DEADLY HOPE a gripping detective mystery full of twists and turns

by Jack Parker

  "I think you're right. This room is the least creepy of them all, and I love the ceiling. I don't know why I didn't see it before." Luci joined me on the floor, lying on her back with her arms beneath her head.

  "Creepy?" She sounded almost offended that anyone would dare utter a negative comment about her house, and I smiled at the return of her blue silk. This morning's emotional rollercoaster had depleted our energy. Between my breakdown in her bathroom and Luci's crazy outburst at the diner, her calming presence soothed me, made me feel secure again.

  "Yeah. One of the mantels above the fireplace has babies holding it up, and another one has a portrait above the bed with eyes that follow you around. I don't want to fall asleep with either of those looking at me. I know there's like eight rooms to choose from, but after those two, I was just creeped out." A noncommittal hum came from behind me, and I mirrored Luci's comfortable position on the cool hardwood floor.

  "There are actually two rooms with portraits above the bed. The man is James Carver. He commissioned this house in the 1880's after he founded the town and started the first logging company in this area. The other is of a woman, his daughter. Her name was Kate." Luci's voice adopted a quietly proud tone, and I wondered how she'd uncovered the information about the house's history. She continued before I could ask.

  "Why do they creep you out, as you've put it?" I smirked at the woman lying next to me, only now realizing how strange she appeared in her business attire sprawled on a dirty floor. It was odd, but her oddness, I realized, was fast-becoming a balm for my aches and fears.

  "Well, the portraits because of the eyes, obviously, and the faces of the babies are… I don't know. Twisted? Like they are being punished. Or demonic, maybe." I haltingly explained the lurch in my gut when I first laid eyes on the Gothic mantel piece.

  "What about it bothers you?" Her question surprised me. I've found that people who drive big rigs and work in sawmills and diners rarely desire a philosophical discussion about carved art, about anything really unless it involved Christianity or the government. (They all had a solution to the government.) They would have simply accepted my explanation without question and moved on to a different topic. My mind scrambled to find the truth behind my discomfort.

  "I guess babies are like the universal sign of innocence, you know. And it's weird to see them carved like they have demons in them, or something." I stumbled through my explanation, wishing that I could adopt Luci's eloquent speech pattern.

  Luci nibbled at the full pink flesh of her bottom lip as she contemplated my statement. After a few moments, she looked over at me. "I see how that may be disconcerting, but perhaps it represents a darker understanding of family inheritance. No person is born innocent when the mistakes of their parents remain unresolved. Children spend their lives attempting to amend those transgressions while creating their own legacy of oversights, thus perpetuating the cycle."

  Luci became visibly and increasingly excited throughout her counterargument, like she'd been bursting to share her opinion with another person for some time. Her enthusiasm slithered into my chest and sent my heart thundering. In that moment, I forgot to remember my scheme, my larger goal. The only important goal in mind was to prove I could intellectually spar with the educated creature at my side.

  "Okay, I give you that." I tore my eyes from her shining blue ones so that I could gather my concentration. "But morality is constantly changing with society. It wasn't so long ago that a divorce was practically a death sentence for a woman, and now a woman that gets divorced gets more sympathy than a man. Just as an example. So, that in and of itself would erase that mistake from her child's back. What is considered wrong and right is always changing, but the only thing that stays the same no matter what is not causing harm to anyone. You could make practically any decision on whether or not it is going to hurt someone, and I guess most people do. So, we naturally favor the good instead of the evil parts of ourselves, which means that babies are born good, and people become bad because of the situations they deal with as they grow up."

  I was both surprised and satisfied with my response, and if Luci's glowing eyes were any indication, she was too. She rolled towards me and propped her head on a hand, knees barely grazing my thigh. Her eyes locked with mine. She was so close now. Faint freckles spattered her cheeks beneath the barely there layer of foundation, a feature previously unnoticed. The heat from her body pressed against my side, a light and unsatisfying caress. She seemed oblivious to our proximity and continued her argument without missing a beat.

