登陆注册
10475600000003

第3章

It was shortly after one o'clock when Avery showed up on Rose's doorstep. She lived on a ground floor apartment in a decent part of town. She was able to afford it because of the tips she got as a bartender at an upper-class bar-a job she nailed down shortly before Avery had moved out to her cabin. Her job before that had been a little less glamorous, waitressing at a chain restaurant while doing some cheap editing work for ad firms out of her apartment on the side. Avery wished Rose would just buckle down and finish college, but she also knew that the harder she pushed, the less inclined Rose would be to choose that path.

Rose knocked on the door, knowing Rose was home because her car was parked a block down on the side of the street. Even if that clue hadn't tipped Avery off, ever since she'd moved out on her own, Rose had opted for jobs with later hours so she could sleep late and lounge around the house all day. She knocked louder when Rose didn't answer and nearly called out her name. She decided not to, figuring her voice would be even less welcome than that of the landlord she was trying to dodge.

She probably figures it's me because I tried to call beforehand, she thought.

Given that, she figured she'd go with what she did best: negotiating.

"Rose," she said, knocking again. "Open up. It's your mom. And it's cold out here."

She waited a moment and there was still no answer. Instead of knocking again, she calmly approached the door, standing as closely as she could to it. When she spoke again, she raised her voice just enough to firmly be heard inside but not nearly enough to cause a scene out on the street.

"You can keep ignoring me if you want but I'll keep calling, Rose. And if I want to get really obsessive about it, remember what I used to do for a living. If I want to know where you are at any given time, I can make it happen. Or you can make life easier for both of us and just open the damned door."

With that said, she gave another knock. This time, it was answered within a handful of seconds. Rose opened it slowly from the other side. She peered out like a woman who didn't trust the person standing on the other side of the door.

"What do you want, Mom?"

"To come in for a minute or two."

Rose considered it for a moment and then opened the door all the way. Avery did her best not to pay too much attention to the fact that Rose had lost some weight. Quite a bit, actually. She had also dyed her hair raven black and straightened it.

Avery walked inside and found the apartment meticulously cleaned. There was a ukulele on the couch, something that looked sorely out of place. Avery pointed to it and gave a questioning look.

"I wanted to learn to play something," Rose said. "Guitar is too time consuming and pianos are too expensive."

"You any good?" Avery asked.

"I can play five chords. I can almost get through one song."

Avery nodded, impressed. She almost asked to hear the song but figured that might be pushing it. She then thought about sitting down on the couch but didn't want to seem as if she were making herself welcome. She was pretty sure Rose wouldn't extend that invitation anyway.

"I'm okay, Mom," Rose said. "If that's why you're here…"

"It is," Avery said. "And I've wanted to speak with you for a while. I know you hate me and blame me for everything that happened. And that sucks, but I can deal with it. But then today I got a call from your landlord."

"Oh God," Rose said. "That greedy jerk won't leave me alone and-"

"He just wants his rent, Rose. Do you have it? Do you need some money?"

Rose scoffed at the question. "I made three hundred dollars in tips last night," she said. "And I make almost double that in tips on a Saturday night. So no…I don't need any money."

"Good. But…well, he also says that he's worried about you. That he's been hearing about some things you've said. Now don't bullshit me, Rose. How are you, really?"

"Really?" Rose asked. "How am I really? Well, I miss my dad. And I was nearly killed by the same asshole that killed him. And while I miss you too, I can't even think of you without remembering how he died. I know it's messed up, but every time I think of Dad and how he died, it makes me hate you. And it makes me realize that ever since you got really deep into working as a detective, my life has suffered for some reason or another."

It was hard for Rose to hear, but she also knew it could have been much worse. "How are you sleeping?" she asked. "And eating? Rose…how much weight have you lost?"

Rose shook her head and started walking back toward the door. "You asked how I was doing and I answered you. Am I happy? Hell no. But I'm not the type that's going to do something stupid, Mom. When this passes, I'll be fine. And it will pass. I know it will. But if it is going to pass, I can't have you around."

