The Saint Mark,
115 East 9th Street at 3rd Avenue,
East Village
Evelyn Green bit into the juicy red apple, the sound echoing off the tiles in the kitchen. She chewed thoughtfully as she stared at the words on the laptop screen, occasionally pausing to make additions to the text as needed. She reviewed a newly written passage.
Near the border between the Irish counties of Cork and Kerry lie the legendary Paps of Anu. This area is highly sacred to those who believe in the Great Mother, and many modern-day Celtics and Pagans from around the world make pilgrimages there throughout the year. The mountains are believed to be formed from the breasts of the Morrigan, the goddess of War and Death. To her followers, it represents the bosom of the goddess and it is one of the most powerful places to worship the Great Queen. The foothills are surrounded with standing stones that bear ritualistic carvings, and the entire site is shrouded in mystery.
The buzz of the intercom interrupted her thoughts, and she grumbled softly as she went to answer it. "Hello?"
"Eve, it's me. Grace. Can I come in? I really need to talk to you."
"Sure, hon. Come on up."
Grace appeared on Evelyn's doorstep a moment later, visibly upset. Watching her, Eve was surprised to see the woman that she'd always respected for her great self-control nearly crumble before her eyes. Grace's lips trembled as she tried in vain to hold back the tears, and she blindly stumbled into her friend's waiting arms.
"I'm so sorry to disturb you, Evie. I didn't have anywhere else to go."
Eve took Grace inside and shut the door behind them before leading her to the living room sofa. "It's okay, really. I'm here for you, you know that."
Grace grabbed a tissue to dry her eyes. "Have you read the paper today?"
Evelyn shook her head, deeply concerned.
"No, I've been inside all day working on my dissertation. Why?"
Grace balled up the paper in her fist and looked into Evelyn's hazel eyes.
"David disappeared early this morning in London. There's no trace of him."
Evelyn gasped in shock, and Grace bit her lip hard. Eve quickly recovered and began to ask questions. "How did this happen? What's being done to find him? Oh, sweetie. How are you holding up? This must be sheer hell for you."
Grace leaned back on the couch, her eyes glued to the ceiling.
"I'm not holding up at all, that's the thing. I have so much on my plate right now, Eve. Not just what's happened to David, but everything feels wrong in general. I feel like I'm tearing apart at the seams. There's so much going on these days, I don't know how to explain. I..."
Evelyn took Grace's hand and squeezed it.
"Everything that's on your mind, get it all out so it won't bother you anymore. Give it hell. I swear to you, I will never tell another living soul."
Suddenly the dam burst inside of Grace, releasing the hot tide of emotions that had threatened to drown her during the earlier cab ride. She trembled under its power as she spoke.
"I'm responsible for what happened to David. Before he disappeared, I called him at the hotel and told him that I wanted a divorce. He was devastated, Eve. Oh, God. I drove him out into the cold, dark night and now he's gone! If something happens to him out there, I'll never forgive myself!"
Eve drew closer and put an arm about Grace's shoulders.
"Grace, no. You had no idea that he would leave like that. You didn't force him to do anything but acknowledge your wishes. It's not your fault, girl."
Grace lifted a shaking hand to swat away the tears. "Liam's on his way to London to help with the investigation. Maybe I should have gone with him; I can't stand the thought of some Scotland Yard cop asking, 'Where's the wife? Shouldn't she be here?' I feel like I'm neglecting my duty to David by staying behind."
Evelyn gave a wordless murmur of sympathy, patting her friend's shoulder.
"You had to stay and take care of Rafe. Anyone would understand that."
Grace turned sideways on the couch towards Eve, her face strained.
"No. It's more than just that, much more. There are so many things that you don't know, Eve. About the current situation, my marriage, and about me."
Evelyn noticed the tension that radiated from Grace as she spoke, and she attempted to lighten the load.
"What can you possibly say to me that's so terrible, Grace? Because right now your body language is screaming for me to brace myself. Come on, I'm sure that whatever you're about to say is not that bad. Hey, as long as you didn't vote for Bush, we're fine!"
The statement brought a surprised laugh out of Grace; Eve saw some of the earlier stiffness leave her body and was relieved. "Are you feeling better now?"