  "I can almost agree with that sentiment. However, some decisions are made for the greater good of humanity and require an injurious deed committed against a few for the betterment of many. A police officer who kills a criminal in self-defense is heralded a hero. A child who injures an abusive parent and spares a sibling abuse is considered incredibly brave and resilient. Morality is a circumstantial philosophy at best, and cannot be defined so simply, just as good and evil may not be explained in black and white terms."

  Any response I prepared abandoned me along with my reason when I caught the scent of spice in the air and allowed Luci's eyes to capture mine. She sensed the shift of energy in the room and dropped her debate. I nearly moaned when her hot fingertips traced the bruise on my cheek, and my eyes fluttered involuntarily when her thumb brushed the width of my lips. Was this real? Adrenaline pulled through my stomach and crackled in my fingertips. I covered her hand with my own, stopping her gentle caresses, when fear overcame the foreign sensations the tender caress of her soft fingers inspired. I admired Luci, but I was too close, too out of control of the situation. I swore long ago that I'd never submit to another human being, man or woman, and this beautiful, elegant woman was no exception.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered, puffing a subtle hint of cinnamon from her tea onto my face.

  My response died on my lips as a knock on the door disrupted my thoughts and at the same time elicited that same icy glint in Luci's eyes as Berta's previous interruption. A huge sigh deflated my chest when she pulled away from me and purposefully pushed herself to her feet and straightened her blue dress shirt. She was annoyed by the interruption, but secretly I owed the unknown visitor a debt of gratitude. What would I tell Luci when she asked me why I stopped her? That I used sex to dominate people and take what I want? I was too close. I was curious, and she was offering. That simple fact covered the extent of our physical relationship. I had her, and I must deceive her.

  Her back stiffened into her perfectly statuesque posture, and she bade the intruder to enter the room. Her eyes softened when they set upon the unexpected visitor. I twisted my neck uncomfortably to see who could cause such an instantaneous reaction in the complicated woman's eyes. An upside down vision of a young woman came into view, and I rolled over onto my stomach before levering myself to my feet to properly greet my new coworker.

  "Come in, Mattison, please," Luci softly beckoned, and I sighed at the quick return of her calm silky voice. "Lauren, this is Mattison. She keeps everything under my roof shining brilliantly, no matter the geographical location."

  The girl grinned and ducked her head as a blush crept beneath the collar of the blue cotton of her shirt with the exact same cut and fabric as the one I wore. A strand of mousey brown hair had pulled free from her simple high ponytail fell into her eyes. Mattison's petite frame belied the muscles I made out beneath the shirt, a testament to hard work and a carefully maintained physique. I'd seen the same body many times in the diner, most of them female farm hands.

  "Hi Mattison," I greeted and extended my hand, which was quickly seized in a firm yet warm and feminine shake. The girl oozed sensuality without even trying, but her demeanor spoke of someone who lacked self-confidence, much like Luci.

  "It is pleasant to meet you, Lauren. You are Luci's new companion, then?" Her French accent caught me off guard, and she spoke haltingly as if searching for the proper words. Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine and Luci's nervously a
s though waiting to be corrected or silenced.

  "I am." I looked down at my borrowed shirt and back to Mattison. "Thanks for the clothes." I gestured towards the jeans and shirt I wore.

  Mattison nodded, becoming more nervous with each passing second. I wondered at her reaction, but Luci seized control of the conversation before I had a chance to question her response. She stepped forward and placed a motherly hand on Mattison's shoulder. The girl calmed instantly and then blushed a deep red again.

  "Mattie, has something happened?" Luci gently prodded, her kind blue eyes searching the girl's face.

  "Yes. A man was at the door. He did not say his name or his purpose. He was very angry," Mattison explained hastily, clearly upset by the unexpected and aggressive visitor.

  "Where is he?" I asked. The urgency in Mattison's voice was not lost to either of us, and Luci's eyes glowed with the anger that bubbled instantly to the surface of her normally placid features.

  "I took him to your office after he pushed me out of the way. I could not stop him." I brushed past Luci and Mattison and bolted for the stairs. I knew only one person who had the audacity to barge into someone's home uninvited and rattle a young girl so obviously tenderhearted as Luci's maid.

