+++
Rosalie had taken the news of moving back to New York rather well, but I don’t think she really understood that it was the place where bad things had happened to her, that it was the place that my father had lived.
The first thing she asked me was if Joy, the nanny, was coming. I couldn't really describe how it made me feel.
Either way It was a question I
couldn’t really answer as Rosalie and I had driven to the affluent village Emile lived in. I just wanted to spend a day away from the isolation of Mr. Fierro's home
.
During the long car ride I told her how we would be living closer together. I
couldn’t quite tell her that we wouldn’t be living together just yet, as I was still living with my sister
It was strange being alone with Rosalie, for so long
Rosalie had been a reminder of a time in my life I wanted to forget; of a person
I wanted to forget. The fact that she was the only child I would
ever have also weighed on me.
Emile and I had agreed to meet at a small bakery with wireless so I was able to catch up on some of my work. Rosalie spent the whole time answering questions about things she and Joy liked to do together. She hated the sprinkles on her cupcake and insisted on removing them one by one separating them by color
Emile wandered into the bakery a little bit before noon, he seemed surprised
to see us so early. He ordered a coffee and sat next to Rosalie
“Early morning ?”, he asked
“Yes, I wanted to get out of that house as soon as possible.”
“Is it really that bad ?”
I thought about this, “I suppose not, the quiet is nice but the tension is getting to me.”
“I’m sure it is”, Emile said suggestively through his coffee, “how are the realms of teaching higher education.”
“Wonderful. . . challenging at times. Much more than 6th grade. Although most of my superiors are old men who still think of me as Martin's Little girl.”
"I would have thought you'd be an expert how to deal with older men"
"You would think", I said finishing my coffee
He took another sip of his coffee glancing at Rosalie before asking his next question.
“Clara, if you need any help regarding your father’s passing…I will help you.”
“Emile, do you think I’m guilty.”, I challenged him
“I-it doesn’t matter and to be honest I don’t want to know. Don’t think I haven’t offered the same helping hand to Fierro.”
“But it does matter Emile. You're a trustworthy man I want your honest opinion. Which one of us do you believe killed him ?"
"I still need some time to think. . . observe, if you will."
"That's fair. Though you won't have much time since Mr. Fierro and Rose are coming back to New York with me.”
“Couldn’t this wait till after the holidays ? Perhaps let this fade”
“Emile, I know he is up to something. Besides do you think Detective Rainer will wait? ”
“I guess not.”, he took a sip of coffee. , “Perhaps I can visit while university is on break, my parents haven’t stopped calling me to come visit since I moved.”
I smiled, though secretly I missed the days of my own nagging parents. I had used a public phone to call my sisters and my mother to let them now I would be home in a few days telling them I needed time alone to grieve but it went straight to voicemail.
“Rosalie, can you order me another coffee ?”, I asked her to get her out of earshot
She was apprehensive at first but eventually gave in. The girl behind the counter had gushed over how adorable Rosalie’s outfit was and I think Rose liked how nice she was.
Once she was preoccupied I turned back to Emile.
“I should tell you that years ago my grandfather bribed Rainer’ s father to close the case on a certain murder. Our families have been acquainted since then.”
“Really ? Does Fierro know?”
“I don’t think so and as you know he does like to keep his grudges through generations.”
“I’m sure that will keep you busy”,’
"Emile, do you think Rosalie is doing alright ?"
"Yes, if I knew something were wrong you know I would tell you."
I nodded and we both became quiet as Rosalie rejoined us. The girl behind the counter following her with my coffee.
Emile and I stayed and chatted with me for an hour then he
had to go back to work.
He offered us dinner at his place so I could meet Robert, but there was too much going on; as we were packing to leave for New York in less than 36 hours.
I needed to be back in New York by tomorrow evening and I made it very clear I had wanted Rosalie with me.
I felt terrible for uprooting a life that Rosalie felt happy with so quickly. I wondered if I could convince my mother to let her back into the family, but given all the lying we had done to pretend like she didn’t exist, it didn’t seem likely.
After a short trip to the toy store and children’s clothing boutique we headed back to the house. In the day light I could now see a curved driveway that lead to the four-car garage out back. Once Rosalie was out of the car she ran towards the house to show Joy what I had brought her.
I took my time in what had to be the world’s cleanest garage. The shelves were made of wood and lined with every car necessity standing in perfect order. Before my feet could touch the ground I heard footsteps as the car garage opened.
I pulled myself back into the car as Mr. Fierro entered. I slid lower down into my seat till I could see just over the dashboard.
Just then the low stero sound of Moonlight Sonata filled the garage. Just when I thought my cell phone had come back to life, Mr. Fierro stopped for a second he may have rolled his eyes and took a cell phone from his pocket.
“What”, his voice was colder than usual
He listened for several seconds and I assumed cut the person off.
