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  “First of all, we can’t go to the police. In Oregon, I’m missing. Here, I’m dead, remember? Secondly, the bank knows me. I’ve been going there for years. They wouldn’t have made a mistake about something like that. Someone is really out to get me.” He finally turned to look at me. “I’m so sorry, Lily. I’m broke now. That was all the money I had.”

  “I don’t care about that. I have plenty. We can always get more,” I swallowed hard before asking my next question. “Was there a woman, before you left, that is maybe angry with you? Maybe someone trying to get revenge?”

  His expression turned sour. “Why would you say that?”

  “I’m trying to figure it out. Someone posed as your widow and closed your accounts. What am I supposed to think?”

  “There was no one. Not for a long time. The last woman I dated is happily married with children now. We’re on friendly terms when we run into each other. I can’t think of anyone who would do something like this.” He stared out the window again. “I know I should’ve waited for a name but I was so furious I was afraid I’d blow up in Nate’s face.”

  “That’s understandable. Do you think there’s a possibility it could have been someone we know?” I couldn’t bring myself to say the name. It made me sick to my stomach to think she could be that evil.

  “I don’t know what to think. I need to get into my apartment when we get back to Astoria. I have to see what was taken from there.” I nodded. That would be difficult but not impossible.

  “Let’s go to the storage unit and then head home. I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m sorry,” he said as he started the engine.

  “I understand.” I reached for his hand. “Christian, I love you. Don’t forget that. I don’t care about money.”

  “I somehow already knew that.” He leaned over and kissed me before turning the car around.

  Kalia, Aaron, and Fiore were surprised to see us back so soon, especially since we had taken a cab home from the airport and not called for a ride like they’d expected. Fiore threw herself into my arms as soon as we were in the door and I couldn’t help but notice Christian’s look of disapproval.

  “What’s with you?” she asked backing away.

  “We had a bad trip,” he explained.

  We told them what happened at the bank.

  “Have you heard from Maia yet?” I couldn’t avoid the question, as much as I knew it hurt Kalia.

  “No. I don’t know what to think anymore,” Kalia said. Aaron walked over and put his arms around her.

  “We have some good news though,” Fiore said, trying to break the tension. “Aaron tracked down Aloysius and he’s coming for the wedding!”

  Christian and I exchanged looks. “Wow! That is great,” Christian said.

  “We need to go to Christian’s apartment,” I said. I couldn’t drop the issue yet. “He wants to see what was taken from there.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea? What if someone sees you?” Kalia’s face was drawn with worry.

  “We’ll go in the middle of the night. No one will see us.” I knew how to keep to the shadows.

  “It’s very possible his apartment was cleaned out already. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else is living there.” Aaron considered the possibilities.

  “Someone stole my money so I’m thinking they stole more than that, considering they have my bank account number. They had all the proper documents to close my accounts, with the exception of a forged death certificate,” Christian said.

  “When do you want to do this?” Aaron asked.

  “The sooner the better,” I answered. Christian nodded.

  “I’ll go with you,” Aaron said. “We can go tonight if you want.”

  We all looked at each other. Kalia agreed. “You’ll need a look-out. Lily can do that. Your transmitted images could be very helpful if someone shows up. Aaron and Christian can do the rest.”

  “It’s a plan then. Tonight,” I said.

  “Tonight,” three voices replied.

  “So, I’m dead,” Christian said, closing our bedroom door.

  “Well, technically, you are.”

  “Very funny. But the bank saw me. Now they know whoever closed my accounts lied. They’ll contact the police.”

  “Most likely, but there’s nothing we can do about that until they contact you. I’m not even sure they know how to contact you yet. In the mean time, we have to figure this out for ourselves,” I suggested.

  “You think Maia did this, don’t you?” He opened the suitcase and started shuffling through things.

  “I do,” I answered without hesitating. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “She’s not going to stay away forever. She’ll have to come back. Everything she owns is here,” he said, stepping away from the suitcase with one arm behind his back.

  “I know. That’s why I think we should leave, as soon as we’re married,” I replied, knowing how much it would hurt Kalia to lose both of us. “I don’t see how we have another choice.”

  “I know. Even if it was her, what can we do? Aaron and Kalia love her.”

  I nodded. They considered her a daughter and it would be devastating to them if they lost her. They were already suffering because of her staying away and not contacting them.

  Christian motioned for me to sit on the bed with him.

  He cleared his throat. “I may not have money now but…I can still give you this.” He brought his hand out from behind his back.

  “What is it?” We’d gotten some things he thought were important from his storage unit and left the rest. I couldn’t imagine what he was hiding in his hand.

  “Every bride-to-be must have an engagement ring. It was my mother’s,” he said, taking my left hand. He slowly slid the ring on my finger as he looked at my shocked face with a smile.

  I held my hand in front of me. My breath caught in my throat.

  “It’s beautiful!” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Are you sure you want me to wear this?”

  He pushed away from me to look at my face. “Of course. That’s why she gave it to me before she died.”

