BANG! BANG! BANG!
Someone was pounding on the door, and I fumbled for my purse, pulling out the gun. I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding in my throat, and moved slowly towards the door.
“Who is it?” I called out in a hoarse voice.
“Marina? Are you in there?” It was Ethan.
I slumped with relief, strange dream drifting away into a confusing haze. I rushed back to stash the gun back in my purse. The thumping started up again, making the kitten jump.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Coming!” I called.
I swung the door open to see Ethan and Ruby standing on the landing.
“What happened?” Ethan demanded, “I’ve been trying to call you for hours!”
I rubbed between my eyes, “I’m sorry… I got home and fell asleep. I must have not heard…”
He looked annoyed, “Did you forget we had plans?”
“We made reservations!” Ruby pouted, catching Ethan’s eye with an “I told you so” look.
I bit my lip; I wanted so badly to tell him everything. If Ruby hadn’t have been there I would have flung myself into his arms in tears. I looked back and forth between the two of them and reverted back to form, sucking it up; holding it all in.
“Come in and have a seat.” I stepped back from the door, “I can be ready in a few minutes.”
They both sat down on the couch, and Stumpy jumped up to greet Ethan with head bonks. Ruby started sniffling, rifling through her purse for a tissue. I excused myself, digging into my suitcases for a change of clothes.
“Are you going someplace?” Ruby asked, looking at my bags.
“I pretty much live out of suitcases,” I explained, grabbing a simple tank dress and shaking it out. “Excuse me.” I took a pair of pumps out of another bag and went to change.
Ruby’s heels clicked on the wooden floor, and as I changed I could hear her walking all around my studio. I gritted my teeth, splashing water on my face. If I could just get through tonight, everything would be back to normal– if there was such a thing. I wanted the old Ethan back, and I needed to be patient. I ran a brush through my hair, pulling my aquamarine pendant out of the neckline and straightening it.
I took a deep breath and stepped out, “Alright, let’s go.”
I was quiet throughout our dinner, unable to shake the creepy feeling that there was something terribly wrong going on at the lab. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I should do about it, and began obsessing about getting back in to have a look around.
Ethan kept asking if I was alright, because once again, my mind was roaming elsewhere. Ruby kept trying to engage me in conversation, making it clear she found my silence unbearably rude.
“So how did it go at the lab?” Ethan asked.
“What lab?” Ruby asked, leaning forward.
“Some guy took her out to the marine biology lab–”
“Oh really? Some guy?” she raised her eyebrows.
“To look at his squid experiment,” Ethan finished.
“Eww!” Ruby squealed, “How gross.”
Ethan ignored her, squeezing my hand, “So, how did it go?”
I fidgeted with the napkin in my lap, “There was a lot of security there…” I looked up at Ethan meaningfully, “Way too much security.”
Like the other times we’d all gone out, Ruby chatted on and on, complaining about the service, the lighting, and the quality of the prime rib. I couldn’t eat. Ethan seemed edgy, even more unlike his usual self, and I remained silent, incapable of making small talk. Ruby broke the uncomfortable silence.
“Oh my God!” she shrieked, clutching at her ears. “I lost an earring!”
She had only one gold hoop on, and she lamented her loss loudly, complaining about how expensive it was, and how she could never replace it. We all looked around the table, and the waiter came over with a flashlight to help.
When it became clear that the earring wasn’t there she slumped back in her chair, dejected. “Will you please take me shopping again tomorrow?” she asked me in a sugary sweet voice.
I shook my head no, “I can’t. I’m going up to San Francisco.”
She pouted, thrusting her lower lip out like a child. “But it’s my last day here!” she whined, “I don’t want to spend it all alone!”
“Maybe I can take off work early,” Ethan said, trying to appease her.
She sighed theatrically, “I hope so.”
Ruby had clearly found all the chinks in Ethan’s armor, and was exploiting his weakness ruthlessly. He wanted her approval, and she meted it out sparingly, withholding her praise like a carrot at the end of a stick. When our tortuous dinner was finally over Ethan drove me back to the studio, getting out and walking me up the stairs to the door. I clung to him, reluctant to see him go.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Everything was wrong. My visions were awful, I was being followed again, and now I suspected that Edwards was behind the goings on at the lab. I didn’t know where to start, and when my eyes met his they blurred with tears. The stairs shook, and all at once Ruby was there.
“Can I see if I lost my earring in here?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said, getting out my keys and opening the door. I went in first, turning on the lights. Stumpy came running and I picked him up, cradling him and watching Ruby prowl around like she had before.
Ethan and I stood as she rifled through my couch cushions, lifting them one by one, “Oh!” she cried with relief, “Here it is!” She held up the earring, pulling something else out from under the pillow, “What’s this?”
“What’s what?”
She stood up, brandishing a small stack of photographs tied with a pink ribbon. She flipped through them, gasped and looked up at Ethan, “My goodness!”
“What?” he asked. She handed him the pictures with tight lips.
He looked through the stack of photos wide eyed, and the ribbon fluttered to the floor. I could see his face darken, clouding over with anger. When he looked up at me his eyes were blazing.
