Something True (Joel Bishop Book 2)

by Sabrina Stark

  Well, that was a relief.

  Trying to be diplomatic, I said, "They might've, but there's been a lot going on, so I probably lost track."

  "With them around? I can imagine." She gave me a tentative smile. "Speaking of which, you weren't too mad, were you?"

  "For the pregnancy thing? Oh, I was definitely mad." I smiled. "But I'm pretty much over it now."

  She cleared her throat. "Thanks. But, um, actually, I meant the other thing."

  "Oh." I was almost afraid to ask. "What other thing?"

  "My brothers. I sort of pawned them off on you."

  My shoulders relaxed. Maybe that was true, but she'd also done me a huge favor, and not only with the sewer. In truth, the brothers had been the perfect distraction during what would've otherwise been a pretty lonely time.

  As we made our way into the kitchen for coffee, I explained this to her as best as I could. "So, actually," I concluded, "they were kind of nice to have around."

  "Don't tell them that," she said, "or they'll never leave." She rolled her eyes. "Don't ask me how I know. Oh, and get this. You know all that beer they were drinking?"

  "You mean at your place?"

  "Right. Jake's beer. Well, after they left, I found a whole bunch of it in the guest room, under the bed, no less. You know what I think?"

  "What?"

  "I think they were just doing it to get a rise out of Jake." She sighed. "Knowing them, they probably had some stupid bet on when he'd finally pop."

  I didn't know what to say. Would it be snitching if I confirmed her theory? I was still debating that when she spared me the decision by changing the subject.

  As I listened, she went on to explain that she was on her way back from Chicago, and that my house was practically on the way. Aside from seeing her brothers, she was here to pick up a family heirloom that they'd retrieved from their grandparents' house.

  She finished by saying, "And it's kind of fragile, so I figured I should get it before it ends up in the back of their truck or something."

  Something fragile? My stomach sank. She had to mean whatever had been inside the safe. I glanced at the nearby counter-top, where the safe had been sitting until just last night.

  Talk about bad timing.

  If only she'd stopped by yesterday, she'd be getting the heirloom – whatever it was – instead of bad news.

  How on Earth was I supposed to tell her?

  As if reading something in my expression, she asked, "What's wrong?"

  I winced. "If you're talking about what they were storing in that safe, it went missing. And just so you know, I mean the whole safe, not just what was inside it. I’m really sorry."

  She frowned. "So they put it in a safe?"

  "I think so. I mean, I didn't see what was in there, but they warned me that it was fragile and made me swear not to move it."

  The more I explained, the more confused Luna looked. "What do you mean it went missing?"

  "It was stolen, just last night, in fact."

  "By who?"

  "Probably my aunt and uncle." I gave her a brief overview of the situation with my relatives, including the fact that I had an alarm system and everything, but nothing seemed to stop them.

  Again, I glanced at the empty counter-top. "I should've insisted on hiding it or something."

  Now Luna was looking at the counter-top, too. She asked, "How big was this safe?"

  I gave it some thought. "About the size of a microwave, or maybe a little smaller."

  She shook her head. "I don't think that's big enough." She gave a shaky laugh. "Of course, knowing my brothers, they might've crammed it in there." She hesitated. "Or chopped it into a million pieces."

  I couldn’t tell if she was joking, but it was pretty obvious that she was disappointed, and rightfully so. I felt compelled to say it again. "I'm really sorry."

  She tried to smile. "Don't be. It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine."

  "Yours?" I said. "How?"

  "Because I should've picked it up myself."

  I still didn't what the heirloom was, and it seemed beyond rude to ask, especially since it was partly my fault that it was gone.

  I tried to think. "Maybe if I call my aunt and uncle and explain that it wasn't mine…" I bit my lip and let the words trail off. "Of course, I doubt they'll admit they took it. They never do."

  As if shaking off the gloom, Luna said, "Well, for all we know, it wasn't even in there."

  I gave her a hopeful look. "You think so?"

  "Well, we are talking about my brothers," she said. "For all we know, the safe contained old beer cans or something."