  I examined the ring, holding my hand out. It was white gold with a round garnet in the middle. On either side of the stone two little diamonds sparkled in the light. The fit was perfect, as if it had been made for me.

  “You didn’t think you were going to go without a ring, did you?” he asked with a smile.

  “I didn’t really think about it. The only thing that matters to me is that you’re mine.” I wrapped my arms around him again. He kissed my neck, sending chills up my back.

  “I love it! Did you know garnets are my favorite?”

  “Actually, no,” he admitted. “I guess you have something in common with my mother.”

  Shortly after midnight, Aaron came to our room to see if we were ready. I laughed when I saw the three of us had dressed in all black, as if we were going to rob a bank.

  “We’re ready,” Christian answered and we followed Aaron downstairs. Kalia and Fiore waited in the living room to see us off.

  “Good luck. Not that you’ll need it,” Fiore said.

  We left the car down the street and walked the rest of the way to Christian’s building. Christian and Aaron walked in as soon as they reached the front door. I went to the side of the building, where I stayed in the shadows. It was my job was to stay out of sight, watch, and listen for any sign of movement from the other apartments. I did so intently, hoping I would be able to deter anyone who suspected something. I held my breath when I heard footsteps until I realized it was Christian and Aaron coming back.

  There’s a padlock on the door…can’t break it without being heard…Aaron thought.

  I pointed to the window I knew was to Christian’s bathroom. It was the smallest window but the only one on this side of the building.

  That’s really high…what if it’s locked? Aaron thought and looked at Christian.

  Try opening it from here…Christ
ian’s eyes widened at my suggestion. I nodded encouraging him. It’s worth a try.

  Aaron watched the exchange between us with curiosity. We could hear his thoughts but he couldn’t hear ours. I couldn’t imagine how frustrating that must be. Christian stared at the window, his brow scrunched.

  It’s not working. It’s probably locked. Christian suggested.

  Then concentrate on the lock.

  As I watched the street and Aaron stood by us, I heard a click. Within seconds, the window slid up a few inches. Aaron smiled and Christian’s eyes lit up.

  “We can’t fit through that,” Christian whispered for Aaron’s benefit. “You’ll have to go.” I nodded.

  Aaron and Christian put their hands together so I could stand on them and launch myself from there. The window was higher than I was used to jumping, but once I was hanging from the ledge, Christian managed to open it all the way so I fit through it. I was thankful there was no screen to knock out. Standing on the bathroom floor, I waved to them before going to the hall. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

  The living room smelled like Christian but there was another smell mixed in, one that turned my stomach. Ian had been here. I put it out of my mind for the time being and started looking around.

  What exactly am I looking for?

  Anything out of place. You’ve been here. You know what it should look like, Christian’s thoughts replied.

  On the coffee table, I spotted an envelope. It didn’t have a return address so, rather than waste time, I shoved it in my back pocket. Nothing else in the living room looked out of place so I headed to the bedroom. His bed was as he’d left it, unmade, with his scent strongest there. A picture frame was laying face down on the normally empty nightstand. That was new. I picked it up.

  What is it? Lily? Christian asked.

  It’s…

  My neighbor’s coming! She’s in a different car! Get out now!

  Stay in the shadows…I’ll take care of it…

  I closed my eyes and pictured the side of the building, the driveway, as it should be – empty except for cars. I had no idea if it would work, considering I’d never met his neighbor. I pictured her getting out of a car and seeing nothing unusual as she walked to the front door. I concentrated and walked with her, seeing every step of the way to her apartment. She put her key in the lock, looking behind her once and shaking her head. Then, I heard the car that dropped her off backing out of the driveway and speeding away into the darkness.

  Are we clear? I finally took a breath.

  We’re clear. That was awesome, by the way! I saw everything you did.

  My hands shook as I held the picture. Putting images in people’s minds took extra energy, not to mention I was looking at something that didn’t make sense. I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and snapped a photo. After replacing the frame on the nightstand, exactly as it had been, I took one last look around the apartment and decided everything else looked as it did the last time I was here. I knew I shouldn’t take anything else so I headed back to the bathroom.

  I’m coming out. I warned so they could move out of the way. I hung on the outside ledge and dropped silently to the ground. Christian got to work on closing the window.

  Let’s get out of here! Aaron started running toward the street with us right behind him.

  When we reached the car, we finally spoke.

  “So, what did you find? What was in the frame?” Christian asked.

  I took my cell phone out of my pocket and scrolled to my photos. I looked at it again, my stomach turning. Christian turned in his seat so I handed it to him. His eyes widened.

  “It’s the woman that took me to Ireland!”

  Aaron looked at it. “And you have your arm around her. You’re smiling.”

  My breath caught in my throat again as I took the phone back and looked at it. “It’s not Maia.

  ~ Ten ~

  We showed Kalia and Fiore the picture I had taken of the photo in Christian’s room. Neither of them recognized the woman posing with Christian. I felt relief that it wasn’t Maia, but it was short lived because now the puzzle had gotten more complicated. Were all the events of the recent months connected? How many people were involved? With Ian dead, we should finally be free of all the trouble he had caused.

