Impossible Depths (Silver Lake series Book 2)

by McCallum, Coral

  “Normality resuming?” asked Lori hopefully.

  “Sure is,” he declared with a mischievous grin. “John gave me the all clear to resume normal activities.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “Me too,” he admitted before glancing round at the pile of bags on the back seat. “Successful morning?”

  “Retail therapy,” stated Lori. “Before I shut myself away to finish the artwork for your album.”

  “Have you come up with something?”

  “I think so. You’ll just have to wait and see. Jason called earlier. He needs the main cover design by Monday at the latest.”

  “That’s not giving you much time, li’l lady.”

  “I know, but I’ll get it done. Are you guys rehearsing at the house?”

  “That’s the plan. Is it a problem?”

  “No,” replied Lori. “Actually, it might help as long as you’re playing some of the new songs.”

  “We’ve still to work that bit out. The guys are coming over later to try to work out a set list.”

  Three days later as she was sitting at her drawing board, Lori was thinking that in future she might be more careful what she wished for. Silver Lake had been down in the basement all day rehearsing. The house had been filled with music – some old, some new- but it wasn’t helping. In front of her, she had the album cover less than half done and she had four days left to complete it. Two days earlier, she had sent her rough sketches to Maddy and Jason, nominating her preferred option. They had both agreed that the one of the imp gazing into the pool was the best. Drawing the imp’s outline had been easy and fun, as had the outline of his reflection, but now she was struggling. Reaching for her phone, she called Maddy.

  “Hello,” greeted her friend brightly. “You ok? I thought you’d be working.”

  “I’m trying to,” sighed Lori, allowing her exasperation to show. “I want to change part of the design, but I’m not sure.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Instead of just the imp’s handsome face being reflected, I want to add in other faces to the pool. Shadows almost. Ghosts,” explained Lori, hoping her friend would be able to visualise where she was coming from. “Faces to reflect his character and the music.”

  “Can you do one with and one without?” asked Maddy, unsure if she liked the idea.

  “I could scan it without then add in the faces,” proposed Lori. “I don’t have enough time to do both separately.”

  “Ok, go with that,” agreed Maddy. “Will both be sharp enough to use?”

  “Of course!” exclaimed Lori somewhat indignantly.

  “I look forward to seeing them.”

  “Thanks, Maddy. I’d better get back to work.”

  “Don’t work too hard, honey.”

  By the small hours of Monday morning, Lori had pulled together two separate drawings. Despite protests from Jake, she had worked late into the small hours each night, finding it easier to connect with the project after dark. The original version looked fabulous with the twisted imp staring at his “handsome” self reflected back up at him. On the whole, she was pleased with it, but she preferred her second take on it. The design was basically the same, but, as well as his handsome reflection, she had added several incarnations of his “ugly” self, as though they were receding into the depths of the pool, each more twisted and wretched than the last. As an afterthought, she drew in a tiny shadowy portrait in the bottom right hand corner. A portrait that was almost hidden within the design. Sitting back, she smiled as she surveyed both designs. Silently, she prayed that the band and the management loved them as much as she did.

  When Jake wakened on Monday morning, the bed beside him was empty. It hadn’t been slept in. Wearing only his boxer shorts, he padded through the house in search of his fiancée. Walking into the study, his heart skipped a beat as he saw Lori slumped over the desk. As he put a hand on her shoulder, she stirred under his touch.

  “Hey, li’l lady,” he whispered softly. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  “Mmm,” she mumbled without moving.

  For a moment or two, Jake deliberated on whether to risk lifting her but common sense prevailed. He couldn’t afford to aggravate his freshly healed injuries.

  “Lori,” he said a little louder and a little firmer. “Wake up. Let’s get you through to bed.”

  “Wha’ time is it?” she mumbled incoherently.

  “It’s still early. It’s only just gone eight,” replied Jake.

  “I need to send the designs to Jason,” said Lori, slowly sitting up.

  “You need a proper rest,” declared Jake, his tone sharper than his heart intended. “Grab a few hours’ sleep, then you can send them through. You’ve got all day.”

