Parallel Roads

by Mel Teshco

‘I saw a crow.’ He shook his head. ‘Which is no big deal, I know. Only … ever since, I’ve been dreaming or seeing this crow in one context or another.’

  She stirred the coffees and then handed him a mug. ‘There are plenty of crows out this way. God only knows they have enough dead livestock to pick over.’ She took a sip of her steaming mug. ‘I remember my granddad kept one of the birds as a pet. He called it Midge.’

  ‘He did?’ It wasn’t a pet he’d heard anyone keeping before.

  ‘Yes. It grew into a big old bird. Crafty as nails.’ She put her mug on the bench. ‘Granddad rescued it after it’d fallen from its nest. He called it his soulpet.’ She smiled fondly in remembrance. ‘I was always a little fearful of the thing with its one beady eye.’

  Jessie gripped the mug with a white-knuckled hand. ‘The crow I saw only had one eye.’

  She frowned, uncertainty dulling her stare. ‘But surely you don’t think …’

  ‘I don’t know what to think anymore,’ he rasped.

  In silent accord, they made their way to the dining table. Jessie pulled out her seat before taking one for himself. Tara leaned forward, her expression sombre. ‘Is the crow the only thing upsetting you?’ she asked, ‘because if there’s anything else, I’d really like to know.’

  He nodded, and then cleared his throat that’d gone sand-dry, despite the coffee. ‘I think I might have seen you outside.’ His mug rattled as he set it down on the table. ‘Your other self.’

  Chapter Thirteen

  ‘It can’t be,’ Tara whispered, her eyes wide.

  ‘That’s what I thought too.’ He swallowed. ‘I’m going over to check things out.’

  She stiffened, though he could see the need for answers in her expression. ‘I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.’

  ‘And I’m not so sure we have any other options.’ He leaned forward, brushing a thumb and forefinger under her chin. ‘We have to know.’

  She nodded. ‘You’re right. Okay. I’ll fix us something light for dinner to eat in the Hummer and make sure everything is packed and ready to go.’

  He dropped his hand, so amazed and thankful by her pragmatic attitude that all he could do was nod.

  A handful of minutes later, fully dressed and primed for an explanation, he strode across the road to Harrison’s hotel. Seemed like just yesterday he’d stayed at the dive of a place for more money than many upmarket hotels he’d had the pleasure of sleeping at.

  The Harrison in another dimension had known a meal ticket when he saw one. Jessie was pretty certain some things didn’t change.

  He stepped inside. The pleasant aroma of lemon polish and liquor, the smooth wood panelling and the shiny cedar bar all immediately surprised him.

  Guess he shouldn’t have been shocked to see an un-inked Harrison behind the bar, pulling a couple of beers on tap and chatting to a trio of elderly patrons. Jessie had obviously been so busy earlier trying to see if the woman at Harrison’s side was Tara, he’d taken little notice of the barman’s skin.

  Harrison looked up, not even faint recognition in his stare. ‘What’ll you’ll have, mate?’

  Jessie took the closest bar stool. ‘A JD and Coke.’

  As the barman poured him the drink, Jessie examined his surroundings. In the main room off to one side of the bar, a middle-aged woman in a short denim skirt bent over a pool table. She jabbed her cue stick and sent the white ball spinning. When it struck the coloured balls, a bearded man in a cowboy hat and a blue singlet stained with sweat cheered encouragement as he stood waiting for his turn, a frothy beer clasped in one hand.

  Jessie frowned. Where was the woman he’d glimpsed earlier?

  Then the swing doors behind Harrison pushed inwards and a blonde stepped into the bar area. Jessie released a slow breath. While the woman shared Tara’s hair colour, there the similarity ended. She was bustier, with glowing orange skin that gave away a bad spray tan. Actually, her outer appearance was phoney in every way compared to Tara’s natural beauty.

  He tipped back his drink as he felt his body unwind. The burn of the alcohol hit his belly when he placed his empty glass back onto the bar and gave Harrison and the blonde woman a nod.

  ‘You’re leaving already, mate?’ Harrison asked, looking as startled as Jessie by the query.

  ‘Ah, yeah. I guess I am.’

