by Ellie Mack
“What do you want to do with her clothes?” I asked as I put the shifter in park.
“I don’t know. I was thinking that maybe each of us could get a couple pieces then donate the rest.” Tara fidgeted with the zipper on her jacket staring down at her lap.
“I was thinking the same. Is that where you want to start, the clothes? That seems like it would be the easiest.” I reached into the back seat, grabbing the box of boxes and bags to carry inside.
Tara’s hand shook as she moved to put the key in the lock.
We both held our breath for a moment before the lock clicked and the door opened.
It was dark and dreary. It smelled. I swallowed hard forcing my nerves to calm down. “We can do this Tara. Let’s just go to the bedroom.”
The lingering smell in the bedroom was that smell of cancer that we had grown used to over the course of time. Anyone who has been around a family member on hospice knows that smell. Now, it hit us full force. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, I coughed as the stench filled my nose. “Let’s start simple. The underwear and bras go in the trash. The bedding trash.”
I opened the top drawer, taking the undergarments out and tossing them into the first black trash bag. “Hey, why don’t you go outside and call the number on the side of that dumpster at Mr. Hubert’s house and see if we can get one delivered here.”
Tara nodded and quickly disappeared out the door. I knew it would be harder on her while I could muster through. Or, so I thought until reaching into the back of Mom’s drawer, finding a cigar box with our report cards.
The tears threatened, but I managed to keep them at bay by setting the box on top of the dresser and pressing on. Then the second drawer that held her shirts had another box at the back. I didn’t dare open it, I just set it on top with the other one.
In the third drawer was a larger box without a lid. I tried not to look, but they were just there. The box was filled with pictures. Family pictures of us, pictures of Mom and Dad’s wedding, pictures of Grandma and Grandpa. I wasn’t expecting this. Why I didn’t think about pictures, I don’t know.
Tara returned and found me sitting in the middle of the bed bawling like a baby with the pictures spread out. Mom and Dad looked happy. Their wedding was beautiful. Then the photos of Mom showed her deterioration. First, the breast cancer, then remission, then the bone cancer. God, I missed her so much! It was so hard seeing her life ebb away in photos before me.
Tara hugged me and we rocked together crying. Eventually, we pulled it together and continued, vowing not to open any other keepsake boxes until we got back to our apartment. We took a break to eat some lunch, then continued to empty Mom’s closet. Most of the clothes would go to donations. We both decided to keep a few of Mom’s scarves, and favorite jewelry and donate the rest. Shoes were easy, Mom wore a size six shoe, while Tara wore an eight and mine were eight and a half.
Tara drove to the donation drop off while I tackled the kitchen. By the time she returned I’d already filled three boxes with dishes, cookware, and utensils. I had two full bags of trash from emptying the refrigerator. I didn’t want to have to come back, but we had only managed two rooms and it was getting dark. Neither of us wanted to spend the night.
Tara suggested that we splurge for a night at a hotel and tackle it again in the morning. That sounded like a great plan to me. We stuffed the kitchen trash into the trashcans for pickup and left the rest in the front room to toss in the dumpster when it arrived.
First thing, I jumped in the shower having dealt with the spoiled food in the fridge and I felt gross. While Tara took her shower, I decided to call Luke. He had had to go to the headquarters nearly every weekend unless he had a match. He didn’t have any classes on Friday, so he often flew out on Thursday night. By the time we got back to my apartment, now Tara and my apartment, he should be arriving at the airport.
“Hey Babe. How’s it going? Getting familiar with the new job?”
“It’s so good to hear your voice. Today has been a nightmare. Can you give me a few minutes to call you right back? I just got to my room.” He sounded agitated.
“Sure.”
I unwrapped the towel I had around me and started putting my clothes back on. They were dirty, but I wasn’t about to unpack any of Mom’s clothes that smelled like cancer. Maybe they didn’t and I imagined it, but I could handle my own sweaty clothes. I slipped on my sneakers and headed towards the front desk to see what sort of food was available in the area. The hotel was across town from Mom’s house in a neighborhood, which we were not familiar. Amazing how something can be so close to home yet non-existent in our sphere of travel.
I passed the pool on the way to the front, wishing that Tara and I had suits to relax in the hot tub. I didn’t see the usual wooden rack of flyers for local attractions anywhere, but this was a small town. “Excuse me, can you tell me what restaurants are around here?”
The man behind the desk smiled almost sneeringly at me, reached under the cabinet, and handed me a pamphlet.
“Thanks,” I turned, heading back to my room and said under my breath “jerk”.
Tara was dressed and searching the drawer of the desk when I returned with the pamphlet. “Oh, thank God! I thought I was going to have to start gnawing on the desk.”
My phone rang, so I handed her the pamphlet answering before looking at the number. I had been on pins and needles waiting for Luke to call.
“Decide what you want.” I headed onto the balcony as I answered. “Hello?”
“Hey Baby.” It was followed by a deep sigh.
“A lot of stuff has been going on around here. Some of it, I think is possibly illegal.”
“Are you serious?” I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was completely serious.