  “Alright,” she sighed as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair. “I’m beat.”

  Slowly she got to her feet, swaying slightly as a wave of fatigue engulfed her. Putting a supporting arm around her waist, Jake slowly guided her down the hallway. She stumbled several times, but eventually made it to the bedroom. Without pausing to take her clothes off, Lori collapsed onto the bed. Her pale complexion scared Jake a little, but he knew she was just overtired. Gently, he kissed her forehead and whispered a promise to waken her mid-afternoon as he draped the bedcovers over her.

  Leaving her sleeping soundly, Jake grabbed a clean shirt and his cut-off shorts, then wandered back through the house. He pulled on his clothes while the coffee pot was preparing his first coffee of the day. Mug in hand, he went through to the study to sneak a look at the finished cover designs. Both of the versions were propped up on stands on the table beside Lori’s desk. Jake’s eyes were drawn to the original design first, then he turned to study the alternative one. The depths of the picture blew him away. Just as he was about to turn away, his eye spotted the tiny face in the corner. A lump instantly filled his throat and tears pricked at his eyes. Gary was staring back at him from the drawing. In minute writing underneath it, Lori had written “Finally at the beach. LH x”.

  The creak of the back door opening brought him back to the present. It was Rich and Grey, both early as usual.

  “Hey, where’s the coffee?” called Grey from the kitchen.

  “Ssh,” said Jake as he came back through from the study. “Lori’s asleep. She was up all night finishing off our cover.”

  “Have you seen it?” asked Rich as he helped himself to a coffee.

  “Yes, but I don’t think we were meant to see it yet,” replied Jake. “Come through and see what you think.”

  The two musicians followed him through to Lori’s desk and stood in silence as they admired both designs. At first neither of them said anything, then Grey stepped closer to the second version. With a sad smile, he turned to face his fellow band mates. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

  “That one gets my vote too,” agreed Jake with a sad smile. “Lori’s own tribute to him.”

  “Subtle and beautiful,” added Rich, a catch in his voice.

  Mindful that Lori was asleep upstairs, Silver Lake opted for an acoustic rehearsal during the morning. It had been after ten before Paul strolled in, apologising for being late. In true Silver Lake style, he was fined twenty dollars. As they rehearsed, the boys spent more time talking than playing so when Rich suggested breaking for an early lunch, no one objected. Early lunch evolved into a long, leisurely lunch out on the sun deck and, by the time Jake was due to waken Lori, all thoughts of rehearsing were long gone for the day.

  Gently he sat down on the edge of the bed and gazed down at his sleeping fiancée. With her golden hair all tangled round about her, Lori was still sleeping soundly, her breathing deep and even. It seemed cruel to disturb her, but Jake knew she had to submit her artwork to Jason before the end of the regular working day. Smoothing her hair away from her face, he leant down and kissed her tenderly.

  “Time to rise and shine, sleeping beauty,” he whispered softly.

  With a low moan, she stirred, then ope
ned her eyes, flinching at the brightness of the room. As she wriggled and sat up, Lori asked what time it was.

  “Just gone three, li’l lady.”

  “Aren’t you meant to be rehearsing?”

  “We were,” he replied with a smile. “We stopped for lunch and never quite got going again. The boys are still out on the sun deck.”

  “I assume you all took a look at the designs.”

  Jake nodded, unsure if she was going to be pleased, or angry with him.

  “And?” she asked curiously.

  Wrapping his arms around her, Jake kissed her long and tenderly before replying, “It’s perfect, li’l lady.”

  “Which one?”

  “You know which one,” he teased. “Now, is it not time you got up and shared them with the powers that be?”

  “I guess,” she sighed, relieved that he had loved the design. “I was thinking of just submitting one of them.”

  “Go for it. We’ve already agreed it’s the one we want,” said Jake, helping her to her feet.

  “Let me grab a quick shower, then I’ll send it off.”

  Within two minutes of her hitting “send” on the email to Jason, her phone rang.

