Sisters

EIGHTEEN




The next morning Alex hopped onto the train just as the whistle that signaled ‘departure’ began to blow. She pressed the rectangular plate in the door between the cars and the door slid open to admit her. Alex began to lurch down the aisle between the seats and then stopped short.

‘All right,’ she said, trying to suppress a smile. ‘Now I’m sure of it. You’re following me.’

Seth looked up and smiled, seeming genuinely pleased to see her. ‘What are you doing on this train?’

Alex took the seat beside him. Her arm brushed his, and she felt a current pass between them. ‘I might ask you the same question,’ she teased him.

‘I’m going to meet my old advisor from grad school,’ he said. ‘He invited me weeks ago, but I couldn’t get away because of my dad. But he’s doing better. And now that Janet is back . . .’

‘Your sister came home?’ Alex said.

‘Yeah. The kids have to start back at school. So she’s right around the corner if he needs her in an emergency. And it gives me a chance to finish up a few things I meant to do. Tonight we’re going to have a family dinner and I’ll give the monsters their Christmas presents and all. I finally got them wrapped. Better late than never.’

Alex understood the implication of what he was saying. ‘You’re going back soon?’ she said. She tried to sound offhanded, but she could hear the disappointed note in her own voice.

‘End of the week,’ he said.

‘Really?’

Seth nodded. ‘I’ve got a lot to do out there. I can’t put it off.’

Alex nodded, avoiding his gaze. ‘Well, I’m sure your dad will really miss you,’ she said. She pulled her iPhone out of her purse and began to study the screen, languidly flipping it with her index finger.

‘What about you?’

‘I really don’t have time to miss anybody,’ she said. ‘I’ve got my hands full.’

‘No, I meant, why are you going into the city today?’

Alex smiled brightly, pretending not to be embarrassed at having misunderstood him. More than anything, she wanted to get up and move to another seat so that, if her face betrayed her dismay, he wouldn’t be able to see it. ‘Actually, I have a second interview at the Orenstein Gallery today. It’s an outstanding gallery. I’m really hoping to get this job.’

‘I hope you do,’ he said, ‘if that’s what you want.’

‘It is,’ she said, studying the screen as if she were longing to give it all her attention. ‘It’s exactly what I want.’

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Alex rose abruptly from her seat as the conductor called out ‘Back Bay’ and gave her seat mate a friendly smile. ‘Well, if I don’t see you, have a good trip back.’

‘Take care,’ he replied. He looked up and Alex thought that his eyes seemed a little bit sad. But then she told herself that she was imagining things. It wasn’t as if anything had actually happened between them, although she had certainly wished, more than once, that it might, and she had the completely unfair sense that he was abandoning her in a difficult situation.

‘You too,’ she said, giving him a brief wave as she made her way to the exit. He doesn’t owe you a thing, she reminded herself as she waited in the space between the cars for the train to stop. He was just being nice.

It was clear to Alex, after about five minutes, that the second interview at Orenstein’s Gallery was a formality. Louis Orenstein outlined what her duties would be and suggested that the more extra work she took on the more likely she was to advance in the art world. Then he stood up and embraced Alex, kissing her, European style, on both cheeks. ‘Welcome to the gallery,’ he said.

Alex thanked her new employer profusely and, after filling out more paperwork and agreeing to start the next day, she virtually floated out of the building and onto Newbury Street. I have the job, she thought. Her first thought was to call her mother and tell her. And then she realized, for the thousandth time since the fatal accident, that it wouldn’t be possible, and her heart grew heavy. She could still remember the happiness, the excitement in her mother’s voice, in her eyes, when Alex would arrive home with good news. I’ll have to settle for remembering it, she thought.

Her very next thought surprised her. She wanted to tell Seth. Immediately she knew that she would not be doing that either. How stupid would that seem? A neighbor from down the street, calling him to crow about her new job when all he was thinking about was getting on a plane to go back to his real life. No. She would not be calling Seth.

And Dory? she thought. She tried to imagine Dory being happy and excited for her. Wasn’t that what sisters were supposed to do? she wondered. But she could not picture it. She felt as if she had no one to share her news with, and it made her feel a little bit resentful. She had tried to do all she could for Dory. And yet, when she had exciting news, she suspected that Dory was not going to want to hear it.

