The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Did you not go to bed?” Jess asked.

  “Yeah. Why?”Robbie snickered.

  “You woke up on your own.” Jess looked at his watch. “And before seven.”

  “I have services today.” Robbie folded the piece of paper he was writing on.

  “Is that your sermon?” Jess asked as he walked to the kitchen. “Oh, my God, you made coffee.”

  Robbie chuckled. “How do you like that?” He stood up. “No, this isn’t my sermon. You know I wing those. This is for Frank.”

  “Ah.” Jess nodded, emerging from the kitchen with his brew. “The proverbial detail of the fateful night.”

  “Did you do yours?”

  “I turned in yesterday an hour after questioning.”

  “Yeah, I wanna get mine in before questioning. That way I may eliminate an extra day of Frank and my dad asking me things.”

  “Good point.” Jess set his cup down. “I guess this is their way of weeding out the suspects.”

  “Or rather trapping you.”

  “What do you mean?” Jess asked.

  “Jess, my Dad spent too many years on the CIA. They get you to write a statement of that night. They ask you about it to see if you’re telling the truth. Then they’ll ask you again, trust me. And . . . they won’t forget a word of what you told them prior.”

  “Well, they have to do it if they want to catch the person,” Jess said. “In my opinion, it was someone that was at Henry’s house that night for that ‘reveal about Bev’ meeting.”

  Robbie raised his eyes. “You really think?”

  “For sure. But . . . I think the wrong person is gonna end up being accused.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “The thing of ‘it’s never the obvious’ is gonna come into play. I think a person with the least contact with Bev and motive is going to be the one paying the price for the real killer.”

  Robbie gave a curious look. “There were only two people in that room without real motive and who didn’t have any contact at all with Bev.”

  “Elliott and your brother.”

  “I think Elliott is totally out of the question. There’s no way they would even blame him. And Hal, really, why would they think . . .” Robbie’s eyes rose. He sunk into thought of what could be . . .

  “You did it, Hal, didn’t you!” He heard Joe’s voice blast in a brotherly concern bred fantasy. “You and your almighty UWA attitude. She hurt our family. She betrayed our state. And you decided to end it all that night. You walked into her house and declared yourself the judge, jury, and executioner.”

  Robbie snapped from his thought. “Shit.”

  “What?” Jess gave a quirky look.

  Holding his testimony tightly in his hand, Robbie shook his head. “Nothing.”

  ^^^^

  Henry’s eyes closed after he looked at the breakfast spread on his dining room table.

  “And coffee . . .” Hector set down the cups. “Eat, it’ll get cold.”

  “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Why?” Hector asked.

  “People will see you leave and think you spent the night.”

  Hector chuckled then an intensity took over his brown eyes. “You’re serious.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I came over to make you breakfast.”

  “But you came over early,. No one saw you come in here and . . .”

  “Henry!” Hector snapped his name. “You know there are two people in this community that you speak to. The rest you stopped. Why do you want to shut one of us out?”

  “It’s not shutting you out, Hector. It’s withholding the truth of what has happened.”

  “Is happening,” Hector corrected. “Do you think I want people categorizing me with Ben and Todd from Fabrics? That isn’t me. Everything that’s going on with you and me is not what I wanted in my life. If I had the chance to be with a woman, then, like you, I would snatch it up. But the only thing we get from women, if we’re lucky, is a once a year Jenny Matoose lottery lay.”

  Henry shook his head with a slight smile.

  “Oh, you don’t know about those, do you? You’ve never registered. I did. About once a year you win and one of Jenny’s registered women show up at your door. They undress, they lay on their backs, and when you are done, they smile and leave. That’s it.”

  “But isn’t it the same thing with most of the men? When they get together, they . . . they . . .” Henry twitched his head instead of saying the word. “Then they get dressed, leave, and never say another word.”

  “Yes,” Hector answered. “Yes, that’s the way it is. It’s for sex only. No one admits to it, so no one is gay.”

  “So why do you get angry when I try to hide what happened between us?”

