“Can you take that off my eyes? I’ll talk to you just fine without it.”
She did so, pointing it at the ground. I blinked, letting my eyes adjust, and then looked at her. She was a lightly tanned woman of about mid-forties, her long dark hair had a few grays, and there were tiny wrinkles around her eyes.
“My name is Desiderio Amato.” I put my hands up to show her I wouldn’t hurt her. “I’m… Scout left this key at our apartment.”
“Where is she now?” The woman demanded.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m trying to find her. I thought this key might have some answers. Who are you?”
“I’m her foster sister. The storage unit called me when you came through. They know no one comes for that unit.” She paused, then pulled a key from her pocket that matched mine. “You can’t get in here withoutbothkeys.”
18
Foster sister?
Sure, I knew she was orphaned and had grown up in the system, but she never talked about her life much before we met. Even in 1994, she was always very tight-lipped about her past.
“You’re human,” I said stupidly. The woman crossed her arms and smirked.
“That’s right. And I’ll defend her like I’m not. Give me one good reason to let you in here.” She motioned behind her at the unit she was leaning against.
“Because I’m her boyfriend, and she’s gone missing. This garage might have some clues.”
“Boyfriend?” She cocked her head to the side. Her brown eyes were wide with surprise.
I sighed. “Yes. Miss, what’s your name?” I asked as politely as I could.
“Nalida.” I noticed the curl as she rolled her D. Scout did the same sometimes. “And you?” She flicked the flashlight at my brother.
“Gianni Amato. I’m just here to watch.”
Nalida nodded and then directed her attention back at me. “Tell me something about her. To show me you’re not lying about who you are.”
I gulped. “When was the last time you saw her?” I asked carefully.
“Ten years ago.”
“Okay, so she was cursed, and now she’s not. I was cursed too, and we were part of each other. We broke them together and discovered that we knew each other before we turned in 1994.”
She didn’t seem fazed. I took a deep breath and thought harder. “She has a tattoo of a broken heart between her tits and a fat devil on her ankle. I took her to go get that for her twenty-seventh birthday.”
“What’s her last name?” Nalida demanded, and I froze.
“This again? I don’t know.” I threw up my hands. “I have no fucking clue. She never told me. Even after I asked. If she has one, it’s a fucking secret.”
The woman stared at me for a long time before turning away and pulling her key out again. “Come here. We need both keys.”
Relief washed over me as I hurried to unlock the storage shed with her. “What is her last name?” I asked as she bent down and started pulling the door up.
“She doesn’t have one. You can go through this, but only with me present.”
“Deal. Thank you so much.”
I took a step back to allow Nalida to enter the unit and find the light. I blinked as the harshness of it filled my eyes, but then I looked around to see dozens of rather unassuming brown cardboard boxes, a few card tables, and a bird cage in the back.
“Come on in, but be careful with everything.”
“What exactly is this all?” I asked as the three of us stepped inside. “Did she move and forget to come back for stuff?”
