The Clockwork House

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘Nope,’ his lips popped on the word. ‘No classes until tomorrow afternoon and like my dad said, my cousin Miranda is covering the bar for a few days.’

  ‘I just feel like I’ve taken up so much of your time already, you wouldn’t have even been in the house yesterday if it wasn’t for me. You certainly wouldn’t have ended up falling through the floor and being exposed to a potentially lethal poison.’

  ‘Ava,’ he stepped closer, ‘don’t do that. Don’t feel guilty. I’m exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do and right now, apparently, that means going to visit a bunch of crazy old ladies,’ his mouth curved slowly.

  ‘You know, Ivy’s probably going to be there, right?’ her own mouth twitched in amusement.

  ‘Yeah, and I’d like it noted, the lengths I’m willing to go to for you, including being pursued by a praying mantis.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ she smiled, ‘I’ll protect you.’

  ‘Damn right you will,’ he huffed. ‘I’ll be using you as a human shield.’

  By the time they’d showered and dressed, and convinced Bailey to remain in Kelley’s apartment, most of the morning was gone. They strolled easily down into the town, breathing in the salty air coming in off the tide as the temperature of the mid-day sun approached sweltering.

  Kelley’s hand slipped around hers as he guided her through the streets that were second nature to him, and she found that she didn’t mind. Her mind was gently trying to remind her not to get too attached so it would hurt less when she moved on again, but the more time she spent in Midnight… the more time she spent with Kelley, the less she could picture leaving.

  ‘You’re so lucky,’ she breathed as she watched the sparkling blue ocean at the end of the sloping street.

  ‘Yeah?’ he replied, his brows raised, ‘because of my great sense of humor? My awesome intellect? Or is it because I’m so good looking?’

  She laughed easily, everything was easy around him and there was a comfort in that, that she’d never experienced before.

  ‘No, I mean growing up here,’ she tugged on his hand gently. ‘It’s such a beautiful place.’

  ‘It is,’ he agreed. ‘I think sometimes we islanders forget that. It’s a great place to live, to grow up, to raise a family and not just because of its natural beauty but because of its sense of community too.’

  ‘Did you ever think about leaving?’ she asked curiously. ‘I mean my mom did, so did Drew.’

  ‘Well I can’t answer for your mom,’ he replied, ‘but Drew, well he always wanted the bright lights and big city. He lives his life at only two speeds, a hundred miles an hour and unconscious.’

  ‘Having met Drew, I can believe it,’ she smiled. ‘He has this energy about him, he never stops.’

  ‘Yeah that’s Drew. I love the guy but sometimes it’s exhausting being his friend.’

  ‘You never thought about leaving the island then?’

  ‘No,’ Kelley shook his head comfortably, ‘I’ve got everything I need right here. Don’t get me wrong I’ve traveled a bit, Boston, New York, we even headed over to the West coast for family vacations in California when we were kids. One year I begged my mom and dad to take us to Salem.’

  ‘Salem?’

  ‘Yeah, we’d been studying the witch trials in school and I don’t know, it just fired my imagination. I was desperate to see it.’

  ‘And did you?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he smiled softly in remembrance, ‘they took me and Killian for Halloween. First Danvers, which historically was Salem village and then on to Salem itself which back in the 17th century was known as Salem Town. I tell you, no one does Halloween like Salem; they’ve got this incredible candy store there too.’

  ‘Sounds like you had a great childhood,’ she said a little wistfully.

  ‘We did,’ Kelley nodded, ‘we were lucky.’

  ‘San Francisco was the longest I ever stayed anywhere,’ she told him quietly, ‘when my dad was still alive.’

  She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone, scrolling through until she found the picture of her and her dad sitting on his motorbike. The framed original Baz had given her was still packed away safely in her truck, but she’d taken a picture of it to keep on her phone, so she’d always have it with her.

  She held it out to Kelley, who took her phone in his free hand and studied the picture with a smile.

  ‘This is you?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Damn you were a cute kid,’ he stared at her five-year-old self sitting astride the huge black shiny bike, with curly pigtails, aviator sunglasses that were too big for her face and a huge grin. ‘This your dad?’ his eyes moved to the bare-chested guy sitting comfortably behind her, barefoot and wearing nothing but cut-off jeans. A small chain of brown beads sat around his neck as he smiled widely. ‘He looks a bit like Jim Morrison.’

