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Hyienna watched the heavy gates of Casa Hermoso click shut, before turning his attention to the house ahead. It was still early, before seven, and the watery dawn washed the colours from Solomon’s already soulless and non-descript abode.
He took a deep breath of crisp, cool morning air and wished he still smoked. This was the perfect place for a thoughtful cigarette, the perfect place to dawdle and dally for just a little longer. It was the perfect place to just put off, well, what exactly? He wasn’t sure, but for some reason he couldn’t quite fathom, he was nervous about confiding in his girlfriend. True, they’d only been together for a short time, but his reluctance to share didn’t bode well for the future. He couldn’t even pinpoint a reason for his reticence. Maybe it was just worldly cynicism creeping into yet another part of his life, or maybe it was something else.
Leaning over the handlebars of his moped, Hyienna stared at the glass and concrete block at the end of the swept sloping drive, hoping it might reveal some hidden secret that he’d missed on previous visits. Alas, the house was as implacable as ever, sleeping on in the early morning, just as those within slumbered in designer rooms filled with overpriced abstractions.
If Seth or any other heavies were around then they were keeping their heads down, not that he was any kind of intruder. In fact, Hyienna’s increasingly frequent visits had made him something of a regular fixture, or maybe just a strange curiosity, a compassionate case taken on by the beautiful people.
On reflection, Hyienna realised that he couldn’t figure out whether he was liked, loathed, or barely tolerated by the speedboat and sangria set. His growing relationship with Kate was pretty obvious, yet nobody had really mentioned it, at least not directly. Perhaps such a lack of interest wasn’t all that surprising. After all, his own cousin and Nathaniel were too loved up to notice anything outside the bedroom, while Solomon vacillated between suspicion and philandering, sometimes by the minute. As for Seth, Yasmina, Ermina and the rest, they were either too polite or too self-absorbed to raise the subject in conversation. At times Hyienna caught himself wondering whether he wore some strange cloak of invisibility, similar to that which taunted him from inside that cheap nylon rucksack, the thing which he could neither discard dishonourably, nor pass on with great ceremony.
All of that was plenty weird enough, but now the mysterious Kal had paid him a visit and suddenly none of it was funny, if it ever was. Hyienna knew he was in danger, and he wondered once again whether he should’ve accepted the dapper man’s offer of a free ferry ticket and a pocketful of cash. He didn’t want to think about what the alternatives might be.
Whatever the case, he knew he was out of options and so he let his scooter roll down the drive under its own weight. He was glad he’d killed the engine before the gates opened as it seemed more than just rude, it felt just plain wrong to disturb the wondrous quiet of the early dawn. It was just him and the birds, while a big part of him wished it could stay that way.
Far too soon he coasted to a stop outside Solomon’s ostentatious front door, yet still he was reluctant to kick down the stand and climb off. For a moment he felt as though his trusty scooter had become a different kind of anchor, keeping him safe from the swirling currents of the unknown. Sure, he and Kate had been getting on very well and there was definitely some chemistry there, but this was a whole other level. This was serious, life-partner kind of stuff and although he liked Kate very much, it was way too soon to know how she would react when he told her the news. She could be sympathetic, understanding or just plain mocking for all he knew. Suddenly he understood why he dawdled so.
At length, Hyienna’s fear of looking shifty outweighed his nervousness about asking for help and he stepped off his scooter. He was more than a little glad that he didn’t need to enter the main house as he made his way round to a small side gate and let himself in. Not for the first time did he wonder if he’d been demoted to using a service entrance, but it had become routine all the same. He would text Kate and she would make sure the gate was open. In truth, he was more than happy to avoid both Sarah and Solomon for most of the time he was with his new girlfriend. Although Solomon had mellowed a little, he was still hard work. It was more difficult to quantify the change in Sarah, but it was there for certain. She’d become a great deal more introspective and absent minded since hooking up with Nathaniel, and Hyienna figured that if he’d noticed, her fiancé must’ve noticed too. He didn’t want much out of life, but Hyienna prayed daily that he’d be nowhere in the neighbourhood when that can of worms inevitably spilt over.
Despite his growing list of problems, Hyienna still smiled and shook his head ruefully as he clicked open the side gate and stepped into the shady cool of the poolside patio.
