Chapter Fourteen

Ryan woke up tiredly and went in the kitchen.

"Shawn's picking me and Grace up pretty soon," said Miss Aldridge. "Melody Bistro is open today for breakfast. Do you want to go?"

---

Ryan threw his clothes on fast and smoothed his red hair down with his hand.

A painted mural of music notes, microphones and coffee cups covered the walls of a wide building on the other side of town. A sign above the front door said "Melody Bistro".

Ryan and Shawn sat at a small table in the corner. Miss Aldridge and Grace stood at the counter, reading a list of items and special drinks written in chalk on the board overhead.

A brown, leather couch and leather chairs filled the area in front of a small stage with a microphone stand on it. A light shined above it and a banner on the wall behind it said "Singers Drink Free".

Several business cards, flyers and index cards covered a message board on the wall beside the stage. A small table crowded with hardcover books leaned against the wall there.

Grace brought hot coffees to the table. Miss Aldridge carried a big bag of hot sandwiches and sat down.

"Thanks for breakfast, Mom," said Grace, sipping her coffee.

"Thanks, Miss Aldridge," said Shawn.

"Thanks, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving," said Ryan, shaking a ketchup bottle over his steak sandwich and hash browns. A giant blob plopped on the steamy goodness and he grinned.

"You always drown your food, Ryan," said Miss Aldridge.

"Food doesn't swim, Mom."

"It will in that," she said.

Ryan stuffed the sandwich in his mouth and slobbered ketchup on his face.

"Get a napkin," said Miss Aldridge.

Ryan wiped his mouth. "How did you find this place, Shawn?"

"I used to work here," he said. "I like the food and the prices."

Ryan chomped another bite. "Mmm, it's good. What's the stage for?"

"Singing," he said.

"You can sing a Karaoke song for a free drink," said Grace.

"Anyone can?" he asked.

"Yeah, anyone twelve and over, but you have to sing the whole song," said Shawn.

"That's pretty scary," said Ryan.

"I know," said Grace. "I can't."

"You don't have to sound perfect," said Shawn.

Ryan stared at the stage curiously.

---

"Ryan, be a dear and toss this bag out," said Miss Aldridge.

Ryan walked to the condiment station near the counter. He dropped the bag through the hole on top and it landed in the trash barrel beneath it.

Ryan saw a vision in color in his mind of Shantel lying on a sidewalk in a puddle of blood and he shivered.

"Mom, can Shawn stop at Gimbals on the way back?" he asked.

"Why do you want to go there?" she asked.

"I need money to buy Shantel a Thanksgiving card."

"Okay, I'll go with you," she said.

---

Grace sat at the kitchen table, peeling potatoes and Miss Aldridge smeared butter under the skin of a small turkey. Ryan downed a glass of water.

"Do you need help, Mom?" he asked.

"No," she said. "Dinner will be ready at six."

---

Mr. Ross blew the car horn and Ryan ran out of the house, locking the door behind him.

He drove to 31 Token Road and parked at the sidewalk, taking a bouquet of orange tulips wrapped in green, tissue paper from the back seat.

"Where did you get those, Dad?"

"I picked these myself."

"Where?"

"Your grandma's greenhouse."

"She let you?"

"No, I sneaked in this morning."

"You don't think she'd notice all those flowers gone?"

"She can grow more. Besides, I cut her lawn for free last week."

Ms. Wentworth opened the door and smiled.

"For you and your daughters," said Mr. Ross, handing her the bouquet.

"You mean granddaughters," she said, taking it with a wink.

"Oops, I messed that up," he said with a grin.

"Well, I do feel like their mother. Thank you. Orange tulips are perfect. Lunch is almost ready. Shantel will be down in a minute."

She brought the flowers into the kitchen.

The smell of pumpkin, cinnamon and sugar filled the hallway and Shantel greeted Ryan dressed in a white, satin blouse and a tan skirt.

