Deja Blue (8 page)

“You’ve got cell phones,” came his instant reply accompanied by a frown. “Look, Rae, this is not a request. It’s an order. You’re going to West Virginia.”

She imagined someone quite influential, perhaps the Governor of West Virginia also had a cell phone and that he’d used it. She took a deep breath, looked from Raule to the Charleston men, turned and rushed the door. “Orders, huh? Guess I’ve got a few things to pack.” She slammed the door on her way out.

# # #

The other side of the door, Rae felt a rush of mixed emotions. Sure it was a high profile case, and sure she’d like to hit the ground running, but at the same time, she worried how Nia would take the news. They’d spoken about the fact this day would eventually come, but neither could have imagined it’d be so soon after Phoenix.

“Nia will just have to understand,” said her father’s voice in her ear.

“It’s your call, dear,” added her mother’s voice from within. “But the girl is young, and she could be traumatized if she thinks for one moment you don’t love her.”

“Big help,” Rae muttered. “Don’t you two have some cosmic golf tournament in the clouds to go to?”

NINE

Rae had called ahead to Enriquiana, asking her to pack a small travel bag and one small suitcase for the trip, saying, “I don’t plan to be in West Virginia long.” Rae then stopped at Nia’s new school where she’d yanked her daughter from her pre-calculus class, much to the chagrin of a prune-faced math teacher with a twitch in her left eye.

Mother and daughter now sat out on the common at the prestigious private school where Nia, in Kelly green and white uniform, broke out in a deluge of words, a laundry list of her continuing problems here, fitting in, or rather failing to fit in.

“Jealous is what they are, this one clique. Talking behind my back. Sending notes to one another—how juvenile is that? But they’ve also started MySpace rumors about me and the geekiest boy in the place! On top of all that, someone spray-painted my locker, and some of the paint went through that little vent thingy, and it got all over my favorite sweater. Red flecks all over it, Ma!” And while the sun bore down on them, the wind lifting silver leaves all about them, birds chirping and flitting to and fro amid the lovely foliage and well-groomed hedges of the Xavier Millbrook Stone Academy, they held hands as Rae gave an ear to Nia’s rant.

“I’m afraid I have news that’s going to only make your day worse,” Rae finally said, finding a second’s chance to break into Nia’s nonstop monologue.

“What? They won’t take me back at Jefferson High?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

“What then?”

Nia took the news of her mother’s leaving for someplace West Virginia in calm understanding, nodding slightly, trying to smile. “I realize it’s your job and your passion, Mom, so go get the bad guys, and don’t worry about things at home. I’m fifteen now. I can take care of myself.”

“Enriqui has agreed to stay on round the clock until I get back, so you’ll never be alone at the bed and breakfast. And my boss says he can provide you with your very own body guard.”

“Body guard?”

“You know, Secret Service lady.”

“Then all’s well.”

She’s taking this awfully well , Rae thought. She imagined Dr. Polkabla would say too well. Something nagged at Rae. “You’re sure?”

“Sure I’m sure, but as for a body guard, that’s just bogus and unnecessary. SS agent, huh? That’s funny, but it’s way over the top, Mom.”

Lately bogus had been Nia’s most oft used word. “All right…and I’m so proud of you for making this so easy.”

Nia shrugged. “You forget, I saw you in action in Phoenix.”

“Yes, yes, you did, and I apologize for—”

“ Awww, stop it, Mom. You did damn good work in Phoenix, and if those idiots you work for don’t know that, they need their heads examined.”

“You proved a few things to me in Phoenix, too.”

“Like?”

“Like how brave you are—and how gifted you are—psychically.”

“Like mother, like daughter.”

They sat in silence for a moment, each quietly reliving the days they’d spent out West, both in Arizona and at the Grand Canyon.

“I just want you to promise me one thing, Mom.”

“All right, if I can.” “That you’ll be careful.”

“Of course I’ll be—”

“Real careful! Take no stupid chances. Don’t take everything on yourself.”

“Nia, I promise.”

“Don’t endanger yourself in this place you’re going to. Where is it again?”

“West Virginia, Charleston.”

“I thought Charleston was in like in South Carolina.”

“Well yes, but this is another Charleston.” Guess she’s not as fragile as I’d thought, Rae told herself, giving Nia a huge, long-lasting hug. Over Nia’s shoulder as she gave her daughter a hug, Rae saw a pair of stern-faced girls Nia’s age staring out a second story window. The bell then rang, and the faces at the window vanished.

Rae didn’t give out negative vibes or do curses or anything smacking of voodoo against anyone, but to those who were making Nia’s life here at Xavier difficult, she wondered if she’d make an exception. Then Nia realized what Rae was staring at, and what she was thinking.

“Don’t even go there, Ma. I’ve thought about it myself, and really, you don’t want to go down that road.”

Wisdom indeed from Nia. “I’m so proud of you, Nia, and I love you. You know how much?” A question asked since Nia had been an infant.

“As big as the biggest ocean?” Nia played along. “Bigger.”

“As big as the universe?”

“Bigger.”

“As big as your heart?”

“You got it, kiddo.”

They ended with another hug before Nia returned to school and Rae drove off in search of her bags.

# # #

On the drive home from Xavier, Rae began having doubts, second thoughts, suspicious of Nia’s motives. Rae began talking to herself over the golden oldies on her radio. “Wow…that’s so grown up of you, Nia. Makes a mother proud. Also makes me wonder just what the hell’s going on?”