“I don’t care I told you never to call me—“
He was silent, his eyes darted around the garage, as if he was bring watched.
“Do not worry—“
The person on the other line cut him off
“Everything will be fine, do not even think about crossing me.”
He didn’t give the person on the other end time to respond and dropped the phone on the ground, crushing it with the heel of his shoe.Frustrated he started the silver Vanquish, carefully rolling over the phone and then setting the car in gear and speeding off leaving track marks on the garage floor and effectively crushing the phone to pieces.
I went over to inspect the remains of the phone, everything had been chipped and shattered and moving the pieces would look suspicious.
Inside the warmth of the house was complete disorder. Each
room hard wood moving crates, each one labeled with things to be left and what to
be taken to New York. There was more staying than leaving.
Not wanting to let me out of his sight, Mr. Fierro had enacted his plans for moving rather quickly(as I expected). With Rosalie out of the house with me, it gave Joy more time to finish packing, a task I was more than happy to help her with
“Have fun with Rose?”, Joy asked while wrapping a glass candy dish. He constant smile was so unnerving
“Yes, sorry to leave you with all the packing.”
“It’s fine. I’ve heard wonderful things about Rochester I can't wait to see it for myself..”
“So you’ll be coming
then.”, I said more to myself.
“Of course”, she said with her usual smile, “It would be hard to break into a new nanny. You don’t mind do you ?”
“No, Rosalie really adores you. Speaking of which her room is next.”
I grabbed a few boxes and made my way up the stairs, Joy did seem nice but for some reason I wasn't happy about her being here . I realized that Rosalie had picked up her accent and a few of the woman's mannerisms.
Rosalie was nervously walking around her room. Placing everything into piles trying to decide what to pack. As she went through everything she occasionally showed me some of her favorite dresses or books she was learning to read.
Even though I smiled along I had the feeling we were both putting on an act.
She helped me pack up her books, clothes and trinkets. The last things to be packed were the large amount of stuffed animals on the bottom shelf.
It was easier to separate them by types of animal. Bears, kittens,wildlife, fish and dogs. I continue sorting when I came across one that I wasn’t sure where to place.
It was a soft yellow plushie animal that looked like a mouse, I remembered it being popular when I was teenager, it had a crooked tail and beady eyes and bright red cheeks.
“That’s the small one”, Rosalie told me as I stared at the animal.
“You have a bigger one ?”, I said trying to stuff it into the box along with the countless other things she had.
“No”, she laughed, “It was floating . it’s too big and can’t walk on it’s own.”
“What do you mean ?”, I said noting Rosalie wasn't one for a big imagination.
“People have to carry it on strings so it doesn’t get hurt.”
I stopped and looked at the stuffed animal again.
“Like a balloon.. . In a parade. Rosalie, when did you see this ? . . . was it on TV”
“No, I could almost touch it—“
She suddenly became very quiet and went back to packing her books. I don’t think she knew that I was aware she was hiding something from me.
“You saw that balloon at a parade. Is this what you weren’t supposed to tell me”
She stayed quiet and continued flipping through one of the
books. I went to sit next to her peering down to see she was trying not to cry. She would always get in trouble if she cried.
“Rose, it’s okay you can tell me.”
“No”, she shook her head, “I’m not supposed to tell. I’m never supposed to tell”
“Yes you can, honey. I’m your mother I love you. I promise I wouldn’t let anything else hurt you please tell me.”
“NO”
She pushed me away hitting me in the eyes, I recovered quickly as she stormed out the room taking her time down the stairs and running into Joy’s arms. I stayed at the top of the stairs as the nanny comforted her. Whatever the hell was going I didn’t have to or want to put Rosalie in the middle of it.
“Joy can I talk to you”
“I’m sorry ma’am I’m working.”
“Joy, Please”
She pressed her lips together and slowly shook her head, then turned her attention back to Rosalie who was still crying in her arms.
"Goddammit, Joy", I shouted to her hitting my foot so hard into the floor there was a dent. I had lost my temper but they were messing with my daughter. As I made my way down the stairs Rosalie started crying harder.
She was trying to get away.
I had scared her. . she was afraid. . .terrified of me. I was turning into my father.
I never wanted that
I turned on the step and headed back upstairs I went to sort my thoughts out in the guest room while Joy and Rosalie finished packing her room. Occasionally I heard laughter between the two but I still decided to keep my distance.
I found the half full bottle of wine I had been drinking last night under my suitcase. It was cheap and bitter but I poured a glass.
I had convinced myself that Rosalie was safe here, than with me. I had let my father do those terrible things to her. I thought I couldn't trust myself to be good to her. I thought she would be safer.
I hated to think that maybe I had been wrong.
+++
You would have never t thought it possible for four people
to be so silent in one house. I had fallen asleep after Rosalie’s breakdown, well I actually passed out but either way it was pecaeful.
