Mariah’s stomach dipped and clenched, but she remained silent.
“She said, ‘I’m sorry, Thomasina, but we can’t socialize anymore.’ Then she got up, said she’d forgotten something and went upstairs. After a few minutes, I got tired of waiting. So, I went upstairs, too. She was coming out of her bedroom looking like she was up to something.” Thomasina’s eyes narrowed. “I tried to get her to change her mind about me, but she wouldn’t listen and I got angry. I reached out to grab her. She got scared, ran, missed her footing and fell.”
Mariah swallowed again and moistened her dry lips with her tongue.
A self-satisfied smile curved Thomasina’s lips. “Allegra didn’t like shoes on her floor, either, so there were no prints to find. I memorized her code several months ago. She invited me over one day to go shopping, but she hadn’t showered yet. She liked to take long ones, so I snatched her keys and made copies. She wasn’t finished by the time I got back, and she hadn’t reactivated the code when she first let me in, so I was able to sneak in and return the keys like nothing happened. Then I went back out and rang the doorbell for about ten minutes until she opened it. Since she didn’t lock the front door and hadn’t turned the alarm back on when she let me in the night she died, I was free to leave through the back door and lock it behind me.”
“That’s why the police didn’t have to kick in her front door,” Mariah mused. Keep her talking, Mariah. Anthony’s smart. “How’d you get away without being seen?”
Thomasina shot her a sickening smile. “The trail. Those dogs barked, but I was able to get to my car, which I parked a few blocks away, with no problem. I’ve been here while you’ve been spending your nights with Anthony, thanks to Allegra’s house key and the fact that you never changed the alarm code.”
Wave after wave of shock slapped at Mariah. “W-why?”
Thomasina’s didn’t answer. “Where’s the bracelet, Mariah? I called the jewelry store, and they said someone already picked it. I knew you had it, but I couldn’t find it.” Thomasina leaned closer. “And that’s what gave me away. The nickname on the bracelet. “To Allegra…from Pooh Bear.”
Mariah nodded and moistened her lips again. If only she had watched the other DVDs, Mariah would have known about Thomasina sooner…
#
As he listened to Thomasina’s confession, fright, disbelief and anger knotted inside Anthony. After Mariah’s call, he parked on the street, snuck in through the back door and crept through the kitchen on the balls of his feet. Rainwater dripped from his face and clothes, leaving droplets on the floor…
#
Dreamy-eyed, Thomasina uttered, “You are smart, Mariah. Allegra once mentioned to me your talent for finding answers. Pooh Bear. Her nickname for me…when we were friends. She loved her nicknames, but you know that.” Thomasina stabbed her with a knowing look. “Don’t you, Two-Tone?”
Behind her terror, a well of dislike and humiliation rose inside Mariah. This woman had tricked everyone with her helpful, submissive demeanor.
“I saw you fall down the stairs that night, you know. How long did it take Anthony to rescue you?”
Mariah eyes widened in horror. “I wasn’t seeing things. It was you I saw out of the corner of my eye.”
Thomasina lifted one shoulder in a semblance of an apology. “I wanted to know what it felt like to lie in her bed, touch her clothes, and be in her skin. I still have the clothes you packed, the ones I was supposed to take to Mimi’s Closet, you know. I couldn’t bear to part with them. When Allegra hung out with me, I felt…special, but then she snatched it away.” A thundercloud crossed Thomasina’s features and her voice turned rough with loathing. “When she rejected me, I wanted to hurt her. All my life, I’ve been a helpful nobody, wasting away in Thomas’s shadow. You and I are alike. We both had siblings who are so…beautiful and powerful, and never cared about us. Thomas took all I had to give without a word of thanks. God, how I’ve always hated him. I was ecstatic when Allegra wouldn’t marry him.”
Then Thomasina switched gears again, her tone light and mild. “It’s a good thing you didn’t go into Allegra’s room that night. When you fell, I watched you for a little while. I was so furious with you for interrupting me and I thought about…but I chose to give you a chance and slipped out the back door instead.”
