Blue at Midnight (9 page)

Chapter 20

Rapidly, I
marched down the high street towards Coffee Time hoping to get there before
Hugo, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Good morning Izzie.” I
wondered if he’d feel the same in about two minutes.

“Morning Hugo,” I
reluctantly smiled back.

“I’m so glad you’re
here. I just don’t know where my mind is this morning but dear I’ve left my
keys at home. Do you have the spare key with you?”

“As a matter of fact I
do.” Maybe I should have said no, just to buy myself some time before Hugo
noticed anything and fired me but what was the point. I’d rather face utter
doom now than delay it any further.

“What would Coffee Time
do without you?” All I could see was a bubbly man glowing with happiness, eager
to share his joy with his customers. Therefore I decided not to bear the guilt
any longer.

Hugo waltzed over to
the coffee display to straighten a Coffee Time mug, not noticing anything. Alarm
bells were ringing hysterically in my head from the memory of last night,
although the image in front of me showed the complete opposite. Coffee Time
looked immaculate! It was as if last night never happened. The lights had been
fixed and everything looked as it was.
 

“You don’t have to stay
Isabelle; I assure you my cold
is
gone, dead, buried
within the ground.”

“Oh urm that’s good.
I’ve got an hour before I meet Sonia for college. How about I make you a
coffee?”

“Oh you’re too kind.
A hazelnut latte for me please and a soya chai tea latte for the
worried looking brunette.”
I couldn’t help but grin. Little did I know
my fears were all over my
face.
On the plus side I had
an excuse to get behind the counter and find that list!

After a hot drink I was
left feeling gutted as the list was nowhere to be found, not even in the bins.
If I didn’t leave now I would be late but what seemed to amaze me was the fact
that everything had been either fixed or replaced. This was not how I left it…

“Izzie, you have done a
fantastic job. The place looks almost brand new. You didn’t have to work so
hard.”

“Well, we weren’t very
busy so I thought I’d show Leah how to keep up the standards.”

“And quite right
too!
Any idea as to where the wooden chair
that sits on the far corner has gone?”
 
My heart jumped into my mouth. That’s what was missing I remembered.

“Oh you won’t believe
this but it was faulty! A poor customer sat on it and it collapsed.” Hugo
gasped at the idea of one his customers having such a bad experience at Coffee
Time. From his expression I could tell if I didn’t turn this bad news around he
would be troubled by the news all day.

“So I apologised then
replaced his drink and gave him a cupcake, on the house.”

“Thank goodness Izzie.
Oh I was so worried. Do you think they will come back?”

“Yes, he left smiling.”
After a sigh of relief from the both of us I was ready to leave, when a
delivery man walked in with a package, addressed to me… It was an unusual
shape, which felt like a block of wood.

“What could that be?”
asked a curious Hugo.

“I don’t know. No
worries. I’ll open it later. Gosh, is that the time? I’m late! See you later
Hugo.” If I hadn’t rushed out Hugo would have insisted I opened it immediately
as he looked more intrigued by this unexpected package than me. There was
something about this mysterious package which seemed familiar but not a good
kind of familiar…

Surprisingly, I was
starting to feel better as everything seemed to be fine. Thankfully Hugo didn’t
notice any changes and was able to aimlessly continue pottering.

Just as I was about to
enter the college entrance, Sonia beeped from the opposite side of the road,
before shouting a few sleazy phrases in a strangely masculine voice. The first
time she did this was two years ago and I’d actually ignored her, not realising
it was my friend trying to catch my attention in a publicly embarrassing way.
Now I found this antic highly amusing.
 

We both sat in her car
in the college car park with Sonia telling me that she thought Christian was
fond of me. Followed by why he would be ideal for me and not her, as he barely
carried a conversation longer than a minute. After last night she saw him as
more of a lurking in the shadows type of guy, which for some bizarre reason was
ideal for me as I apparently dwelled in darkness too. This evaluation was a
little insulting although it was true. I just didn’t expect it to be so
noticeable.

 
“I’m glad you understand but seriously I don’t
need a man and certainly not Christian!” Nothing personal against Christian, it
was just that I liked being by myself and keeping things as they were. Nevertheless
I couldn’t deny that there was something about him that intrigued me.

“He’s fit! That’s all
that counts, otherwise you’re expecting far too much. Anyway what’s that brown
parcel in your hand? It’s not for an assignment is it?” Sonia’s voice suddenly
jumped up a pitch.

“No, relax. Someone has
actually sent this to me. It arrived when I was at Coffee Time, this morning.”

“I’m starting to wonder
if that place is actually bad luck. Who is it from? What’s in it?”

Slowly, I started
unwrapping the package unaware of the terror that was about to consume me.

Sonia almost screamed
at the sight of the object as I peeled away the wrapping.
 

“Oh my life, there’s
blood on it! What the hell is that?”

