Allegra's Shadow

by Dana Sanders Hill

  “Gran D helped you.”

  “Yes. So did Ms. Windham, one of my aunt’s neighbors. Ms. Windham was kind to me over the years, and she didn’t like my aunt either. I knocked on her door the night I left and when she saw my duffel bag, she asked if I was leaving. When I told her yes, she said, ‘About time.’ I asked to use her phone and she let me call Ms. D, who paid for my cab fare when I got to her house. She bought me a decent car from one of her neighbors and insisted that I stay with her. I did, for a little while.”

  “Why have I never heard about this?”

  “Ms. D only told your mom and Kevin. I moved in after your summer visit with Ms. D ended, and left before you came back for Thanksgiving.”

  “Why didn’t you stay longer?”

  “Thomasina stopped by at least twice a month, just to ‘check on me’, but I knew my aunt was calling the shots, that she was using Thomasina to spy. It was getting on Ms. D’s nerves, so I figured moving out would stop Thomasina’s visits; it did. Before I moved out, Ms. D bought me a decent car from one of her neighbors. Then, she surprised me even more when she gave me money for a cheap apartment in Southeast Raleigh and paid my rent for a year until I graduated high school. I always wondered how she managed it, and then you mentioned your grandfather’s life insurance.”

  “I know Gran D didn’t spend it all on the house. Between her job as a lunch lady and the money she had left over from Mom’s insurance…she’s good at saving. Even though Gran D was working, my mom sent her money once a month. She probably used that to help you, too.”

  “I wouldn’t have made it without Ms. D’s help. Once I graduated, I worked full-time and after a while, I decided to be a cop, so I moved to New York and got a degree in Criminal Justice while I was on patrol.” He paused. “Years later Ms. D told me why my aunt mistreated me. Ms. D said that my aunt made a pass at my father, and he rejected her in favor of my mother. She didn’t know that Ms. D. saw the whole thing. So, instead of letting Ms. D raise me after Grandma Lilly died, she took me in to get revenge on a dead man. My strong resemblance to him was icing on the cake for her.”

  Mariah circled the counter, their hands still connected. Her palm moved of its own volition to Anthony’s cheek, down to his jaw line before she folded him in her embrace. Anthony wrapped his arms around her midriff. His chest loosened by degrees, releasing the air he hadn’t known he was holding.

  He followed his own advice. The first night he and Mariah made love, he said that if she told her story, it wouldn’t have power over her anymore. He told her his story, and the same proved true for him.

  #

  After his revelation, Mariah guided him to the living room and advised him to sit with her. She figured it was only fair to tell him what happened tonight, and she didn’t want him standing up when she did.

  It didn’t help.

  Anthony nailed her with his eyes and shot upright, his body leaving an imprint in the couch. Mariah bolted to her feet, too. He started to open his mouth and shout, but shut it and paced the living room. After a minute, he stopped and stared at her, hard. “Are you crazy?” Anthony’s voice was quiet, but the intensity was full-blown.

  Mariah fought the urge to yell because she knew she had worried him.

  Anthony sighed, moving closer until his arms encircled her. “You need to file a police report, just to be on the safe side. What kind of car was it?”

  “It looked like an Oldsmobile Cutlass.”

  “How do you know?”

  “When we were in ninth grade, a creepy guy tried to lure me and Solé into his car after school. He drove a Cutlass.” Mariah’s arms crept up to twine around Anthony’s neck “I won’t go back to that club again. I just had an idea and I ran with it.”

  “Next time talk to me before you put on your track shoes,” he said. He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. His eyes caressed her face. “You’re a good investigator,” came his unexpected compliment.

  Astonished, Mariah’s mouth opened and she almost blurted out, “That’s what Allegra said,” but she caught herself in time. She couldn’t tell him about her afterlife visits from her sister just yet. He would think she was crazy. Sometimes, she did, too.