Walking back toward the Back Bay station, Alex crossed Boylston Street where the Justice Initiative had its offices. Hesitating, she decided to stop in and see if Marisol was there. Alex walked into the offices and was directed immediately to the law student’s tiny office.

‘How’s it going?’ Marisol asked warily.

Alex nodded. ‘Fine. It’s going fine.’

‘You two getting along OK?’

‘As well as need be,’ said Alex.

‘Oh, I see,’ said Marisol. ‘So what brings you to town?’

‘Actually, I just a got a job at the Orenstein Gallery as Louis Orenstein’s assistant. I’ll be helping to choose the artists he’s going to feature. I start tomorrow.’

‘Oh, congratulations,’ said Marisol sincerely. ‘I know that gallery. It’s great. Way out of my league price-wise, but beautiful stuff. You should be very proud to be working there.’

‘Thanks,’ said Alex, smiling. ‘I am.’

‘It was nice of you to share this news,’ said Marisol.

Alex understood. Marisol was busy and wanted her to get to the point. ‘I was just wondering,’ she said, ‘if you knew how long it would be before the DA makes his decision. You know, whether to refile the charges or not.’

Marisol shook her head. ‘I don’t know. But it should be soon. They usually don’t dawdle with these decisions.’

‘And what happens if they decide not to refile?’

‘Then Dory is free to live her life without restrictions, and you get your bond money back.’

Alex nodded. ‘You’ll let us know.’

‘Right away,’ Marisol promised.

Alex left, walked back to the station and rode the train to Chichester. It was already growing dark as she got into her car and drove the short distance to her house. As she got out, she looked down the street to the house where Seth’s father lived. She thought she saw several cars parked in front, and the house was cheerfully alight. But there was no coach light on outside her own house. It was as if nobody was expected. And the interior seemed to be lit dimly, if at all. Home sweet home, she thought.

She sighed and walked up to the door. As she pulled open the storm door, wild, angry eyes leapt at her from the shadows of the hallway. Shattering, ear-piercing barks assailed her.

Alex jumped back and cried out as the dog, his canine teeth dripping with saliva, his muscles straining, pressed forward, forcing her to stumble back toward the door.

‘Remus, stop,’ Dory said, materializing in the gloom of the hallway and trying ineffectually to grab the dog’s collar. ‘Stop it. She lives here.’

‘Dory, what the hell . . .’ Alex cried out.

At this, the dog redoubled his efforts, his nails scratching the floor as Dory finally got a grip on him and held him back. His barking spiraled up the stairwell and reverberated through the house.

‘Remus, that’s enough,’ Dory insisted. ‘You be a good boy.’

‘Get that dog out of my face,’ said Alex.

‘OK, OK. Don’t get all bent out of shape.’ Dory pulled some kind of treat from her pocket and waved it in front of the dog.

‘You’re rewarding him?’ Alex cried. ‘For attacking me?’

Dory’s eyes flashed. ‘I know how to handle dogs,’ she said. ‘Just back off, Alex.’

‘You want me to back off?’

‘Yes, just shut up for a minute. I’ve got this.’

The dog, seeming to sense their dissension, began to growl.

Dory bent over and looked the dog in the eye, waving the treat. ‘Here you go. Take it easy,’ she said.

The dog became interested in the treat and simmered down, only letting out the occasional bark. Dory gave him the treat, brushed her hands together and straightened up. ‘See,’ she said. ‘Problem solved.’

‘Whose dog is that? Where did it come from?’

‘He’s our dog,’ said Dory brightly, running a hand over the dog’s shiny coat. ‘Isn’t he pretty? My old customer, Regina, brought him over while you were out.’

‘How could you just get a dog without consulting me? I said I wanted to think about it.’

‘What is there to think about?’ Dory asked. ‘You said you liked dogs.’

‘What breed is this dog?’

‘Some kind of Lab mix,’ said Dory vaguely.

‘That dog is no more a Lab than I am,’ Alex protested. ‘That’s a Pit Bull.’