I sat there numb,
frozen at the sight of a piece from last night’s nightmare.
 

“It’s the chair leg
from the broken chair. It’s got that man’s blood on it.” With a delayed
reaction, I continued to stare at it, hardly whispering the answers to Sonia’s
flood of questions.

“What man? And who
would send this to you? I thought Christian had sorted it.” His name repeatedly
played in my mind. I thought he had cleared every trace. How stupid of me to
trust a stranger.

“I think Christian sent
it to me. Only he had access to this. I thought he threw away the broken
chair,” I continued to whisper, deep in thought.

“Christian? Why would
he do such a messed up thing?”

“To blackmail
me!
To have a minion
in this new place.”

“No way,” interjected
Sonia.

“You don’t know him.
You just went by the impression he gave you. Think about it. What do we
actually know about him apart from his name and number which could just be one
of
many!
” After a couple of seconds Sonia started to
realise how naive she’d been whilst slowly lying back into her car seat. It
wasn’t her fault as all she did was see the good in him. This was
all my
fault because I didn’t explain this to her sooner,
before she’d given him her number. Now I’d relied on him last night I’d let him
into my life too. Looking for any other clues I shuffled through the paper
without touching the bloodied object, only to find a gift tag reading:

From C Son of
Orsa.

This was some twisted
joke which made me wary over what was to come, if we didn’t distance ourselves
from this calculating character.
 

Suddenly the quiet
surroundings came to our attention. The car park was full and there were no
students rushing to their lectures. We were late! Sonia decided to go to class
anyway even though Chidlow detested late arrivals. I told her I wasn’t in the
mood to face confrontation so rather than taking the lift with her I made my
way towards the canteen. Little did Sonia know that this wasn’t the only reason
I wanted to skip class. Just as we were walking out of the car park, I saw
Christian speedily heading towards the canteen, his hair tousled and wearing
the same clothes as yesterday. In fact it looked as if he’d stayed out the
whole night then rushed straight here. This was my chance to confront him about
his attempt to blackmail me, without prying eyes.

Before pushing the
double doors of the canteen open, I stood carefully peering at Christian
through the door window. Every glimpse of his face provoked flashbacks of the
previous night’s events. I just couldn’t understand why someone would go to
such lengths to help someone and then do something like this. What Christian
did last night was a risk as those men could have had knives or even worse.
However it was clear that Christian was very capable of looking after
himself.
 

 
I specifically remembered putting the pieces
of that broken chair in a bin bag. He told me it was beyond repair and then
continued to tidy up the place.
 
Even
though I wasn’t a hundred percent sure he was responsible for this, I needed
answers. If I continued to stand here, staring at him for any longer someone
would soon see me.

Ignoring all the doubts
in my mind I marched into the almost empty canteen, inhaling the smell of warm
sausages and beans whilst carrying a poorly wrapped parcel in my hand.
Thankfully he hadn’t sensed me walking towards him, as I was afraid I might
freeze in my step and lose the courage to say anything besides hi. Just as he
was about to take a sip of his orange juice I laid the parcel on the table in
front of him. Awkwardly, I decided to stand there and observe his reaction. For
a couple of seconds he froze with the glass of juice still in his hand. Next he
frantically slammed the juice down on the table (splashing tangy bits all over
the table) and grabbed the parcel. Looking like he was on the brink of going
berserk he stormed out of the canteen.

“What are you doing?
Hey that’s mine.” I couldn’t believe I’d just claimed ownership over that
horrid piece of evidence from last night. No matter what I shouted he didn’t
stop or even acknowledge that I was calling out to him.

“Oye, C Son of Orsa.”
Big mistake… He froze stiff and turned his head so quick it startled me, making
me take a step back. Next I was given the same crazed expression he’d shown the
two men last night. Right now I was hoping more than anything that he wouldn’t
start walking towards me. His knuckles were pearly white as they bulged out of
his clenched hands. Nervously, I looked around in search of some witnesses for
the threatening body language he was showing. The cleaner had half-stopped his
mopping while the cook slowly stirred a pot of tomato soup, with her eyes fixed
on Christian in utter shock. After a piercing stare Christian turned his head
and marched out of the canteen. A bit delayed in my reaction I followed a short
distance behind. Like a bull he surged through the foyer, ignoring Macy’s
greeting, and out of the college doors. Through the window I watched as he made
his way off the premises.

Chapter 21

Barely able to
breath, Christian stormed through the streets of the small town for an hour
with the parcel firmly held in his hand. All he could sense was Cale. He didn’t
care about what was inside because he knew straight away this was a message
from him. Rourkes couldn’t sense each other’s presence so easily in Orsa, as
they were surrounded by so many of their kind. However, on Earth their aura
stood out like large diamonds in a mine. He sensed his brother’s aura amongst
all the humans; it was as clear as water. This was his way of telling Christian
he’d found him. It was frustrating to see that Cale wasn’t even trying to
conceal their existence from humans. Hearing those words come out of Izzie’s
mouth set Christian on fire. It felt like an intrusion on his soul. She was
never meant to know… at least not like this. Cale had rolled the dice to play a
cruel game, a game which Izzie was far too innocent to play. Just how much did
Cale know?

