Devil’s in the Details (48 page)

The mystery that was Victoria Bancroft was still unsolved and now had more layers than I really wanted to acknowledge.

I had been to at least one significant others parents’ house for dinner. Only one, and it was the most excruciatingly awkward experience of my life. So awkward, it was the eventual nail in the coffin of that particular relationship, sending me towards the option of casual dating and minor relationships at best. Nothing serious where I would have to be put in the position I now was, standing next to Alex holding a freshly baked apple pie and taking deep breaths as I followed her up to the white front door of her mother's ranch style home in the hills of Sperryville.

It didn't help when Alex brought up the blue envelopes and I had to scramble for a minor lie to cover up the truth. Essentially, yes, I was a stock holder in Voltaire. Dealing and trading in their most precious commodity. Death.

What I didn't expect was the white lie bringing out the emotions that fell over me like a collapsing brick wall. Hitting me one by one, and stirring up feelings that I had not felt in a very long time, or maybe ever. I’d been brutally honest when I told her she made me a better woman and made me want to pick a life. A life with her where I could be the boring history Professor the world saw and nothing more.

Those emotions now collided with others. Alex was smart, observant and paid far more attention to the world around her than most would give her credit for. In time she would start pushing the questions, questioning the envelopes, the large sums of money I received from my "stocks" and lastly, when I returned to work. The unexpected trips, the late nights and unusual behavior.

Alex turned to look over her shoulder, reaching back for my hand, "They don't bite, at least mom and Bill won't. Annie and Barney might." She smirked, waiting for me to walk closer.

I shook my head, "Like everything else, it's been a while since I did the whole meet the parents over dinner thing." I shifted the pie plate to my left hand, taking Alex's in my right as she tugged me forward. "This might be silly, but I want to make a good impression." I cocked my eyebrow in a question, the words felt strange as they rolled over my tongue. I’d never ever cared to make a good impression in my personal life with those that were not close enough to me for me to actually care. I would throw on a happy polite smile and use all of the manners the Navy and my grandmother taught me. Steering through any kind of dinner or cocktail conversation in a way that left many impressed but curious.

That was not the case with Alex. With Alex, I wanted to do everything right. I wanted to impress her family in a way that I could continue to look at a future with the brunette, give me the strength and hope that I would need as I worked towards an exit from Voltaire and hopefully bury the black hooded figure who constantly stood one step behind me.

I would need to find that exit because I had to. There was no more room in the closet for my uniforms, my t-shirts, and the safe at the bottom. There was no room in my life for the killer who wanted nothing more than to keep what Alex had brought into it.

I hated the way this all felt, because it scared me more than any of those days I spent in that dusty hole staring at the bright molten red spike tips. It scared me because Alex made me feel human, and want to continue to feel human.

"Trust me, Victoria, you will win them over the second you hand over the pie and say hello." Alex curled her fingers into mine. "I’ve never brought anyone home to meet the dogs, they might take some time to get used to you." Alex grinned at me, nudging my shoulder, "You'll be fine. I’ll be right next to you the whole time and I’m open to faking an illness if it becomes too much for you."

I smiled softly, looking down in those blue eyes that had hooked me from the first second she peered over at me on the metro station platform. "I think you would fake an illness just to con me into taking care of you in bed for a day or two."

Alex shrugged, "Maybe." She turned to the wooden white door, lifting up the black wrought iron knocker, and knocked three times. She gave me one more look, squeezing my hand, "You'll be okay, Victoria. It's just mom and Bill."

Before I could protest, the white door swung open to reveal a grinning older woman who looked like she could’ve been Alex's older sister. "Alexandra Ava!" She held her arms out in the same exact manner Alex did when she was handing out her rib crushing hugs.

Alex dropped my hand to walk into the wide outstretched arms, "Hi Mom."

I smiled softly, filling my now empty hand with the other edge of the pie plate, taking a good look at Alex's mother as she squished the air from her daughter’s lungs. For a moment, I felt the heavy sadness that came when I thought about how I had no family and had not been party to such hearty greetings by a mother, a father, or anyone really, for most of my adult life. I turned away from the mother daughter embrace to stare at a red, blue, and yellow garden gnome holding up a porcelain basket of daisies.

I was lost in the curves and sharp edges of the peeling red paint on his pointy hat that I didn’t hear my name being called. I shot my eyes up when a hand on my shoulder connected my brain to the fact my name was being called, "Victoria?" Alex gave me a look, silently asking if I was okay.

I nodded and put on my social gathering smile, "Sorry, I was staring at the gnome." I motioned to it as I looked between Alex and her mother. I cleared my throat, shifting the pie's weight to one hand. "Hello Mrs. Ivers, Victoria Bancroft."

Alex's mom grinned, shaking her head and flicking a dismissive hand at me. "Please call me Katherine." Her grin grew a little bigger, "It's great to finally meet you Victoria."

I had to urge to tilt my head back to the gnome, feeling awkward from the tone in her voice. It held appreciation for saving her daughter that night, being her closest friend and now as I glanced back at her eyes, the tone of finally meeting the one person that had stolen her only child's heart.

I held out the pie, trying to redirect the awkwardness, "Alex said you liked apple pie?"

Katherine laughed, "Bill loves it, I like it." She took the heavy pie from my hands, "Please come inside, girls. Bill should be just about done setting the table."

I let out a slow sigh as Katherine walked back into the house, telling Alex over her shoulder to make sure the screen door was locked since Barney was a bit of an escape artist. I chanced another glance at the gnome, suddenly wishing he and I could trade places.

