The Caledonian Inheritance (The Athena Effect)

by Anderson, Derrolyn

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said with determination, leading him out to where she’d parked.

  “Nice ride,” Ramon commented, admiring the pristine white leather interior of her new convertible.

  Layla didn’t know quite what to say, fully aware of the rumors of ill-gotten gains that swirled around her entire household. She thanked him politely, asking him to pick a radio station to listen to on the long drive. Ramon relaxed and looked at the scenery as they drove; Layla grew more and more nervous the closer they got to the city.

  They finally pulled up in front of the nondescript building in the industrial district where she and Michael had spent most of their childhood, and memories came flooding back to her as she looked up and down the street. She cut the engine, announcing in a quavery voice, “Here we are.”

  “Where’s the house?” Ramon asked, looking around. He’d expected to be taken to a street lined with mansions, but once again, Layla surprised him.

  “This is it,” she explained, her voice tight. She looked up to see the barred window of her former room and her hands started trembling.

  “Hey,” he said gently, covering her hand with his. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded unconvincingly, “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this right now?” he asked, “We can always come back later…”

  “No… No. I want to get it over with.”

  He squeezed her hand gently. “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll be right beside you.”

  She flashed tremulous smile. “Thank you.”

  Ramon walked with her to a nondescript metal door, the wires of a long-gone surveillance camera still dangling from above. Layla steeled herself, projecting a confidence she didn’t really feel, and pressed the buzzer.

  A few long minutes passed, and the door finally squeaked open a crack before flying open wide to reveal a thin man with surprise in his watery blue eyes. He looked older and smaller to Layla, his normally pristine lab coat rumpled and stained. The sour stench of desperation wafted out of the door from behind him.

  He threw his arms open wide, “Layla! I knew you’d return to me!”

  When she flinched back he noticed Ramon.

  “Th-this is my f-friend,” stammered Layla. “He’s a policeman,” she added hastily.

  Professor Reed’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What do you want?” he asked her.

  She stood up straighter, taller than him in her heels. “I’d like to have a word with you. I have some questions about my father.”

  He considered her request for a moment, and then stood back, “Why don’t you come inside.”

  Layla exchanged a glance with Ramon, and he stayed right alongside her as they followed the old man down the empty hallway. They passed several small rooms that looked like prison cells to Ramon, and a shiver down his spine told him that this was an evil place. A bank of windows to the right looked into what appeared to be some kind of mad scientist’s workshop, its long metal tables crowded with test tubes and curious machines.

  The man gestured to an elevator at the end of the hallway, “Shall we go up to the sitting room?”

  “No!” Layla stopped in her tracks, looking up and down the hall suspiciously, as though she expected some kind of trap. “We can talk down here.”

  Professor Reed studied her nervously, and Ramon noticed that he seemed to go out of his way to avoid making direct eye contact. Everything about the way the two of them were interacting was odd, and all of his policeman’s instincts told him to be on guard. It suddenly occurred to him that she had wanted him to come armed.

  The old man gestured to a door, “Come, we can discuss this in the lab.”

  They followed him into the room where he pulled a couple of chairs in front of a desk. He took a seat facing them, opening a drawer to extract a pair of sunglasses and place them on a pile of papers filled with tiny, precise writing.

  Layla took a good look around before sitting down. Ramon stood behind her, uneasy.

  “Where are your manners Layla?” The old man smiled ingratiatingly at Ramon, “I’m Professor Theodore Reed.”

  Ramon reached across the desk to shake his hand, “Ramon Ruiz,” he said with a curt nod, finally taking the seat beside Layla.

  The professor cleared his throat, addressing her once more, “How have you been? You look well.”

  “I’m fine,” she replied. She couldn’t say the same for him, realizing how difficult the past year must have been for him. After everything she’d been put through, and despite all the terrible things she knew about him, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of pity.

  “Are you still… with Max?” he asked.

  She shook her head no. “Max is dead.”

  He raised his eyebrows and nodded with satisfaction. It was the first bit of good news he’d had in a long time.

  “Where do you live now?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  Ramon looked back and forth between the two of them, wondering why Layla seemed so jumpy. He scanned the cluttered laboratory, thinking the professor seemed more crazy than dangerous. He had a hard time imagining someone as polished and sophisticated as Layla being raised in such a bizarre place.

  “I want to know who my father is,” she blurted out.

  He smiled patronizingly. “Why Layla, I’d always hoped you thought of me as your father.”

  “I want to know who my biological father was… is,” she replied tersely.

  “I haven’t seen you for nearly a year and this is all you have to say to me?” the professor complained, his face distressed with mock hurt. Now that he knew she wanted something his colors shifted to a triumphant silvery violet.

  “Do you know anything?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  “I’ll have to check my records.”

  “Your records?” she asked.

  He gestured towards a wall of filing cabinets. “I couldn’t possibly find anything for days. Everything has been in disarray since the day you disappeared. Max took everything from me that day, including you…. My most valuable–”

  “Possession,” she finished his sentence, her lips curling with disgust. “That’s all I ever was to you– A means to an end. You haven’t even asked about Michael once.”

