A Chance Mistake

by Jackie Zack

  She’d noticed that he’d tiptoed around answers about having a girlfriend when they did a crash study on each of their backgrounds. He’d said it was always good for the married couple not to go into past relationships. But he’d stuttered on the word ‘past’ and his eyes darted back and forth. He was hiding something. Ah—men.

  Dafina looked to her feet to commiserate with Griff, but he was gone. She sighed. Her pet that loved her had a new person. He’d attached himself to Kory.

  The front door jingled and Fanny rushed in. She walked to Dafina straight away; Fanny’s eyes were bright and excited as she glanced at the book in Dafina’s hands. “So what do you think?”

  “About…?” Did she mean the book or the author?

  “He’s insane. Isn’t he? He’d have to be.”

  “I’m sorry. Who?”

  “Carl, of course. Carl.” Fanny’s voice started out at a high pitch and became higher with each word.

  “How do you mean?” The main character was terribly troubled with lurking shadows. And Dafina’s favorite character, the platinum princess was found dead. She could hardly keep reading.

  “Carl killed his lady love.” She nodded fiercely and set her jaw. “That would make ‘im insane.”

  “Whoa—whoa! I’m not there yet in the book. Why are you telling me that?”

  “You’re beyond the part, where it ‘appened.” Fanny pointed to the book.

  “I didn’t read anything of the sort. Someone accused Carl?”

  “No one accused him. There was a scene showing the whole thing!”

  “Killing her?” Dafina’s stomach tightened.

  “Aye. Oh dear. How on earth did you miss that?” Fanny searched her face. “I’m sorry. You’re not getting sick are you?”

  “You’re sure? You’re really sure.”

  Fanny nodded.

  “I can’t believe it.” Dafina fanned the pages of the book. “I’ll have to read it again—Why? Why did he do it? He loved her. With his whole heart.” She frowned. It might as well have been Kory who did the deed.

  “It was the shadows. He did it in a fit of anger and fear.”

  “No.”

  “Aye.” Fanny nodded.

  “So are you still reading the book?”

  “I ‘ave to find out how it ends.” Her eyes bulged.

  Dafina’s hands trembled, and she let go of the novel.

  “Dear, It’s only a book—a book of fiction. Nothing like real life. Huh.” Fanny’s voice turned sarcastic. She stared at her and waited.

  “Well…” Dafina brushed back her hair with a weak swipe. What was Fanny getting at?

  “Haven’t you heard?”

  “Heard what?”

  “Where ‘ave you been? There’s a killer on the loose! They’re searching for him right now as we speak.”

  “Wh—” Her hair prickled on the back of her head.

  “And that’s not the worst. Oh dear me. You’d best be careful,” Fanny touched her arm, “so far his victims have been blondes. The police are warning people not go anywhere alone or even stay alone in their homes.”

  Dafina took in a shaky breath. “Guess it’s a good thing that my aunt is staying with me.” And Kory, she smiled. Wait a minute. “When did the murders ‘appen?”

  “Oh, a week ago, maybe less.”

  About the same amount of time Kory, writer of horror, had been in their midst. Her knees turned weak, and she stumbled backwards into the stool. She grabbed it and sat down. Fanny cast her a sympathetic glance.

  “I’m all right.” She nodded and forced a smile.

  “If you say so. I’m going to go browse.” The older woman turned and headed down an aisle then looked back. “You’re sure?”

  “Yes.” She waved her on and hazarded a grin.

  But Dafina was not alright—not by a long ways. Did she have a murderer in her house? What if Kory’s penchant for horror went deeper, so as to take over reality? What if the two men following him were the good guys out to catch him? And the night he appeared on her doorstop all wet and muddy—he’d been out doing a nefarious deed. She shuddered.

  Kory’s face came to mind and started to melt away her fear. It was wrong to think those things about him. He was a gentleman. Caring and kind. He went the extra mile, literally, to make Aunt Nesta happy and make it possible for Dafina to keep her home and property a bit longer. And if she needed any other reason to trust the man, Griff loved him. And dogs were the best judges of character, right?

