The man's honey colored hair glistened in the sun as he focused completely on whatever was underneath the hood of Ingrid's car. Jason watched with a feeling of dread.

He and Isabelle had been watching him, Ingrid not quite understanding what was happening. "That's Lester," Jason said grimly. Ingrid narrowed her eyes. "Leah's brother, Lester?", she whispered, so the man wouldn't hear her.

"Yeah, him."

Ingrid widened her eyes, and quickly turned them back to normal when Lester turned towards her. "It's nothing to be worried about. Although, if you don't mind...I'd very much like a lift."

Ingrid started to say no, concerned more about the mission at hand, but Jason shook his head up and down repeatedly. "It's less than fifteen minutes away and well, you owe me one," Lester said, smiling charmingly. Ingrid sighed. "I guess I do."

She didn't bother opening the door for him, and got in her car. Jason climbed over her and sat in the front seat, but when Lester started to do the same, Ingrid almost screamed. "Don't sit there," she said, more firmly than she had intended. Lester looked confused, maybe even offended, but he sat in the back, next to a 10 centimetre barbie doll. "You have a kid?"

Jason raised his eyebrows, having not noticed the doll before. Ingrid closed her eyes, praying to God to give her the patience she so desperately wanted and also lacked.

"No," she said, her voice cool and controlled. "That's my friend's son's doll."

In the rearview mirror, she saw him nodding. Ingrid started the car. "Where is it you wanna go?"

"37 Roland Street. I'm visiting my sister, Leah, there. You see, I'm a lawyer and she wants to impress her mother-in-law, show her that she's from a nice family."

You'd think a lawyer would have his own means of transport, Ingrid thought wryly. "By the way, I'm Lester. Lester Harrison. You?" "Ingrid."

He started talking, babbling on and on and Ingrid struggled with not telling him to shut the hell up. "He's chatty. Chatty's good. Could help us," Jason said. Ingrid nodded, directed both at Jason and at Lester.

"You know, you sort of look like someone I used to be in love with."

Ingrid raised her eyebrows. "Oh really, who?" She tried to keep the shock out of her voice. "This lady named Isabelle."

Jason gasped, loudly too. "Don't tell him you're her sister. Not yet," Jason said. His voice was urgent and his eyes showed surprise.

Ingrid glanced at him to let him know she heard him.

"What happened then?", Ingrid asked. "She married me," Jason said shrugging. She glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow.

"She married my cousin. I mean, it's not his fault, I wouldn't blame him. He didn't know, and neither did she. But I always hoped she would see me as more than just her brother-in-law."

Ingrid nodded. "I'm sorry. That must've been horrible." She said this in a sympathetic tone, but she felt no kindness at all.

"Well, it wasn't so bad. I rarely ever saw them, because I'm not really into 'family' and stuff. Anyway, I did blame her husband, Jason for one thing."

"I wonder what," Jason said rolling his eyes. "I never even liked the guy. Always bullied me, whether it was when I was ten, or whether it was when I was thirty."

Ingrid ignored him and focused on Lester. "What was it?"

Lester lowered his eyes. "Her death. She committed suicide, killed herself with my sister's gun. You'd think I'd blame my sister, but it was Jason who made her unhappy. Jason who actually caused her death."

Ingrid wanted to tell him to keep his mouth shut, and judging by the seething look of fury on Jason's face, he wanted to too.

"Why do you say that?", she asked, her voice calm and controlled, hiding the anger and hostility she felt.

Lester shrugged nonchalantly. "Unhappy marriage, unhappy life. I mean, Jason was a good man, you know? But I never thought he was good enough for Isabelle. She was delicate, smart, elegant. He was the total opposite! He was huge, loud and far from graceful."

"And I assume you were better suited for her?"

"Yeah, totally. I mean, she had a right to love whoever she wanted to, but let's be honest. If she knew I liked her, she would date me, and then later marry me. It was tragic what happened to her and Jason. He died in a car accident, the poor man. I miss him, even though he killed her. But what's really tragic is what happened to their daughter."

