“What are you saying?”
“We cannot help you or the child.”
“But Mother Abigail, we have come––”
“Our decision is made, Lilith of New Castle. So say we all. Go now in health. Fair thee well and prosper until again we meet.”
With that, the women of the Coven faded back into the silver fog. A brilliant flash of light followed and a gust of wind as abrupt as a sneeze blew it all away. Once again, Lilith and I were alone in the darkened void of nowhere. I started to say something to her, when the invisible bottom fell out from under us. I grabbed Lilith’s hand and took a deep breath. The sensation for falling lasted only a few seconds. I felt a sudden jolt as my feet met the floor. My knees buckled, but I didn’t fall. Slowly, the room around us came to light. I straightened my back and waited for the dizziness to pass. I was still holding Lilith’s hand. She looked so beautiful in the fading firelight of the witch’s circle, but in her eyes, I could see great disappointment.
“It’s my fault,” I said, “isn’t it?”
“What is?”
“I didn’t do the consummation ritual with you. That’s the reason the witches didn’t want to help us. They think I don’t take witchcraft seriously.”
“No. That’s not it. You heard me tell them it was my fault we hadn’t done it.”
“I heard you, yes, and thank you for that by the way. But you didn’t fool anyone. They knew I was the one that put it off. I’m sorry for that.”
Lilith palmed my chest and lightly pushed me aside. “We have to close the circle.” She handed me the athame. “Do you want the honors?”
“Sure.” I took the crooked dagger, aimed it at the ring of fire, and snuffed it out with a circular sweep of my hand. Nothing ceremonious about it. I turned to Lilith again. That come-hither look was in her eyes now. She crowded me up against the coffee table, pressed her warm body to mine, and laced her hands around my waist.
“You know,” she cooed. “I did something for you. Now how about you do something for me?”
I knew what that meant. “Uh, well you know….” I pried her arms off me, grabbed my clothes and headed for the door. “I really have to go. I’m sorry. It’s this case, you know.” I hiked my thumb up over my shoulder. “The guys are waiting.”
“You’re going out the door naked?”
“Yeah, I’ll get dressed on the way. Oh, I almost forgot.” I hurried across the room and snatched up Kelly’s underwear off the table. “I’ll see you.”
I don’t know if she was more pissed about me running out the door buck-naked, or about the sand I scattered all over the table and floor when I snatched up the underwear. Knowing Lilith, it was more the former than the latter. She folded her arms at her chest, shifted her weight onto her left hip, and tossed her hair back over her shoulder. It’s a form of posturing akin to a bull snorting and stomping the ground before charging. I shut the door behind me without looking back.
I was halfway to the car when I heard it: a mini sonic boom followed by a loud crash and the sound of broken glass hitting the floor. I guessed it was a zip ball, a power-packed sphere of electric energy the size of a grapefruit, that she conjures up in the palm of her hand, mostly when she’s angry. It’s a great way to release a horde of pent up frustration, but murder on walls and furniture when discharged in the house. Still, better there than on me.
After getting dressed by the car and pulling away from the house, I had to consider where to go. The Brewbakers would have been the logical choice. I imagined Brittany might appreciate me relieving her before Spinelli arrived. For some reason, though, I just couldn’t bring myself to go there. I needed time to gather my thoughts first and sort them all out.
I’m not much of a drinker, and I especially don’t care much for drinking alone. But the thought of finishing the cold one I started at home seemed like a good idea. So I turned the car onto Jefferson and headed to Lenny’s Bistro, a quiet little place where I knew I could order a cold drink and a light snack and no one would bother me.
Boy was I wrong.
Silvia Belmonte is a bleached-blond, Generation-Y dynamo with a hard body, perky naturals and an infectious smile guaranteed to make you smile back. As barkeeps and waitresses go, she’s topnotch; a gifted gal who can take an order for a party of eight without a pad and never miss a trick. Same goes for names. That she remembered mine every time the old Tony Marcella went into the restaurant was remarkable enough, seeing I barely went there more than a few times a year. But she floored me when I walked into Lenny’s for only the second time since my return to prime and she greeted me like an old friend.
