by S. E. Meyer
Talked him into it?
“I don't remember you needing much convincing,” Anna snarled.
Charlie remained silent.
“Well, now I understand how you feel so I'll make sure it never happens again,” Anna replied. She could see the pain in Charlie's eyes. Wrestling with her thoughts for a moment Anna tilted her head to one side.
“I obviously hurt you. I'm sorry Charlie.”
Anna winced.
“I had no idea you were, um, had feelings for me. If I had known I never would have let it happen.” She touched his face. “Don't worry about it Charlie, forget I mentioned it okay?” Anna said with a squint, her lips pouting again as Charlie set her down on the steps in front of the door.
“Are you going to be okay from here?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah, I think so.” Anna let go of Charlie's arm. She found herself able to stand on her own, no longer swaying like a sapling in a windstorm. “I feel a little better.” Anna made eye contact. “Thank you, Charlie.”
“For what?”
“For everything. For being such a great friend. For taking me out today. I needed that.” She could see in Charlie's eyes he was reconsidering her offer. Anna leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “Goodnight.”
“Anna, I-”
Anna raised her hand and softy touched Charlie's lips, cutting him off. “Shh. You better get home, it's almost curfew, anyway.”
Anna took in a deep breath. “Goodnight Charlie,” she said, patting his chest with her palm before walking into the house and closing the door behind her.
Anna stopped and checked herself in front of the hallway mirror. She ran her fingers through her curls before walking into the living room to find her father watching television.
“What ya watching daddy?” she asked and slumped down next him on the couch.
I could use a distraction.
“Rapid Repo's,” Steven replied. “These guys are crazy. They all live in the same trailer park and they work for the banks, taking back cars and other stuff.”
“Really daddy? Reality TV?” Anna groaned.
“You smell like a brewery, don't you have to work tomorrow?” he asked.
“No, dad, I got fired.”
“That's not funny,” Steven replied and then saw the look on his daughters face. He leaned over, turned off the TV, and then shifted in his chair to face his daughter. “You what? Really? You got fired?”
“Well, suspended anyway. Don't worry Dad, it's temporary.”
“How the hell are we going to pay all the bills without your portion? Your Aunt Delores got laid off this week too. I can't pay for everything around here.”
“You could if you stopped buying things we don' need.”
“What? Is that any way to talk to your father, Anna?”
“Well, what the hell Dad? I noticed the Chefmaster 3000 in the kitchen this morning and I couldn't help notice the new truck in the driveway.”
“That was before I found out Delores was losing her job so the truck’s going back, and the Chefmaster cooks meals all by itself Anna. You throw in the ingredients and it does the rest. I thought it would be more convenient with as much as everyone works around here.”
“One less thing for Delores to do around here I guess,” Anna sniped.
“What's that supposed to mean?” Steven barked.
“Dad, she hardly keeps a job, and she doesn't clean up around here or anything.”
“She cooks everything,” Steven replied.
Burns everything, Anna thought.
“Well, she more or less burns everything, doesn't she?” Steven laughed.
Anna returned the chuckle. “You read my mind Dad.”
“I guess that was my real motivation for buying the Chefmaster,” Steven explained, still giggling. “And the truck, well, come on Anna, I work hard. Doesn't a guy who works hard deserve to have nice things?”
“Yes, Dad. I don't mean to get on you about stuff like that, but it makes little sense.” Anna leaned into her father and rested her head on his shoulder before continuing. “Look at everyone, running around like crazy, working a hundred hours a week, and for what? Just so we can eat, have a roof over our head and stay healthy enough to go back to work? There has to be more to life than this.”
“I'm sorry sweetheart, but that's pretty much what life is. Life's a bit of a bitch, Peanut.”
“I don't think it's right. I want to do things differently. And I'm not your peanut anymore. I'm a grown woman.”
Steven put his arm around Anna. “Oh, you'll always be my peanut. Peanut.” He let out a long sigh. “Oh, the age of youth Anna. The young are always trying to change the world, aren't they?”
There was a sudden loud banging on the front door.
Anna jumped.
Both the ferocity of the walloping, and the rapid succession in which it continued, made the hair on her neck stand up.
Anna eyed her father. “A knock like that at this time of night can only mean one thing,” she breathed.
“The City Patrol?” Steven asked in a whisper.
“Open up! This is the police,” a male voice reverberated through the oak door.
Anna sat still, frozen. The only muscle in her body impervious to the paralyzing fear was her rapidly beating heart.
“Anna, what could they want with us? Everyone was home before curfew.”
There was a moment of silence before a new round of aggression started against the front door.
Anna got up off the couch and gave her father a sideways glance as she headed for the door. “We have to open it,” she whispered.
“This is the police. If this door isn't open in five seconds, we will break it down.”
Steven followed his daughter towards the door as the loud voice on the other side of it counted to five.
Anna stopped in front of the doorway. She pushed the hair away from her face with both hands. “I'm coming, just a second!” she yelled and then unlocked the door. Anna swung the door open to find four uniformed officers.
