Loving Daylight

by Ryan Field

  Avenir looked up at the painting of Adriana. She was smiling down at them. Suddenly, the bedroom window opened and a cold blast of wind passed through the room. Karla jumped to her left and Robert tried to leave again. But Kevin wouldn’t let him pass.

  “You’re doing very well, Sienna,” Avenir said. “Just a few more questions and you’re finished.”

  Her eyes were still closed; she nodded yes.

  “What happened after your mother hid the painting and the piece of paper?” Avenir asked. He noticed the distant aroma of lilacs now.

  “She put her grandmother’s picture back up on the wall, over the fireplace, and said, ‘Sienna, you have to remember this if anything happens to me. You have to remember that I hid the painting and the will so Robert doesn’t get my money.’ Then she hugged me and said she was sorry I had to go through this. But I wasn’t upset. I was coloring and we were going to the park that afternoon.”

  “How did your mother die?” Avenir asked. He didn’t want to torture her; he knew he had to get right to the details.

  Latte rubbed against Sienna’s leg and meowed. Then he left her side and crossed to where Robert was standing. He lifted his small paw and extended his claws all the way. With one fast swipe, he scratched Robert’s leg.

  The cat’s claws penetrated the fabric and dug into his flesh. Robert shouted and tried to kick him. “Get that filthy thing away from me,” he shouted. “This isn’t funny anymore.

  Mavis reached down to lift Latte up. She pointed at Robert and said, “It’s not supposed to be funny anymore.”

  “Did you go to the park that afternoon?” Avenir asked, ignoring Robert’s complaints.

  Sienna thought for a moment and said, “No. We went downstairs and Robert was waiting for us in the hall. I grabbed my mother’s body and held her tight. He was shouting. He wanted to know what she was doing and why she was in the old house. When she told him that she was leaving him for good, he pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at her. She told me to go outside and wait for her. I didn’t want to go, but she promised me she was okay and that she’d be right out. So I went outside and heard them fighting. My mother shouted. She told him that she was leaving for good and that she wanted him out of her life. I waited outside the door for a while, until I heard a loud crash. Then I opened the doors and saw my mother on her back. Robert was wearing gloves and he had the tip of the gun in her mouth.”

  Sienna stopped talking. Tears fell from her eyes and her body began to tremble. “And that’s all I remember,” she sobbed. “The next thing I knew I was back in my room at Raspberry Hall. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I can’t talk about this anymore.”

  Her body jerked; the tears ran down the sides of her face. Then Avenir took her hands in his and said, “You’re fine, Sienna. You’re safe now. I’m here. Wake up.”

  She stopped crying and shook her head a few times. When her eyelids opened, she blinked. “What happened?” He knew she wouldn’t remember anything.

  Avenir looked around the room. Karla was sobbing in the corner, Larson’s eyes were open wide and his arm was around Jaydin. He looked at his father and said, “You killed her? And then you made it look like she killed herself so you could get all her money?”

  Robert’s hands went up and he shouted, “I don’t know what she’s talking about. I was away that day. I was out of town. Karla was with me. She was working for me at the time as my assistant.” He grabbed Karla’s arms and shook her hard. “Tell them. Tell them you were with me and that we were nowhere near this house.”

  Karla lowered her head. Her body was jerking and she couldn’t stop sobbing. She dropped to the floor on her knees and said, “I can’t do it anymore. It’s over, Robert. I can’t live with this anymore.”

  Then a cold breeze passed through the open window. The draperies blew forward and the mayor’s wife had to hold her dress so it wouldn’t blow up over her waist. When the chandelier began to sway, there was a loud noise over the fireplace. Everyone turned and looked at the mantle. The bottom of Adriana’s portrait blew forward a few times, then the portrait flew off the wall and landed face down beside Sienna’s feet.

  Thick brown paper had been tacked to the back of the portrait. It didn’t look unusual. But when Avenir bent down and ripped the brown paper off, there was another painting stuck to the back of the canvas, and a white envelope wedged into the frame at the bottom left corner. The painting had been carefully fastened to the canvas with a small pin. It was an abstract watercolor, and in the bottom right corner the signature read, “Bill Blye.”

