Sketch of Secrets (The Garnet Trilogy - Book 1)

by Willa Jemhart

CHAPTER TEN

  Vancouver was a big and very busy city, both exciting and intimidating to Martie. Using an app on Trew’s phone she was able to punch in the address for the Caulderdon Gallery so they could navigate how to get there. The black SUV had managed to stay on their tail and was now hovering four cars behind them.

  A little bit of luck and good timing was all it took. The traffic in the downtown area was very heavy and Trew hit the tail end of a yellow traffic light, just sliding through. Their pursuer was forced to stay put at the red light. Instead of following the directions exactly, which would have meant continuing straight on the main street for another five blocks, Trew improvised, took the first right, and then the next left. He continued going back and forth between streets while Martie kept track of their destination on the little screen of his phone.

  “I’m pretty sure we’ve lost them,” he announced with grin.

  She sank into her seat, feeling relaxed for the first time all afternoon.

  Not wanting to take the chance of meeting up with the SUV again, they kept meandering around the streets before finally finding their destination. Unfortunately the only available parking they could find was right on the street in front of the gallery, making it easy for someone to find them.

  Trew shut the engine off and turned to her with an encouraging smile. She could also see worry in his eyes. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  Martie took a big breath and exhaled slowly. She then returned his smile and nodded. She knew there was worry in her eyes too. Was she about to find her father? And if so, would he be receptive to her? There was only one way to find out.

  “I’m ready,” she announced.

  They strolled hand in hand through the front doors of the gallery. She was so relieved to have Trew with her. He had awakened a courageous part of her that had been sleeping her whole life. No matter what was going to happen now, she was going to have his support.

  A girl only a few years older than Martie sat behind a counter near the entrance. She had short curly hair and big round eyes behind trendy glasses. She welcomed the two of them with a big cheesy grin.

  “Good afternoon,” said her high-pitched voice.

  They smiled back and said hello.

  “Please have a look around and let me know if you have any questions,” she instructed. “My name is Denise.”

  After thanking her they strolled away from the desk.

  The gallery branched off from the main entry into four separate rooms. They wandered into the first to find it filled mostly with what appeared to be garbage made into pieces of art. It was interesting, but too junky for Martie’s taste.

  A large board just inside the entry of the second area grabbed their attention immediately. It announced that all of the artwork in that room was that of Martin Vinterstein. Her eyes quickly scanned the walls to see that the majority of his paintings were of urban landscapes, many of which had been shown on the website. Seeing them in person was different, though. She liked them immediately, and walked closer to get a better look. Trew released her hand to wander and do his own viewing.

  The paintings were beautifully done, each one capturing its own feeling or emotion. She didn’t know much about art, but she knew what she liked, and these were the type of paintings she would be proud to display on her own wall.

  “Martie, come here,” she heard Trew utter. He was at the far wall.

  She looked in his direction and quickly saw what had his attention. On the far left side of the wall was the painting of her mother they had seen on the website. It was quite large in person, and as Martie drew closer, she speechlessly admired the flawlessly painted details of her mother’s face. It almost felt like she was right in the room with her. She gazed up at her mother’s likeness, a face she knew so well. It was the face Martie had run to as a child, for comfort after every scraped knee, and oddly she realized now it was the face of someone she barely knew. To the right of this painting were seven more, spaced and aligned perfectly, with a little plaque centered above all of them: ‘The Magda Series’.

  She walked along slowing, examining each one of them carefully. The first was the only close-up, but there was no denying that the woman in all of the other pictures was the same person - her mother. In all the others she was shown in the distance; on a park bench eating an ice-cream cone, walking on the beach, standing in a toy store gently caressing a slightly protruding ball of a belly.

  A large ache formed in Martie’s throat and moisture pooled in her eyes. She could have stayed there all day and all night just staring at the beautiful images of her mom.

  She took a deep breath to pull herself together. There was no question they were on to something and she wouldn’t allow herself to stand there blubbering. She had to go find her father.

  She took Trew’s hand, and planted a firm kiss on his lips. “C’mon,” she said.

