The Seventh Key, page 2
“We thought we’d help you unpack,” Sue said. “Heather mentioned you were on your own. She saw you unloading the moving truck you rented. It can be overwhelming. I’m very good at organizing.”
“Mm-hm,” Lorna agreed from the kitchen doorway. “Sue has a talent for it.”
“I…” As the heat seeped into her fingers, Nina shifted the coffee in her hands. Although it smelled amazing, she would not drink anything a stranger handed her in an open container. “Thank you, but no.”
“Are you sure?” Sue asked. “We don’t mind.”
“I can see not wanting strangers digging through your belongings,” Heather said. “No worries. It was just an offer.”
“We ladies have to stick together,” Lorna added.
“No, that’s not it, is it?” Vivien tilted her head as she studied Nina. Her eyes moved as if reading her expression.
Nina tried not to show any emotion at the inspection. Her reaction to them had nothing to do with not wanting to make friends and everything to do with the whirlwind of activity they brought with them. Their energy filled the place, making it hard for Nina to breathe.
“Your worries go deeper, don’t they?” Vivien gave a sad smile and lifted a hand toward her. “What happened? Something bad, right? No. Worse than bad.”
Nina frowned. So that was it. They somehow knew about her past, and they came for the gossip. It wasn’t like the woman could psychically deduce something was wrong.
But how? Her name wasn’t in the papers.
Or was it? She should have checked for her name, not Teeter’s.
“Heather, I’m sorry. I don’t think this house is going to work out for me.” Nina tried not to consider the six-month rental agreement or the security deposit she’d be forfeiting.
“What? Why? Is there an issue?” Heather instantly began inspecting the room. “I have other properties. I’m happy to help you move into one of those instead as soon as they’re ready. All the completed units are occupied, but if you can give me a few weeks…”
“I mean, this town. I don’t think this town is going to work for me,” Nina corrected.
“Oh, no, did a job fall through?” Lorna asked. “I’m sure we can help with that.”
“It’s not fancy, but Jameson was talking about hiring extra help at the coffee shop,” Sue offered.
“No. It’s not a job,” Vivien answered for her.
Nina took a step back away from the woman. Vivien seemed so sure in her assessments. Nina didn’t like the invasion or the presumption.
“It’s me. I’m making her uncomfortable.” Vivien folded her hands in front of her. “Please forgive my familiarity. I sometimes get...”
“Nosy,” Heather finished.
“Focused,” Lorna said at the same time.
“Yes,” Vivien agreed. “Both of those.”
“You don’t have to tell us your life story,” Heather said. “Your business is your business.”
Nina nodded. Maybe she had overreacted. Every nerve in her body was on constant edge. Her hand shook, and she set the coffee cup down on the countertop.
“There’s nothing to tell,” she lied.
“I doubt that,” Lorna answered. “Well, if you won’t let us help unpack, can I at least make you lunch?”
“I haven’t been to the store,” Nina said by way of denial.
“Great, we’ll go out,” Vivien suggested. “Show you the town.”
Nina pulled nervously on the waist of her t-shirt. “My clothes are still packed.”
Sue pulled her phone from her back pocket. “Pizza delivery should be open.”
“I…” Nina glanced around at the expectant faces.
I don’t have money.
I don’t eat pizza. Ignore the pizza box in the trash.
“I’m running out of excuses,” Nina finally finished.
“Good!” Vivien exclaimed. “Lorna, will you do the honors?”
“Nina, what kind do you like?” Lorna asked.
“Anything,” Nina answered, not wanting to make the decision. But when Lorna kept looking at her, she said, “Barbeque chicken or Mediterranean or anything with a white sauce.”
“Interesting.” Lorna gave a nod of approval.
“Cheese sticks,” Heather said.
“Dessert sticks,” Vivien added.
“Got it and got it,” Lorna answered.
“Garlic bread,” Sue said. “Oh, and those little puffy things.”
