Make-Believes & Lost Memories

by Rachael Stapleton

  “You sacrificed your daughter to keep me. Why?”

  “What do you mean, ‘why?’ You’re my girl, too, aren’t you? Jilli made her bed. She knew there were consequences to being with Marco. We talked about it and she readily accepted them. You were everything to her. I honored my Jilli’s wish to protect you and keep you safe at all costs. Plus, I didn’t exactly erase your memories forever. As a failsafe, in case anything ever happened to me, I tied your memories to your gift. On your 21st birthday you should have regained your gift and with it, slowly but surely, the memories, but there’s been some sort of delay. Your gift came at twenty-one but it was barely there.”

  “That’s why you’re always trying to get me to locate the book. You wanted me to find the tunnel to the secret garden.”

  “Yes. I needed your gift to fully come back so that your memories would. But I couldn’t force it. Your violins, they were always your sign. Not just violins, but music in general. You would hear different sounds for different things. You were such a remarkable child. I hated to take that away from you.”

  “It’s okay, Nana. I understand.”

  Danior got to her feet and walked to the mirror.

  Nana frowned. “Be careful, dear. If we break it, then we’ll never know the truth.”

  “You mean we can still find out the truth?”

  “That’s the other reason why I sealed this place off. The cards promised that one day I would have my resolution, but I had to protect the mirror. Come on, let’s head back to the Manor. I have one more thing to show you.”

  30

  G RAYISH clouds blocked the sky and wisps of fog swirled around the gardens, matching Mallory’s mood as she gazed out the apartment’s window. She turned back and watched as Nana pushed away from the island and crossed to a set of drawers while Danior finished up her piece of pie.

  Opening the drawer, Nana removed a blue medium-sized notebook and placed it on the counter.

  Mallory’s eyes narrowed as she focused in on the book. “Is that?”

  “Raymond Weasel’s journal,” Nana said with a slight shrug.

  Mallory turned to Danior. “I knew she’d have it.”

  “I can’t read it. The print is too small,” Nana said, calmly folding her hands.

  Mallory picked up the book and flipped open the pages. “You could if you wore your glasses.”

  “What do you think we’re going to find in here?” Danior asked, pushing her plate away, her pie still only half-eaten. “You think Raymond knew his killer?”

  “Oh, it’s possible,” Nana said. “But that’s not the only reason it may help.”

  “What do you mean?” Mallory leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

  Nana straightened. “I want you, Mallory, to sleep with it under your pillow tonight. You are intuitive and you are a dreamer. You may just find your clue through your gift.”

  Mallory’s stomach did a flip. “You think I’m some sort of psychic,” she said, leaning back in her chair.

  “Not exactly,” Nana said slowly. “But when you were little, you would dream of things sometimes. For example, you knew whenever your parents were about to come and pick you up.”

  “If I was so psychic, I should have known my parents were going to die,” Mallory said, shaking her head. “There’s no way you can count on me to solve this.”

  Nana stared at Mallory intently, not giving an inch. “You were a child, Malhala,” she insisted. “You can’t blame yourself for your parents’ fate. Besides, I’m not leaving everything on your shoulders. I’ve got a few tricks up these old sleeves yet. I just want you to keep an open mind and write down your dreams if you have any. You know, now that things are flowing again. And in the meantime, you or Danior can go through it and see what Mr. Blackmailer had to say.”

  Mallory nodded. “Speaking of which, I should tell you, Detective Bones was here looking for it.”

  “Kaden?”

  “Yes, and I told him about Simza’s diary.”

  “You did what? Why?”

  “What do you mean, why? He’s an officer of the law and you’re the one who invited him to the party. Obviously, you trusted him too.”

  “I didn’t invite him to the party.”

  “Really? Someone did.”

  “Anyway, he knows German, and he helped me translate more of the journal but there’s still a final entry. He got called away before he could finish. That’s what I wanted to show you. My intuition, that you so very badly want me to trust, is telling me that this last page is the final piece of the puzzle. I think we need to attempt to translate the last page ourselves.”

  Danior reminded Mallory of the picture they’d found.

  “That’s right.” She pulled the photo from her the pocket of her sweater. “We found this in Raymond Weasel’s room.”

  “Actually, we found it in Raymond’s stuff, but it was in that YouTuber, Shae’s room.”

  “Yes, that’s another odd piece to this puzzle. We can’t figure out what she was doing in his room. I found her lipstick in there after the murder, then we found the adjoining room unlocked and some of his stuff on her bed.” Mallory passed the photo to Nana.

  “Whatever would either of one of them be doing with this?”

  “It’s my mother and father, isn’t it?” Mallory blinked as tears filled her eyes.

  “It is.” Nana replied, “That was the first time their band played music live. And that man…” She took a deep breath and inhaled. “Danior, get me my glasses, please.”

  Danior hurried to the coffee table and back.

  “Damn him!” Nana said, as she straightened her glasses on her face, “I knew I recognized him.”

  “Who, Nana?”