  Denise rose from her chair and greeted them with the same big toothy smile when they returned to the counter.

  “Hi,” Martie said. “We’re interested in the works by Martin Vinterstein.”

  “Oh yes. They are lovely, aren’t they?”

  She nodded enthusiastically. “We’re wondering, Denise…” She had once heard someone say that when you use a person’s first name just after meeting them, it makes you seem more sophisticated. She wasn’t sure if it was true or not, but at that moment she would do anything to get Denise on her side. “…you see we’d really like to speak to Mr. Vinterstein directly, and ask him some questions about his paintings.”

  “Oh.” She clapped her hands together. “You’re in luck.” She started flipping through some papers on the counter.

  Trew and Martie glanced at each other with victorious grins.

  “Yes, here it is,” Denise said, holding up a piece of paper. “Martin Vinterstein will be here the evening of July thirty-first for one of our ‘Meet the Artist’ nights. She was grinning like she had just told them they’d won the lottery.

  Martie’s heart dropped. “Oh, you don’t understand,” she explained. “We’re not from Vancouver. Actually we’re not even from B.C. We’ve come a long way and we’d really like to speak to him right away.”

  Denise blinked.

  Trew decided to try some male charm. He leaned in close to the desk so his gorgeous face and intense brown eyes were only inches from her face. “Denise,” he purred, “Surely you have the contact information for the artists who are on display here.”

  Denise very obviously swallowed and light dew appeared on her forehead. Wow, he’s good, Martie thought. Then for the briefest moment she wondered how many other girls he had used this charm on before, and what he’d used it for. She quickly tossed that thought aside.

  He continued. “We would just like to phone him. That’s all Denise. No harm in a phone call, right?”

  Poor Denise looked like she had stopped breathing. Then suddenly she shook her head and took a step back. She adjusted her glasses and sat down. “I’m terribly sorry,” she said through thin determined lips. “But I am unable to give you any personal information.”

  “Please. It’s really important. He’s my father.” Martie had to give one last attempt.

  Denise glared. The big cheesy smile was no longer. Her lips had turned into a tight little speck on her face. “Well if that’s true, then you should already have his phone number,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  “But…”

  She put her hand up to stop Martie’s words. “Sorry. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She abruptly turned away from them.

  Despairingly, Martie looked to Trew, who could only give her a half grin. Her shoulders slumped as she turned and walked toward the door, with Trew following right behind her. She looked to the floor as she felt the nasty burn of tears forming in her eyes. It had all been a waste of time. She hadn’t found her father, and she would never find her mother. It was time to face reality. She was gone forever.

  The top of her head suddenly smacked the chin of someo
ne who was walking in the door just as she was walking out. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, as simultaneously the man she had just bumped into said, “Oh, excuse me.”

  She slowly looked up to see who she might have accidently injured, and was shocked to be looking directly into a pair of bright green eyes almost identical to her own. All she could do was to stare in disbelief, and he too was staring at her with a similar stunned expression.

  This was him. She knew it was him. She could sense it. And yet she was frozen in place and completely without words. The man she had wondered about her whole life was standing in front of her. He was so close that she could’ve reached out and touched him, and yet she was stunned immobile.

  Trew came to the rescue. “Are you Martin Vinterstein, sir?”

  Without taking his eyes off Martie he replied, “Yes. Yes I am.”

  “Great,” said Trew, and though Martie wasn’t looking at him she could hear the smile in his voice. “We’ve been trying to get in touch with you. My name is Trew and this is Martie. Her mother is missing and we were hoping you might know where she is.”

  There was a long pause until Martin finally tore his gaze away from her to quickly acknowledge Trew. Then he resumed looking at her, but his eyes had softened. “I’m terribly sorry. I don’t mean to stare. It’s just that you have eyes just like my mother. She passed some time ago, and well…I guess I was shocked to see those eyes.” Then he focused on Trew. “I’m sorry. What did you say your name was?”

  “Trew.”

  An eyebrow shot up when Trew repeated his name. He gave him a thorough look up and down and said, “Not a name you hear every day is it?”