“Are more people coming?” Nina asked.
The ladies shook their heads.
“Leftovers mean we don’t have to cook later,” Sue said.
“Pepperoni calzone,” Heather said. “Extra marinara.”
“Oh, two of those!” Vivien inserted.
“I’m calling now,” Lorna stated, holding her hand over her free ear as she listened to her phone. “Orders are closed.”
“Oh, sodas,” Heather added.
Lorna waved her hand at Heather.
“I see a box marked kitchen.” Sue pointed toward the corner where boxes were stacked in a pile. “Plates?”
“In one of those,” Nina answered.
“May I unpack?” Sue started for the boxes and stopped mid-gesture.
“Sure.” Nina knew she was outmaneuvered. It wasn’t just their enthusiastic nature and fast way of talking. There was that energy humming in the air as if it bounced off them and electrified the room.
Nina’s palm itched, and she rubbed it as she watched them. Vivien opened the blinds. The tiny specs of dust stirred in the sunlight, almost seeming to sparkle. Sue pulled open the box, breaking the seal of packing tape.
“Guys.” Sue stared into the box. She slowly reached in to pull out one of Nina’s bowls. The porcelain looked daintier than it was, with tiny flowers painted along the rim.
“Yeah?” Heather crossed to look at the bowl.
Vivien joined them. “So, we were right.”
Nina frowned. Right about what?
“I don’t think it’s worth anything. It is from a dish set my mother had since I was a little girl.” Nina tried to look inside the dish without moving from where she stood.
Sue carried it to her. Something clinked softly inside it. “I found your ring.”
“You should put it on so you don’t lose it,” Vivien added.
Nina glanced to see a ring with a large oval stone on it. She shook her head. “That’s not mine. I don’t wear jewelry. Earrings sometimes, but that’s it.”
The energy in the air became more robust, as if lightning would appear over her head at any moment. A sense of panic filled her as Sue leaned closer. Nina took a step back to keep her distance.
“They said thirty minutes.” Lorna rejoined the group. “But Jimmy is driving, so that means it’ll be at least forty. Unless he stops to see his girlfriend, then an hour.”
“They broke up,” Vivien said.
“Again?” Heather shook her head and sighed.
“His dumbass told her he wanted a hall pass when he was married,” Vivien said. “She threw him out of her car.”
“I’ll set the ring right here, so you don’t lose it.” Sue put the bowl on the passthrough counter. She returned to the box and began pulling out stacks of dishes.
“Excuse me.” Nina backed into the hallway and ducked into her bathroom.
Locking herself in, she took several deep breaths and stared into the mirror. The word banshee came to mind. Streaks of white hair had spread through the brunette, especially at the temples. Someone had told her trauma would do that, but it could have just been age too. Or the fact she’d stopped going to the hairdresser.
Even her hazel eyes looked dull, like a sheen of blah had just taken up residence on her face.
When had she started looking so old? And tired? She was only forty-six.
It was like she’d blinked, and suddenly she had smile lines and wrinkles.
How could she have developed smile lines when she hadn’t been smiling?
“You can’t hide in here,” she told her reflection.
Nina grabbed a black scrunchie to tame her hair and quickly washed her face. It helped a little, but she again found herself staring at her reflection.
“You can’t stay in here. They’re nice ladies. They’re not here to harm you. This is what small-town people do.”
She waited for her reflection to answer and then figured it was lucky when it didn’t.
Nina cracked open the door and listened.
“…too many boxes?” Sue asked. “I don’t want to overstep.”
“Maybe we were too pushy.” Lorna sounded worried. “We can be a little overwhelming, especially when we’re excited. Do you think the muffins were too much? I want her to feel welcome.”
“There is a ring,” Vivien stated as if that was an actual answer to anything.
“I have to trust my gut on this one,” Heather said. “She—”
“Shh,” Vivien shushed. “Where is that Jimmy? I’m starving.”
