by R J Samuel
But that was less important than learning to use this device. Even though it was just a precursor to the real one. He had 19 days left.
CHAPTER FIVE
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The black suits wandered towards the gravesite, crows’ feet shuffling along a telephone wire. Priya tagged herself on to the end of the single file procession following the priest threading through the neat rows of headstones, bedraggled flowers snuggled against them, wilting in the evening heat. She smoothed out her suit. She didn’t fit. She’d ironed the trousers and they looked slightly more worn than the jacket that had been hanging up in her closet for years and aired out for her formal interview with Daniel. The interview. Daniel. His lifeless stare. She was starting to sweat again. The heat and humidity of New York had hit her like a wall of wet when she’d come out of the airport this afternoon.
The Fairer family had kept the funeral small, choosing a small chapel and an exclusive cemetery in the Long Island suburbs. They had provided plane tickets for the six clinic staff who had decided to attend, to fly from Shannon to New York on the afternoon of the funeral. James was there, as was Sean, Sheila, Clodagh and Mary. Along with Priya, they were the original staff having been there since the opening of the clinic just over a year ago. Valerie and Gerry Lynch, who had co-founded the Fairer Research Company with Daniel, were there somewhere further up the rows, she hadn’t seen them come in, they had travelled separately.
The staff had lined up in the back row of the chapel, dazed and jetlagged and listened to the priest extol the virtues of their late boss, and his family. None of the family had spoken; she’d glimpsed their rigid black backs in the front row of the chapel. Priya only knew of his family from the occasional remarks Daniel had made. She’d gathered that his mother lived in Connemara and had heard him on the phone to her. His sister worked for the company too, she thought, in some sort of financial capacity. His calls to her had been less frequent. And the grandfather, Daniel Fairer II; she’d looked him up on the internet. What she probably should have done last year when she had gotten the job at the clinic, but she had never gotten around to it at the time, caught up in the excitement, the energy that seemed to surround Daniel. She wished her father were here instead of in India on what was now going to be an annual medical pilgrimage. He should have been here anyway; he knew the Fairers better than she did. She had booked a hotel; she didn’t want to spend the night alone at the house.
They had reached the hole in the ground. The line of mourners circled the open grave and she got her first proper look at the family as they stood directly across from her. The tall white-haired figure of Daniel’s grandfather, shoulders stooped inside his black suit. The internet pictures had shown a middle-aged man, strong, tall, important, shaking hands with dignitaries. Most of the photos included Priya’s father. Daniel had mentioned to her once in passing that his grandfather was the most active 85 year old that he’d ever known. The man now looked much older than his years.
Mother and daughter, she couldn’t make out which was which at first look. Both wore black veils. She saw a glimpse of gray hair peeking out from under a hat. The mother was surprisingly sleek. That was the only word Priya could think of to describe her. Very different from the impression she’d gotten from the overheard phone calls. Her black suit was beautifully cut, Priya knew nothing of fashion, but it seemed to sit so well on her slim frame. Priya rubbed at her own ill-fitting suit. She looked at the sister. Dark, dark hair. She searched for her features through the dark shield. The woman was staring right at her. Priya dropped her gaze immediately, her sudden fright too obvious, her own veil non-existent.
A woman, American, intense. No! Priya’s eyes jerked back up. The woman was still staring at her through the veil. The mother turned and spoke into her daughter’s ear and the stare was broken.
The priest raised his hands.
∞
Priya stole frequent looks at Daniel’s sister as the priest droned out his lines. What was her name? Rain? She remembered Daniel calling her that on the phone. At the time, she had thought it was such a New Age hippy type name for a financier. Each time she looked at Rain, she was caught. Her mind fidgeted with the permutations. Rain was definitely the woman she’d met in Massimo; she had to be. And from the glares she was receiving, felt even through the veil, Priya was at a disadvantage. Priya didn’t remember what she’d done, Rain obviously did.