  “The man on drums. You used to call him your uncle. He was very close with your parents.”

  The memory of Mallory’s mother fighting with a strange man returned with more clarity.

  “And he has been staying here for the last week.” Nana said.

  “Seb.” Mallory and Danior both said his name at the same time. The man who had helped with the translation. The man who had been there when Mallory exited the secret passage.

  “Yes, and what a coincidence that he would be here with all of this going on. I had a feeling something was up but I couldn’t place him. That’s why I had Emilion keep an eye on him.”

  “You had Emilion watching him. So, that’s what he was doing upstairs.” Danior mumbled. “That dolt! Why didn’t he just tell me that?”

  “Because I told him not to, that’s why.”

  “Hey! You know what just occurred to me?” Mallory blurted. “Seb… that could be short for Sebastian.”

  “Yeah, so.” Nana replied.

  “Sebastian. Remember, Hatti said her cousin Elsa was dating someone with a name like that. He was interested in her work.”

  Nana got to her feet and charged from the room.

  “Nana. Where are you going? Seb checked out already.” Danior said, “I saw him leave today.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Emilion drove him to the parking lot,” Danior replied.

  “Alright. Well, he can’t be far. You girls get started on the translation. I’m going to call downstairs to Lise and just make sure, and then I’m going to call Cody or Kaden.”

  Mallory stared at the place where the detective had left off in the diary: Deine Mutter war dazu bestimmt zu sterben…

  She pulled out her laptop and got to work inputting the German words into Google Translate. The writing wasn’t always easy to read and sometimes she had to go word by word.

  Your mother was destined to die, but I saw another way and so I have changed your mother’s fate, or rather I will. I will guide her to safety until a time when her daughters can rescue her.

  Daughters. Mallory checked the translation again? Did she have something wrong? “Nana! Danior!” Mallory shouted. “Get in here. Now!” Mallory jumped to her feet as she continued to shout. “Nana!
”

  “What in the heck are you shouting about, Malhala. What’s going on?” Nana sat down next to Mallory to look just as Danior came in the room.

  She was out of breath from hurrying. “What is it? What’s happened?”

  Mallory handed over the page to Danior where she’d scribbled down the translation. “Read this.”

  Danior took the page first and got stuck on the same word. “Daughters?” Danior paused to take a deep breath and then passed it to Nana, “Plural. Does this mean what I think it means? I am somehow your sister?”

  Nana set down the pages, and both girls froze waiting to see what Nana would do.

  “It could be a hoax.” Nana hedged.

  “It could be.” Danior agreed.

  “Only one way to find out.” Nana said at last.

  “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s finish this translation. We have two dictionaries and our technology. Everyone take a page and just translate word by word if you must. If that doesn’t work, try googling the phrase.”

  I can see clearly now why the magical cards were given to me, passed down through my ancestors who came before me. They were given to me to guard and guide and they are keys to safety. Safety for your mother. All you have to do now is unlock the door and set her free.

  I will die giving birth to our second child in a few weeks’ time. My son is only five, but I have seen his life go on without me as I have seen my descendants. Ion cried like a child when I told him, but it was necessary for him to prepare himself. I have helped him to find love—someone else who will care for him and little Mikhail. He fought me at first but I think he sees the wisdom of my ways now. I truly wish them happiness. And though he will love again, I have convinced him to abide by my wishes after I’m gone. This house will remain in our family, no matter what, as will my most trusted possessions, allowing you to find this diary and my cards. If the cards have been separated… fear not… Malhala is a great finder like me. All you have to do is access your power and make sense of your abilities. My darling daughter-in-law will guide you, in this I am sure. She holds the key.

  You may not believe me now, but one of you will become a greater seer than me. Danior will see farther into the future than I ever could. Malhala will become a great finder, and you will be gifted with a different sight. The sight of the dead and it is you who will see me again—perhaps you already have. In these final days of my life, I am happy knowing these words have reached my granddaughters, tunneling us through the past and future so that we might carry on this bloodline.

  Tears filled Danior’s eyes as she handed the page over to Nana who pulled on her glasses to read them.

  Mallory jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around Danior’s thin frame. “Shhh. It’s okay. This is good news.”

  I have watched war and destruction blacken the earth, and I have seen love revive us. I have peered through time and past its many veils to find you.

  Find the card, it will shimmer with hope. Hold it up to the mirror. You must find the mirror and the card that your mother used. It is the symbol of the soul becoming conscious of the divine. Now let the stars embrace you.

  “It’s a tad obscure.” Mallory glanced at the last part of the diary, her stomach sinking.

  Danior paused, “Do you really think I’m your sister. I mean how is that even possible. Your mother disappeared before I was born.”

  “As far as Nana and I know but who’s to say she didn’t have you first and leave you on the doorstep herself.”

  “You really think your mother would have done that to you and...” Her eyes wandered to Nana who was now staring off out the window. “You think she would have just allowed you to think she was dead?”

  “I don’t know what to make of any of this. I don’t know what sort of choice she had or what situation she was in but we need to find those cards. We’ll know for sure if you can see those shimmering signs she mentioned.”