  ‘Yeah,’ she laughed, ‘he did. He’d listen to The Doors all the time,’ she took the phone as he handed it back and slipped it into her pocket.

  ‘Do you remember him much?’ Kelley asked. ‘You were quite young when he died, weren’t you?’

  ‘He died just a few months after that photo was taken actually.’

  ‘Jesus,’ he swore, ‘that’s rough.’

  ‘It was a long time ago,’ Ava shrugged, ‘but I can still remember the heat of his skin when he’d been out in the sun on his bike. He was nearly always shirtless during the summer months. He’d scoop me up into his arms and hold me, he always smelled so good.’

  ‘It’s a good memory of him to have,’ Kelley looked down as he studied her.

  ‘After he died, we moved around a lot. When I got a little older, we even left the country for a while and traveled.’

  ‘Really?’ he replied in interest.

  ‘Yeah,’ she nodded. ‘I think Serenity needed it, needed something completely different that didn’t remind her of my dad. We made a pilgrimage to India.’

  ‘Wow seriously?’

  ‘We also spent some time in Thailand, but India was what really stuck in my memory.’

  ‘What was it like?’

  ‘Truthfully?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Filled with slums,’ she breathed quietly. ‘Once you get past a lot of the touristy places and into the real India, it’s filled with poverty.’

  ‘I’ve heard that,’ he nodded.

  ‘But the thing is,’ she shook her head, ‘I mean, sure we had to be real careful. It’s very dangerous in places for unaccompanied women, but it’s also full of history and secrets. Little gems hidden away, palaces and temples that you wouldn’t even believe and long since abandoned. We made the Hindu pilgrimage to Galtaji, which is about 10 kilometers from Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan.’

  ‘Galtaji?’

  ‘It’s a series of temples built into the hills that surround Jaipur. There’s a natural spring high on the hill that flows down into a series of pools in which pilgrims bathe. You can climb to the highest pool, to a hilltop temple and…’ she broke off shaking her head. ‘You can’t even begin to imagine. I stood at the apex as the sun rose; the air was warm and humid, but there was a slight breeze. The small monkeys chattered all around me, running around my feet and as I looked out, the sky was on fire. All I could see for miles were slashes of red and orange, and there down below, was Jaipur nestled in the shadow of those towering hills, spread out across the valley floor.’

  ‘It sounds incredible,’ Kelley murmured as he watched her. ‘How old were you?’

  ‘Thirteen I guess, maybe a little younger.’

  ‘You weren’t scared?’

  She shrugged.

  ‘It was an adventure, well for me I suppose,’ she replied thoughtfully. ‘For Serenity it was something completely different. I don’t know why she took us to India. Maybe she was searching for something… something spiritual, a kind of peace, I guess. There was always something so restless about her spirit, a weight she carried with her.’

/>   ‘I have to admit,’ he breathed heavily, ‘I’m a little envious. Of places you’ve been, the things you’ve seen.’

  ‘But you had a home to come back to,’ she replied matter of factly, ‘my life was like one never ending road trip.’

  ‘Ava,’ he stopped abruptly and turned to face her, ‘can I ask you something?’

  ‘I guess,’ she replied warily.

  ‘Did you go to school?’

  ‘I’m not stupid if that’s what you mean,’ she snapped angrily and stalked away.

  Knowing he’d hit a nerve he darted after her and caught her arm gently, turning her back toward him.

  ‘I didn’t say that,’ he said gently. ‘You have this real hang up about people thinking you’re stupid and you’re not. I don’t think that for one second, just for the record. It’s just little things. The lifestyle you were raised in leaves no opportunity for a consistent school-based education, but it also doesn’t lend itself to home schooling either. Especially if your mom was constantly stoned as you’ve implied.’

  ‘I didn’t imply anything,’ Ava replied flatly, ‘she was stoned all the time.’

