Chapter Nine – Coffee

The rest of the workday at the View flew by. The whole time, Corbin had a large grin on his face. His mood was lightened and he didn’t seem to mind some of the staff, stealing a peek at his desk. His mind drifted away from his story and to Kate’s blue eyes and silky blond hair. The mystery was no closer to being solved.

Corbin James was in love. At least the type of excitement you get when you meet someone you really like.

Corbin left the Charlestown View a few minutes before four, just about the end of his work shift. He used the doctor’s note from Dr. Schimm to help sway Mr. Richter, who wasn’t the type of person who wanted a lawsuit on his hands. After he was dismissed, he headed toward Merv’s Diner. The sun had set behind the high hills that surrounded Charlestown, leaving some of the streets in shadow. Corbin stood in the pale red glow of the neon sign to the diner. He saw Kate exit through the front door. She had on a large, red winter jacket and hood that she slid over her head, concealing her shimmering locks. She spotted Corbin by the street and advanced in his direction. The setting sun cast long shadows coating the street in a slight dark shade, filling the many alleyways with a murky darkness. Kate’s form was darkened and joined the few other silhouettes cast in the setting shade.

“Well, Mr. Kent, where did you think of going?”

The words made Corbin jump as he directed his attention to the source of the voice and saw Kate’s face emerge within the glow of the neon sign.

Corbin took a deep breath to calm himself. The crisp air helped cool him down and relax his nerves. “Well, since this place is huge and filled with thousands of commercial coffee shops. I decided that we should go to a local place.”

“Local sounds good,” she said, giggling at his sarcasm.

“Okay, so since I don’t know much about this place except for the route from Main Street to the View ... How about you choose it,” he said.

“Okay.” She thought for a moment and looked down Main Street, picturing a few possible destinations. She nodded and snapped her fingers. “Let’s go to the Java House. It’s a nice place up the street.”

“Java House sounds g-g-good,” shivered Corbin, the cold air finally settling in, cooling down his flushed face.

The sun had nearly disappeared from behind the high western hills, creating a brief period when the dark shadows covered the paved pathways ahead of them. As they continued down Main Street, it became encased in the glittering street lamps that illuminated large circles of light on the ground like spotlights on a stage.

Corbin’s racing heart kept his body warm in the stark cold. His cheeks took a rosy shade.

Kate led them onto Chesterfield road, a small narrow street connected to Main Street, down to a small, old wooden house. Above the front door there was a wooden plank that held a sign that stated:

ava House

The ’J’ had faded off over the many years it had been in lack of repair, but the locals all seemed to know the place’s name and enjoyed the subtlety of the misspelled sign.

“Nice place,” Corbin joked.

Kate was silent as she opened the front door, apparently slightly disturbed by his joke.

Corbin cleared his throat, making sure to keep close tabs on what he said. He had been by himself for too long to realize when to stop talking and when to start.

The coffee house was small and dusty, but incredibly cozy. It had the presence of a weathered, wooden shack in the Andes Mountains. The teak stained wood and the rainbow assorted colors that were painted or woven into picture frames, couch cushions, and even the mantle to the fireplace, emanated an Incan cultural presence. At the serving counter to the left rested four multicolored couches placed within a circle around a brick fireplace with a warm fire. Off on the side in a small alcove with tall framed windows that displayed the dark and narrow street outside, they found two leather chairs positioned toward each other with a small circular table, detailed with a few scantily clad skeletons dancing and two others playing decorative conga drums.

Corbin and Kate sunk themselves deep into the soft cushions of the leather chairs and at first stared at each other from the opposite ends of the table.

There was an awkward silence between them. After all, this was only the third time they met.

A kind waiter with fuzzy dreadlocks took their orders and returned with their coffee.
Still there was an awkward silence between them. Corbin didn’t know what to say. What do I start off with? The Weather? He opened his mouth to speak, but refrained.
“So where are those equations?” Kate asked, stirring a wooden stirrer in her coffee.

“Back at my place,” Corbin replied.

Kate appeared a bit disappointed, possibly thinking it was an invitation to stay the night. “Oh ok.”

