“Did you see anyone?” Laila asked and Red took off his spectacles as if accentuating a point.
“Hon, I can barely see without these things on, all I saw was a fire and I called 911. By the time I made it to the road the whole vehicle was engulfed in flames and there was no way I could get close to it. I’m sorry.” He offered apologetically.
Laila’s shoulders slumped at the revelation and she could feel the tears returning to her eyes.
“Would you kids like a soda or something?” Red offered and although Cole saw the gesture as the old man trying to be kind he could tell that Laila took no comfort from the offer.
“No thank you Red. We appreciate your help but I think we better keep looking around.” Cole said for the both of them and Red seemed to readily understand what he was trying to do.
“Maybe some other time then?” Red rescinded seemingly trying to keep his part of the conversation light-hearted but, Cole noticed a single tear following the deep lines on his aging face.
“I’m sorry for your loss young lady.” He said and Laila choked.
She figured Red had seen the news reports and drawn his own conclusions as to what happened but, she struggled to free the words from her throat. “It’s not your fault sir. I was just hoping I could find out what happened to my dad.” She said before turning to walk back down the driveway alone.
“Son, there’s no need for formalities with me. Go take care of that girl. I’ll see you again.” Red promised and Cole was thankful for the old man’s understanding. He hurried to catch up with Laila who had been walking so fast that they were almost out of sight of the garage when Cole caught up with her.
“Are you ok?” he asked knowing that she wasn’t but, hoping that he could at least offer her some support.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I didn’t want to break out in tears in front of him that’s why I left.” She admitted turning to look back up the driveway however, Red had disappeared from view. “He seems like a nice guy.” She mused trying to keep herself on a lighter note but, she had vested her hopes in the belief that the old man had seen something, anything that would help her better understand what had happened to her father.
“Maybe someone else saw something,” Cole noted and Laila shrugged noncommittally.
“Maybe,” she reiterated trying to sound optimistic but realistically she highly doubted it.
“What about Matt?” Cole asked and Laila became somewhat hopeful. “He’s strange enough that he could have been out wandering at night or maybe his younger sister was outside and saw something considering she can’t go outside during the day.” He said hoping that Laila would see it as a possible avenue they could explore.
“It’s worth a shot but, not right now. I think I just want to go home.” She replied grasping Cole’s hand. “Will you stay with me again tonight?” she asked and Cole seemed dumbfounded.
“I’ll stay with you whenever you want.” He stammered. They made their way back to town wholly unaware of Matt watching them from up the road just out of sight.
* * * * *
When Cole and Laila walked into his house to pick up a change of clothes they immediately choked as the smell of cigarettes and telltale blue smoke in the air assaulted their lungs. Although he was off to one side of the small living room Cole immediately looked to his stepfather laying on the sofa with a beer in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. Considering how unkempt his hair was and the fact that he was still in his boxer shorts Cole could readily guess the scenario; A long night of binge drinking had left him in his current state and he was drinking to make it all ‘better.’ “Taking the day off are you Mori?” Cole asked in passing trying to keep his conversation with the annoying and abusive older man on a calm level.
“Boy!” He said gruffly announcing his drunken stupor by the amount of spit that trailed down his chin while he spoke, “I had to listen to your mom bitch at me last night. Where were you?” He finished as one eye dropped to almost half closed while the other remained intent on Cole and Laila. Cole started to reply but Laila cut him short stepping forward as if she were his protector.
“He stayed with me last night sir. I asked him to. I’m sorry. Please tell Mrs. Larson that it was my fault.” She said sweetly drawing a confused look from Mori who only seemed to be good at being abusive to the women he had been married to but, when confronted with Laila he had lost all of his bluster.
“Oh. Ok. Is he going to be staying with you again tonight?” he asked and Cole wondered how Laila got him to drop his attitude so perfectly but, he continued to keep his mouth shut.