  Nana stood beside the coffee table, frowning down at the page.

  “Nana, what card was she referring to?” Mallory snapped her fingers. “Nana? Are you okay?”

  Nana looked like she had aged a few years but she responded. “The symbol of the soul becoming conscious of the divine. That’s the Star.”

  Mallory nodded. “She mentioned the star earlier, so that makes sense.”

  “It’s important we find it, but where is it?” Nana spoke as if she were speaking only to herself.

  Mallory puffed out her cheeks. “Mami gave her a suitcase, right?”

  The women swiveled their heads toward her then Danior snapped her fingers. “We saw one of those in the attic.”

  31

  T he Manor’s attic held an odd assortment of the Vianu’s history: wardrobes, paintings, trunks, bed frames, rugs and old coats. Boxes and loose items were piled up on either side of it.

  Mallory looked around, feeling a knot of frustration form in her belly. “I know I saw it up here somewhere.” Her shoulders bunched with tension as she looked from one box to the next not knowing where to start. Then she heard a meow.

  Bakalo sat on a vintage, brown-leather Moynat suitcase.

  “This is it! The suitcase Simza described in her diary.” Mallory bent to search through it. There was a very nice paTodo to the leather, and the buckles were aged but they still worked. Mallory’s heart thudded as she studied it.

  “It’s locked.” She turned to face Danior. “I heard music up here the other day and when I followed it I saw a ghost in this exact spot. It seemed like she wanted me to do something but I didn’t know what,” Mallory added.

  “And now you do,” Danior said.

  Mallory stared at the key that hung from the chain around Nana’s neck.

  “What?” Nana narrowed her eyes and looked at Danior who was also staring at her chest. “Why are you guys staring at me like that?”

  Danior pointed, “your necklace, where did you get it?”

  “It was a family heirloom given to me by your grandfather. Why?”

  “Look at the pattern. In that letter, Simza said you held the key.”

  Nana slipped it from around her neck. “You think it opens the suitcase.”

  Mallory nodded and placed the key in the lock, feeling the cool tingle of the metal.

  “Let’s hope this works.” Mallory turned the key, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Maybe we’re missing something. Danior? You’re a master at picking locks. Can you pick it?”

  Mallory moved aside, allowing Danior to take the lead. She put her palm on it. Closing her eyes, she felt around the front, pressing and pushing. Then she smiled and nodded, her fingertips pressing in on a rivet.

  With a click, the suitcase unlocked and allowed them to open it. Hand mirrors, goblets, gloves but no cards.

  “Well, hurry up. One of you search the pocket and the lining.” Nana’s voice pulled Mallory out of her daze.

  She turned the front toward her and carefully felt inside, pulling out a bulky cloth.

  “It’s them, isn’t it?” Danior craned her neck to see inside.

  “I think so. They’re humming.” She unwrapped the cloth, revealing Simza’s magical tarot playing deck. Mallory studied them. The sunlight glinted off the gilded edges, creating a spotlight inside the attic.

  “Nana. What do you see?”

  “What do you mean, dear? I see the symbol for the High Priestess.” Nana said from a couple of feet away.

  Mallory turned to Danior and shuffled to the next card. Then she held it up to Nana. “what about this one?

  “That would be the world.” Nana answered.

  “Do you see anything special about them?”

  Nana shook her head slowly. “No, why, what do you see?”

  Tears streamed down Danior’s face as she spoke. “They shimmer, and they’re covered in colorful symbols.”

  Mallory nodded.

  Nana reached out and took one of the cards out, her eyes shone as she inspected it. “This is the magician�
��s card. Hand painted, too, and absolutely gorgeous, but it doesn’t shimmer for me.” She turned to Danior, “I always knew there was something special about you, sweet girl. You were the spitting image of my Jilli and now we know why.”

  “Do you think this means mom’s alive somewhere? Just like Simza said. We just have to get her back.”

  “I think so.” Nana took the cards and shuffled through the deck. “But?” Nana looked at the card. “Where is the star?”

  “Mom’s card?” Mallory held her hand up, palm facing out as if to quiet the room while she thought. “She would have had to use it with the mirror. That’s what Simza’s diary said.”

  Mallory headed for the attic stairs, almost tripping over Bakalo as she hurried. “Follow me.”

  “Wait,” Nana said. She glanced down at the diary and the tarot cards in her hands. “We should bring these, I have a feeling they might come in handy.”

  Danior helped to tuck the cards back inside the pouch, then they all raced down two flights of stairs and into the library, hesitating only a second when they saw the tunnel door to the garden cottage already open. Mallory flipped the switch for the light and took the lead.

  “I think the ghost wants to tell us something.” Mallory pointed at the cottage door.

  “Good. Then let’s listen.”

  Mallory carefully opened the door and stepped inside of the kitchen, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. The boarded-up windows allowed in little light.

  Looking around, Mallory could see some of the furniture was now strewn about the space. The place had been ransacked.