The Clockwork House

by Wendy Saunders

‘Ah wrong!’ He waggled a finger at her.

  Placing his bong on the coffee table he stood and crossed the room to retrieve a dog-eared manila folder. Moving back to the couch he sat down and opened it.

  ‘Her estate is as follows… whoa…’ he blinked and sank back against the cushions, ‘head rush…’

  ‘Here, let me,’ she held out her hand as he passed her the folder.

  Opening it, Ava scanned down the page, some jewelry, an old pocket watch and… her gaze stopped on the monetary figure below. She blinked, blinked again, then re-read the same line three times. When the figure didn’t change, she looked up at Baz with her mouth open.

  ‘Just because your mom didn’t live for money, didn’t mean she didn’t have any. She chose to live life the way she wanted. That…’ he pointed to the folder, ‘didn’t mean anything to her, she always said she wouldn’t be defined by dollar signs.’

  Ava felt her stomach swoop and her head begin to pound at her temples. The shock was quickly replaced by a sharp painful jolt of anger.

  ‘It might not have meant anything to her,’ her eyes burned furiously, ‘but it would have meant something to me. With just a fraction of this I could have gone back to school, gone to college, instead of clawing my way from one day to the next, living in my truck, trying to scrape together enough money for food and gas. My life could have been so different, I could’ve been different.’

  ‘Your mom wanted the best for you,’ Baz shook his head, ‘she loved you more than anything. She wanted you to experience life, not get caught up in the chains of materialism.’

  ‘The chains of materialism?’ she whispered angrily, ‘is this some kind of joke? Is it materialism to want to have a home? A bed of my own? Not a sleeping roll on the floor of whatever shack we happened to be living in with twenty other people?’

  ‘Your mom did what she believed was best,’ he shook his head in regret, ‘no matter what I said to her. She made her choice for right or wrong.’

  ‘No matter what you said?’ Ava frowned suspiciously. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I agree with you,’ Baz sighed. ‘I always thought you should’ve had a home, some stability. It’s what your dad wanted.’

  ‘My dad?’ she replied in confusion, ‘but mom always said he was a free spirit and refused to be tied down.’

  ‘That’s the way she liked to remember him because it fit with what she wanted,’ Baz corrected her. ‘The truth is, your dad was from a huge family, at least he was, until they were all killed back in El Salvador right before he fled to the US. He wanted to build a family and a home here. I still remember the look on his face the first time he held you in his arms. He promised you a home, promised to keep you safe and happy, but he died before he could. Serenity took you and moved on. Don’t get me wrong I loved your mama, but that woman was always running.’

  ‘From what?’

  ‘She wouldn’t say,’ Baz shook his head. ‘What I do know was that she was an incredibly intelligent woman, she invested her money wisely over the years. When she found out she was dying she cashed it all in and had it placed into a bank account in your name.’

  ‘I don’t know what to say,’ Ava glanced down at the paper miserably, watching as the ridiculous number of zeros taunted her. ‘She didn’t even tell me she was sick. I never even got the chance to say goodbye.’

  ‘She didn’t want you to see her like that,’ Baz replied quietly. ‘In the end it happened so quickly… and well… cancer’s never a pretty way to go. She wanted to spare you that.’

  Ava blew out a slow breath as she flipped through the paperwork. ‘I suppose at least I don’t have to worry about eating tomorrow,’ her eyes fixed on the bank statement in her name as a terrible weight settled on her chest.

  ‘Keep reading Ava,’ Baz settled back comfortably, lighting a joint, ‘the money’s not all your mom left you.’

  Ava turned back to the folder and forced herself to keep reading.

  ‘The Lynch House, Midnight Island?’ She frowned, ‘a house? Mom owned a house?’

  ‘Kind of,’ he replied slowly.

  ‘What do you mean kind of?’

  ‘She inherited the house,’ he puffed out a ring of smoke, ‘it’s been in her family for generations. Your mom was born on the island, but she never lived in that house. Her family, the Wallaces, had another place which was sold after your grandmother passed.’

  ‘I’ve never heard of Midnight Island, mom never mentioned it.’