  Still, the revelations of her customer made her wonder. In the course of two minutes everything was turned upside down. Dafina glanced at the closed book. She knew she was a careful reader and always caught ambiguous clues that other people skimmed over. It wasn’t like her at all to miss something that dreadful in a story.

  She had the author right in her grasp and could ask him. But as soon as the thought popped into her head, she knew she couldn’t. How could she admit such a shortcoming of her reading ability?

  Taking hold of the book, she flipped the pages back over the story, scanning key words. After several minutes and feeling dizzy from all the motion and quick search reading. She found the spot. Platinum Princess was alive and well. Next page—turmoil and sketchy details. Ah, Kory, it didn’t make sense. What are you doing?

  The pages jumped in number—a page was gone. A shiver raced down her spine. She remembered how her book went missing and then reappeared. The only person that could’ve moved the book was Kory. The only person who would’ve taken out a specific page was Kory. She stepped to the front window to the display copy of The Unseen.

  ****

  Kory sat dutifully on a bench next to Auntie as she read his first published book. He actually enjoyed it. Her cringes, gasps, and muttered words of disgust and surprise made him happy. A couple of times she leaned over and asked him questions, some of which he answered, and others he shook his head slowly that she’d have to wait and see.

  Of course he’d gotten a lot of feedback on his writing, but never first hand like that. Even more, he began to think of Nesta as an adopted aunt. They had formed a camaraderie. And his affection for Dafina grew daily. He began to wish that he could step into this new life and never leave—get to know Dafina more and more until eventually…what? Marriage?

  Was a lifetime commitment too much to hope for? He was a stranger to her, an acquaintance at best, that’s all. But he did his best to be her friend and put on the Kory charm. At least Griff liked him. He glanced at the dog, leaned over to pet him, and in turn got a slobbery hand.

  He held the leather journal in his other hand, wiped the slimy wetness on his pants and picked up a pen. He’d broken his vacation rule of not writing and had scrawled down a few key ideas in the journal several pages away from Dafina’s info. Plain and simple, he was a writer. Why should he deny himself and be in misery? By the same token, why should he leave Dafina and be heartsick?

  Aunt Nesta’s voice broke into his thoughts. “How about a spot of tea?”

  “And biscuits?” He added.

  She nodded with a hint of a smile.

  Afternoon tea had become the routine. If or when he ever got back to New York, he’d probably have to hit Starbucks at four, either that or make his own brew.

  He stood and led the way through the teal door into the store. Griff scampered by his feet on the black and green checkerboard tile. Kory imagined he was living in a dream—a very good one especially when Dafina was in sight.

  His blonde love must have been looking out the front store window. She turned to head back to the cash register, but something was wrong. Her soft pink glow on her cheeks had disappeared, leaving her pale—her expression troubled.

  “Is everything all right?” Of course it wasn’t. He practically ached to aright the wrong, whatever it was, and bring back the sparkle to her eyes and the color to her face.

  Wariness and a cold look of fear manifested itself in her as her eyes focused on his. As soon as it appeared, it was gone, r
eturning her features to her usual calm.

  She seemed to force a smile. “Peachy. Everything is quite peachy.”

  Her choice of words brought him half a laugh. “If you say so, snookums.”

  She started to roll her eyes and stopped, then whispered, “Ah, bogies.”

  One glance at Nesta told him that she was oblivious to their teasing banter. She’d stopped to peruse a book on an end-cap shelf.

  He stepped close to Dafina, the length of his arm a millisecond away from her arm. “Nesta and I are off for tea.”

  Dafina clasped his hand. “Bring me back…a surprise?”

  Her words were innocent enough, but the sensual way in which she spoke them confused him. Oh. Her dry humor teasing him again, getting back at him for the endearment he used.

  He bit back a smile and dared to use a husky voice. “Of course, love, I shall bring—”

  “Tick tock, Kory. Let’s be off.” Aunt Nesta was on the move.