She swerved to miss a car backing from a driveway. “With your mom out of town,” she continued to decipher Nia’s motives aloud, “you might sneak out to see that older boy you’ve been e-mailing. Turning fifteen has gone to your pretty head.”

Nia had only the week before turned fifteen, and while this Harvard freshman named Thaddeus was only twenty, that five years was as wide a gap as the Grand Canyon in terms of experience and intentions, not to mention breaking the law. Rae concluded that this was it. Nia was OK with her going so that she might see more of Thaddeus.

She got on her cell, knowing the rule against cell phone use during the school day at Xavier, knowing that Nia’s cell would be on vibrate, and knowing she’d find an excuse to be alone with her cell to check out who was calling and why. Rae left a message after the Metallica song and the beep. “While I’m gone, I don’t want you sneaking off in anyone’s car to any late night parties or hangouts, young lady. Do you understand? Call me back when you can, and tell me how much you understand.”

She pulled into the long driveway alongside the bed and breakfast. The Milans were gone, their perfectly shiny SUV nowhere to be found. Checked out as after today’s visit to the Smithsonian, they planned on zipping south on 1-95 and getting partway home, their sightseeing tour coming to a close. Only Enriquiana’s car remained, pulled alongside the carport in her favored spot, just as always.

Once inside, Enriqui greeted Rae with a smile, but beneath the smile, the woman was flustered; the housekeeper began speaking in Spanish, punctuating with, “Iyyy-dios-me-o!” in iambic pentameter to her concerns. Rae’s rusty Spanish 101 from her college days proved no match for Enriqui’s tirade.

“Please, Ingles, Ingles!” “I dunno what to pack an’ what not to pack, and maybe you needing to take a bigger bag, Dr. Hiyakawa.”

“I understand. I get it.” She tried to calm the woman with a firm hand on her shoulder. “Go for the bigger bag, then Enriqui. It’s all right. Don’t stress.”

“Excellenta, Doctor, excellenta.” The smile said it all.

“Whew!” Rae wiped her brow in an exaggerated gesture of having dodged a bullet.

When Enriqui disappeared, returning to the packing, Rae groaned. Leaving Nia and Enriqui alone presented untold dangers. Just as she had this thought, Nia rang her cell.

“Got your message, and I understand. Stop worrying, Ma.”

“You promise, no sneaking out with anyone— especially that Thadeus?”

“Ma, I got it.”

“And you listen to what Enriqui tells you.” “Yes, I promise.”

“Promise what?”

“That I’ll be a good little girl. ‘Sides, no one’s inviting me anywhere anyhow. I am peronae non gratis at Xavier.”

“What about your pals at Jefferson?”

“They’ve disowned me! Trust me, no one’s seeking me out!”

“Does that include Thaddeus?”

“Most of all.” “Something happen between you?”

“Most definitely.”

Good, Rae thought but said, “You want to talk about it?”

“Most definitely not.”

Rae frowned at this. “I see. Maybe when I get back. Meantime, mind Enriquiana and don’t take advantage of her good nature or her credit card, OK?”

“In other words, have no fun whatsoever?”

“Exactly—no plastic loans.”

“Why don’t you just have me stuffed and put in a museum someplace, Ma?”

“Sending you a hug over the phone.”

“Caught it.”

“And a kiss.” “Got it.”

Did she have to sound so bored? “What a beautiful young woman you’ve become, and now you’ve got an excellent chance to prove how responsible you can be.”

“Awww, Mom. Look, I gotta go. Class, you know, Mr. Moore, history.”

“Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?” “Cut it out, will ya? Gotta run!”

People’re watching from the windows , Rae thought, not sure what this meant except to recall the two girls who’d been far too interested in her and her daughter’s conversation outside the school. Rae had never understood the urge in people to screw with the lives of others in a world in which just getting by was hard enough without idiots throwing up obstacles. She didn’t understand the urge in people, but apparently bored out of their skulls with their own lives, some people created drama. Some wanted to live the lives of others they perceived as having a better or more interesting life, perhaps. Many seemed among a class of people who prized and valued hurting others; many were among a class of people who were proud of their own ignorance and lack of that thing called ‘the milk’ of human kindness.

It sounded as wrong as an upside down cup of coffee, Nia saying she must rush to history class. Nia had never been a huge fan of history class, though she once said Mr. Moore was cool. She finally said to Nia, “I love you, kiddo!” But Nia had already hung up.

Inwardly, Rae just knew that Nia’s soul still reeled over Rae’s brush with death not so long ago. Rae felt it in her every fiber. No amount of reassurance could dissipate this fact. Like a stout door closed between them, the issue was locked from discussion. So their talk had remained light fair by comparison.

Rae’s phone rang again. Again Nia. “Sorry, Mom, reception sucks in the girl’s bathroom in the sub-levels. Called back to say I love you, too, and watch out for Hammerhead.”

“ Hammerhead ?” asked Rae. “Is that what he’s being called among the young?” CNN, Fox, and others had covered the story extensively, so there lived few on the planet who didn’t know the nature of Charleston’s bizarre problem.

“Yeah, Hammerhead.” “Psycho is what he is.”

“Just you be careful at all times, and trust no one, Mom. That’s what got you in over your head last time.”

“Trust no one?”

“No one, ever.”

“What about me trusting you, kiddo?”

“That’s different.” “Ahhh…OK…good to know.” Rae kiss-kissed into the phone, and again they said their good-byes.

“Call me,” Nia cried out.

“Call you when I get settled somewhere in the Mountain State.”