Mariah’s heart almost stopped as she realized how close she came to being killed that night.
Thomasina tilted her head to one side. “Alright, Mariah, I’m going to ask you again, and this time, you’d better tell me the truth. Where’s the bracelet? Allegra cut me off, so she didn’t deserve it, and I want it back.”
It was impossible to steady her erratic pulse. Mariah’s mind searched anxiously for an escape.
Her right hand clenched into a fist.
She struck Thomasina in the nose. Blood spurted from her nostrils and she released Mariah.
Thomasina cupped her hands to the injury. Red liquid trickled through her fingers. Mariah whirled and ran for her life.
Just like Allegra…
#
When he heard Thomasina’s rage-filled scream, Anthony’s heart slammed against his ribs.
He swiftly turned the corner and saw Thomasina’s bloodstained hands about to go around Mariah’s throat.
Anthony sprang into action. He slipped one forearm under and around his cousin’s neck. He tried to lock the other hand around his fist. Thomasina’s fingers dug into the skin of his forearm. Blood smeared his skin. Her Amazon-like frame bucked against him.
They both lost their footing and reeled backwards.
They fell to porcelain floor in a bone-jarring thud. Thomasina landed backwards on top of Anthony. He felt like the air had been ripped out of his chest. His hold loosened. If not for the adrenaline rush, he’d have felt the sharp pain that slashed through him.
Thomasina, cushioned by the fall, rolled off Anthony. She sprang to her feet.
Despite his injury, Anthony rose upward quicker than expected, and maneuvered himself in front of her.
Later, it would register in Anthony’s brain that Thomasina looked like a demented stranger, the mask she always hid behind, shattered. Her breathing was ragged, as if her lungs were expelling years of pent-up rage and jealousy, and her eyes were dark brown slits in her distorted features. She didn’t see Mariah creep up behind her.
She cracked Thomasina across the back of her head with a copper pan.
Thomasina spun and staggered back a few steps.
Mariah advanced and swung again. She connected with the side of Thomasina’s face, knocked out two teeth.
This time, the woman tripped and fell to the floor on her side, dazed. Blood oozed from Thomasina’s mouth and dripped onto the floor. The side of her face was bruised and inflated. A large knot appeared near her temple. One eye was also discolored and swelling.
Anthony took advantage of Thomasina’s injuries and confusion to roll her onto her stomach and pull her arms behind her back. He looked up, taking in the wild look in Mariah’s eyes, the pan held high, ready to strike again.
Anthony raised his hands. “It’s okay,” he soothed until her breathing slowed and her eyes calmed. She lowered the pan. “Call the cops. Don’t worry.” His gaze flickered over Thomasina before returning to Mariah. “I’ve got this.”
#
“You uncovered the truth. Somehow I knew you would.”
Mariah covered the distance between her and Allegra in the backyard, until they stood a foot apart.
A sad smile tipped the corners of Allegra’s full lips. “I tried to help her, bring her out, but she…was crazy. Like Milburn.”
This time, Mariah wore military colors from head to toe. When she spoke, her voice was tinged with anger, sadness, resolve, and a ring of truth. “And just like Milburn, she was invisible. I’ll give credit where it’s due. You could be kind sometimes, and maybe Thomasina caught you on a good day. You were beautiful, charismatic and dazzling, and you constantly shoved that in my face.
Now that I think about it, that’s why you and Solé never got along, because she was all those things, too, and you couldn’t eclipse her.”
Allegra’s eyes bulged in astonishment.
“We could’ve had a great relationship, but you relished the fact that Robert St. Cloud wouldn’t accept me. You were selfish and callous, and I wish you and I had never been sisters.”
Mariah’s heart pounded with profound, long-overdue satisfaction. A shadow of resentment mingled with discomfort swam over Allegra’s face before she faded away without a word.
#
“I’m not taking that.”
When Mariah extended her personal leave to take care of Anthony and testify against Thomasina, she should have been prepared. Anthony was a grouchy patient. He was so used to looking after himself that he didn’t know how to let someone take care of him.