“I was hoping it would be ok with you sir.” She replied motioning for Cole to go to his room and pick out a pair of clothes. He quickly obliged thankful for Laila’s interjection.
“I’ll tell his mom.” Mori was quick to retort before turning his attention back to the news and out of the conversation. Laila felt uncomfortable being around the drunk, reminding her so much of her father that she wanted to scream at him but, although Cole didn’t talk about his family much, she could see that maybe he couth empathize with her better than she originally thought.
“You ready?” Cole whispered into Laila’s ear trying to remain unnoticed by Mori but, when he looked up with his eyes half staggered Cole hesitated. “Yes Mori?” he asked trying to remain as cordial as possible. Sometimes, he even liked the man but, more and more often he was choosing the bottle over his ‘chosen family’ and Cole resented him openly for it.
“Someone dropped a note off for you,” Mori remarked pointing at the small end table at the foot of the couch.
Cole noticed a piece of paper tri-folded with his name on it. He picked it up stuffing it into his pocket before glancing at Laila. She seemed to be as ready to leave as he was. “Thanks, Mori.” He offered heading for the front door.
“I’ll tell your mother where you are,” Mori called after them as they stepped outside and Cole simply called back his thanks before shutting the door behind him.
“So, who’s the note from?” Laila asked as they walked off the property.
Cole pulled it out of his pocket unfolding it. “Let’s find out.”
Thank you for offering to be my friend. In light of things I would have liked to have a friend like you and I’m sorry for all of the things that I had to say to you the last time you were over. Frankly, my life is no longer mine to control and I have certain obligations that I cannot break, however, I also don’t want to see you hurt. Calkins Road is a dangerous place, even for me, and I am begging you not to return to my house for reasons that I can’t readily explain. Most people regard me as creepy and never give me a chance to be their friend but, you and your girlfriend Laila were decent to me and treated me like a human rather than a piece of meat. I need to ask you to keep Laila away from my ‘sister.’ She has taken a liking to her and honestly, you need to understand that she isn’t exactly as innocent as she leads everyone to believe. I am writing this to you now because I am aware of certain circumstances that might lead you back to my house and I am telling you not to for your own sake. Please take care and tell Laila. I’m sorry about her loss.
Sincerely,
Matt
“So who’s it from?” Laila asked again.
Cole couldn’t help but feel a slight awkwardness regarding its meaning. “It’s from Matt.” He replied handing her the note wondering how the strange kid had figured out where he lived however, he figured that if Matt had met almost anyone in town, he could easily find out.
Laila read over the note and couldn’t believe what Matt wrote about his sister being some kind of monster yet she couldn’t take her eyes off of the last part. ‘How does he know about what happened? Didn’t the cops say that they were trying to keep everything under wraps until their investigation was over?’ she thought not wanting to alert Cole that she was growing suspicious of the strange kid and that she was considering, more than ever, going to his house to find out exactly how much he knew and how he knew it.
“G
uess he really wants to keep us away,” Cole remarked absently as Laila handed the letter back to him inwardly wondering if she should tell Cole about what she had noticed. “What’s up?” he asked looking at her quizzically.
She had to snap herself from her quiet contemplations before smiling at him. “Oh, nothing really I’m just trying to calm down is all.” She lied but, Matt had left the note for Cole, not her. The strange kid couldn’t get mad at her if she showed up alone and of her own accord.
CHAPTER 10
Laila hadn’t slept well throughout the course of the night tossing, turning, and waking at regular intervals as she thought about the note and the possibility that Matt knew more about her father’s whereabouts than she had originally anticipated. As the first rays of sunlight crept through her open window she knew that Cole would tell her that he didn’t think it was a good idea for her to go to the strange kid’s house and he would probably dissuade her in any way he could from following that particular course of action. With her mind made up she pulled herself out of bed and walked downstairs to start breakfast for the man that she knew she would have to deceive to better understand the circumstances surrounding her father. She pulled a carton of eggs from the refrigerator and turned on the stove thinking about what she would tell Cole as the pan heated up.
