Carl exited the bathroom with a towel tied around his waist, then headed into his room.
I went to my bedroom and sat on the bed. Carl was right—everything was basically the way I’d left it three years ago after the funeral. I didn’t remember it being as clean though, but I’m sure I had him to thank for it.
I stretched out on my back and folded my arms behind my head.
A few minutes later, Carl appeared in my doorway dressed in a dark blue jeans and a yellow cotton shirt. He’d obviously had a shave.
“You asleep?” he asked.
“No,” I answered, sitting up.
“I’m heading out now. Got an early lunch date with Tamara. You remember her, don’t you?”
“You mean Tamara Hinsley—Mom’s best friend’s daughter?”
“Yeah—her. She was at the funeral…”
“Yeah, I know. She’s a nice girl. Always had her eyes on you since you were sixteen.”
“Sure…right.” He managed a slight smile. “So, what’re you up to?”
I rubbed my chin. “Rob and Samantha are in town and they’re coming over for a while.”
“Yeah. You said on the phone you guys had some catching up to do.”
I was beginning to wonder if this was the same guy who’d treated me so coldly when I arrived. I figured his conscience had gotten to him.
“Anyway, I’m off. A spare of keys for the house are on the kitchen counter.”
“Thanks, bro.”
After Carl pulled off in his jeep, I carried my luggage into my bedroom and pulled out the chardonnay I’d brought with me from New Mexico. I figured our first meeting in decades should be one celebrated with a quality white wine and good conversation before we embarked on the mission at hand.
Immediately, I placed the wine in the freezer so that it would be chilled by the time the guys got here.
4
_________________
I nervously checked my watch several times before Sam and Rob were due to arrive. The time we’d settled on was one o’clock.
I paced back and forth through the living room, then went on the back porch at one point and caught a smoke. I’d quit smoking a year earlier, but couldn’t resist a pack of Marlboros while grabbing my coffee at the airport. Mom would’ve been disappointed if she knew I’d relapsed, if only once. She never understood how I’d managed to pick up such a bad habit and had warned me over and repeatedly that I could be looking at a future with lung cancer if I didn’t quit. After a few years of enduring her stern rebuke, I finally decided to take heed and I quit cold turkey.
Needless to say how proud she was of me. Yet, here I am now—trying to smoke away my anxiety over meeting with a girl I’d known practically all of my childhood. I shook my head in disgust, tossed the cigarette to the ground and squashed it with my shoe. I resented the idea that a grown man like me could be so shamefully weak. Sam was like one of the guys and that’s how I needed to remember her.
I heard a vehicle pull up. It was definitely one of them. I sprang up, hurried inside and closed the door behind me, then rushed over to the front room window to get a peak outside. Sam and Rob were exiting a black Camry and suddenly, at the sight of Sam, my knees felt weak. I realized I was behaving like a punk again, but there was nothing I do to stop the nervousness that had cruelly resurfaced. I hurried over to the rectangular mirror attached to the wall at the front of the hallway, ensuring I still looked presentable in my light brown trousers and white dress shirt I was wearing. I straightened my collar and did a final pat of my slicked back hair and figured right then and there it was now or never.
The doorbell rang, and convincing myself to man up, I coolly walked over and opened the door.
“Hewey!” Rob exclaimed on the other side. Sam was standing behind him.
“My man!” I said, as we immediately locked into a bear hug.
“It’s been ages!” he said. “Before you called, I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever see one another again.”
“I was beginning to wonder the same thing.”
Smiling, Sam stepped forward. “Hey, Hewey.”
Rob stepped aside.
“Sam…it’s really good to see you,” I told her, mesmerized by how beautiful she was. She was always breathtaking, but adulthood had been even kinder to her. She almost looked like a different person, especially since she was actually wearing a dress that day. It was literally the first time I’d ever seen Sam in a dress, not to mention the makeup which enhanced her natural beauty.
“Don’t I get a hug?” she asked. “Rob here got his. What am I—chopped liver?”
I stepped outside and gave her a warm hug, remembering that she was a lady—now, more than ever—and I didn’t want to let her go.
Rob cleared his throat. “I think it’s been like five minutes you two have been locked in this position. My bear hug wasn’t even a good ten seconds.”
Sam and I chuckled as we gently parted ways.
“When did you guys arrive in town?” I asked.
“I flew in yesterday,” Rob indicated. “Sam got here a couple of hours ago.”
“I just landed after ten,” I said. “Oh! Don’t know what I was thinking…please come inside, guys.”
“Bro, it’s been decades!” Rob exclaimed, having a seat on the sofa.
Sam sat on the couch where I joined her while leaving ample space between us, of course.
“Yeah. Twenty-five years to be exact,” I replied.
“Has it really been that long?” Sam asked.
“Yep.” I nodded. “Time surely flies. After we graduated high school in ‘98, we all went to college and that was it.”
“Strange how that happened for the three of us, huh?” Sam crossed her legs. Her black, sleeveless dress stopped a couple of inches above her knees revealing her flawless skin, while her red painted toenails poked through the open front tip of her black shoes.