The graveside ceremony seemed to drag on for hours, but twenty minutes after they’d arrived at the cemetery, the priest said the final words as the coffin was covered with dirt.
∞
“It’s Reyna actually.” The woman’s grip was firm, the palm dry and cool.
Priya felt the heat in her face and cursed the two red spots that she knew were now appearing on her cheeks. Reyna was only about 6 inches taller than Priya, but seemed to tower over her.
“Sorry, I’ve heard Daniel on the phone to you before and he called you Rain, I remember because I was thinking at the time that it was such a hipp…” She stopped and felt her cheeks burn harder.
“He liked to make fun of the name Leo and my mother decided to give me, Rain, I changed it legally a few years ago, it’s now Reyna, R-E-Y-N-A. Perhaps you might remember that for a better reason?”
Priya couldn’t see if the eyes behind the black glasses were smiling or not. She stared at the features of the face, which were striking in their sharpness. She looked down and realized her hand was still in Reyna’s. She snatched it back. And this time there was a slight curve to Reyna’s lips.
“I really must go and express my condolences to your mother.” Priya looked around the study of the Fairer mansion. The mourners had been conveyed to a very expensive area of New York, the houses hidden behind high walls and reached by long driveways. The rest of the staff were at the buffet table in the adjoining room. While the funeral itself had been kept small, the gathering afterwards at the family home was packed. Daniel’s mother was at the other end of the study, in conversation with a couple, her head bent attentively.
Priya started to turn, but Reyna placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. Priya felt the hiss of air in her ear as Reyna leaned in and whispered, “So, was it quick? Painless? Were you enjoying yourself with your boyfriend when he died?”
“What?” Priya turned and found herself just a few inches away from Reyna’s face. The mirrored glasses reflected the whites of Priya’s eyes. “He wasn’t my boyfriend.” Her voice came out a lot higher than she wanted. She lowered it. “Why on earth would you think that?”
“I left you at his apartment. My mother finds him dead the next day. She thinks a woman had been in his bed with him. You never mention it to anyone that you were there.”
“You never mentioned that you were there! Look, I was never in bed with him. I found him there. I know I shouldn’t have left like that, but he was dead and I just panicked. I know I made a mistake. And he wasn’t my boyfriend!”
“That’s not what he told me.”
“What are you two talking about?” The voice interrupting was soft, but Priya jerked back in surprise. “I didn’t realize you knew each other.”
Reyna turned slowly to face her mother. “I’ve heard so much about her I just had to introduce myself.”
The slim gray haired woman held out her hand to Priya. “My daughter has terrible manners. I’m Catherine, Daniel’s mother.”
Priya’s hand shook as she accepted the proffered hand. “Priya Joseph. I work at the clinic in Galway.”
“Joseph… so you’re Joe, sorry, P.T. Joseph’s daughter?” Catherine’s eyes were warm and she smiled as she spoke.
“Yes. Actually, that’s how I first met Daniel.”
“Don’t you mean that’s how you got the job?” Reyna cut in.
“Rain!” Catherine glared at her daughter. “Priya, I’m so sorry. Rain is not dealing very well with Daniel’s death.”
“Mother, its Reyna. And yes, I’m not ‘dealing’ as you
say. I’m surprised you are.” Reyna turned to Priya. “Excuse me, I must go and talk to my grandfather. He’s not dealing very well either.” She turned abruptly and walked away from the two women leaving Priya staring after her in shock.
Catherine placed her hand on Priya’s arm. “Why don’t we go and get a drink dear?”
∞
Priya allowed Catherine to lead her on a slow amble towards the bar built into one wall of the study. Their passage through the guests was hindered by condolences offered every few feet. People stopped Catherine to shake her hand, introducing themselves, their names usually prefaced by Doctor. Priya wondered at their curious looks at Catherine, who seemed to sail oblivious through them, her course firmly set.
“Brandy, my dear?” Catherine was already pouring herself a Hennessey, the smooth golden liquid settling into the full curves of the beautifully delicate brandy glass. Catherine held up the glass to the light, the broken light bouncing and sparkling in her eyes. “Waterford Crystal,” she said, “Only the best for the Fairers.”