  Martie had managed to recover her brain. Not sure if Martin had completely heard Trew before, she said, “I’m Martie. Martie Johnson, Maggie’s daughter. Can you help us find her?”

  He blinked. “Maggie? I’m sorry, but I don’t know anyone name Maggie.” He gave them a friendly smile. “It was nice meeting you both. Now if you’ll excuse me…” He started toward Denise.

  Martie wasn’t ready to let him get away that easily, regardless of whether or not he wanted to acknowledge that she was his daughter. “Magda,” she said loudly. “My mother’s name is Magda.”

  He stopped in his tracks and cranked his neck around. When his eyes met Martie’s, they were wide with shock. His lips were parted slightly, revealing his bottom row of teeth. In the background, Martie could see Denise sitting in the chair behind the desk looking at all of them curiously.

  “Please,” she begged. “Can you please help us find her? You’re our only hope. If you know anything…anything at all.”

  He remained silent, unmoving. Trew clutched Martie’s hand tight, and they waited, standing in the door way, for Martin to say something.

  Finally he closed his mouth and his eyes lost a bit of roundness. He nodded. His face then took on a serious look. “I think the three of us need to sit down and talk in private,” he said. “I just need to speak to Denise for a moment, and then if it’s all right with the two of you, we can go to my studio.”

  Martie and Trew agreed, thanking him with grateful smiles, then took a seat off to the side to wait for him to take care of his business.

  Martie observed him carefully as he was speaking with Denise. He was a small man, perhaps only a couple of inches taller than she was, and his build was quite slim, but not in a sickly, too skinny way. He had very short sandy colored hair thinning on top. She noticed that he put on a pair of glasses when Denise handed him a piece of paper to look over. But the thing that had struck her the most about him was his eyes. Her mother’s eyes were brown. His were green, and not just any green. They were a bright emerald green just like Martie’s.

  When he had finished, they followed him outside where he pointed out his blue sedan. They agreed to follow him in her car to his studio.

  As she pulled onto the street, her heart rate increased. Excitement took over. This was her dad. He hadn’t pushed her away - at least not yet. She couldn’t know for sure what was about to take place, but that didn’t stop the enthusiasm she felt. Not only did he want to talk with her, but he might just have the answers she had been looking for.

  Just over half an hour later they arrived at Martin’s studio. They discovered when they exited the car, that not only was it his studio, but his home as well. It was a beautiful big old house that had obviously been well maintained over the years. A well-manicured lawn sat amongst beds of colorful flowers.

  Upon their arrival, a little boy came bursting out the front door, excitedly yelling, “Dad!” Martin scooped him up in his arms, twirled him around and gave him a bear hug followed by a kiss on the cheek. There was a moment of happy whispers and nose rubs that left Martie feeling a stabbing pang of jealousy.

  He set the boy down and ruffled his hair. “Adam, I’d like you meet my new friends. This is Martie and Trew.” The boy smiled shyly and said hello. “We need to spend some time in my studio. Can you please let Mom know that I’ll be busy for a while?” He nodded to his dad and scurried back to the house.

  At the end of the driveway, near the back of the house was a garage with an outer stairway on one side that led to an upper floor. Martin used the entire space above the garage as his studio. Martie and Trew followed him up.

  The large room boasted many windows that welcomed in natural light. Tripods and canvasses were scattered here and there, and numerous finished or partially finished paintings leaned against most of the wall space. In one corner was a large table covered with paints, brushes, and many other art paraphernalia. Beside the table was a tiny kitchenette with a small bar fridge, a sink and a coffee maker.

  “Can I offer you a coffee or a drink?” he asked.

  Martie’s excitement had morphed into nervousness, making her throat dry and rough, so she gladly accepted a bottle of water. He gestured for them to sit on an old ratty looking love seat, then pulled a bar stool from the big table to sit facing them. Even though she could tell he was nervous too, he had a quiet gentle way about him which put her at ease. Trew rested his hand on her thigh and she covered his hand in her own. Not knowing where to begin, they both stared at Martin in anticipation.

  He cleared his throat and gave them a small wary grin. “So what can I do for you?” he asked.

