by April Henry
Ajay made a humming sound. “I guess I’d wonder about some grown man who wanted to hire my twelve-year-old daughter.”
“Well, Bob’s not normal, but he’s definitely not creepy. And my dad was relieved when he realized Bob wanted to do it all by email. For the first couple of years, he occasionally read Bob’s emails to make sure he wasn’t sneaking any weird things in. Which he wasn’t.”
“So back up—you’ve only been to his house once, and you remember how to get there?”
“I have a good memory.” She felt oddly defensive. “It’s why Bob hired me in the first place.”
The farther they got from the city, the more things spread out. Huge houses on acreage alternated with farm fields that lay fallow at this time of year.
By memory, she turned down one road and then, a mile later, another. Now there weren’t any other cars on the road besides her dad’s. But when Bridget turned into Bob’s driveway, she had to hit her brakes. What had once been a long road was now bisected by a black wrought-iron gate.
“This wasn’t here before.”
AJAY
Put Your Hands in the Air
The gate was about eight feet high, made of wrought iron twisted into abstract shapes. In the middle of each swinging gate was a large S set in a circle. And then Ajay realized the shapes were really wings and horns, echoing the unicorns in Swords and Shadows.
Bridget turned off the engine, and they got out of the car. The air was still and cold around them. Ajay felt oddly small and exposed.
On the left side of the gate was a keypad. Bridget pushed the intercom button underneath, but no one answered. Ajay pressed his face to the gate, peering through the gathering darkness. “There’s two cars parked in front,” he told her. “A pickup and a Tesla.”
Bridget pressed the button again. This time she waved at the camera. But still no crackle broke the silence.
She stepped back to consider the gate and the brick walls on either side. “There’s got to be a way to get in.”
Ajay shuffled his feet. Was that really their place? “Maybe instead we should call the police?”
“And tell them what? That Bob sent me an email and got my parents’ names wrong? We need more than that. And what if he’s passed out inside?” Bridget stuck her head and then her shoulders through the curve of the S. She pulled back. “If I take off my coat, I think I can squeeze through here.” She was already unzipping it. She laid it on the ground next to the gate.
“There’s no way I can. But I don’t want you going up to the house by yourself.” Ajay stepped back and eyed the brick wall. It was about seven feet tall. “I think if I got a running start I could jump and pull myself up.”
Bridget pointed her arms like a diver and started wriggling through the S. She got caught at the hips, but she kept wiggling, and finally she slipped through. Getting back on her feet, she pulled her coat through the gate.
“Okay, wait for me.” Ajay walked backward a dozen steps, then launched himself into a run. He leapt, and his fingers found gritty purchase. With trembling arms, he managed to pull himself up and get one knee and then the other on top of the wall. By the time he thought about the possibility of broken glass, it was too late. But the top of the wall was just concrete, nothing more.
He swiveled around and jumped down from a sitting position, landing with his knees bent. Then together he and Bridget walked to the front door. It had a gryphon-head iron knocker as well as a bell. They tried both, but no one came to the door. Ajay pressed his ear against the cold wood, but heard nothing.
By unspoken agreement, they began to move around the perimeter of the house, using their phone flashlights to peer in each room. They were clean and tidy. They struck Ajay as almost sterile, as if no one lived here at all.
“It’s hard to think of the guy who wrote Swords and Shadows living in a McMansion with wall-to-wall carpeting,” he whispered. They were both whispering now, even though their stated purpose was to attract Bob’s attention.
“And there’s not even a single fireplace you could roast a stag in,” Bridget whispered back.
His breath caught when his flashlight spotlighted a man all dressed in silver. “What’s that?”
Bridget pressed her face next to his, staring through the gap in the curtains.
She exhaled. “Oh, that’s just a suit of armor. I remember it from when I came here. That’s Bob’s office.”
Suddenly a bright light lit up the gloom behind them. Ajay turned, shading his eyes with his hand.
“This is the police!” a man yelled. “Put your hands in the air. Now!”
BRIDGET
Imposter
“Do it! Now!” the cop yelled at Bridget and Ajay from the other side of the gate. “Get your hands where I can see them.”
Trembling, Bridget raised both hands over her head, squinting in the powerful glare of the cop’s flashlight.
He tapped a code on the keypad. The gate clicked as it unlocked. He shouldered it aside and walked toward them. Bridget’s heart sped up. His right hand rested on the butt of his gun.
“This is private property. You’re trespassing.” He moved his flashlight from their faces and played it along the side of the house.
“We’re not burglars,” Bridget said. Her heart was a drum in her chest.
“I’m the one asking questions here.”
Hands still raised, she and Ajay exchanged a glance. It didn’t seem like a good time to mention she hadn’t actually asked a question.
He turned back to them. “How did you get in?”
“I crawled through one of the S’s,” Bridget said.
“What?” He sounded irritated.
“The S’s in the middle of the gate.” After a second, she added, “Sir.”
“And I climbed over the wall,” Ajay said.
“Didn’t you two stop to think that the gate and the walls are there for a reason? Trespassing is a crime.”
“But we’re not trespassing!” she protested. “We’re here because we’re worried about Bob.”