  Sienna pressed her palm to her lips. “Gretchen was right,” she said. “This is the lost painting from my grandfather’s collection she was always talking about. The one that has been missing for years.” Then Sienna lifted the white envelope and turned it around. There was writing on the front. Her eyes opened wide and she read, “Last Will and Testament of Helena Harrington.”

  Kevin pulled a pair of handcuffs from the back of his black formal jacket. Avenir had asked him to come prepared; he had a gun, too. When he stepped forward, toward Robert, everyone else stepped back. “I’m going to have to take you in now,” Kevin said.

  Robert’s eyes grew wide and he extended his arms. His palms went up and he shouted, “I didn’t have a choice. Helena was going to leave me and I would have lost everything.” His face was red and his eyes kept darting back and forth. He stared at Larson and said, “I couldn’t lose Raspberry Hall. I had to make sure it would always be there for you, son.”

  “Turn around and place your hands on the wall and spread your legs,” Kevin said.

  Robert’s arms dropped to his side, then he turned fast and jumped out of the open window. The former mayor tried to grab his arm, but it happened fast, and it was so unexpected, there wasn’t time for anyone to stop him.

  Karla screamed, and Larson and Avenir ran to the window. When Avenir looked down, Robert was flat on his back. His head was twisted sideways, a trickle of blood ran from the left side of his mouth, and his eyes were wide open. The room became silent, except for the light purring sound that Latte was making on Sienna’s lap.

  Chapter Twenty

  In June, Sienna pulled up to the front door at Oceanview slightly after dusk. Avenir was watching her from an upstairs window. He’d just gotten out of bed and he was still in his underwear. He laughed because she was still driving her old Camaro. She loved the new one that Avenir had given her for Christmas, but the old one was still her favorite. After she’d filed her mother’s will and had gained control of her half of her mother’s estate, she’d decided to have the entire car restored to its original condition. Sienna was a practical, New England woman who didn’t discard the past easily.

  She did, however, donate her grandfather’s lost painting to the museum. It was priceless, and it belonged with all of his other works so that future generations could enjoy them as a complete collection.

  He jogged downstairs in his bare feet to greet her at the door. His hair was sticking up and his cotton boxer shorts were wrinkled and out of shape. She was carrying a garment bag and a few shopping bags. They were getting married in Raspberry Hall that night. Her best friend, Grace, was her maid of honor and Larson was the best man. The former town mayor had been reinstated and he was performing the ceremony . But Avenir wanted to spend some time with her alone.

  When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Sienna crossed into the center hall and stared at him. She smiled and shook her head back and forth, then she said, “You should be upstairs getting dressed. There’s going to be a small cocktail party before the wedding, and you’re still walking around with bedhead in your underwear.”

  He smiled. “I was thinking of going just like this.” He wanted to see her jealous streak; he liked teasing her about it. So he looked down at his half-naked body and said, “I don’t think anyone will mind. I’ll just put on a bow tie and shoes and socks.”

  She pressed her lips together and gave him a look.
“Go up and put your clothes on. I don’t want to be late.”

  He put his arms around her waist and kissed her gently. First, on the end of her nose, and then on her lips. “We have plenty of time. We won’t be late.”

  Sienna tried to pull back, but he wouldn’t let go. “We don’t have that much time,” she said. “And I can’t be there late. I’m the bride. And Grace is so excited about this wedding, she’d kill me.”

  He rubbed his strong chin against the side of her face and whispered, “I just want to hold the woman I love for a while.” Then he pressed his fingers to the base of her spine and massaged her muscles slowly. He knew this was a sensitive spot, and he wanted to take advantage of it.

  When his fingers touched the top of her buttocks, she dropped the garment bag and the shopping bags on the floor. Then she placed one hand on his shoulder and the other between his legs. She kissed him on the cheek and said, “I guess we could miss the cocktail party. I can’t let you go to your own wedding in this condition.” Then she squeezed between his legs harder and said, “Help me carry these things upstairs, and I’ll take care of this for you.”

