The Turning Tides (Marina's Tales) (23 page)

I opened my laptop and did a search for electronic locks. Within a few minutes I found a page with all kinds of keypad operated security devices. I recognized the one from the lab
, discovering that
it was top of the line, and
very
formidable. Maybe Paul would have an idea of how to get past it.

I was dizzy, and my head still ached a little, so I pulled a blanket over top of myself, burying my face in sweet soft kitten fur and curling up into a fetal position. I stroked the cat, listening to the throaty hum of his purr,
drifting off into an exhausted sleep.

I dreamed of aquariums.

~

C
hapter
F
ifteen

ACCUSATION

~

I was inside a dark room, and I could hear the sounds of pumps running and water bubbling. Standing by a bank of stainless steel cabinets, I began to pull on their handles one by one. When the third drawer slid out, I saw the sparkle of iridescent scales. I held up my flashlight and pulled the shelf open a few inches, a chill running down my spine. “No…” I whisper
ed
.

~

I started awake in a dark room, completely disoriented. I leaned over to turn on a lamp, and saw Stumpy sitting
up
on the arm of the couch, eyes blinking, ears turned to face the sound.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Someone was pounding on the door, and I fumbled for my purse, pulling out the gun. I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding in my throat, and moved slowly towards the door.

“Who is it?” I called out in a hoarse voice.

“Marina? Are you in there?” It was Ethan.

I slumped with relief, strange dream drifting away into a confusing haze. I rushed back to s
tash the gun back in my purse.
The thumping started up again, making the kitten jump.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Coming!” I called.

I swung the door open to see Ethan and Ruby standing on the landing.

“What happened?” Ethan demanded, “I’ve been trying to call you for hours!”

I rubbed between my eyes, “I’m sorry… I got home and fell asleep. I must have not heard…”

He looked annoyed, “Did you forget we had plans?”

“We made reservations!” Ruby pouted, catching Ethan’s eye with an “I told you so” look.

I bit my lip; I wanted so badly to tell him everything. If Ruby hadn’t have been there I would have flung myself into his arms
in tears
. I looked back and forth between the two of them and reverted back to form, sucking it up; holding it all in.

“Come in and have a seat.” I
stepp
ed
back
from the door
, “I can be ready in a few minutes.”

They both sat down on the couch, and Stumpy jumped up to greet Ethan with head bonks. Ruby started sniffling, rifling through her purse for a tissue. I excused myself, digging into my suitcases for a change of clothes.

“Are you going someplace?” Ruby asked, looking at my bags.

“I pretty much live out of suitcases,” I explained, grabbing a simple tank dress and shaking it out. “Excuse me.” I took a pair of
pumps
out of another bag and went to change.

Ruby’s heels clicked on the
wooden
floor, and as I changed I could hear her walking all around my studio. I gritted my teeth, splashing water on my face. If I could just get through tonight, everything would be back to normal– if there was such a thing. I wanted the old Ethan back, and I
needed
to be patient. I ran a brush through my hair, pulling my aquamarine pendant out of the neckline and straightening it.

I took a deep breath and stepped out, “Alright, let’s go.”

I was quiet throughout our dinner, unable to shake the creepy feeling that there was something terribly wrong going on at the lab. I couldn’t stop
thinking about what I should do about it, and began obsessing about getting back in to have a look around.

Ethan kept asking if I was alright, because
once again
, my mind was roaming elsewhere. Ruby kept trying to engage me in conversation, making it clear she found my silence unbearably rude.

“So how did it go at the lab?” Ethan asked.

“What lab?” Ruby asked, leaning forward.

“Some guy took her out to the marine biology lab–”

“Oh
really
?
Some guy?
” she raised her eyebrows.

“To look at his squid experiment,” Ethan finished.

“Eww!” Ruby squealed, “How gross.”

Ethan ignored her, squeezing my hand, “So, how did it go?”

I fidgeted with the napkin in my lap, “There was a lot of security there…” I looked up at Ethan meaningfully, “Way too much security.”

Like the other times we’d all gone out, Ruby chatted on and on, complaining about the service, the lighting, and the quality of the prime rib. I couldn’t eat. Ethan seemed edgy,
even more
unlike his usual self, and I remained silent, incapable of making small talk. Ruby broke the uncomfortable silence.

“Oh my God!” she
shrieked, clutching at her ears.
“I lost an earring!”

She had only one gold hoop on, and she lamented her loss loudly, complain
ing about how expensive it was,
and how she could never replace it. We all looked around the table, and the waiter came over with a flashlight to help.

When it became clear that the earring wasn’t there she slumped back in her chair, dejected
.
“Will you
please
take me shopping again tomorrow?” she asked me in a sugary sweet voice.

I shook my head no, “I can’t. I’m going up to San Francisco.”

She pouted, thrusting her lower lip out like a child. “But it’s my last day here!” she whined, “I don’t want to spend it all alone!”

“Maybe I can take off work early,” Ethan said, trying to appease her.

She sighed theatrically, “
I hope so
.”

