“Are you kidding? I have to beat away the girls knocking on my door – right Jaz?”
“Of course. I was lucky to get through them all.”
“Yeah right. How did you meet?”
“We went to college together. Does Mum know you’re drinking that?”
“Who cares if she does? I’m sure she’s more worried about her guests than her daughter tonight. You guys met in college? Seriously, how long have you been together then? You’ve got to come around more often, Big Bro.”
“We only just started dating. We’ve been friends since college,” Jasmine explained.
“Well, anyone who can put up with him is fine in my books.”
A bell sounded from inside and everyone started moving towards the dining room. They followed suit after most of the guests had left.
The dining table was long and made out of dark wood. It didn’t seem to fit the Tuscan feel of the house at all. It would have been more at home in an 18th century English manor house. It seemed out of place, but it was big enough to seat comfortably the two dozen dinner guests. Each seat had a place card with a name neatly handwritten on it. Caleb found his next to Ella’s at the far end of the table. Next to his card was ‘guest’. Jasmine figured that must be her and sat down.
The table had been set perfectly, with each seating containing one of each piece of cutlery and fine china. Arranged on the table were garlands of fresh flowers, mainly orchids, but some baby’s breath was spread out amongst it. On the top of each side plate was a white cloth napkin, rolled-up in a napkin ring shaped like a silver bow. It all seemed too perfect to disturb.
Keith Marshall stood up when everyone was seated. “I’d like to thank you all for coming and breaking bread with us this evening. On tonight’s menu, our main meal is Duck with an orange glaze. I hope you enjoy it, otherwise, we might have to fire the chef.” Some of the guests laughed. Jasmine wasn’t sure if he was joking. “I’d like to take this opportunity to praise God for everybody being here tonight and give thanks for being able to enjoy this meal together. Amen.”
The guests repeated “Amen” and Keith sat back down. Within seconds, the room was full of waiters and waitresses serving the entrée. Jasmine took the napkin and placed it across her lap, thanking her gran for teaching her about good table etiquette.
She looked to her left-hand side where a man sat. He was middle aged and was starting to go bald. She looked at his place card – Stanley Reiner. She knew the name well. Stanley Reiner was the police chief of Avalon. It was his son that had taken the university scholarship that had her name written all over it. She tried to introduce herself, but he was more interested in the entrée.
She looked down at her plate. The entrée was pumpkin soup with a swirl of cream on top. It was one of her favourites. She picked up the soup spoon and started eating. She didn’t like the sound of having duck as the main course, so she made sure to finish the bowl, rather than go hungry later.
Caleb leaned over and whispered in her ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed. Nice soup though.”
“Just relax. It’s almost over.” He put his hand under the table and placed it on the side of her leg.
“Liar. It’s only just begun.” They made their way through the second course of small chicken vol-au-vents. Jasmine was right on her first instinct; she couldn’t stomach the duck and just picked at the sides instead. By the time dessert came, she thought she was almost too full to be able to eat it. When she saw it was chocolate mud cake she changed her mind and decided she could fit it in.
Stanley Reiner never said a word to her throughout the meal. He was too interested in the couple across the table. Jasmine had caught a few parts of their conversation. Mostly, they were sharing stories of their last European holiday. Telling how they were robbed or how the taxi drivers ripped them off. ‘For people that appeared to have everything, they sure whinged a lot,’ she thought to herself.
When the coffee and after dinner mints arrived, he finally looked her way. “Stan Reiner, nice to meet you.”
“Jasmine Parker. Nice to meet you too.”
“Jasmine Parker. Where do I know that name? Did you go to school with my son Michael?” She could smell the wine on his breath as he spoke.
“I did – we were in the same grade. What’s he up to now?”
“He’s a lawyer. Doesn’t like to use his hands, so went down that path. His mother wasn’t too happy about it. She wanted him to be a doctor, but I told her, Mary, I said, you have to let them be, otherwise they’ll just end up resenting us. You know what I mean?”
She nodded politely, thinking what a waste that scholarship was.
The update on Michael was not news. Becky had already mentioned she was seeing a lawyer with the same name last week. It just seemed so fitting in a place like Avalon. The rich stick to rich. “I do. Well, tell him I said hi.”
“I will, I will.” He turned back to the other guests, satisfied he had said enough to be courteous. Jasmine turned herself around to face Caleb.
“Cay. Where’s the bathroom?”
“Down the corridor, three doors on the left.”
She got up and tucked her chair in underneath the table. She found the third door on the left and knocked. There was no answer, so she turned the handle and went in. The bathroom was as big as her living room and kitchen in one. The bench tops were made out of carved marble, the taps were shiny gold. She used the facilities and washed her hands. After she checked her make-up, she returned to the dining room.
Caleb was gone from his seat. She looked around the room, but couldn’t see him. “Ella, where did Caleb go?”
She slid over into his seat. “He went with Mum. She said there was a problem in the kitchen that she needed him for. That’s code for we need to talk. He probably wasn’t sitting up straight enough during dinner or something. I’m glad it’s him and not me for once.”
