At Night's End

by Katherine Matzen

  He studied her face intently, looking for a clue, but came up empty. The fear in her expression made him decide to follow her instructions for now. He hoped he wouldn’t have to drag her off to find a psychiatrist. I’d worry more if I didn’t feel like some evil spirit lurked out there. I hope she’s not bonkers, because otherwise I’ll have to worry about myself. He made light of the bizarre feeling but couldn’t shake the desire to constantly check over his shoulder.

  He heard her quiet sigh of relief as he went to gather plates. Hope she doesn’t think I’m letting this go so easy. Once the plates and silverware were stacked beside the napkins, he helped carry the fragrant platters of food to the table. His mouth watered and he managed to sneak a couple of bites when her back was turned. I could definitely get used to eating like this. Probably have to get a bunch of larger suits, but I’d make the sacrifice.

  Once all the platters were on the table, she rearranged a few, wiping drops off the edges of some and adding sprigs of herbs to others until the table looked like some edible art project. He had never before appreciated how much work and thought went into a fancy meal. Of course, he hadn’t eaten very many fancy meals before.

  A loud knock came from the door and he jumped. Despite everything he hadn’t expected anyone to show up. How had she known?

  Dani brushed her hair back with trembling fingers, and ran her hands down her legs, smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of her pants. She threw him a warning look then walked to the door.

  He took a step to follow, then decided to let her run the show. He walked to the far side of the table where he would have an unobstructed view of anyone in the kitchen and subtly checked his weapon was easily accessible.

  She gave him a final glance and opened the door wide. “Perfect timing. Lunch is ready.”

  “Oh no.” The exclamation of dismay came from the tallest of three man, all dressed in the same cheap, gray pinstripe suits with identical baseball caps perched on top of their slightly too-large heads. All three men held elaborately decorated wooden boxes in their arms, and Kyle could see other men in the yard beyond the porch.

  Dani stared with open-mouthed shock at the boxes for several moments until the man on the right sniffed in appreciation.

  “Come in.” She motioned toward the table. “Lunch is ready for you.”

  “You don’t understand, Master Chef.” The strange man’s brow’s pinched together. “We have come to pay our debt, not to incur another.”

  Dani frowned. “You didn’t owe me anything.”

  All of the men bowed. “Yes, we did,” he said. “You provided us with a priceless gift the last time we were here. And now we are here to attempt to repay our debt.”

  She stammered before getting a coherent sentence out. “I only shared breakfast with you.”

  The man stepped forward, holding out his box as an offering. “You are wrong, Chef. It was so much more. Very few are so willing to share bread with strangers.”

  Dani continued to stare at him, until Abby dashed out into the yard to sniff at the other men.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “To thank you.” He gave her a deep bow.

  Kyle noticed her knees shaking and began to cross the room, but stopped when the stranger’s movement revealed an unfamiliar weapon holstered at his side. Damn it, Dani. Why are you letting armed strangers in your house? Hasn’t that over-protective sheriff taught you anything?

  His fingers clenched into fists as he struggled with the desire to kick the green-tinged visitors out. He’d have to trust Dani knew what she was doing. For now, anyway. There would be time later to lecture her about basic safety precautions. His arm bumped his own holstered weapon and he checked to ensure his jacket was securely buttoned and made a mental note to be aware of the need to keep the gun hidden from the potentially hostile visitors.

  The strange man held out the box toward Dani, a serious look on his too-large face. The solid-black eyes emphasized everything that was not quite right about the features. “I am Taltos, gal gestin to Hantili, Thane of the Kanesh Clan and I thank you for your hospitality and for the generous gift of your food.”

  “You are most sincerely welcome. What’s in the box?” Her words were slow and she leaned away from the man.

  “The smallest token of our respect.” He lifted the hinged lid and she gasped in surprise at the sight. “These are liquors from our homeland.” He motioned with his head and the next two men moved forward to open their boxes. “These are wines from some of the many different worlds we have visited.”

