Where Shadows Linger (Intertwined Souls Series Book 2)

by Mary D. Brooks

  “Chocolate!” Eva gleefully said as she popped a bit of the candy bar in her mouth. “Mmmm.”

  “Hey, another chocolate lover! I’ll remember that in the future. Do your cravings strike when you-know-who turns up?”

  Eva was puzzled for a moment and gave Debbie a blank look.

  “You know...that time of the month,” Debbie said, keeping her voice low.

  It finally dawned on her what Debbie was talking about. “Ah, no.” Eva shook her head. “I love chocolate all the time.”

  “Well, we should feed that addiction.”

  “Oh, no. I will put on weight if that happens.” Eva patted her flat stomach. “At lunch time, my apartment mate, Zoe, will be coming around, so when you see her, can you please send her to my office?” she asked.

  “Sure thing. Does she have a chocolate addiction too?”

  Eva laughed lightly. “Yes, much more than me, but she never gains weight.”

  “Lucky girl. I have to meet this Zoe and find out the secret.”

  “Ask her,” Eva replied, knowing Zoe’s response would be that fat did not like her and therefore stayed away.

  “Will do. I’ve got Mrs. Susman coming in at 9:30, and then you have Mr. Lieberman at 10:30,” Debbie read off the appointment book. “You don’t have any appointments for the afternoon, but Alexander called in sick and he has two appointments. Would you mind covering for him?”

  “No, I don’t mind.” Eva said. She took another bite of the chocolate bar and waved at Debbie before she went down the corridor to her office.

  ***

  “Are you sure you don’t want these?” Zoe asked.

  Earl leaned against the door and nodded. “You can have them,” he said, yawning. His night shift at the factory had ended several hours previously and he had patiently waited for Zoe to arrive before he went to bed. “So, how’s Eva?” he asked.

  “Good.” Zoe nodded. She flipped through the pages of some magazines that were stacked on a side-table. “Do you have any more of these?”

  “I think so.” Earl pushed off the door and left the lounge, closely followed by a curious Zoe. He went into a garage that was filled with boxes. An old rusty car, also filled with boxes, was sitting in the center of the space. Earl leaned across it to get a box labeled “Magazines,” disturbing a nearby tarpaulin which fell away to reveal a motorcycle.

  The motorcycle’s grey paint was dull and faded, with a little rust visible wherever the paint had flaked off. The sidecar’s leather upholstery was torn in places, and the metal covering the sidecar was marred by scratch marks. Zoe raced over, excitement bubbling inside her at the sight of the battered vehicle.

  “That’s an Indian!” she exclaimed, marveling at the machine.

  “You know about motorcycles?” Earl asked incredulously.

  Zoe laughed and straddled the seat, taking hold of the handlebars. “Father H had one of these back home in Larissa. We used to work on it all the time.”

  Earl leaned against the brick wall of the garage. Zoe’s excitement flared higher when he asked, “Do you know how to ride?”

  “Do I?” Zoe looked over her shoulder at him. “I used to ride Kaliope all over the place when she wasn’t breaking down.”

  “Kaliope?”

  “Yes, that was her name, Father H’s motorcycle.” Zoe rubbed the fuel tank, frowning at the flaking paint. “We painted Kaliope bright red with yellow stripes. Beautiful. Indians are just great motorbikes.”

  Earl smiled. “If you say so.”

  “What are you going to do with it?”

  “Well, I’ve been working on it to sell it.”

  “No!” Zoe jumped off the bike and stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. “You can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “I want it.”

  Earl smiled. “Zoe, you can’t ride the Indian. It’s too big for you.”

  “No, it’s not.” Zoe went over to the bike and sat on it again. Her imagination conjured the scene of an open country road, the vibration of the engine humming in her bones, the wind in her hair, and Eva in the sidecar hanging on for dear life. She looked down at the sidecar and smiled. Maybe I would be in the sidecar instead, she thought and shook her head. She had loved Kaliope and would often race the motorcycle so fast on the outskirts of the village that Father Haralambos would yell for her to slow down. “Can I buy it off you?” she asked.

  “Well...” Earl drawled, drawing out Zoe’s impatient anticipation. “You really know how to ride?”

  “Absolutely!”

