Long Live the King

Twenty-Two

When she first noticed the boat fast approaching in the distance, she was unable to suppress the little jump of hope in her heart that it might be Raymond. It was a ridiculous notion to hold since his death had been confirmed and yet she couldn't help herself. She flew out onto the balcony as she had many times before and stared out at the water. She knew before it was even close enough to see that it wasn't him, but she hadn't the slightest idea who it might be.

As the boat drew nearer she could vaguely make out two distinct figures, one with very wild hair who was in charge of steering the boat and another who was sitting back and not touching anything. As the boat pulled into the dock, the woman reached up and smoothed down her pale hair. She took one last hard look at the people on the boat and turned back inside.

#

"I'm telling you she was there," Marshall said, helping Adrienne hop from the boat to the dock.

He was glad to be on solid land again. That morning the rental place had apologetically announced that none of their rentals were available despite the reservation. They had ended up with a last minute private rental, a small boat that was formerly used by a small team of researchers. It had low railings and little more than a couple of chains across the back that did little to enhance feelings of safety.

He glanced up at the balcony, which was now empty. Minutes before he had claimed to see a slender blonde woman watching them. Adrienne had seen nothing of the sort.

"I believe you," she said patiently. "I'm just saying that I didn't see anything and it's getting kind of dark so I'm not sure that you really saw what you thought you saw ."

"I don't think that counts as 'believing me'," he said.

"Sorry." She shrugged. "But no one knows we're coming here so I find it hard to believe that anyone would be watching for us."

"I never said she was watching for us. I said she was watching us. Maybe she caught sight of the boat and was trying to figure out who the hell we are. I'm telling you she was there though. I didn't imagine it and I'm not making it up."

"He's right you know," a delicate voice slipped into the conversation, causing both Adrienne and Marshall to spin rapidly in that direction. A woman, blonde and barefoot, was walking down the sandy grass toward them. Her dress flapped around her calves like a flag in the breeze, mirroring her windswept hair. She looked more like a figment of the imagination than an actual person.

"See?" Marshall said, not taking his eyes off the woman. "I told you she was there."

"Who are you?" Adrienne asked.

"Are you telling me that you don't already know?"

"Well I..." Adrienne hesitated. "Are you Johanna Jensen?"

The woman stared at her, making no secret of her head to toe survey. Her steely gaze came back to Adrienne's eyes and slowly, deliberately, she nodded.

"And who," she asked, "might you be?"

"A-adrienne." She gulped, feeling all of her muscles tense up under this scrutiny. "Adrienne King."

"Adrienne King," Johanna repeated. "I've been waiting for you. Why don't you come inside?"

She pivoted a hundred and eighty degrees and walked back toward the house, leaving Adrienne and Marshall to follow behind her. After a glance at each other they scurried up the slope. Johanna had already disappeared within the house but the door was left ajar behind her. They entered hesitantly, hit by a icy blast of air conditioning the moment they set foot in the room. Johanna was nowhere to be seen.