  The click of high heels and the gentle thud of Mattison's sneakers followed me, but Luci obviously refused to leave the girl's side. I would never have asked her to. My heartbeat pounded around the cut on my forehead as my feet hit the floor of the Great Hall running. Luci's quick taps faded behind me as I quickly crossed the vast room. The faint scent of stale beer and cigarettes permeated the air outside of Luci's study, and my legs suddenly betrayed my command to move forward.

  "Lauren!" Luci called when she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Mattie, go get David from the herb garden." I faintly heard the command before her long legs began eating the distance between us.

  A shuffle from the study made me involuntarily back away as my father emerged from the doorway. His red cheeks puffed up beneath his scraggily beard, and his eyes showed that same wild look as the day before he'd poisoned Craig's cows. I only wanted to confirm my fears that he had found me once more but had not planned my next course of action. Fear seized my chest as he took lumbering steps towards me.

  "What the hell you doin', girl?" His words were not slurred, which meant he'd sobered up enough to truly act on his angry impulses. The shock at seeing him after he'd nearly choked me to death and left me on the living room floor two nights ago stole my voice. Panic rose in my chest, and my throat constricted, stealing my breath. I hyperventilated, trying desperately to refill my lungs with oxygen as flashes from that night tore through my mind.

  The sharp clicks of Luci's heels ceased as he reached out for me with those bony fingers. I fell backwards onto the wooden floor, scrambling from his grasp. As he reached for me again, however, a blur of blonde hair obstructed my view of him. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on my heaving chest. If I didn't take a deep breath soon, I'd surely pass out. When the dizziness faded and the roaring in my ears ceased, I opened my eyes to find Luci holding my father in place with just her hands. One held his wrist firmly, pulling it back, while the other pushed pressure against his elbow. The more he struggled, the tighter his face twisted in pain, and I knew if he didn't stop, the pressure of Luci's hand would snap his elbow out of socket. She pushed on his elbow and bent slightly as he fell to his knees to compensate the painful motion.

  "Fuckin' bitch, let me go!" He squalled. Luci acknowledged his outburst with more pressure on his elbow and a feral snarl, which curled into a gleeful grin that matched the wild satisfaction in her eyes. The savage display scared me; she enjoyed causing him pain. I knew Luci would keep her promise of protection, but I never imagined that I would witness such an ugly, violent face on the elegant woman.

  Her eyes glanced towards the creaking of the front door and the thudding of David's heavy work boots before turning back to the agonized man in her grasp. She waited until David was upon us and reaching for my father before she released her grip on his elbow and sent her own crashing into the side of face. It connected with his eye socket, sending a dull thud echoing through the Great Hall. Everything slowed down as I watched the man who had tormented me for 22 years fall to the floor in a daze from the blow. David paused momentarily, clearly as shocked by Luci's actions as I was.

  The handyman recovered quickly and pulled my father up by his shirt, unnecessarily twisting one of his arms behind his back. My dad clearly couldn't see straight through the trickle of blood in his eye and the dizziness that accompanied it. Mattison slipped by them and fell to her knees beside me, instantly placing a warm hand on my shoulder. The girl's big blue eyes were terrified at the situation, and her body coiled with tension. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled us both to our feet and clear of the danger zone if a struggle ensued. She did not resist.

  "If you ever enter my home uninvited again, I shall kill you." Luci's low, even voice terrified me more than if she'd screamed at my father. Her threat was not empty; her eyes were too rational, her voice too calm and honest. "David will escort you home and collect any of Lauren's belongings before returning." Her eyes shifted to Mattison, and the girl trembled against my side. "Mattie, please retrieve Cal from the stables to accompany David. Tell him to bring the truck around front."

