Aftermath Read online

  “Oh, okay. Thanks. A lot of buildings were damaged from the storm,” I said, changing the subject.

  “I know a lot about New Orleans history. If you ever need any information, just let me know.” She turned and I nodded at her, taking a step to follow her into the classroom.

  She stopped and turned her head back toward me, “and the damage wasn’t caused by the storm, Adriana.”

  My heart stopped. She definitely knew something was up. I shouldn’t have kept things from her in the first place. I should have told her everything, and maybe she could have helped me, helped us. I walked in a trance to my desk, resolving on discussing this possibility with Hayden later.

  Chapter Four

  When school let out, I had an exact replica of my dad’s truck waiting for me. Hayden or Luke must have brought it for me at some point during the day and I found myself dreading meeting my dad for an early dinner. I checked out the truck; it was in better shape than the original. I hoped my dad wouldn’t notice. But it was not like he could object. He got the better deal out of this.

  A feeling of sadness came over me, being in the truck all alone. It brought back so many memories and now I was giving it up. Even though it was not a place I would want to go back to, I felt like I couldn’t let go. What was worse was knowing that Hayden drove all the way to Texas to buy this truck. For me. And what was I doing while he was gone? I felt like I had gone behind his back, doing a Hunt of my own. With his brother. Who was in love with me. Could my life get any more complicated? My phone on the seat buzzed against my thigh.

  “Hi, dad.”

  Hey, we’ll have to find somewhere else to eat, New Orleans restaurant is closed.

  “Really? They’re still not open?”

  Nope, I drove by there after work. Where should we go instead?

  He is leaving it up to me? Well, as long as it wasn’t Wayne’s, where his girlfriend worked...

  “I don’t really care, dad. What is open?”

  Let’s go downtown. I’m sure we’ll find something there. That’s closer for you anyway.

  “Okay, sure. I’ll just call you when I get there. Give me about fifteen minutes?”

  K. See you soon.

  Brief moment of awkward silence. “Okay. Loveyoubye.”

  I hung up before he could say anything else. I couldn’t believe how awkward it had become with my father. It was like we were strangers. Even when I went over to the house to get random things I'd left behind, it was like I had never even lived there.

  I texted Hayden on my drive toward downtown.

  Me: I must say, nice job on the

  truck! Its way nicer than the old 1.

  If he could, my dad would thank

  you. We changde restaurants,

  New Orleans is closed :( Eatin

  dwtwn. Ill call when Im done. Xoxo

  I smiled as I got his response almost instantly.

  Hayden: Adriana Alexander, are

  you texting while driving? Call me.

  I couldn’t help but smile as I hit ‘call.’ Hayden picked up after the first ring.

  So you are driving. Your multitasking skills never cease to amaze me.

  “How did you know?”

  Your spelling errors and abbreviations gave you away.

  “Darn. Well there’s no need to worry, I’m an excellent driver.”

  You know I will always worry. And that’s what every driver says before they get into an accident. Plus, I would much rather hear your voice than read a text.

  “There are dangers in talking while driving as well,” I pointed out with a smile in my voice.

  Yes, but at least your eyes will be on the road and you won’t be distracted.

  “Simply hearing your voice is a distraction.”

  Do I need to come pick you up before you even make it to dinner with your father?

  I laughed, enjoying this playfulness between us. “Then he’d really be suspicious about the truck.” I paused. “Do you think he only wants to get together with me because he wants his truck back?”

  No, how could you say that? He is your father, of course he loves you. Who couldn’t love you?

  My mother, I wanted to say. But that wasn’t fair. I didn’t know if she'd died or simply up and left.

  “Oh- I’m almost there so I have to call my dad. I’ll text you when we’re almost done, okay?”

  I hung up the phone with Hayden as I entered the downtown area.

  Ten minutes and two closed restaurants later, I sat at a Mexican restaurant waiting for my dad. He'd said to go ahead and get a table—for four. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that he would bring his girlfriend and their baby. He was with them 24/7, so it would be unthinkable to ask for him to spend any time with me alone.

