what she says. If she can just set us in a direction it would be a start.â
Chapter 22
MondayâSeptember 8, 1986
Lily woke up with the thought that today was going to be special. She had a day off from her job at the Tilden Park Inn, and it gave her time to prepare for her evening soiree. As Lily looked around her apartment, she reviewed her plan for setting the appropriate scene for the séance. She planned to borrow a card table and chairs from the resident manager. Heâd always had a crush on Lilyâs mother and would bend over backwards for both of them. A nice man, but in Lilyâs younger eyes, he wasnât good enough for her mother.
Lilyâs mother, Barbara, had been a pretty woman when she spent the time and effort to fix her hair and make-up. However, sheâd suffered badly from depression and there had been days when she couldnât even get out of bed. At the age of fourteen, Lily watched her mother medicate herself on antidepressants until she died of an overdose.
Their housekeeping arrangements were simple. Lily slept on the couch in their little one-bedroom apartment. She did the cleaning, the laundry and cooked all their meals. Her mother barely had the energy to hold down a job as a beautician. In Lilyâs memory, it had always been just the two of them, struggling to survive. Lily loved her mother very much and had been devastated by her death.
After her mom died, Lily was desperate to stay in their little apartment; it was the only home she had ever known. Being a minor, Lily had to pay off her alcoholic uncle with regular gifts of his favorite whiskey to become her guardian. Legally, he moved into the apartment, but fortunately for Lily, he spent much of his time at his girlfriendâs house. Between his welfare payments, her after-school job and any other source of income she could conjure up, sheâd managed to make the monthly rental payments. Once she turned eighteen, she threw out all his rancid alcohol and smoke-scented clothes; had the lock changed and threatened him with his life if he ever came back or tried to contact her again.
It was probably a reaction to her uncleâs filthy habits that turned Lily into a clean freak. She was a fanatic for cleanliness and although her apartment and furniture were old, they were spotless. Most of her furnishings came from the second-hand shop around the corner. It wasnât easy being poor, but living near an affluent neighborhood like Tilden Park did have its advantages. By checking out the shop on a regular basis, Lily found some real bargains.
She took her cleaning products out from under the sink and began scouring the bathroom. Cleaning always had a therapeutic effect on her. As she scrubbed her bathroom mirror with ammonia, she looked at herself. What she saw staring back was a reflection of her Irish ancestry. Her alabaster skin was almost flawless. The slight ridge of freckles along the bridge of her nose should have given her a pixie look, but that was belied by a fierceness in her brilliant green eyes. She always imagined she looked more like her father than her mother.
Lily went into her closet searching for just the right attire. Her outfit would help to set the right tone for the evening. She debated on whether to wear the requisite long floral skirt and peasant blouse; finally deciding on a long dark red skirt, bright green blouse that that made her eyes even more brilliant than usual, and a paisley shawl. She untied the string at the top of her peasant blouse and let just a glimpse of her size D cleavage show. Dark red lipstick and loose flowing hair seemed the right touch to complete her look. She wanted to look mystical, but also sexy for Julio. She was happy he was staying an extra day in Tilden Park.
Lily was ready with a little time to spare and had a chance to relax and contemplate the events of the forthcoming evening. Unfortunately, her phone always seemed to ring at the wrong time. Lily
Chapter 22
MondayâSeptember 8, 1986
Lily woke up with the thought that today was going to be special. She had a day off from her job at the Tilden Park Inn, and it gave her time to prepare for her evening soiree. As Lily looked around her apartment, she reviewed her plan for setting the appropriate scene for the séance. She planned to borrow a card table and chairs from the resident manager. Heâd always had a crush on Lilyâs mother and would bend over backwards for both of them. A nice man, but in Lilyâs younger eyes, he wasnât good enough for her mother.
Lilyâs mother, Barbara, had been a pretty woman when she spent the time and effort to fix her hair and make-up. However, sheâd suffered badly from depression and there had been days when she couldnât even get out of bed. At the age of fourteen, Lily watched her mother medicate herself on antidepressants until she died of an overdose.
Their housekeeping arrangements were simple. Lily slept on the couch in their little one-bedroom apartment. She did the cleaning, the laundry and cooked all their meals. Her mother barely had the energy to hold down a job as a beautician. In Lilyâs memory, it had always been just the two of them, struggling to survive. Lily loved her mother very much and had been devastated by her death.
After her mom died, Lily was desperate to stay in their little apartment; it was the only home she had ever known. Being a minor, Lily had to pay off her alcoholic uncle with regular gifts of his favorite whiskey to become her guardian. Legally, he moved into the apartment, but fortunately for Lily, he spent much of his time at his girlfriendâs house. Between his welfare payments, her after-school job and any other source of income she could conjure up, sheâd managed to make the monthly rental payments. Once she turned eighteen, she threw out all his rancid alcohol and smoke-scented clothes; had the lock changed and threatened him with his life if he ever came back or tried to contact her again.
It was probably a reaction to her uncleâs filthy habits that turned Lily into a clean freak. She was a fanatic for cleanliness and although her apartment and furniture were old, they were spotless. Most of her furnishings came from the second-hand shop around the corner. It wasnât easy being poor, but living near an affluent neighborhood like Tilden Park did have its advantages. By checking out the shop on a regular basis, Lily found some real bargains.
She took her cleaning products out from under the sink and began scouring the bathroom. Cleaning always had a therapeutic effect on her. As she scrubbed her bathroom mirror with ammonia, she looked at herself. What she saw staring back was a reflection of her Irish ancestry. Her alabaster skin was almost flawless. The slight ridge of freckles along the bridge of her nose should have given her a pixie look, but that was belied by a fierceness in her brilliant green eyes. She always imagined she looked more like her father than her mother.
Lily went into her closet searching for just the right attire. Her outfit would help to set the right tone for the evening. She debated on whether to wear the requisite long floral skirt and peasant blouse; finally deciding on a long dark red skirt, bright green blouse that that made her eyes even more brilliant than usual, and a paisley shawl. She untied the string at the top of her peasant blouse and let just a glimpse of her size D cleavage show. Dark red lipstick and loose flowing hair seemed the right touch to complete her look. She wanted to look mystical, but also sexy for Julio. She was happy he was staying an extra day in Tilden Park.
Lily was ready with a little time to spare and had a chance to relax and contemplate the events of the forthcoming evening. Unfortunately, her phone always seemed to ring at the wrong time. Lily
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