  #

  Seeing red, Diablo went back to the club and discovered that his cousin was gone. He paid for another beer and watched the strippers for a few hours, before leaving. He pulled into the barely-lit parking lot of his Southeast Raleigh apartment and turned off the car. The lot was empty except for the two guys leaning against a car and smoking cigarettes.

  Diablo slapped his hands against the steering wheel as he thought about that female he tailed. He almost had her. Well, at least she couldn’t report him, since she couldn’t see the license plate number. Maybe he scared her so bad she that wouldn’t come around asking questions anymore.

  Diablo hit the steering wheel one more time before he got out of the car, checked out his surroundings and walked toward his apartment, which was at the end of the property. He didn’t like his building. It stood on the edge of a large wooded area that stretched to the Beltline, and the lights that were supposed to brighten the stairs and hallway between the apartments flashed because they needed new bulbs, or didn’t come on at all. He also hated the fact that his apartment faced the woods and was on the first floor with a tiny patio.

  If he had his way, Diablo would’ve moved in with his cousin. He had a three-bedroom townhouse in North Raleigh. The only thing that stopped his cousin from offering the third bedroom was that his cousin’s wife just had a baby, and he didn’t want to hear no cryin’ kids. Diablo looked up at the blinking hall light with disgust, put his key in the door and shoved his door open.

  #

  Feeling closer to Anthony after he confided in her, Mariah began staying at his place at night and they only came to Allegra’s house during the day to pack. One evening, after they had dinner out, he surprised her with a trip to a jewelry store in the mall, and bought her a white gold necklace with a sapphire drop.

  “My birthstone,” she murmured as he fastened it behind her neck. “How did you know?”

  One corner of his mouth turned up at her amazed expression. “I listen when you talk. You said your birthday was in September, so I looked up birthstones.”

  Mariah’s heart melted.

  A few nights later, Mariah experienced a gamut of perplexing emotions – immense relief and staggering disappointment − as she wiped down his kitchen counter for the second time. The telltale abdominal cramps had begun, confirming she wasn’t having his baby.

  Anthony’s eyes narrowed as he watched the line of her mouth turn downward. He approached and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.

  Startled, Mariah dropped the sponge and looked over her shoulder into his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Her lids dropped. “Nothing, just monthly cramps.” She patted his hands.

  He turned her in his arms. “Are you okay?”

  Mariah knew he wasn’t asking about her physical health, and she knew he was hurt by the news. He tried to hide it, but it was in his eyes. “I will be.”

  Anthony dropped a kiss on her brow and stepped back.

  That night, Allegra decided to visit.

  “You’re looking in the wrong direction, little sister.”

  Mariah turned in a circle in the backyard. Allegra’s silvery blue dress seemed to float as she stood in place. Though Mariah slept in the nude on the physical realm, she always wore something – a long dark tee-shirt, a robe – whenever Allegra made an appearance. Was that a reflex to protect herself? “What do you mean?”

  A meaningful pause. “Men are stupid. Swirl your hips, flash a breast,” she smiled, “and they’re yours. Stripping’s not just for young girls, you know.”

  Mariah drawled with distinct mockery. “So you hit thirty-eight and decided you had something to prove by exposing yourself for money? How’d that work out for you?”

  Allegra’s proud
smile slipped a little and swift, momentary fury exploded in her midnight eyes. It was so quick, Mariah almost missed it.

  “I’m sure our father approved,” Mariah added with heavy sarcasm.

  Allegra said, studying her manicured nails. “He wasn’t happy about it.”

  An ugly suspicion filled Mariah’s mind. “Because you were showing other men what was his?”

  “Daddy loved me because I have Grandma Phyllis’s looks and his personality. That was all… but it was everything. You, Two-Tone, had nothing.” The words were ridicule wrapped in honey.

  Touché. Mariah felt the swift bite of humiliation and couldn’t prevent the bitterness from coating the back of her throat. It seemed they both drew blood tonight. “Kevin could’ve told me the truth.”

