”Apology accepted, if you forgive me in advance for trying to get you to change your mind.”
Dar smiled a little sadly. ”I don’t think it’s my choice now, love.”
Kerry chuckled.
”What was that for?” Dar inquired, curiously.
”I’ll see you in a few minutes,” her lover replied. ”Bye.”
Dar regarded the phone. ”Now, what’s she up to?” she asked a sleepy Chino, who wagged her tail.
KERRY SLID HER laptop into her bag and closed her desk drawer, locking it and the laptop inside it away securely. She paused to shake a few aspirin from a bottle on her desk and washed them down with a swig of cold tea as the sounds of the day wound down around her.
“Crappy day.” She set the cup down and shouldered her bag, then she headed for the elevator hoping she’d have a lonely ride down.
She didn’t want to make small talk or suffer the fourteen story ride in uncomfortable silence, everyone’s eyes watching her and knowing all the gossip that had traveled through the building all day long.
They all knew Dar had quit. She punched the down button, and was surprised when the doors slid open almost immediately. They all knew why Dar had quit. Not because Dar had told everyone, but because Fabracini had, boasting of his victory to anyone who would listen.
She stepped inside and paused. “Well, screw it.” She removed her badge and held it to the reader inside, then keyed emergency service.
The device bleeped obediently at her, and she punched the ground floor. “Had to use that at least once, didn’t I?”
In solitary splendor, the car descended without pause to the ground and opened as she swallowed to clear her ears. She emerged and was happy to find herself almost alone in the lobby, the rays of sunset coming in through the glass panes as the cleaning staff was moving towards the elevators, getting ready to start work for the night.
Kerry walked quietly across the marble floor and approached the doors, giving the guard a small wave. He waved back, and their eyes met, then he edged over closer to her as she was about to exit. “Ms.
Kerry?”
Kerry paused and waited for him to come over. “Yes, John?”
“Is it true, Ms. Roberts is leaving?” the man asked. “I’d hate to see that. She’s good people.”
Kerry felt a smile tugging at her tired face. “Not if I can help it, John,” she said. “Thanks for the thought.” She patted his arm and walked through the doors into the cool dusk air, seeing a few people around in her peripheral vision.
Not unusual. There was a bus stop nearby, after all. She passed a small group of men and headed towards her car, tucked on one side of 128
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the lot near the street.
The streetlights were just starting to come on as she unlocked her doors, moving her seat forward to toss her laptop bag into the back seat, and turning back around to get in only to find a dark, menacing figure on the other side of the door.
Her heart nearly came out of her chest and she inhaled sharply, her eyes flicking to the front doors of the building as she got ready to yell for help.
The dark figure held both hands up, palms out. “Easy thar.”
Kerry was close to panic. The man was much taller than she was and even the words didn’t really reassure her. “What do you want?”
She asked after a second.
“I ain’t gonna hurtcha,” the man said. “Just want to ask you all a question, is all.”
There was something about his voice. Kerry relaxed the grip she had on her keys, the edge of them biting into her palm. He had a Southern accent, and there was something about the timber that seemed just a little familiar to her. “Okay. Go ahead.”
He lowered his hands and stayed where he was, the setting sun to his back. He had a hooded sweatshirt on and the hood was up, obscuring his features in the shadows. “Got a friend you know, just want to make sure all’s right with them.” He said. “Name’s Paladar.”
Kerry felt a jolt of surprise. “What about her?” she asked, wondering who this was who knew her partner’s real name. “Who are you?”
The man hesitated. “Just someone that knows her,” he answered.
“She okay?”
Fear eased and Kerry leaned forward, resting her arms on the frame of her car door as she struggled to make out his features. “Why are you asking me?” she countered. “A lot of people work in that building over there.”
Was it just my imagination, or did I see a motion that might have
been a smile.
“Ah know you know her right well,” the man said. “You ain’t got to tell me, but ah heard them people talking about her and I’d like to know.” He tilted his head just slightly, waiting for her answer.
That tilt. “Some bad things happened today.”
“T’her?”
Kerry was being driven half crazy with curiousity.
Who is this?