“I guess we all just wanted to get the hell outta this town, especially after what we’d been through,” Rob remarked.
“Certainly was true for me,” Sam noted. “I dreaded the thought that what happened before could possibly happen again. Even tried to convince my peeps that we should all just pack up and move to another city, if not another country altogether. But Mom and Dad thought what happened here in Eppington could happen anywhere else and there was no sense in running. Rob’s peeps obviously saw things differently since they got out of here, eventually.”
“Surely did.” Rob agreed. “When I went away to college, they moved to Dallas. Been there ever since.”
“I see you moved to a whole other country,” I said to Sam.
She sighed. “To be honest, every day I spent here since that spacecraft appeared and even throughout my college years, I was fearful. I couldn’t imagine having to live through another nightmare like that, so as quick as I could get through law school, I went as far away from this country as I could. Figured France was far enough. I took some extra courses while there and passed the French bar exam, and it wasn’t long before I landed a good job working for a major company in their legal department.”
“So, you weren’t practicing—like in a courtroom?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No and that’s fine with me. I figured if I ever started my own practice, that’s when the courtroom drama’ll come in.”
“And we know drama’s right up your alley!” Rob said.
“Very funny.” Sam smiled. “By the way…where’s Carl, Hewey?”
“Out on a lunch date,” I replied.
“Ooh!” She winked. “Have you met her yet?”
“She’s actually a friend of the family.”
“I see.”
“So, how are you guys’ folks doing?” I asked both of them.
“My folks are chilling, man,” Rob replied. “Said leaving this town was the best decision they ever made.”
“Good to know they’re happy where they are,” I said.
“Mom and Dad are doing okay,
” Sam answered. “Retired now and enjoying every minute of it, even though Mom says having Dad around her twenty-four-seven drives her nuts sometimes.”
I grinned. “Imagine that! What about your sister, Taylor? What’s she up to these days?”
“She works as an editor in New York and just got engaged. He’s a wonderful guy; worships the ground she walks on. The wedding’s set for next year June.”
“Wow! That’s great.” I smiled.
She then leaned forward, holding her wine glass above her knees. “Hewey, I’m really sorry about what happened to your Mom and Dad. I meant to call you, but…”
“It’s okay. Believe me,” I quickly interjected.
“No, it’s not. I didn’t have your phone number at the time, but I could’ve found out what it was. I just thought that maybe I’d be intruding in your life after we hadn’t been in touch for so long.”
“I understand,” I replied, although I really didn’t. I couldn’t fathom what would make her think she’d be intruding in my life.
“It was quite a shock when I did find out,” Rob added. “If I’d known earlier, I would’ve flown down for the funeral.”
“It’s really okay, guys. We’d lost touch, so I didn’t expect any of you to be there. I know if things were different…”
“Yes, if things were different, we would’ve been a real support to you at a time like that and I’m sorry we weren’t here for you,” Sam expressed.
“I know.” I cleared my throat. “Now, if you guys don’t mind, how about we leave all of that in the past?”
She and Rob glanced at each other. They must’ve figured right then that it was a topic I wasn’t really comfortable discussing.
“I have some chardonnay chilling in the freezer. Can I offer you guys a drink? If not, I’m gonna have one anyway.”
“Sure. I’d love one,” Sam replied.
“Need you ask?” Rob looked at me incredulously.
I went to the kitchen, retrieved three wine glasses from the cabinet and poured out the chardonnay. I’d located Mom’s tray in the exact spot she’d always kept it and rested the glasses on top.
“Here you are.” I returned to the living room, allowing Sam and Rob to each grab a glass.
After placing the tray on the center table, I sat down with mine.
“Hmm…this is good.” Sam uttered, after having a sip.
“Came all the way from France right to my front door in New Mexico,” I revealed.
“You ordered it online?” she asked, curiously.
“Yep.”
“Expensive taste.”
“With all that money Hewey makes in that software company of his, he can easily afford it,” Rob commented.
“You’re talking about me, Mr. Bistro owner with multiple locations?” I said.
Sam grinned. “We all did pretty well for ourselves, didn’t we?”
I leaned back comfortably on the couch. “We surely did, despite everything.”
Rob was nodding. “My mom wanted me to be an engineer like you, but you know how much I love food—opening a bistro was the only way to go.”
Sam and I had a good chuckle. Rob had clearly packed on at least an extra thirty pounds since we were kids and considering the industry he was in and how much he liked to eat, the fact that he’d gained so much weight was no surprise to me. He still wore his extra poundage pretty well though.
The guys and I spent the greater part of an hour reminiscing about old times and how much fun we had being mischievous. Jase’s name came up a few times in jest and soon I noticed the atmosphere of our conversing had gradually changed from cheerful to slightly dismal.
“I guess we’d better get to the reason we’re all here today,” I finally said.
“Yeah.” Sam agreed.
“Any of you seen Jeffreys since we left?” Rob asked.
“I haven’t,” Sam replied. “Honestly, I rarely came home for visits, and when I did, I was never here that long.”
