Chapter 1 New Home

Chapter 1

Daniella Mccurly hissed as the scorching sun got into her eyes.

The heat was unbearable.

"Hey Angus! Is the summer in Texas always this hot?" She asked with slight irritation in her voice.

Her elder brother did not seem to hear her, or maybe he was not listening.

He was too meticulous about having the right turn to Kent drive, counting the number of streets they had passed. Daniella sighed hard. It wasn't as if his answer could stop the heat anyway.

She closed her eyes, remembering what even got them to this trip in the first place.

She had been ten and Angus eighteen when their parents were lost in a train wreck.

Angus became her father, mother, brother and maybe a sister since then. He hadn't been bad at it, Dani thought.

Finally, he answered, "Yes, Dani! What was the question again?"

She groaned, rolling her eyes, "Never mind! I figured it out."

Angus sighed, realising she was certainly angry, "I'm sorry. I'm making sure I do not miss.... Ohh, here it is!"

She looked out the window and found a road climbing a hill, aligned with trees and houses that well suited the era. So this was her new home now?

How she missed Newyork, her friends, Miss Peggy, everyone. All for a crime Angus did not commit. Running away, was that the best thing to do?

Well, she did not care, she believed her brother was innocent. Smirking, she asked, "So where are we living?"

Her brother smiled, "Wait for it...!"

Daniella wondered why Angus made it sound so important. But then, she saw the house, pleasant and pretty. Yet, she frowned, mainly because she knew it was clearly more than they could afford.

Plus, Angus did not have a job, "Where did you get the money to..."

Angus waved the question away, "Oh forget that, just feel at home."

Then Angus Mccurly, five foot tall, brown-haired and fairly good looking, walked to the house before she could ask more questions.

Daniella shivered in fear and shook the first thought that got into her head. Could Angus have... No way! He did not kill her.

The marble panels smiled at her, she smiled back. She seemed to love the porch, and the lobby. Then she walked a little bit more into the house and was really disturbed.

Where could Angus have gotten the money to buy such a house? Maybe from the murder? No way!

The sight of a picture at the corner snapped her out of her thoughts. It was a painting of a smiling girl. Whoever she was, she was beautifully painted.

What could go wrong in Texas? She could just adapt, live on and even make friends, she hoped.

She could try, maybe one day, she would smile as bright as the girl in the picture.

***

Then the night came, making her horribly wish the scorching sun could come again. The nights were noticeably cool. It seemed like it would freeze her. In sweatpants and a vest, she walked barefoot to the living room, finding her brother in the middle of a rugby match.

She slumped into the chair,"So... What are we gonna be doing here for a living?"

Angus took the coffee from her hand,"I was thinking of opening a grocery store right beside us."

She frowned, "Nice! But I was thinking you would say we found employment somewhere so we could get paid, not spending money to open a store."

"I would say that if we did not have the money to open the store, " Angus patted his laps.

The same uneasy feeling returned. "Where is all the money coming from?" Daniella asked rather seriously this time.

Yet, Angus gave the same non-chalant reply, "Forget it, I will tell you everything when the time is right. To tell you the truth, the store is already ready. It is next door."

Daniella just could not believe it. He had all these planned without her, the first time that happened. Normally, Angus would seek advice from his nineteen year old sister. She believed him still. He would tell her when the time was right. Okay, very well.

***

Running a store was such a difficult thing to do. It was as if the entire street ran out of grocery. What made it harder was answering all their questions, "What is your name?" "Where were you before now?" "When did you move in?" "Are you married?" The last one gave Daniella a heartburn. Not as if it wasn't possible but, at her age?!

This was asked by a geezer certainly above sixty-five, with a smile on his face. No! She certainly did not do old men.

"Hey, how can I help you?" Daniella asked the fellow who approached the stand. He did not seem to hear her, or maybe he did but ignored.

He was young, about twenty, a bit taller than she was.

Again, he had the darkest hair she had ever seen, with black rings around his eyes as if he hadn't slept for ages. His lip edges were dark from smoking, wearing clothes as dark as night. Weirdo! She thought.

She repeated her question, "Do you need anything?"

This time, the fellow looked at her with hate and disgust. She wished Angus were here. Too bad he was busy placing new orders. The lad looked like he wanted to kill her for asking such a question.

