A Crown of Clouds

Chapter 7

Two days off work at the bakery would have sounded like a nightmare a few days ago, now, it had been anything but. I hadn't missed the smell of pastries, although I did miss the sound of Pilsby whistling away while he kneaded dough.

"Hal darling, we missed you." Jana pulled me into her chest, I nearly sneezed on all the flour mixed with lavender oils she so loved to wear. Jana gave the best hugs, she hugged not out of politeness, but like she meant it and wanted to be there every moment she held you, even if I couldn't or didn't hug back, she still held on. This time, I hugged her back. "So I hear you made a friend?" Jana seemed to have a spark in her voice today, I could only imagine the kind of mother she would have been... "You sure you didn't just pay that boy to say some nice words and pretend he was your friend?" said Pilsby. I had to admit, they did know me quite well. "I can always count on you for some sarcasm Pilsby...besides, taking days off work would defeat the purpose of my master plan wouldn't it?" So grand it ended the day I moved out of my dingy apartment, nonetheless, I wouldn't let them in on this though. Jana and Pilsby thought I was taking a year off to save and then I'd be going back to school to finish my last year, probably hoping I'd cave in and move in with them too.

"This must have been slipped under the door this morning by that handsome new friend of yours I'm guessing?" The piece of paper looked old and brown with what looked like an ink spill covering half of the paper. All that I could see was 'Hal' no doubt 'Lancaster' covered in the ink spill, how so like Alex I thought. I turned the corners of the paper over, reading the inside, 'I know who you are and what you saw that day...' I couldn't make out any of the other words smudged in ink... and just like that my slender smile from thinking of Alex writing me a note was smudged over like black ink, leaving my head feeling foggy. The only other words I could make out were 'to know' and 'Grantchester' at the bottom of the page. I had my back turned when I opened it to not let Jana and Pilsby see any smiles that slipped out... and now I turned trying to plaster one over the top of the anxious fear building inside.

I was the only person there that day, how could someone else know what I saw? I could feel the heavy pounding in my chest fastening. Grabbing my navy blue apron I wore every day, I placed it shakily over my neck, breathing as quietly as I could manage with my deep inhale and exhale. Was Grantchester the suburb or a surname? I had so many questions and not even a hint or whisper of an answer. Just as I had started to feel a sense of normalcy, this had to be some sort of cruel joke. I tried to think of the only people that knew about what I thought I saw; the list was short, yet I could think of one person, one that was savage enough to pull this kind of prank... I wouldn't give Regan the satisfaction of knowing it had made me queasy enough to want to barf my breakfast cereal all over the counter.

-

I'd put on my best show all day, pushing thoughts down deep and convincing Jana and Pilsby I was 'recovering'. The saddest part was I think they believed the act. Jana seemed so relieved, asking several times about Alex throughout the day. She even gave him a hug when he came at closing time to walk me home, "What a gentleman you are, take good care of our Hal gal."

"That woman can hug," Alex looked like he'd had the breath hugged out of him. "If hugging were a job she'd be rich," my attempt at sarcasm to make Alex think I was completely level-headed after a completely normal day! "Speaking of money, are you ready to get to work?" I nodded...what I was about to do seemed so wrong, yet so right... and knowing I didn't have to do it alone, well, I think that's the only way it would have ever happened, "ready as I'll ever be I guess."

Once home, I pulled the bottom part of the couch off the lounge and flopped onto it. This would be a great distraction from that note burning a hole in my jacket pocket. "So how do you know this mysterious buyer anyway?"