“I saw Jeffreys a couple of years before my folks…” I paused, not wanting to bring the accident thing up again. “I went to his house to see how he was doing, but he was so different—merely a shell of the man he’d been before Hugo died.”
“He must’ve taken Hugo’s death so hard,” Rob said.
“Yeah. That dog was his only family and best friend in the world,” I returned.
Sam was quiet; obviously contemplating Jeffreys’ loss.
“We spoke for a while, but just random stuff. I got the sense he didn’t get many visitors and probably wasn’t keen on it anyway.”
“He never was very sociable to begin with,” Sam noted. “So, it made sense that he’d isolate himself even more after losing Hugo. Poor guy.”
I rested my half-empty glass of chardonnay on the center table. “I think speaking with Jeffreys, just for us to put our heads together to get a recap of what happened when everyone else was being held captive, would be a good starting point for us. What do you guys think?”
“I agree,” Sam said. “Then we can check in with some of the other neighbors around here who were confined along with Jase and his mom.”
“Chief Mays too,” I suggested.
“Good idea.” Rob nodded. “It’s been twenty-five years. That’s way too long for us not knowing what happened to our best friend and his mom. Someone has to do something about it and it has to be us.”
“You’re right,” Sam replied. “I’d like to think if the same thing happened to me and one of my peeps that you guys would do whatever you could to find out what happened.”
“That’s what friends are for.” I picked up my wine again.
We decided to use the rest of the day to get settled and to embark on our quest the following day after breakfast.
5
_________________
The next day…
“Why in the world are you staying at a hotel, Rob?” Sam asked as Rob chauffeured us in his rented Camry. “I knew you guys sold your house a long time ago, but you could’ve stayed with me and my peeps.”
“Because I’m a tourist, that’s why,” he answered. “Don’t I look like one with this big straw hat I’m wearing?”
“You look like something, bro,” I remarked. “Not sure what that is yet.”
Sam chuckled.
“Rob knew he could’ve stayed with me too, but he refused.” I told her.
“Like I said…I’m a tourist whenever I come here and I like to feel like one. Staying with either of you guys would be like I’m a native when being a native here’s a thing of the past for me,” Rob explained.
“You’ll always be a native, Rob.” Sam shook her head. “I see you’re still the same old you.”
Watching them from the back seat reminded me of all the times those two got into it when we were teenagers.
“Same old me for sure,” Rob responded, quite happily. “What…?” He glanced her way. “You were hoping adulthood would change me?”
“Not for a second.” She sighed. “I love the annoying little dimwit you’ve always been.
“And I love you too.” He leaned over to her; his shoulder meeting hers.
She shoved him slightly. “Focus on the road, big boy.”
Rob had grown up physically, but he still had a playful side to him. While Sam, Jase and I had a more serious demeanor, he balanced us off perfectly.
“Now that our bellies are full, we can go and check on Jeffreys,” he said.
“Right on!” Sam exclaimed.
“I still think we should’ve paid Jeffreys a visit first, instead of leaving the neighborhood, coming back, then having to go right back again to find Chief Mays,” I said. “Seems pretty backwards to me.”
“I’d have to agree with Rob on this one,” Sam replied. “I, personally, don’t do well trying to start my day without first having a nice breakfast and a huge cup of coffee. And by us going to the diner early this morning, it would’ve given Jeffreys more time to wake up and get himself together
too. No sense landing on the man’s doorstep when he might not have had time to at least get his own breakfast and whatever else he needed to get done early. Some folks are crotchety when they wake up in the morning and I have a feeling Jeffreys’ one of ‘em.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s now ten past ten. Good time to show up at anybody’s house.”
“I guess you’re right,” I replied, although I was accustomed to getting up at five-thirty, grabbing a cup of coffee, then diving straight into my work, which had been my daily routine for the past two decades. Breakfast was often taken care of around mid-morning, and lunch, later in the afternoon. Dinner wasn’t a consistent thing for me which means I only ate in the evenings if I was hungry. But I found downing multiple cups of coffee throughout the day significantly decreased my appetite.
As for Jeffreys, I wondered how he was going to react when he saw the three of us again. It was bound to be a real surprise.
“I wanna ask you two a question,” Sam started.
“Shoot!” Rob blurted.
“Why are you guys still single? You’re in your forties now.”
“You go first, Rob,” I said.
He glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “Slickster!’
I just shook my head.
“I almost got married once,” he told Sam.
“What do you mean…almost?” She frowned.
“I’d hired a really sexy Puerto Rican gal to work at one of my bistros. She was perfect in every way you can imagine.”
“So, what happened?” Sam probed.
“Turns out she was really a man.”
I burst out laughing.
“I had no idea,” he continued.
Sam was clearly shocked. “How in the world did you find out?”
Rob suddenly didn’t look so cheery anymore; as a matter of fact, he seemed a little embarrassed. “Well, after we’d gotten engaged, more specifically, a couple of months before our big wedding day was to arrive, I tried convincing her that we ought to test the waters to see if we’re really compatible…if you know what I mean.”
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Hewey Spader Mystery Series Book 3) Page 2
