by Jamie Loeak
“Miss, I checked the plants in the front and this side of the house. Does it happen to be on the other side over there?” he asked, pointing somewhere behind Kate.
“Yes,” Kate said guiltily. She watched as he began to shuffle past her. He wore navy slacks today, and paired them with a white button down. He moved more slowly today, almost as if he was exhausted. His hair stuck up in different directions, although Kate could tell that he had attempted to make it presentable.
“Excuse me,” she called, and watched as Mr. Evans stopped to turn toward her. He stood at the bottom of the stairs now. “Since you came all this way I grabbed some sweet tea and cookies. I’m sorry for inconveniencing you, so I thought it would be nice to share a snack.”
Mr. Evans looked at her for a moment, slightly confused. “I thought you wanted me to take care of the plant then get out of your hair. I hate bothering you when you’ve got your boyfriend over. I remember young love,” he said, winking.
Kate blushed. “He’s not here right now, and like I said before, I feel terrible about having to call you out here when you don’t have to be here. I would love it if you shared some of these cookies with me.” Kate batted her eyelashes and bit into one of the soft cookies.
“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Mr. Evans said. He placed a gnarled hand on the banister and pulled himself up the staircase. His movements were slow and deliberate, almost as if he was afraid of making a misstep.
“You can sit here next to me,” Kate said. She gestured to a wooden rocking chair positioned on the other side of a small table.
The man shuffled over and sat in the chair. He rocked back and forth and hummed a quiet tune. Kate poured him a glass of sweet tea and they sat in companionable silence.
“You know, this has always been my favorite house to garden. The range of exotic flowers in this garden is exquisite. I love the arrangement with the Birds of Paradise, Lilacs, and Lilies of the Valley. The color scheme is unique.”
“I love the flowers here too,” Kate said kindly.
“How long will you be staying in Mr. Kern’s house?”
Kate spat her sweet tea across the deck. She spent the next five minutes coughing and hyperventilating, the old man stooping over her, patting her back. When Kate was calmer, Mr. Evans sat back down, and gulped a large amount of tea. He watched her as she reached for more as well, nervous that she would have another fit.
“I’m sorry about that,” she said weakly. “It must have gone down the wrong tube. I apologize for scaring you.”
“That’s alright, Miss. I’m just glad you’re okay. Besides, you must have scared yourself more than you scared me, what with all that hyperventilating and stuff.” He looked at her closely. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked her.
Kate nodded. “I’m fine. You’re right, I just scared myself.”
Mr. Evans nodded, took a cookie, and bit into the crunchy outside. The middle of the cookie was soft and the chocolate chips were still warm. His eyebrows raised in delight as he chewed.
“So, you aren’t from around here, are you?” he asked, trying to strike up another conversation.
“No, my mom’s a marine biologist. She studies a lot so we move around a lot. We probably won’t be here much longer.”
“Ah, that’s too bad. Mr. Kern likes to have long term residents.”
I’m sure he does, Kate thought.
“You know, today is a beautiful day. You should be out there learning how to surf,” he said conversationally.
“Where’s the man that you brought over here the last time? Does he always help you with your houses?” Kate decided it was time to get some answers. This man was familiar with Kern, and she wanted to know if he knew what was going on.
“What man?” he asked. “I always work alone.”
“You brought a man over here last time. He was tall with big muscles and a shaved head. He helped you with the inside and did most of the outside plants when you were here.”
Mr. Evans scratched his head in thought. “No, I don’t remember bringing anyone over here last time. You must be thinking of something else, miss.”
“No, I’m certain I’m thinking of the right thing. You honestly don’t remember?”
“I remember being here, all right, but I wasn’t here with anyone helping me. I would remember if somebody came with me because I always do the gardens by myself.”
Kate growled in aggravation.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you out, Miss. It seems to me that your boyfriend would hang out with a person of that proportion. I only hang out with people my own age.”
“That’s okay,” Kate said at last. She knew that if she continued from this angle she would lose any chance she had of gaining any knowledge.
“So, tell me about Mr. Kern,” she said instead. “I’ve never met him.”
“I’ve never met him either,” Mr. Evans said honestly. “I just know that his residents stay for quite a while. Usually about five years or so.”
“When did the person before us move out?”
“The day before you arrived, Miss.”
Kate nodded, her suspicions confirmed. Kern had ensured that someone was ready to move into the house when he was finished with the last body. Now Kate just had to figure out whether she was the lucky duck or whether she and her family were chosen to live here.
Suddenly finished with Mr. Evans, Kate gulped down the rest of her sweet tea. She stood up and stretched, faking a yawn. She didn’t want to seem rude.
“Man, I’m tired. I think I’m going to go take a catnap. It was nice talking to you Mr. Evans. I hope to see you around sometime.”
Kate dashed down the stairs before Mr. Evans could say anything and ran to the side of the house. “I’ll show you where the plant is before I go inside,” she called, before she disappeared around the corner. Kate hurriedly trampled one of the plants, apologizing to it before she did so, feeling guilty once again. Gosh, this detective stuff was hard work.
