The Rivening

Returning Jophiel

"Who was that?" Ainsley snapped. James held the lithograph.

Connie regarded the two. Tweedledum and Tweedledee, as she'd dubbed them when they moved into Findley's with Eunice. Something James soon discovered when he hacked into her computer. Then, they were chunky and round. Now they looked rather fit, even nerdy James. Ainsley with her long, dyed blonde hair posturing like a heavily made-up Brunhilda wanna-be. Connie steeled herself.

"Just my neighbor. We chat back here sometimes. What are you doing here? James, I told you I didn't want the lithograph."

James said, "Mother said she'd found a buyer for it and was coming to get it. I know you want it."

"But she'll demand to get it back. I should pay you something for it."

"Connie." Ainsley spoke condescendingly. "James is trying to do something nice. Don't you think it's time you got over stuff that happened years ago. We were kids. Maybe I was a bit of a brat, but you weren't exactly nice to us either."

As Connie mulled her response, James nodded toward the house, "Why don't we bring it inside, and you can show us around your new house. It looks nice."

Connie didn't want to let them into her home, but felt she had no choice. As soon as they got inside, Ainsley asked for a glass of water.

James held up the lithograph, "Set this in your office?" Connie nodded and directed him where to go. After handing Ainsley the glass of water, she asked Connie for an aspirin, saying she had a headache coming on. Connie didn't like James snooping around on his own and hastened after him as soon as she brought Ainsley the aspirin. She found him staring at the contents of the bookshelf in her office.

"I see you still have the archaeology bug." James' phone buzzed and he held it up to see who was calling. "Oh, I have to take this. I'll go out back."

Ainsley stood in the doorway to the office, "This is cute. Okay, I'm ready for the rest of the tour."

Connie's tension rose the longer she was around Ainsley, and she found herself stroking the arm Ainsley broke when she pushed her out of the tree. Ainsley's physical presence intimidated Connie as much as ever. Fortunately, Ainsley seemed satisfied with a brief glimpse of the house, and the opportunity to make a few withering remarks.

When they came out, James sat near the table under the oak tree tapping on his phone. He put it down.

"Sorry about that."

"I need to get going, brother. I'm meeting Grayson for tennis." Ainsley cooed and turned to go.

James waved her off, "You go ahead. I'll make my way back on the subway." He turned to Connie. "You okay if I stay for a minute?"

Connie sighed, "Oh for Pete's sake, James. Go ahead and brag to me about your wonderful life. I hear you're a cyber-security geek. Let's get it over with."

"I knew it would be great to see you again. You look terrific, by the way. Especially now that you're comfortable flaunting that two-tone eye thing of yours. Always an exotic feature." He grinned. "You notice I've trimmed off my pudgy boy look? No more Tweedledee. I always assumed Ainsley was Tweedledum."

Connie had to smile. "Yes, James. I did notice. You're almost buff. What's with that?"

"Running. Personal trainer."

"Well, good for you. That help you find true love?"

"Still waiting for you."

"Very funny."

"So, tell me what excitement have you been up to in your new little neighbourhood?"

James only stayed for twenty minutes, correctly judging that anything longer would be a mark against him. Connie found herself laughing a lot, as James turned on his best self-deprecating story-telling persona. She knew he was playing for easy laughs to ingratiate himself to her. And he knew that she knew what he was doing. Before leaving, he complimented her on her garden.

She peered at him, "You really do want to be friends, don't you?"

"Yeah, though now that I've brought the scary angel picture, you'll probably never agree to see me again." He made a pouty face.

"Don't get dramatic. Maybe in a little while, I can handle another visit. A short visit. Without your sister."

James smirked, "Be careful, you're starting to cut me some slack."

Connie watched James leave. She couldn't make out why Ainsley came, probably to gloat to Eunice about Connie's fallen circumstances. Though lately Connie felt more like she'd landed, than fallen. She hung the lithograph next to her desk, pleased to have the mighty Jophiel and her flaming sword back in her life.

There was a text from Angie. 'Jean doing better today but not out of the woods.' Connie texted an update to Peter. Glancing up at Jophiel, she asked the archangel to give her courage for her next move, calling Grayson.

"Hey Grayson. Good. I've caught you before your date with Ainsley." Connie snapped.

"What? No. It's not a date, we needed a last minute fourth for our doubles. Now, before you say anything more. I borrowed your mother's notebook. I'm sorry. I should have asked. Something Findley said toward the end seemed related to your mother. I just saw it sitting there when I left your house and thought you wouldn't notice if it was gone for a day or two."

Connie spoke testily, "You shouldn't have taken it. It's very personal to me, not academic source material for some research project of yours. And it wasn't just sitting there."

"I'm sorry. I really am. You're upset with me, and you should be. I'll return it tomorrow. How's that? Please don't be angry with me."

"No, Grayson, I want it back today. Come after your tennis date. And, when you come, I want you to tell me what's going on. What is it you're hunting for?"

When Connie got off the phone, there was a voice message from Peter. He sounded calm and pleasant.

"I don't need anything, but I'm worried about Jean. Knock on my door and we can meet and say hello and you can tell me how she is."

Connie was surprised and pleased that Peter reached out with such a chatty, warm voice message. She'd make a visit before Grayson came.