“Your mum’s a bit of a perfectionist?”
“That’s an understatement. She has this compelling need to show off in front of all these people. She must have the perfect family, the perfect house etc. etc.” She rolled her eyes. “Like they’re all perfect. I know for a fact that half the people in this room have skeletons in their closet. What’s that saying? People in glass houses shouldn’t cast the first stone, or something?”
“How are you and Caleb so normal then?” She liked Ella more and more. She had a say-it-like-you-see-it demeanour, but not in a rude, obnoxious way. Add some teenage dramatics to it and she was easy to get along with.
“We’re not, trust me. In our future, I see many hours on a psychiatrist’s couch. You should probably escape while you can.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. You said earlier that you were looking forward to graduating from high school. What are your plans after that?”
Her face lit up at the question. “I want to travel so badly. Mum and Dad keep saying I have to go straight to university, but I’m not gonna. I’ve been saving up and I’m going to go to England. I want to live in London and go to Barcelona on the weekends. Everything is so close together there. You only have to sneeze and you’re in another country. Have you ever been?”
“No, I’d like to go as well. The pictures are always so beautiful, so green. What do you think you’ll do there?”
“I really like to take photos, you know? I’m going to be a famous photographer one day. What better place to become one than London. I’m going to be the new Steiner. My parents want me to be a surgeon. Can you imagine anything worse? What do you do?”
“I’m an accountant. I really enjoy it.”
“I hate maths. I could never be one. I couldn’t handle being in an office all day either. I like to be outside, that’s where the real beauty in the world lies. It’s all God’s nature outside, inside, everything is man-made.”
“That’s true. I like the office though, it keeps me busy.”
“I have bunches of photos that I’ve taken. Do you w
ant to have a look?”
“Sure.” They got up from the table and Ella led the way into her bedroom on the second storey. The room was painted a dark purple and had dozens of posters covering the walls. Jasmine tried to take it all in and studied the chaos. Some were of the latest music bands, others were teenage heartthrobs from television shows, a few were black and white posters of different places in Italy.
“Here, come and sit down.” Ella sat on her queen sized bed and patted the spot beside her. She sat down and a black album was opened onto her lap. Inside were hundreds of photographs. They appeared to be of random things, a clothesline, a rotting pear, an old man sitting on a park bench. What was extraordinary about them was that each one seemed to tell a story. They were just a still of a moment in time, but you could read so much more into them.
The old man wasn’t just an old man; he was a person that had lived a life full of loss, each one contributing to the sadness in his weary eyes as he sat there. The pear wasn’t rotting, it was suffering from neglect that no-one had claimed it and enjoyed the sweet juice that it bore. Even the clothesline was interesting. It had children’s clothes strung up on it and showed the love that someone had tenderly washed and cared for it. She flicked through the album, making sure to look at each one.
“Ella, these are amazing. There is no doubt that you will be the next Steiner. I can tell you now; you don’t need London to make you into a photographer. You already are one.”
She beamed with the compliment. “You really think so? Mum says it’s stupid. She said “Who wants to see a picture of a pear?” She just doesn’t get it.”
“Don’t listen to her. You are amazing. You should follow your dream while you’re young and you still can.” She handed back the album. “Thank you so much for sharing that with me.”
“You’re very welcome. I like you. I hope my brother has some sense and keeps hold of you.”
“Thank you, me too.” They laughed together.
“I guess we should get back to the party.” Ella put her hands up to make inverted commas when she said ‘party’.
“I guess we should.”
They walked back to the dining room, but the guests had moved back into the living room and patio area. Most were sitting or perched on the arms of the lounges, holding their coffees or wine glasses. Some were outside, standing in small groups talking.
Jasmine looked around and saw Caleb standing near the entrance to the kitchen, deep in conversation with Margaret Marshall. She took a seat in the corner with Ella and tried not to watch them.
* * *
As Jasmine had left to go to the bathroom, Margaret Marshall took the opportunity to speak with her son. She asked him to join her in the kitchen, to help with a problem they were having. He asked Ella to watch out for Jasmine and followed her. They walked through the kitchen and stood close to the door in the living door.
“What can I do for you, Mother?”
“You didn’t tell me you were dating Jasmine Parker,” she spoke in an angry whisper.
“It’s only a new development. Why do you care?”
“Her family is trouble. She is not the kind of person we should be associated with.”
“What are you talking about? What the hell do you know about her family?”
“I know enough. Her father was a mad scientist and was sacked because he was mistreating animals. Do you really think these people here want to be reminded of that?”
He was trying hard to keep his tone of voice respectful. “I really don’t care what these people are reminded of. That case was dropped by the police and nothing was ever proven. I love this girl and you will have to respect that.”
“I don’t care what misguided feelings you have for her. You are never to see her again, are we clear?”
“No, we are not clear. You can’t tell me what to do anymore. I’m twenty-four years old, Mum. I’m not someone you can dictate to anymore.”