Corbin sighed. “Yeah, but I know one of them had some sort of symbols and the letters A – G – I next to it.”

Kate smirked. “Silver Iodide?”

Corbin scrutinized her. “Huh?”

Kate nodded. “Silver iodide is used to develop film like in a dark room. On the periodic table Silver is A-G and Iodine is I.” She clapped her hands together. “and Voila, Silver Iodide.”

Corbin thought for a moment. “Silver Iodide.” Another headache persisted to come back and plagued his mind. He looked out the window, trying to bother Kate.

“You alright,” Kate asked.

Corbin nodded. “I’m fine. I get these headaches now and again.”

Kate was quiet.

Corbin didn’t want the headaches to ruin his conversation with her. He liked her after all. “Yeah, I think they started coming after I was in that car accident.”

“Oh, you were in an accident, when?”

Corbin sighed and tried to remember. “I don’t know. About a year ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

Corbin shook his head. “Yeah not really good conversation over a cup of coffee.” He looked at the table and took a deep breath. The skeletons playing the conga drums started to move their arms and hands on the table’s surface. Corbin heard a tribal beat enter his ears. He shook his head. Now I’m hallucinating? Maybe this wasn’t the right thing to do. He looked back at the skeleton drummers who were back to their original still position.

Kate shook her head. “No, it’s fine … I did wonder why you may not have had a car.”

Corbin nodded. She thinks I’m a poor idiot. He was quiet and looked out the window. I shouldn’t have said anything about the car accident. I don’t even remember much of it anyway. Thanks to retrograde amnesia.

“I’m glad you are okay. I guess that’s how you got that scar on your forehead.”

Corbin felt the pain ebb away as he touched his left temple. “I almost forgot about this.”

Kate smiled. “You survived a car accident and a few months later you are writing this interesting story for the Charlestown View? You seem to recover quickly.”

Corbin chuckled. “Yeah. I got lucky. My friend Will helped me get the job. He took care of me after the accident.”

“Well … Will seems like a good friend.”

Corbin sighed. “He is.” Wish I could be the same for him.

Kate noticed Corbin’s disturbed state and refrained from talking about the accident. She was hesitant when she saw him in the diner, especially after seeing him in his druggie-like state at the grocery store, but there was something that intrigued her about Corbin. Something she couldn’t think of at the moment.

“So these pages you found. Do you know who they belong to?” she asked.

Corbin was quiet, but smiled and nodded his head. “Yeah, some old inventor from town.”

“Is he still alive?”

Corbin shook his head. “He died over a hundred years ago.”

“How about any other letters you remember from the formulas?”

Corbin closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead as he tried to remember. Each page seemed to blend into the other, making the markings on them indistinguishable in his mind. He tried to pull them apart and then look at them individually.

He nodded. “Yeah, there’s C, 10, H, 18 and an O”

Kate pondered on it for a moment. She then slid out her cell phone and typed the letters into its web browser.
Of course. She could look it up on her phone. Why didn’t I think of that? Corbin thought.

She smiled as the screen displayed the answer. “Camphor. That’s right, camphor is used to make film. So you have the chemical formula for silver iodide and camphor.”

“Interesting.”

She nodded, but appeared confused. “But silver iodide is used to develop photographs - not for making film. Unless he was developing a camera that could take and develop pictures and record film at the same time.”

Corbin shrugged his shoulders. “Your guess is as good as mine at this point.” He smiled. It actually feels good to get a second opinion. As long as she doesn’t talk to anyone at the View.

“Well I understand why you could be so tired,” she said, “trying to figure out all of these formulas and what they mean.”
Corbin smirked. “Well you have been a great help.”

Kate smiled and her voice was perky. “Thanks.”

They stared at each other until it nearly became awkward.
Corbin looked away. You got to say something. Ask about her. Get to know her more.

“So what have you been up to in Charlestown?”

Kate perked her head up and smiled.

Corbin smiled back. I guess that was the right question.

