Helga, who had already been taller than everyone in their freshman class—and most of the sophomores and juniors as well—and seriously sensitive about it, had been assigned as Vivien’s mentor for the first day of school. They hit it off, and feeling like misfits, they’d clung together like Jack and Rose on the scrap of wood through the stormy years of high school. Fortunately, neither of them had been dumb enough to let go of the scrap of wood that was their friendship.
Therefore, Helga didn’t know how close Vivien had actuallycometo being a child actor who went off the deep end, so to speak, because by the time she got to high school, her Gran had made certain Vivien, at least, was in therapy. Her mother was a different story.
“I appreciate your confidence,” Vivien said. “Thank you. But I’m actually not so worried about that. The business plan is solid, and my goals for the year are achievable. The bank wouldn’t have approved the loan if they didn’t think so too. But something weird happened at the theater yesterday.”
Helga leaned forward as Vivien described her experience walking into the theater, the sudden burst of light, and then the glowing words on the wall after.
“You should have called me,” Helga the Cop said flatly. “Right away.”
“I… Well, I thought about it, but it seemed pretty benign, all things considered, and—”
“Benign my ass. You were alone in the theater, the lights came on, and there was a threat painted on the wall? That’s not benign—”
“But wait, there’s more,” Vivien said, then settled back in her chair as the server arrived with a full bottle of the Sancerre. There was a pause while their glasses were refilled and they agreed on a pizza to share—Trib’s famous Wise Guy—and then they were left alone again.
“So I got out of there, went to my car, and then decided I wasn’t going to be chased away from my own business. And I went back inside and…there was nothing there.”
“Nothing there meaning no lights?”
“Nothing there meaning no words painted on the wall. And no lights either.”
Helga frowned. “I’m not going to ask if you’re sure because, duh, I know you are, but…wow. That is concerning. I want to see it.”
“I figured you would. I’ve come up with several possible explanations—that’s pretty much all I’ve been thinking about since yesterday,” Vivien confessed.
“Have you been back there since?”
Pursing her lips, feeling like a coward, Vivien shook her head. “No. I had some work to do—other work; you know I’m keeping a bunch of my clients, and I didn’t even check my email on Monday when I was driving here, which is why Louise has her panties in a twist—and so I haven’t been back inside the theater. I had a good excuse,” she added with a self-deprecating smile.
Helga nodded sagely. “All right. I’ll go with you after dinner. It’ll still be light till at least eight thirty.”
“I’m not worried about the dark,” Vivien replied. “This all happened yesterday morning. And that’s not all of it.” She sighed and poked at the half a cracker that was left over from the Brie appetizer.
Her friend watched her carefully but said nothing.
Vivien sighed.Ugh.“So there was a guy running by who happened to see me come bursting out of the theater, rush to my car, and then sit in it, and when he was coming back around from the end of the street, he saw me going back in through the side door. So he came over to see if everything was okay.”
“A creeper?” Helga’s mouth went flat.
Vivien had to shake her head, though she was sorely tempted not to. “No. It turns out…it was Jake.”
Helga’s hazel eyes were uncomprehending, then confused, then hesitant. “Jake…? As in your ex, Jake, the supreme, cheating asshole—from when you were at NYU?” She squinted and tilted her head. “Here in Wicks Hollow?”
“Yup. What’re the chances?” Vivien said, then she started to get annoyed. “What are the freaking chances that not only would my college boyfriend, the one who—well, a guy I was pretty damned serious about—that he would not only be here in Wicks Hollow,now, but berunning pastright after I had the freakiest experience of my life?”
Helga was shaking her head. “Girl, you’ve got some really bad luck. Some effed-up juju.”
“I know, right?How?How does this happen?”
“So…what happened? Did you talk to him? Was he civil? Wereyoucivil?”
“He was… Well, he was Jake. But older. Just as cocky.” Just as hot. “Civil, I guess, but cocky.”
“What is he doing here?” Helga’s question was obviously rhetorical, but unfortunately, Vivien had the answer.
“Here’s the best part,” she said in defeat. “I’m pretty sure Ricky—Juanita’s friend who’s going to be in the show—is Jake’sdad.”
“No. Way.”