"Rose, it's-"

"No. Mom…you're toxic to me. I know you've tried very hard to make things right between us-you've tried for several years now. But it's not working and I don't think it ever will considering recent events. So…please leave. Leave and stop calling."

"But Rose, this is-"

Rose broke into tears then, opening the door and screaming. "Mom, would you please just fucking leave?"

Rose then looked at the floor, stifling her sobs. Avery fought back her own as she obeyed her daughter's wishes. She passed by her, painfully restraining herself from hugging her or giving some last argument. In the end, she simply walked through the door and out into the cold.

But the door slamming violently closed behind her was perhaps the coldest thing of all.

***

Avery was crying before she was able to start her car. By the time she was back on the road and headed for her new home, she was doing everything she could to hold in a series of chest-tightening sobs. As the tears ran down her face, she realized that she had cried more in the past four months or so than she had for the entire span of years beforehand. First there was Jack dying, then Ramirez. And now this.

Maybe Rose was right. Maybe she was toxic. Because when it came right down to it, the deaths of Jack and Ramirez were her fault. Her ambitious career had led the killer to those she loved the most and, as such, they had been targeted.

And that same career had pushed Rose away. Never mind the fact that the career in question was over. She'd retired soon after Ramirez's funeral and although she knew that Connelly and O'Malley were leaving a back door open for her, it was an invitation she knew she'd never accept.

She pulled into her driveway, parked the car, and walked inside with tears still running down her face. The sad fact was that if she abandoned her career completely, her life would be empty. Her future husband had been killed, an ex-husband she had been on good terms with was gone, and now, the only survivor from her past, her daughter, wanted nothing to do with her.

And rather than fix it, what did you do? some smaller part of her asked. It almost sounded like Ramirez's voice, pointing out how she was making matters worse. You left the city and retreated into the woods. Rather than face the pain and a life that had been upended, you ran away and spent a few days drinking yourself into oblivion. So what will you do now? Run away again? Or should you maybe fix it?

Back inside the cabin, though, she felt safer than she had while standing on Rose's doorstep. It seemed to lessen the sting of having her daughter slam a door on her. Yes, it made her feel like a coward but she simply didn't know how else to deal with it.

She's right, Avery thought. I am toxic to her. Over the last few years, I've done nothing but make her life so much more difficult. It started when I put my career over her father and then just got worse when, no matter how hard I tried, the career won out over her, too. And here we are again, at odds even when the career is gone.

And it's because she blames me for her father's murder.

And she's not exactly wrong about that.

She walked slowly over to the bed that she had yet to fully put together. Her personal safe was there, sitting among the headboard and the box springs. As she opened it, she thought of entering Jack's living room and finding his body. She thought of Ramirez in the hospital, already seriously injured before he had been killed.

Her hands were dirty in all of that. And she'd never be able to clean them.

She reached into the safe and pulled out her Glock. It felt familiar in her hands, like an old friend.

The tears still came as she rested her back against the headboard. She looked to the gun, studying it. It or one just like it had been on her hip or at her back for nearly two decades, closer to her than any human had ever been. So it felt all too natural when she placed it to the soft flesh beneath her chin. Its touch was cold but assertive.

She let out a sob as she positioned it back at an angle, making sure the bullet would pass through at the best angle. Her finger found the trigger and trembled against it.

She wondered if she'd even hear the blast before she was gone and, if she did, if it would sound as loud as Rose slamming the door behind her.

Her finger curled around the trigger and she closed her eyes.

The doorbell rang, making her jump.

Her finger loosened and her entire body went limp. The Glock clattered to the floor.

Almost, she thought as her heart slammed mounds of adrenaline into her bloodstream. Another quarter of a second and my brains would be all over the wall.

She looked down at the Glock and swatted it away as if it were a poisonous snake. She buried her head in her hands and wiped the tears away.

You almost killed yourself, the voice that may or may not have been Ramirez said. Doesn't that make you feel like a coward?

