Now You See Her

THREE


THE MESSAGE LIGHT ON her phone was flashing ominously when Marcy returned to her hotel.

It must be a mistake, she thought, letting her stained and still-damp coat fall to the thick oatmeal-colored carpet and kicking off her shoes, normally reliable black flats that had lost all credibility sometime around two o’clock that afternoon. She balanced on the side of her king-size bed, watching the phone’s red light flash on and off, wondering who could have called. Nobody knew she was here.

Probably the tour bus company, she decided. They’re holding me responsible for the missed excursion to Blarney Castle and expecting me to cover whatever extra cost they incurred as a result. Fine, it’s the least I can do, she thought, deciding not to listen to the message until later. She leaned back against the stack of fancy lace pillows at the head of the bed and lifted her feet to rest on the down-filled comforter, sleep already tugging at her eyelids. She hadn’t realized how utterly exhausted she was. She closed her eyes. Almost immediately, the phone started ringing.

Marcy’s eyes popped open, her head swiveling toward the sound, a new thought piercing her brain, like an ice pick to the back of her skull.

Could it be Devon? she was thinking as she stared at the ringing black telephone. Was it possible she’d been aware of her mother’s presence all along, that she’d spied Marcy through the pub’s window at the precise moment Marcy had spotted her? Had she watched her mother’s frantic search from a safe distance, and had she been thinking of coming forward when Vic Sorvino suddenly appeared? Had she followed them to the bus terminal, watched them board the bus back to Dublin, then started calling every first-class hotel in the city in a desperate effort to track her mother down? Was it possible?

Slowly, carefully, her heart careening wildly between her chest and her throat, Marcy removed the receiver from its carriage and lifted it to her ear.

“Marcy? Marcy, are you there?” Peter’s voice filled the large, elegant room. “Marcy? I can hear you breathing. Answer me.”

Tears of disappointment filled Marcy’s eyes. “Hello, Peter,” she said. It was all she could think of to say to the man with whom she’d shared the last twenty-five years of her life. “How are you?”

“How am I?” he asked incredulously. “I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about. I’ve called half a dozen times, left messages.…”

“How did you know where to find me?”

“Your sister called,” he told her. “She’s frantic, says you’ve gone off to Ireland by yourself, that you think you’ve seen—” He broke off, took a second to regroup. “I remembered the name of the hotel in Dublin where we …”

“Were supposed to stay together?” Marcy finished for him.

A second’s silence, then, slowly, cautiously, almost lovingly, “You have to come home, Marcy. You have to come home now.”

“Why?”

“Why?”

“I saw her, Peter. I saw Devon.”

He sighed. “This is crazy talk, Marcy. You know that.”

“I know what I saw.”

“You only think you saw Devon,” Peter told her gently, the hint of impatience in his voice tempered by his obvious concern. Marcy could almost feel him shaking his head.

Poor Peter, she thought. After all these years, he still had no idea what to make of her. “I did see her.”

“You saw a girl who looked like her.…”

“No.”

“A pretty girl with long dark hair and high cheekbones, who maybe walked the way Devon walked and held her cigarette the same way.…”

“I saw Devon.”

“Just like you saw her all those other times you were so convinced?”

“This time is different.”

“This time is exactly the same,” Peter insisted. “Marcy, please. I thought we got past this.”

“No, you got past it.”

“Because I had to. Because there was no other choice. Our daughter is dead, Marcy.”

“They never found her body.”

Another silence. Another sigh. “So, you’re saying … what? That she faked her own death …?”

“Maybe. Or maybe it was an accident and she saw an opportunity …”

“An opportunity for what, for God’s sake? Why would she do something like this? Why would she let us think she was dead?”

“You know why!” Marcy shouted, silencing him. She imagined Peter hanging his head, closing his eyes.

“How did she get there?” he asked quietly.

“What?”