  Finally, my dad arrived fifteen minutes late. “Carla’s driving the car back so I can take the truck,” he said as he sat down, as if offering me an explanation.

  I gave him a closed-lip smile. My smile widened as the cute bundle of baby was strapped into the highchair.

  I cooed at Brittney before asking Carla, “How old is she now?”

  Carla pulled her reddish-blonde hair over her shoulders and smiled at me in surprise, “Nine months old, can you believe it?”

  “She’s cute,” I agreed to no one in particular.

  “She would love it if her big sister would come over and play with her every now and then.” Carla’s bone-thin hand brushed through soft baby hair.

  Carla had children from a previous marriage and at first I thought she was talking about one of them.

  I stood gaping at her but the waiter arrived ready to take our order before I could think up a reply.

  We talked about babies, storm damage and school while waiting for our food to come. Then my dad got down to business. “I wanted to ask you something.”

  I shook slightly to unglue my expression and grabbed a chip from the red basket in front of me. “Okay, what is it?”

  My heart sped up and I could feel the extra blood rush through me. What was he so nervous about asking me? Something about the truck? About Hayden or Luke? Maybe he just wanted a babysitter? I relaxed a little.

  He grabbed a chip and dunked into the dish of salsa before eating it. “Well, it’s been pretty tough at work.” He spoke around a mouthful of chips. Oh no. I hope he isn’t asking for any money. I know what he thinks about Hayden and Luke, I mean, he has seen their house. Kill. Me. Now. I haven’t worked since Katrina except for volunteering. He wouldn’t be interested in what I had left in my savings which meant he figured I would borrow from Hayden. I couldn’t imagine asking him, after everything he’d done. If my dad only knew how much he had spent on his truck!

  “You want money?” My eyes were wide in disbelief and hope he would say no, because I knew I couldn’t if he asked.

  Carla looked slightly embarrassed and my father adjusted his position in his seat. “What? No.” He swallowed a bite of chips. “No, work is good. There’s just a lot of it.”

  “Oh.” My dad worked at a salvage diving company, and I suppose they would be packed-busy since the storm. I still did not understand what he wanted to ask me.

  “A lot of folks haven’t returned since Katrina. And, well, I was thinking you could come work for us ‘til things settle down a bit.”

  “At Taylor Diving?”

  “Yeah, c’mon when’s the last time you dove anyway?”

  I picked at another chip. “I don’t know, dad. I just started back at school, between that and volunteering with Habitat…” and discovering my psychic abilities.

  “It would only be part-time. We really need people.”

  He said it in a way that left me little room for argument. He didn’t care what else I had going on. He wanted this and he would get it.

  “Fine.” I let out a breath. Here’s to more father-daughter time. I sipped my ice water.

  “Great!” He set his hands down on the plastic table cloth in relief.

  I frowned, n
ot completely understanding why he wanted me to work so badly.

  “You remember Mr. Christian? I’ll tell him you’ll be by after school tomorrow and you can go from there.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, tomorrow why? You don’t have plans do you?”

  I searched my memory hoping I would find something that I was supposed to do with Hayden or Nikki even. “Well, no but—”

  “Okay, then. The sooner the better.”

  I rolled my eyes. “All right… and yes, of course I remember Mr. Christian. But why? Where will you be?”

  “Carla’s gotta work tomorrow. They’re short at Wayne’s too.”

  Okay, so scratch the father-daughter time. He didn’t want me to work with him, he wanted me to work for him. And now I had already agreed. I couldn’t make any objections without Carla thinking I was trying to take time away from them. I felt like I was walking on egg shells around her.

  “’Kay,” was the most indiscriminating comment I could make. And I spent the rest of the meal not saying much but still walking on eggshells. Carla kept asking me questions about my life and she was especially interested in Hayden. I felt more inclined to open up since she asked about him. She was being so nice but I couldn’t tell if it was fake or not.