Mariah fought the urge to roll her eyes as she set the glass of water and a naproxen sodium pill on Anthony’s nightstand. She breathed in a prayer, thanking God she’d convinced Kevin to care for Ming. “You need this. You bruised your ribs when Thomasina fell on you,” she explained with hard-won patience. The ER doctor had iced them, and then gave Mariah instructions for after-care. She had her own battle wounds. She’d downed a few Ibuprofen, because her wrist and knee still hurt.
“I know what it’s for,” he scowled, pulling the blankets up to his bare waist. “I’m still not taking it.”
Reminding herself that Anthony got hurt protecting her, Mariah inhaled and picked up the pill and went back to the kitchen. “Fine.”
#
Following the doctor’s orders, Anthony inhaled, wincing at the pain shooting through his ribs and chest. A hand came up and touched his ribs. He took a deep breath. Though it hurt, periodic deep breaths were beneficial for healing. With a grunt, he gingerly settled himself back against the headboard.
The TV was on, but Anthony paid no attention to it. Things were so off-kilter right now. He was supposed to have proposed to Mariah already, but Thomasina and his injury prevented that, and he was angry about it. He still wanted to, but now wasn’t the right time. With his current attitude, Mariah would say no.
He knew Mariah was fed up with his grumpiness, but he couldn’t stop himself. Except for his time with Aunt Maureen and Grandma Lilly, no one looked after him on the rare times he was sick or injured. Whenever he was under the weather, his aunt sent him medicine – by way of Thomasina – and made him stay in the basement, knowing that the damp, cold air hindered recovery.
Being immobile like this, having someone look after him, made him feel helpless, even though being cared for was the very thing he craved. It didn’t escape his notice, though, that Mariah not only remained quiet in the face of his frustration, but emotionally distant as well.
#
Mariah sat on the bed next to Anthony, watching him as he ate dinner: fried Whiting and mixed vegetables with homemade mashed potatoes and a generous amount of gravy. He was hungry and appeared to enjoy the meal…until he swallowed a forkful of potatoes and gravy, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as his throat muscles worked.
“Are you okay?” Mariah’s eyes enlarged, but she didn’t move.
“Yeah,” he replied and reached for the glass of water on his tray, taking a few healthy sips. He returned the glass to the tray and noticed how still Mariah was, how large her eyes were…and how her teeth caught her pinky nail.
His eyes became slits. “Mariah.”
She shot off the bed and backed away. “It’s only one pill,” she spoke in a rush. “I knew you wouldn’t take it otherwise, so I put it in the mashed potatoes. You’ll thank me later.”
#
Mariah eyed Anthony, wearing only boxers, as he made his way into the kitchen the next morning, pulled out a chair and slowly sat at the table. She put a plate of eggs, grits and sausage in front of him. “How are you feeling?”
Anthony nailed her with his eyes. “A little better, but don’t do that again.”
“You were in pain and –”
“I’m serious, Mariah. Don’t.”
Her lips twitched. “Okay. Fine.” She turned away.
Anthony stared at her back. She was cleaning and there was no mess to be found. “What’s wrong?”
She started and faced him, mystified. “What do you mean?” She pulled the edges of her robe together.
“I mean, here I am snapping and growling at you for days and you don’t even fight back. That’s not the Mariah St. Cloud I’ve come to know.”
She shook her head, searching for a plausible explanation. “You’re injured and you’re not used to being bedridden.”
Anthony shifted in the chair. Mariah didn’t miss the grimace that dashed across his face. “Bull.”
“What?”
He exhaled. “It’s Thomasina. I was a cop, and I’ve seen my share of people turn on each other. It’s the ones you never expect that mess with your head the most.”
“And what about you?” she shot back. “You can’t tell me that you ever thought she’d turn out this way. She was obsessed with Allegra. She didn’t push her down the steps, but she might as well have. She probably would have killed her if Allegra hadn’t fallen first.” Mariah closed her eyes, a steel weight centering in her chest. “She fooled everybody with that helpful exterior.”
