Chapter Thirteen

The blazing heat of summer has finally returned, banishing the cold winds of the previous week. Shoppers show appreciation in their droves, flocking to the busy city centre to huddle and bustle between shops. Each high street shop welcomes, their gaping mouths luring burgeoning wallets in with enticing displays and seductive deals.

Stu and Jenny are amidst the swarm, walking alongside one another as best they can. They pass jokes between them, flirting audaciously and thoroughly enjoying their time together. Stu is using this opportunity to try and work around his duties, knowing that keeping Jenny as close as possible would maintain her safety, and most importantly avoid a repeat of Sam’s fate. He has spent enough time worrying about tracking down Merrick’s perpetrator: whoever, or whatever it is, will come looking for Stu eventually.

“How are you not sweating buckets in this heat?” she pants, looking up at him, her brow glistening.

He takes a moment before knocking her out. “Because I’m that cool.” he smirks. She immediately beams back at him.

“You really went there?” she smiles.

Stu looks back at her, confident that he managed to get away with such an cheesy line. “Yep!”

As they approach a small alley to their right between a Jewellers and a travel shop, Jenny tugs at his arm. “Hey, I’ve got an ideal place we can pop into!” She pulls him into the narrow gap just off the main shopping avenue, tickled by the soft breeze trapped between the high stone walls. Stu follows close behind, wondering where they’re headed just as Jenny dives into another, much tighter alley. Mere metres pass and they enter a wide courtyard firmly hidden from the bustle of day-to-day life. Before them is a quiet coffee shop, a well stocked butchers, a noisy shoemakers and a mystical boutique, door hidden behind vertical strips of flowing beads. Jenny takes Stu’s hand and drags him towards it, slipping past the veiled entrance.

They enter into a small room, dark and chilled, drenched with an inviting aroma of citrus and burnt wood. Stu is almost as tall as the low ceiling, every inch of floor space around him crammed with rails of vivid clothing. He recognises one of Sera’s dresses, but doesn’t remember her mentioning such a place. Intricate figurines of exotic and mythological creatures adorn shelves behind the cash desk, fixed alongside dangling wind chimes and gaudy candles.

“You frequent this place a lot?” Stu asks as Jenny peers towards the back of the shop.

“Not really, we came here for something specific though.” She answers, just as a middle-aged woman appears from behind a black curtain at the back of the shop. Stu squints a little, realising that he didn’t previously spot the door, such that it blended perfectly into the dark walls.

Jenny instantly scoots in her direction, leaving Stu perplexed by the woman’s reaction to him. She stares intently for a moment, as if examining his face. He then realises why.

“Hi!” Jenny smiles as she reaches the shopkeeper. “Aletheia?” she asks. The woman replies with a simple nod. Her long, braided hair differs in shades of light brown and soft grey, pushed back from her forehead by an orange band dotted with silver stars. Her puffy, flowing shirt and leather waistcoat are scattered with darts of white cat hair.

“Who is he?” she demands, somewhat rudely. Jenny turns back to look at Stu, noticing him browsing the figurines behind the cash desk.

“Just a friend, at the moment. Why...?” Jenny replies, turning back to her. There is a long pause as Aletheia stares in his direction.

“Come, come into the back.” She ushers, disappearing behind the curtain. Jenny motions to Stu, blissfully unaware.

“Stu!” she hisses, gaining his attention and coaxing him forth with a wave of an arm. Jenny slips behind the curtain and Stu quickly follows.

He steps into a small back room, the walls adorned with exotic rugs as flowing fabric criss-crosses the ceiling. A circular table, covering most of the floor space, sits roughly in the centre, daubed with a crimson throw that dangles just above the carpet. Aletheia sits at the opposite end to them, palms laid flat on the table and fingers spread wide. She is at first staring directly at the table, but once Stu enters her piercing glare darts up to focus on him.

“You! Mark!” she barks. “Remove yourself - this is for the lady only.” She points an accusing finger like a dagger. Stu nods out of respect and slips back into the main shop.

“His name’s Stu, actually.” Jenny mutters as she takes a seat, trying softly to correct the woman. Aletheia completely ignores her, returning her palms to the table. Jenny slips a five pound note onto the small saucer in the centre, calmly placing her handbag on the floor.

“Who is that man?” Aletheia demands as she casts her gaze over the fabric door into the room.

“Like I said, he’s just a friend.” Jenny mumbles, looking away and wondering if that was the right answer.

“He breeds trouble - he will be trouble, I warn you!” she jeers. Jenny’s eyes lift and she stares at Aletheia, wondering if this is all a ploy to get her to react. “There is something about him... he is dangerous in the wrong hands.” she continues, more composed than before. “Be careful, my child - your emotions are unbalanced.”

