Queen V.'s Arc

Chapter 6 of 13

The guests left by ten. Paul walked them to their cars while Queen V. cleared glasses from the porch. She worked slowly, listening to the sound of engines starting and tires on gravel. When the last car pulled away, she set the tray down and walked back to the garden house. The brick bench sat exactly where Paul had dragged it, centered over the cellar door. She waited until his footsteps faded toward the main house, then knelt and pushed the bench aside. The wooden door opened without sound. She descended the stone steps and pulled the string for the overhead bulb. Shelves lined both walls, stacked with cases just as they'd been when Paul uncovered them. She counted twenty-three in total. The air smelled like damp stone and old cardboard. At the back of the cellar sat a worn recliner, its cushions still holding their shape. Someone had used this space regularly. She pulled a bottle from the nearest case, twisted the cap, and took a long drink. The beer was cold. She lowered herself into the chair and finished half the bottle before setting it down in a chipped ceramic mug on the floor beside her. She heard Paul calling her name from somewhere near the porch. Queen V. climbed the steps and eased the door shut, then dragged the bench back into place. She walked around the garden house and found him standing by the fire pit, holding his phone. He asked if she'd checked the architect's drawings yet. She told him she would do it in the morning. He nodded and went inside. She stayed outside another minute, letting her pulse settle. The bench looked unmoved. The ground around it showed no marks. She walked to the edge of the property and collected the empty bottles she'd left there earlier in the week, hidden behind a stack of firewood Paul never touched. She dropped them one by one into the outdoor bin, letting them clink against each other. Paul would assume they were leftovers from the party if he noticed them at all. She wiped her hands on her dress and went inside. The cellar was hers now. She had gotten away with it completely, and she would go back tomorrow night after Paul was asleep.