Chapter 35

The City Gardens was an unsettling place. Brian felt the chills run up and down his spine as he stepped through the gate. He halted in his tracks as he caught the dark shadows dart out of the corner of his eye and to an abandoned building that seemed to have been ravaged by a fire.

Brian did not like the look of things. He heeded Bradley and Roger’s warnings and silently called to his family. When he turned to look back he noticed the Mayor and her escorts were still standing at the curb beyond the gate.

“Aren’t you coming in with me?” he asked carefully.

“Will you not be able to manage the walk yourself?” the Mayor replied frankly, as if it was his fault that she was shaking in her high heel designer shoes.

“You have to show me what you want from this place. I can’t run without direction.” Brian said to her.

“Why don’t you just walk around and come back and tell me what you think? You are the landscape artist?” came the indignant reply.

“What do you want me to do with it? Restore it,