  Martie inhaled as Trew squeezed her leg. “Well,” she eyed Martin cautiously. “I think you’re my father.”

  He didn’t flinch. But he did look at her with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, but that is not possible. I have only a son, and he’s eight years old.”

  She opened her purse and pulled out the old sketch. Unfolding it she said, “As I mentioned, my mom’s name is Maggie, but I think you knew her as Magda.” She held the picture up.

  He gasped and took the paper gingerly. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked back and forth from the drawing to Martie’s face. “But…”

  She chewed her lip, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

  “But, this is impossible. They took Magda home. The pregnancy would have been terminated. How? What? I don’t understand…”

  “They?” she interrupted. “Who took her home? Where is home?”

  He started stammering and looked very confused. Finally he was able to get out a question of his own. “When were you born?” When she told him, his hands flew to his face and he began shaking his head, murmuring, “No. No. This can’t be.”

  Suddenly he stood and walked over to the little fridge, pulled out a bottle of water and gulped back half all at once. Trew and Martie remained silent to let him sort through his thoughts.

  After a time, he walked back to where they were sitting and stood directly in front of Martie. “I thought she was gone. Please understand. I didn’t think you would have ever been born. I’m so sorry…” His head was shaking back and forth, his eyebrows sullen, and he was staring out the window behind where Martie and Trew sat. “I don’t understand…”

  Then his eyes focussed and he looked at Martie.
“Where did you grow up?”

  “Regina.”

  “All your life?”

  “Yes. I was born there.”

  He returned his gaze out the window, talking to himself again, “So Magda has been here the whole time. They didn’t take her back after all. But why did she not get in touch with me?”

  He paused, faced Martie, his expression pained.

  “They made me change my name. Even gave me new ID. They made me move too. I was never sure why. I always thought it was their way of making sure the memory of Magda being here would be permanently erased… That’s why I painted the Magda Series. It was my way of keeping her here forever. But she never left. She must have she escaped or perhaps they changed their minds and let her stay.” He considered this for a moment. “Anyway, I moved from California to Washington State.”

  His gaze returned to the window and his eyes took on a dreamy look. “I grieved the loss of Magda. I loved her so much. But I got on with my life, I had to or I would’ve gone crazy - and eventually I met Susan. She was a gal from Canada. I moved north to be with her. We got married and had a son. It’s just been in the past few years that my art career has taken off.”

  His eyes glossed over as he kneeled on the floor in front of Martie. He gently took her hand in his, and regarded her with a world of compassion in his face.

  “Martie,” he smiled. A single tear trickled slowly down his face. “Yes, I am your father. I’m so very sorry. I was sure they had forced Magda to go with them, and to abort our baby. If only…” He swallowed and another tear followed the path of the first one. “I’m sorry you had to grow up without your dad. I would have been there for you every single day of your life, had I known...”

  Now she was crying too. Her dad hadn’t abandoned her. Some of her tension dissolved as a small sense of relief flowed through her body. She released her hand from his and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. He did the same, and they held each other for a long time. Trew placed his hand on her back and gently caressed.

  When the moment came to an end, both their faces were wet from silent tears. He pulled his stool closer so they could continue holding each other’s hand.

  “I’m named after you,” she told him, and they smiled shyly at each other.

  “So, you mentioned that Magda, er Maggie is missing?” he asked with sincerity.

  She nodded. “All I know is she was taken by someone. She told her friend that ‘they’ came to take her back. Do you have any idea what that means, or who ‘they’ are?”

  He cleared his throat and his face became serious. “I thought they took her back when she was pregnant with you. I had no idea that she was still on this earth. If only I had known…” he drifted off for a moment.

  “Who are ‘they’?” she asked.

  “And what did you mean by still on this earth?” Trew added.

  He looked at them with a baffled expression. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you? Don’t you know where they come from?” He was genuinely surprised.

  Then it was their turn to look mystified. Trew spoke up, “What do you mean ‘our’ parents? What does any of this have to do with me? Martie and I just met a few days ago.”

