~~~
“So let me get this straight.” Simone started, keeping the Pringles can on the table and looking at me with a flat smile. “You went to the cemetery, dug up your dad’s coffin, made friends with some Magic Mike-”
“Just Mike actually.” Mike started but shut up at Simone’s glare.
“-solved a clue from 4 years back, found out the real killer. And didn’t care to call me? Excuse me, while I go and search for some new friends.” Simone continued, her voice taking a harsh and sarcastic turn.
I slumped my shoulders, grabbing her wrist as she started to walk away. “C’mon Sim, I said I’m sorry. And Colton was there too.”
“Yeah well, he’s not my best friend.”
“He is mine.” Drew said, glaring at his best friend, who raised his hands in defense.
“Hey this is Racheal’s case and dad, don’t bring me in it. I can’t just call without her permission.” Colton said, grinning and putting all the blame on me. Times like this, I forget why I like him.
“You know what, you guys do this every time.” Eva complained, getting up from the couch. “Even last time when you found the drugs and everything, we were the last ones to know. How hard is it to call and say ‘Hey we are solving a crime, come meet us.’ Huh?”
“Or you could text us, broadcast message. We have those damn WhatsApp groups for a reason!” Ira joined her twin, standing beside her.
“Yeah manh! And I had been there from the start. You couldn’t even tell me instead you involved some Magic Mike.” Nathan pitched in, shaking his head at me.
“Just Mike.” Mike muttered, but nobody seemed to care about it.
It felt as if everyone was against me and I was being gang bullied, all were standing together in a line glaring at me. I backed away a little, honestly a bit terrified. Until everyone realized there was one person missing.
All heads turned to Adrian who seriously didn’t seem to give a sh! t about the events going on, he was eating Pringles straight out of the can and watching something on his cell. When he felt all eyes on him and he looked and blinked. Sighing he shrugged, “Look I am pissed but I am just glad they caught the real killer. Plus I don’t want to dig a coffin you know and then find out that it’s empty. Creepy as f.” He even shuddered for effect.
Slowly everyone nodded and their stances turned less intimidating and I finally let breathed out in relief, mentally thanking Adrian.
“You’re not off the hook.” Simone warned, poking me in the nose.
“Aww, I come on!” I groaned, pulling her into a hug. Luckily she did hug me back but until she could reach behind and untie my ponytail, messing up my hair.
“What the hell?” I protested, trying to reach for the band but she ran behind the couch and no way was I going to chase her for a stupid black rubber band. “Fine keep it. My birthday gift to you.”
Simone just stuck her tongue out, rolling her eyes.
“So what’s going to happen to the Butler? Do we even know his real name?” Drew asked taking the Pringles can and then throwing it on Adrian when he saw it was empty.
“Yeah Angelo something.” Colton answered.
“Of course it has to be Italian.” Ira rolled her eyes.
Just then mom came in, looking pretty pleased. “We got the warrant for Angelo’s house. Had to do a lot of explaining as to how we got the clue. But thankfully catching an Italian mafia drug dealer and murderer is more important than two teenagers digging up empty coffins.”
“And?” I prompted, feeling a surge of excitement.
“And…” Mom grinned. “… the police crashed his place, found boxes of cocaine, the same ones found in those soft toys and Victoria’s jewellery. Along with them were many illegal guns and rifles. Sadly they couldn’t find Angelo.”
“What!” I exclaimed in horror.
“You gotta be kidding me!” Colton joined.
“Yeah.” mom shrugged, “they found his prints so he is definitely going away but he’s a drug dealer, he knows people, he knows places and he knows to hide, pretty damn well. The whole police force is searching for him. We’ll catch him.” She reassured.
“Did Abel know?” Nathan asked.
Mom shook his head. “Nope, he was just as shocked. Angelo was his butler since 9 years and never once caused any trouble. Silent, sharp, punctual, stern, just the type to become a deadly mafia leader.”
“And Victoria? She must have known whom she was dealing with.” Simone said, leaning over with interest.
“Angelo was smart. He had his people do all the work. Victoria only dealt with someone named ‘Ether’ which is obviously a fake name and she had never once met him. The time and place was said over a call routed through the internet, so untraceable. And once she did meet a guy, he was nothing like Angelo. In fact, she’s pretty pissed that a butler screwed her life up, it’s an insult to her ego it seems.” Mom rolled her eyes in antipathy. “In fact, without that book cipher we might have never even known it was Angelo, he would put the blame on someone else and freely roam the streets right under our noses.”
“Why did he kill them?”
“We don’t know that for sure but it looks like Nick wanted out, he wanted to start clean and you can’t do that once you become a part of the mafia so Angelo killed him. Raul saw this from his window but didn’t rat out with the fear that he might be chopped off next. After the court, he felt super guilty and decided to tell the truth which is why he was killed too.” Mom explained, taking a sip of water. “It’s the mafia, for them, it is do what we say or die.”
“At least Rodrigo is innocent.” I muttered.
Mom grinned. “Yes, I won the case!”
“So what? We just wait now?” Drew grumbled.