“Unfortunately, yes. I looked at files that I downloaded a few weeks ago and they are disturbing. I think this is related to Devon’s case of dead homeless men.”
This didn’t make any sense. “How in the world does this have anything to do with his case two states away?”
“I’m almost certain that it does. I’ll fill you in on all the details when I get back tomorrow.” He was silent for several seconds before continuing. “Roxy, if anything happens to me, remember Nino Diablo. Give it to Devon. I’m afraid that they have tapped my phone and my computer. I know they are monitoring everything I do at work.”
“Why would anything happen to you? You’re scaring me.”
“I’m scared Roxy. I have seen files I shouldn’t have. I know things I shouldn’t. I need you to do something for me, call me back in a bit on my phone. I’ll pretend that I fell asleep. Act like we didn’t talk yet and you can tell me how it’s going with your Mom’s house.”
“OK, now you’re really scaring me.”
“The number for this phone should show up on caller ID, right? This is a burner I picked up. After this time, any messages should be left on this one.”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Good. I love you Rox. More than anything. Give me a few minutes to get back to the room then call me.”
“I love you, too. I will.”
I stared at my phone. What in the world was he talking about? This was crazy. What kind of mess had he gotten himself mixed up with? I popped back in to see what Tara had decided for food.
“So what’s it going to be?”
“There’s a burger place just down the street, or a bar and grill over on third.”
“How about the bar and grill? Burgers don’t sound good.”
“Great, let’s go.”
I nervously fiddled with my phone.
“Tara?”
“Yeah?”
“I think Luke is in trouble. He said he found some files that might be, something about being illegal. I don’t know, I’m confused but he sounded extremely upset. I need to wait a few minutes then call him back.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. As long as you don’t take too long, I’m starving.” She grabbed her purse
and crossed her arms angrily. Her stomach chose that Moment to growl in protest.
I stepped back out and made the call he requested, puzzled by the carefree tone he had.
“Oh hey Roxy. I’m sorry I was going to call. I fell asleep. These long days are catching up with me. Can we wait until tomorrow to catch up when I get back? Can’t wait to see you. I love you, Baby.”
“Yeah, sure, Luke. That’s fine. We’ll talk then.”
When I opened the sliding glass door, Tara jumped to her feet. “Ready?”
“Yeah. That was weird.”
“Let’s talk about it over food.”
CHAPTER 15
Luke was a nervous wreck. He did his job thoroughly, but felt like he was being watched nonstop. Earlier in the week, he had worked up the nerve to look at the files on his flash drive. He read the full report on the library’s computer because he discovered spyware on his own laptop. He was certain that whoever was in charge of this project, whether it was from Mr. Reinholz or someone else was monitoring him. He couldn’t trust his phone. He couldn’t trust his computer. He suspected that “they” had eyes on him everywhere. He wouldn’t doubt if there was a hidden camera in his hotel room and bugs in his apartment. Maybe he was paranoid, but maybe that paranoia might keep him alive.
He made a thorough check of everything during the walkthrough. A couple of times, he noticed a man lingering about thirty feet behind him in a lab coat. When he entered the production building where he had first overseen the files, a new maintenance man watched his moves intently.
He wished with every fiber that he had not seen the file. He had a sick feeling in his gut as he viewed and studied the file in its entirety. He was certain that these were the same men as the victim’s in the case that Devon was working on.
As he climbed the stairs of the catwalk, he noticed the same new maintenance man at the opposite end of the catwalk, adjusting the settings for the lights. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. This was more than a coincidence. This was the fourth time that this particular maintenance man happened to be in his path. He avoided eye contact with him, feeling his pulse quicken with each step closer.
He was glad that he hid the flash drive. He had wanted to tell Roxy in detail, make her repeat it to him so that he knew she understood. He hated himself for putting her in danger. Twice he had referenced the stuffed bear that she deemed Nino Diablo. He prayed that she would connect the dots.
He made his way back to the main office, noticing that the maintenance man was heading in the same direction. For a Moment, Luke wondered if they were going to shoot him on the premise out in the open across the courtyard but reasoning took over and he realized that if anything they would escort him somewhere else and more than likely disappear.
He silently prayed for protection for Roxy. Luke swallowed hard. He had made a copy of the flash drive and put it in a safety deposit box at his bank. He had failed to contact Devon where to find the evidence he needed to solve this mess. Now it may be too late.
He turned his phone on, debating whether to call her or text her. He needed to talk to her. Needed to hear her voice and tell her how much he loved her in case . . . well, he tried not to let his imagination get the better of him.
The phone call was brief, but he told her he loved her. He got to hear her voice and if they had tapped his phone, he didn’t give anything away. He tucked it into the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket.
He nervously finished the paperwork, putting it in the appropriate slot. Luke gathered his things, clearing out everything that he had brought in to personalize his space. If he made it out of here alive, he would go straight to Devon and never have anything to do with this mess again.
“Mr. Reinholz would like to speak to you.” It was Anjelo DeMarco, the driver assigned to take him to the airport. He stood perfectly still in his white Van Heusen shirt, black tie, and black dress trousers. Devon noticed the expensive snake skin boots that Anjelo wore.
