Paying the Price

by Maria Quick

  ‘Like I said, Mendes. I’m not doing this with you. Go home. Go back to school. Go to college. Maybe in a couple years, you could be an actual detective. Not here, though. I hear North Korea might have some promising careers.’

  Cute. Real cute. But I wasn’t giving up that easily.

  ‘You never found the murder weapon, did you? Do you even know what it was?’

  ‘Ann, I think you’re pissing him off a little. Maybe tone it down a notch?’ George murmured.

  A little? Understatement of the century. I pissed him off just by breathing.

  ‘I know what it was. Or at least, I have a good idea. No, we didn’t find it. Happy now? Unless you have it in your pocket, I have no interest in hearing what you have to say.’

  ‘Her pantyhose, right?’ I called out, just as he turned away again. He sighed.

  ‘Good guess.’

  ‘They were embroidered with her name, weren’t they? Written on the soles.’

  ‘I don’t know, Mendes. I never saw them.’

  ‘But I bet Chuck described them perfectly, didn’t he?’ I said, still talking to his back.

  I could almost hear him gritting his teeth in frustration. Having been on the receiving end of my goads for years, he waited until I finally spat it out.

  ‘I know where they are.’

  ‘Surprise, surprise,’ he muttered. ‘Where?’

  ‘A sewer grate in an alley near Leo’s. Don’t get too excited, though. They were dropped around two weeks ago.’

  Click, buzz, whirr. The cogs started moving as he pieced together those little tidbits.

  ‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying?’

  ‘’Fraid so, Chief.’

  Bored out of his skull by our frankly crappy sparring, George took a trip to the other side of Rathers’ body, to give me commentary.

  ‘He’s mulling it over. He’s thinking about it. He seems to be agreeing with you. Yep, he’s coming around. He’s- nope, you lost him.’

  ‘No cameras, no witnesses. Where’s your proof?’ Rathers asked matter-of-factly.

  ‘Look-’

  ‘Go home, Mendes,’ he ordered, finally picking his pace back up.

  ‘But I didn’t get to tell you who did it,’ I called out.

  ‘I said, go home,’ he yelled back, without even bothering to turn.

  George jogged over, giving me an apologetic grimace.

  ‘So, what do we do now?’

  ‘Nothing until Rathers comes knocking,’ I replied, as I started my long trip home. I was half-tempted to follow him and grab a coffee, but the nausea in my stomach still hadn’t dissipated. I had a feeling this was going to be my new unwanted friend. I guessed Nausea and my old buddy Migraine would get along swimmingly. I wished they’d both get it on already and move out.

  ‘Um, not sure you saw the same thing I did back there. He was not convinced.’

  ‘You’re right, he wasn’t. He did not give me the benefit of the doubt, nor was he ever going to,’ I said, whipping out my cell as cover as a family approached. ‘But it’ll play on his mind long enough to check it out. Not today. Tomorrow, after he’s rearranged his rolodex and cleared out his filing cabinet. He’ll twiddle his thumbs and finally delve into the old case file, pretending it’s for old times’ sake. Maybe he’ll find a few other things that’ll bother him. Then, he’ll wonder about the murder weapon at the new crime scene. He’ll drive over, grab a flashlight, and shine it down the grate like it’s no biggie.’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ George nodded, egging me on. ‘Then, what?’

  ‘One of two scenarios. He doesn’t see the pantyhose, but still finds it suspicious enough that I brought it up in the first place, and he eventually finds me and asks questions. Or, he does see the pantyhose and comes over straight away.’

  Kinda hoping it was the latter, because it was easier for both of us. And also because that was really the extent of my knowledge on this whole mess.

  ‘Why, though? He thinks you’re a joke, you’ve said it yourself. Why would he not only follow your advice, he’d actively seek you out for more?’

  ‘Because he follows every lead,’ I said simply. ‘He’s a good cop.’

  George was silent for a blissful few seconds as I tried to pick up the pace. I had done so much walking today and it totally didn’t suit me. I hadn’t properly walked since I’d gotten my license. Why waste a half hour when you can waste five minutes? Sure, I wasn’t doing anything with my time anyway, but that wasn’t the point.

