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Previously on ADWTD: Suddenly something shiny gold and white caught my eye I blinked, trying to get a good look at it. But it was just a wrapper of some kind, possibly a lollipop, so I ignored it. Until something clicked in my brain.
I gasped and froze, making Colton stumble and look at him in frustration. “Don’t tell me you freaking changed your mind, Smith.”
I couldn’t reply not for a few seconds and when I did, it wasn’t the answer he was expecting. “I think I know who the killer is.”
Colton stood still, hell, I think time stood still. The air was tense, the water barely had ripples and the wind was filled with anxiety.
Finally, he blinked. “Say what again?”
I bit my lip, a thousand memories whirling in my mind, it seemed so hard to catch just one and focus on it. It was as if I had opened a tightly sealed gate of memories and now there were just too many, sabotaging my memory lanes, making me confused. But I needed only one, the very one I was terrified of and had locked it at the extreme bottom afraid it might resurface. And now, here I was, searching for that same memory and scared shitless of finding it.
The memory of the day my father was murdered.
I finally found it, clear as if it had happened yesterday and not four years back.
14th September, 2012
It was a Friday afternoon, exactly 3. 08, I remember because I had glanced at the digital wall clock on my pale blue walls just as I heard the sound of a broken vase. I knew it was my mom who had thrown it in anger. She needed to join those anger management classes.
I was curled up in my room, with my really old Disney Princess blanket and a chocolate bar, somehow hoping the noises would stop and I could go back to reading my book. But I knew they wouldn’t stop anytime soon. This happened every time my father had a new assignment.
My father was a private investigator and a very good one at that, on more than a few occasions he had helped the police authorities with his smart and unique ideas in catching the real killer. He loved his job, he loved helping people and his mom loved him for that. But he also took risks, way too many unnecessary risks, mom hated that so did I.
Mom and dad loved each other, anyone could see it which is why such fights took place. Dad would tell her about the assignments and the risks and she would throw a fit. Over the years it had lessened, mom knew the man she loved and was married to, was brave and could handle himself in bad situations which is why she had stopped complaining and worrying too much and that’s why I didn’t know why they were fighting now. What was this new assignment that had my mom breaking things again?
“You can’t do this Ash, it is too dangerous you know that.” Mom scolded, her voice dripping with distress.
“Dia, honey.” My father’s calm voice responded. “I know the risks but you also know this is what I do. This is a huge break. We finally have something on them and I can’t just let it go. This has been going on for too long, so many lives lost, so many injured, I have a chance to stop it, won’t you support me?”
“Ash I would come with you to kill the damn Lucifer, you know that.” Mom said and I smiled at the love my parents had. “But this isn’t just any case, it’s a gang that’s been around for way too long. They are smart, quick, and specialized in these situations. What if something happens to you? Don’t do this Ash, think of Rach, think of Josh.” Her voice slowed down, I had to strain my ears. “… think of me.”
I heard footsteps and I knew my dad had stepped closer to mom, to console her. I left my blanket and went closer to the door, wanting to hear every word. Screw privacy, there is a bedroom for that, not the living room! “I know, which is why they should be behind the bars. And I’ll have the police department backing me up. As for our dear daughter, she is strong and determined, she’ll understand. And Josh, if he was here and not in a class, he would say ‘Kick their asses Dad. Make me proud.’ And you, if I wasn’t this stubborn and unwavering we wouldn’t have been together now. I love you Diana, and if something does happen to me, god forbid not but if it does, remember I love you, always have and always will.”
I heard a sniff, my mom and then her whispers. “I love you too Ashton, always. Come back safe please.”
“Of course dear.” Dad reassured.
I stood standing near the door for a few seconds wondering if they were gonna speak again. Suddenly I heard some shuffling and footsteps.
“Shit!” I cussed, knowing that footfall sound all too well. Dad was coming up.
I ran and jumped lightly on the bed, taking the chocolate in one hand and the book in the other, innocently reading the words, as my mind didn’t even register them. What the bloody hell is English again?
I glanced up and saw dad leaning on the door with an amused smirk. The wrinkles under his eyes due to stress. His brownish-black hair was well cut but a 5 o’clock shadow on the jaw, he hadn’t shaved since yesterday. He always thought that the subtle beard made me more attractive and mom agreed wholeheartedly.
“Hey, dad!” I greeted, trying to sound innocent.
Dad rolled his eyes and entered the room, shutting the door behind. “I knew you were listening to Rach, I wouldn’t be a good PI if I can’t even figure that out now, would I?” he sat on the bed, winking at me.
I smiled and scooted closer to him. “You are the best PI I know.”
He chuckled. “I am the only PI, you know.”
“Nah, Sherlock Holmes, Rick Castle, Hercule Poirot, Philip Marlowe, Nancy Drew.” I listed off, my love for books and series overflowing with every word.