  My Dad and Carla had to get going as soon as I took my last bite of enchilada. I walked them out to the parking lot and was still talking with Carla as my dad instructed her to meet him at home and left. I happily helped buckle a sleepy Brittney into her car seat, struggling with the complex straps until Carla stepped in to take over. She invited Hayden over for dinner sometime and I agreed, wondering if it was an empty request. I watched her leave and turned to my car, realizing that the car I'd had, my dad just left with. I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to text Hayden for a ride. The darkness at night without the usual street lights was beyond eerie. It was just another thing we had to go without since Katrina. I quickly pulled out my phone to call Hayden.

  Hey, you done already?

  “Sorry I completely forgot I didn’t have a truck anymore, even though I saw my dad drive off with it. Goodbye ‘Ol' Red,’” I sighed.

  Don’t worry about it. Now you have ‘old black.’

  I laughed. “Yeah right, there is nothing about that sentence that is true. It’s definitely not old and it’s not mine. And black? Yeah, it’s more of a charcoal.”

  Do you want your own? I could get you your own.

  “No, Hayden, that’s not what I meant. Anyway, where are you?” Something caught my attention. “Should I meet you out front in ten minutes?”

  No, I am here.

  “What?” I was startled, looking around the street for his car.

  You know I couldn’t risk leaving you alone.

  “So you have been watching me this whole time?”

  I could hear him smiling. I like how you look when you’re talking to me.

  I scoffed at him. “You could have had dinner with us, ya know?”

  No, you needed that time with your dad, but I guess you weren’t alone after all.

  “Yeah, well, you could have at least told me.” I saw his car pull out in front. “Far away but always close, huh?” His smile split into laughter. “Well now you will just have to wait for me. I want to run in somewhere real quick.” I watched him from outside the car.

  I saw his eyes darken. Where?

  I pointed across the street, nowhere in particular, hoping he wouldn’t see the ‘Ghost Tours’ sign. He looked and then turned his attention grimly back to me. He rolled down the window and I put my phone away, walking towards him.

  “What are you doing, Ana?”

  “Nothing, why?” I feigned innocence. “I just want to check something out.”

  “Then I’ll go with you.”

  I leaned through the window and gave him a quick kiss. “I will just be a minute.”

  I ran across the street, looking back at Hayden with a smile, and pushed a worn wooden door open. A bell chimed and the door shut creakily behind me.

  “I’ll be right with y’all!” I heard someone yell from the back.

  I looked around at the brochures and different artifacts displayed on the counter. There were copies of maps of the tour route and I folded one up and tucked it in the back pocket of my jeans. The place smelled like incense which reminded me of Sansha’s house of voodoo and her deliciously devious potion I drank. I inhaled sharply, hoping this wasn’t like her house in more way than one.

  “Can I help you?”

  I jumped as a woman suddenly appeared behind me, breaking me out of my memories. I exhaled a breath of relief as I appraised the woman. Her brown hair had lost its luster, her skin was dry and fingernails brittle and there were tiny creases around her eyes. No, she wasn’t like Sansha at all. She had all the signs of aging and stress. She had all the signs of being human. “Sorry, I was just looking.”

  “Let me know if you need anything, then.”

  “I’m surprised you’re open. I don’t suspect you’ve been getting much tourism.” My fingers toyed a souvenir on the shelf as I kept pretending to look around.

  She shrugged with all the confidence in the world. “I’ve lived here my whole life. Ain’t no storm going to close me down.”

  “Here’s to hoping there will be more visitors in the spring during Mardi Gras.” I moved on to the books, ironically picking up one about New Orleans haunted mansions.

  “I hope so. There’s been a lot of unexplained events since Katrina. You can’t wash away evil, the storm just pissed evil off. So you interested in a ghost or vampire tour?”

  I laughed a little, knowing a couple months ago I just had my own personal tour. “No, I was just interested in some information.”