"Thanks for coming," she said.

"I got you a card," said Ryan and Shantel took it.

"Thanks. I'll be right back." She went upstairs.

Six, large, white plates topped with cloth napkins rolled inside gold, napkin rings waited on the dining room, table before each chair.

A white basket filled with white and yellow roses adorned the center and two white candles stood inside it. Sigourney lit each one with a burning match.

Skyler placed several silver untensils beside each plate. Shantel sat in the chair closest to the kitchen and Ms. Wentworth sat near her at the head of the table.

"Jack, you can sit at the other end," she said.

"Oh, lots of room," said Mr. Ross, sitting down. Ryan sat beside Shantel and Skyler sat across from her. Sigourney sat across from Ryan.

Ms. Wentworth folded her hands. "I'm saying a silent prayer of thanks for our wonderful meal." The sisters folded their hands along with Mr. Ross and Ryan.

Ms. Wentworth closed her eyes for a little while, whispering to herself. She finished with "Amen".

Skyler grabbed a huge, white bowl filled with mashed potatoes and passed it around. Then she passed the sliced turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, carrots and rolls. The gravy boat followed and the butter plate.

Mr. Ross ate some turkey. "Delicious, Sylvia."

"You can thank Sigourney and Skyler," she said. "They did most of the cooking."

"Fantastic, ladies," he said.

Ryan ate some stuffing and finished it.

"Do you want some more?" asked Shantel.

"Sure."

She grabbed the stuffing bowl and spooned a heap on his plate.

"I'll have some more too, please," said Mr. Ross. "Real good."

Sigourney passed the bowl to him.

"Save room for dessert," said Ms. Wentworth. "We have homemade apple and pumpkin pie."

"Mmm, my favorite," said Mr. Ross.

"Skyler's serving dessert in the sun room," she said.

---

The sun shined brightly through the stained-glass windows in the sun room.

A white, wicker couch and white, wicker chairs with high backs surrounded a glass, coffee table in the center of the room.

Skyler placed a bunch of forks, a stack of napkins and six coffee cups with a spoon in each on the table. She put a basket of creamers and sugars in-between.

She brought slices of both pies on small plates and placed them on the table.

"Help yourselves," she said, pouring hot coffee into all the cups from a tall carafe.

Ryan ate a piece of pumpkin pie, sitting on the couch beside Shantel. She skipped dessert, drinking her coffee slowly. Sigourney played with her smartphone.

"Best pie I ever ate," said Mr. Ross. "My compliments to the bakers."

"Compliments accepted," said Ms. Wentworth with a wink.

"You got 'a love a gal who can bake a homemade pie," he said and she laughed.

"We're watching a concert in the living room if you want to stay?" asked Sigourney.

"Sure," said Mr. Ross. "We need to rest that good meal, right Ryan?"

Ryan sat beside Shantel on the love seat in the living room and Skyler and Sigourney removed the dishes from the sun room.

Mr. Ross sat in a chair by himself and Ms. Wentworth sat in the other one.

"It starts soon," said Skyler and she sat on the couch, facing the wide-screen television.

"I know the channel," said Sigourney, grabbing the TV remote.

In a few minutes, four men walked on a round stage inside a giant arena filled with cheering fans. Ryan gaped.

Roger Vines sat at the drum kit, wearing a ripped T-shirt and jeans. Billy Stewart held a bass guitar and Steve Fields and Neil Stone headed to the front of the stage near a microphone stand with their electric guitars. They dressed in sleeveless shirts, denim and leather.

The stage went dark. Then a white spotlight shined on Neil. He played a guitar riff and the fans roared.

Adam Dar Tenian ran on stage and took the microphone out of the stand, tossing his red hair back. He wore a black T-shirt and ripped, blue jeans, dancing in snake-skin boots. He sang with conviction, articulating the lyrics in a commanding and piercing voice.