Just then, a woman most likely to be his mom rushed up to him and held his arm, "Sorry I left you Andrew, errhmm...?"

She turned to Dani.

"Daniella, Daniella Mccurly, " Dani replied.

The woman continued, "Daniella, good. Lettuce and artichoke please."

Daniella nodded but still had her look on this Andrew guy. His mother forced a smile, "Oh, never mind him, if he said anything, he did not mean it."

Daniella shrugged, "Would have been better if he did, he literally said nothing to me."

Andrew's mom gave her an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, don't take it to heart. He is...mentally disturbed."

Daniella huffed, looked pretty obvious to her. With all the signs of a drug addict written on him, she could expect nothing more. Immediately, Andrew pulled his arm out of his mother's grip and walked out angrily. Daniella quickly took her orders and the woman rushed out for her son. Bummer! Daniella shook her head and sighed. Texas was full of drama.

***

Andrew slammed the door behind him, not even letting his mom get into the house. He tossed the bag of grocery to a corner, then stood quietly, rage written all over him. Then his mom opened the door and got into the house, "I'm sorry sweetie, I..."

Andrew grimaced, "Oh please! Now what's the excuse this time for telling the world your son is mentally unstable? Mom, do I look crazy to you?" In every way, he did. The annoying fact about mentally disturbed people was that they never tagged themselves as crazy. His mother sighed.

"No sweetie, you are not crazy!" She lied.

Andrew hit the table hard, "So why do you keep saying that to everyone?" His dark hair fell to his face due to his hyperactivity. The mother of this twenty-one-year old pleaded, "I'm sorry dear but the doctor..."

"Forget what that stupid doctor says!"

He turned away, ignoring the inquisitive looks on the faces of his family. Walking through to his room, he locked the door.

The Stephen's were the wealthiest in the estate and consequently, it showed in everything they owned, including dogs. They could never ask for more, except for Andrew's recovery. Ever since his highschool, he had gone into drugs, a choice that affects him still. He developed melancholy and the fellow still believes the cause will cure him.

He yanked the door of his closet open and got the last of the hemp. He needed to get more soon. Tearing the wrap open, he sat and sniffed as if it was a remedy he needed immediately.

Then he looked up and saw that shadow again; that one he always saw, the one that always got him off balance and certainly, the only thing he feared. A man with a knife. Andrew screamed and scattered the substance on the table everywhere, trying to get the thought out of his head.

Then the shadow was gone. Tears welled up in his eyes. Maybe his family was right. He was going crazy.

***

Daniella managed to use a hand to open the door of the house as she used the other to hold her phone up to her ear, "Yeah we live in Texas now but I'm not sure when we will be back." She kept the key on the table and looked around, Angus wasn't home yet,"Yeah Okay. Bye." Dropping the phone down, she walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

As she got out a bottle of juice, she heard a phone ring.

Her gaze fell on the kitchen counter where the phone lay and vibrated. It was certainly not hers. Neither was it her brother's. Then whose was it? It vibrated some more before she decided to pick it up, "Hello." Whoever the caller was, he did not sound friendly, he sounded stern, too stern.

"I have a job for you, " he said.

Daniella shrugged, "I'm sorry, the owner of this phone's not here, I don't even know how it got here in the first place."

The caller hissed at her, "Daniella Mccurly, do not try to play games with me. I know it's you and I have a job for you."

She asked the first question anybody would ask,"Who are you?"

He laughed, "Oh, that doesn't matter now, you'll get to know. Right now, I need you to catch somebody for me."

Daniella huffed, "Sorry, not interested."

She aimed at hanging up when the caller said, "I know your brother, Angus a hell lot. I'm also very aware that he is accused of murder. Guess what I also know. I know that you both are in Texas running away from Newyork to escape his execution. Should I go on?"

Daniella felt a tinge of tears hit her eyes, "What do you want?"

He replied satisfactorily, "That's a good girl."

***

She served Angus dinner as she thought of all the caller had said. Dani watched her brother who seemed to be narrating some events to her, smiling uncontrollably. He looked so happy. She could not imagine losing the only person she had left. He was so innocent, too bad the world couldn't see that.

She just had to do one small task to save his life. But was it a good thing or a bad thing?