“Actually, I don’t like brandy.” Priya scanned the bottles on the thick wood counter. “Perhaps a port...?”
Catherine poured the drink into an equally beautiful glass and handed it to Priya.
“Slainté.” She clinked her glass off Priya’s and took a tiny sip. “So, Priya, what did you make of my daughter?” Priya could see now that Catherine’s eyes were slightly glazed, the pupils wide, but her voice was steady.
Unlike Priya’s. There was a quiver in Priya’s voice when she spoke. “She’s obviously upset at what’s happened.”
“And have you two met before today?”
Priya gulped down some port. Should she admit to meeting Reyna that night in Massimo? How much did Catherine know of her daughter’s movements?
Catherine seemed to take pity on Priya. She said, “Reyna was staying with me in Connemara when she came to Ireland. She was supposed to meet Daniel at the pub on Friday night. Perhaps you met her there. Daniel mentioned he had to go to somebody’s birthday party there, somebody from the clinic. I assume you would have been there for that.”
Priya felt her face go hot again. She was grateful for the air-conditioning without which she would probably have been sweating profusely. As it was, she could feel a light sheen on her face.
“Yes, it was Tara’s birthday. And Daniel didn’t turn up; he was supposed to be there. I might have seen Reyna there. She did seem familiar when I saw her today.” Was she babbling? Could Catherine see through her feeble words?
“I guess he must have been dead by that stage.” Catherine took a long swallow of the brandy emptying the glass. She poured some more out for herself. “My son, the world-famous cardiologist, dies from a heart attack. He wanted to be a famous doctor so much; he wanted to be just like his grandfather.” Another sip. “Not like his father. He didn’t want to be like his father. Though who could blame him. Leo was too different for all of them. The Fairers.” Catherine almost spat the last word out. Then her tiny burst of anger seemed to fade and she mumbled, “But I was wrong, wasn’t I.” She brushed at a wisp of silver that had escaped from her neatly styled hair.
Priya glanced around the room. Nobody seemed to be listening. She wanted to be back home, in her little cocoon. She looked for Reyna, but there was no sign of her or her grandfather. Priya felt a jolt in her stomach, what had happened with that woman?
“She’s probably with her grandfather sorting out the rest of the day, and the week, and probably the next few months.”
Priya brought her attention back to Catherine immediately. “I wasn’t looking for her.” She was annoyed with herself for stammering. What was wrong with her? “I was just admiring the room; it’s quite lovely, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. But you’d be surprised at the things that have happened in this room.” Catherine looked around the room as if seeing for the first time. “He was standing right there.” She pointed to the antique desk that they could just see through the crowd. Priya noticed a dark wood rocking horse under the desk. The light darted off the intricate saddle on the rocking horse, the mute sheen of its rosewood body blending into the paneled landscape.
“Daniel?” Priya asked.
“Yes, my 9 year old boy. My beautiful baby boy. He chose to stay here, with his grandfather. I had to leave him. I had to go. I was pregnant with Rain, Leo was going.” Catherine’s eyes were focused on the rocking horse. Its one visible carved eye stared into the distance. “Leo was going, with or without me. Tell me Priya, how is your father doing?”
The sudden change of topic threw Priya off her train of thought. “He’s fine.” She hesitated when she saw the question in Catherine’s eyes. “Well, not really. He’s doing his duty in India at the moment; he’s going to go there for a month every year to help out at a clinic there.” Priya’s face tensed. “He’s trying to work through his guilt I think. My mother was treated at that clinic and they screwed up. It had nothing to do with him; they were only on holiday there. And he didn’t want to offend the ‘great’ doctor that ran the clinic. He questioned him, but not enough. So she died. And I was too busy getting my act together in Ireland with the new job and … other stuff. Wanted to prove everyone wrong. Didn’t realize how serious it was.” She stopped. “I can’t believe I’m talking about this to you, today. I haven’t spoken to anyone about it.”