"You don't know

You're a sexy girl

Hot and sweet

I'll take my time and

Make you mine

Fulfilling all your dreams"

Ryan grinned with delight.

---

Neil played the guitar riff to "Clocker" and Adam sang the song, leaning on his shoulder.

Ryan saw a vision in color in his mind. The man with the cool haircut who bought, The Proprietaries said something to him from the driver's seat in an SUV while Ryan sat in the back. He wore no sunglasses and Ryan saw his face clearly. He looked similar to Adam.

"Can I use the bathroom?" asked Ryan.

"Sure, around the corner from the kitchen," said Ms. Wentworth.

Ryan locked the bathroom door. A small, red vase of pink carnations decorated the white, vanity cabinet and white, rolled face-cloths crowded a pink, wicker basket on the toilet-tank lid.

Ryan stepped on a plush, pink rug on the floor and sighed. He used the toilet and pressed the pink, soap dispenser shaped like a hand fan, washing his hands.

He opened the medicine chest and found a small bottle of mouthwash, aspirin bottles, toothpaste, floss and prescription medications inside. He took a tiny cup from a stack on the sink and poured a little mouthwash in it, rinsing his mouth.

He saw the name "Shantel Sawyer" on one of the prescription bottles and "Seraline" underneath it with "Take one by mouth daily".

He put the mouthwash back and someone knocked. Ryan opened the door. Shantel stood there with a grin.

"I sit in one place and walk to other places in my mind. I see everything, but no one sees me. I like your red boxers by the way," she whispered.

"You saw them just now?" asked Ryan.

"Yes."

"Through the door?" he asked.

"No. I sneaked in behind you," she said.

"Did you see anything else?" he asked boldly.

"Everything." Ryan blushed. She looked up at the medicine chest and went to the living room.

Adam Dar Tenian sang "Who I Am" beneath dim lights and the fans below lit their cigarette lighters high.

Ryan sat down nervously.

"I love this song," said Shantel.

---

"Everything was great," said Mr. Ross. "Thank you, very much." He headed for the hallway. "Are you ready, Rye?"

"Thanks for inviting me," said Ryan, getting up. "I'll see you later, Shantel."

"Bye, Ryan," she said.

Ms. Wentworth led them out. "Thank you for coming. Drive safe."

---

Miss Aldridge sat at the kitchen table and Grace loaded four plates with turkey portions, beets, stuffing, butternut squash and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Ryan and Mr. Ross sat down.

Mr. Ross said a prayer. "Lord, thank you for this meal we are about to receive. Good food - good meat, let's eat. He bit into a turkey leg. "Thanks for the invite, Faith."

"How was Shantel's house?"

"Good," he said.

"Nothing attacked Ryan?"

"Not this time, no."

"Did she have a lot of food?"

"Enough," said Mr. Ross, sipping a glass of wine.

"And we watched the Dar Tenian concert," said Ryan.

"It was a nice time," said Mr. Ross. "The grandmother's got class."

"You know, the man who bought my book has the same haircut as Adam Dar Tenian," said Ryan.

"Then he must have a nice hairdo," said Mr. Ross.

"But why did he buy my book?"

"Don't know, Rye," he said. "You were a kid in need."

"Did he say anything to you?" asked Miss Aldridge.

"No. He told me about the book and bought it," said Ryan. "It didn't even belong there and it sounded like him on Dad's answering machine. I think he knows him."

"That's inductive reasoning," said Miss Aldridge, chewing some beets.

"I know there's something going on," said Ryan.

"What do you think is going on, Ryan?" asked Miss Aldridge.

"He cares about me for some reason like he knows who I am."

"Sometimes strangers just help. It doesn't mean anything else," said Miss Aldridge. "And your dad knows a lot of people he works for. He might've told someone about you and that book. It's just a conversation."

"What's the man's name?" he asked.

"You're not going to know him," she said. "It doesn't matter."

"It's good you have a book about important things," said Mr. Ross.