House of Shadows Read online

  “That’s too bad,” I sympathized. “I know how much you look forward to this every week.”

  Jenny looked up from her magazine.

  “So what are John and Xander doing, now? Annette’s planning on hanging out with us this evening… that’s three against three.”

  Miles considered that.

  “We do have the court reserved.”

  Well of course, it’s his gym.

  Miles pulled his phone out of his pocket and selected John’s number, on his way next door to tell Xander.

  Miles and Xander became fast friends, much like Jenny and I. So when Xander’s apartment building was damaged by a severe water leak and he was left without a place to stay, Miles offered him the other bedroom in his apartment.

  I flopped back down on the couch with my magazine.

  Jenny didn’t settle back down with hers. She was enthusiastic, instead.

  “This is going to be so much fun!”

  Jenny played basketball in high school. I’m sure she’s good. I’ve no idea about Annette, but I definitely did not play in high school, or at all. Tryon’s basketball net that suction cups to the wall, probably doesn’t count.

  “Okay, it’s set,” Miles said, as he walked back through the open door. “John’s calling Annette right now, and will pick her up and meet us there.”

  Oh. Yay.

  “I’ll get ready and be right back,” said Jenny, heading towards her room. “You better do the same, Anika.”

  “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I wanted to know, reluctantly putting down my magazine.

  “You’ll want more freedom of movement than that,” Jenny laughed.

  I really wanted the freedom to not move at all, but I dragged myself off the couch and into my room, wondering what would be acceptable basketball attire. Miles was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

  I finally opted for a t-shirt and yoga pants, and returned to the living room where Miles was waiting. His eyes lit when he saw me.

  “This is going to be so much fun,” he smiled.

  “You do know that I don’t know anything about basketball. Right?” I asked.

  “You’ll learn,” he said confidently, as Jenny joined us, and we met Xander in the hall.

  We met John and Annette at the gym.

  “Do you know anything about this game?” I asked Annette, who looked as gung-ho about this endeavor as I probably did.

  “No,” she said. “You?”

  “Nope,” I replied. “Should be fun, huh.”

  Annette and I started to laugh. What had Jenny gotten herself into, picking such a lousy team!

  John went over the rules of the game with Annette and taught her to shoot baskets, while Miles did the same for me. Being with Miles is always fun, so the idea of playing this game began to grow on me, especially when I found out the teams weren’t guy vs. girl. I was on a team with Miles and Xander, and Jenny, John, and Annette were on the other team. It was kind of fun. It got more fun, as I understood the game better.

  Miles and I, and John and Annette, eventually called for a break and sat on the bleachers re-hydrating, while Xander and Jenny continued to play one on one. They were both athletic, and had the same competitive spirit.

  “Do they just not see it?” I asked.

  Annette shook her head. “I do not know… they’re so perfect for each other, how could they not.”

  I could see that Miles was considering his words carefully, and waited.

  “Just give them time,” he said. “They’ll get it figured out.”

  “You know something,” I stated.

  “I know quite a few things, actually,” Miles smiled.

  “About this, I mean!” I said, foiled in my attempt to deliver a backhanded slap to his arm, when he caught my hand and held it, instead.

  Doesn’t being engaged mean he has to tell me everything? Well it should!

  “So…. What. Xander’s afraid to ask?”

  I want to know what he knows!

  “If you try and push things along, it’s liable to backfire,” Miles replied. He looked serious.

  “Okay,” I said slowly. I could tell by his expression, he wasn’t joking around. I held up my hands. “Okay then, I will be totally hands off. Annette, did you hear that?”

  “I did. Miles looks so serious, I’m convinced too.”

  John joined in the conversation.

  “I’m not Xander’s roommate, so I’ve got no inside information. But I can tell you that asking a girl out, can be nerve wracking. It’s like climbing a tree and going out on a limb, and then handing her a saw. No one wants to be cut down. I’m with Miles, stay completely out of things, and let this play out however it will.”