  “Because it’s different,” Hector explained. “I wish you could see that. I never came to a man’s house to cook for him. God.” Hector shook his head. “It’s not about being physical with you, Henry. It never has to happen again. But I don’t want to lose the friendship and closeness we have building If you don’t see it, you’re wrong. All those late night talks at the Social Hall. What about the every night talks we have been having lately? I don’t want to lose that.” He stepped closer to Henry. “Sex, I can get anytime. That, I can’t.”

  “You have friends,” Henry said.

  “I don’t have closeness and I don’t mean physically when I say this. But you and me, we’re just a little beyond the closeness of everyday friends.” Hector’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You don’t want to lose it either.”

  Henry’s eyes closed tightly.

  “Eat breakfast. I won’t even stay if you don’t want me to.”

  Just as Henry was about to say something, there was a knock at his door. “Shit.”

  “Want me to hide.”

  Henry held up hand. “Who is it?” he called out.

  “Ellen.”

  Henry shook his head “I’ll get rid of her.” He moved to the door and opened it. “El, I’m busy.” He went to close it, but it met with a slam of her hand.

  “Tough.” Ellen fought with Henry in a tug of war over the opening and closing of the door. “Every single day . . .” she grunted. “I try to talk to you.”

  “Get the . . .” Henry struggled. “Hint.”

  “I’ve known you for a lot . . .” Ellen shoved. “Of years. Everyone else may . . .” She pushed the door again. “Have given up on you, but I haven’t.”

  “I don’t want you around.”

  “I need to talk to you,” she nearly shouted. “I’ll scream in the street the reason why I’m here.”

  “Then scream in the street.” Henry tried to close the door.

  “Fine.” She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted. “My brother Richie is running around Beginnings saying Henry killed . . .” She shrieked when her arm was tugged and she flew inside Henry’s house. “Bev.”

  “Why did you scream that?” Henry asked.

  “You said to.”

  “No, I mean, why did you scream about Richie saying I killed Bev?”

  “Because he is,” Ellen said. “He’s telling everyone. I worked Containment last night. I got called in. Bub was a little out of control. Richie told me you killed her. Henry, I had to come and tell you because you are questioned today. He told Dan, Danny, Joe, Frank. He said you admitted it.”

  “Oh, my God.” Henry’s hand slid down his nose. “I never said that.”

  Ellen shrugged. “It’s Richie. Anyway, I just wanted you to be prepared. I’m gonna go home and get some sleep so . . .” She sniffed. “Hey, you made breakfast.”

  Henry blocked her way. “Ellen, go.”

  “Didn’t you make enough?”

  “No that’s not it. It’s . . .”

  “Hector,” Ellen whispered out the name when she saw him. She spoke with offense and stepped back. “Oh. Oh. I understand. Great, Henry. Great. Is this the reason you don’t talk to me anymore?” She crinkled her nose, sneered at Hect
or, and spoke with attitude. “Hector?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fuck you,” she snapped. “I was your friend long before him. What? You make new friends and you shut me out? I was good enough when no one else wanted to be your friend. I was good enough when everyone hated you.”

  “Who hated me?”

  “Everyone. Now that you finally made a different friend, you don’t need me anymore. Hell, you’ve been getting Nick so much lately, you don’t even need Frank to be a Dad anymore. That sucks. And you know what? I don’t want to be your friend. So . . . so there.”

  Hector moved quickly behind Henry with a whisper as Ellen started to leave. “She has been your friend for a long time. Don’t shut her out.”

  There was a slight hesitation. “El,” Henry called her. “Wait.”

  She smiled before she shut the door and then turned around. “Yes.”

  “I have to tell you something,” Henry said nervously.

  Hector spoke softly, “You want me to leave?”

  “No.” Henry shook his head. “El, the reason I shut you out, isn’t because I don’t want to be your friend. God, I miss that. It’s because . . .it’s because I was embarrassed of what you saw.”

  “What do you mean?” Ellen asked. “What did I see?”

  “That night . . . than night Bev was killed and she was here. We were fighting . . .”

