Wicked Girl (THE FIRE Book 1) Read online

  Her face dissolved, “Geez. You almost killed me. I was almost shocked you’re a prophet or something because it all started with a dream Jane told me this morning.”

  I sighed, relieved she was that dumb.

  Karen sat up and began narrating everything from the dream, to the missing cell phone and unlocked door. She went through every detail. I couldn’t be more bored. The sour feeling about me not doing enough to find Grace cut through and left me clumsy.

  10:15 AM

  I closed the door and sat on my bed, refreshed by the freshness of my bedroom. Whatever Chloe did to the bedroom brought to mind, my lovely wife. Just like her, she vacuumed the carpet, made my bed, opened the curtains. She also sprayed something cool, sweet and rose-ish. The bedroom was just a bokay.

  I took my cell phone and tapped until I reached the media I received from Karen’s cell phone. I was anxious to take my time going through them, more especially the videos, which I hadn’t watched at all.

  However, Chloe knocked and came in. “You busy?”

  I gazed at her face. “Yes. What?” But I quickly felt bad when she shrugged. It was obvious she expected a big accolade for making the bedroom awesome. She expected that that would be at the top of my head when I see her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. I really appreciated what she did but it wasn’t at the top of my head. Going through the media was at the top of the list. “Thanks for renewing my bedroom. It’s really breathtaking. Thanks.”

  Instantly, her eyes lit up and she smiled. She wasn’t the short tempered or the resentful type. If you correct your mistake she would simply forget what you did and move on to other things. “You’re welcome, dear. I almost forgot something important.”

  A crazy thought about marrying Chloe if Grace never comes back crossed my head but I promptly pushed it away. There was no way I could marry Chloe – Grace was surely gonna be back one sweet day. Yes, Chloe was a sweet girl. Always jovial, no moods at all, but Grace and I had something deeper and mature. I put the cell phone on the bed and gazed at her, “Something important?”

  She smiled. “Yeah, kind of. It’s about Karen. I saw your deep kiss.”

  I laughed. “Oh that. You call that a kiss. That wasn’t even a hug. That girl is crazy, I’m telling you.”

  Chloe giggled. “I know, I’m just joking. You froze and made her look stupid like she was hugging a tree.”

  We laughed.

  “I’m glad you noticed that. She has to accept it. Even if I wasn’t married, I wouldn’t marry her. I just don’t like her. She is not the type for me. She ain’t even neat. If you can go to her kitchen… Anyway, let’s not go there. ”

  “Poor girl. But be careful. Jane saw it all. She was watching you the whole time. ”

  “Oh, my God.”

  Kim came in with a sleepy face in her purple night dress.

  Chloe rubbed her cheeks. “Finally, you are up, baby.”

  Kim smiled. “Good morning Dad. Mommy is still not back?”

  Chloe and I exchanged glances. “I’m fine sweetheart. How are you?”

  “I’m fine Dad.”

  “That’s great sweetheart. And yes, Mommy is not back yet. But I promise she will be back soon. I will take you, her and Aunt Chloe to the circus when she comes. We will eat pizza and ice cream. It will be awesome.”

  She smiled and wrapped her right hand around Chloe’s left leg. “It sounds good Dad.”

  Chloe caressed her hair. “Go and wash your face sweetheart, I’m coming for breakfast.”

  She looked up. “I don’t want breakfast unless it is ice cream and KFC.”

  Chloe and I giggled as she went to the bathroom.

  “What a kid,” Chloe said, smiling.

  “Before I forget,” I said, “I’m so sorry about the treatment you got from Karen.”

  “Thanks. But it’s okay, don’t worry about it. I’m used to the way Jane and she treat me. Second class citizen. That’s what I am to them.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “But it’s true. And they have all the reasons to treat me that way, Elijah. They have degrees, nice homes, and families. What do I have?”

  “But you are beautiful. Way more than them.”

  “Thanks, that’s so sweet. But beauty without brains.”

  “Beauty with brains. You…” I stopped when I saw her dissolve more than intended. “But why did you come to greet her in the first place. I told you not to even come to the living room and spare yourself some hurt.”

