Beyond the Reflection’s Edge (11 page)

“Uh…pepperoni?” Nathan offered.

“Yeah. Pepperoni.”

“Pepperoni’s okay,” Tony said, nodding. “It has protein.” He dug a set of keys out of his jeans pocket. “Anything else?”

Nathan suppressed a grin. Seeing a chimpanzee in the mirror holding a set of keys almost made him burst out laughing.

“Sure. Can you pick up some of those fruit drinks at Wal-Mart? They’re Nathan’s favorite.”

Nathan lifted his eyebrows at her, but she shot a keep-your-mouth-shut glare at him. He complied. This was no time to protest.

“But that’s the opposite direction from the Pizza Ranch,”
Tony said. “I don’t have time to do both before the second half.”

Kelly pushed him toward the door. “I’ll record it for you, and we can all watch it together when you get back.”

Setting his feet, he paused and eyed the photos on the bed. “What’s up with the pictures? Did you get something cool?”

“They’re some old ones that belonged to Nathan’s father.” She pushed harder and guided him out the door and down the hall, her voice fading. “You’d better get going. I heard Nathan’s stomach growling.”

As soon as the door closed, Clara’s shadow dimmed, and the reflection returned to normal.

Nathan ran his hand through his hair. “Whew! That was close!”

“I know.” Clara laid a hand on her abdomen. “When I saw that chimpanzee, I strained so hard to keep from laughing, I think I reopened my hernia.”

He touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“It’s a joke,” she said, patting him on the shoulder. “I hope you get your sense of humor back soon.”

“Yeah.” He dipped his head low. “Me, too.”

She slid the photos together into a pile next to the laptop, careful to keep them in order.

She pointed at his laptop bag. “By the way, I put a new cell phone in there and a debit card for any immediate expenses, so make sure you find them and put them away.”

“I will. Thanks.”

Clara turned the laptop on the bed and tapped a few keys. “Better get started on your father’s email as soon as possible. We need to figure everything out before your parents’ funeral on Tuesday.”

“Tuesday? Did the police find them?”

“An anonymous person sent a photograph of their bodies and
said he would reveal their location by Monday. If that tip pans out, I want to be ready.”

Nathan swallowed a painful lump. “Do I have to go?”

“Of course you have to. You will be a pallbearer, and I was hoping you’d play something. Dr. Malenkov suggested that you and he should play your favorite duet.”

“No.” Pressing his lips together, he lowered his head. “I don’t think I could handle that.” As he stared at the bedspread, he sensed her sympathetic gaze, the teary-eyed one she always got when something tragic happened.

“I understand,” she said. “I’ll arrange something else.” She reached down and took his hand. “Do you want to be a pallbearer?”

Keeping his head low, he nodded. “I guess I can do that.”

Kelly barged in and leaned back on the door, slamming it shut. “Whew! That was close!”

“That’s exactly what I said.” Nathan laid a palm on his abdomen. “But I didn’t know I liked Wal-Mart fruit drinks.”

Kelly flashed an injured expression. “I had to get him out of here, didn’t I?”

“I guess so.” Nathan turned to the computer screen but kept his eye on her. “But you didn’t have to lie.”

She set her hands on her hips and scowled. “Get real, Nathan. Don’t tell me you never lie.”

Clara forked her fingers at them. “Both of you hush! This is no time for a spitting match.” She handed the stack of photos to Kelly. “If you two can’t work together, we’ll never figure this out.”

Kelly’s frown lifted, but only a fraction. “If he keeps looking down on me, we can’t work together.”

Clara pointed a finger that almost touched Kelly’s nose. “Listen, little lady; condescension isn’t a one-way street. Maybe you both need to come down off your high horses and trust each other.” She jerked open the door and stalked away.

As soon as Clara’s heavy footsteps faded, Kelly crossed her arms and glared at the mirror, her socked foot tapping the carpet. With her back turned, Nathan couldn’t see her face directly but the mirror clearly reflected every drooping line from her forehead to her lips.

His heart sank. Maybe he had judged her too harshly. She was really the first girl he knew outside his parents’ circle of friends, and Dad had often whispered subtle warnings about the allure of pretty females who didn’t adhere to his family’s beliefs, that they would be willing to deceive to get what they wanted.

