Chapter 1
“Good job finding that leak, honey.”
Lily throws her wrench in the air as she walks out of a client’s house with her father. “There’s an advantage to being built like a toothpick. I can fit into any nook and cranny.”
She twirls the tool around her finger like a gun-toting cowboy and drops it into her overall pocket. Her dad laughs at her antics, then rubs her head good-naturedly. Lily beams, loving the camaraderie with her father.
Lily glances at him. Herbert Mendoza, a first-generation Filipino immigrant, is a proud man. But today, he looks a bit rundown. He’s handsome with salt-and-pepper hair and a solid bulk in his arms. But he has a small paunch in his belly from drinking beer every day after work. She suspects he’s lonely, but he refuses to jump back into the dating pool since Mom died sixteen years ago.
Dad drops their equipment in the back of the truck and hops into the driver’s seat. As Lily searches for the right music station, her father announces that they’re stopping by another client’s house to pick up David, her dad’s newest employee.
She groans. “Dad, he’s just going to ask me out on a date again.”
As he drives the car to Wesleyan Street, he narrows his eyes. “David is an idiot.” Then he grins. “But are you sure, honey? He’s only two years older than you, and he’s catholic.”
“Dad! You just called him an idiot. I’m seriously questioning your matchmaking skills.”
He laughs. “I’m just kidding, sweetheart. As a matter of fact, I don’t even want you to get married. No man is ever going to be good enough for you.”
“Dad, I’m only twenty-two. Let’s relax with the marriage talk.”
He slows down in front of a Tudor mansion. “Speaking of men not good enough for my daughter . . . Hey, David. How you doin’?”
“Hey, Mr. Mendoza.” David hops in the backseat. “What’s up, Lily?”
Lily nods at him through the rearview mirror, and he responds with a wink. She shakes her head and rolls her eyes.
“Oh, right on. I love this song.” David closes his eyes and sings “Secret Lovers” by Atlantic Starr.
“Anyway, Dad,” interrupts Lily. “We should probably take on those two commercial jobs in Boston. That’s a good payout. We can’t afford to lose money this year.”
Lily just graduated from Boston College with a business degree. She wanted to help her father run his plumbing business. Her other secret reason is that she worries over her father too much and can’t bear to leave him by himself.
Over David’s off-key carpool karaoke, Lily’s dad asks, “Sweetie, have you heard from your sister yet?”
Her stomach lurches at the topic. Chrissy did well for herself as an actress. It took three years, but she had her big break when she was cast for the lead role in the novel-turned-movie It Had To Be You.
“No, Dad. She stopped calling after she started dating that actor.”
He scowls. “Oh, if I can get my hands on that guy . . .”
“Ronan O’Farrell.” Lily shakes her head and quotes the latest headline from The Sun. “The heartbreaker with the piercing emerald eyes.”
“Where did she even find that guy?” Dad grips the steering wheel.
“They were costars in her latest movie, Kill the Bee.”
“Your sister got dumped bad, huh?” David joins in the conversation, irritating Lily. “The tabloids are saying she can’t move on from him. They said she even crawled on her hands and knees trying to get him back. Literally. They even got pictures to prove it.”
She hears her father growl and spins around to face David with her fists clenched. “Why don’t you just shut up? My sister would never do that!”
“Hey, sorry. I’m just sharing what’s in the papers.”
“Do you want to keep your job, David?” Her father asks in a firm, quiet tone.
“Of course!” he says with a cheerful smile, missing the warning.
Through pursed lips, her father responds. “Then I suggest you stop ‘sharing what’s in the papers.’”
David reddens as he finally gets the message behind his boss’s words. He leans back against his seat. “Yes, sir.”
Lily turns around and bites her lip. But David isn’t completely wrong. She’s been keeping up with the celebrity news, and her sister is all over the headlines. There are troubling photos of her on her knees, wailing, outside the actor’s home. Her bizarre behaviors are quickly affecting her reputation and her credibility as a professional actor. The photos are baffling, as Chrissy would never grovel for anyone. She’s shallow, but she’s a proud woman. Lily and her father have tried many times to reach her, but she hasn’t returned any calls.
After dropping off David, Lily and her father drive home in silence. But she knows that his mind, like hers, remains troubled by Chrissy’s breakdown that’s happening for all the world to see.
But when they arrive home, the duo finds a possible answer to their musings and worries. An unfamiliar vehicle is parked in their driveway, and Lily hopes against all hope that the vehicle belongs to a beloved family member.
“Could that be Chrissy’s rental?” asks her father.
A black Land Rover sits in front of their home like a dog resting.
“It’s gotta be!”
As soon as the truck rolls to a stop, Lily jumps out and sprints to the house. She can hardly believe it. Her sister is home. Perhaps she listened to their voicemail messages after all.
Lily scrambles into the living room, almost knocking over the floor lamp. Aside from relief, she misses her sister, whom she hasn’t seen for half a year.
“Chrissy!” she bellows.
