Aria (The Aria Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  The house had started to chill and as I adjusted the heater, realized that I hadn’t seen Nico yet. He usually was inside by this time of night or at least whining at the front door but he still hadn’t managed to find his way home tonight. I wasn’t too alarmed. He was a friendly dog and was well known, and luckily well-liked by all our neighbors, but I certainly didn’t want him left outside at night.

  I went out the front door and called him but he never came. There was a long cement walkway that ran in front of the houses along the beach. I closed the door behind me and wandered down the path toward Mrs. Turley’s house. She was an elderly lady who had been a widow for as long as I could remember and spent her time knitting and playing bridge with her friends. She was a sweet, gentle woman and never seemed to complain when the noise level at our place hit astronomical proportions. However, at her age, it was quite possible she never even heard it at all. The woman was at least ninety years old.

  I crossed her small porch, which was filled with potted plants and bird feeders and rapped my knuckles loudly on her glass door. It took her awhile to answer it but she grinned when she saw me through the glass, waving her glasses that she held in her hand.

  “Hello dear!” she said gaily as she opened the door.

  “Hi Mrs. Turley, how are you?” I asked, giving her a light hug and touching cheeks.

  “Good dear. What happened to your head?” She balanced her glasses precariously on the end of her nose and stared up at me. She was only about four feet nine. For being an older gal, she didn’t miss a beat.

  “Oh,” I said, touching the bandage on my forehead. “Nothing..long story but I had to get a few stitches. I’m ok.” I felt bad misleading her but I really didn’t want to get into it.

  “Shit happens,” she said, patting my arm. “It truly does.” I tried not to look too surprised. Mrs. Turley never did talk and behave as one would expect from someone so old.

  “Thank you. Um…you haven’t seen Nico by the way have you? He’s out and about again.”

  She was already shaking her head. “He never comes here, dear. I don’t have any treats for him but I know he’s pretty popular down the way. Try the Bentleys place or try the new neighbor.” She gestured next door. “Have you met him yet?”

  “Um, no, but I’ll check there next.” I immediately knew that was where Nico had to be. There was a new face in the neighborhood and he would be the perfect person to pester, whine at and beg from.

  “He’s very sweet. He had so much to do, moving in and all, but he hung my new bird feeder for me just this morning.” She gestured toward her patio and the new addition hanging there. “I didn’t see a lady friend with him. Maybe you should go talk to him anyway.”

  “Mrs. Turley, are you trying to get me a date?”

  “I don’t think you need any help in that department, honey,” she grinned at me.

  I smiled back at her. “Go back inside before you catch cold.”

  She waved at me and I waited as she closed the door and locked it. I left her patio, tiptoeing so as not to slip on the extra birdseed that always seemed to accumulate there, and headed down the path. I came to the rental but found no sign of Nico on the porch. The lights were on inside and the sliding door was open. I leaned inside and cupped my mouth with my hand. I hollered if anyone was home. I got no response but thought I heard music coming from upstairs. I strained my ears and could vaguely make out the sound of water running; it sounded like the shower. I hadn’t been in the Knapp’s house in over a year but it was exactly as I remembered it - warm colored hardwood on the floors, delicate track lighting and a gorgeous contemporary kitchen with dark cherry cabinets and granite countertops. I knew it couldn’t remain vacant for long.

  I could see most of the kitchen from the doorway and part of the living room, as the design was similar to my own place. It was obvious that someone had just moved in and my curiosity instantly blossomed. There were a fair number of boxes in the kitchen and on the table, some opened, some not. There were more boxes and artwork stacked neatly along the walls and a new leather couch sat in the living room, still covered in its delivery plastic.

  In that instant, a flash of brown caught my eye and I saw Nico scramble down the stairs with a lone, ratty sneaker in his mouth.

  “Oh my…Nico! Get out of there!” He stopped at the bottom step with his ears perked and stared at me, wiggling his little body.

  “Get over here! Nico come!” He ignored me completely and looked back up the steps.