“Tony!” she said, calling my name from across the bar. A half dozen heads turned to see who caught the attention of the woman who captivated theirs.
I bellied up to the bar, smiling reciprocally, and I shook the hand she extended to me. “Silvia,” I said. “You remembered my name.”
“Yeah, why not? You remembered mine.” She peeled a napkin off the top of a stack without looking and laid it down in front of me. “Whatcha havin`, beer?”
“Make it a Lite, will ya?”
“Coming right up.”
“Oh, and no head please.”
“No head. Got it.” She grabbed a chilled beer mug from the chest and began filling it from the tap. “Speaking of which, where’s your girlfriend?”
“Excuse me?”
“Lilith. That’s her name, isn’t it?”
“Lilith. Right. You think she’s a witch?”
“What? No, of course not.” She set the beer down in front of me. “It’s a joke,” she said, shaking her head. “See, you said no head, and I said….” She stopped, thought about what she was going to say and then let it drop. She made a face as if it were a bad idea. “Forget it.”
“I’m surprised you remembered her name,” I said. “I don’t believe I ever brought her here.”
“She shook her head. “You didn’t, but you mentioned her the last time you were here.”
“Did I?” I took a long sip of beer.
“I believe you used the word, suffering, to describe your living arrangements.”
“Suffering? Did I say that?” I took another long sip and set the mug down on the napkin.”
“You were living in a tiny apartment with her and her cousin.”
“Ursula. That’s right. Wow, you do have a good memory. You know I should tell you. Lilith is no longer my girlfriend.”
“Oh?” She leaned in closer, propping her elbows up on the bar and presenting a marvelous view of her cleavage. “Is that a fact?”
“We’re married now.”
“Married?” She reeled back, crossed her arms and stole a glimpse down at my ring finger. “You’re not wearing a ring.”
I looked at my bare finger. “It was kind of sudden really.” I knew she thought I was only blowing her off.
“Sudden?”
“It was one of those things.”
“I see.” I knew she didn’t see, “Well I suppose congratulations are in order then.”
“Thanks.”
“How’s your old man?”
“Who?” I admit, I didn’t catch on at first.
“Your father?”
“My Fa…. Oh, my father. Yes, he’s good. Still down in Florida, you know, enjoying retirement.”
“Is he?”
I think she knew I was lying. I found myself absentmindedly rubbing the back of my neck, something I often do when I lie. I wouldn’t have known that if Lilith hadn’t pointed it out to me. Apparently she catches me doing it a lot. I smiled up at Sylvia and waited for her to do the same. She never did.
“Hey, you know who’s here?” she said.
Another change of subject. I welcomed the distraction. “No. Tell me.”
She gestured toward the lounge, directing a nod at a booth in the corner. “Your buddy the cop.”
“Spinelli?”
“No, the other one. Money bags.”
“Carlos?”
I don’t know why I didn’t think of Carlos first. I suppose it’s because he was probably the second to last person I wanted to talk to at that moment; the first being Sylvia, as I had become uncomfortable talking with her about Lilith and the factious Tony Marcella Senior. I picked up my beer and motioned a sweep in that direction. “You know I think I’ll head on over there and say hi to him. Would you send my tab to the table?”
“It’s on the house,” she said, raking up my soggy napkin and wiping the bar with a towel she kept over her shoulder. “Consider it a wedding present.”
I don’t know why, but her comment sent a chill up my back. I pictured Lilith sitting up in bed waiting for me to come home to consummate our marriage once and for all. I gestured a salute with my beer as a thanks. “Nice talking with you, Sylvia.”
She saluted back. “Same here, Marcella.”
Marcella. Funny how coming in it was Tony; going out it was Marcella. I guess that’s another one of the nuances of marriage.
