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15
“HEY, WHAT A SURPRISE,” Coltrane said.
“Surprise?” Je
“I just came in awhile ago. I haven’t had a chance to listen to my messages.” Coltrane remained at the partially opened door. “What have you got there?”
She held a cardboard box that contained several Tupperware bowls, each covered with a plastic lid. “New Year’s di
“That was really thoughtful.”
“But it’s getting heavy. You’d better move out of the way so I can bring it in.”
“Ah… sure. I’m so surprised to… Here, let me help.”
Coltrane reached to take the box from her. His movement opened the door wider, causing Je
“Oh… I beg your pardon. I didn’t know you had company.”
Tash had remained standing at the top of the living room stairs.
“Well, a couple of things happened today, and…” Coltrane didn’t know how to get out of the sentence. “Je
“Hello.” Je
“Tash, this is my friend Je
“Pleased to meet you.” Smiling, Tash came down the stairs.
By then, Coltrane had overcome his awkwardness enough to finish taking the box from Je
“You look awfully familiar,” Je
“Familiar?” Tash looked puzzled.
“Je
“You’ve seen them?” Tash asked.
“Yes.”
“All of them?”
“Yes,” Je
Despite Tash’s tan, the embarrassment that colored her cheeks was obvious. It was almost as if she felt the nude photos were of her and not of Rebecca Chance.
“Tash Adler?” Je
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Je
“You’ve certainly had an eventful day.”
“I brought Tash back here to see the photographs and try to figure out why she looked so much like Rebecca Chance.”
Je
“We’re begi
“There you are, Mitch. I’m impressed by the progress you’re making.” Je
“But why are we standing here?” Coltrane made room. “Come in, and we’ll-”
“No, that’s all right,” Je
“Can’t you come in for a little while at least?” Coltrane asked. “I was going to open a bottle of wine and…”
“Yes,” Tash said. “Stay and we’ll talk. It’s awfully nice of you to bring the food. I’m sure Mitch is glad not to have to eat leftovers. He was going to reheat some marinara sauce he made yesterday.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Je
“But-”
“Happy New Year.”
“… Happy New Year.” Conscious of the heavy box of Tupperware in his hands, Coltrane watched Je
16
ONLY AFTER HER HEADLIGHTS VANISHED OVER THE HILL DID Coltrane nudge the door shut. “Lock this for me, will you?”
“Sure,” Tash said. “I have the uneasy feeling I got in the way of something. Are the two of you…”
“It’s complicated. We’re trying to see if we can work things out again.” He climbed the stairs toward the living room.
“This misunderstanding couldn’t have helped any.” Tash followed. “Is she the friend you mentioned, the one who emphasized that this was the time of year to concentrate on new begi
“I’m afraid so.” Coltrane felt terrible about what had happened. “I suspect this wasn’t the kind of begi
When they entered the dining room, Tash faltered. “These strings of beads on the walls…”
“Yes, they’re unusual, aren’t they?”
“But…” Tash shook her head, baffled. “They were in one of the photographs downstairs. One of the nudes.”
“Rebecca Chance used to own this house.”
“What?”
“After she disappeared, Randolph Packard bought the place and kept it exactly as it was when she lived here.”
“What in God’s name is going on?”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d be able to tell me.”
“Never mind the wine,” Tash said abruptly. “Have you got any scotch?”
Worried about her ma
“No.” Tash grabbed the glass and took two quick swallows. She closed her eyes, then opened them. “Now you can add ice and water.”
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
Coltrane waited.
“I’m scared.”
Coltrane nodded.
“But I don’t know what scares me more, the man who’s stalking me or the photographs you showed me. I’m even afraid of this house.”
“Why on earth-”
“It makes me feel like I’m being dragged back in time. Rebecca Chance is here. I can sense her. I also feel Randolph Packard.”
“But he loved her. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Hold me.”
“What?”
“I’ve never felt so alone and scared. Please, hold me.”
Momentarily, Coltrane found it impossible to move. Hoping that his trembling wouldn’t betray him, he moved close, stopped face-to-face with her, and put his arms around her. He did it gently, not pressing himself against her, simply holding her. Closing his eyes, he felt her head sink against his left shoulder. He smelled sun and salt water in her hair. He tried to control his breathing as she raised her own arms and put them around his back. Then he couldn’t subdue his trembling any longer, but it didn’t matter, because Tash was trembling also, holding him tighter. They were pressed against each other. He felt the rise and fall of her chest. He started to become erect, afraid that she would notice. Then her shoulders heaved, and all at once she made a sound that might have been a sob. As his erection diminished, she gently pushed away from him, wiped a tear from her right cheek, and gave him the saddest smile he had ever seen.
“Thank you.”
“There were a lot of times when I felt alone and afraid,” Coltrane said. “Anytime you need a shoulder.”
“It’s strange. I met you only this afternoon, but already I feel you’re a friend.”
“Same here.”
Tash leaned to kiss him on the cheek, but her stomach rumbled, and she looked down, abashed. Unexpectedly, she laughed.
So did Coltrane.
“That’s twice,” Tash said.
“Twice?”
“That I laughed today. Thanks to you.”
Her stomach rumbled again, and she laughed again.
“We’d better get some food into you,” Coltrane said.
Tash’s smile was no longer sad.
As they heated food on the stove and in the microwave, Coltrane made a decision about an idea that he had been debating. “Have you got Walt’s phone number?”