  “He was afraid.”

  “Why?”

  Allegra regarded her with an enigmatic stare. “Because we had a deal.”

  Mariah’s eyes flew open and she swung her head around to look at Anthony. His eyes searched her face, reaching into her thoughts. A protective hand pressed her closer to him. “What’s wrong?”

  Mariah swallowed, burying her face against his shoulder. “I’ve seen Allegra in my dreams. The first time she came to me was the night I fell…”

  #

  Thomasina reached Mariah the next evening and stopped by the day after. Her hair was scraped back in a bun, as usual. Her clothes were functional: jean shorts, a tank top and sneakers.

  “Again, I’m sorry I didn’t return your earlier calls.”

  Thomasina shook her head. “I understand. You’ve got a lot going on. I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to bring Allegra’s clothes to Mimi’s Closet.”

  “That’s okay. I know you’re busy.”

  Though the sun didn’t shine much, the air was thick. Mariah donned denim shorts, a tank top and sneakers for the job, but she wished she could postpone until the weather was a little cooler, or had an extra pair of arms. Anthony had some errands to run and wouldn’t be back in time.

  Thomasina pulled down her back seat to make room for lighter furniture, the kitchen table, a trunk of clothes and other items. It took over an hour, and by that time they were both covered with sweat. When they finished, she closed her SUV and dusted off her hands.

  Mariah slanted a glance at Thomasina. As she looked at the other woman, an idea popped into her mind. People tended to overlook her and say or do things in front of her that they might not do in front of other stronger personalities. “Do you know if Allegra ever bragged about gifts from her lovers?”

  Thomasina eyes lowered, as did her voice. “I remember her showing me a platinum bracelet a few weeks before she died.” She gave Mariah a tentative glance. “Why?”

  Mariah shrugged matter-of-factly. “Just a thought.” She flashed Thomasina a pointed look. “You didn’t flinch when I said ‘lovers.’ You knew she was cheating on Thomas, didn’t you?”

  Regret flickered in Thomasina’s gaze as she looked away. “I knew, but…she was my friend and he’s my brother. I didn’t know what to do.”

  Mariah’s heart filled with sympathy for Thomasina. Being in between a rock and a hard place was never an enviable position.

  #

  The next day found Mariah and Anthony cleaning out the air vents upstairs, because it felt like the second floor wasn’t getting enough air-conditioning. One by one, they proceeded to clear out the dust and change the air vent pads in each room. The last one was in Allegra’s bedroom.

  Anthony went down to get a drink of water while Mariah removed the metal panel and vent pad.

  That’s when she saw a DVD camcorder and several DVDs in different-colored jewel cases, all titled by date. A safety deposit box key was taped to one of them.

  Her heart thumping, Mariah clutched her discoveries to her chest and descended the ladder. “Anthony,” she called out.

  Chapter 11

  Mariah opened the oldest DVD and slipped it into the DVD player. Allegra placed the camera on one of the shelves of her TV armoire so it could record her from a distance. She sat on the bed and wore a cranberry silk robe.

  Allegra was full of amusement and conceit, when she talked about men.

  “Mr. Mystique called me from an unknown number. He wanted me to go away with him, but I told him no…

  “I just left Little Man a while ago. He’s so sweet and eager to please…”

  ‘Little Man’…I bet that’s Jake Barton. Who’s Mr. Mystique?” Anthony’s brow set in a straight line.

  They watched the DVD some more and when Allegra mentioned that Mr. Mystique bought her diamond earrings, Mariah’s brow jumped. “The bracelet.”

  “What bracelet?”

  “The one I put in the refrigerator bin.” Mariah picked up the remote, paused the DVD player, darted to the kitchen and returned with a small, platinum velvet jewelry box. “I’d forgotten about it.” She handed it to him.

  When Anthony opened and turned it to read the inscription, his brow elevated. He caught her eyes. “Why’d you put it there?”

  “The day I brought it back here, a voice – something told me to put it there.”