Carlos saw me as I approached his table. He was talking to a longhaired brunette sitting opposite him, close to the open end of the booth as if poised to make a quick get-a-way if needed. I could see her long legs reaching under the table, her red dress riding high up on her knees, her slender arm, sleeveless, outstretched on the table with her hand wrapped loosely around a long-stem wine glass. I saw Carlos straighten up in his seat as I got closer, his expression changing from surprise to concern.
“Tony! What are you doing here? Is there a break in the case? Did Brit call?”
I waved off his concerns and came around the booth to gain a full view of his date. She looked up at me in wonder, and I damn near fell over at the sight of her. She was beautiful. Stunning even. She flipped her hair back off her face and smiled. I smiled back, offering my hand. “Hi there. I’m Tony,” I said. “Pleased to meet you.”
She took my hand, and the warmth of it melted the chill that had followed me all the way from the bar. “Pleasure’s mine,” she said in a sweet Southern drawl. “I’m sure.”
I like to think she neglected to tell me her name. Maybe she did. I can’t say for sure because I didn’t catch it. All I could hear was her angelic voice acknowledging my existence with a heartfelt, ‘Pleasure’s mine’. And I know she meant it because she said she was sure.
I let go of her hand and my peripheral view returned. I noticed a tabletop candle flickering skittishly in her company, its amber light basking in the reflection of her eyes. Further, off to the edge of my awareness was Carlos, his hands gesturing to get my attention. I could not give it to him. Only she had the power to release it.
I watched her drop her head and bite her lip teasingly. My eyes fell away and down the plunging red v-line of her dress. A gold necklace glistened against her mocha skin. It lay in smooth flow and gathered in the soft nook between her breasts.
“Tony!”
I blinked and found myself in conspicuous absence of manners. I looked at Carlos. His dropped jaw told me I had already overstayed a very thin welcome.
“Yes?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I came for a drink. Here, move over.” I nudged Carlos further into the booth and slid in next to him. “I don’t mean to interrupt. It looks like you two are sharing an intimate moment.”
“Well as a matter of fact we––”
“I’m sorry,” I said, ignoring Carlos completely. I reached across the table and tapped his date on the back of her hand. “I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name, darling`.”
“It’s Lauri,” she said. “Lauri Shullit.”
“Laurie? That’s a pretty name.”
“She spells it without the E at the end,” said Carlos, the gloating I-told-you-so tone of his voice masked in sarcastic politeness.
I could hardly believe it. Dominic had totally convinced me that Carlos’ girlfriend, his phantom Lauri without the E, was a figment of Carlos’ imagination. Between the coincidence with the spelling of her name and Carlos’ description of her, it seemed pathetically obvious he made her up. Yet there she was. And I knew it couldn’t have been a set up because Carlos had no idea I’d be going to Lenny’s. The surprise on his face told me that much.
I leaned back in the booth and folded my hands on my lap. I felt happy for Carlos. At least a part of me was happy. I was glad he hadn’t stooped to making up girlfriends out of desperation for keeping up with Spinelli and me. For surely his Lauri without the E could hold a candle, if not a torch, to Lilith and Ursula. She was beautiful beyond compare.
Still another part of me was worried. Carlos is no slouch in the looks department, but he is getting up in years. Even as a young detective just starting out, he never brought home beauties like Lauri Shullit. Then again, as a young detective, Carlos wasn’t worth millions.
I leaned forward in my seat again and propped my elbows up on the table. “Without the E?” I said. “Is that right?”
She smiled thinly. “That’s right.”
I smiled playfully. “I don’t believe you.”
Carlos said, “Tony.”
“It is,” she said.
I ignored him. “Nooo. Let me see your license.”
“Tony. Stop it.”
“Carlos please. I’m curious. You don’t mind, do you Lauri?”
“Not at all,” she said. Carlos elbowed me in the side, but it was too late. Lauri was already reaching into her purse for a driver’s license. She took it out and handed it across the table to me.