  When they were upstairs, they went into their bedroom and he hung the garment bag in the dressing room. Sienna had moved into Oceanview, and she’d adapted to his nighttime hours. It was impossible for them to actually sleep together, so she slept in an adjoining room next to his. She only needed about six hours of sleep, so she was usually up by early afternoon.

  Latte had been resting on the bed, but when he saw Sienna he jumped up and ran to her side. He’d grown in the last six months, but not much. They knew he was never going to be a large cat. Sienna scooped him up and kissed the top of his head. She assured him, “Don’t worry. You’re going to the wedding, too.” Latte went everywhere with them.

  Avenir smiled. He was standing in the dressing room doorway completely naked. While she’d been talking to Latte, he’d removed his boxers. His arms were high and his elbows were resting against the doorframe. He still couldn’t believe that his life had changed so much in the past year. “What did you do today?” he asked.

  Sienna put Latte down and crossed to where he was standing. “I woke up early and went to see the registrar in Portland today,” she said. Her voice was low and she hesitated when she spoke. She sounded apologetic and guilty.

  He smiled. He knew she was talking about law school. Though she now had more money than she’d ever be able to spend, she still wanted to go to law school. And that meant she’d have to study in Portland, which was a long drive from Glendale Harbor. “I told you,” he said. “We’ll work out the details. If you want to become a lawyer, we’ll figure something out. Stop worrying. It’s all good. I promise you.”

  She put her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulders. She sighed and said, “Thank you for being so understanding. Most guys wouldn’t feel this way. They wouldn’t understand. I really need to do this. And when I pass the bar, I want to open a free legal aid service right here on Mt. Desert Island. I know it’s not an inner city, but I think I can help a lot of people who normally couldn’t afford legal services. I want to give something back. If I’d been able to afford a lawyer, I might have been able to fight Robert and Karla for my mother’s money.”

  His heart began to pound and he took a few deep breaths. He lowered his arms from the door frame and ran them up and down her soft back. “I understand,” he said. “And I want you to be happy. I’ll support any decision you make, even if it means we have to move to Portland part-time for a few years. I’ve lived all over the world, I can survive another temporary move for the sake of your happiness.”

  She kissed him again and said, “I’m very lucky. If you hadn’t come along, I’d still be working for Karla and saving my pennies. But there are other people out there who aren’t as lucky as I am. I want to help them.” Then she frowned and said, “I wish Gretchen had lived long enough to see all this. I feel bad that I didn’t pay attention to her when she talked about the lost painting while she was alive.”

  “I have a feeling Gretchen knows,” he said. “She’s probably watching us right now.” He hadn’t seen any obvious signs of Adriana, or any other ghosts. But he could feel their energy all the time.

  “Do you think so?” she asked.

  He nodded yes, but his lips were moving up and down the side of her neck. He heard her voice, but he wasn’t listening to what she was saying. And when his hand went down her back and he pulled her into his body, she stopped talking and removed her clothing.

  When she was naked, she raised her head and kissed him on the lips. It was a long, hard kiss; her heart pounded and the small, delicate vein on her neck began to pulse. Avenir lifted her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. He lowered her to the mattress and climbed on top of her body. She spread her legs and he entered her. Then his head went back, his mouth opened, and his fangs dropped. And when he pressed his open mouth to her soft neck, she grabbed his thick, round bicep and said, “I love you, Avenir.”

  While Sienna was still getting ready, Avenir was dressed and ready to leave. He went downstairs and paced between the drawing room and the hall, with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the floor. Latte followed him; he was wearing a black velvet collar with a white satin bow tie. Avenir hated waiting for anything. But when he saw her walking down the grand staircase, in a long, sleeveless beige gown, it was worth the wait. He smiled and said, “You look wonderful.” Her hair was down so no one would notice the two small puncture holes in her neck. The only jewelry she wore was the silver and turquoise ring she’d inherited from her grandmother, and the small gold ankle bracelet her grandmother had given her.