  He smiled warmly. “Trew, I knew your dad too. He and Magda were the best of friends. I babysat you when you were a tiny baby.” Every inch of Martie’s skin became covered in goosebumps as she and Trew exchanged puzzled glances and looked back to Martin for more answers.

  Martin sighed, but the warm smile remained on his mouth. “Martie, your mom, and Trew, your dad, are not from this earth. They come from a planet called Garnet.”

  “What?” blurted Trew, laughing. “You expect us to believe that our parents are aliens?” He glared at Martin incredulously and Martie couldn’t blame him. She was thinking this must be some kind of cruel joke as well.

  “No, no.” said Martin soothingly. “They are human. They are descendants of people from our planet earth. Your mom came to study the cultures here, and your dad accompanied her - to look out for her.” He was smiling at them like he’d just told them the most amazing news ever, but Trew and Martie could only stare at him in disbelief. Surely this man must be crazy. Martie’s heart sunk as she started to wonder if there was something wrong her father’s mental state.

  Suddenly there was a shuffling sound coming from outside the closed door at the top of the stairs. Alarmed, they all turned their heads. The door flew open, banging the wall behind it. It was Larry. He came marching in with an enormous scowl. His intense stare was locked on Martin, and Martie couldn’t help but feel fear for her newly found father.

  Trew was on his feet. “Dad. What are you doing here? Did you follow us?” Larry didn’t respond. “That was you in the black SUV, wasn’t it?” Trew asked.

  Larry quickly flicked his eyes at Trew then continued his stare down of Martin.

  “Jesus Dad! How could you do that? You scared the shit out of us you know.”

  But Larry was intent on Martin. He hissed at him. “This,” he said, “Is why we never tell any of you people about who we are and where we’re from - you have no qualms against telling whoever you wish. Every time you tell someone means a possible threat to our world. Magda should never have told you. I warned her.”

  “Dad!” demanded Trew. “Answer me. Why would you rent a car and follow us?”

  Larry tore his glare from Martin to quickly answer Trew. “If I’d been in my car, you would’ve known it was me, and there would have been a confrontation. I followed you to keep you from finding this man.” He gestured to Martin with his chin. “Or at the very least to stop him from talking if you did find him. But I’ve arrived too late.” He narrowed his eyes back to Martin and stood with arms crossed.

  Martin stood to face Larry. Martie couldn’t decide if he was brave or stupid because Larry must have had at least ten inches in height over him, and at least a hundred pounds in weight. “Larzel, how nice to see you again,” he said, smiling widely.

  Trew and Martie gasped in unison. “Larzel!” Of course.

  Larry…Larzel, didn’t respond. He remained glaring at Martin.

  “Oh Larzel,” scolded Martin. “First of all, I have never uttered a word about it to a soul until today. And second, these are your children. They have every right to know who their parents are and where they come from. Surely you don’t seriously think your own flesh and blood, or Magda’s, would be a threat to your world.”

  Martie’s mind was reeling from information overload, attempting to put it all together. She looked to Trew, who had taken his seat again, and found him staring at his dad with a stunned expression.

  There was a very long, very awkward silence.

  Martin got up and rummaged through a large closet, then returned with a folding a chair. He opened it, set it across from the loveseat that Trew and Martie sat on, and gestured for Larzel to sit.

  Larzel grumbled, but sat down. It amused Martie how easily the small man was able to stand up to and tame the large man.

  Finally Trew spoke. “Dad, is it true?”

  Larzel dropped his head and mumbled, “Yes, it’s true.”

  “So you’re from another planet? Really?”

  He nodded.

  “And Martie’s mom is too?”

  “Yes,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

  Trew stood again and marched to the opposite side of the room. He stood there with his back to them and Martie could practically see the anger and confusion swarming around his body. The news they had just been given was so far-fetched, so preposterous, that she herself wasn’t sure what to believe. Their parents were from another planet! How? What? She rushed to his side. “Are you okay?” she asked silently.

  “I don’t know,” he answered and took her hand. “It’s just so hard to believe. It makes no sense.”