  It was a cheery thought, but it was pretty obvious that she didn't believe it any more than I did.

  Still, in the interest of not adding to her disappointment, I offered her a tour of the house while we waited. When I'd seen her in Detroit, I'd promised her one if she was ever in the neighborhood.

  I could see why she was interested. The place had a history, even before my parents had bought it. Nearly a century ago, a Chicago bootlegger had built the house to serve as his summer residence during the height of prohibition.

  As I led Luna from room to room, I tried to envision the house through the eyes of a stranger. It really was amazing, with its high ceilings and classic woodwork. But the size – not to mention the maintenance – was a huge problem, especially for me, an unemployed college dropout.

  Probably, I'd have to sell the house eventually, but for now, I was determined to enjoy it. It was, after all, my childhood home.

  When the tour was over, we returned to the kitchen, where Luna surprised me by saying, "I have a confession."

  "You do?"

  She nodded. "I had another reason for stopping by."

  "Really? What?"

  She leaned forward. "I have a secret, and I want you to blab it."

  Chapter 44

  By the time Luna finished talking, I realized that she was right. Normally, I was a stickler for keeping secrets, but not in a case like this.

  The secret involved Jake and his dad's girlfriend. From what Luna had just told me, I couldn't help but agree with her that everyone – Joel and Jake, in particular – would be better off once the truth came out.

  Still, I had to ask, "If you feel so strongly about it, why haven't you told him?"

  "Joel?" she said. "I would. But I can't seem to find the chance. And besides, it's not something you just blurt out. You've got to ease into it, you know?"

  I saw what she meant. The whole thing sounded like a total train-wreck. And to think, the train had jumped the track over a decade ago, and no one had ever bothered to set it straight.

  "Plus," Luna added, "I don't see Joel that much, and with him and Jake getting along so terribly all the time, it's like I’m walking on eggshells." She gave me a shaky smile. "But the wedding's coming up, and it would be really nice if they weren't fighting anymore."

  Obviously, she meant her wedding to Jake. And yet, I couldn’t help but feel that familiar pang in my heart. Not too long ago, I'd been thinking of my own wedding. And it wasn't even the wedding itself that I was looking forward to. It was the prospect of having Joel forever.

  Now, I had no idea where we stood. Still, I promised Luna that if I had the chance, I'd try to set things straight. After all, it was the least I could do after everything she'd done for me.

  As we returned to the kitchen, I said, "So, do you know where they were going?"

  "Who?" she asked.

  "Jake and Bishop. They practically dragged Joel away. They had to catch a flight or something?"

  "Oh. That." She gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but it's a secret."

  I had to laugh. "Wait a minute. That's not fair."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You just asked me to 'blab' a secret. And now, you have another that you won't tell me?"

  She smiled. "Yup."

  "But you do know where they went?"

  She nodded.

 
I made a sound of frustration. "And you're not gonna say?"

  "I would," she said, "but it's better if you hear it from Joel."

  "But Joel hasn't told me either."

  She gave a breezy wave of her hands. "Oh, but he will."

  "When?"

  "Probably when he gets back."

  "Can you at least give me a hint?"

  "No way," she said. "The last 'hint' I gave? Got me in a world of trouble."

  Well, there was that.

  As it turned out, we were out of time, anyway. Outside, I heard a vehicle pulling up to the house. A moment later, I opened the front door to see Luna's brothers getting out of their truck.

  Already, I was dreading giving them the bad news – that their safe had been stolen right off my counter-top. But when I led them to the scene of the crime and explained what happened, they did something that caught me totally off-guard.

  They laughed.

  I looked from brother to brother. "What's so funny?"

  They were still laughing. Steve turned to Anthony and said, "Oh man, I wish I could've been there."

  I asked, "Where? Here?"

  They didn't answer. They were too busy doing some complicated high-five, low-five hand thing with each other.

  I looked to Luna. "Do you know?"

  She shook her head, and turned to her brothers. "Hey! Butt-munches!"