Jenny takes her comments lightly. Stu, lurking just outside the room, smirks. “He’s... just a friend.” she protests, curling stray hair over an ear. She looks up, noticing the woman trying to discern something from her face. “What is it?”

“You have been hurt before, some time ago. I fear that by cavorting with this... Mark, you will incite the very terror you fear the most.”

Jenny stares blankly at her, figuring that she’s now spouting rubbish. Then Aletheia’s eyes dart off to the left. Jenny quickly realises that Stu is back in the room, interested in what he can hear.

“When did we meet?” he inquires. “Did I save you? What was it, five, six years ago?” Aletheia continues to stare him down. She doesn’t respond, so Stu takes the lead. “Come on, we’re leaving.” He motions to Jenny.

“Gladly.” she tells him. Stu nods at Aletheia as Jenny leaves the room with him.

“You... DEMON!” Aletheia yells as the departing couple get halfway across the shop. Stu immediately turns back, realising she is right behind him. He leans forward, towering over her. Her eyes dart around his complexion, trying to find a point to concentrate on. Her bottom lip quivers, just as Stu’s gaze turns more sinister. “You are pure evil.” she whispers. “May your rotting corpse be lost within the darkness!”

Stu scowls back, and his temper begins to simmer. The lights begin flickering, the electronic till beeps and the register pops open with a noisy clash of coins. They continue to stare each other down, Aletheia still struggling with his complexion. Her chest tightens momentarily, causing her to clutch at her breast.

“Stu?” Jenny begs, watching the flickering lights.

“Give me a moment with her, please. I need to have a quick chat...”

“Please, come on. Let’s go.”

“One minute!” he snaps at her.

“I would do as he asks.” Aletheia butts in, having recovered from her moment of indigestion.

“We need a private chat. Wait outside and I’ll be right there.” he adds, softer now. Jenny doesn’t want to argue, and makes her way out of the store.

“The other one couldn’t beat me! Nor shall you...” is the last thing Jenny hears from Aletheia. Returning to the hot outdoors, she keeps her back to the boutique, wondering what she could do until Stu is ready. Looking across to her right, she smiles as a middle aged shoemaker outside his corner shop smiles back. She turns to her phone, checking for any new messages. A few moments later, she looks back unexpectedly, sure that she’d seen a sudden flash of red. Stu is right behind her, smiling and appearing to be much more relaxed.

“All okay? She sounded angry.” she posits as they begin to walk.

“Long story. Misunderstanding too, apologies if she upset you.”

“I don’t see why you need to apologise. What was it about? Sorry, I guess that’s for another time.”

They both slip into the alley. Stu is quiet a little too long. “I have to go, it’s been lovely meeting up though.” he tells her, continuing to follow.

Jenny instantly stops, Stu almost bumping into her. She gazes up into his eyes, sensing his confusion. “Not just yet, spiller. We’ve been together for all of five minutes. She was mad, barking mad in fact. It’s alright if she upset you, she was quite rude to us both.” she offers, their eyes lovingly locked on one another. He relaxes more, exhaling slowly in a sense of relief.

“Thanks.” he replies, almost smiling. “I thought I was going mad for a moment.”

She holds him tight, and all his anger withers away. As he goes to tighten his grasp, she moves back. “I was warned by a friend before I went there, I guess I expected better. I will see you tonight, though?”

Stu eagerly nods back. “Indeed you will.”

“Still going to leave me all alone right now?” Jenny asks.

Stu just smiles as they move on, parting ways as they return to the busy street. “Happy birthday, by the way!” he calls out, disappearing into the throng of bodies. As Jenny walks in the opposite direction, she isn’t troubled by the incident, but it certainly plays on her mind, especially with this sudden need to be elsewhere. Hopefully tonight will be fun and not wrought with heartache.

***

Stu eventually reaches the Silenti, staring down at the waters ebbing beneath the bridge. He finds comfort in this position, being able to draw thoughts from watching a river flow away faster than the short life people lead. No matter how long he stares, all of his knowledge and understanding is limited in terms of Merrick’s latest case.

“Are you going to talk to me, finally?” he calls, casually looking across to his right. The blonde that haunts him is about thirty feet away, her back to him and pale arms peeking out from under her t-shirt. He turns back to the river, knowing his words mean nothing to her. “It’s been a while since I heard your voice, you know. I could do with those soothing words I always used to wake up to.” he smiles. “You always knew what the right thing to say was.” he says, suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to cry, even though nothing seeps from the corner of his eye. Looking back at her, she has already gone.

Below him, slowing to a walking pace is Dawson, hot and sticky from her arduous sprint. Surprised yet acting as if she had not spotted him, she takes the time to stretch. Her curiosity bubbles as she wonders who he was talking to, and what the words meant.