“Have a muffin,” Lorna said.
“You should make cheesy calzone muffins,” Vivien answered.
“Interesting thought,” Lorna drawled.
Nina came out of the bathroom wondering what Heather had started to say before Vivien redirected the conversation.
“Kitchen’s unpacked.” Sue motioned to where the pile of boxes had been minutes before.
Nina glanced at the empty space. The boxes were broken down and stacked in a pile near the door. With her one-box-a-day plan, this put her about a week ahead of schedule. “All of them?”
“Yeah, we’re not kidding when we say she’s magic when it comes to organizing.” Vivien’s smile seemed a little strange as if she laughed at a private joke.
The house appeared cleaner, but she was unsure if that was because the kitchen boxes were cleared away. The dust specs were no longer floating in the light. The little swirls she had drawn in the dust on the kitchen bar were wiped away. Instead, place settings had been set up. Her mother’s bowl holding the ring had been positioned within view next to one of the plates.
Nina stared at the ring and resisted the urge to pick it up. She wasn’t sure how it had gotten into her moving box.
“It’s pretty,” Lorna said.
Nina frowned. “Excuse me?”
“The ring. It’s pretty,” she clarified.
“Looks like an antique,” Heather added, touching a ring on her own hand. The jewelry seemed out of place for someone in flannel and work boots looking like she was about to take on a construction project.
Nina wasn’t sure why her gaze moved from hand to hand. Each of them wore what looked to be antique rings. Her suspicious mind conjured up all kinds of conspiracies. Why were the women here? What was it with the rings? Why did they seem to want her to put one on so badly? She knew it didn’t belong to her, and no amount of gaslighting would make her believe it did. What was their angle?
Her eyes moved to the coffee cup they had brought. She wanted it but couldn’t bring herself to drink it. She hadn’t seen the liquid poured, and there was no way to force them to taste test it first without looking like a crazy lady.
But maybe she was a crazy lady.
“If you all like it so much, take it,” Nina said. “It’s not my ring. Maybe the last tenant left it here.”
“It’s not…” Lorna looked at Heather as if desperate for support.
Heather gave a helpless shrug.
Lorna gestured toward Nina and jerked her head as if silently telling Heather to speak.
Heather sighed. “Nina, do you believe in powers beyond our control?”
Nina felt the tension in her chest ease and gave a small laugh. “Oh, you all want to convert me. That’s what this is. Listen, thank you for the offer but I’m not interested in changing religions. I was born Baptist, and though I’m not exactly practicing, I’m not looking to join another club.”
She crossed to the front door and held it open. “But thank you for stopping—”
“We’re not…” This time Lorna looked at Vivien for help. “Should we just…?”
“We’re not converting you. We’re here to help you. It doesn’t make sense now, but it will. You’re going to have to trust us.” Vivien’s tone was blunter than Heather’s. “Did anything strange happen to you before you moved here?”
Nina stared at the woman, not answering. The tightness returned. She didn’t want to talk about any of this.
“Just keep an open mind and listen to what we’re about to say,” Sue said. “Have you experienced anything strange?”
Like four women barging into her home and trying to get her to put on a stupid ring?
“Electrical surges? Televisions that come on by themselves?” Lorna asked.
“The electric seems fine here,” Nina answered.
“Sounds you can’t explain? Objects appearing to have moved on their own? Strange smells?” Sue swept her hand over the countertop and toyed with the place settings.
Nina remembered the feeling of being drugged, of her vision swimming and hallucinations that didn’t make any sense.
“Ghosts,” Vivien inserted candidly. “Disembodied voices. Demonic—”
“I think you should leave.” Nina continued to hold the door. “I don’t think this whole haze the new girl in town is funny.”
“No, we’re not hazing—” Sue tried to say.
“Please, I’m sorry. I can’t do this now.” Nina gestured at the door. “Thank you for the coffee and muffins and the welcome, but I have a busy schedule and…”
“We understand,” Heather stated for the group. “We’ll go.”
