Page 59 of The Attic on Queen Street
“Positive,” I said, hoping I was right, resisting the impulse to cross my fingers behind my back.
Michael seemed to relax, his shoulders slumping slightly as he leaned back in his chair. “I just want this to be over.”
I nodded. “How well did you know Adrienne?”
He shrugged. “Not very. She was Veronica’s little sister. They were close, only three years apart. She was just a kid, really. She was the maid of honor in our wedding, and I saw her at family events, but that was pretty much the extent of my relationship with her. I helped move her into her dorm freshman year, and then again during the Christmas break.”
“She moved? Why—roommate issues?”
He shook his head. “Same roommate. They just wanted a larger room and one opened up.”
I sat up. “Were there any other guys you remember helping out with that?”
He was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, “Yeah, a couple of other guys. Her boyfriend—I don’t remember his name—and a guy she knew from the sailing team, I think. He looked the type, you know? And I’m pretty sure it was the sailing team because she was obsessed withsailing.” He gave a small laugh. “Which I always found kind of funny, because she wasn’t a sailor herself. But she loved watching the sport.”
“Do you remember his name?”
“Nah. He was tall and slim. Blond. Very tanned.” He grinned ruefully. “But they all are, right?” He glanced at his watch. “We should get going.”
“One more thing. The week Adrienne died, she was trying desperately to tell Veronica something that she didn’t want to tell her over the phone. But they never had a chance for a face-to-face meeting. She died before they could talk. Do you have any idea what that was about?”
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Believe me. Veronica and I have gone over this a million times over the years, going over the possibilities, and nothing sticks. Which makes it even more devastating for Veronica that she didn’t go see Adrienne. I don’t think we’ll ever know. Which is why it’s time to move on. To start a new life and leave this... unknowing behind us. So please. Help us sell our house and find a new one as soon as possible.” His next words caught in his throat. “I don’t know how much longer this can go on.”
“I get it,” I said. “And I will find you a new house, one that you’ll all love. I promise,” I said, sliding back my chair.
Michael did the same, then stood. “I’ll be sure and let you know if I think of anything.”
He held out my chair, then placed his hand on my back as he escorted me out of the bakery, my skin burning beneath his palm as if crawling with dozens of fire ants.
•••
Veronica drove us to her house on Queen Street following our meeting with Michael. I sent him back to work with a folder full of listings to go through (everything color coded and listed in order of the number of boxes checked for his wants). I gave Veronica a matching folder, but the order was different, as apparently her wants and needs didn’t match Michael’s. I was more than a little relieved that this anticipatedadditional delay because of their disparate requirements would not be of my own making.
I could hear the sawing and banging through the closed windows of the car as Veronica pulled onto the small parking pad in front of her house. As she parked, we both turned at the sound of a car pulling up behind us. I recognized Detective Riley as he exited the car, carrying what looked like Adrienne’s yearbook, calling out a greeting that was quickly muted by the sound of a chain saw. Veronica motioned for him to follow us inside, where we sought refuge in the library again.
Sitting down next to me on the sofa, Thomas placed the yearbook on the coffee table. “Sorry to drop by unannounced, Veronica, but you’re a hard person to reach. I think I’ve left about a dozen voice mails on your phone, and I’ve left a few messages on your landline answering machine.”
“Yes, sorry. We usually delete the messages without listening to them since they’re mostly sales calls, and I seem to have misplaced my cell phone. I don’t want to replace it because I’m sure it will turn up at some point—I lose it about a dozen times a day just in my house!” She forced a little laugh. “I must have turned it off when at a client’s house and the Find My Phone app doesn’t seem to be working.”
“No worries,” Thomas said. “I actually dropped by Melanie’s office first and the receptionist—the one with the dragonfly earrings—told me that Melanie had just left with you. She said you were headed here.” He frowned. “She, uh— Jolly, is it?”
I nodded.
“Yes, Jolly. She’s an interesting character, isn’t she? She also told me that I had a white aura surrounding me and that she wanted to give me a crystal for protection.” He raised his eyebrows. “She also said that a young girl—not a child, but more like a tween—was following me. Along with her dog.”
“Really?” I said, a familiar chill tiptoeing down my spine. “Either her online classes on how to be a psychic are going better than I thought, or she’s a very good guesser. We’ve experienced those same apparitionsat the house. Although I don’t have a clue about auras or crystals. You’re on your own with that.”
“Thanks.” He frowned again. “I wasn’t really giving much weight to what she was saying, but then Jolly said something else that was a little more concerning.”
“And what was that?”
“That the apparition said that the girl was in danger. That she needed my help.”
“The girl?” I repeated.
Thomas nodded. “At first I thought the apparition was talking about herself. But that doesn’t make sense, does it? Wouldn’t she refer to herself by name or at least a personal pronoun like ‘me’ or ‘I’? Which got me thinking that it was another girl.”
Veronica and I shared a glance. “Like Nola or her friends?” I suggested. “Unless Adrienne had a dog...”