  “Elijah, when you’re nobody, you reach a point where you accept that you’re nobody. Besi –”

  “That’s harsh. Who said you’re nobody.”

  “Besides, I was taught being nice to visitors – fix them some food or juice, at least.”

  “Hmm, I see. You have a beautiful heart woman. It’s…” She melted again and I stopped. I also terminated eye contact with her electrified eyes.

  “Again, I almost forgot what I came here for,” Chloe said, smiling, thrilled. “In the morning, I called and called. There was a man here. He said he is Mr. Campbell from Main House Properties. He gave me this letter.”

  I took the letter written FINAL DEMAND with red ink. My heart hit hard and produced a hot sensation in my chest.

  Chloe continued, “I’m so sorry. He said you have got a week to pay your outstanding three months’ rent or you will be evicted.”

  “Jesus Christ.”

  Chloe rushed out.

  11:00 AM

  I wished for the bed to swallow me. I was exhausted from every angle. But I was relieved Chloe took Kimberly downstairs for breakfast. I needed time to think. Not only about Grace now, but also about where I would source six thousand dollars in a weeks’ time. My head shriveled. The latest development was pushing me to reprioritize – of course – place soliciting rent money at the top of the list and shift my search for Grace to number two. But I wouldn’t dare. Finding Grace couldn’t be replaced by anything. It was far important than having a roof over my head or even living. If it called for me to be homeless still searching for her, then it would be so – Kim could stay with her grandma.

  I dropped entertaining the fear pushing me to gamble with my wife’s life. There are no spare souls, but there are other houses, I thought. Probably, I did not even have to wait until I lost the house. I should move out and get a cheaper one in a reasonable neighborhood. But I didn’t embrace the idea with enthusiasm because the main reason I chose Clinton Hill was the quietness of the neighborhood. With my office at home, I needed a quiet neighborhood.

  The comfort I got from that my business account did have two thousand dollars wasn’t enough. Four thousand deficit was still big enough to disturb my peace. Besides, the following month, the debt would go back to six.

  I opened the closet and took the notebook I bought specially for the investigation. I sat on the bed again and wrote some stupid philosophy on the very first page:

  It’s suicidal for any mouse to sign a peace treaty with a cat because when hunger strikes, the cat won’t remember the treaty.

  I watched the philosophy and smiled. It was funny but true when I applied it to my case. The mouse called Elijah had no option, but to work with Karen, the cat. There was no other way: I had to work with her until I extracted all the facts about Grace’s disappearance.

  The rent money fear refused to leave me alone. I thought of selling stuff to the pawn shop. But I quickly dropped it. It was not worthwhile since they always pay a dozen times less than what you fantasized.

  I bit the back of my pen and nodded when I recalled that Carol, my college girlfriend was Karen’s friend. I thought probably they had vowed to destroy my marriage. I failed to figure out why Karen had to keep on hitting on her best friend’s ex. Even when she clearly learned I wasn’t interested. She never gave up or felt insulted.

  Carol’s problem was that she never believed me when I told her she was too robust to appeal to any man. She thought I was just talking. When I met Grace later on, she thought sh
e had always been there under the rags. But she wasn’t. I dropped her and fell in love with the love of my life.

  The rent money troubled me again. I pushed it away.

  I also doubted Karen and Carol were still in touch though. I hadn’t even seen one photo of Carol in Karen’s cell phone. Not even a small selfie.

  I opened the second page of the notebook and wrote PHASE 1. Then under the heading, I wrote: 1. Get Karen’s cell phone again and get info on her text messaging history. 2. Plant the spying gadgets in her house.

  I put the notebook on the bed and rose to the window. I felt sour as I saw Grace in my head walking from the gate to our house. The sun and the heaps of snow on both sides of the path made her walk so romantic. I turned to the wall behind the bed and removed the cloth I had placed over our giant wedding photo. Tears moistened my eyes. I feared the kiss on the portrait would never be repeated. I feared I would never see the dimples decorating her smile.

