almost invisible gold thread was not the work of a casual tailor. Wearing the cloth made her feel regal.
“So how long do you have?” a voice said from behind.
Nikki spun around, startled, but Callia seemed equally startled as she stared back at the head wrap Nikki wore. “Where did you get that?” she asked, coming up to her, absently stroking Pauline, who was cradled in her arms, as she did so.
Nikki was surprised to see her alone, considering what Basilio had told her. “Where’s Kay?”
Callia shrugged, looking a little mischievous, as if she’d gotten away with something she shouldn’t have. “So where did you get it?” she asked again.
“I just saw it lying on the floor.” Nikki stared at her reflection again. “It’s beautiful,” she said, touching the patterned cloth. “I’m guessing West African.”
“Ghanaian.” Callia walked up behind her and also stared at her reflection. “I’ve traveled there twice, but—” She stopped. “Do you have African blood?”
“My father’s people hailed from Togo many years ago.”
“That must be it,” Callia said in an odd tone.
Nikki opened her mouth to ask her what she meant, but Callia spun away and sat down on the nearby couch. Like her uncle Lucian, something about her had also changed. Inside the house she seemed older, not as whimsical as she’d been outside. She didn’t appear like a young woman who’d talk about ghosts, and there were shadows in her eyes. Instead she looked like a privileged teenager in an expensive summer dress, with an attractiveness she didn’t know how to use to her advantage. At least not yet.
“So how long will you stay?”
“Ten days.”
“That’s more than most.” Callia pointed to a corner. “There used to be a piano there and a harp. She liked to play the harp. She could play beautifully. Sometimes I still think I hear her play.”
“Who?”
“Alana. Uncle was going to marry her.”
“What happened? Where is she?”
“She’s dead,” Callia said in a bored, matter-of-fact tone. “The walls were cream and there were…”
Nikki didn’t listen to the rest. Lucian had wanted to marry a woman who died? Was that part of the feeling of tragedy and sadness that gripped the house? Suddenly, Nikki knew she couldn’t work with the past; she had to deal with the present. And in order to do so, she had to know more about him.
Nikki removed the head wrap and set it aside. “Can you tell me a little more about your uncle?”
Callia hesitated. “He’s a very private person.”
Nikki smiled. “I don’t need dark secrets. Does he have any hobbies?”
Callia looked up at her with a blank expression.
“Things that he enjoys,” Nikki added, clarifying her question.
“He likes to swim at night down at the beach, near the cove. Alone.”
Nikki waited. “And?”
“And what?”
Nikki sighed, realizing that was all the young woman was willing to reveal. Perhaps if she got to know her more, she would trust her. Nikki sat down next to her. “Pauline is a beautiful kitten.” She looked much better and Nikki could see her fluffy orange-colored fur.
“Thanks for saving her. Do you have pets?”
“No, but my sister has a dog.”
“Dogs are nice, but I prefer cats.”
“Do you like living here?”
“Not anymore.”
Nikki stared at Callia, surprised. “Then why do you stay? You could convince your uncle to let you stay at his other house, or I’m sure you could go to a boarding school or…”
Callia shook her head. “Uncle doesn’t want to be anywhere else right now and I don’t want to leave Uncle Lucian here alone. Someone has to look out for him.” She glanced around the room and lowered her voice to a whisper. “The ghost will get him. She wants him dead.”
Nikki knew the fire had been from arson, but couldn’t understand Callia’s fear of a ghost. “Are they still looking for the arsonist?”
“No. We know who did it. We just don’t know how.”
“Then that person
“So how long do you have?” a voice said from behind.
Nikki spun around, startled, but Callia seemed equally startled as she stared back at the head wrap Nikki wore. “Where did you get that?” she asked, coming up to her, absently stroking Pauline, who was cradled in her arms, as she did so.
Nikki was surprised to see her alone, considering what Basilio had told her. “Where’s Kay?”
Callia shrugged, looking a little mischievous, as if she’d gotten away with something she shouldn’t have. “So where did you get it?” she asked again.
“I just saw it lying on the floor.” Nikki stared at her reflection again. “It’s beautiful,” she said, touching the patterned cloth. “I’m guessing West African.”
“Ghanaian.” Callia walked up behind her and also stared at her reflection. “I’ve traveled there twice, but—” She stopped. “Do you have African blood?”
“My father’s people hailed from Togo many years ago.”
“That must be it,” Callia said in an odd tone.
Nikki opened her mouth to ask her what she meant, but Callia spun away and sat down on the nearby couch. Like her uncle Lucian, something about her had also changed. Inside the house she seemed older, not as whimsical as she’d been outside. She didn’t appear like a young woman who’d talk about ghosts, and there were shadows in her eyes. Instead she looked like a privileged teenager in an expensive summer dress, with an attractiveness she didn’t know how to use to her advantage. At least not yet.
“So how long will you stay?”
“Ten days.”
“That’s more than most.” Callia pointed to a corner. “There used to be a piano there and a harp. She liked to play the harp. She could play beautifully. Sometimes I still think I hear her play.”
“Who?”
“Alana. Uncle was going to marry her.”
“What happened? Where is she?”
“She’s dead,” Callia said in a bored, matter-of-fact tone. “The walls were cream and there were…”
Nikki didn’t listen to the rest. Lucian had wanted to marry a woman who died? Was that part of the feeling of tragedy and sadness that gripped the house? Suddenly, Nikki knew she couldn’t work with the past; she had to deal with the present. And in order to do so, she had to know more about him.
Nikki removed the head wrap and set it aside. “Can you tell me a little more about your uncle?”
Callia hesitated. “He’s a very private person.”
Nikki smiled. “I don’t need dark secrets. Does he have any hobbies?”
Callia looked up at her with a blank expression.
“Things that he enjoys,” Nikki added, clarifying her question.
“He likes to swim at night down at the beach, near the cove. Alone.”
Nikki waited. “And?”
“And what?”
Nikki sighed, realizing that was all the young woman was willing to reveal. Perhaps if she got to know her more, she would trust her. Nikki sat down next to her. “Pauline is a beautiful kitten.” She looked much better and Nikki could see her fluffy orange-colored fur.
“Thanks for saving her. Do you have pets?”
“No, but my sister has a dog.”
“Dogs are nice, but I prefer cats.”
“Do you like living here?”
“Not anymore.”
Nikki stared at Callia, surprised. “Then why do you stay? You could convince your uncle to let you stay at his other house, or I’m sure you could go to a boarding school or…”
Callia shook her head. “Uncle doesn’t want to be anywhere else right now and I don’t want to leave Uncle Lucian here alone. Someone has to look out for him.” She glanced around the room and lowered her voice to a whisper. “The ghost will get him. She wants him dead.”
Nikki knew the fire had been from arson, but couldn’t understand Callia’s fear of a ghost. “Are they still looking for the arsonist?”
“No. We know who did it. We just don’t know how.”
“Then that person
Similar Books