He immediately saw Kate through the glass of the pool house, lounging on a recliner and leafing through one of those glossy magazines that were entirely unintelligible to the average guy. She didn’t look up, so he took the opportunity to enjoy her figure as she flicked through articles discussing the ten most desirable table lamps, or some such. She must’ve been aware of his arrival because Solomon’s security system was top notch, plus the pool house had kind of become their unofficial domain within Casa Hermoso. It was the closest thing to a guest house after all.
Although the view was ever so appealing, Hyienna’s attention was drawn to a vacant couch as he tapped on the glass door and stepped into the pool house.
Kate’s smile of welcome rapidly evolved into a frown of concern as she tossed her magazine aside. “You look like crap, honey, what you been up to?”
Glad to finally feel a little safer, Hyienna flopped onto the waiting couch and pulled a nearby throw over himself. The chill morning had seeped through his clothes on the journey over and he felt strangely cold inside. “I didn’t get much sleep, any really.”
She pulled a theatrical face. “Those party girls been keeping you up all night, babe? Hope they left some for me.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like to disappoint.” Hyienna’s half-hearted joke trailed off into a yawn as he grappled with a wave of fatigue.
Kate stayed quiet, as though sensing he had something to say.
“Guess who came by the Lizard last night.”
She thought for a moment. “By the look of you, I’d say it was our international man of mystery again. He sure can put that red wine away.”
Hyienna let his head fall back, studying the shadows on the ceiling. “Man of mystery yeah, but you got the wrong one. My visitor was much better dressed and more than just a bit creepy.”
Kate visibly stiffened. “Kal? Kal came by the Lizard? Really?”
“You know, I’ve met some strange people in my time, but that guy is off the scale.”
“I’m surprised he would lower himself to be seen in a place like the Lizard, I mean, he’s even more full of himself than Solomon.”
Hyienna smiled ruefully. “Well, I guess he was half seen anyhow.”
There was silence for the better part of a minute as Kate waited for Hyienna to speak again. Eventually it became clear that he needed a prod. “Hey, don’t you fall asleep on me now.”
Hyienna snored theatrically.
Kate threw the nearest cushion at his head. “Well.”
“Well, what?”
Kate searched for another cushion, but none were in reach. “Well, what did he want?”
“Why would he want anything? What do you know about him anyhow?”
Kate sucked in her cheeks and spoke through half-gritted teeth. “I know he’s not the kind of man to even open his eyes if there’s nothing in it for him. So, what would he want with you?”
Stifling another yawn, Hyienna sat up. “Any aspirins in here? I had a beer or three too many last night.”
Rolling her eyes, Kate stiffly rose and stalked across to a small but well-stocked drinks cabinet. Rummaging inside, she quickly produced a tall glass of ice water and a bottle of pills. With a manner more akin to a nurse than a girlfriend, she crossed back to Hyienna. “Take these.”
Hyienna grinned, despite his tiredness. “Yes nurse.”
Kate’s usually confident and mischievous expression was replaced by one of concern. “I’m serious, honey. What would a man like Kal want with you?”
Sensing the change, Hyienna swallowed the pills and gratefully drained the water. “He said he wanted my confession.”
Kate said nothing as she drummed her manicured fingers on her arm.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what I said. I mean, he doesn’t strike me as your average dog-collar type. More of an eye for an eye kind of guy if you ask me.”
Kate shrugged her shoulders in exasperation. “Well, what did you do?”
“I gave it to him, what do you think?”
“You what? Do you have any idea of the kind of man he is?”
Hyienna was somewhat perturbed by the sudden change in Kate’s demeanour. “I’m guessing there’s something I need to know.”
“Wrong! There’s something I need to know.” She leaned forward, touching his face gently. “You know, I do really like you, Hyienna. I wouldn’t want to see you get yourself into trouble.”
Hyienna was about to tell her exactly what kind of trouble he’d already got himself into, when some inner instinct cautioned against it. Maybe it was time he got some information back, rather than just spreading it around all the time. With his decision quickly made, he opted for his usual humorous deflection. “Too late for that, I’ve been bewitched by this dark and irresistible goddess.” He reached forward.
Kate quickly moved out of range. “I’m serious, Hyienna! Kal is not the kind of man to fuck around with, now what did he say?”
Surprised by the strength of Kate’s reaction, Hyienna settled back onto the sofa. “Not that it matters much, but he said something about my being responsible for his taking a life. Well, violating the Fifth Commandment is what he actually said. Then he said it all started in Barcelona.”
There was silence, broken only by Kate’s nails tapping on a nearby table top. “What did he mean by that?”