Catherine took Priya’s hand and squeezed it. “I may not look like it right now,” she grinned and the grin turned her face into that of a child, “I’m a healer.” She smiled at Priya’s expression. “Yes, I know. I broke with the family tradition. They don’t mention it much. But you’d understand that.”
Catherine looked around before leaning in to whisper, “I found Daniel, you know.”
Priya nodded. Her throat felt swollen.
Catherine continued in a whisper, “The GP said it was a heart attack. I’m not too sure.”
Priya could smell the brandy coming from Catherine’s breath. She would forever associate that smell with death she thought. She remained silent. What was she supposed to say to this woman?
Catherine said, “There was someone there with him. A woman. In his bed. I know it.”
Priya felt a wave of panic. She couldn’t understand why she was feeling guilty again. She knew she hadn’t been in bed with Daniel. But she had found him. And left him.
Catherine’s voice was still quiet, but she wasn’t whispering any more. “I am not going to just leave it like that. Daniel was my son. If there was some woman involved I am going to find out.”
Priya stayed silent, aware of the thudding of her heart in her chest.
Catherine said, “You’re going to help me. You knew Daniel well. He spoke about you a lot. He liked you.”
Priya said, “I really didn’t know him too well. I don’t think I’d be much use.” She looked around the room, hoping someone would come and rescue her, but people were absorbed in their own conversations.
“You’d be more able to find out those kinds of things.” Catherine sighed deeply. “I have to mingle; these people need to tell me how sorry they are for my loss. I’d better let them.” She looked at Priya as if seeing her for the first time. “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you. I would really like it if you would come and stay with me in Connemara for a little while. I have a little healing center there.” Catherine nodded almost to herself. “Yes, my dear, I’ll see you there. We’ll discuss it more; find out together what happened to Daniel. I’ll send you the details, it’s not very accessible, I keep it private. I don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder.”
∞
Priya felt shell-shocked as she went into the other room to join the staff from the clinic. James and Sean were speaking with a few of the other doctors there; from the snippets of conversation, she gathered they were mostly cardiologists as well. Priya was silent as she stood beside the three women from the clinic.
Clodagh looked even smaller than she usually did perched on her raised offic
e chair. “This place is grand, isn’t it?” Her voice was hushed. “Did you see the way all that silver is laid out on the table? I knew they were rich, but this is something else.”
Sheila and Mary were both gripping saucers, the delicate china cups they held giving out a scent of chamomile tea. Mary had chosen to wear a brown suit and she looked as faded and uncomfortable as the rough fabric outfit.
“Did you see the spread?” Clodagh asked. “I wish Aidan could have come with us, you know how he likes all these things.”
“Speaking of the Lynches, there’s the odd couple.” Sheila was trying to point with her chin.
“Sheila! Don’t let them hear you,” Mary said. Their voices were low and Valerie and Gerry Lynch were in the other room heading their way, but Sheila and Mary still looked like two middle-aged schoolgirls caught copying homework.
Priya watched their approach. She wasn’t sure she could handle seeing Valerie now. Gerry was a step behind Valerie as usual; his hand resting on the small of her back as if to reassure himself that she was still within reach. Valerie was wearing a black suit, its blackness setting off her dark blonde hair with its restless bronze highlights swaying as she walked under the light fall from the chandelier. Gerry’s business suits were dark, but he always wore ties that he seemed to pick for their unusual patterns. Today, his tie was probably the most somber one he could find in his collection, but it had swirls of red and gold shimmering from its black base.
Priya did not feel that familiar rush of adrenaline as she looked up to meet Valerie’s eyes. The usual challenge was there in those shaded brown eyes, the flecks of gold that had fascinated Priya as they had lain together guilty and sweat-ridden, were now just objects of beauty that could be admired as she would the dance of light in a rolling colored marble. She felt a sense of relief that the rush was gone, the hold loosened, maybe lost.