  The two men moved past her into the house and placed their boxes on the counter then went to stand by the table.

  Kyle itched to move closer so he could see what was in the boxes the other men revealed to her, but the fear on Dani’s face when she’d asked him not to make a scene made an impression. He’d have to wait till the bizarre strangers were gone, but he would see what made Dani smile with such obvious delight.

  As the last man walked in, Taltos set his box on the ground at her feet and pulled a necklace of black pearls from his pocket. He bowed before placing the necklace around her neck. “This is a gift from Thane Hantili, the leader of Clan Kanesh, and Captain of the Alalakh. His duties did not allow him to come, but he hopes one day you may meet in person.”

  Dani stared at the necklace before smiling at the strange man and Kyle’s heart lurched with an emotion he didn’t recognize at the warmth in her expression. Get a grip man. You can’t be threatened by a geek with so many unpronounceable names. What’s an Alalakh anyway?

  Kyle grudgingly helped Dani ensure everyone had servings of the grilled trout, potatoes and tomato salad. He began to fear his jaw would be permanently clenched as all of the men thanked her personally in a way that felt very inappropriate to him. There was no reason for them to touch her so often, and the virtual drooling was uncalled for. Stripper bouncers probably had less to worry about than he did. This is a bit over the top. The last time I saw so much ado about food was the sap trying to keep a failed marriage together. And even he didn’t drool this much.

  He did have to admire the way Dani adroitly avoided any question until Taltos pointed to her purple and pink furry plant.

  “May I ask where you found the plant?” he asked.

  Aha! I wondered about that one and the others in her workshop, too. Guess she didn’t really get them at the local hardware store. He made a mental note of yet another question to be answered after the bizarre strangers left.

  Dani looked where he pointed and a puzzled look appeared on her face. “A friend gave it to me,” she said.

  Taltos looked sharply at Kyle, half-rising from his chair.

  “Not him,” she quickly added.

  Kyle snorted in derision from the other end of the table, although his heart pounded. This Taltos guy didn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor. “I’ll say.” He gulped visibly as every eye in the room focused intently on him. “I wouldn’t think of bringing a plant to a gardener.” He raised one hand defensively. “I haven’t even brought her flowers. I couldn’t find anything nicer than what’s already in the yard.”

  She raised one eyebrow at him. “Is that your story?”

  “Damn straight,” he said with a nod. “It is my story and I’m sticking to it.”

  He gave her a look of smug pretension and she burst out laughing. She laid one hand on Taltos’ shoulder for balance and he froze with an unreadable look in his too dark eyes before he smiled back.

  “Thank you for the compliment, I think.” Dani finally got her laughter under control. She shot Taltos a conspiratorial smile.

  Kyle relaxed as the atmosphere lightened, but he wasn’t certain the danger had passed. Whatever the danger was. He had to learn who these armed strangers were and why Dani was trying to placate them. What was she hiding, and why? And where did his client fit in?


  Once the uninvited men were finally satiated, he helped her gather up the platters and took them over to the kitchen counter, exchanging them for a tray with coffee mugs and sugar and cream. He took a carafe of cinnamon coffee to pass out as she put together several berry shortcakes with fresh whipped cream.

  “How many people in your group didn’t get to come today?” she asked as she passed out the dessert.

  “Why?” Suspicion filled Taltos’ dark eyes.

  “So I know how many plates to send back with you.”

  “That is not necessary.” There seemed to be a bit of panic in the green-tinged face.

  “Maybe not necessary,” she agreed. “But it is the right thing to do. And I owe something more than thanks to Thane Hantili for his beautiful gift.” She rubbed the pearls as she spoke.

  “Then only one plate,” Taltos readily agreed. She glared at him with her head tilted to one side.

  “Don’t tell me if it’s some kind of deep, dark secret,” she said. “I’ll send all the leftovers with you.”