  “Don’t you dare!” I slapped my leg and in that instant he jumped at me, paws splayed out, head down, ready to play.

  “No! This isn’t a game…you…ugh!” I tiptoed into the house, cursing under my breath, and headed toward him. As I got closer, the little shit ran away from me. I chased him a few times around the kitchen and then, to my horror, he bolted down the dark hallway toward the garage. “God-dammit, Nico!” I spat between clenched teeth. He was no longer visible. I thought briefly about retrieving his dog treats from the house so I could lure him out but I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave him alone for even that short amount of time. I only had two choices, go after him and pray that I didn’t get caught or leave him in this stranger’s beautiful house to lift his leg and chew things up. My eyes flicked toward the stairs. I could still hear the water running, it might be ok. I had some time. I eyed the gorgeous leather couch in the living room and wondered how quickly Nico could gnaw his way through the delivery plastic. Then, against my better judgment, I marched determinedly down the hall, wondering how I would explain myself to Sam in case I accidentally gutted him.

  I moved quickly, rehearsing some kind of explanation in my head for the police, just in case. The shower was still running and I listened to it intently, knowing full well that its sudden shutoff would be my only alarm. I started sweating, my heart picking up in intensity. Nico was nowhere to be seen. I panicked momentarily, stopping halfway down the hall when the song on the stereo abruptly ended, and imagined Nico chewing ferociously on the cord. At least he might electrocute himself in the process, I thought. Another song began to play and I breathed a sigh of relief. More noise to mask my approach. The shower continued…

  I ventured on and neared three doors, one on my right, one in the middle and one on my left. The one on the right should be the garage, same as at my house, and the one in the middle was the front door. However, the door to my left was foreign to me; I didn’t have an extra room downstairs. It was slightly ajar and I knew it was the only place that Nico could have possibly escaped to. I pushed the door gently and found myself in an office of sorts. It was small but tastefully decorated with a light gray paint on the walls and leather furniture. A desk sat at one end, scantily adorned with some papers, a laptop and a man’s wrist watch. The jacket of a business suit was draped casually over its surface and, again, I briefly speculated about the identity of the home’s occupant. A business man perhaps? A comfortable looking loveseat sat at the other end of the room and the wall opposite me was smothered in framed pictures.

  I stood frozen in the doorway, for fear of disrupting the room, and scanned its interior for Nico. I whispered his name and he bounded out of a small closet near the loveseat, the ratty shoe still stuck in his mouth. I breathed another sigh of relief, appreciative that he hadn’t upgraded to a $300 loafer. He trotted happily toward me and, miraculously, bounded out the door when I asked him to. I felt myself exhale and then jumped about three feet when a sudden noise erupted from the desk. “Fuck!” I barked loudly, grasping my chest in alarm. My head snapped that direction and I watched as a cell phone vibrated violently out from under the gray fabric of the suit jacket. The phone danced briefly across the desk and I glared at it, chuckling nervously and patting my chest with reassurance. It then silenced itself and I quickly turned to leave but stopped suddenly when something else caught my attention. It was something I hadn’t noticed before, something that did not belong – a glint of metal that was nearly camouflaged against the dark gray color of the suit jacket. A handgun, sitting snugly in its holster, innocently lay among the soft folds of the fabric. My heart jumped at the sight. A businessman with a gun?

  I never got the chance to mentally argue why it might be there. At that instant, I heard the water shut off and I turned back abruptly, nearly twisting my ankle as I ran down the hall. I was making far too much noise than I wanted to. There was a table in the center of the kitchen and Nico took off around it when he saw me coming but I was faster. I turned around and doubled back, catching him in my arms as he rounded the corner. He squealed when I grabbed him but I didn’t care. I hurried outside, closing the door quietly behind me and ran, with Nico in my arms, all the way home.