Ruby had clearly found all the chinks in Ethan’s armor, and was exploiting his weakness ruthlessly. He wanted her approval, and she meted it out sparingly, withholding her praise like a carrot at the end of a stick. When our tortuous dinner was finally over Ethan drove me back to the studio, getting out and walking me up the stairs to the door. I clung to him, reluctant to see him go.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Everything was wrong. My visions were awful, I was being followed again, and now I suspected that Edwards was behind the goings on at the lab. I didn’t know where to start, and when my eyes met his they blurred with tears. The stairs shook, and all at once Ruby was there.

“Can I see if I lost my earring in here?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said, getting out my keys and opening the door. I went in first, turning on the lights. Stumpy came running and I picked him up, cradling him and watching Ruby prowl around like she had before.

Ethan and I stood as she rifled through my couch cushions, lifting them one by one, “Oh!” she cried with relief, “Here it is!” She held up the earring, pulling something else out from under the pillow, “What’s this?”

“What’s what?”

She stood up, brandishing a small stack of photographs tied with a pink ribbon. She flipped through them, gasped and looked up at Ethan, “My goodness!”

“What?” he asked. She handed him the pictures with tight lips.

He looked through the
stack of photos
wide eyed, and the ribbon fluttered to the floor. I could see his face darken, clouding over with anger. When he looked up at me his eyes were blazing.

“What is it?” I asked, alarmed.

He thrust them roughly into my hands, “You tell me.”

They were pictures of me and Paul, and I looked at them in
astonishment. Multiple images of the two of us together, pictures that made it look as if we were romantically involved. There was Paul, brushing the hair from my face, looking like he was about to kiss me. In one shot our foreheads were pressed together, and his hand caressed my cheek. In another his arm was draped around me as we sat side by side on a bench. In the worst one he held me up off the ground, grabbing my waist and smiling playfully. I was floored.

“This was in Germany,” I said, my mind racing, “But how?”

“C’mon honey, let’s go,” Ruby took Ethan by the arm.

I looked up with shocked eyes to meet Ethan’s wounded ones.

“It’s not w
hat it looks like!” I protested.
“I was upset about my dad… Paul was just there to help… We were working out…”

“Looks like he gave you a workout, alright!” Ruby
sneered
with disgust.

I reached for Ethan’s arm, “You don’t understand– This means I was being followed even back then! Someone’s been watching me all along! I need to show these to Paul right away!”

Ethan pulled back, his face hard, “Are you serious? You’re going to run to see
him?
”

I tried to explain, “He
needs to know
about it.
”

Ruby snorted.

I didn’t want to tell
Ethan
anything in front of Ruby,
but
I fumbled to try and explain, “Something happened before… In San Francisco…”

Ethan looked to Ruby, who was standing with an indignant look on her face, “Something happened alright!” she said
frostily, “We should go. You deserve better than this!” She started tugging Ethan’s arm, and then he was letting her lead him away.

I followed him with pleading eyes,
“Wait
a minute… I
–”

“Have a good time in San Francisco,” Ethan said coldly, turning to stride out ahead of Ruby. She was barely able to conceal her smile.

I stood, speechless, as the slam of the door shook the wall.

I slumped down onto the couch, flipping through the photos again. I stared at them in disbelief, stunned at how something so innocent could be made to look so completely opposite.
Whoever had done this, had done a really good job. But why?

How did they get in my couch? Ruby didn’t even know me when my father was hurt, and I seriously doubted she’d been to Germany lately. There was no way she could be the one who took the pictures. I suddenly realized that they had been planted in my studio recently– someone had been in here. I jumped up and raced over to lock the door, my heart thumping.

I leaned against it with a
groan. My heart sank when I thought of the look on Ethan’s face. He’d always been insecure, but never so quick to jump to conclusions. He’d become impossibly thin-skinned lately, and I had Ruby to thank for it. She’d spent the past week planting toxic little seeds of doubt in his mind; obviously, it didn’t take much for them to sprout into poisonous plants.

The kitten jumped onto the couch, scattering the pictures onto the floor. When I got down on my knees to scoop them up, the tears blurring my vision splashed down onto the
carpet
. I felt confused and betrayed, and started pacing, trying to think of what I should do next. Stumpy made a game of it, hiding behind the couch and lunging for my ankles as I passed. He attacked the ribbon, dashing to and fro with it trailing behind him. His antics brought me out of my panic, making me laugh through my tears. I picked him up and kissed his nose.

“What should I do now?” I asked him, wiping my eyes.

I calmed down, realizing that I needed to get out of there.
Whoever put the pictures there might come back.
I couldn’t bear the thought of being alone. I picked up the phone.

“Aunt Evie?” my voice cracked.

“Marina? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… I was thinking about coming up early.”

“That’s wonderful darling! We’re all just sitting down for a simple little celebratory dinner…
And
there’s someone here who has a business proposition for you. We’ll expect you in time for dessert.”

“I’m on my way
.
” I hung up the phone and turned to Stumpy, “How do you feel about poodles?”

I packed two bags, one for me, and one for the cat,
hurried
out of my studio
, and drove faster than I should have to get to San Francisco
. I pulled into the dark garage of Evie’s building to find Paul standing guard, and parked the car, climbing out with Stumpy tucked under my arm.

“Who’s your little friend?” he asked.

“This is Stumpy,” I told him.

He nodded, “Cute.”

I pulled the pictures out of my tote-bag and handed them to him, watching his face.