SNOW GLOBE (10 page)

Walker’s phone rang, and he glanced at caller ID before he answered. He got a funny look on his face and glanced at Aja. “Yeah, she’s here. Her phone’s broken.” He handed his phone to Aja. “It’s Janie.”

Aja groaned. “I knew I should’ve called her.” She took the phone. “Hey, were you working by yourself tonight?”

“Yeah, but it’s restaurant night. Once a week there’s a bus that takes whoever wants to go out to eat, so we were slow.” Janie paused. “Mrs. Jensen passed away earlier this evening. I thought you’d want to know.”

The ache Aja felt surprised her. She didn’t really know the family, had never even spoken to Mrs. Jensen. But after being in her apartment, looking at all the framed pictures of a vibrant young woman, mother and wife, the news of her death pierced Aja’s soul. And Mr. Jensen, how was he? How would his life be after losing his Princess Buttercup?

Aja glanced at the clock. It was only eight. She’d have time to visit the family and still be able to study.

“I’ll be right there.”

Chapter 16

Aja had to tiptoe past Mrs. Poston’s apartment to get to the Jensens. She did not want the old woman to see her in case she asked her to fold laundry or do some other menial chore. She noticed Mrs. Poston’s door opened and raced past.

“China girl, is that you?”

Aja groaned and took a few steps back. “Yes, Mrs. Poston. I’m going to visit the Jensens.”

“Why? You’re not family.”

Aja stood in the doorway. “I know, but I feel bad for Mr. Jensen.”

“He has his daughters there. You’ll just get in the way. Come here and help me with something.”

Aja sighed and stepped into the apartment. The thermostat was still set to ninety and she could almost feel her skin blister. “Yes, Mrs. Poston.”

“I have some old photo albums up on that shelf.” She waved to a large bookcase against the wall. “I can’t reach the top, and I’m too unsteady to stand on a chair.”

Aja pulled a ladder-back chair from a dining room set and went to the case.

“Don’t use one of my good chairs,” Mrs. Poston huffed. “Get one of the kitchen chairs and take your grimy shoes off.”

Aja was tempted to knock the chair over and leave, but she felt a little bit sorry for the mean woman. As she walked to the kitchen, she saw some photographs on a credenza. It made her think of the many pictures in the Jensen’s apartment. There were only a few here. A wedding picture of Mrs. Poston, her hair still helmet sprayed in the same style. The only difference was that it was blonde. “Is this you?” Aja asked. She noticed Mrs. Poston towered over the groom, who wasn’t smiling, but then neither was the bride. She touched the frame and saw a vision of a young girl’s wrists being smacked with a riding crop. The image was so strong she actually felt the snap of pain. What she wasn’t sure was whether the girl was a young Mrs. Poston or her daughter.

She was jolted out of the vision by Mrs. Poston’s screechy voice.

“Are you being a nosy busy body?”

“Sorry, whatever.” Aja sighed. “I was just asking.” She set the picture down and rubbed her wrists of the phantom pain and dutifully followed Mrs. Poston into the living room.

“Get me the photo albums. I want to show Kendall some pictures.”

Aja bristled at Kendall’s name. “I’m sure you two have a lot in common.”

“Yes, we do.” Mrs. Poston seemed to have missed the sarcasm in Aja’s voice.

Aja put the chair under the case and took her shoes off before she stood on it and retrieved two albums. She stepped off, grabbed her shoes and the chair, and hustled into the kitchen to put it away. She’d put her shoes on out in the hallway. “See you tomorrow.”

Mrs. Poston waved her off without even a thank you.

Aja scrambled into her shoes and took off to the Jensen’s. She realized she hadn’t brought flowers or a card. Was she supposed to? Aja didn’t know. She’d never lost anyone before.

The door to the Jensens’ was opened, and the small apartment was filled with people. Janie was there sitting on the sofa with Mr. Jensen. His daughters sat in chairs across from them, and a few other people, probably husbands and friends, milled around the living room. Two young children played on the floor in front of the TV. Mrs. Jensen’s hospital bed was still in the room, the sheets wadded and crumpled as if she’d just gotten out of bed. The IV stand still had a bag of medicine hanging from it, its tube dangled and twisted.

