by Yvonne Heidt
“Well now, let me see if I can remember.”
He sat so still Van worried if his mind wandered and she’d lost him. But after a few moments he began to talk quietly.
“There is a little cove hidden in the rocks nearby the Seeley house where Grandpa used to take me fishing. Every time we passed the area, he would point and talk of the fairy gardens. Oh, how he loved this story.
“‘Once upon a time,’ he always started it that way. There was a princess that lived in the tower, trapped into a marriage with a much older man that her father made her marry. She would weep in the tower because she was lonely and missed her family.”
Van leaned closer, entranced by the story and his soft voice. She almost felt the waves rocking under the small fishing boat and could see him as a small boy fishing while listening to his beloved grandfather.
“One day, she came upon the king of the fairies, making the flowers grow in his garden. The sight of him frightened her so badly, she ran away. But she couldn’t stop thinking of the handsome king of fairies and sought him out.
“They fell in love, as princesses often do with fairy kings, and she wasn’t lonely again.”
He stopped talking and Van tapped his knee. “Then what happened, Grandpa?”
He smiled. “Well, I suppose they lived happily ever after because that’s the end of the story.”
No, they didn’t, Van thought. Her heart hurt for the great-great-grandfather she’d never known who told his little grandson about a great love disguised as a fairy tale. She wouldn’t mar his memory in any way and ask if he knew that his grandfather had loved a married woman and possibly had a child with her. It wasn’t anything that anyone could prove.
“I have to leave now, Bella.” Her grandfather stood. “Chores to do before Pops comes home. Thanks for your help.”
Van felt a painful tug. Bella, her grandmother. Her grandparents had known each other since they were nine years old. He had that look in his eyes. The one that said he’d gone away to a place he called sometime yesterday.
His smile was so guileless, so bright, that Van couldn’t help but smile back even as she felt the weight of sadness settle on her chest. “Bye, Gramps. I love you.”
He looked confused for a second before he sat in his chair then looked out the window, rocking back and forth, humming a tune she didn’t recognize.
Van let herself out.
*
The tow truck pulled into her long driveway and Natalie stared at the front of her house. She wondered if it was her imagination or her heartbreak that created the dark cloud that appeared to be hanging over her roof. She could do this. In fact, she thought, I’ve already done it. Hadn’t she been in the exact same place only a little while ago? She opened the truck door and quickly thanked the driver, handing him a twenty dollar tip. Cold and icy rain drops bit her face and hands, soaking her before she could reach the door.
She shook off in the foyer and made a mental list. The first thing she needed to do was to call the gallery and tell them she couldn’t make it. The mechanic told her it would be at least a week before they could get to her car. She had no idea what was wrong with it. She had been on her way back home from Van’s to pick up the art she was going to deliver and the car just quit running. She pulled to the side of the road and tried starting it again. Nothing. It didn’t click like it would when her battery went dead. Fortunately, she was only two blocks from Bayside Auto Repair. The tow truck driver brought her home and said he would tow her car on the way back to the garage.
She was grateful for the sudden rain shower. It would delay or, please, God, cancel Van’s work crew. She didn’t want to deal with any of it. Van had told her how superstitious the workers were, and right now, she knew any excuse at all would keep them away. That was fine with her.
“It’s just me,” she called out. Who are you talking to? The house was quiet. Her footsteps echoed on the hardwood while she checked the house. She cautiously peeked around the doorways. Nope, no nasty surprises. Natalie finished her route, let out a sigh of relief, and her shoulders came down off her neck.
She felt hollow inside and knew herself well enough to get busy and try to get her mind off the blonde who ripped the rug out from under her. Candy. Bitch. Or should she place the blame right where it lay? With Van? By her own admission, she slept around. Natalie didn’t understand that behavior. How could she sleep with Candy one night and tell her she loved her the next night? She knew that she wasn’t experienced the way Van was about sex. But how could she hurt her that way? Their lovemaking meant something to Natalie; it meant everything. She just assumed because of her own strong feelings that Van felt the same way. Assumed, there you go, made an ass of herself, again. Natalie refused to cry and pushed the tears back. She was so tired of hurting.