  Earl shrugged. “Do you still want to learn to drive a car?”

  “No,” Zoe replied, running possessive hands over the bike. “Can I buy her off you then?”

  “You can have her for nothing,” Earl replied. “You really love that old piece of scrap metal, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. Can I have it, really?” Zoe asked, hopping off the bike.

  “Really.”

  Zoe screamed in delight and put her arms around Earl. “I love you!”

  Earl laughed and Zoe returned to the Indian. “Can I start her up?” she asked.

  “Sure,” he said. He seemed surprised when the bike spluttered to life and Zoe revved the engine. The sound was almost unbearably loud in the confines of the garage.

  “Can I take her for a ride?” Zoe cried over the noise.

  Earl smiled and nodded. “I’m coming with you,” he quickly added. Zoe shrugged, knowing that if she got into an accident, Eva would have his head on a platter.

  “Sure, hop into the sidecar,” she said, motioning in case he could not hear her. She could barely hear herself.

  Earl glanced at the sidecar and then at Zoe for a moment before he squeezed his big frame into the sidecar’s peeling leather seat, doubling up his legs until his knees hovered perilously near his chin.

  With a loud “Yah!” Zoe maneuvered the bike out of the garage and down the driveway. “Hold on Earl!” she hollered. She revved the engine again and took the motorcycle down the quiet suburban street. Curtains twitched in windows all along the way as neighbors peered out to find the author of the noise, and pedestrians turned their heads to stare at them, but Zoe did not care.

  She was flying free at last.

  ***

  Zoe came out of the elevator and glanced around at what was obviously a waiting room. Several people sat on chairs, talking in different languages. She approached the reception desk.

  “May I help you?” Debbie looked up and smiled. “Oh, hello, you’re Henry’s friend from the dance.”

  “Yes. Debbie, isn’t it?”

  “Goodness, you remembered. Are you here for an appointment?”

  “No. I’m meeting Eva Haralambos.”

  “Ah, yes, Eva told me to keep an eye out for you. She’s expecting you,” Debbie said. “Just go down the corridor to room number seven.”

  “Thanks. I’m bringing her some lunch,” Zoe stated holding up a small picnic basket.

  Debbie hesitated for a moment, then crooked her finger and motioned for Zoe to come closer. Zoe did so, leaning over the desk and setting her basket on the corner. “I don’t know you at all, but you do live with her, so I thought I would ask. Eva has been acting a little...I don’t know, she’s not her usual self. Is she all right?”

  “Yes, Eva is fine. She was a little upset last night but it wasn’t anything major. She’s a very quiet person normally, so it doesn’t take much to cause her to appear quieter. That’s why I thought I’d bring a lunch today,” Zoe whispered.

  “Oh, I was just a little worried about her.”

  “It’s good she has a friend here. I’ve heard a lot about you from Eva. Is it true you run the ship around here?” Zoe whispered as she looked around.

  “Shhh! They are not supposed to know that,” Debbie replied in a loud whisper. “Also, I think Eva has a lot of friends here...” She stopped to answer the ringing phone. She introduced herself and then cupped the phone receiver with her hand. “Tha
nks, Zoe. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  Zoe waved at Debbie as she gathered up her bag and picnic basket, and walked down the corridor. She found the door to Eva’s office and knocked lightly. She smiled when she heard “enter.”

  “Zoe’s Meals at your service,” she announced, and put the picnic basket down. Eva was sitting behind a desk and her whole demeanor changed in an instant. Zoe walked around the desk and sat on Eva’s lap. “Hello there.”

  “Hello.”

  Zoe gazed into Eva’s eyes, and they told her everything was not all right. Those normally sparkling eyes looked quite haunted—not as much as they had been during the early hours of the morning, but there was no mistaking the effect this was having on Eva. “How are you feeling?”

  “If I say I was all right, would you believe me?”

  “Well.” Zoe got comfortable and put her arm around Eva’s neck. “If you said that to someone who didn’t know you, it might be believable. Since it’s me, I’m going to say no.” She looked intently into Eva’s eyes before leaning in and kissing her lightly on the lips.

  “That was nice.”

  “I should kiss you more often.”

