by Kat Cotton
I got out my wallet.
“Don’t worry about the bill,” Akira said. “I’ll get it.”
I was about to protest when I remembered the cost would come out of expenses anyway. Akira put some money on the bar.
“I should get back too,” he said.
“No, no, you stay,” I told him, trying to signal with my eyes that this would be an ideal opportunity.
As I stood up, I came over all woozy. I grabbed the back of Lilly’s bar stool to steady myself.
“Are you okay?” Akira said but his voice sounded like it came from far away. I tried to smile at him, not wanting to make a big deal of this, but he grabbed me a glass of water.
I’d a vision. Well, not so much a vision as a flash. It’d been nothing like the visions I’d had before. They’d been visual, true visions. This time I’d been hit with a strong feeling: do not trust Earnest. He wasn’t just annoying and he wasn’t just irritated by me. When he’d said he wanted me gone, he’d meant exactly that, no matter what it took.
Chapter 8
WHEN WE GOT TO THE venue the next morning, we had to wait for another troupe to finish their rehearsal. That gave me some time to kill. The day before, I’d only seen the space we’d be using so Lilly and I went for a walk around to check out the rest of the venue. There were a number of performance spaces set out over the three buildings with a courtyard in between.
“Why’d we have to get out of bed so early if we just have to wait around. Those damn clowns will regret running late.”
She meant clowns in the most literal sense.
“I’m sure they won’t be long.”
“They’d better not. This place used to be a factory, you know. A lot less fancy back then. Times really do change. Not only do things crumple but nowadays, they revere the decay.”
Most of the previously industrial buildings had that hipster rundown feeling. Graffiti covered the brick walls but in a carefully preserved kind of way. The festival started tonight and groups of people milled around in the courtyard, most in costume.
Lilly called out to a few people she knew then the two of us went into one of the other buildings.
“This room is much bigger than ours.” Lilly pouted. “Surely we’re good enough to be in the main theater.”
“We’re probably better off playing to a smaller crowd without Duke here.
“Phhht, like anyone comes to see him. I’m the star.”
Only a stupid and foolhardy person would get into that discussion. We went back out, looking for the cafe but it hadn’t opened yet.
“There’s a coffee cart down by the river,” Lilly said. “Let’s grab one there.”
We walked down. Posters for the various shows lined the path.
“Our posters are the best, at least,” Lilly said.
“You never told me what you thought,” she said, bending to the side.
“About what?” I replied.
“The cute crew guy. Akira. From last night.”
After I’d recovered from my dizzy spell, I’d left, expecting Akira and Lilly to stay but Akira decided to leave too.
Lilly and I walked back to the town house together.
“Well, that was a waste of time,” Lilly had said.
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you notice?” she asked. “You’re so oblivious, Jayne. He only had eyes for you. I didn’t stand a chance.”
I’d ignored her because I had bigger worries on my mind and I thought she must’ve been joking.
“Not that I want your cast offs or anything, but if you want to stake a claim, you should speak up now.”
I’d never really thought about staking a claim. Akira was off limits to me. We worked together and my boss had very strong opinions on workplace relationships. But when I tried to tell Lilly he was all hers, the words stuck in my throat. I could think them but I couldn’t articulate them.
“Maybe we should just let him make up his own mind,” I said. “He does have free will.”
Lilly laughed. “You’re so naive about men.”
After we ordered our coffees, Lilly realized she hadn’t bought any money with her.
“I guess I’ll pay,” I said. I’d expected that would be the case.
“Thanks Jayne,” she said.
While we waited, I looked at the cookies and snacks on offer. I’d skipped breakfast because I hadn’t wanted to face Earnest. Nothing on the counter appealed. The cookies looked dry and the other snacks didn’t look too fresh. At least I’d have coffee in my belly.
Even though it was a bright day, it hadn’t gotten too warm yet and a brisk breeze blew off the river. I wrapped both hands around my coffee cup as we walked back, appreciating the warmth.
“I hope this coffee is strong enough for me to make it through the day,” she said.
“You might have time for a nap this afternoon,” I said.
Lilly shook her head. “I’ve got things to do while I’m in town.”
She didn’t elaborate which got me curious. Lilly didn’t let much slip about important things but if she had a date or was going shopping or anything like that, she chatted about it for hours. And Lilly didn’t let much keep her from sleep.
“Three days and we’ll be out of here,” she said.
I turned to face her, wanting to read her expression but only seeing a deep resignation. “You sound like you don’t want to be here.”
She gave a shrug. “Too many memories,” she said. “I’d prefer to be somewhere new and exciting. Although there aren’t many places like that left.”
“Maybe you need to do an overseas tour.”
She smiled but that smile had a touch of sadness. “That’d be nice but it’s not possible. This is our circuit.”
She could say that but I knew that wasn’t how things worked. Of course, the overheads for an international tour made it unfeasible most times, but not impossible. It wasn’t like there was any kind of territorial restrictions. No turf wars or anything like that. If Lilly wanted to perform overseas, she could hook up with another troupe planning a tour. That’d be the cheapest and easiest way to do it.
