| "Chapter 16" |
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 Email.....the message left said she would derive her flight plans from email. Perhaps the woman was mistaken in thinking Avaya had access to anything worth anything in the form of technology. She had responded to the add using a neighbor's cell phone and the reply was written in a hasty script on the back of an old envelope and slipped under her door. Many days had passed at that point, as though the response written to her was in afterthought. Oh gods what if the offer no longer stands? Can she really take the chance of not pursuing it? So here she was with the last forty dollars she had in her pocket, after paying the cab the cost it took to take her to the airport. Airports have those little cafes, the ones with phones for credit cards and laptops bolted to tabletops for a 30 minute fee. She'll check her old email account there, the one she had opened during her last job as a means of her employers to communicate with her when they were out of town for extended periods. It hadn't been accessed in the last month, but she passes by the counter buying a small latte and 30 minutes of internet time for $5. The busy buzz of travellers recesses in her ears to a low din as she focuses on the message sent her....looks at the date...over 2 weeks ago! OH No!! She manages to type out a hasty reply through the blur of hot tears that flood her eyes, they threaten to spill over but she angrily sweeps them away as they impede her response. ~~I've been unwittingly delayed. I'm more than interested, desperate even to please. I'm still coming!! If I should find the position already filled then allow me the opportunity to meet with you in person and express my gratitude in having the opportunity to apply. If it's still available I'll explain everything regarding my circumstances surrounding my untimely delay and apologize profusely for the inconvenience this may have caused. I only pray that I'm not too late. Sincerely Avaya Moreau.~~ The printed invoice spelling out Vilona's instructions clenched in fist, she bends to gather her belongings. They fit all into a medium duffel she can carry easily on her own. The few outfits she owns and has bought herself in the last two years is minimal in weight, as are the small collection of toiletries housed in the pockets. She owns one pair of shoes which she is wearing at the momment, and the other are pretty flipflops purchased during a random street fair. There is no jewelry, no photos, no clunky objects to weigh her down. She took only the best she had, leaving the rest in the apartment for the next tenant should they want them and she doesn't return to it. Everything was left where they were last placed, her towels, her linens, her teapot...all banking on the hopes that this last gamble is the golden crown trio. Taking a steeling breath to calm the flighted flutter of her heart beating against her chest in morose suffocation flop, clenching the warm coffee in the other fist, and pasting a placid smile on her face, she waits in line to approach the flight counter. Eyes drifting over the huff of hurried travellers, the complaint of a business man crisp in his versace barking into a cell phone his woes of delay and leaving home twice in one week, of babies crying in the distance, and a child crowing for licorice at the dutyfree, of families laughing and reuniting in the passageways. They all have somewhere to be, but does she? Once reaching the check in countertop, the invoice is taken by a pretty blond with entirely too stiff a hairstyle that doesn't move a whisp as the woman bustles and speaks and types. Her coffee is forgotten on the counter so she can scratch at her arm in a subconscious gesture of unease. The blonde verifies the invoice with the availability of an e-ticket in a swift manner, denoting whether Avaya's flight has expired or not, before slapping a sticky label and number to Avaya's carry-on. ~~Here you go Ms.Moreau!! Gate 84, and your flight leaves in forty minutes~~ The woman efficiently slides the tickets across the counter, while simultaneously pointing out the way. Her hair never moves. As Avaya stares dumbly at the ticket, half in disbelief that it's materialized in front of her and she's actually leaving, the woman pipes up an encouraging ~~Well go on sweety!! They're waiting for you....~~ And she winks, tilting her chin over Avaya's head to signal the next in line. Distantly she knows she thanked the woman and took possession of the ticket, imagining it glowing hotly in her palm. Her first flight... The minutes pass like water trickling down the sink, and she soon finds herself safely tucked into a little window seat, the waistbelt snugly at her hips to secure her as they take off. The rush off the ground speeding by followed with the acceleration of the craft pressing her to the back of her seat, the whip of the grass and land receding to billow of cloud. She speeds toward her destination....speeds towards her destiny perhaps. And the funny thing is, at this moment in time suspended above the earth...she's never felt more safe... ~~Colorado....~~ Vilona reaches for the door, but the handle turns before she touches it. The dark eyed woman standing within the door nods slowly never letting her gaze move from Vilona’s piercing green eyes. “You will show me to her chambers unannounced and silent.” Again the woman only nodded slowly and turned to lead her guest as commanded. Lord Moconra followed Vilona into Janni’s bed chambers. Janni had placed herself in Torpor 2 months prior. She lay there naked upon her bed with jewels and makeup to adorn her as her custom of wear. Vilona removed the ceremonial knife from her thighband and held it over Janni’s comatose body. Moconra nodded his approval. With the coldness of pure evil Vilona severed Janni’s head in one vengeful swoop. The black blood oozed slowly from the body as the head landed with a thud on the floor. Stepping out of the cab, Vilona approached the arriving plane on the BlackForest Inn airstrip. Her eyes were vacant and brimmed with crimson tears. The deed was done, but it did not bring her the peace she had expected. He is still gone, and she is still alone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Faoland and Lewis had finally arrived in Delaware. Lewis had nodded off several times during the trip, but Faoland was wide awake and quite alert. Answers were to be found in a safety deposit box in a bank in Dover, and she could hardly wait. "Amazing," she thought as she exited I-95 at Newark, Delaware and pulled into a Cracker Barrel Restaurant. "All this time and Dad is just now ALLOWING me to have my