She pushed the thought away as she got to her feet and made her way to the front door. She had no idea who it could be. She dared to hope that it was Rose but she knew that would not be the case. Rose was very much like her mother in that regard-stubborn to a fault.

She opened the door and found no one. She did, however, see the rear of a UPS truck leaving her driveway. She looked down to the porch and saw a small box. She picked it up and read her own name and new address in very neat handwriting. The sender's address showed no name, just a New York address.

She took it inside and opened it slowly. There was no weight to the box and when she opened it, she found balled up newspaper. She removed it all and found just one single thing waiting for her at the bottom.

It was a single sheet of paper, folded in half. She unfolded it, and when she read the message inside, her heart stopped for a moment.

And just like that, Avery no longer felt the need to kill herself.

She read the message over and over, trying to make sense of it. Her mind worked it over, seeking an answer. And with something like this to figure out, the mere thought of dying before it was solved was out of the question.

She sat on the couch and stared at it, reading it again and again.

who are you, avery?

Yours,

Howard

同类推荐
  • Forensics
  • Struts & Frets

    Struts & Frets

    Music is in Sammy's blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy's indie rock band could be huge one day—if they don't self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all their compromises and reassure Sammy that his life's dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy's grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend. Told in a voice that's honest and wry, Struts & Frets will resonate not only with teenage musicians but also with anyone who ever sat up all night listening to a favorite album, wondering if they'd ever find their place in the world.
  • Vernon God Little

    Vernon God Little

    Hailed by the critics and lauded by readers for its riotously funny and scathing portrayal of America in an age of trial by media, materialism, and violence, Vernon God Little was an international sensation when it was first published in 2003 and awarded the prestigious Man Booker wkkk.net memorable portrait of America is seen through the eyes of a wry, young, protagonist. Fifteen-year-old Vernon narrates the story with a cynical twang and a four-letter barb for each of his townsfolk, a medley of characters. With a plot involving a school shooting and death-row reality TV shows, Pierre's effortless prose and dialogue combine to form a novel of postmodern gamesmanship.
  • Man Without Honor

    Man Without Honor

    When Kathryn Dalton discovers an ancient ring, she believes it may be worth some money--or at least some sentimental value. And when gorgeous Leon Coletis begins to court her, she has no idea it's connected to her lucky find.But Leon is keeping a secret. His family are the rightful owners of the ring, which is part of a set that's centuries old. His sister is ailing and believes her misfortunes stem from the loss of the ring. Leon will stop at nothing to get the ring back to make his sister well--including propose to Kathryn.
  • Time out of Time

    Time out of Time

    In book two of the Time out of Time series, the excitement and mystery continue as Timothy; his sister, Sarah; and their friend, Jessica, journey to Edinburgh, Scotland, where they seek the Four Treasures, especially the Telling Stone. They must keep the treasures from falling into the hands of Balor, who will use them to deprive the world of good. The children pass through Time out of Time as they undertake their quest, encountering mythic and folkloric characters, including the Tuatha Dé Danann, Gwydon, and Cerridwyn. A code hidden in an ancient map is the key to finding the Telling Stone. The book includes a four-color map and concludes with a glossary of the many historical, literary, and folkloric references mentioned in both this and the first Time out of Time volume.
热门推荐
  • 重逢

    重逢

    十六岁的丹妮·霍华德偷偷翻阅了舅舅的研究笔记,用红玫瑰刺破手指完成灵魂穿越,进入了记者特洛伊·布伦南的身体中。这是一个会让任何女人倾心的男子。他们相爱了。可是最终她必须回到自己的身体中,于是他们约定,7天后在女孩的十七岁生日宴会上重逢。没想到这个约定会让她一等十年。特洛伊从来没想到自己会爱上这个灵魂穿越的小姑娘。由于她的突然出现,自己跟丢了原本要采访的知名作家,被一只流浪狗拖住了脚步,还陷入了爱情泥沼。同时,当迷人的知名作家埃莉·沃德也出现在他的世界并不断诱惑他,一切彻底混乱了。他还能保持对自己那个小爱人的忠诚吗?可是为什么眼前这个美艳诱人的女人,越来越让自己有一种似曾相识的感觉呢?
  • 简单的无聊的生活

