by her own greedy children. A myth, a character in a Greek tragedy.
In all my imagined scenarios, I had not pictured what stood before me now: Lee, alive.
She was beautiful. As buoyant as her laugh in the photo that Kate once showed me. Almost as young as that picture, too. An ageless beauty.
She was wearing my yellow raincoat—the one I’d wear on my hikes down to the beach. She knotted her brow as she observed me, but then her lips parted again, and a wide grin cut into her pretty face. She had greeted me like an old friend, half a minute earlier, but I wondered if she had any idea who I was.
Of course she knew who I was.
Her green eyes shimmering with what seemed like a genuine welcome, she said, “Well, well, well, look who’s here. So sorry you missed the children.”
“Where are they?” I mustered, not managing a smile myself, my mouth pinched in shock.
“Come in, why don’t you. I’m Lee. So nice to have a visitor in this monstrous weather. Come in from the rain.” She was holding her arms around her torso, her hands tucked up under her elbows as if to warm her body from the cold. California girl.
“I’m—”
“I know who you are,” she broke in. “How wonderful to finally meet you.”
I released my clammy palm from the grip of the handgun and gingerly pulled it—empty and trembly—from my pocket. But we didn’t shake hands. I just looked at her, dumbly.
My enemy. Or not? I imagined she’d have an explanation for this. Maybe an apology? She’d want to apologize for her children’s psychopathic behavior, surely?
“Come inside,” Lee said, with a warm smile. “Be careful, try not to bring too much mud into the house. Isn’t this weather insane?” Her tone was so friendly, her eyes filled with apparent kindness. Not the ogre Pippa had described at all. But now I knew Pippa was an all-out liar, that didn’t actually surprise me.
Every plan I’d had, every solution in my brain, was shot to smithereens.
What now?
I weighed up my options. Stay where I was or find out what the hell was going on? My curiosity and fear raised—like hackles on a dog’s back—I fingered the gun in my pocket. It gave me courage. I plodded behind Lee into the house, my house.
I’d wait for an explanation. At least give her a chance.
Lee took off her yellow coat (my coat) and hung it up. A part of me wanted to turn right around and race back to the car, but curiosity pushed me forward. The living room was gleaming clean.
“Take off your coat,” Lee said in a sweet voice, her hands on my shoulders, ready to help. It annoyed me she was welcoming me into my own house. I noticed she was playing with her fingers. Perhaps she was as nervous as I was.
I stepped back. “No thank you.” I was about to add, “I won’t stay long,” but bit my tongue.
My house. My house. This is my house!
“Where are Dan, Kate, and Jen?” I asked, sidling close to the door.
“Out. Would you like a hot drink? Coffee, tea, hot chocolate?”
“No, thank you.” I chewed my lip. My right hand wandered to my face. I blew on my sweaty palm to dry off the clammy moisture. It smelled metallic. I waited for her to clarify the situation, but she seemed to be waiting for me to explain myself. God, the nerve!
“Lee?”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing in my house?”
She laughed, her teeth a shiny set of pearls, her hair a golden crown. She was an exact mixture of Kate and Jen, with a little bit of Dan thrown in. “But this isn’t your house! At least, not for long.”
“Lee, Cliffside belongs to me, fair and square.” I shoved my hand back into my right pocket, my fingertips resting on the metal. I took a step back.
“They’ll be here soon,” she warned.
“The triplets?” My voice was creaky.
“You’ll find the top of the driveway blocked.”
My stomach folded, my ears buzzed. I’d stumbled right into her snare.
“And Pippa?” I asked.
“Pippa got detained,” Lee said. A supercilious smile twitched on her face. So I was right, Pippa was in on it?
My fingers curled around the gun. God forbid it should go off in my pocket. This woman could not claim she was resident here the way the triplets could. I could shoot her right now as a trespasser. Protecting my property. I have the right to bear arms!