  Harrison laughed a little self-consciously. ‘Sorry, I’m not usually so pushy. I just feel as if I know you from somewhere.’ He grabbed a nearby towel and rubbed beer froth off his hands. ‘Have we met?’

  Not in this dimension.

  Jessie laughed. ‘I don’t think so. Guess I have one of those faces.’ He spun on his heel, and said pointedly. ‘Thanks for the drink, but I’m looking for a feed now from across the road before I head off.’

  If there was any information to be had about Tara from this dimension, he was certain the barman would fill him in before he walked out the front door.

  ‘Hang on, mate.’

  Jessie stopped, reining in a knowing smile as he turned around. ‘Yes?’

  ‘That restaurant’s closed until further notice.’ Harrison jabbed a thumb toward his girlfriend—or whatever she was. ‘Cecile is the only cook in this town now. And I have to tell you, she puts on a great grub.’

  Jessie stifled a snort of disgust. Harrison seemed to have a knack of making money off other people’s misfortunes. ‘From what I’ve seen around these parts, everyone seems to be shutting shop and counting their losses. But you seem to be doing all right.’

  Harrison puffed up. ‘Guess I’ve always been enterprising.’

  And selfish and untrustworthy.

  Jessie scrubbed a hand over his chin, holding back an urge to put the man in his place. He needed information, and if that meant keeping on the good side of the barman, then so be it. ‘What happened to the restaurant across the road?’

  Harrison scowled. ‘Tara—the owner—was many things, but I can’t say she was resourceful like me. Her heart didn’t seem to be in the business anymore and she just up and left one day. We haven’t seen her since.’

  ‘How long ago?’

  ‘Close to a month.’ Harrison’s eyebrows lowered and a suspicious gleam entered his stare. ‘Why the sudden interest?’

  Jessie kept a straight face. ‘Who said it was sudden?’

  With that he left the hotel, but not before he heard Cecile’s nasally voice. ‘Was he having a go at you?’

  The heat was still oppressive when he stalked across the road to where Tara waited for him beside the Hummer. She looked fresh and beautiful and utterly un-fake with her hair in a topknot and a filmy white netted shawl draped over a simple red sundress. He smiled at her, loving her so much it hurt.

  Her smile was a little more strained when she asked, ‘Well?’

  ‘It wasn’t you. Apart from the colour of her hair, she was nothing like you.’

  She let out a breath. ‘Thank god.’

  He pressed a kiss to her mouth, and then murmured, ‘If everything’s ready, we’d better leave.’

  She nodded. ‘It’s all packed into the Hummer.’ She tilted her head to the side, her eyes assessing. ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘In a way,’ he said, even as a heavy tread approached from behind, right along with the tap-tap of heels.

  Tara’s attention moved to Harrison and his sidekick as Jessie swivelled around.

  ‘What the hell?’ Harrison bit out, his stare sticking to Tara as though he couldn’t quite believe she was back. He finally looked at Jessie. ‘You know her?’

  Jessie nodded. ‘I do.’

  Harrison’s hands fisted. ‘Then why all the questions?’

  ‘Sorry, that’s something I’m not at liberty to divulge.’

  The barman’s hands fisted and his knuckles cracked. But his attention returned to Tara. ‘You’ve been with this jerk the whole time?’

  Tara placed her hands on her hips. ‘Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I have. And this jerk treats me
like a princess—you could learn a lot from him.’

  Jessie couldn’t stop a grin. Tara’s compliment had to be better than any of the drugs he was apparently addicted to in this dimension. When Harrison shot him a filthy look, Jessie didn’t care one bit.

  Cecile drew her shoulders back, effectively pushing out what had to be at least a pair of double D’s. She was more plastic than the inside of a picnic basket. She flicked her hair. ‘Harrison’s perfect just the way he is.’

  ‘Shut it, Cecile,’ the guy in question snapped.

  ‘Yeah. Perfect.’ Tara admonished the other woman.

  Jessie shook his head. The conversation was getting as bizarre as the whole other dimension thing. ‘As much as we’d love to stay and chat, there’s somewhere we have to be.’

  Harrison stepped forward, holding out a hand to Tara. ‘Don’t leave again, not like this. At least not without some sort of explanation.’

