20. The Neighborhood Watch

Chapter 20

The Neighborhood Watch

J ohanna Newes sat in her wingback chair with her eyes focused on the black door across the street. She sat, watching, waiting, plotting her next move. The room was silent except for the ticking clock. She sat upright and rigid, like a predator ready to spring into action. She took a sip from the tea cup she held in her hand. The saucer plate was in the other hand. The hot Earl Grey tea rushed over her lips, but she never broke sight of the door. She placed the cup down on the saucer and leaned forward in the chair. I know what you did. I’ve got you now, she thought, never breaking her gaze.

The door opened. Johanna placed the saucer on the table next to the window before grabbing the arms of her chair. “Right on schedule,” Johanna said.

Max pulled Hugo onto the porch. The excited golden retriever tugged and pulled at the leash, nearly dragging Hugo down the stairs. Johanna watched him say something to the dog, but she couldn’t really tell. His free hand pointed at a spot next to him. Max lowered her head and sat next to Hugo. The dog glanced up at him, awaiting her next command .

“Get going,” Johanna muttered.

Her fingers dug into the arms of the chair. She leaned forward in anticipation. Ready to leap into action. Hugo and Max jaunted down the steps and took off on their daily walk. Johanna sprung from the chair. She gave two taps to the cloak clasp pinned to her sweater. She rushed to the antique display table and turned the brass key.

“I absolutely love this table,” Elizabeth said as she rubbed her hand across the smooth tabletop. “Where did you get it?”

“An old friend,” Johanna replied. “A very old friend.”

Johanna smiled as Elizabeth inspected every inch of the display table. Her fingers ran across the smooth yet weathered surface. Elizabeth’s auburn hair flowed down her back, and her hazel eyes focused on each detail. It reminded her of an old friend. An old friend she had not seen in so many years, but thought about every day. Johanna’s true love. Her betrayer. Her Abigail.

“What period is this from?” Elizabeth asked before interrupting herself. “Wait, don’t tell me.”

She examined the intricate details closer. The fine carving of the wolf head handle. The oak leaf with a keyhole in the middle. Elizabeth tried to pull on the handle, but it was locked. She pointed to the keyhole and turned back to Johanna sitting in one of her two wingback chairs.

Johanna shook her head. Elizabeth frowned in disappointment.

“Lost ages ago,” Johanna replied.

“I’m going to guess, based on the age, the elaborate carving, the weathering, that this dates back to the early 1700s?”

Johanna shook her head, smiling. “Late 1600s.”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Close enough. What’s a decade or two?”

She proceeded over to a similar chair to the one Johanna sat in. A small table holding a teapot, tea cups with saucers, and a plate of cookies, separated them. Johanna provided the tea; Elizabeth the cookies.

Elizabeth topped off her cup before sitting down. She took a sip. “I love the antiques in your house. Hugo never wants to buy any. He says they make modern furniture for a reason. I think he doesn’t want to pay for it.” They chuckled.

“Well, they can be expensive and come at a great cost,” Johanna replied before taking another sip. “I prefer the antiques. It keeps memories of the past alive.”

“Where did you get these chairs? I think I can convince Hugo to at least get some antique chairs.”

“I can’t remember,” Johanna said as she set her tea cup down on the table. She tapped her cloak clasp twice before placing her hand on the arm rest. “I only remember something about an old lady. Funny, isn’t it? So many people come and go into our lives. They help to shape us. But as soon as they leave, we start to forget about them. Like they’re being erased from history. It’s like they die all over again. Only our memories can keep them alive. And if we forget them, well, that’s the cruelest thing we could do.” Johanna fixated on the hardwood floor. Her face solemn and expressionless.

“That’s why I love history,” Elizabeth replied with a smile as she touched Johanna’s hand. “It keeps their memories alive.”

Johanna locked onto Elizabeth’s hazel eyes and smiled. “That it does. That it does.”

“What about that broach? Where did you get it?”

“This?” Johanna pulled her hand away from Elizabeth and tapped it twice. “This was a gift from an old lover. We’re no longer together.”

The memories of that fateful day in the barn rushed back to her. The bliss of true love broken by the horrors of betrayal and agony.

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth replied.

Johanna shook her head. “Don’t worry. It was a long time ago. We had a falling out, but I never stopped loving her. I wear it as a reminder of lost love. ”

“Well, she made a terrible mistake,” Elizabeth consoled her. “Sounds like you still love her.”

“I do. When you find that one love, it’s hard to let go.”

“That’s true. I don’t think Hugo will ever stop loving me.”

“He better not,” Johanna replied. “Or he’ll have to deal with my wrath.” They chuckled.

Johanna shook her head to clear the thoughts of the past. She needed to focus on the here and the now. On her mission. She turned the brass key, and the locking mechanism clicked. Johanna pulled open the left drawer and withdrew the black, twisting wand.