Mr. Evans shuffled around the side of the house just as she finished planting the evidence. There was a deep intake of breath as Mr. Evans saw the pathetic plant. It hung over, almost appearing as if it was clutching its stomach in pain. Mr. Evans gently picked the plant up and looked at Kate.
“When did you find this?” he asked her.
“I found it like this right before I called you,” she answered. “I don’t know how long it was like that, though. It could have been like that all day, or even longer than that.”
“Mhmm. That’s surprising,” he said.
“How so?” she retorted.
“Well, this is the only plant that was damaged. No child on a bicycle drove through here. The other plants would have been damaged as well. No, someone targeted this plant. You can tell because it was stepped on.” He lifted the plant up then pushed it back to the ground. “Someone stomped on it quite a bit, probably in a fit of rage.” He looked at Kate then and crossed his arms. Then he looked down at her bare feet.
Kate’s eyes followed his. A petal from the flower was attached to the bottom of her left foot, along with part of the stem that had been torn off. She looked up at the gardener.
“Why did you do this?” he accused.
“I didn’t do this! I found it like this. I swear.” She knew that she was just digging herself deeper but she didn’t know what else to say.
“Sweetheart, I know that your parents aren’t here as often as you like, but there’s no reason to lash out at innocent plants. If you were lonely and wanted to have a nice chat and a cup of tea, all you had to do was ask.” He bent low over the plant, inspecting it further. He stood up a moment later and rubbed his hands across his navy pants.
“I’m going to have to find another one, honey. The poor thing’s going to die soon.” He turned away from her then, shuffling back the way they had come. She stood there for a while, first listening to his vehicle start up, and then furiously trying to get the plant to stand up on its own. She stopped a
fter about two minutes of this, giving up.
Kate stomped back onto the deck and grabbed her notebook, jotting down her additional question: Was she brought here on purpose or was it random?
Kate allowed her thoughts to roam over her past experiences, bringing them together, searching for connections. One connection stood out in her mind. She dreamt about the burning world, and then saw it again in her alternate reality. She sat up suddenly as two thoughts clicked together, bringing with them yet another question: If Kate got the things she wanted most, would the world burn?
Kate woke up from a nap later that evening. The shadows crawled across her bedroom; she had slept for quite a while. She had gone upstairs to lie down after her last circle of questions gave her a headache. Miserably, she lay there for an hour, trying unsuccessfully to stop thinking about Kern and what he wanted with her. More than once Kate thought that she should tell Adriana and Rico, that they would be able to answer her questions. She dismissed that thought quickly, though, determined to be the one to answer their burning questions. After tossing and turning, Kate had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, her mind at ease for once since her new knowledge of Kern.
Now that Kate had woken back up, a hundred questions burned her thoughts. How did Adriana and Rico know so much about demons? Was Adriana’s mother possessed by one? And what about Rico? What was his story? Kate thought that Rico didn’t have parents. She also thought that he lived at Adriana’s house. The room that he had been in the night that Kate attacked him must have been his bedroom. He had been undressing, and he and Adriana denied a relationship, so he must be living there with Adriana and Donovan. They wouldn’t have known each other as well as they did if he didn’t.
For a while, Kate had even considered the possibility that they were related. She dismissed it quickly, though. For one, Rico’s features were angular; he had a strong jaw and prominent cheekbones. Adriana, however, had much softer features: a small nose, rounder cheeks. It was almost as if they were complete opposites, except for their eerily similar raven hair. It wasn’t just their contrasting features, though. Rico and Adriana didn’t talk to each other like brother and sister. Adriana sometimes called Rico nicknames, like babe, and sisters never said a thing like that to their brothers.
Kate was left with the things she knew: One, Kern was coming after her. Two, other demons were after Kate too, possibly for the same reason. Three, Kate really didn’t know that much about Adriana and Rico. Four, she was terrified of the possibility that she would have to sacrifice her soul.
Chapter 13
The next few days were uneventful. Kate hung out inside jotting down additional thoughts or questions in her notebook but came up with nothing new. When she wasn’t contemplating her unfortunate fate, she was daydreaming about Rico, missing his presence. And when she was doing neither of those things, she read or watched television.
Kate discovered on the fourth day of being alone, that it was lonely. She couldn’t understand how she had been able to live before Adriana and Rico happened. She began to miss them intensely, and got dressed that morning, ready to knock on Adriana’s front door.
Kate walked out of the house later, wearing a navy sundress, yellow flip flops, and her father’s fedora. She strolled up the road glancing at the houses as she walked by, absorbing their colors and details. The house next door to hers had a wide front porch, columns, and a bright red door. Another one, on the other side of the street, was dark. It was painted a dusty green that had faded in the areas not hidden by the shadow of the large oak in the front yard.
Kate passed by a dilapidated looking house, with shutters that were falling off and dead grass covered in soda cans. She paused for a moment and watched an older man picking the cans up. He was tall and wore a striped suit, his hair graying in some areas. A sign in the front yard stated that the house was sold, and Kate wondered why this man would want to purchase the house. It would have to be torn down and rebuilt.
The man turned around, noticing Kate. She offered a friendly smile and waved before she began to walk again.