  They turned to look. Anthony said, "What?"

  She said, "Where's the veil?"

  Anthony asked, "What veil?"

  She gave them an exasperated look. "Grandma's veil? The one you promised to bring me?"

  "Oh, that?" Anthony said. "It's in the back of the pickup."

  Luna's gaze narrowed. "Please tell me you're joking."

  I broke in, "Wait a minute. Was that the family heirloom?"

  Steve made a scoffing sound. "I wouldn't call it an heirloom. It's just a bunch of lace and stuff."

  "It is not!" Luna told him. "It's a piece of family history – and it's the 'something borrowed' for my wedding." She looked to Anthony. "It's not really rolling around in the truck bed, is it?"

  Anthony rolled his eyes. "Did I say the truck bed?"

  "Yes," Luna said. "You did, in fact."

  "No," he said, in an overly calm voice. "I said the back of the truck, like behind the seat."

  Luna frowned. "With the soda cans?" She threw up her hands. "You know what? Never mind. I'm gonna go get it myself." And with that, she turned and marched out of the kitchen. Over her shoulder, she called out, "If it's damaged, I'm making one of you wear it."

  When we heard the front door slam, Steve turned to me and said, "I don't know what she's so cranked about. We put it in a box and everything." His gaze drifted to my stomach. "Oh hey, are you pregnant?"

  For once, the comment bounced right off me. I looked at the spot where the safe had been. "So you're not mad about the safe?"

  "Hell no," Steve said. "We wanted them to take it."

  I felt my brow wrinkle. "You mean my aunt and uncle?"

  He gave me a look. "What, you got someone else stealing your stuff?"

  I waved away his question. "But why would you want them to steal it? What was in there, anyway?"

  Steve and Anthony shared a look. And then, they started to snicker.

  "Oh, my God," I said. "You didn't do that thing with a vase, did you?"

  "You mean shit in a vase?" Steve said. "Hell no. What kind of animals do you think we are?"

  This wasn't the first time he'd asked me such a question. And just like always, I wasn't quite sure how to answer.

  When I looked to Anthony, he shrugged. "It wasn't a vase. It was a plastic bag." He grinned. "Except we didn't seal it so good."

  Suddenly, I recalled my aunt's latest phone call. I didn't know whether to laugh or throw up. In spite of my best intentions, a snicker escaped my lips.

  "See?" Anthony said. "Pretty cool, huh?"

  I wiped the smile from my face. "So you seriously…?" I didn't want to say it.

  Steve grinned. "Shit in a bag? Hell no."

  For some reason, I just had to know. "So was it dog poop or something?"

  "Nah," Anthony said, "it was, what we call in the trade, sewer sludge."

  I made a face. "Sewer sludge?"

  "Yeah," he said. "Like when you're digging up a broken sewer, and you've got all this crap that seeps up. You just scoop it up, and there you go. You don't even need to add water. Pretty cool, huh?"

  Immature or not, I had to agree. It was pretty cool, in a totally disgusting sort of way.

  When they all left a couple of hours later, I was still smiling, and not only with amusement. It was in anticipation. Tomorrow was Saturday – the day Joel promised to return.

  I didn't know what would happen when I saw him next, but I did know that I was dying to see him.

  Chapter 45

  It was long past dark, and there'd been no sign of Joel. For what felt like the millionth time, I wandered to the front window and pulled aside the nearest curtain. Outside, it was raining buckets. It had been raining like this for at least three hours now.

  I saw the flash of lightning and heard the crack of thunder. Staring out the window, I stifled a shiver. It was the perfect kind of night to curl up in front of a warm fire with someone you loved.

  But the person I loved wasn't here, even though today was Saturday, the day he was supposed to be back. Just like so many times before, I wasn't sure if I should be worried or angry.

  I waited until midnight before giving up – at least until tomorrow. I trudged through the house and turned off all of the lights, leaving only the porch light on – not for Joel, I told myself, but because that's what I always did.

