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Lyra followed the women from one table to the next, giving her design opinions about the costumes. When Lauren called her over to the king and queen’s thrones, she knew she’d found her job for the party.
“We need to make these truly spectacular. Maybe something reminiscent of Versailles, very baroque,” said Lauren.
“Well, you’re off to a good start. That gold paint is magnificent, and purple velvet is stunning. It looks as though you’re missing the medallion that goes up here,” she said, pointing to the ornately carved top of the thrones.
“These are awful old,” said Irene. “Matthew and I bought these at an antique store in Lake Charles. They’d come out of a house in Houston, some big banker who travelled the world. Fool thought he was a king, but apparently, never found his queen.”
“Well, they’re beautiful,” said Lyra. “I’d either put a carving or a medallion of some sort shaped like the sun in that upper portion of the chair. Maybe someone can paint it.”
“Just a regular five or six-point star?” asked Erin.
“No. Something more ornate. Something like, oh! Something like this,” she said, pulling the necklace from beneath her sweater.
“That’s gorgeous,” said Ela. “Did someone make that for you?”
“It isn’t mine. It belonged to my mother. In fact, it’s the only thing I have of hers. My uncle took everything else and burned it. I wasn’t allowed to keep anything belonging to them because he said it made me sad. My nanny at the time saved it for me. She said that my mother would have wanted me to have it.
“I don’t wear it a lot, but when I do, I still instinctively put it beneath my clothing. Maybe soon I won’t have to do that.”
“May I see that?” asked Sophia Ann.
“Of course.” She removed the heavy chain from around her neck, handing the star to Sophia Ann. “Susie, May, look at this.”
The three women huddled over the star, whispering to one another.
“I’m sorry. Is there something wrong with it?” asked Lyra.
“No. This isn’t just a plain star, Lyra. This is called a Meaning Star.It spiritually comes from the Latin quoteAd Astra Per Aspera, meaning one must endure great difficulties in order to attain divine height. This star symbol is widely used as something beautiful and positive.”
“That’s amazing. I had no idea. I wonder why my mother had it?” pondered Lyra.
“Honey, I don’t think it’s a necklace at all,” said May. “I think it’s a key. I think you have a key that opens something that your uncle needs or wants.”
“Oh, shit.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“A key? She’s been wearing a fucking key around her neck that could have killed her?” screeched Abe. Lyra just stared at him.
“I didn’t know, Abe. I just thought it was a necklace that my mother gave me. My uncle didn’t know that I had it. I hid it from him.”
“Well, he must think you have it somewhere, Lyra,” said Luke. “It’s obvious that he’s after that, but the bigger question is, what does it open?”
“I really have no idea. As I said, he burned everything that belonged to my parents. I don’t even have photos of them. Whatever it is, he must have it but can’t get into it. I never took this off unless I was forced to wear a dress that he picked out for me. Sometimes, he would buy me a dress to wear to a dinner, and it would be lower at the neckline or back. I just took it off and put it inside my diary.”
“Huh. And he never found it. That’s interesting. He had a line,” said Eric. “He was willing to kill his brother and his wife, even you, but he wouldn’t snoop in your diary.”
“Can we really understand insanity?” asked Lyra. “I mean, it’s obvious that my uncle is insane. He was an absolute recluse for years, then suddenly starts going out more, or so I thought. He was actually going to all these homes I didn’t know about. He murdered my parents, countless others, raped young girls, sold drugs, brokered terrorist deals, and is now tracking me, hoping to kill me. He’s insane.”
“Yes. Yes, he is,” said Ashley.
“I’m not proud of that,” said Lyra.
“I know, honey. I know. But if he’s truly insane, you can manipulate the mind. Make him believe things he didn’t believe before.”
“What do you mean?” asked Eric.
“I mean, I have an idea.”