“Yes, but she’s okay. She’s just at home,” she said. “Who are you? Why do you care about her? Do I know you?” She eased the door closed and started to approach him.
He backed up a step. “Easy now.”
“No.” Kerry continued coming closer. “I won’t be easy. I’ve had a really bad day, my head hurts, I had a lousy weekend and I want to know who you are, and why you think you’ve got a right to ask me
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about my partner.”
He stopped moving and let her approach, lowering his hands again. “Feisty thing, ain’t you?” he drawled. “Careful, there, I ain’t something you want to mess with.” He half turned into the streetlight and she got a glimpse of his face.
Scars. Kerry inhaled again. Scars upon scars, in a lean, rugged outline but immediately her startled gaze was drawn past that to the pale blue eyes that stood out like marbles in all that ruin.
“Now, you can just answer or I’ll go on my way, just asking a question,” the man said. “Don’t want no trouble with you, little gal.”
“Who are you?” Kerry ignored his words.
“Nobody you know,” he answered.
“Who are you to her?” Kerry clarified her question. “And if you tell me you’re not, you’re lying.” Her heart started to hammer in her chest as suspicions peppered her mind. She knew Dar had no one close to her.
She had distant family she never spoke to. She’d mentioned her mother only once, and the tone of voice she’d had indicated it would likely be the last time. Kerry knew of only one of Dar’s relatives she’d ever mentioned with any kind of affection and that one person was dead.So who was this?
He looked around, but the lot was now pretty much empty, only an isolated car or two left from the cleaners and security guards. The other men in the lot had also left, having taken their bus or otherwise moved on and they were alone together. “Think I should just move on, let you be. ““I don’t.” Kerry screwed up her courage and moved quickly, reaching out and clasping his arm before he could leave. “You got this close. Don’t run.”
Even in the shadows, she could see his eyebrows hike. A flash of yellow lamplight lit up his eyes again and she got a good look at his expression with most of the scars obscured by the flat lamp. “Run? I ain’t much for that.”
Kerry put her hand in his and squeezed it. “My name’s Kerry,” she said. “And if you are a friend of Dar’s, today’s a good day for her to find that out because she gave up on something today that was very important to her and she could use all the friends she has right now.”
He studied her, then tilted his head and peered at their clasped hands. “Well, then, Kerry.” He said. “Mah name’s Andrew.”
Kerry felt like she’d stuck her finger in an electric socket. “Oh my god,” she whispered, staring up at him. “Are you her father? You are, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” he answered softly.
The entire world was spinning. Kerry wasn’t sure if she should yell or cry. “But...I thought...”
“Ever’body did. Even me.” Andrew said, briefly. “Anyhow, that’s 130
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why I want to know about her. Dar’s mah kid,” he added, in an awkward tone. “Ah been through some hell, just getting caught back up with it all and...”
Kerry was at a complete loss for words. She gazed up at him while a thousand different thoughts whirled through her mind, and the day’s events suddenly became painfully irrelevant. “My god,” she finally whispered. “My god.”
DAR HEARD THE sound of Kerry’s car pulling up outside and she closed the sliding glass door, limping over to the entrance and getting to the latch just as it worked and started inward. “Hey.”
Kerry came in and shut the door and Dar’s heart jumped as she saw her face. “What’s wrong?”
Kerry took her hand. “Come over here and sit down. I need to tell you something.” She led Dar over to the couch. “Oh honey.”
Dar felt lightheaded. Her heart was beating so fast she couldn’t count the thumps and she had to sit down or risk passing out.
“W...what?” she asked, this new fear coming out of a blind corner and closing her throat.
Was Kerry pissed off after all? Had something else happened?
Kerry knelt in front of her, terrifyingly, and took both hands in her own. “Right as I was leaving, something happened. In the parking lot.”
“Did you get in an accident? Are you okay?” Dar started speaking.
“Yes, no, I...” Kerry paused. “Dar, before you freak out and freak me out, this is a good thing.” She watched the panic fade a little, in the pale blue eyes. “I just don’t know how to tell you this.”