No one’s in the living room, the kitchen or the dining room.
“She’s probably in her bedroom, mahal,” says her dad, calling her “love” in the Filipino language.
“Right!” Lily runs up the stairs, taking two steps at a time.
She sprints toward her bedroom, and the door is ajar. Her heart speeds up at the excitement of being reunited with her beloved sister. When she kicks the door open, she sees Chrissy near the window.
“You’re home, sis!” She runs and wraps her in a warm embrace. “I’m so glad to see you!”
But something seems odd. Chrissy feels different. Though she’s always been slender, she seems thinner—almost frail. But besides the physical change, she feels distant. As Lily squeezes her sister in a tight hug, Chrissy doesn’t budge and keeps her hands to herself.
“Oh, hi, Lily,” she says. “How are you?”
Lily blinks at her detached greeting and separates herself from her. She looks at her sister and narrows her eyes. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me?”
“Hi, honey!” exclaims Dad. “Good to see you. When did you get here?”
Chrissy turns her head to her father but stays in place. “Hi, Dad. Just got here a half hour ago.”
Lily shakes her head and motions for him to stay by the doorway. Something doesn’t feel right.
“Why are you acting weird, Chris?” Lily backs away from her.
She flutters her lashes and stares at her. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Lily turns to her father. “Dad, can Chrissy and I have a moment?”
He raises a suspicious brow at his eldest, then refocuses on Lily. “Sure, mahal. Just holler if you need me.”
Lily observes her sister for a moment. She was always a thing of beauty with her long, shiny black hair. All her life, Chrissy’s light brown eyes twinkled when the sunlight bounced off them. When she smiled, her cheeks formed perfect dimples. Her pouty lips have enticed many boys to ask for her kisses. But today, her eyes are dull as she tracks at nothing in particular. She’s clad in a plain black tracksuit, uncharacteristic of the usually fashionable Chrissy. Her body is like a live wire, vibrating with tension as she taps her feet and fusses with her lackluster ponytail.
“Chris, what’s going on? You’re tense, and it’s like you’ve been snorting coke or something.” She narrows her eyes. “Are you?”
Chrissy’s eyes widen. Then she grabs Lily’s arms, making her jolt. “You’ll never believe it, sis. Ronan is here for the weekend.”
Lily scowls at her. “So, you’re here for him, not for us? Or for yourself, for that matter.”
She doesn’t acknowledge her comment but continues to speak. “He’s having a Halloween party here. He loves Halloween.”
Lily crosses her arms. “So what?”
Her eyes sparkle with excitement. “So, I’m heading over there!”
“Were you invited, Chrissy?”
She frowns. “It doesn’t matter.”
Lily rolls her eyes. “I’ll take that as a no.”
Chrissy bites her nails and paces the room. “I love him. We belong together. I’ll just tell him that, and he’ll see that I’m right.”
Lily throws her hands up and stalks toward her. “Are you listening to yourself?” She grips her arms to shake her. “What’s going on with you? You would never do this!”
Chrissy breaks free from her grasp. “You’ve never been in love, Lily. You would never know.”
She huffs. “If it means acting like this, I would rather not!” She softens her gaze. “Sis, wake up. This is weird. You’re groveling, and it’s ruining your reputation.”
Chrissy stops and raises her head to look at her. Lily’s heart skips, for her sister appears to have gained a moment of sense. Then Chrissy turns away and starts pacing once again, seemingly concocting a plan to get her lover back.
Lily stares at her sister in dismay. “What the hell is happening?”
“She’s run afoul of the gancanagh.”
Lily recognizes the voice at the doorway. She turns to find her best friend, Kat, staring at Chrissy. Kat walks over to Lily.
“Your dad told me you’d be here,” she says as she stands next to her.
“Boy, am I glad to see you,” says Lily, placing her hands in the pockets of her dusty overalls. “My sister’s gone crazy. It’s like she doesn’t even know I’m here.”
Kat nods, her brown bangs bouncing with the movement. “Like what Grandma said, ‘she’s run afoul of the gancanagh.’ Looking at Chrissy now, Grams might be right.”
Lily looks at her best friend. “What does that even mean?”
Kat shrugs. “We were watching Hard Copy this morning, and they had a segment on your sister.”
Lily groans.
“No, listen,” says Kat, tapping her elbow. “So, they were playing up how head over heels she was, and then out of nowhere, my grandma just throws out that gancanagh thing.”
Lily crosses her arms. “Which is?”
“They’re male Irish faeries. They’re called ‘love-talkers.’ These guys basically woo girls by getting into their heads, figuring out all their secret desires. And get this, when the girls make physical contact with them, they release this love toxin or something, and bam, they’re hooked. So, according to Grandma, that’s what happened to your sister.”
Lily laughs. “Are you serious? That’s the craziest shit your grandma has ever said. I love her, but you gotta admit that’s crazy.”