Natalie flipped on the stereo to cover any unexplainable noises on her way to the phone and dialed the gallery. Their machine picked up so she left a message, quickly apologizing for the delay, and explained what happened to her car that morning. She promised she would call the art moving company to deliver the paintings at her own expense.
A phone call to the company brought a promise to pick up her paintings the next day. They assured her they would make certain the pieces were delivered as soon as possible, relieving her of some of the guilt pounding at her temples. It did nothing, however, to relieve the icy fingers that tapped on her spine or the hurt constricting her chest.
The rain continued to pelt the windows and the wind rang the new chimes she’d hung on the porch. She didn’t want to give in to despair, but she felt a little lost. Her grief hadn’t healed completely from the first betrayal before Van left fresh tracks over the top of it.
What if all of this was a dream?
Her door was shut, and after entering, she checked the window. It was still latched. In fact, nothing seemed to be disturbed at all. It was still a little messy when she packed in a hurry the night before, but other than that, there were no surprises. Natalie climbed into the unmade bed, she didn’t want to think about anything or anyone; she just wanted to get some rest. She curled into a tight ball and while she rocked herself to sleep, she finally let the tears come.
*
It was dark when the sound of soft sighs and moans woke Natalie. The room gradually lightened until through the shade of purple twilight she could make out two figures on the bed. The stab of betrayal in her stomach constricted as she watched the women make love. How could fate be so cruel, to give her something so wonderful, to have it ripped away? The sound of the front door slamming made her jump. She looked over to Sarah and Beth, but they appeared not to have heard it. “Get up!” she shouted, and shook the bed. “He’s coming, hurry.” The room grew cold and Natalie shivered. “Beth, Sarah, hide! He’s almost here.”
Natalie’s heart pounded harder with each approaching step from the hallway. “Please, please. He’s coming.” She begged the women in the bed. Nothing worked. She knew with a horrified certainty what was going to happen next, and she was powerless to stop it. Sarah was leaning over Beth, softly talking to her while she stroked her.
At the same moment that Beth threw her head back against the pillows, her face filled with ecstasy, the bedroom door slammed open. Natalie threw herself back against the wall. She inwardly cringed at the look of contorted rage on his face. “I caught you!” Richard reached the bed in three quick strides and pulled Sarah off the bed by her hair. She swung helplessly in his grip and tried to reach for Beth. “You’re fucking my wife? You sick bitch, you are going to pay for this. You bring this unnatural act to my house?” He shook her with each word he spit out at her, until her legs went out from under her.
Beth cried and pleaded with him to let Sarah go. “Please, Richard. I’ll do anything. Just let her go.” She crawled on her belly toward him. “Please.”
“You disgust me, whore.” Richard stood with rage radiating from his eyes. The only sound in the room was his heavy breathing and the sobs from the two ter
rified women.
“You’ll do anything? You will pay for this until the day your miserable, pathetic life ends.” He threw Sarah down on the floor and ripped the sheet away from her when she tried to cover herself. He turned toward Beth and ordered her into the bathroom.
Beth slowly stood. She kept her eyes down and her head lowered in submission. “What are you going to do?”
He didn’t answer, but roughly grabbed her by her arm and forced her into the bathroom. His fingers dug deep into her naked arms. After he threw her in, he shut and locked the door. “Do not move!” he yelled through the door. He stomped back to where Sarah was crumbled on the floor and hissed at her. “Pack your bags. You’re leaving. I don’t ever want to see you again.”
Sarah looked up at him hesitantly and gradually got to her feet. She reached for the nightgown hanging on one of the bottom posts of the bed and quickly pulled it over her head. Sarah started to back out of the room step-by-step, as if unwilling to turn her back on her brother. She made it to the door then Natalie could hear the sound of her bare feet running in the hall.
