Shadows of the Silver Moon

Lunch with Lilith was a re-run of many other meetings with his older sister who was

ambitious both for herself – she was aiming for partner and would probably get it – and for her two

brothers. While Will put up with the hectoring as best he could, his younger brother Caden had

taken to hiding whenever she visited.

"Are you going to see mum and dad?" Lilith said the moment Will appeared at the table.

Lilith was a severe but not unpleasant looking woman who tied her dark hair back in a bun and

wore outsized glasses that reminded Will of Charlotte. He had met her partner Ben, another lawyer,

a few times and thought the man always appeared shell-shocked.

"I'll be able to go down for a day or so on the weekend, then I'll fly back," Will said.

"To these non-paying writing jobs."

"Well, they pay something," said Will, thinking he should at least be allowed to order before

defending himself. The menu looked good.

"Mother says you're on the staff of one of the big time Hollywood stars, but she didn't say

which one."

"Clarise Chalmers."

"Really?" It was one of the few times Will had seen his sister impressed by anything he did.

"You've met the star herself?"

"Oh yes."

This led to a question and answer session in which Will told his sister how he had met the

star, and how Clarise/Meghan had laid down the law regarding any romantic thoughts he might

have.

"Good," snorted Lilith. "But no doubt you'll meet starlets and we'll have a re-run of the

Violet disaster."

Both Lilith and Mrs Moreland had been wary of Violet and Will had to admit that the

relationship had ultimately been a disaster. But he didn't try to defend himself. Instead, Will said he

couldn't help who he liked and could they order now? He was hungry. Lilith relented, then, once

the waitress had come and gone, questioned him about how much he was earning. Will told her.

"You get that much per day? Junior associates at my firm get that much per hour."

"I'm not giving legal advice, Lil. Just handling the PR and social media."

A little later they got onto Will's current romantic affairs which were also unsatisfactory.

"Mum says you won't say anything about this person you're seeing, only that she comes to

LA sometimes on business."

"Well, yes. I haven't said anything because the whole thing is strange."

"Huh! She lives here – are you going to see her?"

"Dunno," said Will. "The meetings are up to her."

He eventually left the lunch, feeling drained, but was able to entice Charlotte to his hotel

room the next day for what turned out to be an afternoon sex date. She kissed him afterwards and

gave him various excuses about why they couldn't meet for dinner or, indeed, even have a normal

date while he was in town. She was just too busy.

A week later, however, she came to LA and they had dinner saw a film and then had a night

at her serviced apartment. The next day was Saturday and Will thought to check out Venice Beach

where he had never been. As far as he was concerned, Los Angeles was one, big traffic jam and

most places in the tourist guides in any city were usually a letdown, but Charlotte also wanted to go

before flying out later that day.

Where did she have to be on a Saturday night and then Sunday, Will asked as they ate a

breakfast of muffins.

"I'm so sorry I can't stay over longer, darling," she said. "It's just so busy at work at the

moment, but I'll be back soon."

"Of course," said Will, "but work can't be too much of a drag, you looked tanned and fit."

"Why thank you, Will. I was able to get a little time in the sun on the rooftop at work."

Just at the moment, she bit into a muffin she was holding with her left hand and Will could

not help but notice that there was a band of paler skin on her ring finger. He looked away quickly,

thinking that pale skin confirmed a part of what he had suspected, and he wondered whether it

mattered to him one way or another. The choice had been Charlotte's – he was along for the ride –

and he had never thought in terms of Charlotte becoming a soul mate with a shared life. But then

did it matter that she had a husband and perhaps a family back East?

Charlotte declared she would take a quick shower and pack before they headed off,

disappearing into the bedroom and leaving her shoulder bag, a smart item of black leather closed

with a zipper, on the kitchen top. Will stared at the bag until he heard the shower start then carefully

unzipped it so as not to change the bag's position. The first thing he noticed was that his occasional

girlfriend had two mobiles. He lifted each out. Both were set to silent. The front screen of one

showed a generic view of the Brooklyn Bridge. Will supposed that was the one for him. The other

had a picture of Charlotte with an older, distinguished looking man and two boys, one a nearteenager and then other somewhat younger. They all looked happy. He carefully replaced the

phones, zipped the bag back up and went to get dressed.

Will noticed the car in the street outside Charlotte's serviced apartment building as they

drove past it, only because the vehicle reminded him of his own decidedly down market Saturn,

comparing badly with the Porsches, BMWs and even Jaguars of the neighbourhood. Then he

thought no more of it – wondering, instead, what he would do with his new found information. Was

it really his problem? After all, Charlotte was not cheating on him, but then what would happen if

this dalliance became serious?