“You mean Mr. Haldon?”
“Yes. Bob. Mr. Haldon. I’m his research assistant.”
“That’s a new one,” the cop said. “Research assistant.” He gave her words a mocking spin. “You’re a teenager.”
With difficulty, Bridget kept the tremble from her voice. “I’m a teenager, and I’m his research assistant. And last night he sent me this weird garbled message and then didn’t answer when I asked if he was okay.”
“Uh-huh. And how did he send this message? Through the TV? Or by wearing certain colors in a photo?”
The cop wasn’t making sense. “What? He emailed me. If you look at his message, you’ll see what I mean.” Bridget started to lower one hand toward her phone.
“Keep your hands where I can see them! Do not reach in your pockets.” He let out an irritated sigh.
Belatedly, Bridget realized why he was asking such strange questions. “You think we’re just obsessed fans. That we don’t really know him. But that’s not true!”
The flashlight shifted focus to Ajay’s face. “So you know Mr. Haldon as well?”
Ajay cleared his throat. “Well, actually, it’s just Bridget who does. But she showed me his message. And she does work for him.”
The cop’s skeptical expression hadn’t changed. “And how do you know that?”
“Well, uh, she knows everything about his books. And she’s always working on this database for him.”
“What do you mean?” the cop asked.
“It’s like an index to the facts in the Swords and Shadows series,” she said. If the cop considered Bob’s complicated world for a second, he’d understand. “Have you ever read any of the books?”
“No.” He bit off the word.
“Then you’ve probably watched the TV show.” That was pretty much a given. It was one of the most popular shows in America.
“I only watch sports.”
He certainly wasn’t givi
ng her much to work with. “Okay. Well, everything in Swords and Shadows is really detailed. It’s a fantasy world with a lot of layers. A few years ago, Bob, um, Mr. Haldon, hired me to keep track of all those details. And when he’s writing, he’ll ask me questions about what he’s already established so there’s continuity between books.”
The cop didn’t look convinced. At all. “If you work for him, why did you need to break in?”
“First of all, we were not breaking in. We were just looking in the windows to make sure he hadn’t collapsed or something.” As Bridget spoke, a second police SUV pulled up at the gate. “And I don’t work here. I work at my house, and we communicate by email.”
“Yeah, yeah, right,” he said as the second officer walked toward them. She was a dark-haired woman who might have looked friendly if she smiled.
She wasn’t smiling. “What’ve you got?”
“Two kids who claim they’re just worried about Haldon’s health. Can you pat them down for me?”
She did, starting with Ajay. When it was Bridget’s turn, she tried to think of it as a particularly vigorous massage.
“They’re both clean,” the female cop said as she stepped back. “Either of you two have ID?” When they nodded, she said, “Let’s see it.”
Ajay pulled out his wallet and handed it to her. She read aloud as she scribbled in a notebook she’d taken from her pocket. “Ajay Kapoor. Age seventeen. Lives in Southwest Portland.”
“Are you arresting us?” Bridget’s voice shook. Without answering the question, the cop handed Ajay’s ID back, then held out her hand for Bridget’s.
She pulled out her phone case, which also had slots for her ID.
“Bridget Shepherd,” the cop read. “Also seventeen. Also lives in Southwest Portland.”
When the woman handed her phone back, Bridget said, “Can I show you the message I got?” Was she imagining it, or was Ajay shaking his head? Besides, it was too late, because the cops were shrugging.
After she opened the message, they both glanced at it.
“So?” the female cop said.
“So it doesn’t make any sense. Like, those names aren’t my parents’ names.”
“This isn’t even from Haldon,” the male cop said as he clicked on the email address. “It’s from someone named [email protected].”
“That’s him,” Bridget said. “That’s his email address. B—Mr. Haldon told me he tried to get KingOfSwords or SwordsAndShadows but they were both taken.”
The female cop made a scoffing noise. “Don’t they teach you guys basic internet literacy? On the internet, anyone can be anyone.”
“Have either of you been drinking or using drugs?” the male cop asked.
“No, sir,” she said. Ajay echoed her.
A black Honda pulled in between her dad’s Subaru and the first cop’s SUV. There were now four cars lined up in front of the gate. The woman who got out looked like she was in her early forties. Clutching her calf-length fur coat closed at the throat, she walked briskly over to them.
“Hey, Joanne,” the male cop said over his shoulder. “Ms. Dart,” the female cop said.
She nodded. “Officer Albright. Officer Rubio.” Her eyelashes were so lush they looked like fur. Her blond shoulder-length hair was elaborately styled, and jewels gleamed on her ears and fingers. “Whatcha got this time?”
“A couple of teenagers. Know these two?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never seen either of them before in my life.”
He pursed his lips. “This one says she works for Mr. Haldon as his researcher.”
“His researcher?” Her laugh was a bark. “That’s a new one.” She looked closer at Bridget. “I guess you’re too young to claim you’re his wife or girlfriend.”
“What?” Bridget said. “Of course not. He’s old enough to be my grandfather.”
Officer Rubio shook her head. “Do you realize how many fans show up here? Why do you think he has a security system? The benign ones just want his autograph or a chance to talk to him. And some think he loves them, or that he would if he just met them.”
