Chapter 89─Alarming news

Mishka met up with Joan again while Mishka collected some snacks from the buffet table.

“Oh, that was close. So, Bruce is here,” Joan murmured near Mishka’s ear.

“Yes, he told me that the video is popular already. It’s doing well on social media.”

“That’s great, but now Gillian will know that you kept your friendship with him a secret from her. What are we going to do about that now?” Joan remarked with a worried look in her eyes.

“I’ll just have to tell her everything like I planned, but without telling her that he’s a wolf and a relative of hers,” Mishka responded.

“So, who’s going to tell her that in case she finds it out for herself?” Joan asked, staring at the table of delicacies in front of her.

“I guess you’ll have to find time to do that,” Mishka responded as she observed Joan in concern.

“How are you going to explain your reason for keeping your visits to Bruce’s place a secret from her? I think you will have to reveal the truth to her. We will have to tell her the truth now,” Joan commented with a heavy sigh.

“It’s gonna be tough on her. It will make her see the world in an entirely different light,” Mishka remarked.

“Yes, I guess that we will cross that proverbial bridge when we get there, eh? Right now we have to find Myrtle and spy on her properly,” Joan responded.

Mishka’s phone rang then.

“I wonder if it’s Bruce? I gave him my number earlier,” she whispered to Joan as she removed her phone from her evening bag. “Oh, it’s Gillian,” she whispered again, raising her shoulders to indicate that she didn’t know what to do.

“Answer, but don’t tell her about Bruce right now,” Joan whispered back.

“Hi, Gillian, any news?” Mishka asked when she answered her phone.

“What, a human being? A magician? But, how’s that true?” Mishka exclaimed next.

She listened a few more moments before ending the call.

“What on earth was that?” Joan asked, her brows knitted together in concern.

“My goodness! Maybe we should wait a little bit before we find out anything more about my grandmother. It can be too much for me.

I think I need a break,” Mishka remarked as she leaned against the table with her hand pressed firmly onto it as if she was trying to maintain her balance with it.

“Okay then, let’s take your food and you can sit and snack while you regain your composure,” Joan suggested. She then picked up Mishka’s plate and guided her to a table by holding onto her elbow.

“I think my grandma is a witch after all. I was slightly doubting it, but now I know it’s true. If what Gillian saw is real then my grandmother is more dangerous or more powerful than we thought,” Mishka remarked as she sat down on a chair.

“What exactly did Gillian tell you?” Joan asked as she leaned close to Mishka.

“She says that the stray cat which Milla once saw is actually a magician in real life,” Mishka responded in a low tone of voice.

“What? The cat is a human being? That’s very weird and scary, alright,” Joan responded. She let out a long, slow breath. Her eyes were staring wildly at Mishka.

“Gillian and Milla were supposed to look at the video and see what’s new after we saw a recording of my grandma feeding a live rat to the cat,” Mishka explained, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.

“That’s disgusting and scary. So, now she found out that the cat is a magician? But how?” Joan asked, just above a whisper.

Mishka drew a deep breath before responding.

“They saw the cat transform and grow into a full-grown man,” she whispered.

“That’s terrifying! They must have screamed. Didn’t the other people hear them?” Joan responded with her hand in front of her mouth.

“The nursery is in the basement and at this time of the night the other servants are in their own living quarters,” Mishka mumbled.

“And your dad? Where is he tonight?” Joan asked with her eyes stretched wide in alarm.

“He’s out and he won’t be back until late,” Mishka responded.

“Wait, didn’t we see a man who’s dressed like a magician here earlier?” Joan asked as she stared at Mishka anxiously.

“Maybe you saw him when you were on your own?”

“We must be careful and make sure that we don’t draw attention to ourselves, otherwise the magician and others like him will begin to take notice of us,” Joan remarked as she carefully scanned the hall.

“Oh, there’s Graham. He’s the guy who helps Bruce now and then,” Mishka announced next.

“The attractive guy who’s coming this way?” Joan asked, following Mishka’s gaze.

“Yes, he’s one of Bruce’s models,” Mishka responded as she tried to shift into a more composed position on her chair.

“No wonder he’s so glamorous-looking. Is he coming over to you?” Joan asked without removing her eyes from Graham.

“Oh, hi there. Nice to see you,” Mishka remarked with a big smile when Graham reached Joan and herself.

“How nice to see you here,” Graham remarked with a friendly grin on his face. He reached out and shook Joan’s hand.

“I’m Graham,” he announced with a warm smile.

“Nice to meet you, I’m John,” Joan remarked as she remembered her fake name for the evening just in time.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Mishka interjected to draw Graham’s attention away from Joan.

“Oh, well Bruce is also here and so is Theresa,” Graham responded.

“I saw Bruce already, but not Theresa. Where’s she?” Mishka asked as she immediately began to look around herself.

“You shouldn’t worry about her too much. You should focus on the one who’s ordering her around,” Graham responded as he took a seat on the other side of the table.

“Oh, so you say that there’s someone whom Theresa is trying to please?” Mishka asked. Looking steadily into Graham’s eyes.

“Yes and she is around, that’s why I’m trying to distract her. She has an unhealthy obsession with Bruce,” Graham responded as he also began to scan the hall.

“Oh, so, it’s not Theresa herself who’s crazy and possessive about Bruce?” Mishka asked, frowning in confusion.

“No, it’s Jean who’s been crazy about him for years. She just can’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Graham responded.

Mishka let out a deep sigh.

“So, Theresa was stalking on someone else’s behalf and I was only focusing on her. How stupid of me,” she mumbled.

“Don’t feel bad about not knowing about Jean in advance. They’re simply being cunning, not clever or impressive in any way,” Graham responded.

“So, I suppose they’ll be together then if they’re both at this party tonight,” Mishka announced as she continued to look around.

“Well, Jean has deep auburn hair. Just so that you know if you see her."

“Oh, I suppose she will be with Theresa then at some point or another tonight,” Mishka commented, looking at Graham for confirmation.

“Yes, I suppose so, but I don’t see them or Bruce around at the moment,” Graham mumbled as he studied the people who were dancing.

“So, you reckon that they’ll all be together?” Joan asked in her affected male voice.

“Bruce with those two crazy ladies?” Graham responded, frowning at Joan in disbelief.