Just a little note for Evdokiya. She isn't my character. This fanfic was originally a collaboration between my friend shenayelizabeth and I and she has fallen out of love with this show. Thus, Evdokiya will only be 8 chapters, the ones that shenayeelizabeth has written. She kindly gave me the option to write her or just completely scrap her from the fic entirely, though, as I know how much work goes into creating a character, I didn't want her to be completely put to waste.
This isn't to say that Evdokiya will completely be forgotten though. I just didn't feel I could do Shenaye's character justice in writing more chapters for her.
Enjoy.
K.
EVDOKIYA
"YOU LIED," the accusatory voice came from above her. Looking up, large green-blue eyes caught the person standing above her.
"I did not lie," the person looking up denied, suddenly looking away and shuffling their cards.
"You said I'd meet the man of my dreams."
"You did, did you not?" The accented voice was soft as they barely paid attention to the dissatisfied customer who stood above them, fuming.
"Yes!" They screeched, "But doesn't mean they're suddenly in love with me!"
"And I never said they would be," standing calmly, the fortune teller rose to her full height of five-foot-four. She continued to shuffle the cards, glaring down at the red-haired woman with the shrill voice. "I said you'd meet him, not that he would be available to you."
"Argh!" The woman screamed, pushing her hand through her hair. "No wonder Pastor Davis wants you out of this town! You're a phoney! Just forget it! You'll never hear from me again!" The woman turned on her heels, storming out of the building. The door slammed behind her, windows shaking as the fortune teller slowly sunk to her seat.
The fortune teller was a young woman by the name of Evdokiya Vankov. She had arrived in the US a year ago with terrible English, though she had improved she was very careful with her words. Evdokiya did not like to talk about the state in which she'd arrived, instead, she liked to focus on the present and the fact her business was doing well. Evdokiya Vankov was Bulgarian and an orphan, and perhaps a con artist if Pastor Davis, the small town's preacher, would be believed. Evdokiya only offered people a hint, they could do with that what they wanted.
Moving away from the small table, Evdokiya moved to the side of the room to light some incense and tied her hair back into a ponytail. It was early morning and she wouldn't get any customers until later in the afternoon until early in the evening. A lot of housewives liked to come to her – wanting to know if their husband was cheating, clichés that made Evdokiya roll her eyes. She always checked, of course, most of the men were cheating since there wasn't much to do in the small town.
The door opened and the bell could be heard, Evdokiya's thick, black brows rose and she pulled her hair from the ponytail. Her fingers were covered in tattoos and rings, her nails filed and painted blood red. Her skin was smooth and fair, but with a yellow undertone. Moving behind the table, she could hear her assistant, nineteen-year-old Poppy, guiding her customer to her. Evdokiya sat, placing the cards on the table and letting her hair fall over her face. Honestly, it was all a game to her – she loved when her customers came to her.
Who would it be? Mrs Masters with the gay husband? Mr Masters, who was looking for a way to expel his unsavoury thoughts of the gardener naked? Would it be the gardener who was conveniently sleeping with heir eighteen-year-old daughter? The drama the small town offered, it really kept Evdokiya feeling alive, there was so much she could do. However, she suspected she'd have to move on soon because the church was getting a following that wanted to kick her out.
They were calling her a witch. It was ridiculous. She knew they were in Massachusetts, but she was sure the witch trials had been over for centuries.
"Uh, you're the fortune teller?" A deep voice had Evdokiya looking up.
Two, very tall, very handsome men stood above her. One of the men was classically handsome, with a smirk on his face and short, light brown hair. The other was very tall, brown hair that fell to his shoulders. These people were new in town, Evdokiya had never seen them before in her life. It was always good to get new customers.
"I am," she smirked. "Sit down. I'll tell your fortune for you." They were both sceptics, frightened out of their minds as they slowly lowered themselves to the ground. "I can read your palm, look into my crystal ball or ask my cards," she motioned to the cards stacked neatly on the side of the table.
"Palm," the man in front of her, on the right, stuck out his hand. She suspected he was the leader of the group.
"Alright," she reached forward, touching his hand softly. His hands were rough, a man who was used to manual labour. "You are strong," she observed as she ran her fingers over her hand. "You will live a long, happy life and it looks as if you'll have many children." She released his hand, "I can go more in-depth-"
"Whatever," the man seemed to glare at her, slipping his hand back into the pocket of his jacket.
The man in the middle suddenly straightened and he opened his mouth, only the other man cut in. "Would you mind if we ask you a few questions?" The man's voice was smooth and it was clear he had experience in calming the other man down.
"About what?"
"There have been a few deaths around town, hasn't there?" The man pressed.
"Yeah," Evdokiya shrugged her shoulders. "It happens, the police have no idea what has caused their deaths but."
"Are you able to give us more information?" The man urged, "I am Special Agent McTaggart, this is my partner Special Agent Johnson."
"Right," Evdokiya studied the two of them. "I don't know what's going on." She shrugged her shoulders.