  ‘When we were in those hidden rooms below the house, the bottles were all clearly labelled but you didn’t know they were poison. You love stories, but you don’t like to read,’ he continued as he watched her face carefully, as the pieces began to fit together. ‘You can’t read very well, can you?’

  Her spine straightened defensively and for a one long, endless moment the silence stretched out between them.

  ‘I can read well enough to get by,’ she finally replied, ‘but my education was never real high up on Serenity’s priority list. Why do you think I waitress in cheap dives and diners? Because I’m too dumb to do anything else.’

  She turned away from him, humiliation burning in her cheeks at having to admit her lack of education to him, to a college graduate and a teacher, for god’s sake. It was so obvious that he was way out of her league.

  ‘Ava,’ he called out, jogging to catch up with her as he grasped her arm again. ‘Ava, just stop. You’re not dumb, far from it. I hate that you think that about yourself. It’s even worse that you actually believe it. You…’ he sighed in frustration, ‘I’ve never met anyone like you Ava. I know you won’t believe it, but you’re incredible. You’re fearless and resourceful and intelligent.’

  She scoffed.

  ‘Don’t do that,’ he scowled, ‘there’s a big difference between lack of intelligence and lack of education. Shockingly there are over 32 million adults in the US who are considered illiterate. They’re not all stupid, their life circumstances simply meant they didn’t have the opportunity or access to education. You may not have a high school diploma Ava but that doesn’t make you less.’

  ‘Do you have any idea how mortifying it is for someone like you to know?’

  ‘Someone like me?’

  ‘You know what I mean,’ she frowned.

  ‘Ava look at me,’ he said quietly. ‘What do you see?’

  ‘A hot nerd in glasses,’ she muttered sulkily.

  He tried to hide the grin.

  ‘Try again.’

  ‘Fine,’ she sighed. ‘I see Kelley… the guy who makes me laugh. The guy who… makes my days brighter. The guy who makes me feel…’

  ‘Makes you feel?’ he unconsciously leaned closer.

  ‘Who makes me feel like anything is possible.’

  ‘There,’ he smiled genuinely. ‘When you look at me, you don’t see a bunch of diplomas or certificates and credentials, you see a guy.’

  ‘What do you see when you look at me?’

  ‘Everything,’ he murmured as his green eyes deepened.

  ‘Kelley,’ she stepped back and took a breath.

  Seeing that she was struggling, and deciding to give her some breathing room, he also stepped back and held out his hand for her.

  ‘Come on, let’s go see Mrs McCarthy and her merry band of misfits. You know it’ll cheer you up to see me getting hit on by senior citizens.’

  Her mouth twitched slightly.

  ‘Your face was priceless when Ivy pinched your butt.’

  ‘There you go,’ he smiled when she slipped her small hand in his, ‘that’s the spirit.’

  They turned the corner and crossed the street to Bunty’s Boutique, stopping when they realized the little shop was closed. Kelley leaned in, cupping his hand over his eyes as he pressed his face to the glass to look in. Stepping back, he glanced up at the building and frowned.

  ‘The shop should be open,’ he murmured. ‘It’s not like Mrs McCarthy to be closed at this time of day. If she’s not able to work, she has Amy who covers part time. Come on,’ he took her hand once again and towed her away from the sweet little blue shop with the snow-white trims.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Ava asked as she jogged to keep up with him.

  ‘Not far, Mrs McCarthy’s place is over on Jefferson. We should check in just to make sure she’s okay.’

  He was such a sweet guy, Ava thought to herself, and frustratingly, she had no defense against him.

  They arrived at a catalogue perfect, two-story in biscuit beige with pretty gables. It sat on the corner of Jefferson and Emery, surrounded by an immaculate picket fence and neatly trimmed lawn.

  It suited Bunty, Ava decided. The woman was neat as a pin, with never a hair out of place, she thought as she lifted her hand and rang the dainty little bell.

  After a few moments the door opened, and Ava’s eyes widened a fraction.

  ‘Uh…’

  ‘Aaaaava,’ Bunty smiled widely as she elongated the vowels in Ava’s name and leaned against the door frame, ‘and Kelleeee.’

