Angie of the Garden

Chapter Three-3

"A woman ain't never happy to hear that the money is gone. Why did your boss throw your ass out?"
"It's a long story. The guy I worked for needed someone to blame for something."
"That's why I like working for Mr. and Mrs. Simms. They just tell you what they want. There ain't no bullshit about it."
"I'm hoping that working for Sam will be the same way."
"I thought you were Sam," said Frank with a puzzled expression on his face. "No, Hollis thinks that's my name, but it isn't. The Sam I'm talking about owns a bagel shop. I start working for him tomorrow."
"Oh. What's this?"
"It's a chess set. Hollis and I used to play up here all the time. It brings back a lot of memories," Sebastian said in a distinctly melancholy tone.
"Oh, yeah. My grandma used to play. I never really knew what she was doing with those knights and kings and shit. But she taught me a little."
"Would you like to play a game?"
"Sure. You'll kick my black ass, but what the hell."

Soon after the game began Sebastian discovered that he had been lied to. Frank
knew more than just a little about the game of chess. He had managed to acquire the advantage just as the beer ran out. The groundskeeper offered to get some more.

"That's a good idea," Sebastian agreed, "because I'm the one who's getting his ass kicked. I need the alcohol to numb the agony of my defeat."
"Oh, hell, I'm just getting lucky. I'll be right back."

Sebastian stood up and walked over to the window. The garden was visible from his vantage point. He saw Hollis standing outside the wrought iron fence, and another person standing inside. This unfamiliar figure was a woman dressed in black. There was something unusual about her appearance. The woman's skin was an unearthly grayish- white, and it seemed to reflect the light from the half moon shining down on the garden.
Sebastian turned and moved quickly towards the trap door. The exit from the attic was suddenly closed before he reached it. Frank Martin had returned.

"What are you doing? Let me out of here!"
Frank did not reply. Sebastian heard him leave through the front door and then watched through the window as he returned to his home.

*** *

Hollis Simms had returned to his office with the intention of preparing for the
next day's sessions. He began to review the various cases, but his attention soon wandered to the garden outside the window. There was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen in the soft twilight. Hollis finished his work and then glanced outside once more. The darkness had fallen, and the moon was slowly rising above the trees. Suddenly there was a brief but brilliant flash of white light in the garden. Hollis caught a glimpse of a solitary figure illuminated by the dazzling streamer.
Angelica Barton had returned. She had not appeared for over one week, and Hollis had begun to fear that the apparition would never come back. He had devised a plan for their next encounter, and would now have the chance to implement it. Hollis could barely contain his excitement as he walked towards the front door.

Doctor Simms had decided to tell Angelica that he had read her diary. If the psychiatrist believed she would appear on a regular basis, he would never have tried to accelerate their relationship in this way. Given the unpredictability of her visitations, however, he saw no choice. Hollis would reveal to Angelica that he had found her chronicle, read it, and then loaned it to a friend for study. The doctor then intended to assure the apparition that he would get the journal back for her, but since his friend was out of the country, her missing writings could not be retrieved for quite some time. In the interim, Hollis hoped the lure of her recovering the diary would keep Angelica coming back to the garden, where he could delve further into the details of the woman from Boston's westward journey. Hollis could then use their time together to discover why she had become an ordinary house servant.
His approach also called for developing intimacy in their relationship by requesting permission to address her as Angie. According to her diary, Tom Shanahan had been the first to do so. Angelica had written about how his informal manner had affected her. Hollis thought at first she might misinterpret his request as an attempt to begin a romance. Then he reasoned that since Angelica Baron had not been of flesh and blood for over one hundred years, the thought of such a liaison with someone who was among the living would never occur to her.
Hollis started to walk outside when he realized that there was another matter to consider. The garden was close to the old house, which was where his brother now resided. Sebastian might catch a glimpse of the ghost. Hollis called Frank to ask for his help.

"I just want you to keep him occupied for a while. I have something to do outside, and I'd prefer to do it alone."
"Yes, sir, Mr. Simms, I'll keep his ass in the house."
"Thank you, Frank. And please call me Hollis."
"Damned if somebody didn't hit me with the stupid stick! You keep telling me
that, and I keep forgetting."

Hollis walked out to the garden and smiled at the visitor there. Angelica looked
up from her search, acknowledging his presence without smiling. The delicate roses that surrounded her were enveloped by the soft moonlight.

"Can I help you look for something?" he asked her.
"No, I don't think so. But it's kind of you to offer, sir."
"I think I know what you're looking for."

Angelica stopped looking at the ground, instead directing her gaze at Hollis. The
piercing green eyes of the spirit struck him like a physical blow. Yet as he was accustomed to such reactions from his other patients the expression on the doctor's face did not change.

"Your diary was buried in the garden. I found it there many years ago."

Angelica Barton recoiled. The revelation that this strange man had a chronicle of her most intimate thoughts in his possession appeared to perturb the ethereal being. Then she looked into the eyes of Hollis Simms and saw only kindness there. That dissuaded her from disappearing into the night.

"I would like it back at once, sir. You only happened it upon by chance. It belongs to me."