  “Hi, Jason,” she greeted brightly.

  “Mz Hyde, you are a genius!”

  Blushing and stifling a giggle, Lori answered, “Met with approval then?”

  “It’s fantastic! Have the boys seen it yet?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “To be honest, there were two variations. They unanimously chose that one.”

  “I love it, Mz Hyde!” he enthused loudly. “Thank you.”

  “Pleasure as always, Jason,” she laughed. “The merchandising designs will be with you by the end of the week.”

  “Perfect. Will you be at the festival at Columbia on Saturday?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “Great. I fly back to New York on Friday. I’ll likely see you there.”

  “See you on Saturday.”

  ♫

  As the band’s bus pulled into the showground on the outskirts of Baltimore, they were all peering out, trying to get a view of the crowd. It was a three-day annual rock event sponsored by a local radio network that always drew a huge crowd. This year looked to be no exception. Following the steward’s directions, the driver negotiated the labyrinth that was the performers’ enclosure before finally coming to a halt in the allotted space. For the rest of the day, this was now the Silver Lake camp. The back window of the coach had been fitted with a sun shade with the band’s name emblazoned on it, announcing their arrival to all around.

  “Ok, guys,” began Maddy, her tone distinctly business-like and indicating clearly that they were to listen up. “It’s just gone eleven. Go out and stretch your legs, but be back here before noon. Jake, Rich, there’s two DJs coming to do a short interview with you at twelve. Live radio slot. Paul, Grey, you’ve to be at the TV station’s stand by twelve thirty for a slot on their lunchtime show. I’ll take you round there myself once Jake and Rich are set up for their interview. Sound check’s at two on the practice stage at the rear. Show time is six o’clock.”

  “I thought we were on at four?” questioned Rich, raising his scarred eyebrow.

  “Last minute line-up change,” stated Maddy. “There’s a VIP meet and greet for thirty minutes at four thirty.”

  “Hey, no one mentioned anything about that,” Jake commented sharply.

  “It was in the itinerary email last week, Mr Power,” stated Maddy calmly. “You’ll be fine. Photos and autographs for thirty minutes.”

  “I guess,” muttered Jake, forcing a smile. “Come on, Lori. Let’s go for a walk.”

  The August heat hit them as soon as they stepped off the air-conditioned bus. Holding Lori’s hand, Jake led them through the maze of buses towards the backstage area. All around them there were people dashing this way and that; journalists conducting interviews; TV crews and photographers.

  “Mz Hyde!” came a shout from under a large sun shade emblazoned with the rock radio station’s name.

  Lori paused and turned round, recognising the voice instantly. It belonged to Leo, the bass player with the headline act, When The Chips Are Down. In the past, Lori had helped him build up a substantial guitar collection in her capacity as rock memorabilia expert.

  “Leo, how are you?” she replied brightly. “Have you met my fiancé, Jake Power?”

  “Ah, the voice of Silver Lake,” declared Leo, coming over to shake Jake’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you. Condolences about your manager. I met him a few times. Nice guy.”

  “Thanks,” said Jake, somewhat caught off guard by his fellow musician.

  “You guys fit to play today?”

  “As we’ll ever be,” joked Jake with a grin. “It’s going to be tough, but we’ll be fine.”

  “Looking forward to hearing your set,” said Leo sincerely. “Now, Mz Hyde, how are you? Beautiful as ever, I see.”

  “Leo!” exclaimed Lori, flushing scarlet. “I’m fine. You? Hope you’re looking after that collection of yours.”

  “I’m good, thanks,” he replied. “Looking to expand that collection in fact. You interested in sourcing a couple of axes for me?”

  “Sorry, Leo, not my area anymore,” apologised Lori. “I can give you a couple of names if you want.”

  “Can’t I tempt you out of retirement, Lori?”

  Jake watched her expression and wasn’t surprised when she replied, “Email me the details and I’ll see what I can do. No promises.”

  “You’re a star, Mz Hyde.”

  As she walked through the VIP area with Jake, he teased her about giving in so easily.

