The Mirror

Chapter 5: Dangerous Liaisons

February 15, 2005. Tuesday afternoon.

Think of it as a chess game. That's the way Keller views it. Pure strategy. No emotions.

Neal had warned Peter that they'd have to be at the top of their game to beat Keller. He'd grown to appreciate Keller's ability when the two of them played chess on the Cote d'Azur. Keller was the toughest opponent he'd ever faced, but as his skill improved, Neal beat him several times. Now he needed to reharness that skill. While Neal rode the subway home from work, he reviewed his options for his next move. He'd continue playing that chess game in his head until he declared checkmate.

When he arrived at the mansion, he stopped to talk with June before heading upstairs. He found her reading a book in the living room.

"Mozzie was here earlier," she said. "You'll be happy to know he conducted a thorough review of our security system. Keller won't be able to intrude without us knowing about it."

"Have you seen him around?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"Not yet. I gave copies of his photos to the staff. They'll also be on the lookout."

Although he was relieved to hear June took the threat seriously, he winced at the precautions she was being forced to make. "I'm sorry I've complicated your life."

"Don't be," she said, shaking her head reprovingly. "If you hadn't agreed to move in, my life would have become very dull. Now every day's a new adventure—first Azathoth, now Keller." She leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Who do you have waiting in the wings?"

"Anyone else would think I've already been enough of a bad boy," he said, breaking into a smile. He looked over at her book. "Which author has you so fascinated now?"

"I'm still working my way through Lovecraft," she said. "I'm currently reading The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath. His language, though archaic, can be surprisingly poetic. Some of the passages remind me of music lyrics. I can also understand why you said Diana plans to update his world."

He explained Diana's ideas and was pleasantly surprised at how engaged June was. It was apparent she'd given a great deal of thought to the stories. Diana would find her a valuable resource, and he made a mental note to suggest it to her.

His discussion with June allowed him to press the pause button for what was coming up that evening and Neal wasn't eager to drag himself away. At the moment, he'd much rather confront Azathoth than have to explain who Keller was to Fiona.

While he changed clothes in the loft he pondered how best to approach it. He didn't want to scare her, but he needed to provide enough details for her to take the threat seriously. He stopped to consider his reflection in the full-length mirror in the bedroom. He'd spent the past few months shielding her from the grittier aspects of his job. His relationship with her was supposed to be light and easy. After tonight, there'd be no turning back. Would she give up on him? He wouldn't blame her if she did.

His first stop was the Emporium. He found Mozzie sitting with Billy in the café located at the back of the store. A bottle of wine and three tasting glasses were on the table.

When Billy spotted Neal, he beckoned him over. "Join us. We could use your palate."

Neal swung into a chair, dropping his backpack next to him. "Is this the blend for Saint Patrick's Day?"

"No, we'll have to wait for the shipment of grass from Hawaii. I liked your suggestion. I've never grown native grasses in our greenhouse, but Maggie's excited to include them in her floral arrangements. This blend in front of you is something Mozzie's been working on for the past week. It's supposed to improve brain function."