  She went back to the kitchen and pulled out a plastic divided plate with a lid and quickly arranged a liberal serving of everything, tucking sprigs of fresh herb leaves as a garnish. Kyle helped her transfer the rest of the feast from the platters into other storage containers, handing them to her to label each one with the contents.

  “Truly, this is not necessary.” Taltos joined them in the kitchen, shifting from foot to foot, his face flushed a dark green in obvious distress.

  “Look.” Dani continued to work as she spoke. “I live alone with only the occasional guest. There’s no way I could eat this much food before it goes bad. If you need to, consider you’re doing me a favor. Otherwise I’d have to throw a bunch away.”

  A gasp from the table caused Kyle to whirl, hand automatically reaching for his weapon. All of the men at the table wore identical expressions of horror.

  “I wouldn’t really throw food away.” Dani held up her hands as if to ward off a physical blow. “But I do like to share with someone who’ll enjoy it.”

  “Very well.” Taltos reluctantly nodded his head. “We shall accept your gift, although once again we are in your debt.”

  The guests relaxed, settling back to finish the last of the coffee and desserts. Kyle slowly pulled his hand away from his waist, hoping no one had noticed his reflex. He was confident about his self-defense ability, but here he was out-numbered.

  “Thank you.” Dani appeared confused but determined to send the men off as quickly as possible. “Kyle, would you go to the wine cellar and get a couple of bottles of the Rocky Mountain Mead? They should be close to the stairs on the right.”

  Kyle nodded at her gesture to the basement stairs. He’d never been in that part of the house. Probably only a few bottles down there. I’ve never seen her drink. Although given her reputation as a caterer, she should know a lot about wine. A green glow illuminated the light switch on the wall at the bottom of the stairs, and he flipped the switch on to see a smallish room full of dusty boxes. At the far end was an elegant wooden door that screamed fancy wine cellar. He pushed the door open and paused in amazement at the inadequacy of calling this a wine cellar. Cool air flowed past him and he gaped at the size of the area. Slate tiles covered the floor. The walls were lined with wooden racks filled with bottles of wine. Two nooks bulged out of the straight hallway and he could see a table and chairs in each. Bottles of whiskey adorned the walls of the nearest nook, and he recognized his client’s favorite brand.

  Focus. He quickly skimmed the labels of the nearby bottles, looking for the mead. Don’t want to leave Dani alone too long. There must be some kind of reason to the organization of all these bottles. What’s wrong with red vs. white? Give me a can of beer any day. He found bottles of a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and winced. Not the most expensive wine out there, but one he knew could easily be a hundred dollars a pop. And there were at least twelve bottles gathering dust in this basement.

  This Carl seems just like his father. Hope he wasn’t as awful to Dani as the senator appears to be.

  Finally, he made his way to the right side of the cool room and found a section dedicated to all kinds of honey wine. “Damn, woman. Why couldn’t you settle for a beer?” He peered at the labels on several bottles, trying to make sense of them. “Aha.” One of the labels had Colorado honey wine right under the non-descriptive name.

  He grabbed a bottle in each hand and headed back for the insanity upstairs. As much as he regretted leaving Dani alone with all those strange men, he had appreciated the brief time alone to try to wrap his head around events. He hadn’t seriously thought aliens were in town, but these men were definitely not local. The feeling of barely contained violence in their posture made his skin crawl, and yet Dani seemed to think they were less dangerous than friendly dogs.

  He, on the other hand, hadn’t been sure he’d survive the question about the stupid furry plant. Yet another mystery my client has dropped me into. Hope he stays away long enough for me to figure everything out. There’s no way I’m turning her over to him.

  Kyle made noise as he re-entered the kitchen. Don’t want anyone getting surprised and killing me.

  His entrance was greeted with a tense silence until Dani turned and smiled. “Thank you, Kyle.”

