Hidden Talents

his first impressions yesterday.
    Serenity's cottage looked like something out of an illustration for a fairy tale. Fashioned of logs and natural stone, with a plump chimney and a steeply pitched roof, it had clearly been built by loving hands. It was small and quaint and there was an incredibly welcoming charm about it. The perfect abode for a lady who looked as if she enjoyed dancing in moonlit meadows at midnight. In spite of the chilly reception he had received at the cottage the previous afternoon, he discovered that he couldn't wait to return.
    He pulled on his leather gloves and went down the steps. At that moment he would gladly kill for a cup of coffee. He hoped Serenity had some. Tea just wasn't going to cut it on a morning like this.
    It didn't take long to reach the cottage. Her Jeep was still parked in the drive next to his Jag, but when he pounded on her front door, there was no response. Caleb twisted the knob, and shook his head in disgust when it turned easily in his hand. The woman really was living in another world. She didn't even bother to lock her door.
    “Serenity?”
    There was no answer. He closed the door again and went back down the steps. He glanced at the Jeep and realized she couldn't have gone far on foot. It was early, but perhaps she'd walked into the tiny village for coffee.
    He couldn't help but notice that she had failed to invite him to join her.
    The walk into the heart of Witt's End took less than ten minutes.
    The only thing one could say about the small cluster of eccentric, highly original, hand-built structures that comprised downtown Witt's End was that each was unique. There were several odd geometric forms worked in wood and glass and decorated in vivid colors. Caleb spotted a small café next to Witt's End Grocery. The lights were on inside.
    The lights were also on inside Witt's End Grocery. Curious, Caleb changed course and walked into Serenity's store. Bells tinkled overhead as he opened the door.
    “Serenity? Are you in here?”
    A strange apparition garbed in flowing saffron and orange robes emerged from between two aisles. It levitated toward him. He couldn't decide at first if the being who confronted him was male or female. He or she had completely shaved his or her head. There was a ring in his or her nose.
    “Serenity is not here.” The voice had sepulchral overtones, but it was definitely female.
    “Who are you?” Caleb asked.
    “I am called Zone.”
    “I'm Caleb Ventress.”
    “Caleb Ventress. He who brings danger, turmoil, and confusion.”
    “Actually, you've got that backward,” Caleb said. “I'm a business consultant. My job is to straighten out turmoil and confusion.”
    “You are the great unknown.” Zone lifted her hands toward the ceiling in a ritualistic gesture. The wide sleeves of her robes fell back to reveal a row of silver bracelets on each arm. “Out of the chaos and danger will come change, but there is no sign yet of whether that change will be good or evil.”
    “I've got a track record that strongly indicates the change will be highly profitable for all concerned. Would you mind telling me where my client is?”
    “Client?”
    “Serenity. You may remember her. She's your employer.”
    “Serenity has gone.”
    “Where?”
    “To poor Ambrose's cabin. She said there was something she wanted to get,” Zone said.
    “The negatives,” Caleb said under his breath. “Of course. I should have thought of that myself.”
    “All negative forces are countered by positive forces,” Zone intoned. “It is the nature of the universe.”
    “Sure. Look, could you give me directions to Asterley's cabin?”
    “Turmoil and confusion,” Zone whispered. “Turmoil and confusion. And great danger. I have seen the warning in the mists. I hoped it was a dream, but now I fear that it was a true vision.”
    “Let me put it this way,” Caleb said patiently. “If you don't give me directions ASAP, you and I will be having a serious conversation about your unemployment benefits or lack thereof.”
    “Take a right when you leave here. First left outside of town. Ambrose's cabin is at the end of the road.”
    “Thanks,” Caleb said. “You've been very helpful.”

4

    A DEEP SENSE OF MELANCHOLY SWEPT THROUGH S ERENI ty as she searched the extensive files stored in Ambrose's basement. The man had had so much talent, she thought. But his artistic gifts had been compromised by a lifelong battle with the bottle and a personality that always