  “Okay. I can believe that.”

  “Would you keep this in your safe?”

  He nodded and put the box down. Mariah hit the Pause button on the DVD remote, unfreezing the screen. Allegra didn’t say anything else significant. When the DVD ended, Mariah inserted the next one. It was dated a few days after her birthday.

  “My poor cousin, the Leopard. I call him that because he’s secretive, too. I thought he was going to crap when he saw me at the club.” Her laughter had a sharp edge. “He thought about telling Gran D, but he knew it would break her heart; besides, his affair with a married woman is just as bad as what I do…”

  #

  “Where’d you find this?” Kevin demanded a short time later as they watched the video. He folded his arms across his chest and his right eye jerked. The three of them stood in the living room – Anthony and Mariah near the couch, Kevin by the fireplace – but it was more than physical space that separated them.

  “Does it matter?” Mariah paused the DVD, dropped the remote on the couch and folded her arms, too. “Is it Mia?”

  Kevin’s arms dropped to his sides. “How’d you know?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.

  “When I spent the night, I overheard you arguing with her.”

  “How long has this been going on?” Anthony asked his hands on his hips.

  “A couple of months.” After several moments he added, “The night you were in the hospital…I was with her. I’m sorry, M.”

  Oh, Kevin. Mariah closed her eyes for a few seconds. “When did Allegra find out about Mia?”

  “Not long after I busted her at the club.”

  “Let me guess,” Mariah chimed in. “Then she blackmailed you into keeping our father’s car at your garage.”

  His jaw tightened. “Gran D had bronchitis and we took turns running errands for her. I went grocery shopping while Allegra kept her company. When I came back, I put my phone on the kitchen table and put the food away. I made some soup for Gran D and spilled some on my shirt, so I went to the bathroom to clean up. When I came out, she let me know that she saw Mia’s text message, which said that her husband was out of town, and offered to keep my secret if I kept hers and let her use my garage. We weren’t close, but I never thought Allegra would stoop to…working in a topless bar. I didn’t like it.” Kevin let out a loud sigh. “But I folded in the end, because I know how Gran D feels about adultery.”

  Mariah studied her cousin. It was strange how his life mirrored Allegra’s. He was good-looking, had a successful career as a network manager at one of the top firms in RTP and a great place in North Raleigh. He was a ‘good catch.’ Yet, he sought out a lifestyle that wasn’t in his best interest, just like Allegra.

  After Kevin left, Mariah and Anthony returned to watching the video, but didn’t get far. Allegra mentioned Mr. Mystique again and something click
ed in Mariah’s brain. “Oh, I forgot.” She ran upstairs.

  Curious, Anthony followed. “What are you looking for now?”

  Mariah called from the hallway. “Some information Beth gave me before I went home.”

  Mariah asked Anthony to check out the information, which he gave to a private eye he met months ago, but they weren’t able to watch any more videos after Gran D called. Her edema was acting up. When they arrived, the woman was in bed with two fat pillows under her ankles. Mariah embraced her. “What do you need?”

  “Put some cayenne pepper in a pot of boiling water.”

  Mariah’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

  Anthony said from the doorway, “She drinks it. It helps with the swelling.”

  “Anthony.” Love and gratitude were evident in Della’s voice.

  He came in and went to the other side of the bed. “Don’t worry, Ms. D. I’ve got you.” With a quick hug and kiss to her forehead, he returned to the kitchen.

  #

  Anthony watched over Gran D while Mariah hurried to the bank the next morning. She flashed her ID, the required paperwork, and Allegra’s safety deposit box key. A bank employee led her to the back. Once left alone, Mariah opened the box and caught her breath.

  When she got back to Gran D’s, she pulled Anthony outside and gave him an envelope to keep her newfound discovery in his safe. When Gran D’s condition improved the next day, Mariah and Anthony returned to the house to pack away the kitchenware. Afterwards, they went back to his place and viewed another DVD.