Afterwards, she retreated to her room, leaned on and looked out the window, letting the cool of the night drain through her. She loved the calm, the peace, the quiet...or maybe not too quiet. She looked better to check for the source of the noise. Then she found someone who had hit a trashcan struggling to pick it up, though unsteadily. She felt she remembered the stature somewhere, but where?

Andrew wiped off the stain of banana that got on his sweatpants. He hissed at the bin that had obstructed him and went on. He seriously needed to get hemp somehow. His aim of being secretive was ruthlessly spoilt by a passing car that shone the headlights all over him.

Then Daniella sighted the figure. Oh! Her rude customer earlier today at the store, Andrew Stephen. He was the same person the caller wanted dead, for her to put into trouble. Yet, she was being too selfish. What in the world was she going to do.

Andrew looked around to see if anyone had seen him. Then suddenly, he looked across the street and found Daniella watching him. What did she want now? He made a step forward, his gaze still studying Daniella when this time, he hit a mailbox, "Oww, fuck you bummers!"

Daniella chuckled. He noticed, grimaced and moved on. He was clearly exceeding his tolerance range.

***

"No! I'd never do that!" Daniella explained to Andrew's mother the following morning at the store.

Mrs Stephen nodded, "That's a good thing, although there are these freaks that come around during the night to get laid." They both laughed out. Daniella tried remembering what made them reach this point. She turned to where Andrew stood. He was staring at the spinach as if they were aliens. What was he doing up late last night? Seemed like he always joined his mother anytime she left home.

As if Mrs stephen read her mind, she said, "The doctor said I should expose him to the surrounding more often. It would help him get rid of his illusions."

His illusions! Dani thought. They would never stop. She did not know that Andrew was out last night.

Daniella smiled, "He also has to stop taking those things yunno."

His mother nodded knowingly, "We steal them away whenever we have the chance. He nags and rants, then stops. I still believe he has more. I don't just know how to stop him. He is a bit hot-headed."

A bit?! Dani huffed, "Seems he does not know what he is looking at."

Mrs Stephen turned to her son, "Why don't you go talk to him, it's about time he had a friend who is not an addict." Daniella laughed. She never wanted to do this but with all that was happening, she knew she had to talk to him someday.

She walked up to Andrew who looked at her and immediately tore his gaze from her, ignoring her presence.

She rolled her eyes, "Hey."

Andrew sighed heavily, "Can you leave me alone?" He then looked at her for a moment then looked away again. He seemed to prefer staring at the spinach.

Daniella hated this dude, "That is named spinach."

Then finally, their gazes met. God! He was sinfully beautiful, with lips that looked like they hadn't smiled for ages, "Thank you. Noted."

Daniella swallowed reality and confessed, "Why are you so rude?"

Andrew deepened his frown, "I promise you, if you do not leave me alone, i will kill you."

What the...Daniella wondered how difficult this task was going to be. The caller must have had a good reason for wanting him dead, she thought. But then, she had to be as close as possible to this guy to get him into a mess. #Mission impossible#.

When she stood still, Andrew chose to walk out of the store.

His mom walked up to her, "How did it go?"

Dani smiled, "Oh it was nice, we even exchanged cellphone digits."

The mother frowned, "Ya lying, ain't ya?"

She sighed, "Your son's a real nut to crack."

"But he must be cracked someday," Mrs Stephen grinned, "Why don't you come over sometime?"

Dani blushed, "Why not!"

***

After a hot shower, Daniella's hair towelling was interrupted by the same phone she found on the counter. He was calling again?

Sighing, she picked up the phone, "What?!"

He chuckled, "Hello to you too. You are doing a great job. I've seen you've begun."

Daniella looked out the window, "Have you been watching me?"

He replied, "Oh you should be well aware of that. I'm an FBI agent. I don't joke with my pawns. So don't think of playing games with me."

Daniella swallowed the harsh words she had intended to say, "Then you must have seen how he reacted. Andrew is mentally disturbed. There's practically no way I could get to his heart."

The caller replied, "I trust there is. The devil's stone heart may not be melted, but it can be broken.You were asked to go over for dinner, use every possible way to talk to him. I need you to get him confess to you, and quickly."

"And You are sure he killed this girl? " Daniella asked.

Mr Caller guy replied, "A hundred percent, all I need is proof which you will provide to me."

Before Daniella could sigh, he ended the call. This was getting too much. She came to Texas to avoid trouble but she'd gotten herself into another.