  Tara pulled the Hummer’s door open before she looked back at the barman with a glower, and for just a moment Jessie almost felt sorry for the man. ‘I don’t owe you anything, Harrison,’ she said frostily, ‘least of all an explanation.’

  Harrison’s jaw clenched and Jessie waited until Tara had safely climbed into the SUV before he took to the driver’s seat and fired the engine into life.

  Driving down the main street, he glanced in the rear-view mirror to see Cecile catch Harrison’s hand in hers before they turned and walked back towards the hotel.

  It wasn’t until Mirraway was minutes behind them that Tara turned to him. ‘Wow, that was …’

  ‘Intense?’

  She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Yeah, that’s it exactly.’ She put a hand on his knee, the pressure warm, comforting. ‘I’m sorry you had to deal with Harrison again. His possessiveness never ceases to amaze me—no matter which dimension we’re in.’

  Jessie nodded slowly. ‘I’m thinking he’d make a good boyfriend for Mercedes.’

  She giggled. ‘You might be right. With a bit of luck their controlling natures would see them latch onto one another instead of us.’ She sighed. ‘I did feel a little sorry for Harrison’s Barbie Doll girlfriend, though. He didn’t seem to care about her at all.’

  Jessie dipped his headlights to low at an oncoming vehicle. ‘I don’t think you have to worry about her. I get the feeling she knows exactly what she’s doing and will have him wrapped around her little finger soon enough.’

  Tara snorted. ‘Then at least I know in this dimension my other self might be safe when she returns.’

  ‘Unless my other self is with you,’ he added with a cocked brow.

  The very absurdity of the situation had them dissolve into sudden laughter. Jessie welcomed the comic relief. It lightened the mood and made whatever was ahead of them seem not so threatening.

  Tara bent forward and lifted a tray from near her feet. Taking off a tea towel and then a layer of aluminium foil, the tantalising aroma of meat and rich spices filled the air.

  He sniffed appreciatively, suddenly all too aware they hadn’t eaten the entire day. ‘I’m guessing you didn’t cook that in the short time I was away?’

  She smiled. ‘I remembered how much you liked my lamb crêpes. And since I made a big batch and had very few customers, I stored leftovers in my industrial freezer.’

  A frisson of awareness hit him front and centre. The Tara in this dimension had made a batch of lamb crêpes too? Such a simple concept seemed too impossible to grasp right then, and as his good mood started to slip away he deliberately ejected the thought to the back of his mind.

  He’d had enough of the serious stuff.

  Tara seemed unaware of his state of mind, though she’d probably had the same thoughts as him when she’d seen the leftovers in the freezer, right where she’d left them in her own dimension.

  She dug a spoon into the heatproof bowl with its lamb mixture, before placing the spoonful of meat onto a crêpe along with a good dollop of Greek yoghurt. Folding the crêpe over carefully, she placed it onto a napkin and handed it to him.

  He thanked her and bit into the crêpe with its rich, meaty filling. ‘This is so damn good,’ he muttered around his mouthful.

  She smiled agreement. ‘It is, even without the melted cheese and pine nuts.’

  He turned onto the dirt track, accepting one more crêpe from her as he traversed the too familiar path. It was slow going, his reflexes alert to any wildlife that might hop, slither or waddle in front of them. And that wasn’t to mention the feral camels and brumbies that also inhabited these parts.

  She handed him another napkin when he finished the crêpe, followed soon after by a bottle of frosty beer.

  He grinned. She’d ensured it was a light beer, so he’d be safe to drive. ‘You’re too good to me.’

  ‘I try my best,’ she said in a mock-prim voice.

  His beer was half-finished when Tara said in a sombre voice. ‘I think before we get to the house, you need to backtrack to the very first time you saw it. Talk through anything that might help locate which manhole you climbed through that day.’

  He nodded, thinking back. ‘One thing I know for certain is that when I got out of the Hummer I threw my jacket onto the back seat—it was on the front seat in the next dimension.’

  ‘So we can at least be sure the jacket should be on the back seat. Anything else you noticed was different?’

  ‘Yeah. In my dimension I followed an old barbed wire fence that ended beside the road just before I saw the house. It didn’t exist in the second dimension either.’