“Are you ok?” she heard Cole ask and she jumped startled by his sudden appearance in the kitchen.
“Whoa someone’s jumpy this morning,” Cole noted eyeing her curiously when Laila smiled half-heartedly at him.
“I’m good babe, I just got a phone call from my mother this morning and I have to meet her here this evening.” She lied turning back to the stove. She sincerely hoped he wouldn’t ask her any of the particulars of the said meeting.
He walked up behind her kissing her gently on the neck before the obvious question came. “So do you need me to leave for a while this afternoon?” he asked noting that she didn’t look at him once seeming to search for an appropriate response.
“I’ll call you when she leaves.” She promised however, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for lying to him. He had gently begun to massage her back agreeing readily to the proposition seeming not to doubt her in the slightest. That trust made the lie all the worse. “Go make yourself comfortable I’ll have breakfast ready in a little bit.” She assured him but, he remained behind her rubbing her back so delicately that it sent shivers through her entire body. He would do anything for her and she knew it but, she grew frustrated feeling unsure about the consequences of telling him the truth. “Babe go sit down.” She snapped turning to him briefly.
Cole backed away confused. He didn’t know how to respond so he looked at her with quiet trepidation.
Embarrassed for her outburst, Laila turned back to the stove. She grabbed a couple of eggs cracking them in half and dropped their insides them messily into the pan. “Sorry.” She said still keeping her attention diverted from him.
“It’s ok.” He stated flatly, obliging her by retiring to the couch where he turned on the television and began thumbing through the channels.
Laila was thankful that he hadn’t insisted upon a reason for her outburst and she doubted she was right in continuing with her lie though she couldn’t deny that he felt responsible for her. Finally, she concluded that the white lie she had told him was less detrimental than telling him the truth knowing that she would have to shoot him down if he tried to protest. She continued making breakfast without saying a word.
* * * * *
Laila had left her house minutes after Cole was out of sight and she wondered if she had made the best decision walking up Calkins Road intent on reaching Matt’s home. She maintained a cautious pace recalling the story that Cole had told her of his encounter with the shadowed stranger not so long ago. Anxiety began to overtake her and she desperately fought the urge to call Cole and request he accompany her, however, she knew she would be caught in her lie and the prospect of it bothered her more than being alone. She had been relatively quiet for most of the day and even though Cole had tried to make conversation with her she had dismissed him as an annoyance when in actuality she was trying to hide the guilt she felt. ‘Oh well, if he were in my shoes he’d have done the same thing.’ She thought though she couldn’t readily convince herself that was the truth and feared she may have inadvertently started a downward spiral in their relationship. A light breeze blew gently tantalizing her with the smells of summer. The birds were singing all around her signaling her approach in soft beautiful intervals. With each step she grew more and more determined on her destination and she gave Red’s property no more than a cursory glance as she made her way. She stopped mid-stride as she came to the fenced property fully aware that the Victorian style home lay just behind the line of trees hidden from sight. ‘What if Matt tells him where I was?’ she thought but, already being in sight of the pepper trees that lined the driveway she decided that she was too close to turn back now. She had only been to the house once before and its sheer size was still as intimidating as she remembered. Laila took a deep breath and walked up to the front door feeling naked without Cole beside her. She brought her hand up to knock but before she brought it down the door swung wide with Matt glaring at her angrily.
“What the hell are you doing here!?” he said forcefully.
Laila took an involuntary step backward. He was haggard looking. His cheeks seemed to have recessed noticeably and his eyes wore heavy bags beneath them. She knew she had probably overstepped her bounds however, she steeled herself and looked Matt squarely in the eyes. “I just….” She began but stopped when Matt brought a finger to his lips.
“I told you and Cole to stay away,” he whispered as if trying to hide the last part from eavesdropping ears but, he could tell that she wouldn’t be dissuaded.