"Victoria, you'll be okay." Alex appeared on my right side, linking her hand in mine, staring up at me with the same bright blue eyes her mother had, "Don't be nervous."

Nodding, I squeezed her hand, "I'll try." I smiled for Alex's benefit, "I've just not had much practice in being around regular people who I didn't have to salute or put on a mask for." I bit back the last couple of words, my subconscious was pushing through the surface any chance it got. Wanting me to just release all of the secrets I kept hidden to Alex and free myself of the perpetual game of hide and seek I played. Alex nudged my shoulder as she led me into the house, "My mom already loves you." The second step inside the warm and quaint house, I could hear the soft thundering of paws across wooden floors followed by yips and half barks. Alex started to giggle as two black heads of a pair of Scotties came rushing at us, determined to attack whomever was breaching into their territory. "Now, these two...that will be the true test."

The smaller of the two hopped up on two legs, placing tiny black paws on my knees, wagging a tail and barking excitedly at me. I knelt down as Alex introduced me, "That's Annie, she loves everyone." I reached out, scratching the top of Annie's head as she pushed harder against my hands. "Hello Annie." I smiled when she yipped at me.

The second Scottie, larger and definitely a boy by how broad his little dog body was, eyed me suspiciously. Sniffing the ground around my feet, moving in a circle. Alex crouched down with me, receiving a few licks on the arm from Annie, "That's old Barney. He's the guard of the house. Only really likes my mom, me, and Bill." She motioned to him circling me. "He’ll sniff you then ignore you for the rest of the time you're in his house, so don't be offended if he walks away in a second."

I nodded, watching the old man finish his circle. "It's okay, I can understand where he's coming from." Annie hopped from my knees to lavish Alex with attention. Leaving me to stand up and brush my jeans off, when Barney slowly climbed to rest his paws on my knees and gave me a soft look hooded by fluffy eyebrows. I looked at him, smiling, "Hello there."

Alex turned to look at me, confused and about to shove Barney down thinking he was going to bite me or bark, when I shook my head. Barney and I stared at each other for a moment and it was as if he could read me. Understood that deep down I was the bigger protector in the house, someone he could relax around and know his family would be safe. He saw through my facade and saw everything I hid from the humans around him, and that I was just as much harmless in his home, around Alex and her family as I was dangerous.

I watched as his tail began to wag excitedly. Leaning forward, Barney licked the top of my hand, nuzzling his nose under it to signify that he wanted to be pet.

I obliged him, running my hand over his coarser fur and scratching behind his ears. I glanced at Alex, a crooked grin on her face as she watched Barney and I bond. "That settles it, welcome to the family Victoria."

She stood up, Annie scattering off into the kitchen with Barney quickly following. I stood up with her, shrugging, "I probably smell like bacon from breakfast."

Alex folded her arms across her chest, "I doubt it. I was there for the very lengthy shower we both took after breakfast." She giggled when I blushed, "Come on, I'll introduce you to Bill. He'll probably chew your ear off about history, the Navy, or anything he can think of." She started walking towards the kitchen, I followed quickly. Sighing as I saw the older man built like a brick wall with salt and pepper hair cut in a conservative way, standing next to Katherine, finishing up setting the table.

When Alex entered, his eyes focused on mine and a huge grin appeared on his face. Bill hustled around the table, hand extended out in greeting, "Hi, you must be Victoria, Alex’s lady friend. I'm Bill Augustine. Katherine's boyfriend and Alex's..." He paused, suddenly searching for an appropriate term.

"He's my dad, Victoria. Bill's my dad." She grinned happily, leaning against her mom as I took Bill's meaty hand. Watching as he turned very shy and nodded slightly. "Victoria, these are my parents." Katherine and Bill continued to grin. I soon realized that this was the first time Alex was introducing anyone to her parents and her parents to anyone as her parents. Telling the three of us, that I was something more, someone more than a friend. I was the woman she clearly loved deeply.

It was in that moment I knew I was definitely stuck with Alex forever and didn't mind it one bit. I was changing her life as much as she had changed mine.

Dinner was a smattering of casual conversation mixed in among happy bites of food. Alex's mom made one hell of a meatloaf and was more than happy to keep my plate full of it. The conversation hovered around how Alex was doing at work, how her apartment was coming along with the ever ongoing repairs and what she had planned for the rest of her vacation. I smiled to myself when Alex's mom kept calling her by her middle name, turning the stubborn nurse into a sheepish mumbling little girl, politely asking her mom to not call her Ava in front of everyone.

Not once did the usual dinner with the parents questions come my way, allowing me to breathe easier and eat meatloaf happily. But as the pie was served up, Katherine slid a cup of coffee in front of me, "Victoria, I want to thank you for helping Alex. That night and over the last year." She paused her words, sitting down in her chair next to Bill and hearing Alex quietly protest where the conversation was heading.

Katherine waved her napkin at her daughter, "It's okay. This is the first time I meet the stranger who has made my little Ava smile more than she has since I first took her to the movies." She turned back to me, sighing, "Thank you, Victoria. Thank you for bringing the sun back into the world for my daughter. I can see she really thinks you created the world and all the stars in the sky."

She smirked as I blushed. "Oh dear, don't get embarrassed. It's a good thing and for once in my life, I give my blessing to this." She waved her hands at Alex and I. "I never liked any of the others Alex dated or brought over. I felt they were beneath her, not her equal." Katherine leaned against Bill's shoulder, smiling at the man in the same way Alex smiled at me first thing in the morning.