“What is it?” I asked, alarmed.
He thrust them roughly into my hands, “You tell me.”
They were pictures of me and Paul, and I looked at them in astonishment. Multiple images of the two of us together, pictures that made it look as if we were romantically involved. There was Paul, brushing the hair from my face, looking like he was about to kiss me. In one shot our foreheads were pressed together, and his hand caressed my cheek. In another his arm was draped around me as we sat side by side on a bench. In the worst one he held me up off the ground, grabbing my waist and smiling playfully. I was floored.
“This was in Germany,” I said, my mind racing, “But how?”
“C’mon honey, let’s go,” Ruby took Ethan by the arm.
I looked up with shocked eyes to meet Ethan’s wounded ones.
“It’s not what it looks like!” I protested. “I was upset about my dad… Paul was just there to help… We were working out…”
“Looks like he gave you a workout, alright!” Ruby sneered with disgust.
I reached for Ethan’s arm, “You don’t understand– This means I was being followed even back then! Someone’s been watching me all along! I need to show these to Paul right away!”
Ethan pulled back, his face hard, “Are you serious? You’re going to run to see him?”
I tried to explain, “He needs to know about it.”
Ruby snorted.
I didn’t want to tell Ethan anything in front of Ruby, but I fumbled to try and explain, “Something happened before… In San Francisco…”
Ethan looked to Ruby, who was standing with an indignant look on her face, “Something happened alright!” she said frostily, “We should go. You deserve better than this!” She started tugging Ethan’s arm, and then he was letting her lead him away.
I followed him with pleading eyes, “Wait a minute… I–”
“Have a good time in San Francisco,” Ethan sa
id coldly, turning to stride out ahead of Ruby. She was barely able to conceal her smile.
I stood, speechless, as the slam of the door shook the wall.
I slumped down onto the couch, flipping through the photos again. I stared at them in disbelief, stunned at how something so innocent could be made to look so completely opposite. Whoever had done this, had done a really good job. But why?
How did they get in my couch? Ruby didn’t even know me when my father was hurt, and I seriously doubted she’d been to Germany lately. There was no way she could be the one who took the pictures. I suddenly realized that they had been planted in my studio recently– someone had been in here. I jumped up and raced over to lock the door, my heart thumping.
I leaned against it with a groan. My heart sank when I thought of the look on Ethan’s face. He’d always been insecure, but never so quick to jump to conclusions. He’d become impossibly thin-skinned lately, and I had Ruby to thank for it. She’d spent the past week planting toxic little seeds of doubt in his mind; obviously, it didn’t take much for them to sprout into poisonous plants.
The kitten jumped onto the couch, scattering the pictures onto the floor. When I got down on my knees to scoop them up, the tears blurring my vision splashed down onto the carpet. I felt confused and betrayed, and started pacing, trying to think of what I should do next. Stumpy made a game of it, hiding behind the couch and lunging for my ankles as I passed. He attacked the ribbon, dashing to and fro with it trailing behind him. His antics brought me out of my panic, making me laugh through my tears. I picked him up and kissed his nose.
“What should I do now?” I asked him, wiping my eyes.
I calmed down, realizing that I needed to get out of there. Whoever put the pictures there might come back. I couldn’t bear the thought of being alone. I picked up the phone.
“Aunt Evie?” my voice cracked.
“Marina? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing… I was thinking about coming up early.”
“That’s wonderful darling! We’re all just sitting down for a simple little celebratory dinner… And there’s someone here who has a business proposition for you. We’ll expect you in time for dessert.”
“I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and turned to Stumpy, “How do you feel about poodles?”
I packed two bags, one for me, and one for the cat, hurried out of my studio, and drove faster than I should have to get to San Francisco. I pulled into the dark garage of Evie’s building to find Paul standing guard, and parked the car, climbing out with Stumpy tucked under my arm.
“Who’s your little friend?” he asked.
“This is Stumpy,” I told him.
He nodded, “Cute.”
I pulled the pictures out of my tote-bag and handed them to him, watching his face.
His eyes widened in genuine surprise, meeting mine, “Where did these come from?”
“Someone planted them in my studio,” I said.
“What for?” he looked confused.
“Good question,” I said sourly, thinking about Ethan’s angry eyes. “Do you realize what this means?”
He looked serious, “Whoever is following you has been on your tail for a while now.” He ran his hands through his short cropped hair, “How did I not catch it?”
“Don’t beat yourself up,” I told him, “I didn’t see it either.”
He looked upset, “It was my job to see it! I swore to Boris that I could handle security for you and Evie abroad… He was so worried… Now he’s gonna tell her to fire me!”
“No he won’t! I’ll tell her not to!”
He started pacing nervously, and he looked to me with pleading eyes, “Can you keep this to yourself for a few days? I should be the one to tell them.”
I felt a sudden rush of empathy, “Sure… I don’t see why not. But you should probably tell her before she leaves for Argentina on Sunday.” I started for the elevator, “Wait a sec, I have a question.”
“Shoot,” he said.