  I got a little worried that George still hadn’t spoken. That usually meant he was barking up the wrong tree and was about to infuriate me. As expected, he looked perturbed by something.

  ‘What?’ I groaned, ready to make myself look foolish and punch him.

  ‘You respect him, don’t you?’

  Oh, was that it? I was expecting him to say I had a crush on him or something.

  Which I don’t, by the way. Just making that clear.

  No, really. I don’t.

  ‘Sure, I do. Just because I hate his guts doesn’t mean I can’t respect him.’

  ‘I feel like that’s an oxymoron or something,’ he frowned.

  ‘No, it’s not. See, that’s your problem. You think that I hate everyone because I’m an asshole, but you’re not looking at the reasons why. I hate him because he’s against me. He thinks I’m a time-waster and that I ruin all his cases. Obviously, I believe the opposite because I’m always right and I always find the killer in the end. But you wanna hear something crazy? He’s right, too. I do ruin cases, because I get involved where I shouldn’t and accidentally lose or destroy evidence, which the defense attorneys love to use on trial. A couple times, perps have been acquitted thanks to my interference. Luckily, they’ve always gone after me afterwards, so they went back to prison. But that’s not the point. I... forget what my point was.’

  Seems George did too, since he decided there was nothing to add to my rambling monolog. We walked the rest of the way to the car in silence.

  As we turned onto my street and I saw the old familiar sights, I kinda started to get a little antsy. I wasn’t sure why. I’d been looking forward to having the longest nap known to mankind all day. Now that it was within reaching distance, I don’t know. It didn’t feel right. Maybe it was because I’d dreamed about it for so long. Is that possible? Can you talk up a nap so much that you didn’t want it anymore?

  ‘Thinking about your mom?’ George asked, noticing my furrowed brow.

  ‘Why would I- holy smokes, my mom,’ I gasped, hand flying into my mouth in shock.

  Ah, that’d be why my body was gearing up for good ol’ fight or flight. I can’t believe I forgot about that.

  Though apparently, that was nothing new. Why change the habit of a lifetime?

  Oh, boy. I could see the house lit up like a Christmas tree, so my dad was definitely home. He would ask about my session, and-

  Blank.

  ‘Are you going to talk to him?’ George asked, because I wasn’t asking myself that very question.

  I don’t know. I really didn’t want to, but I wasn’t sure if that was because it’d make me look crazy, or it’d cause a confrontation, or both. Look, I have never had to deal with something as weird and big as this. How do you even ask that question?

  ‘Hey, Dad. Did I have a mom for six years of my life or didn’t I? Totes crazy, but I don’t even remember.’

  And they’d be the last words I’d speak before being put in the same restraints as Hannibal Lecter.

  No, I couldn’t ask him. Not when my brain was screaming at me to run away right now.

  Not when I wasn’t sure who to run away from.

  ‘Not yet,’ I said.

  He nodded, probably agreeing that it was best to keep the crazy to a minimum for now. So, I’d open my door, chat with my dad about how well the session went, then I’d grab a few bites to eat and head to my room.

  Sounded like a swell plan.

  So, of course, life immedi
ately crapped all over that.

  I heard my dad talking and laughing with somebody as soon as I stepped over the threshold. My mind immediately thought it was Stacy, but Stacy wasn’t a male Texan. As George and I frowned in confusion, it dawned on me quicker than it dawned on him.

  It was Theo Henderson.

  14

  Okay, this was weird. The last time I’d seen Theo was a couple days ago. I’d been expecting to never see him again. Basically, I’d helped him through a tough time, inadvertently. It involved lucies. And his family secret that had practically destroyed half his ancestors. That was until I’d come along and forced it all out into the open, thereby giving everyone involved a happy ending. After the terrible start, of course.

  What made it all that little bit worse was that Theo was an old friend of my dad’s.

  And that had been the last straw for my dad, which was why I was now taking pills.

  Before I could even begin to wonder what to make of it, an enthusiastic Theo and not-so-enthusiastic Dad came out of the living room to greet us.