  Mattison nodded and slipped from my grasp, her feet sprinting towards the door. I immediately missed her warmth like I missed Luci's after any extended contact and wondered briefly how long she'd worked for the mysterious woman. The thought slithered away when David pulled my father towards the front door, intuitively sensing that Luci had finished barking orders and threats. His kind brown eyes cast a sympathetic gaze in my direction as he passed, and I nodded at him gratefully. David was a gentleman with a soft touch, despite his large stature. He towered over me at least a foot and a half, and his broad shoulders nearly matched my entire arm span. His calloused hands, however, had gently cleaned and bandaged my wounds, and his light Texan drawl soothed my fears while he worked. But I feared what would happen if my father attacked me or Luci again.

  My eyes followed the two men until the door creaked shut and left me alone in the mansion with Luci. Her chest heaved angrily. She stared at the empty space my father and David had just vacated with unseeing eyes. I recalled Luci's words by the river yesterday about forgiving me for the sins of my father and stepped into her line of sight. As I hoped, her eyes refocused and the anger slowly left them. Her shoulders slowly drooped with spent adrenaline, but her chest continued to lug up and down with her erratic breathing. I'd seen that expression before, many times, after bar brawls and parking lot throw downs, and I knew if I approached her too quickly or startled her, instinct took over and caused another lash of violence.

  "Luci?" I stepped towards her hesitantly, and she mirrored the movement.

  "Are you injured?" She asked absently as her eyes searched my body. Her anger had not fully dissipated, and she fought to control the powerful emotion. I shook my head, and her eyes finally settled on mine, drew me closer. My body acquiesced to the call, and my heart thumped wildly as we closed the distance between us. I needed her comfort, and she needed the reassurance of my safety. Just this once, I swore to myself.

  "Teach me." I begged and settled my uncertain hands on her biceps. We both started at the unexpected words.

  "What do you want to learn, Darling?" Her eyes searched mine, and her warm hands settled on my waist naturally. I sighed into the touch and commanded my eyes to remain open against their desire to slip shut at her heat. My desire to be near her spawned from the traumatic flashback I'd experienced when I saw my father again. Nothing more. It would pass, I reassured myself and stepped into her bodily.

  "To defend myself. I want to be ready when he comes back."

  "Lauren, he won't be coming back." Luci murmured. Her eyes told me that she believed her words, but I knew my father and would broach the subject later. Right now, more urgent concerns pul
led on my thoughts because my dad would licked his wounds and bided his time before he returned. I ignored her promise and pushed forward. My thoughts and feelings needed to be released before the shock and adrenaline wore off, and I clammed up again like I had in the bedroom only moments before.

  "I want to learn how to run your company. I want to know everything that you know, so that I can help people the way you're helping me." She wanted loyalty. I gave it to her superficially. I served no one but myself and proper self-defense training could only help my cause of breaking free from this hell.

  Conflicting emotions danced in her eyes, among them joy and relief with flashes of remaining anger and something deeper that I could not discern. Luci may have frightened Berta and Barb and my father, but she would never hurt or control me, not unless I gave her permission like everyone else had, but I wanted to learn from her. If she required a protégé that matched her quiet strength, iron will and elegant sophistication, then I would become those things in my own way and time under Luci's firm guidance. When she trusted me, I struck like a snake, fast and hard and unfeeling.

  "Shall we begin, then?" Her even voice belied the excitement flickering in her eyes as her gaze shifted to the creaking front door. Mattison slipped in and slowly closed the door behind her.

  "Lesson one: take care of those loyal to you. I would like you to spend the rest of the afternoon, perhaps the next few days, with Mattie. Comfort her. She must understand and believe that you would never allow any harm to come to her." Her words confused me, but I nodded anyway. Baby steps were the key to success, especially when I also felt the same fear as Mattison, but that was the point. Luci comforted me despite her fear, and I had been assigned the same task for Mattison's sake. Could I do it?

  "I watched you pull her from harm's way, Lauren." Luci saw the reticence and doubt in my eyes. "You have the proper instinct. It is a basic human need to feel safe, protected, secure. Use that to your advantage when all other tactics prove unsuccessful. In the end, a hand that can show kindness as well as control will create a more loyal bond with its object." Her voice dropped lower until it was nothing but a breathy whisper against my face as Mattison's footfalls grew louder.