“Hold him for a minute?” I passed him Stumpy, crouching down to retrieve my laptop. I opened it to the page with the electronic locks.
“I want to learn how to get past this security system.” I took the kitten back with one hand and handed him the computer with the other, “Any ideas?”
He scrutinized the page, looking up quizzically to meet my eyes, “I know this unit. It’s a military grade lock. Where is it?”
“It’s someplace I need to go check out,”
“For starters,” he said authoritatively, “The keypad system is hardwired into the building. It controls a magnetic lock with an electric strike. It can’t be picked.”
“What if I can guess the code?”
He shook his head no, “The system will sound an alarm and shut down after a pre-set number of wrong guesses.”
“Three,” I mused to myself. “Can you just shoot it out or something?”
He laughed, “Nearly impossible. Whoever installed a lock like this meant business. They’ll be back-up security.”
I sighed with frustration, gathering my things and heading for the elevator, “Target practice Sunday morning?” I asked, stepping in and hitting the button for the penthouse.
“We’re on,” he nodded, smiling as the door closed. “See you then.”
I went to Dad’s first, and was delighted to find him sitting up on the couch with a book. His right arm was still swathed in bandages, but his face was filled out a little, and he looked much better than he had a week ago. The hospital bed was gone, and a wheeled walker was sitting beside the couch.
My heart lifted, and I went to sit by his side.
“What do we have here?” he asked.
“This is my new cat,” I set him down and we watched him hop around the room. “Abby trapped some feral kittens at the beach, but the rescue group wouldn’t take him because he couldn’t walk at first–” I stopped myself, looking at my father’s legs. One was still in a cast, but the other was braced.
He laughed, and smiled wryly, “Looks like we have something in common. What’s his name?”
I paused, “Er… Stumpy.”
My father threw his head back and laughed, drawing Amrita from the hallway.
“Martin?” she called out, pausing when she saw me, “Oh… Hello Marina.”
“Hello,” I nodded, expecting her to barge in and scold me for bringing a cat in the house. I vividly remembered how unpopular the local strays were with the housekeeper we’d had in Kerala. Stumpy jumped up on the couch as if on cue and picked his way across both of us, sniffing at my father’s bandages. He turned around in a couple of tight circles and settled down on his lap.
“Do you mind that I brought him?” I asked. “Ethan can’t keep him at his place because his mom is allergic, and I didn’t want to trouble Abby to watch him.”
“Of course not,” he smiled down at the little ball of fur.
Amrita’s eyes were on the little cat, her face unreadable, “I’ll leave you two alone,” she wheeled around briskly and went back the way she came.
“How’s she working out?” I asked.
“She’s tough on me,” he said with admiration. “She’s a very dedicated physician.”
I looked around the room, noticing the addition of some houseplants in decorative cachepots. The place was actually starting to feel like someone lived here. I studied him closely, “You look much better. She must know what she’s doing.”
He laughed, “Thanks… I guess.”
I embraced him and reached for the cat, “Evie’s expecting me, so I’ll just put Stumpy in my room while I’m out.”
“Leave him for a while,” he said, scratching Stumpy under the chin. “I’ll put him away later.”
I put my bags in my room, setting up the cat’s things and running a comb through my hair. I kissed my father’s cheek on the way out and headed across the hall to Evie’s. I was let in by a uniformed maid and immediately set upon by two overly excited toy poodles.
“Marina!” a chorus of voices rang out.
~
Chapter Sixteen
DINNER PARTY
~
I walked into a dining room full of people. I should of known that there would be nothing simple about a simple little dinner party at Evie’s.
Megan rushed to embrace me, pulling me over to sit in a chair between her and Evie. I waved to Cruz and Bradley, who were seated across Evie’s long table with about a dozen local fashion and music types. Megan introduced me to her agent and manager, and Evie’s modeling agent friend Jacques scurried around the table to make a great show out of kissing my hand.
Coffee was poured, and thick, sweet dessert wine was decanted, offered alongside snifters of the finest Cognac. Beautiful plates of jewel-like desserts were served by tuxedoed waiters; spiced poached pears swimming in chocolate sauce that were as beautiful as any work of art. Sitting in the warm glow of Evie’s ornate candelabras, surrounded by laughter and conversation, I could almost forget about the ugly scene with Ethan.
Almost.
Evie reached over and squeezed my hand, a reassuring gesture, accompanied by a once-over from her all-knowing eyes. “Why don’t you come with us to Argentina? We fly out first thing Monday.”
“No thanks,” I replied sadly. “I have school.”
“Surely they can spare you for a week,” she purred, “We could have so much fun! I’m simply dying to meet Cruz’s sisters!”
“Did I hear my name spoken?” Cruz called out to us across the table, “I hope you’re saying good things about me!” He twisted a finger under his chin.
“Always, darling,” Evie smiled back.
Cruz regaled the table with a story of how his mother had been denied a personalized license plate for her new car, “She was shocked– she couldn’t understand why they refused her,” he laughed. “I mean– what could possibly be objectionable about it?”
The Turning Tides (Marina's Tales) Page 15