“I don’t know, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask him either. You just told me Kal is not a man to fuck with and I believe you, boy do I believe you. Just meeting the guy is enough to give you PTSD, although you seem to know a lot about him. Who is he, I mean really?”
Kate ignored the question. “What happened in Barcelona, Hyienna?”
“Why does everyone think something weird happened in Barcelona? Can’t a guy just choose a change of scene?”
“Stop screwing around, Hyienna! You’re in the middle of something here, and if you’re not careful it’ll be the end of you. There’s been enough trouble already and Kal isn’t the kind of man to go fishing on the off-chance. He doesn’t make wild guesses and he doesn’t make mistakes either. If he sought you out then he must’ve had a damned good reason.”
Hyienna felt his hackles rising as his self-control slipped away. Before he knew it, he was off the sofa and pacing like a caged animal. “Just what the hell is it with this place?”
“Hyienna, I don’t...”
“Oh, shut up! Wherever I turn on this goddamned island it seems that everyone’s got some kind of hidden agenda, and that includes you! I came to this place looking for some answers, but I guess that just makes me a bigger fool than I thought I was. Right now, I feel like the guy from the movie who’s been set up right from the start.”
If Kate was angry or upset, she never showed it. “Hyienna, honey, listen to me. Nobody’s set you up, I promise, but you need to understand that you can’t walk fresh into something and expect to become a player just like that.”
“A player? What the hell does that even mean? Why can’t anybody just give me a straight answer?”
Kate folded her arms. “You’re just so damned selfish, aren’t you? Sarah was right, you can’t see past the end of your own nose and you’re too narrow minded to understand anything that doesn’t involve you directly.”
“I’m selfish? I’m not the one who’s shacked up with my cousin and his fiancée, whatever kind of cosy arrangement that is. Come to think of it, where do you actually live?”
At last Kate softened a little. “Listen, I know that things seem really strange, but you have to believe me when I tell you it’s for the best. Had it ever occurred to you that your ignorance protects you from Kal, and others like him? Had that thought ever once entered that beer and booty obsessed brain of yours?”
Hyienna tried not to smile but he failed, although he was suddenly at a loss for words.
Kate gently pushed him back onto the sofa and perched on the arm. “Listen, there are a ton of good reasons why people aren’t always upfront with folks they don’t know so well. Besides, sometimes the truth is so far out there it might just as well be a lie. One thing I can tell you is that if Kal’s taken an interest, you’d better be on your toes.”
“You still haven’t told me who he is.” Hyienna observed.
“You still haven’t told me what happened in Barcelona.” Kate countered.
Hyienna started to rise. “Look, I should go.”
Kate was having none of it and gently but persistently held him down, covering him over with the throw and stroking his hair. “You’ve had a tough night, it’s not easy dealing with something like that. Just relax and get some sleep, you’re safe here.”
Hyienna murmured some sort of protest, but within seconds his breathing had changed, and he was fast asleep.
Kate gently kissed him on the forehead and stood up, looking down curiously as he began to mumble and move his legs, almost as though he were swimming.
She crossed to the drinks cabinet and poured herself a stiff vodka. Dropping ice and sloshing a little soda into it, she closed her eyes and gulped the fiery liquid down as the sound of sirens filled her mind. Glancing across at her sleeping boyfriend, she tried to dismiss the idea that he could possibly know anything about Carmelita’s tragic end. It couldn’t be true, surely not. Surely the man mumbling on the couch couldn’t be the missing link, could he? Could this bumbling but rather cute and engaging guy be the unwitting first cause, a hapless prime mover in a bewildering sequence of events that led to her sipping liquor early in the morning?
It was a fantastical idea, but on the other hand, she was wise enough to know that there were no such things as coincidences, at least not like that.
She took another mouthful of vodka as the sirens melded into the memory of horrified onlookers crowding around Carmelita’s horribly mangled body. A freak accident, the enquiry said, just a stolen car driven by a nameless joyrider. Just another coincidence.
She glanced out at the early morning sun glistening on the surface of the pool. How she missed Rosalita’s lateral wisdom at such times. She used to scoff at her sister’s mystical bent, but what she wouldn’t give for some of that otherworldly insight right now. Why did she have to be the one left behind in this world? Lost, adrift, without even her real name for comfort.
Still, Kate knew she’d been spared for a reason, just as she knew it would all be over soon, one way or another.