  “I hear it increases your brain power,” Eva said quietly. She closed her eyes and let her head rest on Zoe’s shoulder. Zoe pulled Eva closer to her and kissed the top of her head.

  “It’s going to be all right, Evy, I know it will.”

  “I’m tired.”

  Zoe’s heart nearly broke. It wasn’t the words but the way Eva’s voice sounded. “I know, but we’re going to get over this as well.”

  Eva lifted her head and gazed at Zoe with a look that did break Zoe’s heart. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take, Zoe.”

  “You’re right you can’t take much more of this. Back in Berlin you were alone, in Aiden you were alone...” Zoe took Eva’s hand and held it tightly. “You’re not alone here.”

  “I know.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Yes, but I think I know what the question is.”

  “Really?” Zoe smiled. “I didn’t know you could read minds.”

  “Only yours.”

  “What was I going to ask you?”

  “Do you have feelings for her?” Eva replied quietly. She looked up to see Zoe gazing at her expectantly.

  “Do you have any feelings for her now? See, it’s a different question,” Zoe gently teased.

  “I’ve never loved her. I was in ‘heavy like,’ but it wasn’t love. I thought it was love, believed for a long time it was love, but it wasn’t. I’ve been thinking about this since I got into work...”

  “And you’ve made yourself sick over it,” Zoe concluded. “This Greta woman is going to go away.”

  “I don’t think so, love. You don’t know what kind of trouble she is.”

  Zoe sighed dramatically. “What kind of trouble is this bitch?”

  “She knows what she wants and won’t stop until she gets it.”

  “In other words, she has you in her crosshairs and is going to go after you?”

  “Something like that.” Eva nodded.

  “Well, she will have some resistance to her master plan, and I don’t give up on what’s mine...” Zoe stopped mid-sentence when Eva bent her head and passionately kissed her, pulling her closer. They parted and smiled at each other. “Oh...mine for sure.”

  “What’s that?” Eva brushed Zoe’s errant bangs out of her eyes. “You are wonderful.”

  “Well, of course I am,” Zoe joked, getting a laugh. She reluctantly got up from Eva’s lap, picked up the basket and took out two plates and a container. “Okay, Miss Eva, we have: yimesta as I promised, a little feta cheese, some olives, and I squeezed some orange juice for you.”

  “Did Earl bring you over with this basket of food?”

  “Nope. Mabel did.” Zoe grinned as she put the food on the desk, knowing she was piquing Eva’s curiosity.

  As predicted, Eva took the bait. “Who’s Mabel?”

  “Well...” Zoe took a forkful of stuffed peppers and offered it to Eva, who quickly ate it off the fork. “I went over to Earl’s so he could drive me over, but then I saw Mabel and I fell in love with her right then and there.”

  “You fell in love with her?” Eva’s brow rose in question and Zoe had to laugh.

  “I have wheels! I saw this old motorcycle with a sidecar in Earl’s garage and I fell in love with it. Earl sold it to me for nothing.”

  “My friend Willy used to have one of those, a very fancy vehicle,” Eva reminisced. “What type is it?”

  Zoe’s eyes lit up. She was having a great day with the discovery of the motorcycle and racing down the street with Earl in the sidecar. The freedom it gave her made her nearly giddy with delight. “It’s a 1912 Indian.”

  Eva smiled. “I used to ride Willy’s Indian motorcycle,” she revealed, eliciting a squeal of delight from Zoe.

  “Oh, I loved those motorbikes. I remember Kiria Despina’s son, Klimi, had one. He was a policeman. What color was Willy’s Indian?” Zoe asked.

  “Bright red. But I didn’t know you rode a motorcycle.”

  “Didn’t you ever see the old bike at the back of the church?” Zoe asked and offered Eva bite of stuffed tomatoes. Eva chewed for a moment and shook her head. Zoe continued, “We would work on it forever. It used to break down all the time.”

  “My father owned a motorcycle?”

  Zoe nodded. “He would use it to go to the villages when I wasn’t riding it around, giving him nightmares that I would end up crashing and flying off Athena’s Bluff.”

  “Hmm.” It was apparent that Eva could not quite picture Father Haralambos on a motorcycle. After a moment, she shrugged. “Isn’t it a bit big for you?” Eva picked up her orange juice and took a sip while watching Zoe over the rim of the glass.