Ingrid gripped the steering wheel tightly and gulped. Her knuckles were white. Jason was breathing heavily and slowly counting backwards from 25. "T-they had a daughter too? Oh, the poor child." She tried to put on the best 'fake-sympathy' look on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. Her name is Alena. She was heartbroken. Orphaned at such a young age. Leah, my sister took her in though. She's not as happy and bright as she was, but she's definitely better." He changed the topic then, and Ingrid released her iron-grip from the wheel.

Alena isn't dead. She's alive. But she's with Leah. Why is she with Leah? Why did Leah lie about that too?

Jason put his head in his hands, and sighed, obviously relieved. "She's not dead. She's alright," he whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"How old is she, Alena?", Ingrid asked.

Lester shrugged. "I don't know. Somewhere around ten I guess." She glanced at Jason, raising her eyebrow. "Thirteen. She's thirteen," he said.

"Turn right over there," Lester said, pointing at a grocery store. Ingrid didn't need directions, but she didn't say anything. She turned right, and stopped when Lester told her to. "I'd like to meet Alena, Lester. If that's fine?"

Lester hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, alright. But beware of Leah's mother-in-law. She's really strict. I suggest you pull up your dress. She has something against exposed chests."

Ingrid snorted, adjusting the rear-view mirror. She pulled up the neck of the black dress and frowned. It looked weird, pulling up something that wasn't supposed to be pulled up.

Lester narrowed his eyes. "That's better, although it didn't make much of a difference."

Jason snorted next. "She can go to hell. I just want to see my little girl."

Ingrid smiled, feeling nervous.

Ingrid got out of the car, followed by Lester. When Lester had his back turned, Jason swiftly got out too. Together, they walked towards the house. Lester glanced at the doormat. A pair of sneakers, looking like they were hurriedly kicked off were on the mat. "Mother-in-law's not here. But Leah is," he said. He knocked thrice.

After a few seconds, the door opened, and Ingrid came face-to-face with Leah again. "Ingrid," she said, with obvious shock. Ingrid nodded. She walked in, gently pushing Leah to the side. Jason followed after her, as well as Lester.

"My name is Ingrid Winston. I'm Isabelle's sister," she said, turning to face Lester. Then she turned to Leah. "Jason wasn't cremated, he was buried. Why did you lie? Tell me, Leah." Leah stared at her, unable to speak. Her almond-shaped brown eyes were considerably wide.

"Answer me, Leah!", Ingrid shouted. Lester had, for the first time, gone quiet.

"Get out."

Ingrid frowned, not sure whether she had heard correctly.

But Leah repeated her words, with more firmness. "Get. The hell. Out. Now!"

Ingrid walked one step closer to Leah, looking her right in the eye. "This...isn't over. I'll be back."

She pushed Lester aside and got out of the house. "Wait!", Jason shouted behind her. She got in her car and shut the door close, breathing heavily with fury. He looked around. He could see Leah peeking out from a window. He sighed. He couldn't sit in the car with Ingrid. She probably wanted to be alone. He walked a bit, looking left and right, at people opening up their shops. He came across a florist's store. Beautiful bouquets of roses, tulips and peonies were arranged cat the front. The florist had his back turned. Something in Jason made him steal two roses, one pink and the other white, and race back to Ingrid's car as fast as his ghostly legs could carry him.

✞ ✞ ✞

"She knows...Lester, she knows!"

Lester watched his sister pace around the kitchen. Dennis and his mother were talking about the increasing price of oil and fuels in the living room.

"She doesn't! She only knows about Alena. Just tell her." Honestly, Lester had no idea why his sister was freaking out. She didn't have to tell the reason why she took in Alena.

Leah shook her head. "No, I told her Alena wasn't with me. I told the woman that she was with Aunt Heather. Jason's mother."

"She passed away."

Leah stopped pacing and glared at him, then shook her head. "I know, Lester! She knows I lied, but I can't tell her I killed her sister, Lester. I can't."

✞ ✞ ✞

three more chapters to go!
- anna xo