  She thought for a moment, trying to put the pieces together. “Think about it Trew. How your dad and my mom have always complained about the ways of the world. We’ve
talked about how they are different from most parents. Also, Martin…my dad told us first. And your dad, who clearly doesn’t like him, backed him up. As incredible as it is, it kind of makes sense.”

  “But why…” Trew’s voice in her head became louder. “Why all the secrecy?”

  She squeezed his hand. “I don’t know. Maybe you should ask your dad.”

  They returned to their place on the loveseat and Trew immediately turned hard eyes on Larzel. “Why have you never told me? This is huge. I don’t understand. Don’t you trust me Dad?”

  He looked frustrated. “Of course I trust you. But it’s my job as a protector. It’s part of the Agenda. We are not to speak to anyone about where we come from. I was just doing my job.”

  Martin handed Larzel a bottle of water. He drained it in one tip back.

  It was Trew’s turn to look frustrated. “Protector? Agenda? I don’t understand any of this. And I’m your son. How could you not trust with me this?” He went eye to eye with Larzel, wearing the most serious face Martie had ever seen on him. “Dad,” he practically whispered. “Don’t you love me?”

  Larzel’s eyes popped, resembling large round globes. “Of course I love you,” he shouted. “Why do you think I’ve stayed all these years? I hate it here. I’ve wanted to go home for so long, but I couldn’t until you were old enough, until you were ready.”

  Trew’s face was flushed with anger, but his eyes were sad.

  When no one spoke for a while, Martie decided it was time to ask the question that had burned inside since her birthday, which hadn’t been that long ago, yet seemed like months ago. “Excuse me. Can you tell me, do you know…is my mom okay?”

  “She’s on Garnet where she belongs. So that means not only is she unharmed, but she is in a safer place right now than any of us.”

  Curiosity burned inside her. “How did she get there?” she asked. “Do you have a space ship hidden somewhere?”

  Larzel laughed. “Of course not. They took her back through the Doorway in Ireland.”

  Martie looked confused.

  “It’s like a portal,” he explained.

  Martie smiled in thanks, not completely sure what he meant. But she was satisfied for now to know that her mother was safe. She pulled from her purse the photograph and looked it over for a minute. She then held it up for Larzel to see. “This is Garnet, isn’t it?” she asked.

  He hesitated, but then nodded. “Yes it is.”

  The four of them sat in silence for a long time, lost in their own thoughts. It had been a lot for Trew and Martie to take in. They had accomplished more than what they’d originally set out to do. Not only had they found out where Martie’s mother was, and that she was unharmed, but they had found her father too. But in the process of doing this, many more questions had been raised, and they now had information that was hard to process. Martie was thankful not only for having found her father, but for the knowledge that he was a good man, and that he hadn’t abandoned her or her mother. She was grateful to know that her mother was alive and well, and was trying to come to terms with the idea that she might never see her again.

  It was Trew who finally spoke. What he said made her heart thump wildly, and it made Larzel stand and grimace. He said, “Dad, we’re going to Garnet. You have to take us to the Doorway thing. Martie needs to see her mother.”

  “That is forbidden. Even if I did show you the way, which I won’t, you wouldn’t make it two steps before getting kicked back to Earth.” His no nonsense tone made it clear that this was not up for negotiation.

  But Trew wasn’t ready to give up so easily. Their parents were not the people they believed them to be. For starters, their real names were Magda and Larzel, but the big shocker had been the discovery that they were from another planet. They had unwittingly walked into a science fiction movie. He wanted explanations and answers, and he felt the best way to get them was to go to Martie’s mother. He took the photo from Martie, and held it up in front of his dad again, but this time he flipped it over. “These words on the back…it’s a clue isn’t it? Another way to get there?”

  Larzel’s eyes grew round with shock. He quickly gained his composure and glared at Trew. “No of course not,” he burst. “I don’t know what the words mean.”

  Trew sat back and crossed his arms, looking satisfied. It must have been clear to him, as it was to Martie, that Larzel was lying. “We will get there, we will find her, with or without your help,” he shot at his dad.