Eager to enter the building, the policemen pushed Anna backwards as they rushed through the doorway. The first officer grabbed Anna by the neck and forced her to lay face down on the floor. The officer stayed with her, pushing his knee into the back of her shoulder blades as two officers grabbed a hold of Steven. They forced him to the floor next to Anna. As father and daughter helplessly watched, two more men ran upstairs. They returned within a few moments dragging Delores by her pajamas. “What is going on here?” she demanded, slapping the officer's arms. “Take your hands off me! Oh you perv, I felt that!” she protested. Using her large frame she wiggled free, less one pajama top. It remained in the surprised officer's clenched fist as a topless Delores flipped the hallway light switch.
“Leave her alone!” Anna screamed. “She has a condition.”
The officer with his knee in Anna's back pushed down harder.
“Ow!” she cried out through the overwhelming pain shooting down her spine.
Anna gritted her teeth.
“Two, six, ten, fourteen, twenty-two,” Delores finished counting as the officer behind her wrapped the pajama shirt around Delores' shoulders.
“Second Level Clear!” Anna heard an officer yell from atop the stairs.
“First Level Clear and Contained,” another officer shouted from the kitchen.
“There's nothing clear about this!” Delores yelled as the officer escorted her down the stairs.
“What's the problem here?” Anna asked through a clenched jaw.
The officer ignored her. He held up a small computer tablet and scanned Delores' face. The screen filled with all of Delores' information, along with a picture. “All right then. Delores Morton, I am charging you with failure to comply with treatments.”
“Wait, what?” Anna yelled. “How is that possible? She leaves here every week for treatments.”
The officer looked at Anna. “Not for the last month according to our records.”
> “That's because they won't treat me until I pay my bill. Who the hell has money for that? It's too damn expensive,” Delores argued.
“That's no excuse for breaking the law. You're lucky to still have your health after a month, and you know what happens when people miss treatments. What they become? The law is there for a reason. It's for the safety of everyone.”
The officer pulled out a pair of handcuffs and moved behind Delores. “You are now under arrest. I’m taking you for immediate treatment, and then jail, until your hearing,” the officer explained.
“I'm sure we can sort all this out,” Anna pleaded. “I can take her in the morning with me. I have to go for my appointment, anyway.” She writhed beneath the officer's knee that was still pressing down on her back. “I'm an Agent damn it! Let me up. Scan me.”
The officer holding the handcuffs nodded to the one on top of Anna. He stood up, freeing Anna to do the same. The officer held up his tablet and scanned Anna. She chewed on her lower lip, hoping that her suspension notification hadn't updated through all the systems yet.
“Agent Montana Wool.” The officer read from his screen.
“Yes,” Anna answered. “Someone who understands the rules so well should know you can leave her in my custody until morning.” Anna held her breath. The tablet would update with her suspension and investigation information any second. She had to act.
The officer looked away from the screen and into Anna eyes. “Since you are so familiar with the rules Agent Wool, then you know if she doesn't show up for treatment tomorrow morning I will be back to arrest you both.”
The officer gestured toward Delores with the hand that was still holding the tablet. Anna glanced at the tablet screen. Her picture was now outlined in red and the word 'suspended' was displayed across the top of the screen in large block letters.
Anna froze.
As much as she disliked her Aunt Delores' outbursts, she still couldn't stand the thought of her going to jail.
This will never work. Anna thought.
Unless.
Anna gathered her confidence. “I understand, sir, and I will make sure she gets there. Agreed then?” She extended her arm, preparing to shake the officer's hand. At the last second she snapped out her open palm and knocked the tablet out of his right hand.
It bounced once on the floor and landed face down.
“Oops, sorry about that. Clumsy me. Let me get it.” Anna bent over to pick up the tablet. As she rose she pointed the screen towards Steven and pressed the side button. As she handed the tablet back to the officer she could she her father's picture displayed.
That was close.
Anna swallowed hard.
“There you have it. Your tablet already scanned my Dad, so the record of your visit is complete. Can I walk you out?” she asked with a gesture towards the door.
The officer in charge moved towards the door and then turned around. “I better not have to come back here Agent Wool. Things won't turn out well for you or your family,” he explained. He nodded towards the other three officers and the four of them left through the front door. Anna let out a long breath as soon as the door latched.
“Well, enough of this silly business,” Delores said. “I'm going back to bed.”
“Goodnight Dee,” Anna replied. “But, this isn't silly. I am taking you to treatment tomorrow.”
Anna moved in front of Delores and buttoned the front of her pajama top. “I mean it.”
Delores let out a huff and headed up the stairs for her room.
Anna and Steven both sat down on the couch. They rested in the quiet for several minutes before Anna spoke.
“Dad, it‘s ridiculous. Living like this, under curfew and the constant threat of arrest. I know there has to be a better way. And Mom knew it too!” she finished through flushed cheeks.
Steven moved close and hugged his daughter. “You are a strong woman Anna. You're very much like her. She would be proud of you.”
Anna squeezed her father's ribs and then pulled away to look Steven in the eye.
“Listen, since we're talking about mom, I wanted to talk to you about something, okay? I think it's time we sort out mom's stuff. It's been a long time and hanging onto all of her things...” Anna trailed off.