  Chapter 3

  I awoke with a start, panting and sweating, as my nightly dream came to its abrupt and drastic conclusion. I was having these bad dreams almost every night, not completely unusual for me, but they certainly had increased in frequency ever since the night at the club. I tried, with little success, to ignore them but I found their haunting remnants creeping into my brain at the most inopportune moments and today would be no different. They were frightening, haunting images – abstract and dark, that never seemed to have much surface. They would then end in one of two ways: with my death or with…salvation. It was the only way I could explain it. This heavenly melody would slowly emerge from the depths, drowning out the terror and carrying me away from the dark, away from the madness and out of the black abyss that was my mind. I welcomed these moments and found myself craving their comfort, their light and wishing, almost desperately, that I wouldn’t wake up.

  I rolled over and glanced at my nightstand. My cell phone read three am and I sighed heavily, knowing full well what that meant. I was going to have to try and go back
to sleep. I threw back the covers, deciding a bathroom break might be in order and cringed when my bare feet touched the cold, hard floor. I wandered out of my room and Nico met me in the hall, sitting immediately on his haunches and thumping his tail determinedly against the floor. I ignored him, stumbling into the bathroom and not bothering to close the door. He watched me pee and eagerly headed toward the stairs when I had finished. I sighed and said nothing, aimlessly following him down the staircase and toward the front door. I unlocked it quickly and ordered him to hurry as he bolted through. I shivered immediately at the small gust of wind that managed to find its way inside.

  I was standing there, my head against the doorjamb, when sudden movement caught my attention. Our porch lamp threw little light across the darkened pathway but something had definitely crossed it. I started to open the door, thinking it was Nico, but gasped instantly when I saw what it was. I shut the door immediately and engaged the deadbolt. It wasn’t Nico at all, or anything small for that matter. It was larger, taller and it looked briefly like the silhouette of a man. It turned, moving quickly down the path, alarmed by my sudden appearance and began to disappear out of sight. My heart raced and I turned, bolting up the staircase two at a time. It might be nothing, I assured myself. Someone could simply be taking a walk….at three am….in the middle of the foggy night.

  I ran into my bedroom and headed for the window, knowing it was the only spot in the house that would give me a vantage point of the street. Most of the homes along Seal Beach were built right next to each other but every so often there was a break between them so locals could access the beach. It was the only escape he had unless he chose to venture out onto the beach itself. I scanned the street for a few moments and then I saw him. Sure enough, he was emerging from one of these breaks several homes over. I watched as he crossed the small street and climbed into the passenger side of a small sedan. The car innocently sat there as voluminous white fumes billowed from its exhaust in the cool night air. I studied the vehicle intently but it was too far away to read the license plate or identify it in any way. The left taillight flickered briefly and the car carefully pulled away. I gripped the windowsill and stared after it until it was long gone and out of sight. I exhaled loudly, and rubbed my face with my hands. “You’re being ridiculous,” I said aloud and managed a small chuckle. I forced myself from the window and climbed back into bed, snuggling deep within my sheets and pulling them securely around my neck. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep and the rest of the night remained drama-free.

  My alarm woke me precisely at seven and my thoughts instantly went to the man outside my window. I tried to convince myself it was nothing. There was any number of reasons why he might have been there. He could have been visiting a friend or he could have been looking for a lost pet…the possibilities were endless. I shook my head, disgusted with myself once again. I knew what I needed, a distraction of some kind, something to keep my imaginative brain busy. I usually hit the gym when I was stressing out but Sam seemed to get upset even at that. I didn’t understand how something good for you could be considered self-destructive. I went almost every day and it was the perfect distraction for me. I didn’t do it to stay in shape. I did it because it was the perfect place to unleash all my energy. Regardless of what I chose to do, Sam had truly hit the nail on the head – it had been a rough year indeed.