  “If he’s after something easily found, I can do the negotiating via phone or email. If it’s more difficult to trace, then I’ll find someone to help and increase the price,” she explained. “It’s not a part of my past I’m in a hurry to rebuild, but business is business.”

  Before they finally made their way back to the Silver Lake bus, they were stopped several more times by fellow musicians wanting to pass on their condolences and good wishes. Although Jake had known Gary was a popular figure, he hadn’t appreciated just how many people’s lives he had touched. The other members of Silver Lake were all gathered outside the bus, sitting under a large sunshade at a picnic table. Each of them had had a similar experience as they had checked out the showground.

  As Jake helped himself to an iced tea from the bus’s fridge, Maddy called him back outside.

  “Jake, meet Dom and Billy from WKYD,” she said, introducing the two new arrivals. “Remember, it’s a live interview and it’s going out here as well as on the radio station.”

  “Hi, guys,” said Jake, shaking their hands.

  “Nice to meet you, buddy,” said Dom as he firmly shook Jake’s hand. “You ready to sit down and have a chat with us?”

  “Sure,” agreed Jake. “Rich, you ready?”

  “Guess so,” answered the guitarist, getting up from the table. He was wearing his sunglasses in an attempt to disguise the remaining bruising around his eyes. From behind their dark tinted lenses, he noticed the DJs flinch at the sight of the fresh scar across his forehead.

  Together with Maddy, they made their way over to the radio station’s marquee and temporary home for the weekend. Once they were settled at a table with their microphones set up, she bade them farewell, saying she had to rush back to fetch Grey and Paul.

  The radio station tent was blaring Out Of The Shadows across the park and, as it played, the two DJs chatted to the nervous Silver Lake musicians in an attempt to put them at their ease. When the song faded out, Dom began, “And that was Silver Lake’s latest single, folks. We’ve been joined by Rich Santiago and Jake Power from the band. Nice to see you boys looking so well.”

  “Thanks,” replied Rich, conscious of the small crowd of press and fans that was gathering outside the marquee.

  “Now, this is your first live show for a few months. What have you b
oys been up to?”

  “Recording,” said Jake warmly. “We’ve just finished our new album.”

  “And what can the fans expect from it? Out Of The Shadows is a bit different from previous Silver Lake tracks,” commented Billy.

  “We think there’s something for everyone on there,” began Rich, beginning to relax. “We’ve really been stretched by our producer, Dr Marrs, and encouraged to try new things. We’re really pleased with the new material.”

  “Does the record have a title yet?” Dom enquired.

  “Impossible Depths,” revealed Jake. “Although it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s a bit of a voyage of discovery.”

  “When’s it due out?”

  “October 14th, I think,” said Rich, glancing over at Jake for confirmation. His fellow band member nodded.

  “And will you be playing any new songs this afternoon?” asked Dom hopefully. “There’s hundreds of fans out there living in hope.”

  “You’ll have to wait and see,” teased Jake, before adding, “We hope to throw in a couple of them.”

  “Now, we don’t want to dwell on the tragedy that struck the band last month, but the fans are all keen to know if you guys are back to full fitness?”

  After a brief pause and a glance over at Rich, Jake said, “To be honest, we’re not a hundred percent yet, but we owe it to Gary and to each and every one of our fans to get out there and play. The support from our fans over the last few weeks has been amazing. We’re playing for an hour later on. If it had been our full set, I think we would still struggle to make it through it.”

  “You’ve been moved up the bill to the six o’clock slot,” Billy began. “It’s shaping up to be a hot one out there today. Is the heat likely to cause any issues for either of you?”

  “No more than usual,” laughed Jake, trying to lighten the mood. “With my wrecked shoulder, I might struggle to get my shirt off if it gets too hot.”

  “I’m sure your legions of female admirers would help you, Mr Power,” joked Rich playfully.

  “Honestly, we can’t wait to get back up on stage in front of the crowd and do what we do best,” added Jake. “We’ll be enjoying ourselves and we hope everyone else enjoys the show too.”