  Larzel’s fists clenched and his eyes burned fire. “You listen to me. There is absolutely no…”

  Martin was back on his stool, and had taken on the role of mediator. “Larzel,” he interrupted. “I think Trew and Martie deserve to know the whole story. I will tell them everything I know, as best as I can. But I think it would be best for them to hear it from you.” His tone was kind and gentle, and a pride for her father swelled in Martie’s chest.

  Larzel glared at Martin as he got to his feet. “They already know too much thanks to you,” he yelled. “You must not tell them anything else. You do not understand our world or our ways.” He bent and moved his face to within an inch of Martin’s. His eyes shot spears as he said, “You will tell them no more.” With a growl, he stomped out the door, slamming it shut behind him. A minute later they heard the sound of tires squealing away.

  Martin turned to Martie and Trew with a sad smile. They watched him wide-eyed.

  “You’ll tell us anyway, won’t you?” asked Martie.

  Martin shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But he’s right. It’s not my place to give you information about a place I know so little about.” He reached over and patted Martie’s hand. “This must all be very difficult for the two of you to take in. I’m going to give you some time alone. I’ll be back shortly, okay?”

  Martie and Trew nodded.

  “What do you think?” asked Trew when he’d left.

  “I believe it. I believe it all. I don’t know your dad very well, but I don’t think anyone would get that upset over something that wasn’t true.”

  “I agree,” he said. “The question is what to do now. I wish my dad wasn’t so damn stubborn.”

  It was a long time before Martin returned. Martie and Trew sat quietly, reflecting on all that had happened. It was a lot to take in, but the more she thought about it, the more the dots seemed to connect. Things her mother had said, that didn’t make sense at the time, now came together clearly. She could tell that Trew was thinking along the same line, and she could visibly see the anger and frustration that he had directed toward his dad start to thaw.

  Martin came back. He sat and told them they were welcome to stay the night, and longer if needed. He had talked to his wife, Susan, and explained that Martie was his daughter from a girlfriend from long ago. She was excited to meet Martie and welcome them into their home.

  “She sounds like a very kind person,” Martie said.

  He was about to reply when they heard the creak of the door slowly swing open. Larzel stood there with four large pizza boxes. He walked in and set them on the little counter beside the sink. “Anyone hungry?” he muttered and pulled a piece from the top box.

  Slowly they made their way to help themselves to a slice. Martie wasn’t sure how to react to Larzel’s return, and apparently no one else was either, because they all ate in silence. Everyone seemed to be in awe over Larzel’s appetite, and watched in disbelief as he gobbled up two whole pizzas and a slice from another all by himself.

  When he was finished, he left his place by the counter and sat in the folding chair by the loveseat.

  He looked at Trew, and though his face remained serious, he smiled. “I’m proud of you son,” he said. “And I’m sorry.” Next his eyes fell upon Martie. “You remind me a lot of your mother,” he said. Finally his gaze moved to Martin and he frowned. “I still think you should have kept your mouth shut. But since you’ve told them, they may as well know the whole truth. And I’ll be the one to
tell them since you would just misinform them anyway.”

  “While you’re at it,” said Martin, “Perhaps you can explain to me why no one thought to track me down all these years. Magda has been here this whole time. Do you have any idea how much I grieved her loss? And I have a daughter. I’ve missed out on seventeen years of her life. Why?”

  In response, Larzel sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. He cleared his throat and the man of very few words prepared to begin. He would tell them, with a chest bursting of pride, all about his world. He would explain how it was that he and Magda came to be on Earth, and why they stayed much longer than they should have. He would give them the cold hard facts. He was not one to openly express emotions, but for the time being, the facts would do.

  Silent expectation hung in the air for a moment. They waited for Larzel to begin.

  Martin held her hand and winked at her. Trew squeezed her leg, and in their own special way he said to her, “No matter what he says, we’re going to Garnet. I will get you to your mom. I promise.”

  ###

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  Sketch of Secrets (The Garnet Trilogy - Book 1)

  For more information about the author, Willa Jemhart, and for other titles including:

  Breaking the Agenda (The Garnet Trilogy - Book 2)

  and

  Doorway to Home (The Garnet Trilogy - Book 3)

  Visit www.willajemhart.com