Devon hesitated for several seconds until Javier urged him into the sedan.
CHAPTER 16
Tara and I got up early the next morning and hit the free breakfast buffet provided at the hotel. Since we couldn’t make use of the pool or other amenities, we figured the food would have to suffice.
There were a few other guests, mostly middle aged and elderly couples. I didn’t see any small children while we were there; I guess they were late risers.
Tara and I wanted to get an early start on Mom’s house since it was a much bigger job than we had bargained for. I never really thought that we had a lot, but going through all of it, I realize that people collect stuff as they get older.
Mom was not a hoarder by any means. Her house was uncluttered. She always kept it clean and tidy. But, when we started going through the closets the previous day, I realized Mom had a lot of stuff. By the time I had emptied the fridge, and threw what little remained in the trash, I decided we should make a plan of attack for what to tackle the net day..
We had already resolved that it was going to require more than one weekend to tackle the house. So today, we would decide what to do with the furniture and go through our bedrooms. Both Tara and I had stuff remaining at Mom’s house and it needed our attention first.
By noon, we were ready for a break. With another load in the car for donations, we headed out for some lunch at our favorite deli. We swung by the local grocery store to get some more boxes, and then headed back in for a couple more hours before driving back to my apartment, now Tara and mine. If we timed it correctly, we would be home with enough time to clean up before Luke and Devon arrived.
By three o’clock, we were putting the last box into the back seat when Luke called.
“Hey! Good to hear from you.”
“Hey, Roxy. Getting ready to board the plane in about fifteen minutes. Cannot wait to see you. It has been a grueling day. Can you order us something for around six? I’m starving.”
“Sure thing, Babe. Is that when you plan to get there?”
“Yes. I should make it right at six. How’s the house going?”
“Ugh. Much more stuff than we planned on. It is going to take at least another weekend, maybe two. We’re going to have a dumpster delivered during the week, and then we can toss out everything we don’t need or can’t donate.”
“Sounds like you ladies are handling it. Sorry I can’t be there to provide manpower.”
“Really? If I recall correctly, I benched more than you on Wednesday.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t remember.”
Tara secured the lids on the trashcans before dragging them to the end of the driveway. “Reminded me of that first workout. You remember?”
“Of course. I thought you were trying to kill me or get rid of me. Since I wasn’t going to quit, I assumed you were planning to kill me.”
“Wuss. I was not that hard on you.”
“Domina Roxanne.”
“Shut. Up.” I swiped my hair behind my ear, blushing as if Tara could hear the comment. There are some things you just did not want your sister to know.
A hearty chuckle came from Luke through the phone.
“I’ve improved a lot since then. So glad I stuck it out and got to know you. You are the best part of my life, Roxy. I love you. Roxy?”
“Yeah?”
“I really do love you with my whole heart. I’m sorry for all the trouble with this job. It has been difficult with these weekly trips. It has taken time away from you, and you are the most important part of my life. Would you still want to marry me if I were unemployed for a while? Or if I took a part-time position somewhere else?”
“Of course I would. I don’t love you just for your money. Are you getting fired or something?”
“No, of course not. I am just tired I guess. It has been a hectic day and I have had to walk over the entire campus here about five times. It’s nothing to worry about. I love you. Can’t wait to see you.”
“Love you too, Lu
ke. See you at six.” With a sigh, I stuck my phone in my back pocket and grabbed the keys. “We ready to roll?”
Tara nodded and climbed into the passenger seat.
Between good songs on the radio and intermittent conversation, the time passed quickly. We were about ten miles away from our exit when I got a call.
I told Tara to grab the wheel while I lifted up to get my phone out of my back pocket. It was Luke’s Mom, Linda Reed. Why on earth would she be calling me? I figured Luke must have told her about Mom passing away and maybe she wanted to talk about wedding arrangements.
I handed the phone over to Tara to answer.
“Hello? No, this is her sister, Tara. If you could hold on just a minute, I’ll give her the phone.”
I pulled over on the side of the highway, putting the car in park. I whispered to Tara “Reach back there and get us some water while I take this.” I shifted in my seat. “Hello? Mrs. Reed?”
“Roxanne, Honey. I . . .” Her voice broke on the other end.
“It’s OK, Mrs. Reed. We knew she had cancer, knew she was going downhill. It’s always unexpected even when you expect it.”
“Oh Honey, I’m so sorry. I know, you’ve been through a lot already. It isn’t that. It’s Luke. There’s been an accident.”
CHAPTER 17
Anymore, when things go smoothly, it is almost a given setup for disaster. Murphy was an optimist! Circumstances are always subject to change.
“Roxanne, you don’t understand. It's . . . ”
It was all I heard before I ended the call.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital. We are almost there.” I hung up before she could finish her statement.
Of course! Suddenly, I was furious. I didn't blame him, but I blamed the fates that seemed to plot against me. I didn’t understand how things could go from such a good place in my life to devastation in such a short time.
The tears came unbidden. I couldn’t stop them. I swiped at my face. Through the veil of tears, I punched out a message in text. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Love you! Maybe I will play nurse for you back at the apartment.
