Chasing Shadows Read online

  Hearing the front door closing pulled Grace from her thoughts.

  "Hey Kiddo," Jack greeted her, late home from work. "How was school?"

  As they caught up on their respective days Grace moved around the kitchen making the final preparations to Jack's meal. One of the reasons he had wanted to move home was so that he could help out at the family practice, with an eye to taking over fully when his mother retired.

  Margaret Riley was a force to be reckoned with. She had a sharp mind, was well respected in her chosen field and had welcomed Grace into her family straight away. She was, she told Grace, too young to be called Grandma, but she quite liked the idea of Mimi as an alternative!

  Before returning to his childhood town Jack had worked at a busy practice in Memphis, the same city where he had studied. His mother was not the biggest fan of the twang he seemed to have picked up along the way, joking that it would not be comforting to the poor souls looking to him for treatment.

  "So nothing strange or startling happen today?" Grace decided not to mention her interaction with Maddie, or the gossip about the school's newest student. Jack's job was stressful at the minute, the last thing he needed to hear about was the petty behaviors of some of her classmates, it wasn't like there was anything he could do.

  "Are you still hoping to find a math tutor?" Jack asked. He laughed lightly at the pained look on Grace's face. Math, in particular calculus was her major academic downfall. It was always threatening to drag her GPA down.

  Usually Jack helped but the past few months had seen an increase to his caseload, so Grace had suggested looking for a tutor to provide extra help. With limited time together, she would prefer it was spent having fun instead of trying to make sense of the many formulas her teacher insisted she needed to learn.

  "I think that I've found someone suitable, someone who won't charge a fortune." Jack paused, "Although I'm not sure if I should be enabling your film addiction!"

  "You're so funny, old man!" Grace giggled at Jack's words.

  She loved using her dad's old Nikon camera, preferring old school film to the newer digital cameras. She could remember the lessons her dad had given her, showing her how to load the film, how the different lenses worked; using his camera made her feel close to him. He hadn't had a chance to show her the secrets of developing her own pictures, but she had taken the time to learn the skill.

  Photography could be an expensive hobby, with rolls of film, lenses and setting up her own dark room, so Grace was glad that Jack was generous with her allowance. There might have been a few occasions when she had gone overboard with her orders of supplies, so Jack had firmly told her she had to cut back on her camera related purchases. He had also sent her to a money management class!

  "I'll set up a meeting for this weekend, you should have your latest test back to use as a reference point." Grace was not looking forward to getting that paper back, so finding a tutor, especially one who was extra patient would be amazing.

  "I'm on call Saturday, so that might be a good time for you to meet."

  "Will you be okay for brunch with Mimi?" Grace asked, hoping that Jack would be able to visit with his mom.

  "You think I'd willingly miss her apple crisp?!" Jack replied. "Though you might want to take your car and meet me there, just in case I get delayed."

  "Sounds like a plan!" Grace joked, before yawning suddenly.

  She glanced at the time on the kitchen clock, surprised by how late it was. Wishing Jack a good night, she fought back another yawn, thankful that there was only one day left in the school week. Hopefully Maddie would be so focused on the return of her former flame, that she would forget she was angry at Grace. A girl could dream, right?

  CHAPTER TWO

  The large antique clock in the kitchen was almost as annoying as the one in Principal Carter's office had been the previous day. Nate Henderson had wanted to smash the piece of plastic within seconds of entering the claustrophobic space the Principal called an office. It had taken the man only ninety seconds to go from welcoming his mother and stepfather to giving Nate the same judgmental look, that all adults had been giving him since he was ten.

  The ticking of the second hand seem to grow louder as the Principal droned on and on about how Nate was lucky to have been let in the school, how all the teachers knew about his past behavior and his habit of challenging those in authority. At that comment Nate couldn't help the snort of disbelief that escaped, earning himself a glare from his stepfather, Charles.

  It was only the blank look on his mother's face, the one he associated with a particular mix of her medications, that stopped him from speaking out loud. And really describing it as medication was being kind, as Nate knew for a fact that his mother's prescriptions did not come from a reputable medical professional, rather one of his stepfather's goons.

  "Young man, I don't think you understand the opportunity you have been given here. The chance to repair a reputation, especially one as tarnished as yours, should not be taken lightly." It was like the Principal was trying to goad Nate into reacting with his patronizing words, then again he was friends with his stepfather, so it wasn't all that surprising that the two would be trying to get him kicked out before the enrollment papers were even printed.

  To an outside observer it would seem like the classic story of a boy hating the person who had dared to marry his mother, doing whatever he could to split them up. Charles had certainly spun that tale around town, so that nobody would even care to ask Nate for the truth. That was assuming that they would have been able to find him to ask him any questions.