I
was almost certain Joy had confronted Mr. Fierro about what Rosalie had told me. Either way I avoided all of them for the rest of the night.
My alarm clock woke me up at 6 a.m and for the first time in
a few days I took the time to put on my make up and style my hair. There were
dark lines underneath my eyes
I rolled my suitcase down stairs where Rosalie was waiting with Joy. Mr. Fierro had not arrived back home untill very late last night even knowing we were leaving so early in the morning. He was moving strangely slow that morning checking each room before locking the doors to the house for the last time.
It was so easy for him, having no personal attachments to the house, to anything really.
The only thing I think he really cared about, the entire contents of the glass house, had been carefully shipped to his new house, a Victorian farmhouse in rural Monroe County.
I drove my rental car back to the airport, humming along to
a few songs on the radio the way there. The airport in Andover was not that far away so I took my time.
A charter plane would be leaving for Rochester in a few hours and all of us would be on it. Once we arrived at the airport Rosalie dragged Joy off to buy her breakfast leaving Mr. FIerro and I alone in the airport lounge.
It was actually a comfortable space with a few business types, aimlessly reading the news.
“I know you lied to me”, I finally said
“How so ?”, he said taking my hand. he leaned in to keep our whispered conversation private.
“Rosalie told me about the Thanksgiving Day Parade, you know the one in New York City, the same city on the same day my father was murdered . I can’t believe you forced her and your employee to lie to me.”
“I can assure you will get nothing more out of me or anyone else on the matter.”
I turned to face him eye to eye.
“My father died on Thanksgiving in his New York City office and you were there.”
“It’s a large city and I’m sure your family had dinner together that day, perhaps you followed him back to his office, Ms. DeLune or should I call you Clarice?”
I had left my (Clarice’s ) passport in the car before arriving. He must have seen it while getting my luggage for me. I would be hard pressed to appear innocent by leaving the country with a false identity.
“Maybe we can help each other”, I offered.
“Are you under the impression that I trust you ?”
“You don’t ?”
“Women are cruel and unpredictable in that nature”
“Why would I want to hurt you, Mr. Fierro ?”
“For her.” ,he said, “For Rosalie you would do anything”
“You don't know me that well”
“ Ms. DeLune”, his temper was rising, “If you must be this way, fine.You think I killed your father fine. However my intelligence out measures yours and unless you continue to play nice you may be forced to spend till the end of days rotting away in prison if it means saving myself. Perhaps asking me to move closer was the biggest mistake you have ever made.”
He held onto my hand tighter his ring digging into my skin, eliciting a slight whimper of pain from me before letting go.
Rosalie and Joy reappeared carrying some much needed coffee. I watched as Mr. Fierro whispered something to Rosalie his eyes occasionally going in my direction. After a while. Rosalie climbed into my
lap with a stuffed Elephant she seemed to favor.
"This is Melody", she said indicating the elephant
"Pretty name", I said happy that she wasn't afraid of me anymore, or at least pretending to be.
Mr. Fierro kept his eyes on Joy, she in turn looked down aware of how she had failed to maintain her lie.
The small plane only carried a handful of people. I wanted to sit next to Rosalie but decided it was better not to leave Joy to deal with Mr. Fierro’s temper. I tried to keep my attention on the cheap novel I was reading but I knew I had to find a way to get out of this arrangement.
Rosalie was quiet the entire trip and until we landed in the Rochester Airport. I was tempted to just grab her and run. Not just run back to my family but run and start over.
No, I reminded myself. I couldn’t do that anymore.
Somehow I was shuffled into the passenger seat of a luxury rental car going further into rural down and out Monroe county than I ever wanted. I was happy to see a few small farms close by the turnoff road and even an elementary school, maybe Rosalie would have someone other than her nanny.
The farmhouse was in terrible shape but structurally sound. I had to ignore a tinge of jealousy when Rosalie took Joy’s hand as they approached the house. A few of the express items had been sent to the house already littered the floor.
All the rooms smelled like polished wood and lemon. The wall paper was old and slightly peeling off which gave the house a strange charm. It was somewhat hard to make sense of things
with no furniture but I supposed it was a nice place for Rosalie to be for now.
I picked up one of the boxes with Rosalie’s name on it placed on foot on the creaky stairs.
"Rose, why don't you help me unpack."
She looked up questioningly at Joy who gave her a slight push in my direction her arms fully wrapped around her stuffed animal.
I could feel Mr. Fierro's gaze on me and for the first time i was not entirely sure if he was enjoying Rosalie's hesitant fear of me or not. It was nearly dusk when we arrived back in New York
and the truth was I was trying to make my time last with her as long as I
could. I didn't want to be away from her but I didn't feel as if I had a choice.