Back in the shoe
factory, Christian had been sitting in the old office with the blood-stained
piece of wood staring back at him. His eyes were glued to Cale’s handwriting
which was as good as his signature. For the first time Christian was able to
see Cale setting this whole situation up, every time he closed his eyes.
 
Now Cale was aware of Izzie, the human that
had intrigued his brother. In addition to this he must’ve managed to witness
the trouble at Coffee Time. It wouldn’t be long before he presented himself. If
Cale knew, then the elders must have found out as nothing stayed a secret from
those that held the sight. Just how delicately would they handle this truth
without risking exposure? Christian didn’t know. Obviously, they’d sent Cale, a
chance for him to prove himself. Therefore he’d do his best to strike and take
Christian back to Orsa, to be sentenced. Knowing Cale’s spiteful side he would
also toy with all of Christian’s intentions before destroying everything… all
in the name of Orsa. Having spent time on the lands, getting to know the
humans, Christian realised just how real this world was… as real as the world
he was born in.
 

For the next two hours,
Christian sat waiting for a sign as still as the rest of the furniture encasing
the fire that was trying to consume him. Children of Orsa had a distinct
connection with the natural earth and were able to stay still for days if need
be, barely breathing, channelling through the layers in their mind. During
times of difficulty they were able to control their emotions by focusing on
time. Their skin acted as a strong, sealed, shell that prevented any emotional
exposure.

After this
morning I didn’t want to stay in college for too long. With Sonia in class and
the rest of the college grounds looking rather lonely, I decided to go back
home. My dad would be at work so I had a chance to have the house to myself and
relax. I texted Sonia asking her to come by after class as she only had half a
day of lectures. With my mind unintentionally reminding me of Christian, never
had I met a person so strange, so closed that it was difficult to even get an
idea of what they were like. For someone so secretive I was surprised he even
socialised with people.

As usual I heard
Sonia’s car pull up onto the drive. I opened the door and jumped out of the
doorway with a smile, code for no one else is at home, so we could talk freely.
Like children who had overindulged in sugary treats we made our way into the
living room.
 

“I have so much to tell
you!” I thought I was the one with the news but it turned out Sonia had beaten
me to it.

“How about I put the
kettle on and make us both a cup of tea.” It always made me laugh how Sonia
knew her way around my kitchen and would treat the place like hers when no one
else was there. Even though she was the guest, she always insisted on making
the tea. Meanwhile I’d turn the fireplace on and hang her coat on the
chocolate-brown, wooden coat rack which stood in the landing.

“You know that sneaky
Christian didn’t come to class today?”

“Yeah I know because I
bumped into him in the canteen.” Sonia missed the cup and ended up pouring a
teaspoon of sugar on the kitchen counter.

“No way!
What happened? Did you give him back that disgusting parcel?” Retelling the
events of the morning didn’t take as long as I thought they would. The only
thing that was delayed was the time it took for Sonia to make two cups of tea.
She was so engrossed, but then with a reaction like Christian’s, who wouldn’t
be?

“C Son of Orsa?
Blatantly, that meant something to him otherwise he wouldn’t have looked at you
like he was going to kill you!” In this case those words were definitely not an
over exaggeration from Sonia.

“That’s exactly what it
was. I mean even the cook froze! What I don’t understand is, if he sent that to
me, why did he take it back?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he actually
snatched it off the table as if it was some sort of secret object and was
desperate to get out of the building with it. He only stopped when I said the
name that was on the parcel.”

“Maybe it wasn’t him
that sent it. Maybe it’s someone he knows which is why he reacted when you
mentioned that name.” This made sense.

“Still, that’s a
strange name,” I said.

“Yes I reckon he’s
hiding something and this name seems to be linked to it. We don’t know what Son
of Orsa means but anyone’s name can start with a C. It’s just a coincidence
that Christian’s does too,” explained Sonia whilst finally placing the cups of
tea on the coffee table in the living room.

“Well, all I know is
that he knows something that he doesn’t want others to know.”

“And to further
conclude that, I… Sonia McNally and you… Isabelle Hibbs must further
investigate as whoever sent this parcel has now involved us. Whether Christian
likes it or not, C Son of Orsa will not get away with this. I suggest we speak
to the mother.” Proud of her statement she held her mug up as if she were
holding a toast.

“Mother?
Who is the mother?”

“You know C’s: he is
the son so his mum must be Orsa,” smiled Sonia. I couldn’t help but laugh at
how ridiculous it all sounded but there was no denying that all of this was
real. Someone knew that name otherwise why use it? Only Christian had the
answer to that…