“If you know what it good for you and this family, then you will drop her home tonight and say your final goodbyes. You cannot see her again.”
“I’m sorry Mum, but I can’t do that. You’re going to have to give me a better reason than just making your precious guests uncomfortable.”
“It’s for the good of the family and that should be enough.”
“It’s not enough. Mum, I’m planning my future with Jasmine. Do you hear that? I can see myself marrying her one day, having some kids, growing old together, the whole cliché. I’m not going to break up with her just because you said so.” He was tiring of the conversation and was confused by his mother’s reaction.
“Caleb John Marshall, you need to listen to me, young man. You may be twenty-four, but you are still part of this family. You are to take her home and never see her again.” Her face was reddening. The guests were starting to fill the room and this was something she didn’t want them to witness.
“Can’t do it Mum, I’m sorry. If you just got to know her, you would see how great she is.”
“We are going to talk about this again later – with your father. Just take her home, now! I have to get back to the guests.” She took a deep breath, smoothed her dress and plastered a smile on her face before entering a circle of guests and joining in the conversation.
Caleb looked around the room and saw Jasmine and Ella sitting on a lounge in the corner. He slowly walked over to them, trying to compose himself before speaking to them. As much as he wanted to leave anyway, he didn’t want to leave immediately; otherwise, his mother would have won the battle. He sat down close to Jasmine and put an arm around her waist. She leaned into him.
“You’re back,” she commented.
“I am.”
“Ella just showed me her photos. They’re phenomenal.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen them. She’s good… for a beginner,” he teased.
Ella made an overly dramatic shocked face. “Yeah right! And you’re only as good as a rookie at reporting. Maybe one day you’ll grow up to be a real reporter. Covered any interesting stories lately? Oh no, that’s right, you haven’t. But, you are welcome to bring Jasmine around here for as long as she keeps complimenting me – okay?”
“Okay, will do. Hey, Jaz are you almost ready to hit the road?”
“Yeah, I’m ready when you are.”
“Let’s hit the frog and toad then. It’s been a long day and someone kept me up all last night.” He released his grip on her waist and they stood up.
“I don’t want those details, puh-lease.” Ella screwed her face up and put her hands over her ears. She walked them to the front door.
Jasmine gave her a hug. “It was so nice to meet you, Ella.”
“It was nice meeting you too. Caleb never brings his girlfriends over. Mainly because they’ve either been imaginary or plastic. Come back anytime okay.” She hugged her brother next.
“Talk to you soon, El. See you around.”
They found the car and Caleb pushed the remote control to unlock the doors. He opened the door and bundled Jasmine inside. He backed out of the driveway as Ella waved them off from the front porch.
“I love your little sister.”
“She’s one of a kind, that’s for sure. Nah, she’s pretty cool as far as sisters go.”
“I’m so full. I think you’ll have to roll me inside when we get home.”
“Me too. Tell me, who eats duck though? My parents need a new chef.”
“Is he there full time? I thought he was just the caterer or something.”
“No, he cooks all their meals. Even when he’s not there, he would have frozen something for them.”
“Wow that would be weird. What were you and your mum talking about for so long?” She tried to broach the subject casually as if making conversation.
“Just the usual – how’s work going, am I eating right. The usual mum type stuff,” he lied.
“It looked pretty intense.”
“Mum’s a professional interrogator. She should have joined th
e army special forces. Now, you’re staying with me from now on – right?”
“I don’t have to. I can go to my grandparents.” She remembered the phone call from that afternoon and shuddered.
“Hmm, your grandparents’ place or your mega-hot boyfriend’s. That’s a tough one. Do you want to pick up some clothes on the way?”
“Yeah, I probably should. I don’t think your underwear will fit me.”
“Don’t go putting sexy images in my head. There’s enough in there already. It’s hard to concentrate.”
They only stopped long enough at Jasmine’s apartment for her to gather the necessities, clothes, toothbrush and her investigation folder. She picked up her car and they were back at Caleb’s house by midnight, in bed by half past the hour.
Chapter 15
Jasmine was awoken by the sound of the shower running. She rolled over to face the en-suite door. It was open; steam was escaping through the top of the doorway. She looked at the time; it was 8:00am. She waited for Caleb to finish before she got out of bed.
He emerged from the bathroom in a towel and gave her a kiss. He started getting dressed, black pants with a light blue business shirt. Jasmine picked up a tie and waited for him to button up his shirt. He stood in front of her and watched as she snaked the tie around his neck and then tied it.
“What are you up to today?”
“Not sure. I thought I’d do some digging through company records and work out once and for all who owns the labs. What about you? Have any big stories to cover?” She was satisfied with the tie and gave him another kiss.
“We’ll see. Hopefully there will be something going on in Avalon today. You be careful, you hear?”
“Yes Mum! You make sure to be careful too. It won’t take them long to work out you’re involved in this.”
“It’s okay, danger is my middle name.”
Ashes to Ashes Page 20