  The normally pristine woman was not looking herself at all. Her usually perfectly groomed hair was sticking up in small tufts, her cheeks which were never without a fine dusting of Estée Lauder were pink and flushed. Her eyes wide and her pupils dilated as she continued to smile like a toothpaste commercial. Her signature string of pearls was pulled up to her throat and hung down her back, almost like she was wearing them backwards, and her dove gray pants suit was wrinkled.

  ‘So nice of you to visit,’ she beamed, ‘I do lovvvvvvvve visitors.’

  ‘Do you think she’s having some sort of stroke?’ Ava whispered to Kelley.

  ‘Oh, you must come in,’ she clapped her hands together and then paused, and clapped her hands together again as if she just loved the sound it made.

  ‘Oh my god she’s having a breakdown,’ Ava murmured.

  ‘Come in, come in, come in, come in….’ she stepped back and frowned. ‘What was I saying?’

  ‘Come in,’ Kelley supplied helpfully.

  ‘Yes! what a good idea! The ladies are here; we’re having tea and we have the loveliest guest.’

  Kelley and Ava gasped as Bunty turned and wandered back into the house leaving them standing on the stoop, staring at each other in bemusement. Given no choice, they stepped in and closed the door, following the sound of voices into the living room.

  Bunty was right, the entire group of them were there, plus a few extras Ava noted as she scanned the room.

  Norma was parked on a floral couch of pale pink and purple, knitting ferociously. The last time Ava had seen her she was laid back and knitting rather languidly. With no real thought or purpose to what she was creating, it was more like the action of clicking needles and looping yarn soothed her.

  Not now, she was a demon on a mission. Her needles clacked together so savagely Ava wouldn’t have been surprised to see smoke rising from the melting metal. Norma leaned forward, her tongue poking out slightly in concentration and her gaze fixed on the task, holding the knitting inches from her nose. The monstrosity she’d been knitting last time had grown to almost Jurassic proportions. It coiled and looped in great green woolen entrails over the person who had the misfortune to be sitting next to her clutching a cup of tea. Although who it was Ava couldn’t tell, as only the torso covered in a white cardigan, fol
lowed by a neat skirt and sensible shoes were visible.

  Barbara, the prim and proper club secretary was sitting close by, fanning herself with a magazine, her face beet red and her neat blouse untucked.

  ‘It’s so warm in here,’ she muttered to herself while the others completely ignored her. ‘Why is it so warm?’

  Betty sat on the other side of her, her eyes wild and her pupils dilated while she dug ravenously into a giant bag of potato chips. Bunty hovered on the edges of the room, a little jittery and not at all herself.

  Sitting sedately on one of the couches, happily planted between Betty and Ivy was the reason why.

  ‘BAZ?’ Ava blurted in surprise, ‘what the hell are you doing here?’

  ‘Ava,’ he smiled up at her, ‘I was looking for you.’

  ‘You know this guy?’ Kelley asked curiously as he took in the loud, bright red Hawaiian shirt, the pink and blue harem pants and the lime green Birkenstocks.

  ‘This is Baz,’ she sighed, ‘he’s a friend of my mom’s, he lives in Arizona, he was also her lawyer.’

  ‘He’s a lawyer?’ Kelley’s brows rose.

  ‘Yeah,’ she frowned. ‘Baz what are you doing here?’

  ‘Oh well,’ he replied, ‘I was looking for you. I came off the ferry and met Bunty here,’ he winked in her direction which sent her into girlish giggles. ‘When she found out I knew your mom and I was looking for you, she introduced me to the ladies here and they invited me in for tea.’

  Ava glanced around at the assorted ladies.

  ‘Baz,’ her eyes widened in realization, ‘please tell me you didn’t get the Ladies Historical Society, Book club and literary luncheon, STONED?’

  He smiled beatifically up at her and lifted a china plate.

  ‘Brownie?’

  ‘BAZ!’ she hissed.

  ‘I didn’t want to take my stash across state lines. You know how they can be about that sort of thing and they seem to always want to pull me over.’

  ‘Can’t imagine why,’ she replied dryly.

  ‘Anyway, I figured I’d bake up a batch of brownies, you know, for the road,’ he continued, ‘but when the ladies here were kind enough to ask me in for tea, I felt it was only fair I brought something along.’