  And then, I went up to my bedroom, took a shower, and threw on some sleeping shorts and a loose t-shirt over them. I crawled into bed and lay there, gazing up at the darkened ceiling. Around me, the house felt too big and too lonely.

  I shut my eyes, trying to block out the time, along with everything else. It was then that I heard it – a loud metallic sound that made me bolt upright in the bed.

  A moment later, I heard it again. My heart was racing now. The way it sounded, it was coming from inside the house, somewhere on the main floor.

  Joel?

  No. It couldn't be him. He wouldn't just barge in on his own and start clanging around downstairs. He'd ring the doorbell, or at least knock.

  Wouldn't he?

  Regardless, I couldn't just lie here like an idiot and hope for the best.

  From under the covers, I reached for my nearby cell phone and called the police. In a hushed whisper, I explained what was happening, and they promised to send someone right away.

  Still, I couldn't help but flinch when the same sound rang out again. Hoping for some clue of what was going on, I crept silently out of bed and tiptoed to my partially open bedroom door.

  And then, I listened.

  I heard nothing, except for the pounding of my own heart and the ragged sounds of my nervous breathing. Determined to get a grip, I took a deep, steadying breath and counted to ten.

  Outside, the rain had stopped, leaving the house eerily quiet until I heard something that almost made me groan out loud. It was the sound of Uncle Ernie, calling out, "Hey Viv, was it the silver punch bowl? Or the crystal one?"

  Oh, for God's sake.

  I bolted out of my bedroom and practically flew down the stairs, flicking on the lights as I went. I found my uncle in the kitchen, crouched behind the center island. He had his whole head poked into the cupboard underneath it and was rummaging around inside.

  Without looking, he said, "I know you like silver, but the crystal's probably worth more." He gave a low chuckle. "You know what? Heck with it. I'll just grab both."

  I rolled my eyes. "Don't forget the ladles."

  "Good thinking," he said, and then suddenly froze. Slowly, his head emerged from inside the cabinet. He twisted his neck to gaze up at me. His eyes were wide, and his hair – or should I sa
y his toupee? – was slightly askew. He was wearing a green sports jacket with matching green pants.

  He looked like a crazed leprechaun.

  I crossed my arms. "Hi."

  He gave me a shaky smile. "Oh hey, Melody. Funny seeing you here."

  "Yeah," I said. "Funny."

  From somewhere deep inside the house, I heard Aunt Vivian's voice echo off the walls. "Hey Ernie! Don’t forget the little cups!"

  Unable to stop myself, I called back, "Which ones? Silver? Or Crystal?"

  The words had barely left my mouth when I heard the sounds of cars roaring into the driveway.

  The police?

  I sure hoped so.

  A few feet away, my uncle was still crouched like a dog on all fours. I glared down at him. "Stay!" And then, I turned toward the front of the house.

  Continuing to flick on lights as I went, I hurried from room to room, heading toward the front window. Once there, I pushed aside the heavy curtains to peer outside.

  I squinted in confusion. In front of the house, I saw two pairs of headlights. But as far as I could tell, none belonged to the police.

  I shielded my eyes from the glare and tried unsuccessfully to figure out who was here. There were no sirens, no flashing lights, no swat team, rushing for the front door.

  Praying it was Joel, I moved away from the window and started heading toward the front door. I was halfway there when the doorbell rang several times in quick succession. And then, the pounding started.

  Moving faster now, I rushed to the door and hit the intercom button. "Who is it?"

  I heard Joel's voice. "It's me. You alright?"

  My shoulders sagged in relief. I was now. After disengaging the alarm, I unlocked the door and flung it open.

  And there he was, Joel, with Jake and Bishop standing just behind him.

  Joel strode forward and pulled me into his arms. "Sorry I'm late. Are you okay?"

  I couldn’t help but lean into him as his arms closed tighter around me. In the back of my mind, I realized that nothing was truly settled between us, but for now, I couldn't bring myself to care.

  He was here, and his body felt amazing, hard and tight against mine. "Yeah. I'm fine." I sighed. "But guess who showed up."