***

Mr Stephen shouted from the living room, "Hey Andy, get the door!"

His daughter moved in generous steps towards the door, opening it to find the store owner.

"Heeeey, " Daniella said with the smile she had been practising since morning.

Andy, sixteen and the opposite of her brother, beamed with surprise, "What a pleasure Dani, come in!"

Daniella stepped in and found the table set for dinner.

Andrew's mother arrived from the kitchen, "Yunno at a point, I believed you wouldn't make it."

"Sorry I'm late, " Daniella said with an apologetic smile.

Jusy then, Andrew held the dishes and walked in from a corridor, stopping at the sight of Daniella in a smooth, flare skirt down to her thighs, a shirt tucked in it and boots. He shook his head in innocence. This new girl was getting on his nerves.

Dinner was quiet and long, with Andrew and Daniella having several, awkward eye contacts.

She dropped her fork and took a closer look at her target. She did not think she could betray such beauty. Maybe she'd find out the entire truth first.

Words flew from all sides of the table except Andrew's. He was quiet, steady and focused on his food. He looked so innocent, well only while eating, she thought.

***

Daniella stood in Andrew's room without his knowledge, trying to remember where she had seen this painting; a smiling girl.

Oh yes! At her house, the first day.

But what was it doing here, or was another copy? But there was more, a hooting owl, the night sky, a dead horse, the shadow of a man with a knife?! Andrew's paintings were all so negative, well except this smiling girl. She felt something she did not want to call jealousy.

Then someone's shout from behind alarmed her, "What the... How dare you come in here, who gave you such right?"

Daniella turned and found Andrew in a state she had never seen a man; angry as hell.

She stammered, "I'm sorry. I came looking for you then I saw your paintings... They are good."

Andrew studied her in disgust and shook his head, "Whenever people like you come into houses of rich people, they never seem to stay at a spot, always looking for something to take with them. What do you want? Money?"

Heavens knew, Daniella had never been that insulted in her life, nor had she ever been that angry.

Puling herself together, she managed to spit, "You are crazy, very crazy."

If there was something more than anger limit, Andrew hated it when people said he was crazy. He pinned Daniella to the wall, a little sign of tears in his eyes, "What do you want from me? Tell me!"

Daniella shouted, "Be a human being Andrew. You can't just say anything you want about anybody!"

But Andrew was not listening, he needed to punish her, just like he did to any other person who called him crazy. He was thinking of what he could possibly do that wouldn't break her tiny stature.

He held her neck and wondered if he should squeeze it. Looking into her eyes, he hit the wall behind her angrily and pushed her aside, forcing a nail on the wall through his palm. To him, he was curtaining anger. Daniella gasped in fear and dried her tears, about to leave when Andrew started screaming again, "He's here, he wants to kill me. Tell him to leave!"

Tell who to leave? Daniella watched in confusion. Who was there? She heard a sound of stamping feet outside, as if someone was running away. Walking to the window, she looked out and found a masked man with a knife in his hand running out. The shadow he painted got into her head.

His family had rushed in by then, confused and afraid. They watched their son hold back tears as he sat on his bed, bleeding, head in his hands. He glanced up and found his mother, "He came again mom, he came again. Someone's trying to kill me." His family sighed in pity. When was their son going to be sane again?

But Daniella believed him, she had seen him, "He is right. I saw the man."

His father frowned, "What?!"

"Someone is trying to kill your son," Daniella replied.

Andrew looked up at her. Finally, someone believed him. He was not crazy. She went, sat beside him and hugged him, "It's okay. He wouldn't come back."

Andrew's fist shivered, Daniella was crossing her limits with him. Yet, she believed him,"You are not crazy Andrew." At her words, for the first time in a long time, Andrew hugged back. And she knew she had won this. It was never expected though.

His family smiled. Why hadn't she come before they hired a psychologist?

***

"Yeah, I've managed to tame him, what now?" Daniella said to the caller.

He replied, "Excellent, I knew you were the right one for this. Now, get him to trust you. Get into his life and be so close he could die for you. Then make him tell you and get the damn recording I need."

"What about my brother?" She asked.

"Him, I will wash the memory like it never existed, " he promised. Daniella ended the call. She felt so two-faced. But it was to save a life. And end another? She closed her eyes, only God could help her.