“She didn’t have a passport. She didn’t have any money.…”

Marcy brushed aside these new questions with an impatient wave of her hand. “She could have had money put away. She could have arranged for a passport. She had friends, Peter, friends we knew nothing about.…”

“Think about what you’re saying, Marcy.”

“I don’t have to think about it,” Marcy insisted, refusing to be swayed. “Our daughter is alive, Peter. She’s here in Ireland.”

“And you just happened to run into her.”

“She walked right by the pub where I was sitting.”

“You were drinking?” he asked, almost hopefully.

“I was drinking tea.”

“And Devon walked by,” he said.

“Yes.”

“Dublin has, what … a population of a million and a half?”

“I know. It’s quite a coincidence,” Marcy said before Peter had the chance, deciding not to tell him the sighting had taken place in Cork.

Another moment’s silence, then, “Did you talk to her?”

“What?”

“Did she see you? Did you talk to her?”

“No. I tried following her but I lost her in the crowd.” Again she felt him shaking his head. “Just because she didn’t see me doesn’t mean I didn’t see her.”

He sighed. The sigh said he’d given it his best shot. There was nothing more to talk about. “Come home, Marcy. Your sister is half out of her mind.…”

“Good-bye, Peter. Please tell Judith not to worry.”

“Marcy—”

She hung up the phone before he could say anything else.

The phone rang again almost immediately. This time Marcy let it go directly to voice mail. If it wasn’t Peter, it was Judith, and she didn’t have the strength to have the same conversation a second time. If they wanted to think she was crazy, so be it. They were probably right.

But that didn’t mean she was wrong about Devon.

She’d leave for Cork first thing the next morning, she decided, a renewed burst of energy pushing her to her feet. She retrieved her suitcase from the closet, placing it on the cream-colored ottoman at the foot of the bed. Within minutes, it was packed, shoes and nightgowns at the bottom, shirts and dresses laid neatly over the top, followed by a few T-shirts and her favorite jeans, along with a nice pair of black pants and a couple of sweaters, her underwear stuffed into every available crevice and corner. The travel agent had advised layers. You never knew what the weather in Ireland would be like. Even mid-July could sometimes feel more like the middle of October, she’d warned Marcy. And make sure to pack an umbrella.

Yeah, sure, Marcy thought, picking her dirt-stained coat off the floor and hanging it over the back of the mahogany chair that sat in front of the sleek, modern desk. The travel agent had highly recommended the five-star luxury hotel, perfectly situated on the cusp of the historic old city and the somewhat bohemian district of Temple Bar. Her room was spacious and sophisticated and warm. Probably she didn’t need the rather grand king-size bed, but what the hell? At least she had plenty of room to thrash around without worrying about someone poking her in the ribs, telling her to be still.

She walked to the large window that overlooked College Green, across from Trinity College. The street was filling up with people, all of whom seemed to know exactly where they were going and what they were doing. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was almost eight o’clock. She hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch. She thought she should probably call room service, ask them to send something up. Or maybe she should go out, let the night breeze blow Peter’s doubts out of her head.

Except that Peter didn’t have any doubts. He never had. Wasn’t that one of the things that had drawn her to him in the first place? That he’d always been so sure of himself, so certain of everything? Hadn’t that been exactly what she was looking for?

He was right about one thing: It would have been too much of a coincidence for her to have spotted Devon here. If their daughter had settled in Dublin, and not in Cork, the odds were that Marcy never would have found her. Dublin was an amazingly young city. An astounding half its inhabitants were under the age of thirty, she remembered reading as she watched a young woman fly toward her boyfriend’s extended arms on the street below. The kiss that followed was long and deep. After about thirty seconds, they broke apart, the girl laughing giddily, the boy gazing dreamily up toward her hotel room. Immediately Marcy backed away from the window, although she was on the third floor and it was highly doubtful he could have seen her.

Had Peter ever kissed her with such passion? she wondered. Had she ever responded with such unbridled joy?