“Except for that guy who was sure he was an imposter who killed the real Haldon,” Officer Albright interjected. The three adults all made faces.
“I am his researcher!” Bridget wasn’t scared any longer. She was exasperated. “And I do work for him. He sent me this weird message, and I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Joanne shrugged. “Well, I’ve worked as his personal assistant for six months, and I’ve never heard of you. All I know is I’m getting tired of this. All these so-called fans showing up at all hours, half the time in weird costumes. At least you’re dressed normal. Last month, there was some guy who’d had plastic surgery on his ears to make him look more like this elf named Car Umlaut or something.”
“Car Umass,” Bridget corrected. He’d played a key role in both Darkest Heart and Unicorn Wars.
“Whatever.” Joanne waved a hand. “I’ve never read any of the books. I have better things to do with my life.”
As Officer Albright nodded in agreement, Ajay said mildly, “It seems like Haldon makes a good living at it.”
“Good enough he can fly off to Flanders and look at castles,” Joanne said. “Which is where he is right now.”
“Nice work if you can get it,” Officer Albright said. He and Officer Rubio exchanged a look. “So tell me the truth, you two. Were you just trying to get a look at your favorite author’s home?”
Before Bridget could say anything, Ajay rushed in. “I’m sorry, officers. You’re right. We shouldn’t have done it. And I apologize that we did.”
Realizing he was attempting to extricate them, Bridget closed her mouth.
Officer Rubio looked at Joanne. “I’ve got their names and addresses in case you discover any damage after you get inside. But if you don’t, do you still want to press charges?”
“I think they’ve learned their lesson.” Joanne gave them a sour smile. “But if they show up here again, all that changes.”
AJAY
A Real Friend
The car was silent as they drove away from Bob’s house. Ajay was half turned away from Bridget, looking out the passenger side window. He didn’t want to, but he was busy recalculating. Trying to think with his head and not his heart, the way Aprita had said.
Finally, Bridget broke the silence. “I still think something’s wrong.” Her voice simmered with frustration.
Ajay sighed. “If there is, I don’t see what you can do about it. I mean, you already emailed him, and he hasn’t answered. If there really is something wrong with his health, hopefully someone in Flanders can help him.”
“Flanders!” Bridget slapped the steering wheel. “You didn’t really believe that Joanne person, did you?”
Instead of answering, Ajay reluctantly gave voice to one of the thoughts crowding his head. “Joanne didn’t even know about you.”
Bridget huffed. “Well, I didn’t know about her, so we’re even. Besides, why should Bob tell me about her or vice versa? We represent completely different aspects of his life.”
“I guess you’re right.” But he was just placating her. His heart protested, but his brain overruled it. “But I have to say I didn’t not believe Joanne. I mean, it makes sense. Why wouldn’t Bob go to Flanders? You’ve talked about how much research he does. So he’s probably just jet-lagged. Which would explain the mistakes in his message.”
After a long pause, Bridget said, “I’m starting to think they’re not mistakes.”
“Then what are they?”
“Clues.”
Every word of hers was just making Ajay feel worse. “Clues to what, Bridget? If Bob had something he wanted to tell you, why wouldn’t he just come out and say it?”
She stopped at a red light. “I don’t know. But I think something’s wrong.”
He ran a hand down his face. His fingers were still trembling. “We’re just lucky those cops didn’t
arrest us. I was imagining having to call my parents from the police station. Even in my imagination, it didn’t go over well.” His parents had reluctantly accepted Ajay’s B’s. Encouraged his cooking. But an arrest? That would break their hearts.
“But we didn’t do anything wrong.” She turned back onto the highway. “All we did was look in the windows to make sure Bob wasn’t hurt or passed out or something.”
“You left out the part about how we got past the locked gate. Which is trespassing, at least technically.” Ajay pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find the right words. “You know, until we talked to those cops, I’d never thought about what it would be like being a celebrity. Having strangers show up at your house uninvited. Having some of them believe they’re in love with you, or even that you’re in love with them. But those people really think it’s true.” He focused on the two cones of light pushing ahead of them into the darkness.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw how she stiffened. “You believe me, don’t you?”
The silence stretched out until it seemed almost unbearable.
Finally, Ajay broke it. “Look, you clearly know everything about Swords and Shadows. More than it’s possible to imagine anyone else in the world knowing. And I’ve seen you working on that database so many times.” The cop’s words echoed in his thoughts. On the internet, anyone can be anyone.
“So you don’t believe Bob hired me! You don’t believe I know him.”
“I didn’t say that, Bridget,” Ajay finally said. “You did.”
“But that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? That actually I typed up Bob’s message to myself? That doesn’t even make sense.”
But neither did that guy getting his ears surgically altered to look like an elf’s, Ajay thought but didn’t say. Finally, he sighed. “Can’t we just go back to the way things were? I want to be your friend, Bridget. It seems like you need one.”
“You make me sound like some charity case.” She spit the words. “Not like a real friend. Don’t worry. You don’t have to keep earning brownie points by bringing me lunch and pretending to listen to me.”