"But each of them is your clients, correct?" Agent McTaggart suddenly pressed
"Yeah," Evdokiya rolled her eyes. "You do not really think I did it either?" She scoffed, "You have been talking to Pastor Davis, the insane man believes I am a witch." She stood up, "Come." She moved toward the doorway, pushing apart some beads. "I will take you to my apartment, there we can discuss more."
Inside the apartment, Evdokiya turned on the kettle after offering coffee or tea. She needed something stronger, something that would make sure she didn't suddenly snap at the idiots who were sitting around her dining table. Once the coffees were made, she placed them in front of Special Agent McTaggart and Special Agent Johnson. Evdokiya took her seat at the head of the table, nursing her coffee mug that really only had vodka in the cup.
"You believe I am guilty?" She then challenged them.
"We only want to know what you know about the deaths and about them," Special Agent McTaggart assured her.
"Well," she sipped her vodka, pulling a face as it went down her throat. "The first death was Mrs Satterley, correct?" They nodded their heads, "She came to me once, a month ago – asking if her husband was cheating on her. She was then found dead several days later, I always assumed her husband did it and that's what I told the police." She frowned, "And that's what all of them have in common. Each woman came to me asking if their husband was cheating and then they'd turn up later, dead." She sighed, "I'm hurt but it is not my fault."
"And what did you tell them?" Special Agent Johnson challenged suddenly.
"Tell whom?"
"The women who came to you," Special Agent Johnson reminded her.
"Ah," Evdokiya pushed her hair out of her face. "Mrs Satterley's husband was not cheating on her. The next two victims, Mrs Watson and Mrs Cole, both had their husbands cheating on them. With the last victim," Evdokiya remembered the woman who had come to her last week only to turn up dead days later, throat slit like the others. "Mrs Van der Berg was right; her husband was cheating on her but…" Evdokiya shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know, they were working through their marriage. She came to me because she knew, she wanted to know if he would continue to cheat in the future."
"So that is the only connection the women have to you, correct?" Agent McTaggart suddenly pressed.
"Yeah," her brows furrowed.
"Do you mind if we search around your shop? To look for clues?" Agent McTaggart reminded her of a puppy, with big hazel eyes that gazed into her in an attempt to somehow get her to say yes.
"Why do you need to look for clues?" She frowned, "Am I a suspect?" Evdokiya scoffed, "Of course I am, you saw that bloody Pastor first did you not?"
"Uh." Agent McTaggart suddenly grew awkward.
"Look, Miss," Agent Johnson leaned across the table. "It would really help our investigation if you could let us look around. Otherwise, we might have to arrest you for obstructing a crime scene."
"A crime scene!?" Evdokiya rose suddenly, glaring down at them. "None of the victims were even found near my shop!"
"Apologies, Miss," Agent McTaggart seemed to suddenly glare at his partner.
"Call me Evdokiya," she snapped. "Fine," she then motioned to the door that led down the stairs. "You can search."
It was then a large, grey cat with big, orange eyes ran across the ground. Sighing, Evdokiya hefted the large cat into her arms and let the two FBI Agents move down into her shop. Evdokiya released the cat who suddenly made a sound of complaint at her holding him in her arms. She watched through narrowed eyes as the two agents began to comb through her belongings. Moving toward the entrance, she leant against the front counter as Poppy suddenly looked up from the magazine she had been flicking through.
"Evdokiya," Poppy lowered her voice. "What are they doing?"
"Going through my things," Evdokiya muttered bitterly, arms crossed over her chest.
"Why?"
"They think I am a suspect," there was noticeable anger in Evdokiya's tone. "You can finish for the day," Evdokiya looked up to meet the taller, younger girl's eyes. "I think I'll close up when the agents are gone."
"Are you sure?" Poppy asked, looking nervous as she peered into the archway.
"Yes," Evdokiya let her nails drum on the wooden counter. "I will see you tomorrow Poppy, stay safe."
"I will," Poppy slipped her bag onto her shoulders and waved her hand over her shoulder. "Bye Evdokiya!"
Once the door was shut and the bell stopped ringing, Evdokiya made her way to the archway and leant against it. She crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing both of the men who were suddenly slipping her books back into place on the bookshelf. The two men suddenly turned to each other, nodding and then facing Evdokiya. She was small, very petite too and glared up at the two men who were clearly well over six-foot. But Evdokiya had seen scarier men, these two were almost puppies compared to the men she'd dealt with.
"Found something?" She then pursed her lips, raising a challenging brow.
"No," Agent Johnson shoved his hands into his pockets. The men sure weren't wearing anything like FBI Agents on movies, but what did Evdokiya know? "You were right, there is nothing here."
"Of course I was right," she snapped. "Now," she opened her hand. "I should charge you more but a palm reading is only twenty-five-dollars."
"Huh," Agent Johnson pulled out his wallet and suddenly handed her the green bills. "Well, thanks," he then sauntered passed her and out the front door, the bell jingling to let her know the door had opened.