  Well, me.

  ‘Annie! Great to see you again. I still cannot thank you enough,’ Theo grinned, pulling me into a bear hug. Well, alright.

  Theo was still looking like his old self, which was good to see. Only last week, he’d been an unwashed hermit spending his days in a dusty old library. God knows what the mental and emotional effects would be long-term, but he seemed to be holding up okay for now. I guessed he’d popped over to see his old buddy, and to start mending the broken friendship. It was going to be a very slow process, I’d guess. He’d need counselling, maybe, and the support of his friends and family. Coming to Ohio must’ve been a big step for him. I bet he wanted nothing more than to run back to Craton and get back in his hidey-hole.

  That’s when I noticed the stack of suitcases in the lobby.

  Huh?

  ‘I could not stand another second in my home,’ Theo explained, as he pulled away and saw what I was looking at. ‘I could tell you the titles of all the books in there, and where every little creak in the floorboards were coming from. I was going stir-crazy. And also, one of Vince’s bitches just gave birth, so there’s pee and poop everywhere. I left Rhonda to deal with it all.’

  For a second, I was dumbfounded that his weaselly brother Vince could even manage more than one, until I remembered he had dogs. Much more plausible.

  ‘I called up Shaun to apologize for my behavior and to thank him for your help,’ he went on, as my dad narrowed his eyes. Thank you, Theo. ‘I told him all about the situation, and he said I was welcome to stay here for as long as I wanted.’

  I could tell by my dad’s expression that it hadn’t been a sincere offer, but Theo was clearly oblivious. He carried on talking, even though neither I nor my dad had yet to say a word to each other. I had a very vague recollection of Theo being the talker in the group. My dad just let him ramble, and their other friends Barbie and Ken had a sibling telepathy and tended to just share looks.

  And I still didn’t remember seeing my mom in these memories.

  ‘He’s been telling me all about your therapy doodah, and I gotta say, I think it’s wrong,’ he frowned, causing my dad’s grimace to set in stone. Again, thank you, Theo. ‘I still don’t know how you knew what you did, but I don’t think that’s something you can push away. You can’t pretend it didn’t happen. It happened.’

  ‘Theo, I keep telling you, she’s ill,’ my dad said through gritted teeth. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded tightly; probably so he wouldn’t use his fists.

  ‘She ain’t ill, Shaun. She’s got a gift,’ Theo breathed, uttering the second worst g-word to use in this house.

  As George stared at the scene perplexedly, I decided that this was obviously between two friends, and was nothing to do with me. Thus, it was easier to stand frozen and pretend I wasn’t actually there.

  ‘There is no gift. She made a few guesses and got it right. That’s all it’s ever been. Everything else has been lies.’

  Ouch. I double-checked but my dad’s arms were still folded, so it had only been a verbal assault. Sure as heck didn’t feel like it.

  ‘You can’t honestly believe that. How do you explain that she knew the exact location of a guy my grandfather shot dead? Or that she knew my family history better than I ever could?’

  My dad’s eyes full of misery swept over to me. I shrugged helplessly at him.

  ‘You told me that she broke into a safe,’ he said, not taking his eyes off me.

  ‘Yeah, that was after she’d said and done all of that.’

  ‘How do you know she didn’t do it twice?’

  ‘Because she didn’t,’ Theo said simply, as I managed to avoid my father’s gaze. I can’t believe he actually said that. Although, actually, I can. He’s never believed me. He’s always believed the worst of me, but never the truth. It’s like he wanted to believe I was a liar. He wanted everyone to know that.

  Now, why would that be? Why would he try to convince people that I was a liar? Why was he afraid of somebody believing me?

  Why am I asking these questions when I know the damn answer?

  You know, maybe my father did want me out of the way. It was just an entirely different way that I thought.

  ‘You haven’t been around, Theo,’ my dad sighed, dramatically closing his eyes at the pain and injustice he’s suffered. ‘It’s not only that she “sees things.” It’s the things she does, too. Robbery, lying to cops. She has caused people to die. And she doesn’t care.’

