The whisper of footsteps coming from the direction of the bedrooms snapped everyone's focus from Lydia. They figured imdiately that Collin was on the move as he was the only person in the apartnt capable of making such loud strong footsteps.
For so reason, Phoebe felt combative, as if she was about to fight so kind of war. She had this feeling that trouble was brewing, but what kind of trouble it was she had no idea.
Collin Baltimore whose head was lowered yawned loudly as he ventured into the living room. "Mother I heard voices...." he lifted his head, imdiately he saw Phoebe and her companions, his expression hardened.
His jaw tightened and his eyebrows shifted slightly. In his eyes, Phoebe could detect annoyance or hostility, maybe a mix of both.
The spirit asked. "I am sure that you owe a thank you which I will take after we sort out this ss. You made the right choice by choosing David over him, look at how he handles stress and pressure. More importantly, look at the way he is looking at you. With David, no matter how bad things got between you two in the past, he never gave you such a look." It spoke with moral superiority shaking its head in disapproval.
Phoebe did not respond to the spirit, she just stared at Collin, his appearance was similar to that of a stray cat that had survived a thunderstorm. He was a complete wreck, hair tangled like he had fought the wind, his beard in desperate need of a razor and clothes that hung off him like crumpled rags.
He also slled of booze, as if he had taken a bath in a tub of booze the night before.
"When was the last ti you took a shower?" Maureen pinched her nose when the stench of alcohol wafted to her nose.
Unfazed by her attitude, Collin crossed his arms as he stared at all three won at the sa ti. "Why are you here? When soone refuses to pick your calls that usually ans that the person is not interested in talking to you. Don't you know how to take a hint Phoebe?" He spoke nacingly and carelessly.
Not waiting for a response, he started walking towards the wine bar in the apartnt.
His cold and sharp words rendered Phoebe speechless, she had never known him to be so discourteous. She held back her tongue and continued to watch him as he poured brandy into a glass and then he leveled his eyes to et hers.
Phoebe took a deep breath, stopping herself from shooting the glass out of his hands. Connie was the important matter she had co to deal with.
"Baltimore, we need to talk about your sister." Maureen spoke up first, her voice carried authority veiled threat that made it clear she did not plan to play any gas with him nor baby him around. "Do you want to continue with this conversation with your mother here?" Her voice was deceptively soft, yet it continued to harbor a threat.
Lydia leaped from her seat; her eyes widened open with a glint of terror. "Cassie? Oh my goodness has sothing happened to her? What is it?" Her eyes darted around from one person to the other in search of answers but all she heard were crickets. "Collin say sothing for Christ's sake!" She raised her voice, staring towards the direction of her daughter's room. It was almost like as though she wanted to launch like a kite and check if her daughter was okay.
A low, angry groan grumbled from his chest. "Mother stop with the theatrics, will you? Cassie is fine, I only requested Phoebe to co check on her since she has been behaving strangely." He told her.
The lie ca out naturally and it was believable at least to Lydia because she let out a loud exhalation of pent-up breath.
"Oh that makes sense." Her eyes moved to beseech Phoebe. "My dear you helped her once please find a solution for her or else I am going to go crazy. What will she do with her future if she drops out of school? That girl has lost her damn mind, and I am going to admit her to a ntal institution or send her to rehab. It is obvious that she is either losing her mind or she is doing drugs." Lydia's trembling lips ca into a fold.
Everyone could see that she was trying her best not to burst into tears. The tense uncomfortable situation at ho had taken a toll on her.
Collin put down the wine glass and hastily walked to her, picking a shawl from the sofa. "Mother take a long walk such that Phoebe can work without any interruptions." He draped the shawl over her shoulders and further handed her a purse.
Nodding stiffly and continuously, Lydia left although she would have preferred to stay back.
"But..." she started.
Collin would not hear of it, he practically pushed her out of the door. Following her exit, the warm smile on Collin's face disappeared with his mother's departure. Once again, his body language changed abruptly, it went back to hostility.
"I will repeat myself again, I don't want you here and I do not appreciate you all forcing your way into my house like this."
"Your mother let us in." Rekha felt the need to share a minor fact.
Collin gave her a disinterested gaze; it did not matter if his mother had opened the door or driven out and invited them over one by one. It was all the sa to him, they were not welco.
"Let's make this conversation brief ladies." he said curtly. "What is it about my sister that you want to talk about so badly that you had to almost drive my mother into shock?" He asked. He deliberately sent a razor-sharp look Maureen's way.
Maureen t his hostility with arrogance and boredom. No matter how he viewed her, she was losing hair or sleep over it. She further responded by smirking to show him just how unbothered she was. "We are not looking for your sister that is alive, we are looking for your ghost sister. You know her, right? Her na is Connie, she is about this tall, happens to be a smart ass and is always talking smack. When was the last ti you saw her?" She went straight to the point. "I better like your answer Baltimore, or I will kick your booze slling ass back to Eagle country."
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