Angel Magic

Chapter Two

Summer rain still drizzled to the road below. Instead of bringing relief from the humidity, the dampness made it worse. Wrapped in a towel and fresh from her morning shower, Cassidy leaned through the open window and stretched out, catching a few cool drops of water on her slender hand. The street already bustled with the usual weekday foot traffic; multi colored umbrellas twirled and bobbed below her window.

           A refrigerated truck from a local chicken factory swerved to miss a pedestrian, its tires splashing into a pothole on the road. A woman’s disgruntled cry rose above the sound of traffic. Cassidy leaned over a little further and saw the woman in question as she let her umbrella drop so she could brush dirty water from her tailored grey linen skirt and white shirt. The woman threw up her arms and sent the truck along its way with an obscene gesture before remembering her beautifully coiffed hair.

          Cassidy chuckled and pulled back into the room. Other people’s misfortune didn’t usually amuse her but after the trials of the last three years, she deserved a few laughs. Over the last six months she’d slowed down enough to realize the world actually continued on around her. She’d been so caught up in her own plight that nothing else existed.

          The wooden floor under the worn carpet shifted and whined as she walked across the room to the bathroom where she started her morning routine. She flicked open the small plastic box that contained colored contact lenses and glanced at herself in the mirror. Large spots of wear marred the edge of the shiny surface of the mirror, her face framed by dull, browning circles. Her newly washed hair cascaded past her shoulders in dark waves, and her fair skin glowed fluorescent in the harsh light above the mirror. It wasn’t the most flattering look, especially with the dark rings under her eyes. Her gaze rested on a ragged scar near her collar bone and she shivered at the memories the injury conjured.

           A splattering of freckles loomed from her nose as though she wore 3D glasses. She smiled. Attack of the Killer Freckles – the latest 3D movie release. Cassidy wondered if her friends back home still hit the movies. Every Friday night without fail: dinner at the Alehouse Bar, movie at 7pm, and then back to the Alehouse for karaoke and half price cocktails. The loud shriek of a car horn jolted her from her thoughts, and she glanced around the tiny bathroom with a sigh. One day her life might return to normal. Taking the foundation compact from the vanity, she carefully covered her entire face and neck with the makeup, concealing killer freckles and fair skin in one foul swoop. She snapped the lid closed and read the label – Flawlessly Sun Kissed. She had yet to meet a person with flawless, sun kissed skin.

          Next, came the fake tan. The bottom of the old ceramic tub was still wet and a little slippery when climbed in and stood in the very middle. Cassidy covered her nose with a hand and sprayed her legs from her knees down, both arms, across her chest and shoulders, and as far down her back as she could reach. Then, she sat on the edge of the tub and waited for the fake tan to dry. The spray can said dries instantly. She learned the hard way that wasn’t the case – unless instantly meant ten minutes in the manufacturers mind.

          Chin in her hand, she stared blankly at the cracked tiles on the wall. There had to be an easier way. There should be an underground community for fugitives like herself. She’d fled Melbourne before the police had the chance to find her and offer witness protection. The Nico family had most, if not all, police under their thumbs. She wouldn’t have been safe, information about her would have eventually leaked.

          Her train of thought led to the detective. He knew her, knew of her disguises and her hideouts. Why hadn’t he contacted the police? It seemed strange after so long that he hadn’t even approached her. He simply appeared a few days after she arrived in a new city. In Darwin he had stood below her hotel room window a few hours after she’d checked in, which made her believe he’d travelled on the same train. At first, he’d frightened her and she slept with a knife under her pillow. As time passed, he became less of a threat and more of a welcomed sight. Somehow, she felt that Fabian Nico wouldn’t dare come for her with the mysterious detective around. She could hope.