Page 45 of His to Haunt

I get down on the floor, sliding under the bed, moving the slab of wood before pulling the pewter chest out. It’s the size of a lunch box, gorgeous, carved in ivy and flowers. Old looking but well cared for.

I sit in Rachel’s chair, opening the chest in my lap and sorting through jewelry, old coins, a stack of birthday cards, and a small fan with a black swooping, stem-like handle that supports the leaves shaped and decorated as a lotus flower, layered in colors of gold, turquoise, and red.

No bottles of prescription pills of any kind. But there is a gold Ahnk key. So now I have two of four. In the numerical order of the dot patterns, I have the second and third keys, and the first and fourth are missing.

There is also a torn piece of paper with the same phrase on it that she wrote in her journal.The ankh is in the eye is in the staff is in the heart.

Whatever that means.

I pick up the key. I’m betting this is to the gallery. Beneath the key is a white envelope addressed to me, the black ink smeared. I pick it up, and a tiny object shifts inside of it. I pause, feeling a jolt of trepidation. She asked that I open this only after going through all of her notes.

But her journal is very long, with tons of little entries and interesting bits between all the work notes, and I can’t exactly race through it, or I might miss something.

I check the time. 4:45. I’m supposed to meet Zand.

I pull out the reference sheet. One key is to the basement, one to the gallery, but the other two have only question marks next to them.

Zand calls. I hesitate, letting it ring three times before answering.

“Dinner’s ready,” he says, his radio voice smooth as butter, charming even. I half wish there wasn’t so much weird history between us. I hate admitting that I feel lonely. I try not to judge myself, but there is a little voice inside that likes to apply the word pathetic whenever I feel longing for someone else in my life. Or in my bed.

“Okay. I’ll be there shortly,” I say, adding, “Do you happen to have the other missing Ahnk keys?”

“Maybe. Why?”

“I’m just trying to put the whole set to the house together. Don’t you think it’s strange for someone to live in a house where they can’t access all the rooms?”

“Perhaps. I might have some more keys lying around. I’ll take a look.”

He’s lying. But why?

“If you don’t have them, I will just call a locksmith. I’d like to look inside the gallery.”

I want to see what he says. He goes quiet for a moment.

“I will help you into the gallery, Leena. I’ll even give you a tour if you like. After you sit for me.”

I sigh. “It feels a bit like extortion.”

He laughs. “No, I’m being expedient with time.”

“I’ll…be there, Zand. But as for the black lace—“

“Same as last time, Leena.”

“You don’t need full nude?”

“Not yet.”

“Yet? Tonight is the last time I will model for you.”

“Let’s discuss it more over dinner.”

Psycho

Leena

“So you do eat,” I say, sitting across from him by candlelight. He has prepared shrimp pasta that is positively delicious.

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