Beyond the Garden

by S. Y. Thompson

  Reaching the hotel in a timely manner proved more difficult than Lil had suspected. At times, Dana walked easily alongside her, appearing in command of her emotions. Alternately, she would begin to shiver uncontrollably and burst into tears once again as she fretted over her friend’s recent demise. Lil kept one arm wrapped around Dana’s shoulders throughout the journey, unconcerned by appearances. In this part of the world, even the suspicion of being a lesbian could get a woman killed. However, strangely, it was perfectly acceptable for female friends to be in close physical proximity. Still, Lil kept an eye on her surroundings as she cared for the distraught woman. She thought Dana might be experiencing a mild version of traumatic shock.

  Finally, they reached the hotel and Lil stopped at the lower step. “This is where I leave you. The hotel has a shuttle service that can take you to the U.S. Consulate. They can assist you in obtaining a new passport and arrange to get you home.”

  “And Francene?” Dana’s lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears. A single drop escaped and tracked down a milky white cheek.

  “I’ll make the call as soon as I leave.” Aware that Dana had no reason to trust a complete stranger, even one who had saved her life, she pulled a card from her wallet. “This has my number. If Francene’s body is not at the San Diego city morgue before you arrive home, call me.”

  It would take a lot of effort to ensure that she fulfilled her promise, but Lil couldn’t leave Dana in such distress. She’d already involved herself too much to back out now anyway.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  Lil thought that an exceptional question. She didn’t really have an answer. “I suppose I just like to meddle in the affairs of others.” At least that was the truth.

  She started to leave, but Dana seemed unwilling to let her go. “Please, tell me your name.”

  Speaking with Dana for the last few blocks had seemed so easy for Lil, reassuring her and helping her to seek shelter. She had enjoyed the interaction more than she cared to admit, despite the unpleasant circumstances. With a simple request, all of that changed. Lil felt the urge to speak the truth, to tell this woman who she really was. As surprising as that impulse was, she realized that she couldn’t. Dana would never believe her and it wouldn’t matter anyway.

  Sadly, she responded, “Just someone who hopes you return home safely.”

  The rain had already stopped and Lil left Dana Reed standing alone on the steps.

  Chapter Two

  Lil headed into a nearby nightclub and directly toward the back. The noise generated by pulse-pounding music and the heavy crowd precluded making the promised call. In truth, this location served another purpose entirely. No one reacted to the owl as Lil worked her way across the room. She spotted a sign near another, smaller door in a shadowy corner. The sign, written in Turkish, announced an exit.

  Multiple thoughts and emotions generated by the patrons pressed in on her from all sides—lust, anger, jealousy. Everything combined into a silent din that caused her to clench her jaw. Lil blocked it all out and shoved the door open. She gave a breath of relief as she entered the alley and the discord faded. A quick glance around assured her that save for a stray dog and the litter blowing on the wind, she was alone. The sun had just started to rise in the distance, painting the sky with streaks of red and yellow.

  Lil wrinkled her nose in disgust at the stench of human urine as she pulled her cell phone from the holster. It wasn’t her first time in Turkey or even her first occasion to call the U.S. Consulate. She dialed the number from memory. The switchboard operator answered. Lil didn’t bother asking for anyone in particular.

  “I’m calling to report a dead American tourist.”

  A startled pause met her comment before the female operator asked, “Did you say dead?”

  “She is in an alley.” Lil gave the address and requested the Consulate send a team to retrieve the unfortunate woman. The operator listened as Lil gave her all the information she could.

  “I need your name and how you came upon the victim.”

  Lil ended the call and slipped the phone into the case before she addressed Pravde. “Are you ready to leave this place?”

  A single hoot gave Lil her answer. She nodded sharply and stepped farther into the alley where the shadows lingered. The urge to conceal her activities was rote after all this time, generated by the desire to avoid prying eyes. As she entered the deepest recesses of the alley, she translocated and reappeared in the same room from which she’d departed. Pravde launched from her shoulder immediately and took up a position on a perch high overhead.

  Lil sensed the owl’s fatigue and empathized. Though she couldn’t feel the same exhaustion of the body, Lil’s soul carried its own ever-present weariness. She’d expected some of that feeling to dissipate once she returned home, but if anything her limbs felt heavy and her mood melancholy. Her thoughts remained with the woman she’d assisted in Turkey, wishing Dana Reed luck in returning home with a minimum of fuss. Despite her concerns, Lil had no inclination to travel back to Turkey. All she wanted was a warm shower and a walk upon the open meadows around the manor. Perhaps Pravde would be interested in joining her. At not quite eleven p.m. and situated in the less populated region of southeastern Maine, no one would be about to see an owl roaming the countryside with her human companion.

  With her plans for the evening determined, Lil took a long, warm shower and then dressed for the cool weather. She grabbed a light jacket and almost left her chambers but stopped near the doorway. For some reason, she felt like she was forgetting something. The cell phone caught her eye and Lil frowned. She wasn’t a child of the twenty-first century and often didn’t even think of the phone. Yet for all that, she felt compelled to take the device with her. She had learned to listen to her instincts a long time ago.