  “I see you picked up the pamphlet on the Lalaurie Mansion. What do you know there was a fire there about a month ago.”

  “Really?” I spoke nonchalantly, not trying to show too much interest.

  “Yeah.” She eyed me and her eyebrows furrowed briefly.

  “Well, I have what I need. Thank you so much for your time.” I tried not to show panic as I straightened the stack of books and turned towards the exit.

  “You’re welcome, although I didn’t do much.”

  The bell rang as I pushed the door open.

  “You come back and I’ll give you a free tour sometime, ya hear?” she yelled from behind me.

  I turned and nodded hesitantly before the door shut. I ran back across the street to where Hayden waited.

  “Did you find what you were looking for?” Hayden was sarcastic as I hopped back in his car.

  I felt the map in my back pocket. “You could say that.” I smiled up at him.

  “You know, it’s insulting that you go to a ghost tour place when I know more about the New Orleans Underworld then anyone here.” He was back to being playful.

  “That only does me good when you’re willing to answer my questions.” I played back but he could sense the seriousness in my tone.

  He started the engine, pulling away from the curb. “Where is this coming from?”

  My heart could have stopped at how easily he read me. Luke, I wanted to say. “Nothing. I just feel like I don’t know anything about you as a Hunter or what it’s like.”

  “This is coming after spending the evening with Luke, I presume?” He sighed. “That’s not who I am. That has nothing to do with the person I am.”

  “I know, but I just want to know everything about you.” I slid the back of my index finger across his smooth cheek.

  “You know me, Ana, you are the only one who does.”

  His green eyes looked hungrily into mine and I forgot about everything else. I did know him. I knew all I wanted to know.

  Chapter Five

  I was fast asleep that night when I sensed I wasn’t alone. I sat up in my bed with a gasp. Upon seeing the figure sitting at the end of my bed, I pushed myself as far as I could backward until I hit the headboard.

  “Who ar
e you?” I asked the woman wearing a full wedding dress, sitting at the edge of my bed.

  “I’m Christine.” Her voice was high, much younger sounding than she looked.

  My eyes darted to my bedroom door, waiting for Hayden to sense she was here and burst in at any moment.

  “Hayden won’t be coming.”

  My heart dropped at her words.

  “Why not?” My throat tightened as I asked.

  “Because this is a dream.”

  I looked at her. “A dream?”

  “Of course. I am dead, after all.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “Just to show you something.” She stood up, her skirts ruffling. Her white dress was feminine and elegant. She wore a lace cap with flowers on either side above her ears, the veil cascaded down her back. Dark waves peeked out from under the cap. Her makeup was bold: dark red rouge on her lips and thick eyeliner on the upper lid. Her vintage look reminded me of a pinup girl. She was very pretty and sweet looking, but as she said herself, she was dead. And I wouldn’t let appearances fool me. The dress was sleeveless and when she turned, I saw it dipped low in the back, the sash around her waist tied off with a bow. She turned back to me, holding out a delicate hand, “Come with me.”

  “No.”

  A small laugh escaped her. “Silly, I was being polite.” She swirled her hand and the room started to swirl with it. When she stopped, we were no longer in my room, and I was no longer sitting. I was barefoot in an overgrown courtyard of the French Quarter. “It is not as if you have a choice, dear.” She smiled, seeming genuine even though her words were not.

  “Fair, enough. I suppose just telling me what I need to know would be too easy for you people,” my voice dripped with sarcasm.

  “You people?” Her delicate face scrunched up, perplexed.

  “Yeah, you know. You ghostly, supernatural types.”

  “Well, you are obliged to listen to my story.”

  “Is it a sad story?” I asked, hoping this wouldn’t be a nightmare and not able to imagine how she would be involved.

  “Murders always are.”

  That sent chills through my body, and suddenly the quaint courtyard seemed dark. “Where are we?” I asked, not recognizing the peeled-paint building.