"Thank you, Evdokiya," Agent McTaggart came to stand in front of her. She rose a brow again, having to look up at him. "We're sorry to disrupt your business, but if you have any more information feel free to contact us." He slipped her a piece of paper.
"Thanks," Evdokiya grasped the paper.
The agent then slipped passed her, heading out the door and the bell sounds again. Sighing, Evdokiya moved toward the door and peered out of the glass. The two men slipped into a large Impala, having a silent conversation through their looks. She then pressed her lips together, flipping over the closed sign and locking the door. It was then her cat, Caspian, slid across the floor and managed to rub his body against her shins.
"Hm Cas," she leant forward, lifting the grey cat into her arms. "If I didn't know any better I'd say the two of them were as close as brothers."
Shaking her head, Evdokiya carried Caspian up the stairs to her apartment. Letting the cat fall from her arms as soon as she closed the door, Evdokiya moved toward the table and grasped the mug she'd left behind. Finishing off the vodka, she let a shiver run down her spine and moved to grasp one of the cups they'd also left behind. Once her hand closed around Agent McTaggart's, she stiffened and her entire body seemed to hum.
Eyes widening, her imagination suddenly went wild. It was two men, Agent McTaggart and another man, the two of them fell and she could feel it. There was a lick of flames suddenly against her skin, she shivered as she could feel the two men suddenly hit the ground hard and darkness shrouded them, all they could hear were screams. The mug slipped from Evdokiya's fingers, what? She looked down at her hand, nothing like that had ever happened to her before. Furrowing her brows, she shook her head and lifted up Agent Johnson's mug warily.
There was nothing, she then relaxed and decided it had to be her overactive imagination. Placing two mugs in the sink, she bent beside the fridge to grasp the dustpan and broom. Caspian was perched on the table, watching as his companion moved to clean the glass remnants of the cup. Evdokiya was rather shaken by the thought that had suddenly come into her head, she needed to stop thinking about it she decided as she began to clear the floor. Sweeping the last of the glass, Evdokiya stood and moved toward the bin, letting the glass slide from the dustpan.
"Now you can walk there," Evdokiya rolled her eyes at Caspian who suddenly bent to study the crime scene.
Shaking her head, Evdokiya suddenly felt like she needed to cleanse herself, apartment and shop. Not that those men had any bad energy, in fact, there seemed to be nothing but good coming from them. Still, Evdokiya liked to cleanse herself every so often because otherwise she could get stressed out – also there was bad stuff going on in town lately. Evdokiya didn't fear for her life, if they came after her they could definitely blame the pastor, she sneered. The stupid man and his religion, what happened to tolerance?
Grasping a smudge stick, she lit it with a match and began to cleanse the area. Just breathing in the white sage began to make her feel good, she was so thankful she had found this after coming to the US. Letting her hand guide around the room, Evdokiya's mind came back to the two men. She was still suspicious and doubtful they were FBI Agents; a liar could recognise a liar. And she was a good liar, but so was Evdokiya. But why would two men lie about being FBI Agents?
Shaking her head, Evdokiya moved into her bedroom and began to cleanse around the room. It was a small room with a double bed shoved against the wall, crystals hanging from the roof and sitting on shelves. She had a desk that was rarely used and covered in the dusk, but it had been home to Evdokiya for a lot longer than anything else had ever been. She rubbed her arm holding the smudge stick with her free hand, turning and heading out into the shop.
Once inside, Evdokiya began to wave the smudge stick around and peered curiously at her bookshelf. Placing the smudge stick down on a free table, Evdokiya bent down and shoved her hand underneath the bookshelf. She felt some sort of strange ball in her hand, she pulled it out with a frown and looked down at the little bag. What was it? Moving toward the table she opened the table and looked down at the bag, there was a little bone in there and other strange stuff.
Pushing her hair back from her face, Evdokiya closed her eyes and decided to put the strange bag in the bin. She then lifted up her smudge stick and made her way to the front of the shop. Once done, she let the stick sit on one of the incense bowls to let it burn out and looked down at her cards. Knocking out the energy, she began to shuffle them. Did she look? No, she put the cards down, putting them back in their cover and leaving them on the table. Sitting up, she turned her head as Caspian suddenly butted his head against her leg.
"Hello Cas," she stroked the cat under his chin, his head lifting and purr coming from his body.
Evdokiya's black wavy hair fell like a curtain around her body, she let the cat crawl into her lap that was covered in a long, material skirt. Evdokiya stroked her hand down Caspian's chin, leaning over to turn on a few of her lamps as the sky began to darken. There was still concern over the deaths that were piling up in town, she was wondering if someone was trying to frame her. Evdokiya didn't really know the manner in which the bodies had been found, but did someone really want her gone that they'd frame her?
"What are you doing here?" She asked herself in Bulgarian, shoulders slumping as she stroked Caspian's head. "Never mind." She lifted Caspian up to face her, kissing the tip of his nose with a smile. "Are you alright Cas?" She stroked the top of his head, "They'll find the killer and we won't have to leave here."