  Professor Reed’s beady eyes darted over to Ramon, and Layla could see the old man was wondering how much he knew. “How is Michael?” he asked.

  She sneered, “He never wants to see you ever again.”

  “I’m very disappointed in you Layla. You were such a sweet girl until you were led down the wrong path by that… that… Caledonia,” he spat out her name with scorn.

  “Cali told me the truth,” she said, looking at him meaningfully. “And you as well.”

  “She ruined everything! If it wasn’t for her, why I– I was on the verge of–” he leaned forward intensely, his face reddening, spittle flying. Ramon sat up protectively.

  Layla shied back from him, a look of disgust blooming on her face. “Michael was right. This is pointless. I never should have come.”

  “Now Layla,” he regained his composure. “Michael never had all of your brilliant gifts…”

  “He was brilliant enough to warn me not to bother with you.” Layla rose from her chair, followed by Ramon. “It’s time to go,” she told him, turning for the door.

  Professor Reed sprang up from his seat, calling after her, “Wait! How will I contact you if I find anything?”

  She paused, not entirely ready to give up her last shred of hope.

  “Why don’t you give me your number?” he added.

  She turned around, evaluating him for sincerity. “I’ll call you.”

  He held out his empty palms in a gesture of defeat. “Sorry, but I can no longer afford to keep a phone…” Once again, she felt an unexpected rush of pity for him.

  He shuffled over to hand her a paper and pen with an ingratiating smile. She hesitated, rationalizing, weighing her options. If he start
ed to bother her, she could always get it changed. She wrote down her number and handed it over.

  Layla walked out with Ramon by her side, feeling a flood of relief once the door closed behind them. She rushed to get back into her car and sat for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly, trying to get control of her conflicted emotions.

  Ramon finally broke the silence, “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she lied. “I am.”

  Ramon’s spoke tentatively, “He seemed like a pretty creepy guy… I can understand why you wanted to change your name.”

  She nodded again, taking a shaky breath. She wasn’t sure if she was more angry or hurt, but now that the veil had been lifted from her eyes she could see what a manipulative sociopath Teddy really was. There was never any love from him, only reward and punishment. She meant no more to him than one of his animal subjects.

  After spending the past few months watching people with genuine affection for one another his utter… emptiness… was glaringly obvious. She’d spent her entire childhood trying to earn the love of someone incapable of loving. She’d always thought that if she could only perform a little better, please him just a little more, that she’d get the love she’d always craved from him. Now she could see that it was not her fault.

  At least that’s what she tried to convince herself.

  Ramon was overcome with curiosity, “What was that all about? What did he do to you? Who’s Max?” Ramon asked.

  She looked at him with tears blurring her vision. “I don’t want to talk about it. I can’t… I just can’t.” She looked away, gathering herself.

  “Hey,” he nudged her gently. “Since we’re in the city anyway… Let’s go do something fun today.”

  She wiped her eyes with her wrists. “Like what?”

  “I dunno… How about Fisherman’s Wharf?”

  “I’ve never been there.”

  Ramon was surprised. “You grew up in the city, and you’ve never been to Fisherman’s Wharf?”

  “Ted– The professor said that it was a tacky tourist trap.”

  “It is!” Ramon smiled, dimples popping on his cheeks. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun.”

  She looked into his dark eyes and nodded, feeling much better. “Okay.”

  He directed her where to go and before she knew it they were walking along a wooden boardwalk, taking in all kinds of new sights and sounds. There were seaside restaurants and snack stands, souvenir shops and street vendors. Seagulls shrieked and swooped for scraps among the throngs of people eating, shopping and sightseeing.

  Ramon took her arm when the crowds thickened, and leaned in close whenever they stopped to look in a shop window. Now it was crystal clear to her that he was going out of his way to touch her casually whenever possible, and she found herself completely distracted by the contact. She stumbled a few times, suddenly clumsy from the mutual attraction.

  He leaned over to whisper in her ear, brushing his lips across her cheek. “You’re going to twist an ankle walking around in those shoes.”

  “I’ll be careful,” she promised.

  They took a seat on the bench to watch a juggler toss some flaming batons in the air. “Why do you always wear high heels?” he asked.

  Layla thought of what the girls at Max’s always said about never being caught dead in flats. They all seemed to think that men preferred heels, and Layla agreed that they were much nicer looking than Cali’s muddy old boots.

  She studied her stilettos, rotating one of her fine-boned ankles to reveal the bright red sole. “I think they’re pretty.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, but…” he scratched the back of his head. “Wait here a minute… Okay?”

  “Sure.” She watched him disappear into a souvenir shop a few yards away. He was back in a few minutes, holding a bag out to her.

  “Will you put these on…? For me?”

  She reached into the bag to pull out a pair of red silk Chinese slippers. “How did you know my size?” she asked.

  He shrugged, “I pay attention to details.”

  She smiled wryly, slipping out of her heels and into the flats. She stood up, looking down. “I don’t know how well they go with my outfit.”

  He laughed at her and stood, now a few inches taller than her. “Come on, let’s walk around some more.”

  She put her heels into the bag with a shrug. “If you insist.”