  Hastily, I covered the photo. Obviously, I wasn’t ready to look at her. I was wrong to think that seeing us kiss and her smiling in her sparkling white wedding dress could encourage me. It was doing the opposite of breaking me down. It was taking the courage I had attained to go after Karen.

  My cell phone rang. It was an unknown number. “Hello,” I said.

  “Mr. Turner. You probably have forgotten me, I’m Mrs. King – Ashlyn King,” she said, clearly excited. “Sir we are from the clinic now; my son is HIV negative. They have done all the tests possible. They’re saying the virus is gone.”

  “I think I remember you now. You stay at Lo –”

  “Exactly. Long Island, sweetheart. You came to my house because you suspected your church might have a problem if you used their venue.”

  “Okay, I’m glad God answered our prayer.”

  “Oh, Jesus. He surely did. He surely did, sweetheart. You know what, expect me tomorrow. I will come to your house. I will bake a cake for you, Grace, and Kim, that’s way bigger than your wedding cake.”

  I laughed. “Oh, that’s sweet of you ma’am. Thanks a lot.”

  “Bye now, see you tomorrow.”

  I stared at my cell phone happy for her. But then I recalled I hadn’t prayed since morning and felt very guilty. I closed the door and prayed for a great day and for the investigation to progress well.

  12:13 PM

  I told Chloe a million times that she should never disturb me when I put the DON’T DISTURB tag on the door because I always put it there when praying. But she did it again. She knocked and hurried in. Of course, my eyes blazed at hers. I almost squashed her small body.

  Ignoring my anger, she smiled. “Guess who is here?”

  My eyes bulged. Grace! I pushed her aside and dashed out of the bedroom, ecstatic and anxious at the same time. I sprinted through the corridor and the steps. Chloe followed slowly. But I was disappointed when I didn’t find Grace in the living room. “Where is she, Chloe?”

  “Outside,” Chloe said.

  I rushed out.

  But it wasn’t Grace. I was extremely disappointed. It was Mom already chatting with Kim and admonishing her not to touch the snow or she would catch a cold. I wished I could go back to the house to recollect myself, dust off the anger towards Chloe and the acute disappointment, lest Mom thought I wasn’t happy to see her. I ambled to them next to the garage.

  Mom paused her grandma-granddaughter chat about the snow, beautiful birds, and puppies and hugged me. “God is still God. It will be okay, son,” She said, letting me off her frail arms.

  I nodded, “I believe so.”

  “You look starved. Did you even eat anything since this started?” Mom said whilst Kim kept on wrapping herself with her bluish skirt.

  “Yes. I have been eating.”

  She scanned my face and body. “It doesn’t look like it.”

  “I have been eating, Mom. Chloe is doing a great job.” She frowned and gazed at my eyes. “She even takes good care of Kim.”

  Her eyes smoked. “Don’t even mention that lowlife. That’s why I’m here. I’m here to save my granddaughter from that harlot. I will –”

  “But, but –”

  Mom raised her right hand. “Don’t even mention her name, please. I will puke. It makes me sick. I don’t want to even see her. I won’t even go inside.”

  Kim was terrified by her grandma’s loud tone. She stopped playing with her skirt and stood still next to her, looking up at her face.

  “You won’t?”

  “Of course, Elijah. What do you think?”

  “Mom. At least eat lunch before you go with Kim.”

  She stung my eyes with a more venomous gaze. Her eyes were like those of a python. “Who cooked that lunch?”

  I sighed and shook my head. “Of course, it’s Chloe.”

  “Elijah. Elijah, don’t waste my time. Get Kimberly’s bag and I’ll drive off. I told you, I don’t want to see that lowlife,” she screamed.

  When I hoped for Chloe not to hear all she said, I heard her footsteps behind me and shrunk. She was still in her white yoga pants and tiny top for it was warm inside. Worse, the yoga pants had AMAZING written on her butt.

  I didn’t know what to do instead of feeling very small and lost in my own yard. What’s more embarrassing than seeing your mom ill-treat somebody who sacrificed her time and life to help you?

  I was only relieved when I learned that Chloe didn’t return the venom. “How are you, Grandma?” She said with a broad, warm smile.