  “Yeah, a little, but it’s okay. With the sidecar, it’s perfect. And of course, with your long legs,” Zoe ran her hand up Eva’s thigh, “it’s even more perfect.” She waggled her eyebrows and grinned. “Okay, we’ve had lunch, here comes the dessert.”

  Eva wasn’t sure what that meant, but she helped put the containers back in the basket and was perched on the edge of her desk watching Zoe. Zoe took the basket and set it down. She then went over to Eva and looked up.

  “Dessert time.” Zoe gently pushed Eva onto the desk until she was sitting on it, and she stood in between Eva’s long legs. “I’m going to have my way with you.”

  “Oh...”

  “Shh,” Zoe whispered and leaned in for the kiss, this one intense, longer, and much more passionate. As she kissed Eva, her hands began running over Eva’s legs and up her thighs. She traced a path with her soft lips across the proud chin, pausing to tease the dimple she loved so well, and finally down along Eva’s neck.

  Neither woman realized the door had opened until they heard a loud cough. A very loud cough.

  “Oh!” Debbie stammered. “I...um...”

  Zoe looked up into Eva’s face and found her looking very flushed. She didn’t want to turn around, but she had to. Very slowly, she turned to find a shocked Debbie standing just inside the office with her hand on the doorknob.

  “Oh,” Zoe muttered and reluctantly let go of Eva’s body. “I should have locked the door,” she said in Greek.

  “Come in, Debbie.” Eva invited the clearly bewildered woman into her office. Eva straightened her shirt and pushed herself off the desk and nearly fell to the floor. Her legs felt quite rubbery from Zoe’s dessert, but she quickly sobered up.

  Debbie shut the door and sat down in the visitor’s chair closest to her. “Um...I wanted to tell you that Mrs. Wagner is here.” She stared first at Eva, then at Zoe.

  Eva sighed. “Zoe isn’t just my apartment mate.”

  “Hmm, I figured that out already,” Debbie said a touch acerbically.

  “Yes, um...” Eva stammered. “It was good while it lasted,” she whispered to Zoe in Greek. In English, she continued,
“Zoe and I—”

  “Are lovers,” Zoe interjected boldly.

  Debbie inhaled sharply and let the breath out on a sigh. “You’re lesbians?”

  “Yes.” Eva took Zoe’s hand and stared at Debbie defiantly.

  “You don’t look like deviants to me...” Debbie stopped and tried again, faltering in the face of Zoe’s glare. “I mean...um...you know, the priest warns us in church...and I like you...oh, dear. Well, since I made a hash of that...well, it’s quite a bombshell, isn’t it?” She looked concerned. “Does Earl know about you two?”

  Eva nodded. “Earl is one of my best friends, and he does know,” she told Debbie, who seemed relieved.

  “Oh, good, he is such a nice man,” Debbie said.

  “He is, and he has a heart of gold,” Eva agreed.

  “Does that mean he is available?” Debbie asked hopefully.

  Zoe bit her lip to stop herself from blurting out that Debbie was not Earl’s type, since he preferred men.

  “No, he is involved with someone,” Eva replied before Zoe could speak.

  “Oh, what a shame.”

  “Can I ask you not to tell anyone?” Eva asked.

  Debbie looked at Eva and Zoe. She appeared to have recovered from her embarrassment at finding them kissing. “Tell them about what?” she said, and shrugged. “Your apartment mate bringing you lunch? I don’t think that’s even worth a mention on the grapevine.”

  “Thank you.” Eva smiled.

  “Eva, I like you a great deal. Your secret is safe with me.” Debbie got up and opened the door. “I wish I had an apartment mate who could cook like you do.” She gave Zoe a wink and closed the door.

  “Bet she doesn’t have one that kisses like you,” Zoe quipped. “I like her.” She turned to Eva and put her arms around her waist. “So are Mrs. Wagner and Greta the same person?”

  “Yes.” Eva paled.

  “Well then, let’s meet this Mrs. Wagner,” Zoe said fearlessly. Eva was somewhat in better shape than when Zoe first came in, which was exactly what Zoe wanted. Whatever happened, they would tackle this Greta problem together. She put away the picnic basket and took her seat to wait for Greta to arrive.