  He lost his grip on Dafina’s hand as Auntie pulled on his free elbow. His utter disappointment must have registered on his face in a humorous way for Dafina smiled lightheartedly. The pink color returned to her cheeks, her eyes sparkled, then, drat it all, turned sultry to tease him all the more.

  Auntie ushered him out of the store and took him to a café, all the while blathering about different types of tea, the tea leaves allowed to brew the right amount of time, and the right ratio of tea to milk and sugar.

  He could only nod helplessly and agree while his mind focused on Dafina’s sultry expression. His heart might as well have her name tattooed on it. The spunk she possessed, the cool aloof expression that caught his interest even more, her dry humor, and not to mention her creative oddities…And now Miss Ultra Seductress. What man alive could resist her? Whoever they were, he wasn’t in the group.

  “Aye, I think so. Don’t you?” Auntie’s eyes scrutinized his face.

  “I’m sorry. What?”

  “It’s no bother. Here we are.”

  Here they were indeed. He opened the door and spotted a gift table aimed at tourists. But still, maybe he could find Dafina something. What kind of token could he get for his love? His eyes zeroed on a display of mugs. One of the white mugs wore the red type: Crinc. A note underneath the mug gave the definition of the word as a hug or safe place.

  “What you have there?” Auntie reached over and touched the lettering on the mug in his hand.

  “I was going to give it to Dafina for a surprise. It’s for her to, you know, think of me. You think she’ll like it?”

  She snickered. “Aye, and she’ll be surprised all right.”

  Chapter 13

  After Kory and Aunt Nesta disappeared out the door, Dafina felt herself being pulled to the book in the window display. She had to read the rest of the page that was missing from her book. As soon as she’d heard the two and Griff come in the back door, she’d replaced the book before reading any more than the first two paragraphs. Now was her chance. Her fingers trembled as she lifted the book and took it back to her perch by the register. She tried to remind herself that part of Kory’s career was to create a shocking, horrific tale.

  He’d warned her not to read the book. Then he went out of his way to keep her from reading the page. The question was why. What was his motivation? To hide a killer’s intentions? To hide his descent out of reality?

  She would try to read it without emotion and sift it through the clinical part of her mind. Read it like it’s part of a manual or a dry book of history. Except the book was fiction, and in her heart she’d become the platinum princess and Kory had become Carl.

  As she read, she thought Kory had probably outdone himself on the scene. Her jaw hurt from clenching her teeth so tight. Her shoulders were tense and her hands clamped hard on the book, pressing it to the counter as if it could float through the air with its own demonic power.

  At the end of the much too graphic scene, Carl’s eyes were opened to what he’d done. The one he loved, gone from the world by his own hands. Although Dafina had done her best to go to her unaffected, devoid of feelings place, she broke down and cried while Carl sobbed.

  But wait. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Kory was a very talented writer and from hints in the scene like Carl’s vision tricking him, it might not be as it seemed. His sight left him for a time, only to have it returned to him in the past—as time altered or shifted. Perhaps what Carl experienced had not happened. Perhaps it was an illusion. Aye, she’d hold on to that.

  She glanced around to see if anyone noticed her sniffling. If they did, they’d ducked behind a bookshelf. No one in sight, no one at the door.

  Kory’s startled expression from a few moments ago came to mind. Before he’d left the store, she’d given him a stern look to be on his best behavior. His eyes widened like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He’d smiled a brief second—the smile disappearing as quickly as it came. Then he sauntered out the door with Nesta like someone had given him a jolt of energy. Odd that. Maybe she ought to give him a stern glance more often.

  One of the store’s regulars, an older man with graying hair peered around a corner. His timid expression belayed the fact that he’d seen her cry. Oh, bother. Evidently, he was satisfied that Dafina could help him with his purchase; he stepped to the counter and paid for, of all blooming things, a copy of The Unseen. She choked back laughter. Maybe she should break down more often while reading and make Gweneth a millionaire.

  After the man stepped away from the counter, bag in hand, Fanny reappeared with another book by the famous Kory Slate.