Kate relayed the story of her past year. “So I grew up in Springfield, Vermont and went to college at University of Vermont and then moved here once ….”
Corbin leaned to one side and felt his body relax. Her voice started to trail off as his ears seemed to stop working. Her fair complexion radiated from the glow of the fireplace. He felt at ease and vulnerable, but he was fine with it. Kate was approachable and smart and motivate. All things Corbin respected in a person. The butterflies entered his stomach again and he heard her voice return to his ears.

“and that’s when I decided that teaching wouldn’t be the job for me.” She stopped and looked at Corbin with concern. “You, okay.”

Corbin shook his head awake. “Oh yeah. Just very interested by your story.” Although he didn’t get to hear most of it. “Please continue.”

Kate nodded and continued.

Corbin took in each detail. He learned that her parents divorced when she was young and she lived with her mother. That when she graduated college with a photography degree she lived in New York for a while and was a freelance photographer, but she didn’t tell him why she moved back. Was she not successful? She kept referring to family, but Corbin didn’t think that added up after recalling she said her mom was in Ohio with her new fiancé. Did she tell me while I was zoning out? I need to get better at this whole ‘communication’ thing.

Kate looked at her phone and frowned. “Oh wow its almost eight o’clock. Well I should be going. I have an early day tomorrow.”

“Oh ok,” Corbin said.

They each paid for their own coffees and left the Java House. The streetlights guided them through the dark small-town streets back to Main Street.
Kate stopped at the intersection. “Well I should be getting to my car,” she said.

Corbin was nervous. How do you say goodbye at the end of a first date?

They looked at each other for a moment. The cold started to bite at Corbin’s red face.

Kate broke the silence. “Well, thanks for taking me out for coffee. Maybe next time we can decipher that equation.”

Corbin nodded and smiled. His heart felt like it weighed a ton. “Yeah.”

Kate smiled and wrapped her arms around herself. “Whew. It’s cold. Well .. you know where I work. Next time you want to meet. Just stop by.”

Corbin nodded. “Will do.”

“Bye.” Kate walked down Main street toward the diner.
“Bye.”

Corbin’s eyes followed her as she walked under the streetlights. Next time … Next time?... So she wants to go on another date. Another date!

Corbin shook his head and saw Kate walk underneath the last streetlight. Her shimmering golden hair acting like a beacon in the dark. She turned and then disappeared down a small walkway behind Merv’s.

Corbin took a deep breath. What a day!

He had a lightness in his step that wasn’t there before as he turned the other way toward 68 Main street.

On his way to his apartment, Corbin looked back toward Merv’s and back to his apartment building. He was excited and had more energy than he had in days.

Corbin returned home and went through his nightly routine of showering and getting ready for bed. He applied some shaving cream to his face and took out his razor. The shaving blade stopped halfway up his neck, nearly pricking through the delicate skin that protected Corbin’s throat.

His reflection in the mirror was blurry.

Corbin sent one of his hands across the smooth glass surface, to wipe away any condensation that came from the steam of the sink, and still his face appeared distorted. He moved his head slightly to the right.

It came into focus.

The reflection of a young man smiled back at him. I’m hallucinating again! I must be going insane...that’s at least twice in one night. A shadow quickly formed on the floor, through the reflection of the mirror until it entirely covered the young man in its darkness.

Corbin’s heart was racing as time appeared to slow down on the other side of the glassy surface.

A hooded figure jumped on top of the reflection, pinning it to the floor. The hooded figure then pulled out a rifle from under its cloak, and pointed it toward the young man who pleaded for his life on the floor. The hooded person fired a muted fatal shot into the young man. Blood stream out from underneath his back until his body lied motionless on the floor.

Corbin was too scared to turn around. He felt shivers run down his spine, temporarily paralyzing him. The hooded figure paused and took a step back toward the hall. Is it saying something to me? Corbin was petrified as he saw the traumatic event unfolding in front of him.

The killer started to gaze toward the mirror. Its face slowly made visible as it advanced into the range of the light.

Corbin instinctively turned around to avoid the face of the killer, breaking his temporary paralysis like a scared child shielding their eyes while watching a horror film. His heart started to calm its rapid beating as he faced the clean linoleum surface of his bathroom floor, sparkling in the incandescent light.

There was nothing. No blood, no dead body.

Next Chapter: 10 - Secrets