Dar waited in silence for a few beats. “You ran over Fabracini?” She hazarded a guess. “I’ll smuggle you out of the country, sweetheart. We can go live on some island off the Bahamas.”
“No, I,” Kerry paused. “Dar, a man came up to me in the lot and started asking me about you.”
It wasn’t what she’d expected. Dar’s brows creased. “What?”
Kerry gave up. “Just come with me.” She decided. “Outside.” She stood, keeping hold of Dar’s hands as she awkwardly straightened, keeping her weight on her good leg. Kerry got her arm around her partner and supported her as they made their way to the door, Chino snuffling curiously at their heels.
“I don’t know what’s going on here, Ker,” Dar said, as she got the door open. “But I don’t know if I’m up to surprises tonight.”
Kerry squeezed out the door next to her and quickly searched the parking slots, relieved when she saw the dark figure leaning against her car. “It’s okay, hon. Trust me,” she murmured as they started down the stairs. “It’s going to make today not matter.”
“What?” Dar half turned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Ker, what’s going on here?” She had to swing around as Kerry urged her
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down the steps, and her head turned in the direction of the car. “I don’t know what...”
Her eyes fastened on the tall, silent figure that now straightened up and faced her, and she stopped moving. The height, and the shape and the movement struck sudden chords of memory in her she’d thought long dead and her vision blurred as she watched him.
She almost stopped breathing. Her hands clenched around Kerry’s suddenly. “Ker who is that?” she whispered. “Near your car?”
Kerry found herself in the oddest position of her life and it was hard to think straight. “Come on.” She helped Dar down the last few steps, then she released her as they came even with their visitor and Dar could, at last, see his features.
Dar stiffened, then she half extended a hand, her eyes fastened on the tall man who carefully took a step forward towards her. “Ohh.”
“Hey there, Dardar,” the man rasped, very gently. “Damn good to see ya.”
It had been the worst of days. Now, in the light from the porch lamp over her shoulder, Kerry found herself watching it become the best of days before her very eyes.
To hell with the company.
“Go on.” She put her hand on Dar’s hip.
“It’s real.” She watched Dar’s face light up with wonder like a child’s, as she moved towards her father. Kerry followed a step behind, but held up when she reached the edge of the sidewalk, and stayed back as they met.Dar felt the world become utterly unreal. She faced the hooded figure on legs shaking so badly she wasn’t sure she could remain upright. “Daddy?” she managed to get out. “Is that really you?”
He took a step forward. “What’s left,” he said. “Been to hell and back, though.” He stood there awkwardly until Dar finally just half walked, half fell towards him and then they were hugging each other.
“Hell and back.”
Dar couldn’t believe it. It was impossible, and yet, she could feel the long arms around her and hear her father’s heartbeat under her ear and she had to believe.
Had to believe. “Oh, Daddy,” she whispered.
She could smell salt air on his clothes, and wool, and he seemed thinner than she remembered, but there was no doubt when she heard that voice echoing from her earliest memories.
“Dar. Dar.” Andrew hugged her, rocking back and forth a little.
“Damn it all.” He patted her back. “What’d ya do t’your laig?” He released her and they looked at each other again.
For a moment, Dar had no idea what he was talking about. Then she shifted her weight and remembered, gritting her teeth as she grabbed for the edge of the car. “L...long story,” she said. “Um, would you please come inside?”
Andrew paused, then he nodded and joined Dar at the steps, and 132
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they walked upward in silence, broken when they reached the top step and were met by Chino, who barked in surprise at seeing a stranger.
Kerry gathered the puppy in her arms as she followed Dar and her father inside.
DAR SIGHED. ”WHAT a damned day.” She perched on the back of the couch, looking around a little self-consciously. “So, this is our place.” Her eyes were fixed on her father, who was quietly looking around.
It was strange and surreal. She felt like she was in a waking dream that would surely end any second with the buzz of the alarm, or a gentle hug from Kerry. It couldn’t be real. That couldn’t really be her father standing there.
Maybe the whole day was just a hallucination. Dar sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, caught between the extremes of the moment.
Kerry let the puppy go and she swarmed up Dar’s leg, whining and squeaking until Dar picked her up. ”All right, all right.”