answers." She took a deep breath, tried not to become exasperated at her Father until she knew more, and turned to Lewis as she came to a stop in a parking spot in front of the restaurant. "Lewis? We're here," she said as she nudged Lewis gently with her elbow. "Come on...wake up. Let's go have that New England-brisk morning-with a roaring fire-breakfast you so wanted to have last night. I don't know if they have a fire going in the fireplace or not. If not, maybe they'll light one for you, if you ask nicely," she said as she opened the car door. Lewis rubbed his eyes and got out. He stood beside the car and stretched a minute before reaching in to toss his coat into the back seat. They had both shed their coats after the car had warmed up enough for the heater to distribute its warmth, but Lewis had used his for a blanket as he slept. It had helped to keep the headlights and streetlights out of his eyes. Faoland shut her car door and waited at the front of her vehicle as Lewis shut his and walked towards her. She pressed the locking button on her keyless entry and then proceeded to the restaurant entrance. Lewis leaned passed her and opened the door for her to enter. The air was quite chilly this morning...below freezing, but inside, the warmth and wonderful breakfast smells were very enticing. Lewis drew in a deep breath. "Ohhhhh...it smells delicious!" "Yes...it does." "I'm going to try some of everything on the menu!" Lewis exclaimed. Faoland rolled her eyes and smiled. She knew they had a large breakfast platter that would allow Lewis to sample all the breakfast items. She, on the other hand...wanted a bottomless coffee. Now that they were almost to their destination, she was beginning to relax...which meant she would soon be sleepy. She wanted to remain alert for the last leg of the journey. They were escorted to their table by a plump, older woman. She placed their menus in front of them as they seated themselves. Another woman, much younger and thinner, came by momentarily to offer coffee and suggest breakfast items to Lewis. Faoland didn't need suggestions...she wanted bacon, toast and potato casserole. She used to eat eggs...but she hadn't eaten them since her Mother's disappearance. She never had liked the way anyone else had cooked eggs. Only her Mother knew how to fix them just like Faoland liked. "What a random thought," Faoland puzzled to herself as she sipped her coffee. "I hadn't thought of my Mother fixing eggs for years." "Ohhhhh...I'm so hungry. I hope they hurry with the food," Lewis said in between sips of coffee. "Yeah, their service is pretty fast, I think. Did you notice, Lewis? They have their fireplace going. I know we aren't right next to it, but you can still see it if you look down the aisle." "Yes, it makes for a very cozy atmosphere. Thanks, Faoland." "For what?" "For remembering what I wanted this morning. You are still the most pleasing person I know." Faoland smiled, "You are welcome, Lewis. It was the least I could do after dragging you out of bed in the middle of the night." Just then the food arrived. The waitress served them, then came back with refills for their coffee. Lewis ate like he hadn't seen food in a week. Faoland thought that he must have really been hungry...or hadn't eaten much in a while. She decided it must have been the latter. Faoland ate, too, but not with the vigor of Lewis. She was anxious to get to that deposit box at the bank. "Soon," she promised herself..."soon." They finished their breakfast, paid, left the parking lot and got back on I-95. They drove until they saw the exit for Highway 1 South, which would take them directly into Dover. Once there, they located the bank, parked the car, and went inside. Faoland approached the lady seated at the desk right inside the door. She requested the safety deposit box 1425. The lady asked that Faoland follow her, but when Lewis tagged along, she said, "Sorry, only one person at a time." Lewis found a chair and picked up a magazine. Faoland followed the lady down a narrow hall and was told to wait in one of the small rooms at the end of that hall. A moment later, the lady returned with box 1425 and sat it on the table in front of Faoland. The banker lady pulled the curtains closed, Faoland pulled up a chair and sat at the table to look through the contents. She inserted the key, flipped the lid back, and looked inside box 1425. There were three notebooks, a diary, two manila envelopes, a couple of photos, and a few old newspaper clippings. Faoland examined each piece carefully. The notebooks looked like her Father's handwriting. Two of the notebooks had dates in them from before her Mom's disappearance. One notebook included dates after her Mother was gone. The diary appeared to be her Mother's. The two manila envelopes contained documents, transcripts, a few more photos from two different private investigators. Both envelopes had included any and all police reports concerning her Mother, plus any photos of suspects and investigating officers. The loose photos were wedding photographs of her Mother and Father. All the newspaper clippings were articles concerning her Mother's disappearance from various newspapers from around the state. It seemed like everything Faoland needed to know was going to be in the notebooks and diary...so she gathered everything together and left the box and key on the table. She told the lady about leaving the box and collected Lewis as she left the bank. "Let's get a room at that hotel down the street," Faoland nodded in the direction of the hotel. "I want to examine some of this stuff now." "Very well," was all that Lewis said as they both opened their car doors and slid into their seats. After Lewis fastened his seat belt, Faoland passed him the stack of papers from the deposit box, fastened her seat belt, then drove to the hotel and checked in. "Niceeeeee," Lewis said as they entered their posh hotel room. He headed for the rest room to freshen up and Faoland set everything she had gotten from the deposit box on the nearest bed. She turned the lamp on then sat next to the papers and thumbed through everything once again. When Lewis returned, he tossed the comforter back, plumped the pillow, then stretched out on the second bed. "Let me know if you need me. I'm going to take a nap." "Ok," Faoland said absent mindedly as she concentrated on reading the newspaper articles. It would be a while before she resurfaced again and Lewis knew it. He also knew she would ask her questions after reading through all the papers. So, with everything so quiet, he drifted off to sleep. She would wake him when she was ready.
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