The Angriest Angel

Chapter 21

Avery's house was part of a gated community that spared no expense.  The place was luxurious.  To Chase, it looked as if nature outnumbered construction by at least twenty to one.  There were bike paths, ponds, hills, perfectly groomed flower gardens, and grass as green as a golf course.  Even the sign welcoming them was made of marble and decorated with an assortment of white and yellow annuals, seemingly bribed to bloom out of season.

Chase wondered if Avery realized how obvious it was that she was not a county case manager.  The salary needed to afford a place in this neighborhood was out of sight.

"I think someone is following us," Avery said, looking in her mirror as they approached the gate.

Chase turned around to take a look behind them.  A silver car was attempting a roundabout as if they did not realize there was a gated entrance.

"Maybe they are lost?"  Chase suggested.  "Perhaps they thought this was a neighborhood for government workers, and realized it's actually not."

It was unclear whether she caught his sarcasm.  "I'm serious," she said.  "That car has been behind me ever since we left your office."

Chase considered the idea.  There were certainly people that would be interested in his whereabouts.   Chambers, for one, university officials, the federal government, maybe even state law enforcement.  If Avery was not who she said she was, then it could be anybody.

She punched in the code at the gate, and bars swung inward, letting them through.  He glanced back at the silver car but it was nowhere to be seen. 

Avery's eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror, but continued down the curved street until she found her house and parked in the driveway.

As Chase got out of the car, he couldn't take his eyes off of her house.  It was moderately sized, but beautiful.  Her covered porch was framed with purple and white shrubbery, and off to the right was a double-wide lattice arbor adorned with flowering vines which led the way to her back yard.  Her landscaping was elegantly designed and perfectly manicured, matching her personality. 

Avery made her way toward the front door while Chase looked around her yard.

"I'm glad we're not staying here," he said sardonically.  "My place is much nicer than this dump."

She looked up from unlocking her door, flipping the hair which covered her face.  She smiled and said, "It's not too late to change your mind."  When the door opened, she said, "Meet me around back, I want to show you something."

He walked around the side of the house, underneath the fancy arbor and into her backyard.  As he made his way, he could hear the sounds of water before seeing its source.  Her back yard was all garden—there was no lawn.  The landscaping was adorned with fountains, which must have been powered electrically, and a man-made pond was cut perfectly in the back corner of the yard.  There was a small vegetable garden, a greenhouse, and small silver colored outbuilding.  A bright red hummingbird feeder along with suspended seed containers rested near the walking path, but closer to the house. 

He made his way further down the winding path, which looked like it was made of a mosaic of quartz pieces, glazed over with some sort of waterproofing.  Past the bird feeders and closer to the house there was a patio with a brick grill, tables and chairs.  As Chase approached, a spooked rabbit darted from underneath a yellow leaved bush. 

He noticed one area still under construction.  Closer to the pond there were shrubs and small bushes sitting above ground with their roots still bundled in burlap.  A shovel leaned against the cedar fence near what looked like the work area.