Green Tea

by Sheila Horgan

  “You know what I did think about? Remember in the journals when Louis wrote something that sounded like he was pretty much apologizing that he didn’t tell Jerkface about anything? I wonder if Jerkface planted that so that he’d look innocent of all of it. I wonder if this was a long-term plan. It would take a really long time to write those journals and plant just the right evidence and just the right amount of it and lead me by the nose to find it in the right order.”

  “True.”

  “It’s not like they could find out that Louis was onto them, and in a matter of a few days, Louis dies, they hatch this huge elaborate plan to frame Louis, get it all in place, and execute it so perfectly they damn near got away with it.”

  “Cara, when you’re up on the stand, do not use words like execute.”

  “Not funny.”

  “I wasn’t kidding.”

  “I still don’t understand what happened here. I want answers.”

  “I know, but you need to remember that you’ll probably never have all the answers you want, maybe not even all the answers you need, but for right now, things are better than they’ve been for you for a while and we have a wedding to celebrate. Morgan’s family’s even going to be there. After all the tension they’ve had over the last few years, talking incessantly about serial murderers and the family being in danger would probably be a bad thing.”

  “You know what, I haven’t done that. I’ve stayed away, but I hardly even talked about it.”

  “You’re right. You’ve been surprisingly mature about the whole thing.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Cara, I don’t know how all this stuff works and I’m not completely comfortable asking Steph, so I think at least for the time being we should just be careful to keep the doors locked all the time, remember that there’s safety in numbers, kind of like having a bathroom buddy at school, and enjoy the wedding. My guess is now that the media knows about it they’ll hound the hell out of Jerkface and his family so that at least we’ll know where he is. If they let him out of jail, the media will be all over him. Same with his sister. I already put a flag on it for my phone. You should do the same. If there are any updates, they’ll email us.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I think at least until we hear different, we should go on the assumption that we’re good.”

  “Works for me.”

  “I’m out of here.”

  “What? You’re the one that instituted the buddy system and within a minute and a half you say you’re leaving alone?”

  “I meant you, not me.”

  “I know. Kind of like flossing. You always say it’s a great thing, until you have to do it yourself.”

  “I have to go home at some point Cara.”

  “True, AJ can follow you over as soon as he gets home.”

  “Then you’ll be alone.”

  “Yes, but I’ll be locked in the apartment, not driving around where someone can drive me off the road or snatch me on my way up the stairs.”

  “They’re in jail, Cara. No one is out to get me anyway.”

  “Sorry, but you’re in this just as deep as I am. If they put me on the witness stand, they’ll put you on right after me. You’re the one that actually found the memory cards. You’re the one that contacted Steph.”

  Teagan was quiet for a second, “You know, the more I think about the whole Steph thing, I’m thinking maybe Steph contacted me.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’ve known Steph on a ‘Hi, how are ya?’ kind of basis for a while, but we never did lunch or talked at any length until all this stuff started with you and she seems to be right square in the middle of it. Why?”

  “I’m not sure. You’re just thinking this now?”

  “There was no more reason for me to think that Steph was weirdness than there was for you to think that getting a call from a priest was weirdness. I’m not gonna beat you up about Billy, and you aren’t going to beat me up about Steph.”

  “Truer words were never spoken.”

  I finally showed Teagan what my dress for the wedding actually looks like on, with the shoes. I still don’t have a necklace, but maybe just earrings will work.

  “Cara, I have the perfect necklace, I’ll bring it tomorrow night, don’t even worry about it. God, am I good or what?”

  “I have to admit, you’re good.”

  “You seem to be dressing better these days. AJ has been a very good influence.”

  “It isn’t about AJ. He doesn’t care what I wear. Actually, he would prefer I don’t wear anything. It’s about trying to build a business or at least some kind of professional life for myself. Because I am working, in essence, for myself, I never know when I am going to meet someone that is a potential paycheck.”

  “Smart.”

  “Do you know if we’re setting up the ballroom, decorating it or whatever, after we do the rehearsal and dinner, or maybe in the morning? I hate that rushing around thing.”

  “I didn’t even think to ask Mom. I’ve been as busy as you lately. Not good. The family survived without us, Cara. Next thing you know, they’ll think this could be a long term thing and we won’t be invited anymore.”

  An uncomfortable chuckle followed.

  “It’s too late to call Mom, we’ll figure it out tomorrow. I really have to get going Cara. If Steph hadn’t called and told me to watch the news, and if it weren’t faster just to pull into a parking space here, than to go home and figure out if I park in the garage or in the driveway, and most of the time Mr. Johnstone is there and I chat with him, he does own the property, anyway, I would have gone home alone before.”

  There was a knock on the door. AJ and Jessie.