  ‘Good, that’s two things. Now let’s see if we can work out any other details you might have missed about the house itself.’

  His mind continued to wind back to his first visit to the old house. ‘I didn’t go inside for a few minutes, I stood outside the door while trying to figure out what to do.’ He frowned. ‘I was lost in the middle of nowhere and pissed off that I’d missed the grand opening of my latest restaurant—’

  His throat closed off about the same time Tara gasped. She turned to him, surprise mingled heavily with hurt. ‘You own a restaurant?’

  Oh, crap.

  He took a big swig of his beer, before clearing his throat. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I do.’

  Twenty-three of them.

  He turned to her, wishing to god he’d told her everything from the very beginning. It all seemed so stupid not to in hindsight. ‘In my dimension I’m also a celebrity chef.’

  ‘A celebrity chef …’ Her voice edged into a higher note. ‘And you didn’t tell me this—why?’

  The Hummer ploughed through a deep rut next to a rotting log. Familiar territory. But his thoughts were less on driving and more on Tara.

  ‘I should have told you,’ he conceded, ‘I know that now. But I was so glad to be liked just for me, with no celebrity status attached, that in the end it didn’t seem to matter. In this dimension I’m a wanted man. In another I’m wanted for my cooking skills.’ He turned to her. ‘As far as I’m concerned, you wanted me for the real me, and that’s all that mattered.’

  ‘You knew it would matter to me,’ she said, her voice brittle. ‘All this time I’ve blabbered on about wanting to work in a top restaurant and you must have been laughing behind your hands.’

  He shook his head. ‘Tara, don’t. Please. You know that’s not true.’

  ‘Do I?’

  If there could have been a bigger wall between them it would have been a skyscraper and the Great Wall of China combined. And damned if he knew how to get through it.

  When they finally drew to a stop in front of the old house, his mind wasn’t filled with the usual trepidation of what lay ahead. His present predicament was enough to handle.

  Tara’s movements were wooden as she gathered up her clutch purse with her lipstick inside, then the gun and flashlight in case it wasn’t to be found in the next Hummer.

  The sun was already on the far horizon, the cooling breeze of late afternoon ruffling Tara’s
hair.

  With a weary sigh, he opened the back of the Hummer and grabbed their backpack with its supply of clothes. Then, trying to ignore the discomfort of their earlier exchange, he kept up a running monologue of his first visit.

  ‘Not long after I stopped at the front door, I heard a distinct hello that sounded eerily like my voice. I went inside and sat on the chair, disgusted with myself for getting lost and being late. It was while I was feeling sorry for myself that I heard some indistinct muttering.’

  She turned to him, her face still tight and unforgiving, ‘We’ve heard the hello every time, but never anyone talking.’

  He restrained a sudden need to shuffle his feet and instead cleared his throat, ‘We’ve never stayed in the room long enough to hear anything else.’

  ‘So you think our other selves were in the roof?’

  He walked carefully over the broken shards of concrete, Tara staying by his side despite the mental distance now between them. ‘Yes, I think so.’

  Her breath shuddered. ‘It all seems so surreal.’

  He opened the door and stepped inside, experiencing deep regret he hadn’t told Tara who he really was, as underlying fear rose up that he’d not get to his sister in time.

  Tara unclipped her clutch purse and handed him the lipstick. He nodded thanks before climbing up the ladder into the roof. Not even a minute later, Tara was by his side and shining the flashlight downwards so that he could see clearly and write a snapshot of the dimension they were leaving behind.

  Mother and Lolita dead. Father broke and living in family house. I’m a drug dealer. Stranger living in my house. Un-inked Harrison and Cecile his cook.

  He looked up, Tara’s features hazy behind the flashlight. ‘Is that everything?’

  ‘Aside from me finding out you’re a celebrity chef? I think that’s about it.’

  He winced, but pushed back an apology. His not telling her the truth wouldn’t be taken lightly and he didn’t blame her. He only hoped she’d let him make it up to her. He capped the blunt-ended lipstick and handed it back to her. ‘I’m not sure I want to be reminded of that one.’

  She accepted the lipstick with a ragged sigh. ‘Let’s just forget about it for the moment. We need to think things through.’