  “I saw that you found the part you missed. Quite a tear jerker, it is. Over the top, I’d say.” Fanny plopped the new book on the counter.

  “I see it hasn’t stopped you from trying another.” Dafina smiled wryly.

  “Sakes alive, child. I’ll have to read ‘em all, I shall.” Fanny bobbed her head. “You have a good day, now. Remember, it’s only a story of fiction, it is. And do be careful, dear.”

  “I will.” She sighed. One could only be so careful. There was such a thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  As far as Kory went, she’d have to see how it all played out. She remembered how dismayed she’d been over past newscasts showing mug shots of thieves and murderers. Some of them had looked very much the part with gruff, angry features, but the worst of all were the ones who looked normal or friendly. The jolly men could be next door neighbors.

  She’d already been taken unaware by her ex. He’d seemed genuine—the real deal—the love of her life. But no. How was it possible to know the deepest inner thoughts of anyone? She feared that it would be impossible to ever trust anyone…again. She’d felt a smidgeon of hope with Kory, but now that even seemed foolish. Go ahead. Fall in love with a serial killer. What a smashing idea.

  Too stir crazy to stand in one place, Dafina puttered through the store straightening displays, and reorganized a sale section of used books. She took a quick peek in the backroom to see Gweneth busy packing up books that had been ordered over the internet. Any venue to sell books was welcome. A jingle alerted her to a customer arriving. Girls’ voices and laughter gave Dafina a clue that it wasn’t Aunt Nesta and Kory.

  Dafina greeted the school girls who rushed to the young adult books. She smiled at their enthusiasm and returned to straighten the book sale display. Footfalls came nearer and soon she was surrounded as the excited group looked over the titles.

  “You can get a lot of these.” A blonde with red glasses pointed. “You totally could.”

  A short brunette squealed. “I want to decorate a whole wall with shelves full of books.”

  “What about all the walls in your room?” another girl with dark blond hair asked as the door bell jingled.

  The shorter girl’s mouth dropped open. “That’s a cracking idea. When I have my own place that’s what I’ll have. And I’ll marry an author, and we can write books together.”

  “Ah, yo
u’re dreaming.” The blonde poked her friend with an elbow and picked up a book. “But I have to admit it’s a good dream. Nothing like a good dream or a good story to keep you happy.” The girl looked in Dafina’s direction. “Don’t you agree?”

  “Marry an author? And live in a house full of books? Yes, totally.” Dafina smiled.

  “Why dear, that’s what you have.” Aunt Nesta leaned toward her as she stepped by. “We’re headed to the back courtyard.”

  Dafina turned to see Kory who gave her a dashing smile. “I got you a surprise,” he said in a low, husky voice then followed Nesta.

  “I can hardly wait,” she said as he walked away, carrying a bag from a nearby coffee house.

  He turned his head and winked. The girls broke out in giggles and exclamations. From their delighted, blushing expressions, they more than approved of the man. Under their breaths they whispered, “gorgeous, brilliant, and blinding.” If that wasn’t enough Griff took one look at her then scampered as fast as he could after Kory. The dog’s toe nails clicked in a fast pattern then slowed to walk beside the man.

  What was in Kory’s bag anyway? Coffee, tea? Certainly not chocolate or jewelry—any form of gift to proclaim love. But still, sweet that he’d brought her a surprise. After all, she’d only teased him and expected nothing.

  The last thirty-five minutes ticked by, along with several more purchases—a good day for It’s a Mystery. Gweneth wished her a good night, and tended to the register.

  Nesta went on ahead and slipped out the front door. Kory paused and opened the bag before they exited. He pulled out a white mug, his expression exuding well wishes or maybe a certain joy in his gift for her. Red lettering decorated the mug.

  “Here, Dafina. I wanted this to…um…hopefully remind you of me when you see it.”

  She read the word. Crinc? “Of all the silly things.” She burst out laughing, tilting her head back. Her laughter died when she saw his somber eyes. “Kory, I think there’s been a mistake. What do you think this means?”