  She frowned and said, “You do, too. All the women will be flirting with the groom tonight.” Then she crossed to where he was standing and lifted her arms to adjust his black tie. “We have to stop by the Inn on the way. I left my cell phone there earlier today and I don’t want to forget it.”

  “Then we better go,” Avenir said. “It’s almost eleven-thirty.” Sienna was talking about the General Langston Inn that used to be Applejacks Bar. When Jaydin inherited his half of the Harrington money, the first thing he did was to renovate his bar and rename it with its original name, after the founder of Glendale Harbor, General Langston. He’d told Avenir that he’d never liked the name Applejacks, and that it had been Mickey’s idea to change the name in the first place. And when he’d brought back the original name, he’d tripled his business and he’d refurbished one of Glendale Harbor’s most historic buildings. He and Larson ran the Inn full-time now, and they were always there working at the bar.

  After they retrieved Sienna’s cell phone, they pulled up to Raspberry Hall in Avenir’s Mercedes. Sienna frowned and said, “I hope Grace isn’t mad at me. She wanted to spend time with me before the wedding. It looks like we’re the last ones here. She’s probably frantic with worry by now.”

  He slowed down at the entrance so the valet could park the car. “We’re not that late,” he said. “We’re actually right on time.” Then he got out of the car and jogged to the other side so he could open her door.

  Every light in the house was blazing. There were two large, white floral arrangements flanking the front door. When he stepped into the hall, it was empty. All the guests were probably assembled in the rose garden. He heard the sound of island reggae music coming from the back of the house. His palm was on Sienna’s back and he could smell her powdery scent. “The music is a little unusual,” he said.

  Sienna shrugged. “Grace and I decided on something summery and bright. I want things to be formal, but not too formal.”

  Larson and Jaydin greeted them at the door. “There you are. We were starting to worry,” Larson said. They were both dressed in black tie and they were smiling. Avenir hugged them and told them how wonderful the house looked. Now that Robert was dead and Karla was serving time in jail as an accomplice to murder, Raspberry Hall felt lighter and happier.

  Jaydin a
nd Larson were living there now. When Robert died, Larson inherited the house. Raspberry Hall was really all that had belonged to Robert when he’d married Sienna’s mother. The rest of the Harrington fortune went to Sienna and Jaydin. So Larson legally deeded half of the house to Jaydin and they moved in together. But they didn’t seem to care about money. Jaydin seemed to know that Larson would never be a good provider, and it didn’t matter to him. He’d known Larson all his life, and now he had enough money to support them both. Larson and Jaydin would have been together with or without the Harrington money. They were even talking about adopting a child together.

  “We’ll go back to the garden and start getting things ready,” Jaydin said. Then he kissed his sister on the cheek and said, “Next time I see you, you’ll be walking down the aisle.”

  Avenir smiled. “I’ll be there in just a minute. I want to kiss my bride first.”

  When they were gone, Sienna turned to Avenir and said, “I have to go upstairs now. Grace is waiting and she has the passage I’m going to read at the wedding.”

  “What are you going to read?” He had no idea she’d been planning anything like this.

  She smiled. “I’m reading a few lines from ‘Loving Daylight,’ the story that my great-grandmother, Adriana, wrote years ago. When she describes the wonderful feeling of waking up to the sound of the waves hitting the rocks, it reminds me of how I feel whenever I see you walk into a room.” Then she kissed him on the cheek and crossed to the staircase. “I’m going upstairs now, and you’d better go back to the garden and take your place with Larson. I’ll see you later.”

  He watched her climb the stairs. While she turned right at the top of the staircase and disappeared, he rubbed his jaw and smiled. Now he saw that he’d been traveling the world alone all those years for a reason. When he looked back, he could see that each path he’d taken had been leading him right back to Glendale Harbor Sienna all along. He turned away from the staircase. He walked to the back of the house. He crossed through the French doors that led to the garden. By the time he was standing next to the Larson, he was tapping his fingers against his leg to the beat of the reggae music.