  “Oh…that reminds me,” I reached into my back pocket. “I did take one thing.” I handed Christian the envelope and saw the immediate surprise in his eyes. He pulled the contents out, considering it was already open, and began reading to himself.

  “What is it?” I asked, though he handed me the letter.

  “Apparently, I had a wife,” He turned to Aaron. “And she wasn’t very happy with me.”

  “What?” Fiore looked angry.

  We all looked at him. “According to this letter, I left her. I wanted a divorce and she was going to fight it. She begged to work things out.”

  All of us sat speechless.

  “How is it signed?” Fiore was the first to speak. I handed the letter back to Christian.

  “Love, Sam. That’s all,” he said. He crumpled the letter in one hand.

  “Sam? As in Samantha Maureen Fitzgerald? Like on the passport you saw,” I said. I turned the envelope over to look at the postmark. It was postmarked from Allentown, Pennsylvania.

  “Whoever is responsible for this did some serious planning.” Fiore took the wadded paper from Christian, smoothed/ it and handed it to Kalia.

  “So let me get this straight,” Kalia started, placing it on the coffee table. “You had a wife, left her, she wanted you back, and then, you died before you could make a decision?”

  “That sounds about right.” I stood, ready to go upstairs and forget about this for a little while. I reached out to take back the letter when Kalia grabbed my hand.

  “What’s this?” she asked, moving my hand toward Aaron so he could see.

  “It belonged to Christian’s mother. He gave it to me today.” I couldn’t help but beam as they admired my ring.

  In the days following our new discoveries, we solved nothing but paid no more attention to the puzzle. With the wedding date fast approaching, we threw ourselves wholeheartedly into the preparations. Aaron had all the proper documents made for Christian, since we needed to get our marriage license and he no longer had access to them. Kalia, Fiore, and I went to the bridal shop for one last fitting, the invitations were sent, the band picked, the flowers ordered, and the backyard was cleaned and landscaped to prepare for the ceremony and reception.

  It was to be a small, intimate wedding. Aloysius was arriving the day before and Aaron was beside himself with happiness. We listened to stories about him every chance we had. Though Aaron didn’t see him that often, he seemed to have a close relationship with him anyway and had nothing but good things to say.

  As the big day got closer, I felt more anxious and though I tried to hide it, Christian picked up on it.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked when we were finally alone in our room, after cleaning the entire first floor.

  “Nothing, why?”

  “I don’t know. You look…sad?” Christian had the remote hovering above his head, commanding it with a wave of his hand. His practice was really paying off.

  “I’m just nervous.” I dodged the remote and climbed up on the bed.

  “Cold feet?” He waved the remote to the nightstand and moved to my side.

  “Not at all. It’s just been too quiet lately. I keep expecting something to happen and when it doesn’t, it makes me more anxious.” I snuggled into his awaiting arms.

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I can protect you now.”

  “I know. I guess I’m afraid something will happen at our wedding. Tell me I’m being silly.” I looked up at his face.

  “You’re being silly,” he said and kissed me. “Our wedding is going to be perfect. You’ll see.”

  “I hope so.” The knot in my stomach stayed.

  We were all
anxiously awaiting the arrival of Aaron’s great-grandfather the next day. It was also the last night Christian and I would be in our own room before the wedding. Kalia was trying to make it as traditional as possible. Christian would spend the night in the living room with the men. Fiore and Kalia would spend time with me, once they finished decorating the backyard and the gigantic tent they had rented. I was glad I wouldn’t be spending the evening alone.

  As usual, the day dawned cloudy. The weather was much warmer than usual but it threatened to rain any minute. Aaron and Kalia left for the airport shortly after seven. The rest of us made sure everything was ready for Aloysius’s arrival.

  “It seems strange not having to worry about what our guests will be eating,” Christian cleared the kitchen table of our newspapers. “Why is there a refrigerator?”

  “It was in the house when they bought it. It’s not plugged in,” I explained and went to open the door. Christian smiled when he saw Kalia’s art supplies neatly stacked on the shelves that in any other household would contain food.

  “This is going to take some getting used to.” He smiled. “What happens if we do decide to eat food?”

  “Nothing really. We just have no need for it anymore. It doesn’t even seem appetizing to me. I think the only smell I still enjoy is the smell of coffee, cookies baking and chocolate, of course. Even so, I still don’t have the urge to eat or drink those things,” I explained.

  “It’s just weird not to hear my stomach growl.”

  When we heard the front door open, Christian and I exchanged looks of anticipation.

  “I guess it’s time,” Christian said as we met Fiore in the hallway.

  “Lily, Fiore, Christian, this is Aloysius,” Aaron said, setting down a suitcase.

  An impressive man moved into view. He was a bit shorter than Aaron but with the same facial features and green eyes. The biggest difference was that his long hair, tied in the back, was a black as deep as ebony. He dressed casually but impeccably, from his blue button-down shirt to his black jeans, and polished dress shoes. He stood and surveyed us from head to toe and for some reason, none of us dared to move. It wasn’t until he extended his hand to Fiore that the room seemed to relax.