“I have had the same thoughts. I couldn't figure out how to get started. If you're willing to help me then let's do it, but I want us to do it together okay?”
“Isn't there anything I can do tonight?” Anna asked.
“Tonight? It's kind of late isn't it?”
“I need to stay up for a while anyway, Dad. Eat something and drink water. I have treatment in the morning so I kind of need to sober up.”
“I guess you could start in the attic. There are things of hers up there.”
“The attic?” Anna asked, thoughts of nostalgia creeping into her mind. “I haven't been up there in years.” Anna stood up. “Okay, thanks for understanding Daddy.” She leaned over and kissed her father on the forehead. “Good night.”
Anna grabbed the waste bin from the kitchen and an extra garbage bag. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and opened the attic door at the end of the hallway. She climbed the set of stairs beyond the doorway that led to the walk-in, upper attic. Anna flipped on the light and took in her surroundings. It was full of storage totes and dusty boxes. Anna's gaze fell to a large chest that sat to one side of the room. Mom's cedar chest, she thought. That might be a good place to start.
Anna took another step and tripped on a loose floorboard. She caught herself, but not before making a racket.
Great, going to wake Delores again.
Anna looked down and inspected the board at her feet. It had tipped to one side revealing an opening below. There was something underneath the board.
Anna took in a sharp breath. She got down on her knees and inspected the hole in the floor. She reached down inside and pulled out a small metal case. Blowing the dust off, Anna sat down and crossed her legs, placing the box in her lap. She pulled the latch and opened the lid. The light hit the box's contents and Anna stared at the envelope on the top of a small pile of papers inside. She lifted the envelope from its place and read: 'To Montanna, Love Mom'
Beneath the letter, there was a locket. Anna's eyes widened as she lifted the locket up by the chain. She split the silver heart-shaped case to reveal a picture of Anna and her mother. Her heart leaped in her chest as tears welled in her eyes.
Anna smiled. She remembered that day. The day the picture was taken. It was a good day. She took another minute to revel in the thought. For Anna, memory lane was a street often best detoured, but not today. Not this memory. Her heart fluttered as she latched the chain around her neck, grinning broadly.
Anna shuffled through the box again, revealing a photograph. She studied it, not recognizing any of the twelve faces, except for her mother's. Anna wrinkled her brow.
Is that Atticus? And Damarion?
Anna shook her head as she flipped the picture over.
Nothing on the back.
Anna continued to hold the photograph in one hand while grasping the open locket around her neck with the other. She paused for a moment in quiet contemplation and then nodded. She looked at the picture in the locket one more time before she snapped it shut and tucked it beneath her shirt.
Maybe they're right, Mom.
She stood up, still holding the small box.
Enough, she thought.
Anna placed the unopened letter in the box along with the picture, slamming the lid.
It's time to let it all go, she thought and tossed the metal case into the waste bin.
Chapter v
3 YEARS EARLIER
“Billy!” Anna cried through the funeral home as William Wool walked through the entrance door wearing his pressed army uniform. As he entered the building, he removed his hat to reveal short brown hair, cut in army-style fashion. He spread his arms in time to catch Anna as she leaped into them. She kissed his neck while squeezin
g his chest, not letting go. “You made it back,” she whispered into his ear, then pulled away to peer into blue eyes as crisp as his uniform. “I can't believe you made it back in time!”
“Yeah, I just got back from the southern farming district. My last post there was defending the fence perimeter, but they let me out two weeks early.”
Anna wrapped her arms around Billy again, letting out a long breath into his shoulder. She smiled. “So you're home now? For good?” she asked as Billy set her back on her feet.
“Yes ma'am. I told you, four years and I'm out. I promised I would be home before your twentieth birthday.” Billy looked into Anna's eyes and saw the hurt hiding behind the excitement of his return. “I'm so sorry about your mom Anna.”
Anna pressed her lips together. The brief distraction of Billy walking through the door took her away from the reason they were all there. “Me too Billy. She was such a great woman, I don't understand why anyone would want to hurt her.”
Billy lowered his voice. “So it wasn't an accident then?”
“No, she was murdered. No one seems to have information though, as far as who, or why.”
“Should we go sit?” Billy asked.
Anna read the concern on Billy's face. He took her hand and squeezed it. “I've missed you so much.”
Anna‘s pulse throbbed in her fingers, now wrapped around Billy's. “Me too, we haven't seen each other since your last leave. I can't believe it's been six months.” Anna exclaimed with a smile. She had already spent the last several days in mourning. Sobbing, trying to massage her blurry eyes while fumbling around her fogged mind.
Smiling was a good change.
Billy can always make me smile.
It came naturally, no matter what the situation.
Besides, I don't think I have any more tears to give, Anna supposed as she led Billy to the viewing room.
They sat in the second row and Anna looked around. The funeral home was packed with mourners, visitors, and people who came to pay their respects. Margaret was a popular woman. She had many friends and acquaintances along with all of her coworkers in the homicide department. Margaret's Captain, Jack Willard, was standing along the far wall, sipping a cup of coffee and staring down at the carpet through bloodshot eyes. Her partner, Atticus, sat in the front row and had not moved from his place since he first arrived. His head buried in his hands as he wept.