  “Our men wouldn’t make very good matchmakers, would they, Annette,” I said, and we all laughed.

  I put my arm around Miles and hugged. I wouldn’t say we had it easier by any stretch of the imagination, but the way we met… dating wasn’t even remotely possible, so we got to know each other as the best of friends. And then when dating was possible, we had that solid foundation of friendship to build on. Maybe that’s what Jenny and Xander were doing. Friends first. I looked at Miles. I totally get that.

  Miles looked back at me, and smiled.

  “I knew you’d figure it out,” he said softly.

  “Grandma Polly,” I said, after dinner one weekend. “How are you doing? Is everything okay?”

  “Oh, my dear—yes, yes everything is fine.”

  The way her eyes darted around, I found that hard to believe. She seemed afraid. A look passed between me and Miles.

  I felt a knot of apprehension forming in my chest.

  “How are the staff working out? Everything good there?” Miles asked.

  “Oh yes, dear, I’m sure you know the chef is just wonderful,” she laughed, sounding more like herself.

  “And how about the rest of the staff? You’ve got several people working for you, right?” asked Miles.

  “Well, now yes, I still have Queen of Clean, who Anika hired, they come by twice a week. And what a wonderful job they do of it! There’s also the chef’s assistant, and a driver to run errands for me, and that’s about it now. Oh, and the caretaker. I rarely see him.”

  “Have you needed to open up more rooms, are the staff live-in?” I asked.

  “No dear, they have homes off of the estate,” said Polly.

  “You seem on edge,” I came out and said it. “Like you’re worried, and that makes us worried for you.”

  “Oh, it’s just lonely in this great big house,” Polly responded. Miles and I must have looked guilty, because she quickly added to that. “Oh, now don’t you two worry about me! I’m just fine. I’m glad you’re going to college, and getting an education. I wouldn’t want you anywhere else.”

  “Okay…” Miles said. “I hate to think of you here and lonely, though. Make sure you have friends over. Get out of the house too, and travel again if you want. You’ve always enjoyed that.”

  “All right dear, all right,” Polly said, patting Miles’ cheek.

  “Grandma Polly, have you seen any strange… shadows?” I asked.

  Polly looked at me strangely, as if trying to find some lines to read between.

  “Why no, dear,” she said slowly. “I can’t say that I have.”

  Whew. The knot in my chest began to ease.

  She changed the subject.

  “Have you heard when the trial will start?”

  “The last time I spoke with the prosecuting attorney, I was told late spring or summer,” Miles said. “It’ll be a while before they have a trial date, and then I’ll know when I need to travel there to testify.”

  “I hope it’s sooner rather than later,” I said. “I’m anxious for it to be over with. And I really hope it doesn’t interfere with our wedding!”

  “Me too, dear,” said Polly, patting my hand. “I do look forward to that man getting his comeuppance, though. Such evil… to think that money is worth
more than the life of my grandson.”

  Polly blotted her eyes with a tissue. Miles hugged her, and I squeezed her hand. We were both thinking how horrible it was that Alfred Sullivan succeeded in killing Polly’s grandson, although she didn’t know it.

  “I’m alright dear, I’m alright,” said Polly, managing a smile. “I’m so thankful to have you here, both of you. I’m just fine.”

  “Speaking of Alfred, he isn’t exactly poor, himself,” Miles said. “You just have to wonder what makes some people tick.”

  “And contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t actually take all kinds,” I said. “There just are all kinds.”

  “True, one only has to be involved in an organization, to see just how much a single person of the wrong spirit can gum up the whole operation,” said Polly.

  “Well, here’s to putting away the bad guy,” I said, raising my coffee mug.

  “Hear, hear,” said Polly, clinking mugs with Miles and I.

  She looked fine now. She looked cheerful. Maybe we were wrong. Maybe everything was okay, after all.

  I really, really wanted that to be true.

