Dead Souls Volume One (Parts 1 to 13) Read online

  ***

  “Hey,” said a voice nearby.

  Turning, Kate was shocked to see Didi wandering into the kitchen wearing nothing but a thong, with her large, artificial-looking breasts on full display as she made her way over to the fridge. Her body was still glistening with water, suggesting that she'd been in the pool, and she had a kind of defiant, challenging look in her eyes that made it clear that she hadn't forgotten the events of the previous night. This display of youth and vigor seemed to Kate to be part of a calculated attempt to regain some high ground.

  “Cool day with all those fusty old bits of paper?” she asked, affecting a carefree tone.

  “Yeah,” Kate replied, looking back down at the cup of tea she was making. “It was very interesting.”

  “How do you manage to, like, stay awake? Isn't it mega-boring? I'd totally fall asleep and get nothing done. I'm more of a fun kinda person.”

  “Actually I find it fascinating,” Kate replied. “There's still so much to discover in there. Aren't you interested in the history of your fiance's family and the island?”

  “Not really,” she replied, scrunching her nose up for a moment. “I mean, I'm totally glad that history, like, exists, but I don't feel like it's something I need to get into. Anyway, it's not like you can change stuff that's happened before. It's all, like, happened already, so that's that, right? It's done. I'm more interested in now and in the future, 'cause those are things I can actually change. Know what I mean?”

  “That's one way of looking at things,” Kate replied.

  “You should come out to the pool some time,” Didi continued. “It's pretty big. You can even swim proper lengths if you get bored just floating about. Edgar's gonna get a bar built in the middle so we can have proper cocktail parties. Hopefully he'll get it fixed at the same time. I swear to God, that thing leaks a little more every day. He has to get it topped up way more than he should.” She took a jug of mojito out of the fridge and poured some into a glass. “God knows why the damn staff can't fetch this for me,” she muttered. “Edgar's got them working on some other project. I swear to God, he only does it to piss me off, he knows I've got a bad ankle and I don't like walking too much. I know it might sound like I'm complaining, but seriously, my ankle hurts. Like, properly.”

  Kate couldn't help but smile at the younger girl's whines.

  “What's so funny?” Didi asked.

  “Nothing,” Kate replied, realizing that she needed to be more diplomatic. “Swimming sounds great, though. I'll definitely give it a try some time.”

  “You've got a bikini, right?” Didi continued. “It's, like, okay for me to go topless, but you need a swimsuit. Just saying.”

  “I've got a bikini,” Kate replied, forcing herself not to laugh at the younger girl's blunt and unsubtle attempt to mark her territory.

  “Maybe you're alright,” Didi added, as if she found the idea surprising. “Just so long as you remember your place here, we might get along. I'm, like, super-friendly most of the time. I just figure that with a guy like Edgar, I need to set some boundaries, if you know what I'm saying. He's rich, he's handsome, and he's got that kinda brooding thing going on that drives a lot of women crazy. Seriously, we were in Monaco last year and I almost had to fend the other bitches off with a goddamn hockey stick.”

  “That's quite a mental image,” Kate replied.

  “Whatever,” Didi continued. “Maybe I came on a bit strong with you just now, but you've gotta understand that it's hard for me. Especially in a dump like this, where there's nothing to do except rattle around in the old house all day. God knows why Edgar insisted on coming back here, but it's not like I've got any choice. The one with the fat wallet always gets to call the shots, and I can't exactly bitch about it too much or he'll get angry.”

  “What happens when he gets angry?” Kate asked.

  “Oh, you know...” Didi paused, and for the first time there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes. “I give as good as I get, if you know what I mean. I might look small and dainty, but that just means I'm tightly packaged. And Edgar's a good guy deep down, even if it comes out wrong sometimes. He's just got a bit of a temper, but then so do I. I guess that's just another reason why we're so well-suited.”

  She paused again.

  “Well,” she added with a sudden, bright grin, “look at the two of us, sharing a heart-to-heart! See? We might actually like each other after all! First impressions are always wrong, aren't they? You might realize that I'm not just an air-headed bimbo with a great body, and I might realize that you're not just a... well, a librarian!”

  “Historian,” Kate replied.

  “Whatever,” Didi continued, turning and heading back to the door, with her thong-clad ass swinging wildly behind her. “Remember what I said about the pool, though. Come on out some time. I don't bite. Well, not outside the bedroom, and Edgar's the only person who has to worry about that. Know what I mean?”

  Left alone again, Kate looked down at her cup of tea. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of Didi, and the thought of spending six months living in the mansion filled her with apprehension. Still, she figured that the best thing would just be to keep out of their business and focus on her work. After all, that was why she'd returned to Thaxos, and she'd never exactly been a social animal anyway. Perhaps the ease of talking to Edgar had tricked her into thinking that she might come out of her shell a little more, but that idea had clearly been a mistake. It would just have to be business as usual.

  “Cheers,” she muttered to herself, raising her cup of tea in a mock toast before taking a sip and finding that it had already gone cold.