  I sighed deeply and pushed the covers back on my bed. I had classes today and, with all the tests and papers I had on the horizon, I knew I couldn’t miss my lectures. I made my way to the bathroom and cleaned up, brushing my teeth and splashing some cold water on my face. I could barely get a comb through my tangled hair. I didn’t look so good. My face looked haggard, aged, as if I hadn’t slept in days, which wasn’t far from the case. My olive skin was sallow and my dark hair was limp and dry, lifeless really. I was in desperate need of some highlights or any kind of salon-ridden help but I quickly cast the thought aside with an exasperated sigh. It wasn’t something I had money for anyway. Even though my grandmother’s house was paid off, I still had property taxes and the usual bills to pay. If it weren’t for Sam pitching in, I wouldn’t be able to make it at all.

  I shot my eyes with some Visine, their usual hazel shade drowning in a sea of red and swept my lashes with two coats of mascara. I peeled my leggings and shirt off from the previous day and tossed them into the hamper. I had gotten used to falling asleep in my clothes. As I dressed, I eyeballed the weather outside and frowned, another cloudy day. The usual mix of sun and clouds had evaded us for nearly a week now and had been replaced by a more ominous climate. I sighed again and discarded any thoughts of riding my bike to school. With weather like this, I could just picture myself pushing my bike in the rain or having to call Sam to come and get me. Car it was. I packed up my laptop and loaded up a few books. I also slipped the gold pendant in one of the inner pockets of my pack, reminding myself to swing by the hospital to return it. They clearly had put it in the wrong bag that night.

  I found Sam downstairs, wrapping up her daily exercise routine and clamoring for coffee. I happily obliged, putting twice as many grounds in the filter. I filled the back of it up with water and pushed start. Clearly, I was going to need 2 cups of coffee today.

  I perched myself on one of the kitchen stools and reached for the box of cereal in front of me. I munched on its remnants and started telling Sam about my ‘distraction’ idea. She loved it of course, and I instantly knew she had already been thinking the same thing. I needed a new hobby, a new job, a new…something, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if she had already made up some kind of list for me.

  A sudden knock came from the front door. Sam shot me a puzzled look, peeling herself off her yoga mat, and walked over to answer it. She glanced out the front window to catch a glimpse of our visitor and smiled at me when she reached for the knob.

  “What?” I whispered.

  Sam pulled the door open and standing there was a younger man wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and sunglasses. He was of average height with an athletic, muscular build and had short dark hair. I had never seen him before but I knew, without a doubt, that it must be our new neighbor. I felt a sudden surge of panic start to wash over me.

  “Hi, I know it’s early but I think I have something that belongs to you.” He turned to the side and whistled lightly, tapping his leg, and then Nico stepped into view. My jaw started to fall away but I said nothing. Poor dog. I had forgotten all about him.

  “No way!” Sam exclaimed. “He got out? I had no idea he was out! I thought he was sleeping in your room!” She shot me a glance. I shook my head and shrugged. I didn’t want to get into it, I was feeling lame enough as it was.

  “Where was he?” Sam asked, as Nico bounded into the house. He immediately trotted toward his dog bed.

  “Sleeping on my porch, making himself comfortable,” said our neighbor.

  Sam laughed at this. “Nico’s notorious for catching naps on other people’s patios. I hope he didn’t chew on your cushions or shed all over them. He’s a big shedder. You wanna lint brush? We have a zillion. I’m Sam, by the way,” she said, smiling brightly and thrust out her hand.

  Our neighbor took off his sunglasses and I thought I heard Sam gasp. My jaw dropped as he stepped closer and I actually saw his face.

  “Jack Sullivan,” he said, reaching out and taking Sam’s hand. She actually giggled as she looked him up and down. She didn’t release his hand right away.

  “This is Nya, my roommate,” she nodded towards me.

  He smiled as he brought his eyes on me and I felt my heart lurch inside my chest. “Hi, Nya,” Jack said. I nodded at him and a quiet ‘hello’ came out. I couldn’t say anything else. I just sat there, frozen, mesmerized by the weight of his stare. Sam looked at me, then back at Jack and back to me again. She cleared her throat and broke the silence first.