Like wispy phantoms from the past, his father’s words filtered into his mind.
“The key is to discern between the truly deceptive girl and one who is simply unaware of the dangers of spinning webs of lies. The former knows full well what she is doing and seeks to fill her treasure chest with whatever jewels you possess, while the latter needs you to give your pearls of wisdom to her freely so that she may learn the surpassing joy of the children of light, those who love and honor the truth. The secret is to plumb the depths of her soul. Question her heart. It won’t take long to learn if light dwells within or if darkness alone colors her soul.”

Nathan took a deep breath and spoke as gently as he could. “Are you mad at me or your father?”

“Both.” Her foot’s rhythm quickened. “He’s a clueless buffoon. What’s your excuse?”

He gritted his teeth. A dozen witty comebacks flew through his mind, like, I guess it runs in the family, and I hear buffoonery is genetic, but any crass statement would probably make her head explode.

He gazed at her reflection again. She seemed so hurt, so sad and vulnerable. How could he possibly inflict another emotional wound? In the midst of the turmoil within her tragically fractured family, she had probably suffered from her father’s nonverbal cues, unintentional signals that she was unable to live
up to the vision of the son he had always wanted. Her mother had abandoned her, tossing her away with a casually blown kiss. Now Kelly trudged along the only path she knew, one of compromised values and disloyal loved ones. She was a lost angel searching for home.

Finally, he just sighed and strode up behind her, looking at the mirror over her shoulder, close enough to hear her stifled sobs, yet not quite close enough to feel any warmth.

Pulling her lips in, Kelly swung her head to the side, avoiding Nathan’s stare. Her foot continued its frantic tapping.

As he studied their reflections, a strange sensation poured over his body, a tingle that radiated across his skin. In his reflected image, an almost imperceptible light coated his face, microscopic particles that attached to his skin. Then, although he didn’t move a muscle, his reflected head shifted, leaving the aura of light behind. Somehow the boy in the mirror had detached and moved on his own, first laying his hands on the shoulders of Kelly’s reflection, then turning her around. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” his mirror image said. “You’re my sister now, and I’ll do anything to make sure you’re my friend, too.”

The real Kelly focused on the mirror again, trembling. Her reflection wrapped her arms around Nathan’s reflection and laid her head on his chest.

“I’m sorry for being such a jerk,” her reflection said. “We just need to get to know each other better.”

As the two reflections embraced, Kelly slowly turned and faced Nathan. “Is…” She swallowed hard. “Is that what you’re thinking?”

Nathan licked his lips. “Yeah. I think it is.”

She slid her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. “Then say it.”

Her trembling arms sent shivers up his back. He reached around to return the embrace but kept his touch gentle. Clearing
his throat, he whispered into her ear. “You’re my sister now, and I’ll do anything to make sure you’re my friend, too.”

“And I’m sorry for being such a jerk.” She looked up at him. “We really do need to get to know each other better.”

He patted her lightly on the back. “Like Clara said, we need to trust each other.”

“Do you trust me?” she asked, her teary eyes sparkling.

Giving her a light clasp on the shoulder, he nodded. “Yes, I trust you.”

She pulled away and lowered her head, silent for a few seconds before whispering, “I hope you’ll keep trusting me, no matter what.”

Nathan glanced at the mirror. It had returned to normal, including Kelly’s sad profile as she kept her eyes averted. What could she have meant? Did she have some dark secret that would challenge his trust? Swallowing back a surge of compassion, he reached for her hand and interlocked their thumbs. “Trust is a two-way street. As long as we trust each other, we’ll be fine.”

She lifted her head and tightened her grip on his hand, a hint of a smile brightening her face. “I can live with that.”

He nodded at the mirror. “I think my reflection has been quite the troublemaker, hasn’t it?”

She turned toward it and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’d say it’s more like a truth serum. I feel like it kind of probes your brain.”

“I know what you mean. It’s embarrassing when my thoughts are on a theatre screen.”

Her face brightened. “Whatta ya know? Nathan’s a movie star!” Laughing, she let go of his hand and headed for the door. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Where you going?”

“To record the game, like I promised, but if anything happens on
The Nathan Show
, I want to hear all about it.”