  Lil reached out to take the phone. Her fingers hadn’t yet made contact when it unexpectedly rang. She felt sure she knew the identity of the caller before she answered.

  “Yes?”

  “Um, hi. This is Dana Reed, the woman you helped earlier?”

  “Yes, Ms. Reed. I know who you are.”

  “Right, well, are you still in the city, Ms. Primus?”

  Lil hesitated, not having expected the query or the sound of worry in Dana’s voice. She knew immediately that she had erred by giving Dana her card. She had done so on a whim, never expecting the woman to make use of it. Lil had a feeling that her plans had just changed.

  “I am…still available,” she surprised herself by saying.

  “Oh, that’s great. Listen, I don’t mean to put you out and you’ve already done so much to help me, but…”

  “Ms. Reed, what is the trouble?”

  “The authorities here knew about Francene and had sent someone out for her—thank you for that by the way—but I told them I was with her and now they won’t let me leave.”

  Lil felt irritation and frustration wash over her in equal measure. She should have realized Dana would mention her friend and complicate her situation.

  “What is it they require of you?”

  “They say I have to contact Francene’s next of kin and arrange for an emergency power of attorney. I have to take care of her things at the hotel and set up transportation for taking her bo…taking her back to the States. The problem is that my phone and money were in my purse when it was stolen.”

  Lil could see where this was headed without being told. Dana Reed had no way to contact her friend’s parents or pay for the autopsy that Turkish authorities would need to perform. The Consulate would fill out a Foreign Service Report of Death, but it had to be based on a local autopsy. Had she kept silent, the U.S. Consulate would have taken care of all the arrangements and billed Francene’s next of kin. Now it was too late and Dana was stuck with the formalities and no resources.

  For half a second Lil was tempted to leave the woman to her own devices. She had saved Dana from a group of thugs and taken her to safety. As far as she could see, that wa
s the end of her responsibility. If she hadn’t made a promise to ensure that Francene’s body reached San Diego, she would have. Lil valued her integrity. More than that, she could still remember the sound of Dana’s grief and terror. Those emotions above all others resonated within her.

  “Do you know the names of Francene’s parents and where they reside?” Once Dana told her what she knew, Lil said, “I will be there shortly.”

  She terminated the call and tossed the phone onto her bed. Now that she had involved herself in the situation, Lil intended to do everything she could to bring this fiasco to a conclusion. Her first impulse was to resolve things quickly so she could get back to her own business. Then she realized that she actually had very little to do on a regular basis. At least this would provide an unexpected diversion.

  Lil stood in the center of the room and closed her eyes, relaxing her body as she reached out. Kaya Littlefoot, her woman assigned to North America, answered quickly though Lil knew she was currently on the west coast.

  “I am here, Mistress. How may I assist you?” Kaya was always formal, something Lil found comforting.

  “I require you to contact a couple living in San Diego and inform them that their child has perished while on vacation in Istanbul.” Over the great distance between them, Lil could sense that she had startled Kaya. “Please see to it that they generate a power of attorney for one Dana Reed so that she may resolve issues related to transporting the body home.”

  She gave Kaya the names and address of Francene’s parents and requested Kaya to arrange for a charter plane from Istanbul to San Diego International Airport.

  “Once we are prepared to leave Turkey, I will contact you with the details. Please have the San Diego morgue prepared to meet the plane once we arrive.”

  “You will be traveling by plane? No disrespect, but do you have a passport?”

  Lil smiled. “Yes, it’s been a long time since I have flown, but I’m sure I remember how things work. I’ll also need a car service to meet us so that I may see Ms. Reed home. After that, I’ll arrange my own transportation to the manor.”

  “Understood, Mistress. I will contact you as soon as I have what you require.”

  “Very good. Would you mind checking in on Pravde as well? I anticipate this journey will be lengthy. The flight alone is almost thirteen hours.”

  “Of course.”

  With Kaya taking care of some of the critical details, Lil prepared for her return journey to Istanbul. She remembered her passport and took a small duffel bag with a change of clothes as well as a stack of cash she removed from the office safe. Mortals and bureaucracy moved slowly and on occasion, she’d been required to grease the wheels. Once again, Lil ensured she had everything she might need. For the second time in as many hours, she strode into the ether between distances and arrived outside the club alley in Turkey.

  This time, Lil eschewed entering the noise and barely controlled chaos of the nightclub and headed around the corner toward the main street. The storm had ended and the U.S. Consulate wasn’t far so she decided to walk. Dawn had broken some time ago and already she could feel the unpleasant heat. A trickle of sweat trailed down her spine, reminding her of the light jacket she’d donned in preparation of walking across the Maine countryside. She should have changed her attire, but it was far too late now.

  Lil arrived outside the main building to the Consulate in less than twenty minutes. The huge structure sat at ground level, requiring her only to cross a small parking area reserved for dignitaries. Two United States Marines in dress blue uniforms stood at attention outside the main doors. One of the men broke his stance to open the door for her.

  “Thank you,” she said without looking at the man.