Grace looked at her friend, her eyes gleaming in a way they hadn't a moment before.
"Yes, thanks. I really needed that."
Eve smiled briefly before growing serious. "What's going on?"
Grace took a long look around the room. "Where's Leon?"
"He's with his father this weekend, at his house in Queens."
Grace didn't know how to tell her friend what she was thinking in delicate terms, so she just spilled it out.
"I suspect David in the killing of that billionaire Cooper. Other than my father, you are the only person that I've shared this with. The murder happened late on Thursday the 22nd just a few blocks from AE headquarters. Last Friday morning, I was in the penthouse study and I saw a shirt of David's on the couch and it was drenched in blood. I bagged it and now it's stashed away until I can find someone to analyze it. The other day I confronted David, and he told me that he'd only fought with the old man and then found him dead moments later. He swears that he's innocent, but the circumstances are just too suspicious for me to trust him."
Evelyn covered her mouth with her hand.
"Oh, Jesus. No wonder you want a divorce."
Despite the gravity of the situation, Grace managed a wry smile. "I should have wanted one a long time ago; it took this to finally spur me into action."
Eve shook her head in stunned disbelief.
"My goodness. It just goes to show that none of us can really know what goes on in another person's mind until they say or do something that shocks the hell out of us."
Grace leaned back on the sofa. "Amen. David has been on a downward spiral for some time now, ever since he decided to turn his precious company in a direction that I never expected. I told you before that AE did biomedical research, right? Several months ago, out of the clear blue sky, David announced that he made a deal with the government to provide them with information from AE's Nanotechnology division in exchange for funding. It was obviously an offer that they couldn't refuse, and now the business that was once dedicated to building a better future for mankind is soon to be a key factor in destroying it. 'National security,' my ass. But hey, the money's good, right?" Her voice oozed sarcasm at the last words.
Evelyn was silent, and Grace exhaled softly. "I think that was the day when I began to lose respect for him, and it was the beginning of the end for us. I realize now that it shouldn't have started in the first place."
Grace got up and went to the window, aware that Eve was watching her. She stared at the street below, her thoughts on India and how different things were back then, how different she had been compared to the here and now.
She heard Evelyn approach and together they stood and watched the sun emerge from the clouds. After a long moment, Eve spoke.
"Grace, we've known each other for a long time and I can't thank you enough for the support that you gave me when I was going through my divorce. You were my rock during those tough times, and I know that now you need me to return the favor. I am behind you all the way."
"Thank you, Evie. I need so badly to talk. I'm tired of keeping everything inside."
Evelyn led Grace away from the window and back to the couch. Her eyes searched her friend's face as they sat.
"Something in your speech puzzles me, hon. Concerning David, I mean. Earlier you talked of duty and respect, but you never mentioned love. And just a minute ago you said that you should never have married him. What kind of a relationship did the two of you have?"
Grace's mouth formed an ironic smile.
"You know, it's been over five years and I still have no idea."
Evelyn leaned forward. "Do you love him? If not now, have you ever?"
Grace's dark eyes met Eve's lighter ones. "No, never. Not in the way that a woman should love her husband. My feelings for him never went beyond friendship, and after a while even that faded away. There's nothing left between us now except for Rafe."
Eve was mystified. "How could you have married someone that you didn't love?"
Grace closed her eyes and could almost smell the spices in the air that circulated around Darjeeling and the temple, could almost taste the tea leaves on her tongue.
Her voice shook slightly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Evelyn gently took Grace's face in her hands, forcing her to open her eyes.
"What happened in India, Grace?" She didn't like the ideas that were coming to mind. "Did he force himself on you?"
Grace's voice was firm. "No! Nothing like that. It was just a very trying time for me, and he was there. He was there when I was at an all-time low, and I was grateful to him for his kindness..."
After a long pause, she continued. "It was when I was struck down by a fever that I learned I was pregnant, and David was there. He told me that he loved me, and at the time I was incredibly fond of him and I convinced myself that I would eventually grow to love him. So I accepted his proposal, and as soon as I recovered we went off to tie the knot."
Eve waited patiently for Grace to continue, and after taking a deep breath she pushed on. She placed a hand over her abdomen, where she felt a tight knot forming with each word she spoke.