  My mom pierced her with a toxic gaze – from head to toe – then toe to head. I felt small. I wished she would not say anything, at least. But my wish wasn’t fulfilled. “Don’t you dare call me your grandma. There are no harlots in my family. How could a snake like you call me grandma? Jesus.”

  Chloe shriveled and ran back to the house.

  My gaze met Mom’s toxic one. My eyes asked only one question: “Do you see what you have done?”

  But I was surprised she didn’t even have a tiny, tiny shred of regret in her eyes. Instead, she looked satisfied she finally got the “whore.” She even spat on the snow when she read the word AMAZING on Chloe’s butt as she ran to the house. “Amazing. Sis.”

  I slapped my hands against my cheeks. “Jesus.” Initially, I wanted to say “women,” but I wouldn’t dare. Mom would offload the rest of her anger on me. She would ask me when she ceased being “Mom” to be a “woman.”

  “Your father and I didn’t raise you like that,” she said.

  “Oh yes, he didn’t. He raised some stupid, crazy robotics geek,” I screamed. “That’s not me. That was him living his life through me.”

  “I see. You’re definitely not him. He wouldn’t turn his house into a brothel.”

  “This is not a brothel. That girl isn’t what you think she is. Please get that, Mom. And don’t get me wrong. I also loved and respected Dad. But he was too pushy on us. Look at Isa. He pushed her hard enough to produce a hopeless coke addict. She is your own daughter but you don’t even know where she is. Dead or alive? You don’t know.”

  “Elijah, don’t talk to me like that!” She drew even closer, staring at my eyes. “Your father and I did the best for the two of you. Don’t you ever say we destroyed Isabel! We literally pulled her away from bad friends but you know what she would do again and again and again.” She sighed. “Anyway, I said get me Kimberly’s bag, and I’ll leave.”

  When I saw her luggage on her car’s backseat, I concluded she thought I was joking in her daily morning and evening calls when I told her Chloe was back.

  “Elijah!” she screamed. “Get Kimberly’s bags, and I’ll drive home. Clearly, you made your choice.”

  I meandered to the house feeling lost and clumsy. I felt for Chloe because she was genuinely helping. In fact, currently, she was the most helpful person. Nick with all the MISSING SISTER GRACE campaigns, calling daily, and texting frequently was at number two. Chloe was number one. She gave it her all. She even knew I would not have money to pay her but
she stayed.

  4:02 PM

  I felt uncomfortable seeing the night taking over fast as I gazed through my bedroom window. I quickly put on my jacket. I thought it would send a completely wrong message to Karen if I came to check on her when it was completely dark. She had to be clear I had come to make her feel safe and go.

  “El. El!” Chloe shouted from the living room.

  I ran through the corridor, down the steps. “What is it?”

  “Grace, on TV.”

  I put both hands on the couch she was on. The police were answering a few questions from the media. But I was disappointed because whatever the officer said wasn’t different from saying nothing: “We are doing our best”; “No arrests yet”; “It’s procedural”; “I will not answer that question.”

  When they showed Grace’s photo on the screen and pleaded with the members of the public to come forward with any info, big or small, I looked away. Chloe glanced at me and said, “Sorry.”

  I wiped the tears welling up in my eyes. As days passed with nothing happening, I could not stand looking at her photos. My mind would ask one question I never ever thought it would ask – a question I had no answer to: “What if you never see her again?” Strange pain lambasted my heart, followed by sourness.

  When my tearing threatened to be loud, I hastened to the door. “See you later.”

  Chloe turned. “They’re still updating us about the investigation.”

  “I know.”

  When I opened Karen’s gate, it was slightly windy and extremely chilly. The clouds were dark. Even the streetlights were on earlier than normal. I walked slower since I hadn’t been able to shake off the “What if you never see Grace again?” question. Just before climbing the steps to her veranda I stopped. The question was not only echoing in my mind, it had also settled in my heart. I even contemplated turning back. But I wouldn’t. Time was running out. Grace’s life was still at stake. Even the cops had just proven how useless they were – just like it happened in Leon’s case. All the enormous weight of finding her was squarely on my shoulders.