Once up the stairs she chose one of the larger
rooms far away from the stairs. The box was packed with items from her previous room.
As I helped her organize, or more she helped me organize, I started to dread what I would have to tell her next.
“Rosalie”, I said putting the finishing touches on her tea set, “I have to leave.”
“You said you wouldn’t leave”, she folded her arms
“I know, but I’m not to far away, now. ” 
“Will I be able to talk to you on the phone”
“Um, I don’t know”, I said once again thinking about Rainer.
“Will you be back tomorrow”
“Yes, right after work. But before I leave Is there anything you want to tell me ?”
“No”, she said
I kissed her forehead and kept the light on before leaving her door ajar. I tried to be quiet going down the stairs which was an impossible feat. As I turned on the second platform I saw Mr. Fierro walk into one of the entry way parlors.
I turned to follow him stopping once I saw what was on the floor.
In the corner of the room was a large detailed doll house that mimicked the actually house perfectly. Granted the dollhouse mirrored a time when the house was in a better conditioned.
The dollhouse opened at a hinge and I peered down to see it was divided just like the house was as well.
There were three faceless a generic wood polished dolls that went along with the house. a child doll in the bedroom an female doll in the room just beyond that and one male figure in the downstairs parlor. Th
“Why can’t we put this behind us ?", i said standing up, "The truth for once. Why were you in New York ?”
“Tell me Ms. DeLune,What were your last moments with your father like ? What exactly transpired that last time the entire DeLune family was together ? Thanksgiving was it ? Martin’s last supper as it were.”
I didn’t like the way he used my father’s first name. He turned his attention back to the flowers he had been arranging.
“If I could stay here.. . would you let me ?”, I asked.
“I don’t think that would be wise, what would you tell your family ?”
“Please, I’m begging you whatever you are holding over Rosalie just let her be. Let her be happy.”
“ You insult me, Ms. DeLune I want nothing more than her happiness.”
“What about what you said in England about you and I”
“ I'd rather not dwell on such things. It is difficult, being back here brings up a lot of memories. I still have a lot of thinking to do So much time has passed and it is not something I want to deal with anymore.”
I couldn't bring myself to move or say something. I didn't want his words to hurt me but they did.
“Goodnight then.”, I walked faster to the door realizing I was about to cry.
I stood on the porch realizing I didn’t have a way to get
back. I didn’t have the nerve to ask for a ride and I thought about how
peaceful it would be to walk 37 miles.
The sun had completely fallen when I saw a set of headlights and a red and white cab pulled up.
+++
The pre paid cab drive from the farm to my mother’s house was approximately 32 minutes. All I really wanted to do was head back to Clarice's house and fall into bedc but I hadn’t seen my mother since the funeral.
I still hated the words and the pictures I had to associate with the word funeral now.
I made my way to the front door knowing my mother was
probably asleep. My childhood bedroom was still in tact maybe I would sleep there for
the night. The inside of the house was
dark I ascended the steps passed the sewing room that had once been Rosalie’s
room. Not that anyone in my family could sew.
I knocked on my mother's bedroom door and opened it, finding her untouched bed on the other side. I sprinted down to Clarence’s room and was met with the same scene.
“Mother ! Clarence !”, I called with no return.
I grabbed the phone and dialed Clarice where it went straight to voicemail. I called Claudia’s home next and still no one picked up.
911 seemed to be my only option, but begrudgingly I called Detective Rainer instead.
“Rainer”, she answered.
“Where the hell is my family”
“Clara,is that you ?”
“Yes, where are they”
“Oh, right. . .They’ve all been taken into custody”
“What for ?”
“Obstruction of justice”, she said matter –of-faculty,"I've been looking for you and they seemed to forget where you were"
“They didn’t know where I was. You have to let them go… no
forget it I’m coming down there.”
“Don’t worry I’ve already sent someone to collect you”
“While I’m on the phone can I ask what this is about ?”
“The flowers Clara.”
“What flowers”
“The pretty pink ones that were in a vase on your mother's
counter. I saw them when I went to deliver the news of your father’s death to your mother. she said they had been sent to you."
I looked over to where a blue and white china patterned vase
had stood. Every week I refreshed it with a new arrangement of flowers that
were sent to my last known address.
“They were a gift.”, I said honestly.
“From whom ?”
“. . .A secret admirer.”
“We’ll talk more about that later.”
Blue and red lights filtered through the windows and I hung up the phone and stepped outside. The lights blinded me and I vaguely registered them yelling at me to stop moving. They didn’t cuff me this time and maybe because Rainer wasn't there they were nicer.
I leaned against the window as we headed downtown, more lies spinning in my head.
+++
A/N
Who's That Pokemon ? AKA. I've been spending way to much time at home
I used a real house for sale in Monroe County there are more pictures of the house here
Yes, I'm using Tumblr now !