  Soon they were laughing together, caught up in the energy of the crowds and the antics of the street performers. A section of the marina had been overrun by sea lions, and they watched the huge creatures barking and jostling for position on the boat slips, clumsy out of the water, but agile as acrobats once they slipped back into their element.

  “Hungry?” Ramon asked her.

  They stopped at a stand and bought clam chowder served in a bowls made out of bread, taking them to some tables set up in the sunshine. Sitting by Ramon’s side, watching people wander by and boats sail in and out of the harbor, Layla felt happy for the first time in months. She forgot all about the professor and her troubles with the construction project. She looked over to see that Ramon was feeling just as fine as she was.

  A man in the crowd with bad intentions caught Layla’s eye, his predatory greenish yellow standing out as clear as day. “That man is a thief!” she gasped.

  Ramon watched him for a moment, nodding. “You’re absolutely right… Good eye!”

  The man didn’t notice them watching, intent on sidling up to a woman distracted by an infant in a stroller. He jostled her, making it a point to help her pick up her dropped purse. She thanked him and he smiled, turning to leave, but running straight into Ramon.

  Layla watched Ramon flip open his wallet to show the man his badge, holding out his palm. “Hand it over.”

  The man was shocked, looking over his shoulder to see the woman strolling away, completely oblivious. He reached into his pocket and handed a pink wallet to Ramon.

  “I’m going to let you go with a warning today… But I’m not going to see you around here anymore… Am I?” Ramon asked.

  The man, nodded, “Yes sir… I mean, No sir.”

  “We’ll be keeping an eye out for you,” Ramon called after him, winking over at Layla. He chased after the woman with the baby, handing her the wallet. “Excuse me, ma’am? I think you dropped this over there.”

  The woman took it with a grateful smile, and Ramon hurried back over to Layla’s side, radiating peachy pink satisfaction.

  “Why did you let him go?” she asked.

  He shrugged, “I’m off duty and out of my jurisdiction. Besides, there’s probably dozens of pickpockets working this crowd. You can’t win ‘em all, but maybe that one will think twice before he does it again.”

  Layla was suddenly curious. “Did you always want to be a policeman?”

  Ramon chuckled the way he often did, shaking his head. “Nope… Not at all. When I was a kid I ran with the wrong crowd. I smoked pot, cut classes, stole stuff. I was headed for real trouble.”

  “You?” she looked skeptical.

  “Yeah,” he nodded. “My best friend’s older brother was dealing drugs, flashing all kinds of money all over town. He showed us that crime paid, and to be honest with you, I was jealous of all the cool stuff my buddy was getting.” He flashed a melancholy blue at the memory.

  “What happened?” she asked, increasingly surprised.

  “My friend was standing out front of his house with his brother one day, and he got shot in the head in a drive by. Died instantly. I was on my way over to hang with them.”

  “Oh my gosh… That’s terrible,” she said.

  “I got there right after the cops did, and watched the ambulance leave with his body. I guess was in shock, watching the cops do their job. I remember that they were so calm, trying to investigate and console his mother at the same time. There was something so… I don’t know…right, about what they were doing. I asked the policeman who questioned me how I could become a cop someda
y, and he ended up helping me out.”

  “Wow,” she breathed.

  “That day I decided that I wanted to change the path I was on. To make a difference with my life… Do something good instead of bad. You know?”

  “Yes,” her heart swelled with the joy of complete understanding. “Yes I do.”

  He looked into her glowing eyes, and without breaking contact, he leaned over to kiss her. His colors flared with powerful emotions, brilliant flashes of pink and purple. When their lips finally parted, she looked down with a smile, suddenly shy.

  “What?” he asked, his voice rough.

  “I wanted to say… About last night,” she said. “I don’t go around kissing men like that all the time…I hope you don’t think I’m some kind of…” her voice trailed off.

  He tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes again. “I think you’re every kind of...”

  He kissed her a second time with such open and honest sweetness that her stomach trembled, and she closed her eyes, unable to bear his direct gaze. When their lips parted he slipped his arm around her and snuggled his body closer, facing back out to the water. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both of them letting everything they felt sink in.

  He finally spoke in her ear, his warm breath tickling it, “Have you ever been to the wax museum?”

  ~

  Chapter Fifteen

  WAX MUSEUM

  ~

  He held her hand while they walked, and Layla got the distinct impression that she was walking on air. Whether it was Ramon’s comforting grip, or the way he was encasing her in his euphoric colors, she couldn’t say. She did have to admit that her new Chinese slippers were a lot easier to get around in.

  Her bun was coming loose in the sea breeze, so she pulled out a few bobby pins, letting her red curls cascade past her shoulders, reflecting the sunlight like a new penny.

  “I like your hair down,” Ramon said. “It’s beautiful.”

  Her cheeks flushed hot, but she could see there was no calculated flattery or smooth talk with him; he said what he meant and he meant what he said. Before she could thank him they reached their destination and stepped inside the double doors. They paused, letting their eyes adjust to the dimly lit foyer before they could make out a hallway lined with life-sized dioramas of all kinds of famous people. The lights were even lower in the corridors, and the two of them drew closer, enveloped by the anonymity of darkness.