  Miles and I sat on the couch watching TV, when his phone notified him he had a text. He looked at it, and gave a frustrated sigh.

  “I need to figure out how to block a number, or get a different number myself,” Miles said.

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  Miles held his iPhone so I could read the text.

  It was from Gina.

  need help studying for exam

  I didn’t even get a chance to read the first text, before several more came through.

  can meet anytime today

  how about coffee shop on campus

  tonight okay, too

  “Oh good grief,” I said, my hackles rising, and ready to climb through the iPhone to wring her neck. “She is so—desperate. What does she not understand about you being taken?”

  Miles rubbed my arm soothingly, probably trying to keep me from going ballistic.

  I scrolled back through the texts, and couldn’t believe how many she sent.

  “That’s why I need to either block her number, or get a new one,” Miles said. “You’re not even seeing all the messages I deleted since she started texting last night.”

  “Okay, well, you shouldn’t have to get a new number because of some silly girl. I know there’s a way, let’s see if we can figure it out.”

  We found instructions, and Miles blocked her.

  “What I don’t understand, is how she even got my number in the first place. I sure didn’t give it to her,” he said, as he deleted the many texts she sent.

  “It’s very strange,” I said. “I can’t imagine our friends giving it to her…”

  I puzzled over that, as Jenny walked in the room.

  “What’s going on?” she asked. “You look awfully serious, Anika.”

  “We’re trying to figure out how Gina got Miles’ cell number. She’s been texting like crazy,” I said. Jenny frowned and shook her head.

  “That girl… I don’t know about her. She’s incredibly immature, that’s part of the problem,” she said, as she set her books on the desk, and gave that some thought. “You know… I’m positive I heard her say something about working in Student Services. It would be a complete breach of policy, but that could be where she got his number.”

  Miles frowned.

  “If she did, she shouldn’t be working there.”

  “No kidding!” I said, my blood boiling.

  “I’m just saying it’s a possibility,” said Jenny. “Maybe she got hold of it another way.”

  “Maybe so,” Miles said. “I suppose she might have gotten it from someone… though I have no idea who. I don’t go around giving out my number to just anyone.”

  I sat up and looked at my watch. “Ready to get to class?”

  “Yes,” Miles said, and he stood. “Guess we better be on our way.”

  We made the short drive to campus and found a parking spot, then walked toward our class. The air was feeling a little cooler every day, and the leaves on the trees were tinted gorgeous shades of orange, red, and yellow. I breathed in the scent of the changing leaves.

  “Beautiful day, isn’t it,” Miles commented.

  “It really is,” I agreed, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on my shoulders, which tempered the cool fall breeze that insisted on rearranging my hair, no matter how many times I brushed it out of my eyes.

  “Hold on, this is driving me crazy…” I said, rummaging in my bag for a headband. “Sometimes I think I should have bangs cut, it would make it a lot easier to see.”

  “It would sure—” but whatever Miles was about to say, I never found out, because we were interrupted.

  “Hey, Miles, how’ve you been? You’re looking good, looks like you’ve been hitting the gym.”

  A guy I’d never seen before, walked up and clapped his hand on Miles’ shoulder. Miles looked at the guy, and didn’t recognize him either.

  “Sorry,” Miles said, “but I have no idea who you are.”

  “We were only best friends for the last three years!” the guy laughed loudly, then turned to look at me.

  It was one of those up and down looks, that leaves a girl feeling like a piece of meat at a meat counter. Miles tightened his arm around me.

  “Who’s the girl?” the guy asked.

  I’ve never seen Miles really and truly angry, but he looked like he was heading in that direction.

  “I have no idea who you are,” Miles said. “This happens to be my fiancé, and you’d be wise to treat her with respect.”

  The guy looked surprised, and a little concerned.

  “Hey, man, I didn’t mean nothing! What’s going on with you?” he asked.