  ‘It’s a small island off the coast of Maine.’

  ‘So, let me get this straight. This house, the Lynch House, has been in my family for generations but they didn’t live in it?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Baz nodded, ‘been in the family as far as I know since the late 1800’s. I don’t know what happened, but it hasn’t been inhabited since then.’

  ‘That’s a bit weird isn’t it?’ Ava frowned.

  ‘Look the truth is, your mom didn’t want to leave you that house. She tried everything to get rid of it over the years. It’s been an albatross around her neck since your grandmother passed away.’

  ‘She didn’t want me to have the house?’

  ‘Nope,’ he shook his head.

  ‘But why?’ Ava replied in confusion.

  ‘I don’t know,’ he shrugged, ‘but I always got the feeling she was afraid of something. That’s why she would never go back to the island.’

  ‘If she hated that house so much, why not just sell it?’

  ‘She would have,’ he drew on his joint slowly, ‘but the fact is, the house has been on the market since the fifties. No one wants to buy it.’

  ‘No one?’ her brows rose in surprise. ‘I expect it’s probably a ruin by now.’

  ‘You’d be wrong about that too; I spoke with the realtor on the island when I was getting Serenity’s affairs in order. The house is not habitable but as far as I’m aware it’s still structurally sound… more or less…’

  Ava rubbed her face tiredly, somewhere behind her eyes a vicious throbbing had begun.

  ‘I don’t know Baz, it’s a lot to take in.’

  ‘I know,’ he nodded sympathetically, ‘but there is one thing you should know.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Your mom loved you, more than anything in this world. Her parenting skills may have been unconventional at best but never doubt you were everything to her.’

  Ava nodded; her throat tight with a burning sensation she couldn’t swallow past. Blinking back the tears she stood slowly.

  ‘Thanks Baz.’

  ‘Don’t be a stranger okay?’ He relit his joint which had gone out.

  ‘Don’t worry Baz,’ she gave a small smile, ‘I know where to find you.’

  ‘Here,’ he picked up the photo of her and her dad and handed it to her. ‘You should keep this.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ her eyes widened.

  ‘I got dozens of memories of him up here,’ he tapped the side of his head, ‘you should have that.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she whispered as her eyes filled with tears.

  He nodded once and she turned for the doorway. She didn’t even need to whistle for Bailey. Sensing her movement, the dog scrambled to her feet, her claws skittering against the tiles as they headed back out through the beaded curtain and into the front yard.

  Opening the door to her truck she waited for Bailey to scramble up before climbing in behind her. Placing the folder and framed picture down on the seat next to her, she stared out the dusty windscreen aimlessly.

  She felt Bailey crawl into her lap as if she could sense her distress. She reached up and licked Ava’s chin, nudging her with her nose.

  ‘Alright girl,’ Ava murmured absently as she ran her hands over her thick fur as much to comfort herself as her dog.

  There was so much she didn’t know about her mother. Serenity had never spoken about her family or where she came from. Occasionally she’d talk about Ava’s father as if to keep the fading memory of him alive,
but even then, all Ava really knew was that he’d been born in San Miguel, El Salvador and fled aged 18 during the civil war. He’d met her mother in San Francisco. It was love at first sight and Ava had been born nine months later, almost to the day.

  But if what Baz had said was true and her mother had been born on Midnight island, there was a slim possibility she still had family there, maybe some aunts or uncles, possibly even some cousins. She could at least discover some of her family history, maybe even figure out why her mother had run.

  She couldn’t deny that the mysterious house was nagging at her like a persistent toothache. The curiosity was almost overwhelming. Why would her family not want the house and refuse to live in it? And why, in all the time it had been up for sale had no one wanted to buy it?

  ‘What do you think?’ she murmured as she looked down at her dog.

  Bailey’s ears twitched, her tail thumping against the exposed foam of the seat that was being held together with peeling duct tape.

  ‘Okay then,’ she blew out a breath as she nudged Bailey out of her lap.

  She clambered over to her side, turned in a circle a few times before settling down and tucking her head onto her paws, watching Ava with dark liquid eyes.