Poor Mr. Jensen looked dazed, but his eyes lit up a little when he saw Aja. “Princess Bride.” Then his countenance grew painfully sad again. “We lost her,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jensen.”

He sat comatose, unmoving. Janie spoke up. “Hey, Aja. It’s nice of you to come. There’s a bunch of food in the kitchen. Help yourself.”

Lauren Jensen stood and hugged Aja. “Thanks for being here. You’ve been such a help.” Lauren’s face was puffy and blotched from crying. “We’re going to miss her so much.”

“She was our anchor,” the woman next to Lauren said as she stood. “I’m Katie, Lauren’s sister. I’ve heard all about you from Dad. Thank you for helping him at the hospital.”

“He really loved your mom,” Aja said. “I wish I could have done more.”

Aja took a seat next to Janie on the couch. She sat with the family and listened to them tell stories of happier times. Vacations they’d taken, holidays they’d celebrated. Every now and then, Mr. Jensen would smile, remembering, but Aja could practically feel his suffering pain.

“What am I going to do without her?” Mr. Jensen asked his daughters.

By now, the young kids were getting restless, so Aja took them into the kitchen and gave them some treats. Janie was right: the kitchen was filled with food. Covered casseroles, cakes, cookies, there was enough to feed everybody in the retirement home for weeks.

Aja put as much food away as would fit into the fridge. She went into the living room to say goodbye. It was after ten o’clock, and she still had homework to do.

“I’m going to head out,” Aja said. “I’ll come visit tomorrow after work.”

Janie stood. “Yeah, I’m going to go, too. Try to get some sleep, Mr. Jensen.”

He nodded but didn’t move. Lauren and Katie stood to see them out.

“Thanks, you two. We’ll have to make funeral arrangements tomorrow. I just can’t stand to think of dad here alone. They were inseparable.”

Aja turned to go, saddened by the loss of this family. A family she really didn’t know but felt an odd compassionate connection to.

Chapter 17

For the next few days, Aja barely kept up with school and work. Her mom wanted her to file a restraining order and complaint against the creepy police officer right away. She was thankful she’d not seen him around.

Mrs. Jensen’s funeral was the next day, on Friday. Aja wanted to go, but couldn’t miss any more school. She went to see Mrs. Burnett to ask if she could miss her last two classes so she could attend.

“How well do you know the Jensens?” Mrs. Burnett asked as she ushered Aja into her office.

“That’s what’s so weird; I don’t really know them at all. I just met them at the retirement home. I really feel sorry for Mr. Jensen.”

“Did you know Leigh Jensen taught English here? Her daughter Lauren and I were classmates,” Mrs. Burnett said, smiling. “I was one of Leigh’s favorite students.”

“You were?”

“Steven Jensen taught physics. I never had his class, but all his students loved him. His experiments were legendary.”

“Wow, that’s pretty cool. To look at the pictures of them when they were younger is strange, like they’re completely different people. I’ve only seen them as old people; it’s hard to think of them as being anything else.” Aja leaned back in her chair. “I’ve never lost anyone close to me. He seemed so sad and, I don’t know, helpless.”

“So you’re not all tough-as-nails as you want us to think,” Mrs. Burnett said. “I always knew there was more to you.”

Aja became defensive. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’m still the same rude girl you’ve always known.”

“I won’t tell anyone you harbor a nice side. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Aja stood to leave. “I don’t need to go to the funeral. I just sort of wanted to.”

“Let me check with your teachers. You’re really on a thin thread, and to miss any school would be tough. If it were a family member, there would be no problem.” Mrs. Burnett stood and opened the door. “Get your assignments today, and I’ll try to sweet-talk the staff.”

“Thanks, but on second thought, maybe I shouldn’t go. You’re right; I don’t know anything about the family. It’s probably a little creepy that I even wanted to.” Aja turned and ran out before Mrs. Burnett could say anything else.