Marcy crossed back to the closet and opened the safe deposit box, her hand brushing against the pair of gold hoop earrings Judith had given her for her fiftieth birthday as she reached for the midsize envelope at the very back of the black-velvet-lined box.

Returning to the bed, Marcy opened the envelope and removed the half-dozen photographs, careful to avoid the smaller second envelope inside it, the single word “MOMMY” scrawled across its front. She laid the pictures across the white comforter, studied each one carefully: Devon as a round little baby in her mother’s arms, one happy face mimicking the other, both with the same huge brown eyes, the same cupid’s-bow mouth; Devon as a child of five, wearing a fluffy pink tutu, balancing on chubby little legs and smiling proudly toward the ballet slippers on her feet; Devon on her twelfth birthday, meticulously straightened bangs completely covering her forehead and falling into her eyes, her mouth stretched wide open to show off her newly installed porcelain braces; Devon and Marcy celebrating Devon’s sweet sixteen, arms circling each other’s waists as they leaned over the flower-covered cake to blow out the candles; Devon at eighteen, hovering on the edge of beauty, staring straight at the camera, straggly dark curls falling past her shoulders, her smile timid, unsure. Marcy noted the sadness that was already creeping into the corners of her daughter’s eyes, although there was still a hint of defiance in the set of her chin, as if she were daring the photographer to get too close; and finally, Devon, only weeks before her overturned canoe was found floating in the middle of the bay, wearing an old blue sweater and smoking her now omnipresent cigarette, her once expressive dark eyes blank and rimmed with red, her cupid’s-bow lips now a thin, flat line, carrying not even the pretense of a smile.

Marcy sat staring at the pictures, wondering at Devon’s transformation from giddy toddler to morose young woman. My fault, she thought. Everything, my fault.

There was yet another photograph inside the envelope and Marcy pulled it out. It was a black-and-white picture of her mother, taken around the time she’d turned twenty-one. She was standing in front of a large mirror, her regal profile reflected in the glass at her back. Her eyes were downcast and her long brown hair was pulled off her forehead and away from her face. She was wearing a dress of pale organza, a dark velvet bow at her breast. Her left hand held a gardenia that she pressed coyly to her chin.

Only the slightest hint of madness in her eyes.

The person who’d taken that picture had been desperately in love with her, as her mother had been fond of recounting. Theirs had been an exciting, wild affair, full of fights and reconciliations, of tantrums and ultimatums and declarations of undying devotion, a whirlwind of constantly shifting emotions. And yet, in the end, her mother had opted for safety and security over whirlwinds and excitement. She’d married George Fraser, a man whose name said it all. He was uncomplicated, straightforward, and too sane for his own good.

A man much like Peter in so many ways, Marcy acknowledged reluctantly. Both men never knew what hit them.

Marcy stuffed the pictures back inside their envelope, quickly returning the envelope to the safe deposit box. Then she grabbed her coat and purse and headed out the door, unexpectedly coming face-to-face with her image in the full-length mirror beside the elevators and seeing the faces of both her mother and her daughter staring back, their dark eyes filled with reproach. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered as the elevator door opened.

The elegant lobby was lined with marble columns and decorated with magnificent plasterwork. To one side was a hall whose walls were completely covered with mirrors. Marcy made her way to the reception desk, the reflections of her mother and daughter mimicking each step.

“Where do I go to rent a car?” she asked a middle-aged woman behind the counter. The woman had sleek black hair pulled into a bun.

“Oh, I wouldn’t advise renting a car in Dublin,” the woman, whose name tag identified her as Lynette, said cheerily in her thick Irish brogue. “It’s much easier getting around the city without one.”

“I’m thinking of taking a drive into the countryside.”

“Have you driven on Irish roadways before?”

“No, but—”

“They’re a little tricky, especially for people who are used to driving on the other side of the road.”