Nathan awoke to the sound of chirping birds. With the morning sun filtering through the drapes, the room carried an eerie dimness. The mirror reflected the gloom accurately, including his bare feet protruding from the disheveled bedcovers, proof of the fitful night he had suffered—dreams of walking through remnants of shattered violins, every fragment covered with blood, a trail that led to the twin coffins he had seen back in Chicago. In the dream, however, each coffin held only a human-sized black stone with strange symbols etched in white on its surface.

“Rosetta!” Nathan sat upright in bed. That was the key to the password! Throwing off the bedspread, he scrambled out from under the sheets and plopped down in his desk chair. After punching the laptop’s power button, he turned on the lamp and the digital clock’s FM radio. As the classical station played a Tchaikovsky piano concerto, he squirmed in his seat, waiting for the boot-up process to finish. Now he could start reading his father’s emails and look for clues. He had been so tired last night, he couldn’t remember the password.

A light tap sounded on the door. “Nathan? Are you up?”

He smiled. It was Kelly’s voice. He glanced down at his clothes. Gym shorts and T-shirt. That would do. “Sure. Come on in.”

The door pushed open, and Kelly walked in. Wearing a pink knee-length nightshirt that said,
Sanity Is Overrated
, and
combing through her tangled hair with her fingers, she shuffled her purple bunny slippers across the carpet and peered at the computer.

Nathan grinned at her. “You look…uh…relaxed.”

“I hardly slept a wink.” She poked his forearm. “But I’m your sister now, so you’d better get used to my casual look.”

“I didn’t sleep much, either.” He checked the digital clock on his desk. 8:15. “What time is your church service?”

“Church? Uh…we haven’t been…I mean…”

He waved his hand at her. “Don’t worry about it. When Clara wakes up, we’ll figure out where to go.” He opened the Internet browser and brought up his father’s email provider. “I should have thought of this password last night.” As he typed in “Rosetta Speaks,” he recit each letter out loud.

Kelly bent over behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Rosetta? Like the Rosetta Stone?”

“Yep.” He scanned the long list of folders. “Dad wasn’t much for email organization. Looks like I’ve got over five hundred to go through.”

Kelly muttered a curse word, then quickly covered her lips. “Sorry. Too many hours around Dad’s basketball team.”

Nathan suppressed a grimace. Another apology for cursing. That’s what people always did around his father, too. He resurrected his smile. “Do you actually play basketball with the guys, or just watch?”

“Dad makes me play.” She thumped her chest with her fist and deepened her voice. “To toughen me up.”

“I guess it works. You’re pretty tough.”

“Hey!” Kelly punched him sharply on the arm. “Aren’t I feminine enough for you?”

Nathan rubbed the sore spot. “Punching me isn’t exactly the best way to prove it.”

“Oh really?” She leaned close and nuzzled his ear, whispering, “Is this better?”

As heat rushed into his cheeks, he leaned away from her touch. “Uh…well…I don’t think we should…”

She flicked his head with her finger. “I was just kidding. Get a grip.”

Nathan shook off an attack of goose bumps. Her breathy tickle didn’t feel like she was kidding. Maybe she had no clue what that kind of touch did to a guy. Sure, he was old-fashioned, but he wasn’t a corpse.

He set his hands back on the keyboard. “Let’s just concentrate on the emails.”

“Sure.” She perched over his shoulder again, this time not so close. “Look at all those with ‘Rosetta’ in the title. It must be important.”

“Probably. I even had a dream about it. That’s how I remembered the password.” He pulled a tablet from the desk drawer and scribbled a picture as he described his dream. “The stone was split in half, and the pieces were lying in two coffins. There was a trail of bloody violins leading up to them.”

“Bloody violins?” Kelly shuddered. “That’s creepy.”

He set the pad down and spelled out “Rosetta” in block letters. “I think the dream was sort of like a puzzle. Dad loves…” He paused. That wasn’t right. Not anymore. Pushing down a new surge of sadness, he breathed a sigh. “Dad used to love puzzles.”

Kelly rubbed his back. “Say it however you want. I’ll know what you mean.”

Keeping his focus on the drawing, he nodded. “Thanks.”

She gave him a playful rap on the head with her knuckles. “You know, I don’t think your father put that dream in your head. It was probably just the pizza. You shouldn’t have let my dad talk you into a slice of liver and anchovies.”