  At one stage in his life, a very unhappy one at that, his stepfather had made it his mission in life to keep Nate away from the general population of Silver Glade, so that the boy had no one to speak the truth to. Even all these years later, Nate wasn't even sure if he knew the truth anymore. All he knew was that his grandfather had made a request for Nate to spend his senior year of school in Theodore Roosevelt, and when Nathaniel Henderson the Second spoke, people listened. Even when the old man had been dead for almost six months.

  So here he was, trying to look like he was paying attention to the ramblings of the school Principal, wondering when he could leave. It was difficult being back in town, the grief from losing his grandfather had affected him more than he had ever thought possible.

  He felt as if he had been drowning since Gramps had died, the feelings only growing when it became clear that he had to return to his childhood home and all that would mean. Knowing that when the good old folks of Silver Glade found out he was back, rumors both old and new would once more fly around this forsaken place, that even when he was younger had never offered him sanctuary.

  The pointed silence in the room told him that some response was expected.

  "I just want to graduate, plain and simple. I won't be joining any teams or sports. I won't set out to cause any trouble, but I won't be pushed around either. You all need this arrangement to work out more than I do, so don't forget who holds the purse strings now."

  For once Nate was glad that his grandfather had been paranoid about his will, leaving very specific instructions about how his money should be spent, and who was in charge of the substantial funds. Gramps had known that the vultures would begin to circle once he had passed on, had known how to circumvent any possible challenges to his wishes.

  For the most part Nate agreed with what his grandfather had requested, particularly anything that irritated his stepfather. On the other hand, his grandfather had insisted that Nate spend time with a shrink which was another reason he was back in his home town. The doctor that had been chosen for him worked at his family practice, was someone that Gramps trusted, and was relatively young.

  Although Nate had only met with Jack twice in person, they had actually been talking over video chat for some months, the first time being when his grandfather's diagnosis had been terminal. For a psychologist the doctor seemed relatively sane, and more important
ly, not likely to give in to any of his stepfather's schemes.

  "Now if we are finished here, I have places to be." Both Principal Carter and Charles looked like they wanted to say something, but a glance at Nate's face made them reconsider.

  "I have your class schedule here and a map of the school." The Principal's voice had lost some of the condescension from the beginning of the meeting.

  "Nate," his mother spoke quietly, flinching slightly when he looked at her.

  Amelia Henderson had always been beautiful. She had learned from an early age, from watching and listening to the girls who made up her circle of friends, that her beauty could be used to get whatever she wanted.

  In her son's opinion her beauty had made her weak, insecure and easily led by people who only had their own self interests in mind. A word of flattery here, some attention there, and Amelia would rush to do that person's bidding.

  As far as Nate could tell there had only been one occasion when his mother had made a choice that surprised her group of friends, by following her heart rather than the dictates of her social circle. Apparently his father had been one of the few people not to have taken advantage of her and his death just before Nate had been born had been another blow to his mother's fragile nature.

  One of the major frustrations Nate had regarding his mother, was that her parents, his grandparents, had not once insisted that Amelia Henderson follow the crowd. They knew that coming from old money Amelia would be at the mercy of the fortune hunters, and had tried their best to protect her from that. There was nothing that they would not give their daughter, nothing that would have made them turn their backs on her.

  They had mistakenly thought that their daughter could see the country club types for what they truly were, social climbers and fakes. Indeed it was one of the reasons that they had been happy to support her first marriage, they could see that the relationship was built on mutual respect as well as love.

  When she had remarried, and then later when the true character of her new husband had been revealed to Nate's grandfather, he had not cut Amelia off, wanting her to be able to escape, should she find a way to free herself. And therein lay part of the problem as Amelia showed no signs of wanting to break from her husband, such was the thrall that he held her under. Not even when the cost was being separated from her only child and her own father, while he still lived.

  Once upon a time, and the memories were beginning to fade, she had been the most important person in Nate's world, someone he would have protected without question. Until that day. The day when he learned that even those you loved. Who claimed to love you. Could betray you. Could break promises. Could walk away and not even glance back to see the destruction they left behind.

  Nate hated that his mom was weak, that she never could see beyond what people told her. That she hadn't believed him. That she didn't want to believe him. Now, being forced to be anywhere near her had his anger barely simmering beneath the surface. Not that he ever thought he would hurt her physically, but he didn't want to test his limits. There were lines he never wanted to cross, and Nate was hoping that Jack Riley might be able to help.

  "Please be careful. It's not too late to get a safer vehicle." Amelia hated the truck that he drove, called it a metal death cage. The truth was the truck embarrassed her, it didn't represent the image she had cultivated for her so called friends in the country club. Another example of how she couldn't see beyond the exterior of anything.

  His truck was practically vintage, but he had bought it with his own money, had worked on it under Gramps' supervision. Okay the manor's mechanic had also been there, but it had been time when he and his grandfather could ignore everything else and work together.