Richard watched her go, and an evil roar ripped from his throat, chilling Natalie to the bone, almost choking her with fear. Natalie huddled on the floor and cried with her hands over her ears in an attempt to muffle the pitiful screams that reached her through the closed door of the bathroom.
*
Van sat with her father on the wide porch, watching the rain and rocking companionably while they talked about her visit with her grandfather.
“It makes me sad, Vanessa, that we may have had a relative that we know nothing about.”
“We can’t prove it, Dad.”
“That doesn’t make her any less ours.”
“No, you’re right. It doesn’t. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?”
“That it does, baby.” Her father continued to rock in his chair in a slow, steady motion.
Van drew comfort from his nearness, grateful that she had always known how much she was loved. Home was a safe place full of love and laughter. Her father’s recent health scare only made her more determined to completely break out of the protective shell she’d built around herself. “I love you.” She patted his knee. “I’m going to take care of some paperwork.”
“Love you back. I’m just going to sit here awhile longer.”
Van kissed his cheek and went into her office to pay the monthly bills. The business line rang and she picked it up automatically. “V & V Landscapers, how can I help you?”
“Van? This is Mary, Natalie’s friend?”
“Well, hello there.” Van put the pen aside and leaned back in her chair.
“Have you seen Natalie? I’ve been trying to call her all weekend and all I get is a bunch of static. Where is she and what have you done with my best friend?”
“Whoa. Hang on. I can see why you and Natalie are best friends. Do you guys always talk that fast?”
“Don’t have time for small talk. Answer me.”
Van relayed to her what had been happening with the phones.
“So where is she?”
Van held her annoyance because she could hear the worry in Mary’s voice. “I left her sleeping in my bed this morning.”
“You’re sure she’s all right?”
Van smiled. “She’s fine.”
“What exactly are your intentions?”
Van couldn’t help it; she laughed out loud. “Oh, are we going to have that talk? Is this where you threaten me with bodily harm if I hurt her in any way?”
“God, I’m sorry. Did I sound that crass?”
“Yes, but being that you’re her best friend and you’re worried about her, I’ll forgive you.”
“Can I have your home number so I can try getting a hold of her there?”
Van rattled off her number. “But I’ve been trying all morning, and she isn’t answering there either.”
“I’ll try again. If she’s still not picking up, I’ll swing by her place and see if she’s there and let you know, okay?”
Van said that was fine and disconnected. As long as Natalie stayed at her house and didn’t go home alone, she wouldn’t worry. She looked forward to sharing what she learned today with her this evening and then they could get busy with the whole kissing cousins situation, she thought, amusing herself with the analogy. She looked back at the stack of bills and sighed before getting back to work.
*
The door to the bathroom opened and Richard threw Beth on the bed. His face was set in hard lines and his shirt splattered with bright red stains. He didn’t even look back before he left the bedroom. Natalie pulled herself off the floor, using the bed as an anchor. She peered at Beth and her hand flew to her mouth in horror. Beth lay unconscious, her blood soaking into the sheets that had so recently given her pleasure. Natalie could only stare at her helplessly for a moment until she felt her fear drain away. Red hot anger came in its place, until she felt it pulsating in her veins. Rage tasted like copper in her mouth.
Natalie turned from the bed and followed Richard’s path out the door. He was at the end of the hallway, heading for Sarah’s room. He didn’t appear to be in any hurry, just stepping heavy as if he were drawing out the terror that Sarah would be feeling as he approached. Natalie ran toward him so fast, she felt like she was flying.
Richard spun and grinned. His face began morphing between himself and the demon that he was. She was momentarily surprised he could actually see her, but Natalie didn’t even slow her approach. She came at him, screaming with fury. A split second before impact, Richard sidestepped to the right. Natalie ran straight into the wall and hit it full force, turning the world black.