‘The correct name is American Staffordshire Terrier,’ said Dory. ‘And so what if he is part Pit Bull? They can be wonderful dogs. It’s all in how they’re handled.’

‘Everybody knows they’re dangerous,’ said Alex.

‘That’ll work for us. People are afraid of these dogs. If those journalists come nosing around again, you need a dog that can guard his territory. Remus will protect us.’

‘And who will protect me from Remus?’ Alex demanded.

‘You’ll get used to him,’ said Dory unsympathetically.

‘No,’ said Alex. ‘I don’t want to get used to him. He’s going back. We’re taking him back right now.’

Dory looked at her coldly. ‘Excuse me?’

‘You heard me,’ said Alex. ‘Have you got a crate for him? We’ll put him in the car and take him back to Regina.’

‘We can’t,’ said Dory.

‘Why not?’

‘She . . . had to go away. She won’t be back for several days.’

‘How convenient,’ said Alex.

‘You think I’m lying?’ Dory challenged her.

She and Alex stared at one another. Remus began to growl low in his throat.

‘You better shut that dog up,’ said Alex, brushing past Dory and starting for the stairs. ‘He’s going back the minute Regina gets home. End of discussion.’

Alex thought she heard ‘bitch’ breathed into the air, but she didn’t stop on her way up the stairs.

Lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, Alex couldn’t help feeling sorry for herself. This was a big day. She’d got the job she wanted and she should be celebrating. Instead she was alone in her room and downstairs her sister, an accused murderer, patrolled the house with a Pit Bull. She knew the Pit Bull’s bad reputation wasn’t the dogs’ fault. Any dog lover knew that. It was the people who owned and abused them. That didn’t mean the dog wasn’t dangerous. What did they know about this particular dog anyway? And how could Dory simply take it upon herself to get this dog, without any thought to what Alex might want?

Alex sighed. Face it, she thought. The fact was that she felt imposed on, and cornered by Dory and her mercurial moods. You haven’t really given her much of a chance, she argued with herself. Stop being so negative. Dory had been through so much. She’d been longing to have a dog all her life, and now she had the opportunity. Was it too much to ask? You’d been thinking of getting a dog anyway, she reminded herself.

Alex turned over on her stomach. She undoubtedly was in a bad mood because Seth was leaving. She probably wouldn’t see him again – maybe not till next Christmas. For all intents and purposes, it was a relationship that was never going to happen. Perhaps she wouldn’t have reacted so badly to the dog if she hadn’t had that news about Seth today. Maybe in the morning, she thought, yawning, Dory and I can talk it over. Arrive at some kind of compromise. Maybe you’re just a spoiled only child who is too used to having her own way to tolerate anybody else’s choices.

As she chided herself and tried to count her blessings, she drifted off and fell into a deep sleep. She began to dream, at some point, that she was walking down a dark street and suddenly someone came up behind her. In her dream, she was trying to pretend that she didn’t know they were there. But the sound of their breathing was getting louder and closer. Suddenly she felt something cold touch her face. Alex was instantly awake.

Inches from her face, Remus hovered beside her, panting. In the darkness of her room, his eyes were like ebony marbles. His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. Standing above him, holding his leash, stood Dory. She was dressed in dark clothes, her hair sticking out wildly from her head. She was staring down at Alex, studying her, her gray eyes blank and cold.

Alex’s heart hammered and she let out a whimper of terror. ‘Jesus Christ!’

Remus started to growl.

Dory jerked his leash. ‘Heel,’ she said.

‘What are you doing in here?’ Alex whispered.

‘We heard something,’ said Dory. ‘A sound coming from your room. We came to check on you.’

In the darkness, Dory’s eyes seemed to glitter. Alex could not help it. She wondered if those eyes were the last ones that Lauren ever saw. She began to shake.

‘What’s your problem?’ said Dory.

‘Nothing,’ said Alex.

‘You look scared.’

‘Please get that dog out of here,’ Alex whispered.

Dory studied her, and for a moment Alex had the distinct feeling that she was about to refuse. Then what will you do? Alex asked herself.

‘Remus, come,’ said Dory. She turned, tugging on his leash.

‘I’m sorry,’ Alex said. ‘Thanks for . . . being concerned about me.’

But Dory and the dog were gone.