Kat shrugs. “I can’t say I believe it entirely. But Ronan O’Farrell is Irish from Northern Ireland, and look at her.” She pauses as she observes Chrissy’s incessant pacing and muttering. “That’s not your sister. She’s bewitched, girl.”
Lily looks at her friend. Kat, herself, is Irish. She immigrated with her family to Massachusetts from Derry during her freshman year. She was always a bit odd with her superstitious beliefs. She talked about banshees and faerie forts. When baking soda bread with her mother, she scores a cross on top to let the devil out. Lily loved her for it, for she, herself, was different.
She sighs. “Let’s say I believe you—which I don’t—what makes you think Ronan O’Farrell is a faerie?”
Kat scrunches her forehead. Then her blue eyes brighten. “Tessa Hendricks.”
Lily raises a brow. “The actress in To the Left of Sahara?”
Kat nods. “That was released last year. That was also Ronan’s first Hollywood movie. He was an unknown actor from Ireland until he hit this jackpot. They were costars. Remember what happened at the premiere?”
Lily scrunches her forehead. “I couldn’t tell ya.”
Kat swats her. “Hello? You were there with your sister!”
“Oh, yeah,” she says, adjusting her trucker hat. “But I still don’t know where you’re going with this.”
Kat rolls her eyes. “Tessa and Ronan came together as a couple. You don’t remember seeing them?”
She shakes her head. “To be honest, I never even noticed them. I was way too busy stressing over the flashing lights and the itchy taffeta dress Chrissy made me wear.”
Kat sighs. “Girl, you are hopeless.”
Lily laughs. “But you love me, though.”
She smiles. “I do. Way too much. Anyway, a month later, Ronan dumped her, and she was all over the news for behaving the same way Chrissy did.” She pauses and straightens her yellow sundress. “She was never the same since. She hasn’t done a movie, and she just disappeared. Some say she never recovered from the breakup.”
Lily gulps and stares at her sister, who is now rifling through the clothes in her suitcase. She doesn’t believe anything supernatural is happening here. Her face drops at the strong possibility that this strange behavior is more related to a mental breakdown.
“Kat, I think Hollywood finally broke my sister,” she says with a shaky voice. “The pressure is too much. Knowing her, she worked herself to death until she cracked.”
Kat lays her soft hand on Lily’s shoulder. “How are we going to save her?”
Lily’s shoulders droop. “I don’t know, but one thing’s for sure. I’m not letting her leave this room to attend that party tonight.”
***
“You drugged your sister?”
Lily stares at her father, sitting in his favorite recliner with a bottle of beer in his hand.
“You make me sound like a criminal, Dad. I merely convinced her to take one of my sleeping pills.”
Her father shakes his head in disbelief. “And she agreed?”
Kat nods. “Mr. Mendoza, your daughter is so out of it, she’ll believe anything.”
“I just told her that before she sees Ronan tonight, she’ll need to look rested and beautiful,” says Lily.
“There was no point arguing with her not to see him. She won’t listen,” says Kat.
Lily’s dad sighs. “I guess tricking her is the only way. The girl looks like she hasn’t eaten or slept for weeks. She looks so haggard.”
Lily grabs her car keys from the counter. “Dad, I seriously think she’s having a breakdown. She needs to see a therapist and get well. Hollywood is no joke.”
He eyes the keys in her palm. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“Kat and I are heading over to the McCall mansion.”
He narrows his eyes. “Why?”
Lily pauses and bites her lip. Then she sighs. “We’re going to see Ronan. He and his crew rented that place for a Halloween bash tonight.”
He shakes his head. “Oh, no, you’re not. Honey, I’m not interested in ruining my Friday night to bail you two out for trespassing or public disturbance.”
“Dad, we’ll be fine. We got this. I just want to talk to him and give him a piece of my mind for breaking my sister’s heart.”
“Honey, people have the right to break up.”
“I know that, but word on the street is he just left without saying goodbye and started fooling around with another girl.”
He scowls. “All right, kick his ass, then.”
Lily winks at him. “I got you, Dad.”
He crosses his arms. “How are you even going to get past security?”
Lily smiles. “Brian and I were there yesterday to fix the pipe in the basement bathroom. I’ll just say we’re there to finish the job. I’ll bring the invoice to prove we’re legit.”
He glances at Kat. “I can see why you’re dressed in Lily’s Dickies and boots.”
Kat laughs. “You know it. I’ll be a plumber today.”
“And I already called to tell them we’re heading that way since we did tell them yesterday we’d return to bring the missing parts.”
Dad massages his temples. “I change my mind. This is a bad idea. Lily, this company is our bread and butter. Don’t ruin our business.”
“I won’t, Dad. I promise.” Lily heads to the door with her toolbox, and Kat follows her. “I’m just going to convince him to apologize to Chrissy. He’s the only one who can help her move on.” As she opens the door, she turns to her father. “And then I’ll kick his ass.”
The last thing she sees before she steps out is her father making the sign of the cross on his chest.