  “Maybe we used to be friends, I have no way to know,” Miles replied. “I was in an accident which resulted in partial memory loss.”

  “Aw, man, that’s awful! No wonder you seem so different.”

  Miles shrugged, and we continued to walk. The guy followed along with us.

  “Well hey, you changed a lot if you’re willing to settle down. I wouldn’t have believed that. I don’t believe that!” he laughed. “Nobody changes that much. You had a different girl every day of the week, the last couple years. Heard from Shauna? She sure won’t be happy to hear this. If you were going to settle down, I’d of thought it’d be her.”

  The guy was loud, and people were turning to look in our direction.

  Miles shook his head.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re a complete stranger to me, and so is everything you’re saying. If I was ever the way you’ve described me, then I’m thankful to have lost the memories, and to be a different person now.”

  “Just a minute,” I said. “Every day of the week, for the past couple of years?”

  “That’s right,” the guy smirked.

  “Wow, that’s quite an accomplishment, dear,” I said to Miles, “considering you were in a coma, for more than eleven of those months.”

  The guy looked like a deer caught in headlights. He turned and hurried away.

  “Good catch, Anika,” Miles said, giving me a high five.

  “I have my moments,” I said.

  “You sure do,” agreed Miles, kissing the top of my head as we continued on our way.

  “That was beyond weird,” I said, ignoring the people who stared as we passed by.

  Miles’ expression was serious, now.

  “Very.”

  “I’m glad there’s no slew of other women, and no Shauna, in your past.”

  “No slew of women. Just you,” Miles said, tightening his arm around me. “Always and only you.”

  I put my arm around him too.

  “I know,” I said. “I’ve never doubted that.”

  “I don’t think there was a slew of other women in Second-Miles’ past either, though,” Miles said.

  “It doesn’t seem likely, does it. Considering h
is age when he went into the coma, and the school he was at before then, that guy’s timeline is impossible.”

  “What was he trying to accomplish?” Miles wondered.

  “No idea,” I said.

  We brushed off the bizarre incident, and continued on to our next class. We reached the building, but never made it to the classroom.

  “Hey, guys,” said Xander, as we met him walking down the hallway. “No class today. The instructor’s out.”

  “Oh,” I said. “And we were supposed to have that quiz today!”

  “That’s too bad,” Miles said.

  “Are you kidding? It gives me more time to study!” Xander declared. “I’m not sorry about that.”

  “Yeah, well I didn’t want to study anymore!” I replied. “I was ready to get this over with.”

  “You’ll do fine,” Miles said. “You know the material.”

  “Only thanks to my study partner,” I said, squeezing Miles’ hand. He smiled back.

  “Well, I’m going to use my free time to study for the quiz in my next class,” said Xander. “See you both later.”

  We said goodbye to Xander, then I turned to Miles.

  “So, what do you want to do with our free time?” I asked him.

  “I’m going to take my fiancé, my very favorite girl in the whole world, out for a latte,” he said, putting his arm around me as we turned and followed Xander out of the building.

  “I love that idea!” I said. “I wonder if we’re far enough into the fall for pumpkin spice lattes to be available.”

  “We are,” Miles smiled. “Starting today. I’ve been keeping my eye on the online menu. I knew you’d want to take advantage of the opportunity to have as many as possible, while they’re around.”

  I rested my head against Miles’ shoulder as we walked, and sighed.

  “You know me so well. You know me better than anyone else in the whole world.”

  “I should hope so,” he replied. “After all the time we’ve spent together, I’d have to have short and long-term memory loss, not to.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t really get pushed from a cliff,” I said fervently. “I can’t imagine the kind of lasting damage that would cause, to have a real brain injury like Second-Miles did.”

  “Yeah... I can’t imagine what the result would be, had he survived. Modern medicine couldn’t help him, but it was able to repair my injuries. It took a miracle for them to have that chance, though,” Miles said thoughtfully. “I don’t know why I was blessed this way, when so many aren’t.”