Dad ruffled my hair, “No comparing to fictional characters, you know that.”
I grinned. “I know.”
He sighed with a small smile, “I have to go now. Be good, don’t trouble your mother.” He said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably. He would always be the ‘cool’ dad. “Also the cookies are in the third drawer, blue box.” He whispered, winking.
My grin widened, “Thanks.”
He pulled me into a hug. “Love you weirdo.”
I snorted at my nickname, hugging him back, tighter. “Love you too Wolverine.”
He kissed my forehead and got up.
I didn’t think before asking the next question. “Dad, will I ever know how and mom actually met?”
Dad breathed out with a guilty smile. “Sweetie all you need to know is that mom and I met under the worst circumstances that soon turned out to be the best.”
I nodded, having heard that line over a million times. I wondered how they exactly met. They loved each other, clearly, but why? How? Since when? What’s their story? Guess, I’ll never know.
“Don’t worry about that, don’t you have a test on Friday? Start studying.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, but after this book.”
He shook his head, knowing by the time the book was over, I would be in the book-land and wouldn’t study but make different scenarios, imagining myself in the book.
Dad almost walked out of the door before pausing and turning to me. “Hey kiddo, remember lollipops and lilies, remember it properly and don’t do anything stupid okay?”
I looked at my father with a puzzled look. Lollipops? I hate them. Lilies? They are okay, I guess. Doing something stupid? I always do that. “What do you mean by that dad?”
But before my sentence was over he was off, down the stairs, and almost out of the door. I looked out of the window as his car sped in the broad daylight. A familiar sense of worry settled in my stomach. “Be safe.” I whispered in the thin air.
Turning back to the book, I shook off my worries. It was just another day when my father went on his thrilling crime-solving missions, he would be back for dinner and would tell us how he kicked the villain’s ass and we would all have a good laugh and I would be proud to call him my father, my hero. It was all well until the clock said 7:14 pm and I was woken up by the loud ringing doorbell.
Groaning to myself, I didn’t even care to get out of the bed but that that soon changed when I heard a few hushed whispers and then a piercing scream of disbelief. Mom!
I ran downstairs, two steps at a time until I reached down and froze. There were two police officers, both uncomfortable and sad and then there was my mom, curled up on the couch, clutching a pillow as she cried, wailed, screamed. I was almost 14 and it didn’t take me long to realize what this all about. My dad was dead, but I refused to believe it.
The funeral went by in a daze. No one was allowed to see his body. Why? Because it was blown to bits. The people he was going after, the drug racketeers, somehow found out about the leak and bombed the place. My father, along with two other police officers had died that day. I couldn’t come to terms with it for a long time, Josh was the first to recover, me after him but mom took a very long time. She drowned herself in work, switched the fields, dated douchebags, became stronger and more focused. She became different, but I didn’t blame her. She lost the love of her life, all due to a stupid drug racket.
**
But at the moment I could only concentrate on my father’s last words to me. “Hey kiddo, remember lollipops and lilies, remember it properly and don’t do anything stupid okay?”
This was the same drug racket that got my dad killed, the same one that made me lose my hero, made Josh lose a good father figure, made my mother miserable, and cry herself to sleep.
And I was going to get revenge and I was going to get it real good. Wrapped up in pain and served as the dessert!
“Hey, Smith! You okay?” Colton asked, a worried look on his face.
I smiled at, a real winning smile. “Not yet but I will soon be.” Saying that I started pulling him towards the car.
He just came along, still anxious about me. “Where are we going?”
“To meet my dad.” I answered and didn’t even blink when he froze in shock.
He knew about my father, how he died and why, hell everybody knew, it was in the newspapers. ‘PI, crime solver, Ashton Smith blown to bits’ was one of the headlines. I had called the editor from a payphone, googled a long list of bad words, and read them all out to him. Asshole.
But right now, I was actually afraid that Colton might not come with me, I mean this was after all our last date, he didn’t have to even look at me anymore. Our three months were over. We were over.
Not wanting to embarrass myself, I quickly added. “I mean, you don’t have to. I know you didn’t want this and this is our last date. You can go home if you want. It’s okay, we can talk later or maybe not, IDK. Now I can call Sim-”
“Hey.” He stopped my rant, putting his forefinger under my chin and pushing it up to face him. He had a small smile on his face and his eyes shone with promise. “We are going to solve this case and we are going to do it together. Of course, this isn’t how I expected the date to end but I am glad you remembered something. You need answers and so does everyone.”
I smiled back, breathing out with relief. “Thanks.”
He walked to the car and started it, waiting for me to get in. He winked. “Anytime Smith. To the cemetery?”
I took a deep breath, staring ahead with only one goal in my mind, to get revenge for my dad’s death. “To the cemetery.”
~~~