  “Henry, I didn’t see anything. I only heard you guys argue. That’s it. Why? Did you hit her?”

  “No.” Henry said. “I mean about Hector, El. Him and I . . . we . . . him and I, we’re close. We’re friends. Special friends.”

  “Ah.” She smiled. “That’s nice. I’m glad you made a special friend, Henry. You need that.”

  “No. El.” He tried again. “We’re very close. Understand?”

  Ellen gave a thumbs up. “Got it. And you were worried.” She smiled. “You thought I’d be jealous, huh? No. I’m glad.” With a ‘whew’ she chuckled. “Not that it would make a difference, but here I thought you were gonna tell me you two were lovers.” She snickered. “Was I wrong or what?” She moved to the dining room. “Wow, these eggs look good. Can I eat?”

  Henry just stared in disbelief as Ellen made herself comfortable. “Frank has had a huge affect on her lately.”

  With a chuckle, Hector gave a swat to Henry’s back. “And you’ve been avoiding her.” He laughed again. “That’s funny. Let’s eat.” He shrugged and walked to the dining room leaving Henry still standing there, baffled.

  ^^^^

  It was the gripe of the morning. If Dean earned a Danny Dollar for each time he said it, he’d have all the Danny Dollars in circulation.

  “Damn it. I can’t believe Johnny didn’t show,” he said once again in total disgust. He looked at the work on the clinic counter. “When you spin that blood, be careful taking the tubes from the centrifuge.” He flipped through paper after paper. “All these tests. What the hell has Johnny been doing? I can’t believe he didn’t show up today. Probably the investigation.” He looked over his shoulder. “If you get to where you have to remove the plasma, be extra careful. But for right now, if you can prepare those urine samples for simple strip testing I’d be happy.”

  “What exactly do you want me to do first?” Billy asked his father. “You’re spitting out order after order. I’m not Mom. I’m only seven.”

  “Geez. Sorry.” Dean ran his fingers through his hair. “Do the urine first. God knows how long they’ve been waiting.” He looked at the work orders on the counter. “I don’t even want to view the dates those samples were taken.”

  “Swell.” Billy mumbled looking at the tray of urine. “Old pee.”

  John Matoose peeked into the Clinic lab. He hated to interrupt a father-son moment, but other than getting his doctor’s release to go back to work, John had a brilliant way–at least he thought–to plant the seed of thought in Dean’s mind. Reaching up, he knocked on the archway. “Dean?”

  With a turn, Dean looked. “Hey, John.” He snapped his fingers. “Yeah, that release.” He pulled it from his pocket. “I have it. Why are you standing there?”

  “Can I speak to you?” John gave a twitch of his head.

  “Sure.” Dean walked across the lab. “Bill, I’ll be right back.” He stepped into the hall. “Here.” He handed him the release. “What’s up?”

  “Well, I needed to talk to you about something. I know it will be a little sensitive for you with the Bev situation, but . . . Jenny, God I hate to say this.”

  “Why?”

  “It may bring back painful memories of the Bev paternity situation.”

  “No.” Dean held up his hand. “Go on.”

  “Jenny was speaking to me about running paternity tests. You know, to see who the actual father is. I wanted to tell you if you find out who the biological father really is, not to tell me. Unlike in other circumstances where the real father really has an impact, it doesn’t for me.”

  Dean stared..

  “Uh!” A sound of disgust came from the lab. “Gross. There’s a hair in this urine. What am I supposed to do with it?”

  “Dean, do you understand?”

  “Got it. You don’t want to know. Bye, John.” Dean raced in the lab. “Don’t touch that, Billy.”

  John closed his eyes. He failed again. Dean may have listened but he didn’t hear a word John said.

  ^^^^

  Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

  Perhaps it was a bit sadistic of Joe, tapping his pencil lightly on the desk at the same speed and rhythm that Henry tapped his fingers on his thighs.

  Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

  He looked down to the paper, up to Frank, then at Henry

  Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

  “Dad,” Frank spoke up.