Despite what was going through his mind Will still managed to keep up his end of the

conversation until they found a place to park and got out of Charlotte's rental, some distance from

the Venice Beach skateboard park and recreation centre where they thought most of the action

would be. Then the same beaten-up Ford he had seen outside Charlotte's place drove past them.

Will glimpsed the driver, a middle-aged, balding man who looked away the moment the writer

looked up, then parked within sight of Will and Charlotte.

"Odd," thought Will. But then Venice Beach was a popular attraction.

They walked on with Charlotte saying that she needed the exercise and eventually arrived at

Ocean Front Walk.

"Let's go out to that park feature," said Charlotte after a couple of minutes. The weather was

California-normal, meaning that there were girls in bikinis and others wearing cut-away shorts

riding bikes. Will was distracted by two passing girls and thought he saw the same man who had

been in the old Ford move discretely out of his line of sight. Curious, the writer then pretended to

look up and down Ocean Front Walk so that he could observe this man out of the corner of his eye.

Like Will and Charlotte the newcomer was not dressed for the beach but he had a camera around his

neck. He was just standing in the nearby car park but when Will and Charlotte moved further on,

down the main drag their new friend came with them.

Will thought this man looked more like an ex-military or law enforcement type than any

mobster, and why would someone who meant them harm carry a camera? Then he realised what the

man must be and, after a few moments of thought, what he must do. They bought ice creams at a

shop and Will saw, through the shop window, their new companion come up closer to take a picture

of them as they emerged. He turned his face away and they continued walking.

"I'm afraid there's been a development in our relationship, such as it is, Char," he said.

"Really, what?"

"We're being followed, and I strongly suspect the man is a private detective. Don't look

around. Just keep strolling casually."

"How do you know this?" asked Charlotte.

"Saw the man's old car in the street outside your serviced apartment. I think he was trying to

blend in, but in that street it stood out. I got a glimpse of him as we drove by. The same car passed

us when we stopped and then parked a block or so from us. The guy who was in the car has been

behind us since. He's squat, balding, white shirt blue pattern, well back. I think he just took a

picture of us."

"But why? Is he following you?"

"Don't think it's about me, Char. Would you say your husband is a jealous kind of guy?"

"Shit!" said Char, after a moment. "How long have you known?"

"I knew something was off right from the start when you wouldn't give me your phone

number or even tell me where you worked, but the part about you being married I didn't realise

until just this morning at breakfast."

"How?" said Char looking at him.

"You said you'd been out in the sun but I happened to see your ring finger with a much

paler patch of skin about where a wedding ring would go."

Charlotte looked at her finger and said "shit" again.

"I did something a little sneaky. While you were in the shower I looked in your bag and

found your two cells. One's for me, I guess, and the other has a sign-on screen of you with a man

and two boys."

"The younger one is mine," she said, "the older one is his, staying with us every second

weekend."

"They look like nice kids," he said.

"They are. Sorry Will, I wasn't getting what I wanted in my marriage and my husband

cheats on me quite a bit – having affairs and buying hookers. But I still didn't want to break things

up."

"You don't have to justify yourself to me, Char," said Will. "I suspected you weren't free

right from the start, and I took the sex. I can't point fingers. I also didn't mind anything that

happened. Guys can take being a port of call for sex way better than a girl can. No hard feelings at

all; but when it comes to private detectives following us, taking pictures then it's time for me to

depart. I really don't want to be involved in messy divorces."

She sighed. "I understand Will, and thanks for the good times."

They walked on for another few seconds in silence.

"What happens now?" she said.

"I vanish. I don't think this guy has got his money shot – he seems a bit eager with that

camera of his – and once I'm gone all he can do is follow you around."

"What's the money shot?"

"The picture of us in some sort of passionate embrace or holding hands or whatever. My

mother is a lawyer with a family law practice; she told me about this stuff. The money shot is

conclusive proof and helps justify the fees."

"I see. And he doesn't have it?"

"Don't think so, at least he seems to be taking risks to get closer with that camera of his."

They came to a corner store filled with souvenirs and a handy circular postcard rack right next to

the corner. He looked at the front rows while talking to Charlotte. "I'll get behind this, then when

the crowd blocks our mutual friend's view I'll slip around the corner. Remember to buy something

for your kids and maybe mention, casually, to your husband that you met a former colleague on the

streets and went to Venice Beach. All good fun."

"Okay Will," she said. "Bye!"

"Nice knowing you," said Will and went around the back of the stand. When Charlotte

looked again, he was gone.

Will walked quickly down the side street, thinking that he would walk several blocks over

and then call in a taxi or an Uber or something. He had been truthful when he told Charlotte he did

not regret the affair. But it had been a strange arrangement, and now that it was over he felt a sense

of relief.