*
Van was out in the greenhouse helping a customer when she saw Mary waving a hand above her head and heading toward her. She quickly excused herself and met her halfway. She was a little startled when Mary hugged her, but she returned the hug. Mary followed Van through the store. Van had to stop now and then to let her exclaim over the various lush plants and art pieces on the shelves.
“How come I didn’t know this beautiful yard stuff was here?” Mary stopped to look at a blown cobalt glass ball being held aloft by an exquisite fairy.
“Maybe because, I don’t know, I might be going out on a limb here. You’ve never been here?” Van laughed and continued to the office.
Mary stopped in front of a display that held several large wind chimes, and poked a finger to make them ring. “I want one of these!”
“We’ll grab one on the way out. Let’s talk back here.”
“Very nice,” Mary said as she looked around the room that held flowers and artfully arranged crystals and knick-knacks.
“Thank you. Please sit down.”
“I probably could have called, but I wanted to check the place out. The gallery Natalie works for called me trying to find her to let her know that her room reservations had been confirmed. Evidently, her phone is still out of order and they were looking forward to seeing her this evening.”
“Oh,” said Van. Natalie had never said a word to her about leaving. She didn’t know what to say.
“Maybe she tried, you know, phones out, and all. She probably left you a note or something.” Mary stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Do you hear that?”
Van’s nerves twitched. “What?”
“I thought I heard someone crying.” Mary put a finger to her lips to gesture for silence and listened for a few seconds. “I must have imagined it.”
After she walked with Mary to her car, Van found the wind chime that she had admired. She took it to the front counter, handed it to the clerk, and told her wrap it up so she could surprise Mary with it later.
Why hadn’t Natalie tried to get a hold of her to let her know she was leaving? The nursery was on the way out of town. She could have stopped by. Van felt a slap of insecurity. Natalie hadn’t told her she loved her back last night. Should she assume that the declaration had scared her off? Natalie didn’t owe her any
explanations, yet Van still felt hurt that she wouldn’t say anything to her about where she was going. Should she give Natalie her space? Following a sixty second argument with herself, she dialed her number anyway.
Still no answer.
Chapter Eighteen
Natalie opened her eyes, shocked to find herself sitting on the basement stairs. Her thin shirt stuck to her perspiring skin, sending icy chills over her body. The last thing she remembered was running into the wall and blacking out. Her pounding heart signaled her fear; she could hear the pulse of it in her eardrums, shutting out all other sound. Why was she down here? She gradually became aware of another noise, and heard a faint voice muttering. She forced herself to look around. The clean concrete floor was missing as well as the bright fluorescent lighting. It was dark and gloomy; cobwebs scattered on the rafters like crazy spun sugar. Natalie realized she was going to have to play this nightmare through to its conclusion. She was aware of the cold but knew it had nothing to do with the chills she was experiencing. Every hair on her body stood up to signal danger. She moved in and through the shadows, trying to reach the source of the racket. Fear curled in her belly and prickled on her skin. When she got to the last stone pillar, she cautiously peeked around it.
Richard was busy raking the dirt floor in the west corner, giggling and talking to himself. Natalie was certain he was insane. She crouched by the pillar to watch and see if she could make out what he was saying. She froze when he turned around and looked directly at her. Natalie didn’t even blink; she let fear hold her immobile.
Richard shook his head and poured fresh dirt from an old bucket over the mound he’d already smoothed, stopping to check his work every few minutes and wipe the sweat that broke out on his forehead. “Fucking bitch tried to stab me. Who the hell does she think she is?”
Natalie noted the blood drying on his cheek. What had he done with Sarah? Then she realized he must be covering the entrance to the old root cellar. She had wondered when she did the first walk-through why her old house didn’t have one but figured the previous owners had filled it in. She gagged when she realized he might have buried Sarah in there. The horror of the situation hit her, but it was still anger that drove her to action. Natalie looked for a weapon she could use. If he could hurt her, she should be able to hurt him too, right?