“New Hampshire,” I said. “You’re from out of state.”
“Just over the border.”
I read her name aloud. “Lauri A. Shullit. What do you know? Look at that, Carlos. She does spell it without the E.”
“I know that,” he said, not bothering to look. “That’s what I said.”
“Yes, but look.” I held the license closer to his face with my finger underlining her birthday. “She has a birthday coming up next month. She’s going to be twenty-one.”
I saw his eyes drop to the license as if it were on fire. “Oh wow. Ha-ha, look at that.” He peered across the table at Lauri and cracked a nervous grin. “You’re gonna be twenty-one.”
She pushed the wine glass aside and dragged a water glass into its place. “That’s right. I mention that. Didn’t I?”
I handed her license back to her. “That’s okay. I’m not going to say anything.”
“She doesn’t usually drink,” said Carlos. “It’s just that we’re celebrating tonight.”
“Oh? What are you celebrating?”
He looked at Lauri again and smiled proudly. “You want to tell him, dear?”
“Tell me what?” I asked.
She stretched her arm across the table and splayed her hand. “We’re getting married.”
I don’t know why I didn’t notice it before. Perhaps her beauty outweighed all else. However, presenting it the way she now did, it was impossible to see anything but the striking diamond engagement ring adorning her finger.
“Wow! It’s beautiful,” I said, and though I wanted to add the word congratulations, it just wouldn’t come out.
“It’s one whole carat,” Lauri boasted. She pulled her hand back and fanned it in front of her face to soak in its radiance once more.
“Actually it’s one point one,” Carlos corrected.
I fell back in my seat and forced a convincing smile. “Well now, isn’t that something. I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless.”
“You can say congratulations.”
“Yes, of course. Congratulations.” There. I said it. I hoped it sounded sincere, and maybe it did to Lauri, but I think Carlos knew better.
“Thank you,” said Lauri. “We’re both very excited.”
“I’m sure you are.” I picked up my beer and finished it off in a few quick gulps. “Listen.” I set the mug aside. “I’m sure you guys don’t need a third wheel hanging around. How `bout I let you two get on with your celebration. Carlos.” I checked my watch. �
�Dominic’s probably arriving at the Brewbaker’s house about now. Are you going to relieve him in three hours, or do you want me to take your shift?”
“No, I’m good. I’ll take that shift. I have to get Lauri home soon anyway. She has classes tomorrow.”
“Classes?”
“At B.U.” she said.
“Oh. Are you driving to New Hampshire tonight?”
“She lives with me,” said Carlos.
“With you?”
“Just during the week that is. She goes back home on weekends.”
“I see.”
Lauri said, “Yeah, technically, I still live with my parents. They think I bunk with a friend at a dorm on campus.”
“Okay, well….” I got up out of the booth and said to Lauri. “It was a genuine pleasure to meet you, and again, congratulations on your engagement. You make a lovely couple.”
She smiled at me the way Lilith does sometimes when she knows something I don’t. “Thank you,” she said. I turned to Carlos and offered my hand. “Carlos? Congratulations. I hope you don’t forget to invite me to the wedding.”
I thought he’d laugh at that. He didn’t. Instead, he shook my hand and said politely, “I’ll try not to.”
Negotiation
I left the house the following morning shortly before six o’clock. The Sunday paper had already hit my doorstep and I was glad to see no mention of the kidnapping on the front page. I expected that by the time I got to the Brewbaker’s house, Carlos would be ready to give me shit about running late. Not so surprisingly I suppose, he wasn’t even awake to dish it out.
Dominic let me in the back door after hearing me rap quietly on the window a few times. I presented him with a cardboard tray stacked with four take-out coffees and a bag of jelly donuts. He liberated one of the coffees and left me with the tray.
“Thanks,” he said, turned and headed for the living room. I followed him in.
“Any news from the kidnappers?”
Tony Marcella 07 - Call of the Witch Page 12