  ‘Are you ready for an adventure then?’ Ava asked.

  Bailey’s tail thumped against the seat once more.

  ‘Alright then,’ Ava picked up her sunglasses and slipped them back onto her face. Turning the key in the ignition the engine struggled and spluttered to life. Ava’s mouth curved at the corner.

  ‘I guess we’re heading to Midnight then.’

  2

  ‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Ava blinked.

  Bailey sat at her feet staring up at her with dark eyes.

  ‘Seriously, it’s not my fault.’

  The dog snorted.

  ‘It’s the rules,’ Ava protested.

  Bailey lifted a paw and nudged her.

  ‘I can’t,’ she sighed, ‘you’ll get me in trouble.’

  Bailey butted her legs with her head and looked up at her with sad eyes.

  ‘Urgh, you’re killing me here,’ Ava looked back along the deck to make sure no one was watching. ‘Fine but you’d better behave.’

  Ava reached down and unclipped the bright red leash from Bailey’s collar. The second she was free she nipped the leash from Ava’s hand and stuck her head through the railing, opening her mouth and letting go.

  Ava leaned over the railing and watched the bright red trail of leather swirling down beneath the water. She watched in silence for a few moments before turning back to her dog.

  Bailey sat back down on her haunches, her thick bushy tail swishing against the deck happily as her mouth lolled open in a wolfish grin.

  ‘You’d better hope the guy in charge doesn’t catch you off your leash, it’s a long swim back to the mainland.’

  Bailey jumped up, rubbing her body along Ava’s legs and nuzzling her hand.

  ‘Okay girl,’ she smiled softly as she stroked her.

  Her gaze was drawn back to the water which rippled and danced, glittering as the sunlight caught the waves. She drew in a deep relaxed breath, almost tasting the salty air on her tongue as the hot summer breeze tugged at her long dark hair. There was a tremble of excitement in her belly, a quiet whisper somewhere in the back of her mind as she got her first good look at Midnight Island.

  ‘So, this was where my mom was born,’ she murmured as she rested her hand on Bailey’s head, her sharp gaze taking in every detail as the island grew larger across the small expanse of water.

  The smooth rocking of the waves was soon replaced with the thunderous boom and crash of the waves against the base of the cliffs. Her eyes were drawn up and she caught her first glimpse of a huge gray stone building staring out forlornly across the water.

  Her stomach clenched against the sudden and renewed fluttering, a strange mix of nerves and curiosity. She’d never owned anything in her life other than her truck and now she technically owned what looked like a rambling Victorian mansion on a cliff top.

  Her hand released her dog and gripped the rusted white railing as she unconsciously leaned closer. She couldn’t see much from her vantage point now that they were heading in closer to the dock, but for a second… she shook her head, she wasn’t a whimsical person at all, but if the house had been a person, she would say that it had almost felt like it had locked its gaze on her and was watching.

  Shaking off the strange feeling she pushed away from the railing and turned. Heading down the battered metal steps to the lower deck, she stopped abruptly.

  A pair of amused blue eyes watched her, dropped to her dog who stood pressed against her legs, then lifted back to lock onto Ava’s wary gaze.

  His lips twitched.

  Jack, she’d heard him called when she’d first boarded the ferry. The captain of the rusted, but seaworthy, ‘Sea Witch’ had barked orders down at the younger man standing in front of her now.

  Despite the fact the captain was much older, with a heavily lined, weather beaten face, and the guy in front of her was gorgeous in a kind of rugged fisherman kind of way, there was enough of a resemblance for her to assume some kind of familial relationship between the two.

  ‘You should head back to your vehicle miss,’ the corner of his mouth curved. ‘We’ll be heading in to dock soon and my uncle is real strict about animals on leashes.’

  She nodded, her cheeks flushing as he threw her a disarming smile. Jesus, the guy was really good looking. She moved past him with Bailey following in her wake as he stepped aside. Even Bailey looked back and wagged her tail.

  ‘Flirt,’ Ava whispered, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked down at her dog and they walked companionably back to her truck. Ava ran her hand over the smooth shiny paintwork, then opening the door, she stepped back and allowed Bailey to jump up as she climbed in after her. Breathing deeply, she inhaled the scent of brand-new leather.

