Page 6 of From the Shadows
Take this assignment. If you don’t, you will regret it.
Shay froze, then called out, “Wait, Ms. Carmichael!”
“Yes?”
“I…. I do need a job,” Shay admitted. “Would I be able to go meet the people?”
She hummed. “Well, you’re not one of our clients, and it would be highly irregular, but…. Well, I mean, we do have you on our list, and they did ask about you specifically…. Sure. Go ahead. The address is?—”
“Wait. Let me guess—1211 Bright Ridge Road.”
“How… how did you know that?”
Shay shook his head. This whole thing was beyond weird. “I doubt you’d believe me. Thank you. I’ll head over there shortly.”
“Don’t you want the details?”
He thought about it, but then realized he was enjoying the surprise. “Nah, it’ll be an adventure. Thank you for your time.”
He disconnected, then stood to take a shower. He doubted anyone would hire him, but there was no sense in showing up smelling like ass. A quick once-over under the tepid water, a double application of deodorant, and then Shay hit his closet. He didn’t have a lot of nice clothes, but he did like the emerald green sweater and white polo combination with some dark blue, nearly black slacks, even though his so-called friends said he looked like he dressed in the dark.
After removing the lint from his sweater and applying a liberal application of gel to tame his unruly blond hair, Shay thought he would pass the muster. If they were blind. That thought dragged a deep sigh out of him. Not wanting to speak with anyone at the bus stop, he grabbed the old iPod he’d picked up from the thrift store and blasted ZZ Top as they sang about being a sharp dressed man, which made him snort. He went down the street to catch the number twelve that would take him to Bright Ridge Road. Throughout the bus ride, Shay had the feeling someone was watching him. He stared ahead, not wanting to look around, but that niggle persisted. Fortunately, the trip was short. Shay got off the bus and was shocked to see he was outside the address he wanted.
He gazed up at the house, and he had to stop himself from gasping. How had he never noticed this place before? It was beautiful. An enormous, three-story Victorian with a wraparound porch on each level. Big picture windows were evenly spaced, but they seemed dark. The grounds were meticulously tended to, that much was evident. Three small topiaries stood around the gleaming marble fountain that shot spray into the air, where it became an iridescent display to rival any fireworks Shay had ever seen. He approached the wrought iron gate and found a callbox. This wasn’t the place for someone like him. Still, he needed to know what wasgoing on. With a shaky hand he pressed the button. He barely waited a moment.
“Yes?” came a man’s deep voice.
“H-Hi, my name is?—”
“Shay? I’m so glad you came!”
It was the lady Shay had heard. The one that told him he needed to come here.
“Who are you?”
“Well, if you come inside, you’ll meet me and the rest of the family.”
The gate swung open, and Shay stood there, staring back at the bus stop where the coach sat idling, as if seeing what he’d do. He could jump on again, and pretend he’d never seen the place, but his sense of wonder and curiosity pulled him forward. As soon as he was through, the gate closed with a soft snick and the vehicle pulled away.
When he walked up the drive, Shay noticed things he hadn’t before. The grounds, though beautiful, had cameras in plain sight. There were also cars to the side of the house that Shay couldn’t have seen from the street. He wasn’t big on cars himself unless it was a concept one, especially since he usually depended on buses to get him around, but the ones parked on the lot seemed to be expensive as hell. Whatwasthis place?
He got to the door, and as he was about to knock, it swung open. He waited for someone to tell him to come in, but there were no such entreaties. He peeked his head in, but saw no one.
“Hello?” he called out. His own voice echoed in the foyer of the ritziest house he’d ever seen. All the banisters were dark wood and the floors white marble, and with the sun gleaming in so bright, Shay almost got a headache. He stepped inside, and the moment he did, the door closed gently behind him with a soft click.
“Nope, too weird,” he muttered, then tried the door, only to find it was locked. “What the hell?”
“Shay! Thank you for coming.”
He spun on his heel and found an elegant woman coming down the stairs. She was tall, maybe six foot. Of course, with Shay beingfive six, it guaranteed pretty much everyone around him was tall. As she got to the bottom of the stairs, Shay could see more clearly that the black spaghetti-strap dress she wore came down to her ankles. Around her slender, graceful neck was a brilliant blue stone set into a silver—or maybe platinum—necklace and on the right ankle hung a thin chain with a silver bell on it. The woman was the epitome of grace and elegance, with the outfit emphasizing it. Her auburn hair was done up in a style similar to Rhianna, and it showed off her expressive face and beautiful blue eyes. The light shadow on the lids made Shay a little jealous of her beauty.
“My name is Patrice Donnelly, and I need your help.”
“M-My help?”
She smiled, showing the whitest teeth Shay had ever seen. “Yes, Shay. You come highly recommended.”
“You must have the wrong person,” Shay admitted, knowing full well no one would suggest him for anything.
