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T
he shock in itself took some time to register. We just stood there looking at each other, wondering what was going on. “May we help you?” the lady with the other half of the heart pendant broke the silence. Then, all hell broke loose. “Victoria?” “What are you doing here?” “How did you find my mom’s house?” “Did you come to meet me?” “You could have given a heads up.” “You both know this girl?” “Yes. She is our friend.” “But wait, you do not have a... Did you walk?” I could not figure out who was saying what and even what was being said. Nathan and Annette kept talking over each other but asking the same exact questions. Match made in heaven. “WOULD YOU BOTH LET HER TALK?!” I did not even know the lady but was grateful for her existence as she said this.
As both of them became silent, the lady once again spoke up, "Since both of them know you, it is safe to invite you in. We can talk to the rest in the living room. Come on in; it is getting dark outside." I walked in and followed her as Nathan and Annette walked behind me, talking in hushed whispers.
The interior of the house was quite simple. The hallway was well-lit, and the house was airy with big windows everywhere. We entered the living room. It consisted of a set of sofas placed around a glass coffee table with cream-colored walls. Instead of art being hung on the wall, one of the walls itself was art. A scene of shadows mingling together, dancing maybe, was painted black on the cream-colored wall. I was impressed.
“How did you get here?” Nathan was the first to start the series of questions. “Remember that address? So, it led here.” “So, you did not know this was my mom’s house?” “No. I had no idea.” That's a lie. I had some idea that it might be related to Annette. I think the frenzy earlier was created due to the shock of seeing me so unexpectedly.
Now that everyone was sitting around the coffee table, everyone had already registered my coming, and the questioning was a lot calmer. It no longer sounded like they were questioning someone who had run away from jail and had unexpectedly turned up at said jail again. “How do you know each other?” the lady asked.
Since I had come in, I had not seen her smile even once. If I had not just met her, I would have thought she hated me for something I had done to her in the past. "Oh, sorry, Mum. This is Victoria, Victoria Frietz. She is a colleague of mine at the university. We are working on a research project together." On my name being mentioned, I saw something shift in the lady’s eyes. Recognition? How? It was only for a moment.
Her face became a hard line again. She nodded her head and did not say anything further. Annette then said, “Victoria, this is my mother, Taylor.” She isn't Hannah. This time I was definitely disappointed. Annette and Nathan then began talking about something. I kept glancing over at Taylor and looking at the pendant. Nathan caught my gaze and then followed it.
Recognition flashed across his eyes as he looked at the pendant. Had he not noticed it before? As if reading the question in my eyes, he said, “I got here half an hour before you did. I had just finished freshening up when you came here.” I nodded my head.
I was not sure about the pendant, but Nathan recognizing it confirmed my suspicions. Taylor got up and left for somewhere without saying a word to anyone. As soon as she was out of earshot, Annette turned to me and said, “She is just like that. She is not mad at anyone or anything. She just has a naturally angry face. Do not take it to heart.”
I felt the urge to laugh at that and just got up and embraced her. She hugged me back warmly. I missed her. "Guys, I feel left out," Nathan said from behind us. “Hey! You are already dating her. Let me have my hug,” I said to him as a sheepish grin graced his face while Annette blushed from neck up. They are still in the initial stages of their relationship. I know I should be happy for them, but whenever I saw them, I missed Andrew.
I wish he was here. I wish this did not have to happen. I wish he was the one hugging me instead of Annette. We could have gone on double dates together. But would Annette and Nathan have met again if it had not been for my trial? I did not want to welcome any thoughts that may indicate that my misfortune brought them their fortune. I shook my thoughts away as Taylor called from somewhere in the house, “Dinner.” Wow, even with just saying a word, she can make it dry.
We sat around the dining table and ate in silence. Taylor seemed to bring an aura of deadly silence wherever she went. All three of us were chatting before she came in. As soon as she stepped foot in the vicinity of the dining area, everyone went quiet. She placed the food on the table and sat down at the head of the table. I had so many questions for her. I just had no idea how to approach her.