But then I remembered what she’d said about financial backers. They seemed to control a lot about what the troupe did but Larry and the boys back at headquarters had found out nothing about them.
I finished my coffee and went into the dressing room to get ready. I put a jacket on even though the day had started getting warmer. I didn’t like to stand around for too long in just a leotard. I didn’t mind wearing my costume to perform but, offstage, I always felt uncomfortable in it.
While we waited for Earnest and for the clowns to finish, I warmed up. In this business, you couldn’t do too much warming up. I needed every muscle in tip-top shape.
Lilly came out of the dressing room fully made up with a skimpy outfit on. Even though this was a dress rehearsal, I hadn’t bothered about makeup or doing my hair.
Lilly joined me in my stretches although I’m pretty sure stretching in that costume would be illegal in some countries.
A few minutes later, Earnest turned up with the little dogs running around his legs.
“I hope it’s safe working with those dogs,” Lilly whispered. “Animals can always be unpredictable. I don’t want them running around my ankles like that, tripping me up.”
Even if they did trip her over, what would she do about it? It wasn’t like she’d say a thing to Earnest.
Nuno got into position and waited for the sign from Earnest to start the music up.
Earnest’s opening spiel definitely didn’t have the mesmerizing quality that Duke’s had. But then Duke’s ability to mesmerize was part of his paranormal powers. That fact made me grateful that Earnest wasn’t the same. But, if he was like the others, he had some kind of power and I needed to figure out what it was. I’d rather know now than have him spring it on me.
Duke and Lilly both had powers related to their acts so I watched Earnest carefully during the introduction. Nothing
about it stood out as a potential source of danger to me. He finished his spiel and the dogs did a short dance then it was time for Lilly to go on with her teaser.
Nuno followed then I went on and did my thing — some floor acrobatics to give a taste of my act — then the four of us circled the stage, bowing to imaginary applause, before going offstage to let Earnest do his first routine.
“That was a bit half-assed,” Lilly said as I walked off.
“Huh?”
“Just because Duke’s not here, doesn’t mean you can phone it in.” Lilly certainly wasn’t one for mincing her words. “Hey, is that why you’re not interested in the cute boy? Because of your thing for Duke?”
I watched the dogs performing on the stage, trying to ignore her words but her stare burnt into me.
“I don’t have a thing for anyone,” I finally said. “I’m completely thing-less.”
Lilly huffed. “Go for the cute boy,” she said. “You really don’t want to get mixed up with Duke. Sure, he might be okay for a hook up but he has things going that you don’t want to know about. There’ll never be a happily ever after with Duke. There won’t even be a happily next month.”
With that, she moved away. What could I say anyway? I had no thoughts at all about my long-term future with Duke, Akira or any other man. I’d accepted that I’d spend my life alone. Being a freak made relationships difficult. I’d worked with my foster dad, Buzz to control my powers — and felt much more confident with them — but visions and demon slaying and freaky strength weren’t things most men would accept.
Soon it was time for me to go on. Lilly’s words rang in my head as I grabbed the hoop. Was I just going through the motions? When I’d been training for the first shows, I’d been learning so much the whole time, every day had been a challenge. But now I had the routine down pat. That took a lot of the excitement out of it for me but this was a performance. The audience deserved the best show possible. I had to be conscious of that and not let my standards slip.
We got to the part where I’d been concerned about the clearance. With the hoop lower, it all went well. I got through the rest of the act and jumped to the ground as Lilly stepped to the side of the stage. Nuno helped me off while the dizziness from swinging around up there subsided.
Because we weren’t doing the Wheel of Death, I only had to do my two acts then join the others onstage for our farewell bows. I figured since this was just a rehearsal, I could get changed before going back out. It’d mean less crowding in the change rooms.
I had an idea but I wasn’t sure if it’d work out or not. That idea was to follow Lilly when she left the rehearsal. She’d been so mysterious about where she was going and I needed to find out what that meant. I’d change into my t-shirt and jeans but I had a hoodie I’d flung into my bag at the last moment. If she saw me in one outfit but I changed before following, I wouldn’t exactly be disguised but I’d at least be harder to spot.
We came out to take our farewell bows. Lilly stood beside me in a crimson, figure hugging dress. Perfect. If I was going to follow her, nothing would make it easier.
Chapter 9
I REALLY HOPED LILLY wasn’t planning to catch a bus or do anything that would make it obvious I’d followed her but luckily, she walked to wherever she was going. Considering the heels she wore, she kept a brisk pace through the city. I stayed a decent distance behind her, trying to blend in with the shoppers and the office workers.
She seemed oblivious, never looking around or giving any indication that she thought she was being followed.
Through the crowd, the flash of her red dress made her easy to spot. The heads turning as she walked helped too. Lilly just kept walking without paying them any attention.
At one point, she stopped to look in a shop window. I hung back, making sure there was no way I could be seen in the window reflection. I thought she’d go into the shop but she only paused for a few minutes. I glanced in the window as I approached the store. Jewelry, of course. Lilly loved the blingy stuff. I could never tell if half the stuff she wore was real or fake but it all sparkled.
