Chapter Thirteen
I found my father outside the front door of the great mansion, tape measure in hand, whistling as he worked.
“You’re back sooner than I expected,” Dad said when I walked up. “Everything all right?”
“Everything is excellent.” I said, forcing a smile. “How’s it going with you?”
After Lara had run off, I’d remained in the gazebo getting myself together. The song continued playing in my head. Lara was gone, and yet the song played on, loud and full, a bitter reminder of my moment of happiness.
I didn’t want my father to see the emotional beating I’d suffered. This was a good day for him, the best in a long time. I didn’t want my troubles to ruin it.
“This is a big job, bigger than I thought. It could take at least a week to complete. A little shorter if I had help,” he said, gazing at me with a wry smile.
“I’ll help you, Dad. It is our family business, right?”
He laughed. “Right. And this time, I’ll pay you. You’re going to need some cash in your pocket to wine and dine that girl of yours is style. And when I say ‘wine’ it is just an expression.”
My forced smile widened, even though the mention of Lara caused me pain. “I know, Dad. I know.”
For the next twenty minutes, my father whistled as we worked together outside. He was happy, working with his son on a project that was going to keep us out of the poor house.
I was happy for him, yet the thought of what would happen to him if he caught a glimpse of Petros or Rive encroached on that happiness. Would the same threat hanging over my head hang over his, or would his punishment be more severe?
Just after noon, a woman in her early thirties came out with two frosty glasses of lemonade. The woman was beautiful, with auburn hair, and sexy, oval shaped eyes.
“I am Asia, Eudora’s youngest sister,” she said, her voice tinkling like soft piano music. Her smile was warm and inviting.
We exchanged pleasantries, and she told my father to come inside when we were finished. He’d find Eudora in the downstairs parlor.
“The Applegate women are real lookers,” Dad said after she’d gone back inside. “And all so charming. I can’t wait to meet your girl. What’s her name again?”
“Lara.”
“Lara. What a nice name. I look forward to meeting her.”
I wanted that. More than anything, I wanted to be able to introduce my father to my girl.
When Dad was finished taking measurements, we went inside and Dad examined the entryway, jotting a few more things down in his notebook.
Okay,” he said. “I have an idea of what we’re looking at here. Let’s go find Eudora.”
It was an incredible mansion, containing huge rooms with high ceilings, and a sweeping staircase that dominated the entryway. It was hard to believe a simple girl like Lara lived in such a grand palace. Light spilled in from floor to ceiling windows, and there were flowers and large potted plants everywhere, giving the home a luxurious, outdoorsy feel.
From the outside, the mansion appeared to be falling apart, yet once we were indoors we discovered that nothing could be further from the truth. An outsized portrait of the movie star, Terrence Applegate, hung in the entryway. It appeared to have been painted a long time ago, when Terrence Applegate was quite young. He wore a stylish sport coat, and a hat atop his head. He stared at the artist as if staring into the lenses of a camera. His fiery green eyes seemed to project a warning.
Dad gave a soft whistle as he gazed at the marble floors and expensive decor. “This is some place. I wonder why they haven’t fixed up the exterior.”
“For years, all my friends thought the Applegate Fortress was haunted. I think the Applegates like it that way.”
Dad nodded. “Makes sense, I guess.”
We found Eudora in the downstairs parlor of the great mansion.
Overstuffed chairs were in abundance and a smaller, oval-shaped copy of the Terrence Applegate portrait hung above the mantle. Eudora was styled in yet another outfit from the fifties. This time it was an oversized man’s shirt hanging loose over Capri jeans, cuffed at the calves. Her hair was tied up once again, this time with a blue polka dot bandana.
“Gentlemen, come in,” she said. Her eyes were on me, and she was smiling. I’m sure it was meant to be a gracious smile, but upon seeing the smile, a shiver rode through my belly. I’d never been smiled at like that before. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that unnerved me about the smile. All I knew was I didn’t like it.
The business conversation between Dad and Eudora got underway. I listened for a while, but my mind began to wander. Once I was convinced that Petros and Rive weren’t going to make an appearance, I excused myself, saying I’d leave my father and Eudora to do their thing. I told Dad I’d meet him outside by the truck when they were done, and I exited the parlor.
But I did not go back outside.
When I exited, the song in my head was playing louder, and I knew if I followed the music, the volume would increase until I found Lara.
I don’t know when I made the decision, but suddenly, finding Lara, and fixing the thing that had made her run off in tears was something I was compelled to do.
I reached the foot of the sweeping staircase. Terrence Applegate gaped at me from the far wall. He seemed to be warning: Do not go upstairs.
But the music was coming from upstairs.
I looked around, making sure I was alone, and started up. I was nervous about creeping around in a stranger’s home, especially after being caught snooping around outside. I’d been warned about the dangers of Eudora Applegate. What would she do if she discovered I’d been snooping again?
Yet despite the warning, I was determined not to let my nerves keep me from perusing Lara. There was a little voice inside telling me “This is stupid! It’s over. Let it go.” Yet another voice told me “It can’t be over. It has just begun.” This last voice was the one I listened to, the one that propelled me upstairs.
I was midway up when Rive appeared atop the landing.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
I stopped short, realizing the threat hanging over my head just became more real.
“Umm… bathroom,” I said, trying to act natural.
I gazed over my shoulder, back downstairs, making sure my father hadn’t left the parlor yet. His exiting the parlor just then could be disastrous.
“There’s one downstairs,” Rive said.
Rive was a big man… okay, half man, his bare torso chiseled like Adonis, his bottom half a hairy, grotesque animal.
“Okay, thanks,” I said. I spun around and started back down as quickly as I could.
“Here, I’ll show you,” he called.
“No, no, that’s okay. I’ll find it.”
“This is a big place. You can get lost in here. I will show you,” he said. The sound of his heavy hooves coming down ricocheted off the high ceiling. It sounded as though someone had let a horse loose in the house.
“It’s all right. I got it,” I called over my shoulder.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard my father’s voice. He was chatting and laughing with Eudora as they exited the parlor.
I made a U-turn and headed in the opposite direction. I had no idea what was down the corridor, but it would take me and, hopefully Rive, away from my father.
“You’re going the wrong way,” Rive called.
“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t have to go anymore.”
“Rive,” Eudora called out. “I want you to meet a new friend of ours, Stan Butters.”
“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I heard Rive say.
I stopped moving, and stood fearful, and frozen.