8

The Hayes

The seconds seemed to have turned into minutes. Then it happened. Whatever restrain Zia had over her emotions, shattered upon hearing those words. "Of course, he DIDN'T! we told them, but who would listen!" Her expression was incomprehensible. She would have cried more, but it seemed like the tears had already died off. She fixed us with a gaze that was capable of making my bones melt. But Hiwatari stood his ground. He didn't utter a word. I realized that that was my job. Just before entering the neighborhood, He had asked me to slip off my contact lenses. Kai was still disguised. I was nervous, for I didn't know how much she knew about me. But the lies came fluently, "Our fathers worked together. For Voltaire. Mine had left a few years before that incident happened. We were freaked to learn about Hiwatari, but that was nothing compared to the shock of how the police connected your father to Ian's murder. My dad passed away, just a few months back. When I learned Tom died, I thought of paying a visit. I was passing by, with me um… my friend, Joe." I gestured towards Hiwatari. I saw his lip curl up in a smile, but it was there for a moment and then gone.

Zia didn't buy this without questioning. She was a sharp woman. "Who was your dad? What did he do in the household? What's your name?"

"My dad was a cook. His name was Yuri." This time my tone changed. It was confident, not because I had become an expert in lying, but because a part of it felt like the truth.

The effect was instant. "TALA!" she exclaimed. I felt Kai stiffen beside me. He hadn't expected or wanted my identity to be disclosed so soon. This was my mistake. A slip of my tongue. Why did I have to say something that felt so close to the truth? The feeling was bittersweet since her positive response indicated that now I could at least be certain about something from my past. But this was a mistake Kai would make me pay dearly for.

"You are alive! I thought that monster killed you." Now I could swear I saw Kai's eyes go a shade darker. This was not good. I couldn't let him kill her now. "I never thought I could meet you, Miss Hayes."

"It's Zia for you" she replied. "You can't come here and leave without coming to our place. Seriously, you have grown so much. The last time I saw you with dad, you were just up to my knees." She gave a warm smile. After hours of crying, this seemed to have hurt her facial muscles, but it made her look more beautiful. I decided that I liked this woman. We followed her to her house which was a few blocks away. While walking I noticed that she was pretty unpopular here. Of course, they think her father is a murderer.

I suppose she had hoped to extend full hospitality to her guests and serve them from her home. Or maybe make us stay till tea. Though I am sure that what we encountered on reaching there was not what she had expected. There was a mob of angry men standing in front of her gate. On closer examination, I understood that they were money lenders. The conversations they were having made this more than apparent. I watched as Zia stood there, bowing her head in humiliation. She didn't have a penny to give. All that was left was the house. They bickered for a bit longer and suddenly went violent with her. That's when I stepped in. "just stop already!" I spoke.

"How much do you guys need?" Kai's voice added. I was shell-shocked. Did he know what he was talking about? How was he going to pay? My eyes bulged out when I saw him take a bundle of bills from his pocket and hand it out to the men who were swarming around him as flies do around a flame. The comparison was too accurate for my liking. Just like those flies, these men would perish the moment they touch the flame. There was no way Hiwatari could have made so much cash legally. When they were satisfied, they left. For the moment they seemed to have forgotten about Zia, but it wouldn't be long before they came looking for her to get the remaining money back. She just stood there, showing gratefulness which was accompanied by embarrassment and helplessness. "W-where did you manage that from?" she stuttered. "I hope you realize I cannot repay you, definitely not now."

"that's fine, isn't it Tala?"

Wow. Just like him to drag me into the middle of all the mess. Why had I seen this coming a mile away? Anyways, "Joe's right Zia. It was our pleasure to help."

"But if you really want to repay, can you let us stay at your place? It won't be free; I can pay you. More like renting a room for a few days." Said Joe a.k.a Kai. I'm fed up with getting surprised.

Zia didn't answer immediately. I knew that she was debating over whether to let her house get destroyed by those lenders or let two strange teens, who had a suspicious flow of cash, stay in her home. The decision was made faster when a ten-year-old boy entered the scene. He looked a lot like Zia. The same face shape, black hair, similar features... only his eyes were dark grey. A feature I recognized from the late Tommy Hayes's pic in the paper. Seeing the desperate look on the boy's face helped Zia make up her mind. "Please Tala, don't drag me into whatever business you are up to. The amount of cash your friend has worried me. Both of you can stay if you pay the rent properly, but I'm warning you – I can't take any more losses."

With that, she guided us into the house. The house was cozy and decorated in a minimalistic way. It was neat, except for Zia's room. That one had books piled in it and so many notes and maps suck on the wall that you could barely see the yellow wallpaper beneath. Zia explained that she was a science enthusiast with a special interest in space. She had dreamt of being an astronaut since she was a kid, but now at age 19, found herself working in houses to feed herself and her brother. Her brother, Wyatt Hayes, was an exceptionally cute kid. He was quite simple. The atmosphere had lightened us a lot since we appeared but Kai kept following me like a shadow. Laughing and talking with Wyatt as he stalked me. Then we entered another room with Zia. This one was abandoned. "You can have this room. Dad used this before he… died." The emotion was evident in her voice. We thanked her and she left us alone. Neither of us spoke of the obvious. Tommy did not pass away on his own, he was murdered. And the killer was right here, living in his room.