  You’re right, Dad. Causing deaths is something I’ve absolutely never cared about. You know, he’s never asked me how I felt after these things happened. It’s like he assumes I’m doing this purely for fun. He doesn’t see that every lucy has left me a little bit more broken than the last. He doesn’t talk to me. He talks at me.

  And yeah, he did do the air quotes, too.

  ‘She just moves right onto the next one without even stopping for breath,’ he sneered.

  ‘I’m sure that ain’t true, Shaun, if you just-’

  ‘Theo, that’s enough,’ my dad barked, startling me. ‘Look, I know I offered you a place to stay, but now’s not a good time. My daughter’s in a bad place right now and we have a lot to discuss. Together, as a family. I think it might be best if you find a hotel instead.’

  Theo was as shocked as I was. Shaun Mendes, the greatest guy in the world, refusing a friend in need? That was unheard of and completely against his character. Besides, we have eight bedrooms. I’m pretty sure we could have multiple guests here that I’d never even see.

  Not wanting to argue, Theo dejectedly starting picking up his suitcases when I said it.

  ‘Dad, I want him to stay.’

  ‘What?’ he chorused with an equally baffled George. Even Theo looked surprised.

  ‘I want him to stay. It’ll be good for me to have somebody else to talk to,’ I explained. Somebody real, I wanted to sarcastically add, but I didn’t.

  ‘Are you sure? I mean, you’re going through a difficult time,’ he said again. I still didn’t know what it meant. I’d hardly call an hour-long therapy session once a week “difficult.”

  ‘Yes, I’m sure.’

  Finally, my dad nodded and said it was okay. He helped a relieved Theo take his bags to his room, and I carried on with my previous plan of eating and lazing in my room.

  ‘Why?’ George asked when we were alone. I closed my door and put on a movie.

  ‘Because it’ll take the heat off me,’ I groaned. ‘I don’t want my dad on my back every moment, asking me how therapy’s going and how I feel. That’s a surefire way to cause a billion arguments. This way, he gets to catch up on old times and maybe Theo’ll put in a good word for me.’

  Thankfully, George seemed to take that as gospel and didn’t question it. Most of that was a lie. The truth was, I didn’t want to be alone with my dad because I was afraid of him.

  I didn’t even want to admit that to m
yself, let alone George.

  I didn’t even know why I was afraid. I couldn’t pin it down. I just knew that it had something to do with my mom.

  And Theo knew her.

  I wanted to ask him about her. When my dad would be at work, we’d be alone. I’d get to maneuver the conversation around and ask the burning question on my mind.

  Why the hell didn’t I remember her?

  I was trying, I really was. Nothing was coming to me. I could swear that I’d never actually spoken to her.

  Except at the same time, I couldn’t.

  Okay, I felt like I was going to have an aneurysm. If I hadn’t already had one, that is.

  I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. Tomorrow. Forget everything, I’d start again tomorrow after a really long sleep. I’d take it slow and have a nice, long conversation with Theo about my mom. I’d finally find out what the big deal is.

  After that, I could relax again until Monday when-

  No. Wait. Leesha was coming back tomorrow.

  And possibly Chief Rathers.

  Crap, I’d almost forgotten about all that. Maybe my dad was right, and I was going through a rough time.

  And as usual, it was all my own doing.

  15

  I woke up with a raging migraine and the urge to puke up my entire digestive system. After groaning in bed for like an hour, I finally realized I was not going to hurl. Which was even worse. I’d rather just puke and get it over with.

  George guessed it was somewhat safe to approach me, and told me my dad had already left for college. I was super relieved. I know the day was coming – and it was probably later today – that we’d chat about my talk with Tess. Obviously, I was going to lie about it, but I wasn’t sure if Tess would. I didn’t know how far doctor-patient confidentiality went. Would she have to tell him about the whole mom mess? I really didn’t know.

  And I really didn’t want to be confronted by him over it.

  Eh, it’s a problem for a few hours’ time.

  ‘Theo still here?’ I asked, after I’d changed into jeans and a sweater.