She rushed over to the coat rack and held the wand in her mouth. She put her arms through the long, black wool coat. She wrapped her burnt orange scarf around her neck and tucked it under the coat before buttoning up. She pulled her ponytail out from under the scarf and let it drape down her back.

She took the wand, stuffed it into her coat pocket, and pulled out leather gloves. Her heart raced. Her hands shook with anticipation as she tried to put them on. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment. She drew out her exhale to calm her nerves before slipping on the gloves and stepping outside.

The winter sky was gray and bleak. The chilled wind whipped down the street as it stung Johanna’s face. A hardened mixture of snow that melted before freezing again covered the ground. Johanna tried to speed walk across the street, but was cautious with every step. She mustn’t fail in her mission, and she dared not fall on a patch of ice. She glanced where Hugo had walked off with Max. They were gone.

She stepped up onto the sidewalk and stood at the precipice of Alice’s house. She checked around to see if there were any curious onlookers. The street was empty, except for desolate and barren trees. She focused on the overbearing purple house. The curtains were drawn closed. There was no movement. She had the element of surprise.

She stood up tall with her shoulders drawn back. She tapped her chest twice, feeling the cloak clasp underneath. No turning back now , she thought. She waited a moment before taking that first step up the walkway.

The walkway was surprisingly clear, but not surprising to Johanna. She knew who really lived here, and she would fix it. Johanna hesitated before ascending the porch steps.

Still no movement. Each step up was methodical. She didn’t want to walk into some sort of trap or alert her presence early. She stepped onto the top of the porch. This needs a careful approach , she thought. Check the windows .

She approached the covered windows. She tried to look through, but saw nothing. No movement. She moved to the door, but couldn’t see anything through the sheer, black veil that covered the door window. She moved closer to the glass. There was no discernable movement inside.

She gripped the twisted wand inside her coat pocket. She wrapped her fingers around the ornate, diamond shaped doorknob. She twisted it a few times. It was locked.

No! Why did he lock it?

She tried again with more force. The doorknob didn’t budge. She wouldn’t waste this opportunity. She knocked.

She could hear commotion. A rattling of a wall. Someone approached the door. This was it. She readied herself; she stood upright and tightened her grip on the wand. Her breathing quickened as the footsteps approached the door. The ornate knob spun, and the door opened.

“I told you that you’d forget the key,” Alice said as she appeared in the doorway. Alice gasped. She leaned against the wall and closed the door against her as much as possible to hide the contents of her home. “Johanna. Well, this is a surprise. What can I help you with?”

Johanna flicked the wand inside her coat pocket. Nothing happened. She tried a few more times, expecting bolts of energy to fly toward Alice, rendering her inert. Nothing. She thought about withdrawing the stick, but didn’t want to give Alice the opportunity to retaliate. No. The element of surprise was all she had, and the surprise hadn’t worked. She tried again, but it failed.

“Umm…” Johanna said, trying to think of any excuse as to why she would be at this house at this moment. “I wanted to see if Hugo was here.”

Alice glared at Johanna with skeptical eyes. Johanna was known as the neighborhood watch because she always watched the comings and goings of Ravenhill Drive. If anyone knew Hugo had left, it definitely would have been Johanna, but she needed some excuse. Alice pulled the door closer to her body, almost crushing herself between the door and the wall.

“You just missed him. I’ll let him know you stopped by when he gets back.” Alice slid back into the house, ready to shut the door.

“Crazy night at the New Year’s Eve party, huh?” Johanna asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well. The… um… power outage,” Johanna replied.

Alice maintained contact with the door and the wall, ready to close it. “It was only for a moment,” Alice said. “It’s no big deal.”

“Well, when you’re running the event, it can be a big deal,” Johanna replied with a half-hearted laugh.

“I guess so,” Alice answered. “Well, it resolved itself quickly, which was good. Everyone seemed to have a good time. I know I did.”

“I was going to check with Hugo to see if he heard anything.”

“Why would Hugo know anything?” Alice asked.

“Well, he knows people. I thought maybe he heard something about it over the past few days.”

“It was only a small blip in power. I’m sure it’s fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to what I was doing. I’ll let Hugo know you stopped by. ”

Johanna tried once more with the wand. Nothing. She slumped her shoulders and let go.

“Well, thank you,” Johanna said.

Alice shut the door. Johanna heard the audible click of the lock.

Was I wrong? No. I know what I saw. Did the wand lose its power? Her face turned a ghostly shade of pale. She held her breath out of fear.

Will it still work on the amulet?

She turned away, but something in the doorframe caught her eye. She stopped and examined it. There were small, rune-like carvings in the black wood trim. So obscure that she never would have noticed them if not for standing so close. She ran her fingers over the engravings. They were meticulous and deliberate. Someone had placed them there.

She rolled her eyes in disappointment after realizing why the wand didn’t work. She charged down the steps, heading back home. Her eyes were enraged. Her lips and nose snarled. I need to try from the inside .