  Breathing heavily outward, Joe leaned back in his chair. He began a slight rocking.

  “Dad, come on,” Frank beckoned.

  From her corner, Grace only raised her eyes and watched with curiosity as to what Joe was up to.

  A silencing hand shot up to Frank. Joe said nothing. He rocked, slow and heavy.

  Squeak-squeak-squeak.

  Patience wasn’t always someone else’s virtue especially not Henry. Joe could see the irritation on Henry’s face. Joe had a plan. Part of it dealt with he and Frank asking minimal questions. It wasn’t because there was nothing to ask, but because Joe wanted Henry to do all the work. Timing was everything. If Joe was right, Henry would do as he predicted the moment Joe spoke. “O.K., we’ll start.”

  “Why do I have to go first, Joe?” Henry complained. “It isn’t fair.”

  “You’re not first, Henry,” Joe explained. “Others have been questioned. Jess, Trish, Danny.”

  “But they aren’t viable suspects, Joe.”

  “And you are?”

  “Yes. No. Yes, it’s no secret I hated her.”

  Joe nodded. “Really, though, Henry. Hate? Hate is a strong word. Hate?” He leaned forward. “Why did you hate her? To me, it isn’t a reason to hate. I mean, she caused a short riff in yours and Ellen’s friendship, understandable. But you got dragged in to Bev’s little scheme to get Dean, inadvertently of course.”

  “Joe,” Henry gasped. “I would never deliberately help break them up or make it look like she was with Dean.”

  “But you did.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “You sided with her.”

  “When?” Henry got defensive.

  “You hung out with her.”

  “She came to see me.”

  “You ordered Ellen to be put in holding and made her apologize to Bev.”

  “You called them woman ‘A’ and woman ‘B’.” Henry spoke quickly.

  “Still, no reason to hate the woman. I don’t hate anyone. Do I Frank?’

  “George,” Frank answered.

  “Yeah, but is it hate? I learned to let things go in my life. I would call it more of a war of powers. Grace? Anyone you hate?”

  Grace let out a ‘hmm�
�� then shook her head. “Not that I recall.”

  “Frank?” Joe asked.

  “Fuckin Barney the Dinosaur. But does he count?”

  “No. Hate is a nasty word. Did you really hate her, Henry?”

  “I suppose not, Joe.” Henry leaned back more relaxed in his chair.

  “Surprising,” Joe said, “seeing how she was blackmailing you and all.”

  Henry snapped forward. “You said I shouldn’t hate.”

  “No, I said the Ellen reason is no reason to hate her. Blackmail is. Was she blackmailing you or is that a rumor?”

  “It’s a rumor,” Henry stated.

  “Really?” Folding his hands Joe rocked in his chair. “I thought so, because I can’t think of any reason that she was blackmailing you. But . . . are you sure you want to stick with that answer. She wasn’t blackmailing you.”

  Henry peered at Frank then to Joe. His voice softened. “She was blackmailing me.”

  “Why?” Joe asked. “What did she have on you or think she had on you.”

  “I can’t say.”

  “Then she had something on you.”

  Henry didn’t answer.

  “All right,” Joe calmed his voice to a pacifying one. “Whether or not it was true, what was she blackmailing you with?”

  “I can’t say.”

  “You can’t say or won’t.”

  “I can’t, Joe,” Henry said. “I can’t. I’d rather not. But she was. Over and over and over. Harping. Beating me with it. She wouldn’t leave me alone.”

  “Did she approach you the night she was killed?” Joe asked.

  “Yes,” Henry answered.

  “Before the meeting, after or both.”

  There was a slight pause in Henry’s response. “Before.”

  “And you’re sure about that. She didn’t approach you at all after the meeting?”

  “No, she didn’t.”

  “Positive?”

  “Why? What did someone say?”

  “Is there someone that would say something?” Joe asked.

  “No.” Henry shook his head. “I mean with Richie running around and all, saying I killed Bev.”

  “Yeah,” Joe snickered. “That’s pretty funny. Now . . . back to the reason she was blackmailing you.”