it weird that none of the inhabitants ever talked about the Tengu, as though not bringing it up would somehow erase it from their reality.
Aidan was still staring at the screen when he slowly became aware that he was no longer alone. He looked up and saw Jess coming up behind him.
“What are you looking for?” she asked.
Aidan frowned and immediately closed his laptop. “Research,” he said. For half a second, he thought about lying about what he found online in order not to upset her. “I don't know what I'm looking for. Apparently, there's some weird superstition going on here.”
“What do they believe in?”
Aidan turned from the computer to look at his wife. “I'm not even sure. I can't find much online. Something about the cats having some creature that protects them. You can feel it watching you.”
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