  She entered a large marble-tiled entryway and turned down a hallway to her left. Although she still couldn’t feel Dana’s presence, Lil sensed the concern she had generated in the consulate staff. She honed in on their location, sure she would find Dana with them. She spotted Dana through the glass windows leading into a richly appointed office.

  Dana perched on the edge of a vintage wing-backed chair with a floral pattern. She appeared nervous, her eyes darting around as she took in every detail. At the same time, she kept clasping and unclasping her hands. Suddenly, she turned her head and spotted Lil standing outside the office. A look of relief crossed her pale features and Dana quickly stood. Lil pushed the door open, meeting Dana halfway across the room. For a moment, Lil thought Dana would embrace her. Instead, she stopped less than a foot away.

  “Thank you so much for coming. I’m sorry I had to bother you again.”

  Lil noticed Dana’s exhausted appearance. Her green eyes were bloodshot and the medium length brown hair mussed. Tiny lines had appeared around her nose in the few hours since Lil had last seen her. As before, the woman’s internal thoughts remained a complete mystery. Lil was starting to become irked by this fact and turned to speak with a man who had just entered from an inner office.

  The man was tall, very near Lil’s six-foot stature. He wore an expensive three-piece pinstriped suit. Lil would have thought him American from his appearance if not for the long, dark beard and kuffiyeh worn over his head. The scarf was secured with a braided rope and was the traditional red-and-white checkered pattern. He offered her a smile and held out a hand.

  “Adskhan Tilki, at your service, madam. I am the attaché to the Consul General.”

  Lil shook his hand briefly, disregarding the urge to wipe her hand off on her shirt afterward. She picked up on his carefully concealed oily personality and realized this man was a politician through and through. He sincerely wanted to help, if only to get them out of his office as quickly as possible. In this case, Lil agreed completely. She didn’t want to be here any longer than necessary.

  “Lillian Primus. I have contacted the deceased’s parents. A power of attorney is being drafted as we speak. What else do you require to push things along?” It wasn’t important to mention that someone else was acquiring the document at her direction.

  “That is very fine,” Tilki assured her in heavily accented English. “However, a local autopsy is required. Unfortunately, local medical personnel rarely consider the death of an American tourist a priority. I’m afraid it may take several days to work through the details. Then of course, there is the matter of cremation.”

  “No, I don’t want Francene cremated.” Dana sounded horrified by the possibility and the look of shock on her face was unmistakable.

  Before Lil could respond, Tilki said, “I’m sorry, miss, but Istanbul does not embalm the deceased and I’m afraid other methods utilized will render an open casket funeral impossible.”

  Dana blanched and Lil resisted the urge to break Tilki’s neck. Fortunately, Lil had already prepared for this contingency. “There will be no cremation. I’ve already made arrangements for travel once the body is released by the morgue.”

  “I see.” Attaché Tilki clearly didn’t appreciate this news and Lil watched his eyes dart around as he searched for another way to stall them. “In that case, I will do what I can to speed things along for you, but you must understand that things do not work the same way here as they do in America. Here, officials work at their own pace and do not appreciate outside interference.”

  Lil’s eyes narrowed. What Tilki said was true, but there was clearly a way to fast-track the process. Lil was perfectly capable of meeting that requirement. Living for centuries had allowed her to amass a vast fortune, which came in handy when dealing with greedy mortals. Normally, Lil wouldn’t support such a thinly veiled attempt at extortion, but as mortals liked to say; in for a penny, in for a pound. That she had prepared for such a contingency didn’t make her any happier about it.

  “Ms. Reed, would you excuse us for a moment?”

  Dana nodded and Lil walked away toward the far side of the room. As though sensing a handsome reward, Tilki rapidly followed. Lil turned back to confront him in time to catch Tilki rubbing his hands together in ant
icipation. She wanted to tear his head off, but thought Dana might take exception to the violence. Plus, all the bloodshed and the death of an attaché might create an international incident.

  “How much?” Lil’s harsh, grating tone caused Tilki’s eyes to widen.

  “I…I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Sir, I assure you that greasing the wheels of diplomacy is not new to me. I’m sure you have contacts in the local hospitals as well as the morgue. How much will it take to conclude this incident today?”

  Tilki seemed genuinely shocked by the question. “Today? I do not believe such a thing is possible…”

  Lil quickly calculated. While Istanbul was a modern city, the economy was poor. Money would help achieve her goals, but Lil didn’t intend to give this leech more than she had to. “Two thousand dollars and we have the death certificate signed by the local coroner before lunch.”

  “Five thousand and it will arrive before the end of the day.”

  The façade had dropped and Lil could see the avarice in Tilki’s brown eyes. His body had tensed in preparation of extended haggling, illustrating his familiarity with such negotiations. Lil was disgusted that he would engage in this selfish negotiation over the return of a dead American to her family.

  “You will take four thousand and it will be here by lunch. If it has not arrived, I will speak to the local media and apprise them of your…capitalistic tendencies.” Fury warred with greed, fighting for dominance on Tilki’s face. These were the hardest emotions for Lil to read and for a moment, she thought he would refuse.

  He gave in with a single nod. “I will make the call.” Tilki walked away and disappeared into a rear office, all but slamming the door behind him.