  She held out a hand and glanced at the label. “Perfect. I’m glad you didn’t have too much trouble.”

  She extended the bottles toward the head alien.

  “This is a wine made with honey from a local winery. I want to give this bottle to you, Taltos, to thank you for your kindness and ask you give the other bottle to your Thane.”

  “Never before have I received such a welcome.” Taltos muttered under his breath as he searched her face for the answer to some question he wouldn’t ask. “Not even…” His voice trailed off as he shook himself out of his reverie. “I thank you, Master Chef Hamilton. Your gift is much appreciated.”

  The strange men lined up and did some kind of ritual where they held up their right hand, muttered something about food from the table while touching Dani’s hand, then bowed on their way out the door. Kyle watched the process from the dining room, amazed she appeared so comfortable with the bizarre ceremony.

  He gathered up a couple of dishes from the table as the last visitor walked out of the house. Abby padded at his side as he watched through the window over the sink, glad to see the last hint of gray suit disappearing through the trees.

  “What was that all about? Who were those men?” Kyle demanded after they were finally alone. “How did they get here? I didn’t see any cars. Did they walk carrying those boxes?” He gestured to the stack of decorated boxes the visitors had brought.

  Dani ignored him as she methodically loaded the dishwasher. When her silence stretched on for too long he pushed his temper down and cleared the table. If she was going to be this way, he would bide his time and get a look at the contents of those boxes. Maybe then he’d get a clue.

  She continued to ignore him, moving around him like he was another piece of furniture. When she gathered up the trash he resisted the urge to do the task. Abby followed her out into the yard.

  He dashed for the boxes as soon as the back door closed. Lifting one lid, he was surprised to see several bottles filled with colored liquids. He pulled the cork out of one and sniffed. The scent of licorice filled the room. A quick glance confirmed he was still alone. He stuffed the cork back and looked at another box filled with filigree metal boxes. He thought he could see some kind of bag inside the metal but wasn’t sure. No time to study too much. Curiosity gnawed at him as he looked at a third box. What could Dani be involved in? Drugs? Why else would someone bring her such obviously expensive stuff? Rows of jewelry stared back at him. One necklace with a charm of an animal shaped like a feathered lion caught his attention and he held it up. The craftsmanship was exceptional. The damn thing looks alive. Clever
hinging allowed the charm to move with the illusion of reality, and the color seemed to be a part of the metal rather than painted on. He didn’t recognize the material the fine chain was made of.

  The sound of the backdoor opening made him jump and shove the necklace in his pocket as he closed the lid. I’ll send it to the office to be analyzed. Should be able to catch the delivery driver without too much trouble. Then we’ll see what these guys are up to.

  Dani ignored him and began to wash pans in the sink.

  Kyle growled under his breath. He was running out of time. The senator was anxious and his assistant concerned him. She seemed to be falling under the suave politician’s spell. He wasn’t positive he could trust her not to let the client know exactly where he was much longer. Maybe this mystery could be a distraction while he found a way to get the bastard off the trail he’d put the man on.

  He strode across the kitchen to tower over his hostess. “Are you ready to tell me what that was all about?”

  She didn’t acknowledge his presence, continuing to scrub a spot on a pan.

  “Danielle!” He grabbed her arm when she ignored him.

  She stiffened and stared pointedly at his hand wrapped around her arm. Slowly she raised glittering eyes to glare at him. He released her and took a couple of involuntary steps back.

  “I do not owe you anything.” She dropped the pan into the soapy water and turned to face him. Water dripped from her hands, but she seemed oblivious. “I did not ask for your help and I have not invited you to stay here nor have I ever hinted I want your help.”

  He tried to interrupt, but she continued right over him.

  “I don’t care if you’re a PI or some hot-shot reporter or the Lord High Muckety-Muck from some secret society. I answered your questions fully and to the best of my knowledge when you first showed up, and you still won’t leave. Not my fault you don’t believe those answers.”