“Do you live around here?” the man called to her. His voice was deep and rough with use, almost as if he was losing it from talking too much.
Kate stopped and turned around to face him. He was clearly a professional. He was a tall, well-built man that looked like he swam in the ocean every day. His eyes were a clear, pale blue that looked almost white and he had a friendly smile that reached them, making them crinkle at the edges.
“I moved in about three weeks ago,” Kate said. “It’s nice around here. I’m sure you’ll like it. Are you planning on moving in there or are you going to rent it out?”
“I think I’ll live in it until I settle in somewhere else,” he replied. “After that I may rent it out or sell it.”
“Are you going to live in it while you fix it up?” Kate asked, curious.
The man looked back at the house before answering Kate’s question. “I think I’ll be all right. I’m pretty sturdy, and as long as the house holds up, I’ll hold up too.” He smiled then and winked.
Kate matched his smile with her own and waved goodbye to the man. Whistling, she trudged along, prepared to see her friends.
Adriana’s house was as grand as Kate remembered it. As she walked to the front door she realized that another car sat out front, this one a silver Mercedes SLS AMG. Kate assumed that this was Donovan’s vehicle and marveled at the family’s expensive taste.
Kate reached the door and was about to knock when it opened; Adriana was standing there, holding her father’s hand. She dropped it immediately but Kate had seen everything she needed to see.
“Bye dad,” Adriana said, kissing Donovan’s cheek.
Donovan walked by and waved at Kate before getting into the Mercedes. Kate stayed outside until the Mercedes disappeared around the corner. When she stepped inside the foyer she turned on Adriana.
“What was that?” she asked.
“What was what, Kate? You might not be close to either of your parents but I’m at least close to my only one when he’s around.”
“Adriana, you were holding your father’s hand. That’s not normal. It’s also not normal that he looks like he’s twenty-five.”
“Kate, your mother doesn’t look very old. In all honesty, she looks like she could be your big sister. Also, the way your parents act, like they’ve still got butterflies, doesn’t help your case. My dad’s young at heart too.”
Kate stared at Adriana. She decided in that moment that she would not ask her any questions. Kate might have been keeping stuff from Adriana but she had never lied to her about something so trivial. She turned and moved into the living room, leaving Adriana standing there trying to prove her point.
“Don’t walk away from me, Kate,” Adriana shouted after her. Kate could hear her footsteps in the hall.
“I don’t want to hear your lies Adriana. I know for a fact that man isn’t your father. First, he looks nothing like you. Second, you didn’t hold hands like father and daughter; your fingers were laced together. I may not have ever been in love, Adriana, but I’ve seen enough movies to know that you lace your fingers with the person you’re dating; you don’t do that with your dad or your mom.”
“You don’t know anything,” Adriana spat. “You think that you’re doing yourself a favor by keeping things hidden from us. You think that you’re protecting yourself by keeping those things. What makes you think that we don’t do the same thing? You can’t be hypocritical about things like that.”
Kate looked at Adriana, seeing the truth in her statement.
“I understand,” she said honestly, truthfully.
“It’s okay.” Adriana moved into the room, walking slowly toward Kate. She pulled Kate into a quick, fierce hug.
Just like that, the argument between Kate and Adriana was finished. Kate wondered, briefly, if that was how arguments always ended between friends. Was it really as easy as apologizing or agreeing? Could she have ended the a
rguments with Rico in this manner? Kate’s anger dissolved with her thoughts, and she could see Adriana’s frustration fade as well.
Adriana sat on the couch then, and prompted Kate to do the same. Today she was wearing black slacks that stopped right above her ankle; they were fitted all the way down her legs, but not so tight as to appear inappropriate. Her dark blouse was tucked in to the pants; a flower adorned the collar, and stood out against Adriana’s creamy skin. She wore her hair in a simple braid that cascaded over one shoulder.
“How’ve you been?” she asked Kate.
“Not bad,” Kate answered.
“Have you been able to sleep much, if at all? I’m sorry that we haven’t had any sleepovers. Rico and I have been pretty busy solving some stuff concerning you and your soul.”
“I’ve been able to sleep some,” Kate admitted. She lowered her eyes, conscious of the huge amounts of makeup she caked on this morning to hide the dark circles that were forming.
“Aren’t you going to ask about what we’ve found, Kate? You’re usually so eager to find out more information. Are you sure you’re all right, babe?”
Kate looked into Adriana’s black eyes. “I’m fine,” she said, trying to convince both of them at the same time.
Adriana stared at Kate. She stood up suddenly and disappeared into the kitchen. She returned five minutes later with two steaming cups of peppermint tea.
“I put a little bit of sugar in yours,” she said when she put it down on the table in front of Kate. “I hope you like it. It’ll make you feel better too.”
Kate took a sip of the hot liquid, and shivered. Adriana arched an eyebrow but said nothing to her. They sat in companionable silence while they drank.
Adriana set her cup down when she finished and straightened out the slight wrinkles in her slacks. She sat there, waiting patiently for Kate to ask her questions about what happened over the four days they hadn’t spoken.