Knowing that Mariah was right, Anthony glanced away for a moment before refocusing his attention on her. His voice was gravelly with regret. He extended his arm across the table. “Come here.” When Mariah closed the gap between them, her hand outstretched, Anthony pulled her down onto his lap and folded his arms around her.
#
“So what do you think?” Mariah asked a few days later at the mall, holding a pink sleeveless split-neck sheath dress against her body. It was the middle of the afternoon on a workday, so there weren’t many customers around.
Anthony sighed, wishing he’d used his ribs as an excuse to not be here. Shopping for men’s clothes, electronics, cars, he could deal with. The only reason he tagged along was because she asked him nicely, and promised him a pricey meal and after-dinner lovemaking. “As long as you’re showing some leg, I don’t care.”
Mariah smirked. “I’m going to try this on. Don’t worry. I won’t be long.”
He pointed to the metal benches outside the store. “I’ll wait out there.”
#
Mariah tried to fight her melancholy by putting on a cheery face. Parts of her were happy. She still had her job and Anthony was healing, but she didn’t want to leave him. She just didn’t know how to tell him the depth of her feelings, and it bothered her.
Mariah inhaled a breath of determination. But she wasn’t going to let it ruin her last bit of time here. That wasn’t fair to her, or Anthony.
Mariah dipped around women and clothing racks until she found an empty dressing room. Two women occupied the one on her right. Locking the door, she hung her purse on the wall hook and proceeded to undress.
#
Anthony knew something was wrong by the way Mariah raced out of the store. Without the dress. She looked like somebody had punched her in the face. “What happened?” he demanded as he stood.
She swallowed as she approached. “Nothing. I just started feeling dizzy all of a sudden. I need to go.”
Things didn’t improve when they got to his house. “Okay, Mariah.” Anthony crossed his arms over his chest. He was tired of the fake smiles. She jumped every time he tried to get close, and she was mopping his kitchen for the second time. “I thought you had a headache, but you’re cleaning the floor. What’s wrong?”
Mariah dunked the mop into the bucket of warm, pine-scented water. “Nothing,” she blinked and smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Bull.” Anthony moved in before she could drain the mop, taking it out of her hand, and he set it back in the bucket. His hands cupped her shoulders, and his burning eyes held her still. “Something happened at the mall. Did some guy harass you?”
“If only,” she laughed, the sound sharp, ironic, and edgy. Mariah stepped away from his grasp and he let her go, watching as she put several feet of space between them.
Panic like he’d never known before welled in Anthony’s throat.
“I-I’ve just been thinking that … we should stop…” she waved her hands in the air, “…this.”
“‘This’?” Anthony snapped and took a step forward.
“This thing between us. You know what I mean.”
“No. What is this ‘thing’ between us, Mariah?” He planted his hands on his hips.
“Exactly. We haven’t defined it. And maybe it’s better this way.”
“Why?” The word came out of Anthony like a shot.
“Because…I’ve come to realize that…after all this time with you…I haven’t faced reality.”
“And that is?”
“That I can’t-we can’t…my life is up north and yours is here,” she said in a low, tormented voice. “I’m sorry, Anthony. I’ve got to go.”
All Anthony could do was watch as she packed and left. He didn’t speak, but a storm cloud had settled on his face, hiding the bone-deep ache that burrowed into his heart.
#
“I can’t believe you left him like that, without a real explanation,” Anna’s voice rose with frustration and disappointment as they sat in Gran D’s kitchen. She had just arrived a few hours before.
“It wasn’t without good reason.”
“So what happened?” Gran D asked with a stern-faced expression.
Mariah dropped her forehead into one hand, and then relayed what happened at the mall.
“Oh, Mariah,” Anna whispered. She reached across the table and held Mariah’s other hand. Mariah grasped it in return.
Gran D’s lips clenched as she stood up and went to Mariah. The palm of her hand brushed over Mariah’s hair. “Baby, you need to tell him,” she urged. “Please.”
“Please.” Anna seconded as she squeezed Mariah’s hand. “He can’t fight what he doesn’t know.”
“No.” Mariah lifted her head and sadness dripped from her eyes.
Allegra's Shadow Page 24