Later, at work, Aja scooped salad on cold plates and worked math problems at the same time. She was just about caught up on her assignments, but she had overextended her absences. She was disappointed, but okay with not going to the funeral.

Janie rushed into the kitchen still tying her apron. “Hey, kiddo, Edna Jones wants to see you. Is everything okay here?”

“Yeah, I think so. Why does she want to see me?” Aja closed her book and pushed it aside.

“I don’t know. She seemed pretty hot under the collar though.” Janie stacked the salads on trays.

“Should I wait until after the dinner rush?” Aja asked.

“No, Gabe and I can handle it. She said for you to get over there pronto.”

Now what, Aja thought. She felt like she’d been called into the principal’s office in front of a classroom of students. Not uncommon for her, but always embarrassing.

She took her apron off as she walked and haphazardly folded it. Edna was standing outside her office door with Mrs. Poston and a security guard.

Mrs. Poston waved a crooked finger at her. “Take her in now.”

Edna moved in front of Mrs. Poston. “I’ll handle this, Bea.” She walked right up to Aja and handed her a document. “You have been terminated from Golden Leaves assisted living home and are never welcome back here again. Here’s your first and last check. This security officer will escort you out.”

“Wh-what? Why?” Aja stammered. “What did I do?”

“You stole my jewelry, you little thief.” Mrs. Poston’s finger continued to wag in the air. “You knew where my key was, even came into my apartment, and you were skulking around here the other night.” Mrs. Poston took a step toward Aja. “I’m pressing charges against you, you tramp.”

“I didn’t take your jewelry. What are you talking about?”

“You were looking at my things, I’ll bet scouting for loot.”

Edna pointed to the front door. “There is an officer waiting to take you to the station where you’ll be questioned.”

“Can I use the handcuffs, Miss Edna?” the security officer asked, hopefully.

“No, I’m sure Officer Richards can take care of that.” Edna looked toward the door.

Aja felt a cold fear run down her spine. Freddy Kruger was standing next to his car, a scary smile on his thin lips. Aja remembered reading once about a dog trainer and how he chose dogs by the way they tracked the target with their keen eyes, never letting the mark out of their site. How they honed in for the kill. Aja thought the same about the officer.

“I won’t go with him. I’m filing a restraining order against that guy.” She turned to Mrs. Poston. “I don’t know what you have against me, old lady, but I didn’t steal anything from you. You asked me, no, demanded that I come in and help you. My life would be better if you…” Aja stopped before she said, “drop dead.” Lauren Jensen stood near the mailboxes across the lobby, watching. “I didn’t do it,” Aja cried.

“You have a criminal record,” Edna said.

Aja saw Freddy Kruger step toward the front door.

“I’m not going with him. He’s been following and harassing me.”

“That’s the man you were smooching all over in the dining hall,” Mrs. Poston retorted. “Stop lying. You’re only digging yourself in deeper.”

Aja looked at her, helpless. No matter where she went, she was the kid that the finger pointed to. New kid, juvenile delinquent, freak. Never normal. She panicked as Freddy walked into the lobby. Like a hunted animal, Aja turned and took flight, nearly running through Kendall and Walker.

“Aja! What’s going on?” Walker yelled after her.

She bolted down a long hallway, bracing herself for the bark of a gunshot and a bullet piercing her back. She heard jingling behind her, probably Freddy running after her. She didn’t know, wouldn’t turn around, and she ran as fast as she could through an emergency exit door. A loud buzz sounded as she ran to the back parking lot. There was an empty loading dock and a few cars parked in the small lot. Her car was on the other side of the building closer to the dining room where she’d left her purse and books.

Behind the parking lot was a creek. She ran toward the trees and took cover just as she heard the door slam open.

Chapter 18

It was getting dark and Aja continued along the creek bed heading, she hoped, toward home. She needed to call her mom and warn her about what had happened, she was sure the police were there waiting and telling her mom about Aja being a thief.