“Cole doesn’t know I’m here but, I read the last part of the note that you left for him and I want to know how you know about what happened to my father.” She admitted keeping her posture stern while she spoke and Matt looked away from her accusing gaze.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said sheepishly looking behind him while he spoke.
“Then why’d you write what you did?” Laila asked angrily not liking the notion that she was being lied to. Matt was at a loss for words and he jumped when Marissa’s voice trailed out of the house.
“Laila. Is that you?” she asked sweetly sounding as if she were starved for attention.
Matt stood rigid not turning around as he looked at Laila and a sense of sadness and defeat crossed his visage. “Go.” He mouthed but Laila didn’t regard him in the slightest still angered by his apparent lack of manners and more apparent lie.
“Yeah, it’s me. How are you, Marissa?” Laila called into the house over Matt’s shoulder. She kept her tone lighthearted even though she wanted to punch him squarely in the face.
“I’m good but I can’t come to the door. Can you come in?” Marissa called back and Laila stared judgingly at Matt who regarded her with a hint of sympathy but, she found that she cared little for the rude man standing in her way.
“I would but Matt’s blocking the door,” Laila announced and Marissa was quick to reply.
“Matt let her in,” she called out forcefully and Matt promptly stepped aside allowing Laila entrance into the house though he lowered his head down as she walked passed him.
“We’ll talk more about this later.” She assured him quietly before calling out to Marissa from the foyer. “Where are you, Marissa?” Laila said and the front door slammed behind her. She turned to see that Matt was gone and Marissa quickly stepped out from the hallway smiling wide at the older girl.
“I was hoping you would come back.” She admitted pleased to see the older girl again.
“I told you I would,” Laila said to the young girl feeling sympathetic as Marissa looked at her with a hint of doubt in her eyes.
“It’s been almost a month since you said you would be my older sister.” She stat
ed flatly through pouting lips.
Laila couldn’t help but feel nervous at the child’s declaration. She was determined that the matter was fact, and it was more than a little unnerving. “Yeah, Cole and I have been really busy lately.” She added hoping that the young girl would understand.
“You mean your boyfriend?” she asked and Laila responded with a nod. “Can you stay for a while?” Marissa asked hopefully and Laila found that she couldn’t deny the young girl.
“Sure Marissa, I can only stay for a couple of hours or so but then I have to get home.” She said feeling that she should give Marissa a little bit of her time before heading back to her house. She was frustrated that Matt hadn’t given her any information regarding her father but, for now, she felt obligated to keep his younger sister happy.
“Oh good, I’m glad that you’re not going to leave me again,” Marissa said with such certainty that Laila couldn’t help but feel irresponsible for not visiting the young girl sooner. “Come with me.” Marissa said grabbing Laila’s hand ushering her down the hall to her bedroom, “Oh how much fun we’ll have.” She smiled closing the door behind her.
* * * * *
Cole had been home for about an hour deciding that he would spend some time with Donovan who seemed elated to have his brother home however, his initial attitude was somewhat apprehensive. Cole figured that his younger brother’s uncertainty around him had been brought on by the fact that he hadn’t seen him in a couple of days which was unusual for both of them but, it didn’t last long. They had spent the greater part of the hour playing video games together which Cole let him win at regular intervals feeling that his younger sibling would have more fun if he at least got the chance to beat him once in a while. He hadn’t realized how much time he’d been spending around Laila over the course of the last few days until they had parted and he found himself wondering if she was feeling smothered having him around. By the way she had been acting throughout the course of the day he considered it a likely possibility. His mother still didn’t speak to him seemingly irate that he hadn’t notified her of his whereabouts from the last two days. She had told Donovan that she planned on ignoring Cole so that he could see how it felt and Don quickly filled his older brother in on her plan. Cole thought of it as a blessing in disguise. He had expected his mother to start a fight with him the moment he walked in the door but, her change in attitude was strangely satisfying.
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