Sue and Lorna left first.
Vivien paused in the doorway. “Pizza is paid for. Keep it. Enjoy. Welcome to Freewild Cove.”
Heather picked up the stack of cardboard and carried it out. “You have my number. Call if you need anything. Anything.”
“Thank you.” Nina couldn’t help but feel a little rude as she shut the door and locked it, but she didn’t invite them back in. She was the first to admit her social skills were off, and it was difficult to read people’s intentions, but those ladies were odd.
Standing with her back against the door, she waited for the sound of their cars driving into the distance before moving to close the blinds. As the room darkened and silence resumed, she felt a little better.
“Coffee,” she whispered, heading toward the kitchen to make a pot. She grabbed the to-go cup and dumped the latte in the sink. It smelled amazing, but she needed to remain vigilant. She didn’t know these women, and even children knew you didn’t take candy from strangers. That was one lesson she’d learned the hard way.
Chapter Three
Ghosts.
The idea was utter nonsense, but Nina still found herself staring at the ceiling, listening for the thud she had heard moments before. She held a slice of cold pizza in her hand. Since it came from a restaurant and was meant for all the ladies, she decided she could risk eating it.
That, and it was the only food in the house.
Her mother’s bowl was turned upside down on the counter to hide the ring. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why they wanted her to put it on. Was it some joke or challenge? Or a scavenger hunt? Whoever convinced her won their game?
“You have trust issues,” she muttered, “and ghosts aren’t real.”
As if to dispute the claim, another thud sounded overhead.
Nina set the pizza down on a plate. She used to love meeting people. Growing up in her neighborhood, they always had potlucks and street parties. As an adult, she had easily talked to new people.
That all stopped the night she got lucky.
Fear rode around inside her chest like a hard knot that stopped her from catching her breath. It paralyzed her and made her want to sit in dark corners where no one could find her. She didn’t want to be alone, but she couldn’t be around people.
There were times when she didn’t feel as if she were in her body. Nothing mattered, and everything around her was purgatory. Maybe she hadn’t survived.
Sliding her plate aside, she lifted the bowl to uncover the ring. The jewelry was more prominent than she’d normally wear on the rare occasion she felt the need. She touched it with the tip of her finger and felt a tiny static shock.
Another thud sounded. She tried not to look up. Reason would tell her that each house made its own noises, and it took a while to learn those sounds.
Her phone rang. The sudden noise caused her to jolt in surprise.
She looked toward the bedroom. Only a few people had her new number.
It continued to ring.
“You have to answer,” she told herself. “It could be important.”
Nina forced her feet to move. Daily life had become a chore.
She grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and glanced at the screen before answering, “Yes?”
“Nina, it’s Jacob Paddock.”
The introduction wasn’t necessary. She recognized his voice. He was an investigator for the district attorney’s office and one of the few people who knew her story. In fact, he’d been one of the first to get her to talk about it. He’d visited with her in the hospital right after she’d been found.
“Where are you?” Jacob asked.
“I don’t want to say.” Nina pulled the charger out of the phone and headed back toward the living room.
“You sound worried. Are you safe?”
“I think so.” She glanced at the ceiling.
“Are you at home? I’m on my way over,” Jacob sounded adamant.
“I’m not there. A reporter was sniffing around. They followed someone from the DA’s office to my house.”
“Are you sure?” Jacob knew how paranoid she could be, especially right after it happened. She’d seen people following her everywhere.
“Yes. They came to my door asking all kinds of questions. I lied and said I had gone for a deposition subpoena for a minor workplace accident. I didn’t want to risk being outed, so I,” she sighed and mumbled, “left. I moved.”
“Hotel?”
“No.” She bounced the tip of her finger against the ring to see if it would shock her again. It didn’t.
“I need to talk to you.”
“You are talking to me.”