Marcy smiled, trying not to feel insulted by the woman’s concern. It’s my hair, Marcy was thinking. If I had straight, manageable hair like she has, she wouldn’t be questioning my competence. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Lynette smiled indulgently as she handed Marcy a map of the city, drawing a big red circle over the area where the major car rental offices were located. “It’s a shame you didn’t think to rent a car in advance,” she said. “You’d have gotten a much better rate.”

First Peter expected her to think about what she was saying, and now a total stranger expected her to think in advance, Marcy thought in amazement, taking the map from Lynette’s hand and deciding to walk the few blocks, to get all the paperwork taken care of tonight so she’d be ready to leave for Cork first thing in the morning.

“Of course they’re all closed at this hour,” Lynette said.

“Of course.” Now she’d have to waste a valuable chunk of the morning just getting organized. So much for advance thinking. Her stomach growled, as if underlining her displeasure. “Do you happen to know a nice restaurant in the area, nothing too fancy …?”

“There’s Flannery’s over on O’Connell Street. The food’s good. Simple, but good.” Lynette took back the map from Marcy’s hand and circled the spot.

“Thanks. I’ll give it a try.” Marcy was walking through the lobby when she heard a now-familiar voice call out her name. What was he doing here? she wondered, pretending she hadn’t heard him and continuing toward the front entrance.

“Marcy?” he called again.

She spun around, the suddenness of her movement obviously catching him by surprise, so that his hand, which had been reaching for her elbow, grazed the side of her breast. His touch sent a spasm of electricity charging through her body. It had been a very long time since anyone had touched her breast, however inadvertently. In the waning years of their marriage, Peter hadn’t even tried. When Devon left them, she’d taken with her whatever intimacy still existed between them.

“Vic.” Marcy acknowledged him now, noting that he smelled of soap and shampoo and that he’d changed his clothes since she’d seen him less than an hour ago. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater that emphasized the intense blueness of his eyes. “I didn’t realize you were staying at this hotel.”

“I’m not. I’m at the Morgan, just down the block.”

“Why are you here?” she heard herself ask.

He laughed. “That’s right, I almost forgot. You’re not much for small talk.”

“Sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. You just surprised me.” You touched my breast, she thought, dismayed to find her flesh still tingling. “I didn’t expect to see you again. How did you know where to find me?”

“The bus let you off at your hotel,” Vic said with a shrug. “Not exactly Sherlock Holmes.”

Of course, Marcy thought, remembering that she’d rushed off in such a hurry, she hadn’t even said good-bye.

He continued. “I thought I’d take a chance you might be free for dinner.”

“You want to have dinner with me?”

“I tried calling your room, but I got your message machine, so I thought I’d just drop by.”

“You’re asking me out?”

“I’m sorry if I’m not very good at it. I haven’t had a lot of practice lately.”

“I can’t,” Marcy said.

“You have other plans?”

“No.”

“Oh. Oh,” he said again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Marcy continued unprompted. “It’s just that I’m a mess. I mean, look at me. I haven’t showered or changed. My hair’s a disaster.”

“You look gorgeous.”

Marcy released a long, deep breath. When was the last time a man had been so nice to her? When was the last time anyone had been so nice to her? “I can’t,” she said again.

“I understand,” he said, although he clearly didn’t.

“I just don’t think I’d be very good company.”

“No need to explain.”

“I haven’t even thanked you for all your help this afternoon.”

“No thanks necessary.” He began backing away.

“Vic,” she said, stopping him, wondering what she was doing now.

He stared at her expectantly, as if he was wondering the same thing.

“I hear there’s this very nice restaurant over on O’Connell Street. Good food. Not fancy, but good.”

“Are you asking me out?” he said with a smile.

“I’m sorry if I’m not very good at it,” she parroted.

“On the contrary. You’re doing just fine. It sounds wonderful.”

“Would you give me a few minutes to shower and change my clothes?”

“As long as you don’t change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

“Then I’ll wait right here.”