My lack of experience in dealing with middle-aged women was really coming around to act as a hurdle for me. “Mrs. Frietz.” “Taylor.” Nathan's attempt at a conversation clearly got off on the wrong foot as she visibly flinched at the name Frietz. “Taylor. This food is fantastic. Do you have any experience as a professional chef?” “No.” One-word answer. That was all he was going to get from her. "Well, no, but kind of yes. Mom worked for a diner back when she was in high school," Annette said as she tried to ease the tension in the air that had been created because of the name Frietz.
Taylor did not say anything to deny or confirm that statement. Taylor was nothing like Annette. Their features matched a little, with similar eyes and lips, but otherwise, nothing looked or felt the same. Where Annette was a warm and bubbly person, Taylor was as cold as ice. Taylor had graying hair at the roots but jet black hair otherwise. With a simple yet elegant dress sense, she wore a high neck with a knee-length skirt. Her features were mellow, but the look in her eyes made anyone turn their back.
After a tension-filled dinner, Annette, Nathan, and I moved into Annette’s room, partly for privacy, partly to avoid Taylor. “What address were you guys talking about earlier?” I looked at Nathan, and he nodded at me. I wanted to make sure disclosing such information would not tamper with the case. “I visited the house Dad used to live in with Hannah.
The owners there gave me this address for Hannah.” “Wait, there is a Hannah?” It reminded me that I had not told Annette anything. "I went back to the house I grew up in and found some financial documents Dad had left behind. I went over those and saw that he had transferred ownership of a house to someone named Hannah, a very expensive house at that.
So, I went to the house to inquire about Hannah. Turned out Hannah had already sold the house to some other family. I stayed with them for a night. They themselves did not know much about Hannah, but the husband, Frank, had the address of Hannah's last location. He wrote that down for me.
I followed that address and ended up here." I left out the part where Andrew’s death was a result of the documents he found. For some reason, I did not want anyone who knew Andrew to know about his last moments. “Hannah. I have heard the name before from Mum. I just cannot place it. Let me think for a while.”
I exited the room as Nathan and Annette discussed some classmates from their college days. I had asked Annette where the washroom was. She told me to go outside and turn right from the hall.
As I walked down the hall, I heard hushed whispers. Maybe Taylor was talking on the phone. I nonchalantly walked until my footsteps halted after hearing something, Hannah. Someone said, Hannah. I thought my ears were ringing. Then again, "Hannah, she is here.
Right now, she is at the house. She is in Annette’s room. She is sitting on her bed. What will happen now? What do you think will happen? What if she...." Clankkkkk. Shit. I walked into a steel ornament, and it fell with a resonating noise. Taylor walked out. Phone in her hand, she looked at me. She looked unlike herself. With worry visible on her face and her hands shaking, she looked at me. I had caught her by surprise.
With my own heart beating at a rapid rate, I approached her. She stood still, watching me walk toward her. “You said Hannah, did you not?” She did not reply. “You know who I am, don’t you?” She began walking backward. “Where is she? Where is Hannah? Who is she?” She continued walking backward. “Taylor, stop pretending! What does that necklace mean?”
She had walked into a wall and now just stood there, holding the pendant in her hand. Her vicious eyes looked scared at that point, like a deer caught in headlights. “Victoria, I......”
She stopped abruptly upon seeing something behind me. “What is going on here?” Annette stood right behind me. “Annette, what are you doing here?” Taylor asked. She had regained her composure and looked her same, stoic self right now. "I came to find Victoria. I remembered who Hannah was. She is my aunt; Mother's sister." I looked at Taylor. She was glaring at Annette as if to turn back time and stop her from telling me any further. “Your aunt? How did you not remember that before?”
I asked her as I turned toward her and blocked Taylor from her view. “Well, we don’t really talk to her. I only know of her because Mum once accidentally called me Hannah.” I looked at Taylor now. She refused to look at me. "Anyways, that is all I know. Come on. I set up your sleeping arrangement in my room. You can ask Mum about Hannah tomorrow; let's just sleep for now." I reluctantly followed Annette to her room. I could feel her glancing at me as I walked away. I had many questions for her, but they could wait.