“Pretty much.” Mom replied, much to Drew’s displeasure. “We can’t really do anything. The techs are searching through his phones, laptops whatever gadgets they can find and the police is reaching out to their contacts and picking up all the members of this gang.”
“I can’t believe I missed it all.” Simone groaned again, glaring at me.
I cowered back, best friend or not, that girl could kill with those glares.
“Where’s Josh?” Mom asked, looking around in surprise.
“Sulking upstairs.” I answered. “He’s still pissed that we solved it all without telling him. ‘I no longer want to be in this family where sharing stuff seems so impossible.’ He shouted and then banged the door shut.”
Mom groaned, shaking her head. “I’ll go talk to him, you kids behave and don’t do anything stupid.”
“As if we would do that.” I snorted in disbelief.
I gulped and looked down when everyone who was present gave a glare of incredulity, I took half a step back with hands in the air as a gesture of surrender.
Apparently, no one trusted me anymore.
Mom shook her head and walked upstairs while we all just sat talking about stupid stuff while I tried my best to ignore the death glares Simone kept giving me.
“Well, I have to go and get fired now.” Mike said, standing up with a torn up look.
I gave him a sad smile. “Sorry about that.”
He shrugged, “Eh I stayed with dead and apparently missing bodies so.”
I nodded and felt my heart clenching at the sudden realization that my father was still missing or at least his body was. He noticed my fallen expression and instantly apologized but I just waved him a goodbye. I honestly didn’t want to talk about it.
“Well, I am going to go take out the trash.” I mumbled after a few minutes. I just needed some space to think about everything.
This all happened so fast that I hadn’t had the time to take it all in. the cemetery, digging up an empty coffin, Colton saying ‘I love you’ in a sentence, finding an encrypted code, mom arriving, decoding the book cipher and finally knowing who the killer was a lot to comprehend. And the fact that there was no clue about the whereabouts of my father made me want to ball up in a corner and cry.
Luckily they all understood and didn’t say a word when I went out without the trash in my hand.
I leaned against the wall and stared up at the night sky. I gulped as I saw the stars blinking, there weren’t many tonight but a few still shined, and right now I hated them. Because until yesterday I believed my father was among them, looking over me, watching me, and missing me but right now I believed that he didn’t care at all, didn’t care for me, my brother, or even the apparent love of his life, his wife.
I scoffed, “Stupid blinky shiny shit.” I shouted at the stars.
Taking out my phone, I dialed a number I hadn’t dialed in over three years. The second the ringing started I almost cut the call but breathed in, knowing I had to this if I wanted answers.
After a few rings finally, the person answered, clearly in surprise but the tone suggested he knew this was long due.
“Hello, Racheal.”
I bit my lip at hearing the voice, it was a voice I could never forget. It had haunted me for so long, every time I slept his words would cause me a nightmare. “Uncle Joe.”
He was one of my father’s best friends and worked with the police, he was the one who had come to the house with the news of my father’s death. ‘I am sorry Racheal’ he had said over a million times and each time I hated him when he said that. He retired a week after that incident but checked upon us for a year until he moved to a new city.
I heard him sigh. “I saw the news, I have been expecting a call. I just thought it would come from your mother and not you.”
I couldn’t say I wasn’t surprised that my mother hadn’t called him but I also knew she couldn’t deal with the facts now, being certain that her husband had been dead for four years and then suddenly not knowing if that was true was more than she could handle. So she drowned in the case, diverting her mind.
“She’s been busy.” I answered.
“I know.” He whispered. “I have kept a track of you.”
I snorted, wanting to shout at him for not even calling us for the last three years. I sad part of me had missed him, he was the closest thing to a father then.
“I am sorry Racheal.” He continued. “It was just too difficult for me.”
This time I couldn’t control it. “Difficult for you? I lost my dad, my mother lost her husband and Josh lost his role model and you are saying it was difficult for you? Our whole family was hanging on a cliff and then you suddenly disappeared with a stupid text message – Moving to a new city. Take care and be happy. As if that was going to solve all our problems. I am sure dad is proud of you.”
“Racheal hon-”
I shook my head, tears glistening under my eyelids. “No uncle I just called to know the truth. You were there with dad that night, you were supposed to be right beside him, have his back. So what happened? We dug up an empty coffin, do you have any idea how hard that was for me? Digging up my own father’s coffin and finding it empty, not knowing what happened. It was hell, it was torture. So all I ask is, is my father really dead or not?”
I waited, one hand over my heart and one clutching the phone tightly. I didn’t even know what answer I wanted to hear. Yes, it would be heart-breaking to go through the fact that my father would really be dead and that his burned body was moved away from the coffin. But then again, it would be equally heart-wrenching, knowing that we were living a lie for four years, mourned for years for a person who wasn’t dead, cried more than once every week for a man who faked his own death leaving his family behind.
“Hey, you okay?” I jumped up at the sound, turning behind. Colton looked at me with worry, his eyes scanning my teary face. “You have been gone for over 20 minutes, taking out trash takes 5 minutes.”