    简单的无聊的生活

    写的是生活,人生百态倒不至于,只是偶有空闲时间的闲散文字,也是对往事的回忆,对现在的笔记,对未来的期盼。
  • 大山里出来的孩子

    大山里出来的孩子

    一提到贵州省人尽皆知的就是“山城”这是一个九零后亲身经历过的地方真实的存在,采用实际生活为背景,怀念和留恋的心情写下美丽家乡的痕迹,写出大山里孩子们迷茫而向往外面世界的心情,书里的几个主人公们用他们不同的方式走出大山后的经历和生活!纯真年代的爱情!艰辛苦楚的生活环境,每个人都用自己的方式去努力生存,坚强勇敢的去面对生活。
  • 异界魂战天下

    异界魂战天下

    亲爱的各位读者朋友们,我的书的最新章节已经迁移到腾讯原创文学网站上了,阅读本书最新的章节内容,鼠标猛击访问:http://m.wkkk.net/混沌时期,魂斗大陆只有各种异兽,后来的人类或多或少继承了异兽的血脉,能够引导自身远古血脉的人,被世人称为魂战师,而猎杀异兽,让其灵魂成为自身战斗工具的人,则称为猎魂师。一个普通的大学生重生在这个以魂师为最高职业的魂斗大陆,作为炎黄子孙,他引导出来的远古血脉竟然是中华神龙,看他如何在魂斗大陆翻云覆雨。本书群号:91996007,欢迎大家进来吹牛讨论。友情推荐:《星铠武装》,绝对好书。
  • 六趣轮回经

    六趣轮回经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 惟我独仙

    惟我独仙

    【小三新书《阴阳冕》已经注册】将会在本周日,斗罗大陆结束的同时开始上传更新,麻烦大家先收藏、推荐一下,谢谢。阴阳冕书号:1436015下面的直通车也可以直接点过去。【小三出品,必属精品,全新设定,酬谢书友】
  • The Wreck of the Golden Mary

    The Wreck of the Golden Mary

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明婚正娶:强掠迷糊妻

    明婚正娶:强掠迷糊妻

    她是人生里无事业,无背景,无美貌的三无女人。她又是婚姻里不会家务,没生孩子,不会巴结婆婆的三无老婆。面对丈夫的突然出轨她一下子陷入绝境,总以为是自己做的不好,以为只要她用心就可以挽救。只是面对婆婆的冷言冷语,小三的肆意挑衅,丈夫的冷眼旁观,她还能撑多久?三无女人能够找到人生的方向吗?人常说婚姻就像是一场投资,只要你好好的经营总会得到丰厚的回报,可是这世上不是所有的投资都能得到回报,也许其中的谁也会输的一败涂地……
  • 中国古代将军传(中国古代名人传奇丛书)

    中国古代将军传(中国古代名人传奇丛书)

    历代将帅有的智勇双全,胸怀大志,驰骋疆场,所向披靡;有的精通战略战术,指挥千军万马,临敌不乱,运筹帷幄,决胜千里;有的忠心耿耿,保家卫国,马革裹尸,无怨无悔;有的怀才不遇,报国无门,命途多舛,几经沉浮;有的无勇无谋,畏敌如鼠,屡战屡败,贻笑大方;有的变节投敌,屈节卖国,为后人所不耻……总之,中国的将坛,群星璀璨,灿烂辉煌。今天的读者,站在新的历史高度,应该辩证地看待这些将帅,不能以偏概全,不能将其绝对化。
  • 充满谎言的昨天

    充满谎言的昨天

    你对你的过去有什么不满么?你曾抱怨过没有去好好珍惜这段回忆么?你还在抱怨你曾经那个不幸的家庭与没有回忆的校园么?你有什么资格抱怨和不满?你凭什么抱怨和不满,明明比我幸福那么多。