  It was extravagant, she knew it, but she’d also never had anything brand new in her life. When she’d learned just how many zeros were in her bank account, thanks to her inheritance, she could admit, she’d gone a little crazy. She’d bought herself a brand-new truck, driven it straight off the forecourt of the nearest dealership. She’d thrown away all her worn tatty clothes and bought herself new ones. Nothing fancy, just jeans, t-shirts and sweaters. She’d even thrown away her battered old sneakers and now wore bright red converse.

  In retrospect she really hadn’t spent that much, in fact she’d barely made a dent, a scratch even, but to someone who was used to counting every nickel and dime it still felt a little frivolous.

  There was a slight bump as the ferry slid into the dock, which shook her from her thoughts and before she knew it, she was driving down the ramp and onto Midnight Island.

  The dock bustled with unfamiliar sights and sounds. There were stacks and stacks of lobster traps, fishing boats returning and unloading huge crates of fish, and a flourishing market with people everywhere calling out loudly.

  Usually Ava would have been fascinated, drinking in every new sound and smell ravenously but today she couldn’t focus, couldn’t think of anything but the house on the cliff. It was almost as if it was calling to her, singing to her blood.

  She pulled out the directions she’d been given over the phone. Unfolding the paper against the wheel, without taking her eyes off the narrow winding road, she navigated her way through charming cozy little streets and past busy restaurants and quaint tourist shops.

  Following the road up and away from the main part of town she passed into the quieter, more residential areas, past cute cottages and summer rentals. Feeling the tranquility of the island wash over her she relaxed, unaware of the small unconscious smile tugging at her lips.

  Glancing every now and then at the little hand drawn map she followed the road. The houses and buildings slowly began to disappear until there was nothing left but empty road ahead of her, flanked by tall trees,
which speared up into the sky with their twisted, gangly trunks and lush canopies. All her anxiety began to drain away and the feeling of peace once again washed tantalizingly over her. Finally, she reached the top of the cliff and the tree line opened up to reveal a huge gray building.

  Courtney Keller climbed out of her mom’s Chrysler and smoothed down the skirt of her new suit. It was mortifying having to drive a minivan, she thought as she flipped her blonde waves over one shoulder with a careless toss of her head. It wasn’t like it was her fault what had happened to her own car. She just hadn’t seen the low wall while she was reversing, nor the trash cans as she’d tried to compensate and pulled forward sharply. It was also really unfair her parents wouldn’t help her out with the repairs, after all she’d only just gotten her realtor’s license and it was going to take some time for her to start earning decent money.

  She glanced up at the grim looking house and shuddered. The place gave her the creeps and for good reason; having grown up on the island she was well acquainted with the history of the Lynch House.

  She deliberately turned her back on the house, but the feeling persisted, sly spindly little fingers which skittered down her spine, causing a light perspiration to break out at her temples.

  She glanced down at her watch, an expensive looking knock off one of her aunts had brought her back from a trip to Thailand, but she had to admit it was a pretty good fake. It had fooled most of her friends and that was all that really mattered.

  She shifted as her heels began to sink slightly into the gravel, which was partially overgrown with moss, and tightened her fingers around the file she held in front of her like a shield. Wishing she hadn’t come out to the remote spot on her own she refused to turn and look at the house again, just in case…

  Feeling an uneasy churning in her belly she once again glared at her watch as if it hadn’t only been fifteen seconds since she last checked. Where was the woman? The ferry was on time, she’d checked herself. It should have docked nearly half an hour ago.

  She could only hope the stupid woman bought the rat-infested flea hole of a house. Not only would it get it off their books but would also earn her a nice commission and the respect of her colleagues. As the newest member of the team she was pretty darn low in the pecking order which is why she’d been sent out to deal with this house in particular. The simple fact was no one else wanted to deal with it and she couldn’t blame them. Still she was sick of getting all the jobs no one else wanted. How was she supposed to prove herself and earn any kind of decent money if they wouldn’t give her a chance?