When she hit quieter streets, I hung back further. I could be pretty good at blending into the background when I chose. Well, sometimes even when I didn’t choose. Blending into the background seemed to come naturally to me. At least that was a skill that came in handy at times.
Lilly stopped at a flower cart and bought some flowers. Lilies, of course. White and elegant, contrasting with the brightness of her dress. I caught a glimpse of her face as she turned. The somber expression surprised me. Normally Lilly seemed so carefree, like nothing tarnished her surface.
I slipped behind a truck, hoping she hadn’t noticed me.
Where was she going? Maybe she had family in the city. She’d said she came from here. She could be visiting her mother or auntie. The bunch of lilies suggested that. They weren’t the type of flowers you’d give to a young person.
If I found a relative, it’d give us a lead on this case. Some family background at least and maybe a real surname. I’d never known anyone to hide all traces of themselves like the troupe had done. A couple of the boys back at headquarters had speculated that they might be in witness protection but if that was the case, they’d have been given fake backgrounds rather than having no records at all. Otherwise it took a lot of money and a lot of pull to hide yourself that thoroughly.
One small clue, like having a family surname, could unravel all that. In a way, I hated that my pulse raced the way it did. I wanted to solve this case but I hoped that Lilly wasn’t a bad person. She could be a bit abrupt at times but that didn’t make her bad. It sure didn’t make her a murderer.
Keeping up my professional detachment became harder the more time I spend with the troupe. I tried not to let on to Larry but the thought that any of them could be cold blooded killers had become impossible for me to believe. Maybe discovering Lilly’s background wouldn’t condemn her but clear her name. There could be a logical explanation for everything. Well, everything but the demons.
We’d left the city center and hit a wealthy area. The massive old houses would be worth a fortune. Even the still silence in the air could only be found around money.
Lilly walked down a street with a tall brick wall on one side of her. That wall stretched on for a long way. I crossed the road so I could follow her without risking being seen. On the other side of the brick fence, I could see the tops of tress. A park? A huge mansion that put the rest of the fancy houses to shame?
Eventually she came to some large iron gates. She went inside. I waited a while then followed her in. The grounds weren’t a park but a cemetery.
I’d been thinking she had living relatives but hadn’t thought that it was just as likely she had family buried here too. Following her became really uncomfortable. It seemed incredibly invasive. Still, a surname from a grave would be as good a lead as any and intruding on a living relative would be worse than involving a dead one. But that made me feel no better.
A wide path lead from the gates with rows of trees on either side. At first, I couldn’t see where she’d gone but then a flash of red caught my eye. She’d left the main path and walked down a smaller path on the left.
I kept watch but held back, wandering amongst the old graves on the other side of the path. It’d be all too easy to be spotted here.
The graves on this side of the cemetery were really old, most of them in disrepair. The stone had become discolored and marked, the ornamentation crumbling. On one, a seraph had lost its head. A couple of others had ceramic flowers long chipped and faded. Maybe there was a more recent section because no one seemed to have been buried here in the past fifty years. This was a really old cemetery.
To ensure Lilly didn’t spot me, I tried to stay behind the row of trees. I’d see which grave she visited then check the details after she left. I walked around more of the graves. Some of them had poems as well as the usual epitaphs. Others had faded photos of the deceased.
&n
bsp; Weeds grew around most of the graves, tempting me to clean them up. There were just too many, though. I guess these graves were so old that they would no longer have family left to look after them. I walked slowly along the row. Lilly was in the next section over, three rows back next to a grave with huge broken urn on top. That’d be easy to find after she left.
To keep hidden, I knelt by one of the graves while keeping a close eye on Lilly. That seemed a terrible thing to do, faking grief almost. I read the gravestone, wanting to at least make an effort. That told me little though. Loving wife. Nothing more.
It was so peaceful in this place with no one around, just a few insects buzzing and the soft rustle of the breeze through the trees. The day had become warmer, hot enough that I wanted to remove my hoodie but that could wait until Lilly left.
When I spotted Lilly leaving, I waited a while then moved over to inspect the grave she’d visited.
The graves in that section were just as old as the ones in the other section. No one had been buried in this section in the last fifty years so it couldn’t be someone Lilly had known in her life. Maybe a grandmother?
I finally got to the grave and read the inscription: Lilly Thomas.
Same name as Lilly. It had to be her grandmother. Or great grandmother. I read the dates. She’d died in 1923.
There was a short verse and a photo on the headstone. That photo looked a helluva lot like Lilly. I got out my phone and took photos then sent them through to Larry. That might give him something to go on.
There was nothing else to do and I’d given Lilly enough of a head start. I’d walk back to the town house and kill some time. I really didn’t want to be around Earnest.
On the way back, I got a message from Akira.
“Can you meet me?”
Normally that would be a bad idea but since we’d had drinks together the other night, we had a reason to know each other. I checked Google maps and suggested a cafe nearby. The chances of anyone seeing us there were slim and, if they did, it was just coffee.