  His grandfather tried to explain some of the family history, things he would have done differently if he had the chance. It helped Nate to understand his grandfather a bit better, to see that Gramps had learned from past mistakes and was trying his best to ensure that his grandson didn't follow in his footsteps.

  "I'll be fine Amelia." The use of her first name was a petty thing, but she had lost the right to anything resembling affection or respect years ago. "There is no need to pretend you have any mothering skills. Everyone in this room knows the truth so let's not try to rewrite history. That's his specialty after all." Nate addressed these last words to his stepfather, who ignored what had been said.

  "Don't forget you have a curfew now," Charles tried to show his authority. He had a role to play especially when out in public and he could not control who watched. Nate however didn't give him the time of day, didn't acknowledge that the man had spoken. He was done playing games, done breathing the same air as those people, so he just walked out the door, away from the school and that damn ticking clock.

  Now, fifteen hours later, he was watching another ticking clock, watching the second hand make it's journey round and round. There was something slightly comforting about it. Maybe it was because the kitchen was empty, and would stay that way until the housekeeper arrived. Maria had worked for his grandparents since before he had been born, then had moved in to help his mother after she married.

  In those darkest of days, Maria had taken risks to get food to him, had shown him places he could hide non-perishables, where his stepfather would never dream of looking. It was never enough for a growing boy, not least because he always seemed to be healing from one injury or the other, but Nate knew that without it, he would not have been able to survive the worst of his time in his stepfather's care. Since his return there was always a jar of his favorite baked goods hidden away, and replenished daily.

  Nate suspected that Maria had been the one to call his grandfather all those years ago, when Charles had first tried to set his trap. No one else he knew would have been prepared to take the risk, and for Maria, the consequences if caught by his stepfather would have been immense. While she had all the necessary paperwork and her immigration status was all above board, the same could not be said for some of her family.

  Nate, had on one occasion overheard Charles threaten Maria and her family, promising that if he ever discovered she had betrayed him, then retribution would be swift. In spite of these threats Maria had been unable to stand by without trying to speak out for an innocent boy who was all alone.

  He knew that once he had made his home with his grandfather, after he had fully explained every thing that had happened, his Gramps had made sure that all the paperwork and legalities for Maria and her family had been taken care of. Charles Sinclair was probably unaware that his threat was no longer valid, but Nate had made certain that the caring housekeeper knew that she and her family were safe.

  Mr Henderson had also insisted on having a legal clause put in his will that her job was secure for however long she wanted to remain with the family, and that on her retirement she would have access to a very generous pension. Nate knew of only two other people that his grandfather had made similar provisions for, both were members of staff who had been rewarded for their loyalty to the old man.

  While it was a nice distraction thinking about the people he knew could be trusted, Nate knew that he needed to focus on the day ahead. Why he had to start his school year on a Friday, he didn't know. After missing the first two weeks of class, surely another day wouldn't make too much difference. With everything else that was going on, it seemed like a waste of energy to try fighting about it.

  The layout of the school was simple enough to navigate. His schedule was mostly to his liking, although a few more AP classes would have been nice. Jack, knowing how unhelpful Principal Carter was likely to be, had promised to get in contact with the education board to see about more challenging classes for Nate, even if they had to be done on-line.

  Jack had also asked if Nate might be interested in a tutoring job, and Nate had agreed to meet with a potential student on Saturday. It wasn't that he needed the money, just a genuine excuse to be away from the house. They had spent time the day before going over the clas
s list, seeing if there were any possible triggers, anyone who should be avoided.

  Jack had always been patient with him, never pushing Nate to speak about anything he didn't want to, never minimizing what Nate had been through. Jack also seemed to understand why Nate was so reluctant to speak up and put certain rumors to bed. It wasn't Nate's job to make other people believe him, he had spoken the truth years ago, and he wasn't responsible for how they reacted.

  Jack had advised him to give his fellow students the benefit of the doubt, there was going to be gossip, but it should die down, especially if Nate ignored it. The doctor had also promised that his direct line would be open all day Friday should Nate need to speak to him in a hurry. Nate hoped the day would not go so badly that he needed to make the call, but having the option available to him was most welcome.

  Some students, he knew, would remember him from before Charles was in his life, when he used to take part in Little League Baseball games, when he had visited their homes for birthday parties, as well as the one time he could remember his mother hosting a party for his birthday.

  Naturally Maria had prepared all the food, and his grandparents had all been there to help keep the large group of excitable children from making too much of a mess. Nate used to recall the memories of that day, when his home life was less carefree and childlike, until any reminders of what he had lost became too painful for him.

  Deciding that he would rather get to school before anyone else, Nate grabbed his bag, sent Maria a quick message to thank her for the lunch she had left prepared for him, promising to speak with her later that evening.

  It was only a short drive to the school, the car park was practically empty at this time of the morning. Nate was able to find his locker, change out the school issued padlock for one of his own, and get some fresh coffee from the cafeteria without running into a single student.