Eidolon

Chapter 22: Family Ties

"Is right here okay?" the Uber driver asked, pulling over to the side of the street in front of a sandwich shop with a bright red and white canopy. It was about half a block from her actual destination, but he probably wouldn't be able to find a closer parking space.

"This is fine, thank you" she said, getting out of the small, black sports car. She opened her phone and used the app to leave him what she thought was a pretty decent tip.

She could have gotten a ride from Cynthia or even Juliette, but she had decided to make this trip in secret. She wasn't entirely certain why. Maybe she felt a bit foolish about it. Spooky Jay had warned her, after all, and there was a very real possibility that she was walking into the proverbial lion's den. She had questions that demanded answers, however, and this was the only way she was going to get them. Besides, she reasoned, it wasn't as if she couldn't defend herself. So far, her eidolon had proven more than a match for the loathsome creatures that stalked the shadows of the city.

She approached the structure, a small, gray, unmarked business office wedged between a small apartment complex and a used bookstore. People probably passed by here every day without so much as stopping to wonder what was inside. Most would probably not even realize the building was occupied, although there was no evidence to the contrary. The windows were not boarded, nor did the building appear to be in disrepair. It was just so inconspicuous, you would never give it a second thought.

Alex approached the tinted glass of the front door. Peering in, she could just make out the shapes of chairs, a coffee table, and a front desk. It reminded her of the lobby of Margaret Bernstein's office. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and tried the handle. It opened with a soft jingle.

"Ah, Miss Gray!" a voice called from one of the back offices. Professor Richter appeared in a doorway just to the right of the front desk, and beckoned her in. She had called ahead to let him know that she wanted to speak with him, not feeling comfortable with asking the questions she had over the phone. "Please, come sit down. Would you care for something to drink? Coffee perhaps, or tea?"

"Coffee, please," she replied. Of course Professor Richter would be the kind of person that had tea available. He probably had an entire cabinet full of various flavors.

She followed him into the back office. The room was lined with bookshelves all around the walls, each of them stacked to overflowing with tomes of what Alex could only assume were obscure and mysterious lore. There was a painting behind the desk of a tall, robed figure rowing a long boat down a dark river. Alex recognized it as Charon, the ferryman of Greek mythology who carried the souls of the dead across the river Styx.

"You know, I was beginning to think you weren't going to contact me," he admitted as he poured water into the coffee maker's reservoir. "Although I suppose I understand why you would be reluctant. After all, as far as you're concerned, I am a complete stranger."

Alex sat down in the soft, plush leather seat in front of the desk and folded her hands in her lap. She steeled her nerves, and decided to get straight to the point. "So, my mother was a medium?"

The professor arched an eyebrow as he retrieved two small cups from the cupboard beneath the coffee machine. It was an expression of mild surprise, as though he had expected the question, just not that she would ask so directly. "Yes, a very talented one at that. Not only could she see and communicate with spirits, she had a special gift for understanding them. She always seemed to know their fears and desires, and what they needed in order to move on. Such a waste, really."

Alex frowned. "What do you mean, a waste?"

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb, and slumped down into the chair behind the desk. "Let me preface this by saying that I do not think your father is a bad person, Alex. He always took care of Carla, and he treated her with kindness and respect. By most standards, he was an ideal husband, and I'm sure he's also a very good father as well."