By the Pale Moonlight

Chapter 1

 

Chapter 1

Claire walked quickly from the office to the parking garage.  Today was her last day on the job.  She could not believe they actually fired her!   Getting into the car, Claire gripped the steering wheel with both hands and began to sob.

Fifteen years of loyal service, I gave to this company and now what.  I get canned due to the bad economy.

“Two silly twits probably taken from the secretarial pool to cover my job!” Claire said out loud.  “Yeah!  it takes two people to do the job I did!"

Claire glanced at the newspaper on the seat beside her. A story about a drug bust, another pertaining to missing children and several murders in the eastside of London. She shook her head as if the shake off the bad news of the world around her and went back to sulking over he own situation and thinking about her life so far.

Putting the key into the ignition, Claire backed out of the parking space and headed for the exit, dashing tears from her eyes.

How stupid you are, Claire!  Stop crying..  You’ll find another job

Claire Mason was a 30 year old Advertising Executive with Bracken-Hill Advertisement, Inc.  She was tall and lovely, with dark chocolate brown hair and eyes.  She had olive skin, like her mother’s and like her mother, an American born to Syrian parents, Claire had that middle eastern look that men gravitated to like bees to a flower in fresh bloom.  Claire’s father was tall and good looking, of European decent.  There was no denying that this couple would have beautiful children.  Claire’s brother was tall and dark with what her mother called, bedroom eyes, typical of Syrians.  Both Mason men had broad shoulders and a muscluar build.

The Mason home was a happy home for the most part, but Claire spent much of her adolescence being teased by other 'tweenagers' for being so tall.  Bradley Mason would playfully tease his daughter by calling her what he considered pet names, such as ‘Stretch’ and ‘Slim’.  She knew he meant no harm but was hurt by them anyway.  Eventually, Claire was admired by her high school friends, wishing they were as tall and slender as she was. 

Sophia Al Diri, Claire’s mother, was born to Ashur and Lilith Al Diri in a suburb of Boston.  Herald Park was home to many Syrian and Lebanese immagrants coming to America in the early part of the 20th century.  Sophia’s parents emigrated just after World War II bringing their two sons, Matthew and Timothy with them.  Ashur and Lilith wanted their children to have western names so  that they would fit in with the other children they would grow up with.  Lilith became pregnant with Sophia shortly after their arrival making Sophia an American citizen.  Both Sophia’s parents quickly assimilated to their new home and had two more daughters, Debora and Mary.  The couple raised their children to appreciate the freedom they enjoyed living in the United States.

Sophia met Bradley Mason in college and two years after they graduated, they were married and living in Boston where Bradley was a corporate lawyer for a large manufacturing company.  Sophia stayed at home to raise her son Michael, born a few years after they married and then Claire, born three years later.

Sophia was a practical woman and not given to outward displays of affection, especially toward her daughter.  Bradley and she had a very loving and affectionate relationship but Sophia found it difficult to be that way with her children.  Her own mother was cold and stand-offish.  Bradley had no trouble hugging and kissing his children and he loved showing his son how to play baseball and other sports.  Claire was always tagging along so Bradley taught her how to play as well. 

Michael and Claire had the typical brother-sister relationship.  They fought like cats and dogs but Michael loved his little sister and she could get away with just about anything when he was around.