I tried to smile at his lame attempt to joke. “Too much trash, way too much.” I whispered.
He nodded slowly, coming closer and sneaking one hand over my waist and pulling me into his chest. “Let’s take it out together. I’ll help you.” he mumbled into my hair, kissing them softly.
That action only made me cry harder. Who knew ‘taking out the trash’ could turn romantic? “Thank you.” I mumbled into his chest.
He just squeezed my waist a little. “Who are you talking to?”
“Oh yeah!” I pressed the phone closer to my ear. “Uncle?”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
I blinked in shock at the sudden question. “Huh?”
Uncle repeated. “Boyfriend? He seems to love you a lot.”
Involuntarily I blushed, my heart racing at just the thought of him loving me. I could feel Colton’s smile as his face settled near my neck. And when he didn’t deny it, my I felt the zoo come alive in my stomach.
Don’t need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo.
I cleared my throat. “Yes, boyfriend and what does it matter?”
“Because honey there are times in life when you need someone to lean on, and I am so glad you found that someone.” His answer floored me, left me speechless.
I even felt Colton stiffen as he heard those words. He leaned a little back and my heart clenched in fright, afraid that Uncle’s words had given him second thoughts about us. Instead, what he did surprised me even more, he smiled, that beautiful striking smile of his, and then kissed my forehead. “See how lucky you are, you found him.”
I felt my heart swell, I smiled back and him and stood on my toes to kiss him on the cheeks. “You are amazing.”
I could feel his heartbeat quicken and I smiled mentally at the effect I had on him. “I know.” He replied cockily.
Turning back to the call, I asked again. “What about dad?”
“Get away from each other!” I harsh sound cut through the night, freezing both me and Colton.
Instead of getting away from me, Colton’s hand tightened around my waist, pulling me even closer to him.
We turned very slowly, I lowered my hand unnoticed by the interrupter. We both let out a gasp at the sight.
Angelo stood there, the murderer and drug dealer. Holding a gun in his hand pointed right at our head. He didn’t blink, didn’t flinch. It seemed as if this is something he did every night after his desert and sadly a part of me knew it was true. This was his job after all.
He looked terrifying, his face half-hidden in the shadows but the built was definitely his. When I had seen him in the court he looked like a butler, a submissive but that was clearly an act. Right now he looked ready to kill and he definitely didn’t seem the type to regret it.
“Racheal Smith.” His voice was throaty, threatening. “The first time I saw you, you were kneeling over your father’s grave crying four years ago. I didn’t think I would see you again after that but then your stupid mother had to take this case.”
I flinched, cringing at the thought of him watching me crying that to four years back.
“You are quite the Sherlock aren’t you huh?” he taunted, his hand moving and the gun with it. My eyes followed the gun, I had never been held at gunpoint and it was insanely petrifying.
But instead of my whole flashing before my eyes, all I could think was those action films I saw. Maybe if I kicked high enough, the gun would jump off his hand and fall right into mine. Or if I took a step forward I could kick him in the nuts. Or maybe do a long flip and land on his neck, twisting it. Or maybe show my boobs and distract him. That always seems to work.
“I didn’t think you could solve those clues, hell I didn’t even know old Ashton had left them. That sly little dog.” Angelo shook his head in contemplation. “I should have just killed him when I had the chance.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
Angelo smirked. “Oh, right I forgot you don’t know. Well, this should be fun!” his lips formed into a small smug grin and in the darkness, you could see his gold front teeth shining.
I mentally hoped one of the guys had seen us outside with him and called the cops. I mean no one takes this long to take out the trash.
Suddenly I heard muffled shouts and looked down, I had actually forgotten Uncle Joe was still on call. He must have definitely heard it all and must have called the cops. Phew!
Angelo caught the screams and stiffened. “Who is that?”
I gulped thinking of answer.
“It’s a friend, we were talking to him.” Colton answered.
“Cut the call.” Angelo shouted in a whisper, the gun in his hand straining at my forehead.
“O-okay.” I stuttered, my trembling hand going over the end call button.
“Now!” Angelo shouted.
“Don’t fucking shout!” Another voice boomed.
I had almost cut the call, when I heard Uncle’s voice at the same time. “Racheal about your dad-”
I focused on the new voice that came from our right side. I let out a breath of disbelief and blinked more than a few times.
“I think I found the answer.” I whispered in a hoarse tone, cutting the call and still staring at the new person.
He looked a bit old, his beard had grown fully, his eyes were strained on Angelo but kept glancing at me, his hand held a gun pointed at Angelo, a pissed-off expression on his face. He was wearing full black clothes, what he wore when he went on those deadly missions.
I blinked again still finding it hard to believe what I was seeing. It wasn’t easy to suddenly see a living breathing person when you assumed he had burned to death four years back. And although after the recent events a part of me thought he was alive, I just wasn’t ready to face it so soon.
Finding my voice after a few seconds, I found the courage to utter the word to the person I never thought I would see again. “Dad?”
“Well isn’t this joy? Now I get to shot father and daughter.” Angelo said, smiling like a devil.
And then two shots rang through the night.
~~~