  “Hey Sweet-T. Your mom called your dad and filled him in. I figured you would be here. I’ll follow you home.”

  With that, they were gone.

  AJ went in to take a shower. I felt it was my duty to join him there and fill him in on the details of my evening. The fact that I felt more like myself than I had since God knows when might have had something to do with it.

  After our shower we talked about all things Jerkface, then moved onto things more pleasant, like the fact that Nana is doing well, and the wedding. AJ was almost asleep when I said, “I’ve been thinking about this, and you know I’m gonna be really busy at the wedding, have you thought about bringing a date?”

  He sat up so quick I almost landed on the floor. “A date?”

  “Yep.”

  “You want me to bring a date to your brother’s wedding?”

  “I thought it would be nice.”

  “Are you out of your mind? Let’s set aside the fact that your sweet little mother would pull me apart limb from limb, and that your brothers would do worse when she was done with me. Did you have someone particular in mind or am I just supposed to wander the streets walking up to complete strangers saying, ‘you want to go to my girlfriend’s brother’s wedding with me?’”

  “Actually, I thought it might be nice if you brought Nana.”

  He smiled, “Really?”

  “Really. You said that it has been hard on her since your grandfather died. She’s probably a bit lonely if she really hasn’t cultivated any new friendships since then. There will be lots of family. She could dance with her handsome grandson. I think she would have a good time.”

  “I can’t really invite her to Morgan and Liam’s wedding. That’s not right.”

  “They would love it. I promise. I can ask them if you like, but I know I don’t need to.”

  “I’d feel weird. It isn’t appropriate.”

  “Fine, I’ll invite her as my date, but could you pick her up and give her a ride, cause I’ll probably want to get there early.”

  “I have to get there early too. I’m the photographer. See, it won’t work out. It was a really nice thought, but if I’m running around taking pictures, and you’re running around doing whatever it is you’re going to do, then Nana is gonna end up sitting there by herse
lf anyway. Thank you for thinking of it.”

  “We’ll see. Maybe we can work it out.”

  AJ was snoring within moments.

  The phone rang first thing in the morning. “Hey, I took the day off work. Jessie has to go into the office, but he’s going to get off early so that he can help. He’ll make it to the dinner, but I told him there is no need for him to be at the rehearsal. He doesn’t understand why you and I are even going to be at the rehearsal when we aren’t in the wedding. I’m still breaking him in.”

  “I don’t know how family just shows up at a wedding and acts like a guest. It’s a skill I haven’t mastered. I’m just too nosey. Besides, if you only go to the real stuff, you miss out on half the fun.”

  “I prefer to think I’m helpful, not nosey.”

  “You can think anything you want, doesn’t make it true.”

  “Any news about Jerkface?”

  “Not a sound. My phone didn’t give me any updates, and they’re just running the same stuff over and over on TV.”

  “I was thinking about it last night. What the news has, was planted to get information.”

  “Why?”

  “Cause they have the pictures of the girls that Louis didn’t identify in the journals, but they don’t have the pictures of the girls that are identified.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Steph.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t get that tone. You didn’t want to see the pictures, remember?”

  “I know.”

  “So, they only have the girls that aren’t identified, and nothing about the stuff we saw online, about Jerkface’s sister being on the other girl’s pages.”

  “Good point.”

  “I hate the part where we know a little bit, but we don’t know enough to know what we don’t know.”

  “I seem to spend a lot of my life in that space lately, I’m trying to learn to be one with my Yoda while in it.”

  “Have you heard from Mom? What are we supposed to be doing today?”

  “She said that she has it covered.”

  “I don’t like that. You wanna head over there for a cup of tea, just to make sure?”

  “Love to.”

  “I’ll be at your place in ten minutes, we can drive together.”

  “Works for me.”

  AJ was well on his way to being ready for his day. He ran out the door about the same time Teagan arrived. She came in for a quick cup of tea. We still hadn’t heard any more about Jerkface, but were starting to change our focus to the wedding, where our focus really should be.

  “I wonder what Liam did about a ring for Morgan?”

  “She has long skinny fingers, she can wear anything. I’m willing to bet she picked out her own ring.”

  “She has the dress, thanks to AJ. Does she have everything else she’ll need?”

  “Good question, we can ask Mom when we get there.”

  “We could just call Morgan now.”

  Teagan dialed. “Hey, it’s me. Cara and I were just sitting here talking about you. We feel like we’ve neglected you, we’ve been so busy trying not to get ourselves killed. Is there anything at all you need, want, any desires of your wee little heart that we can fulfill. We both have the day off today, we are yours to do with as you choose.”

  Teagan was quiet for a while. She snapped her fingers a couple of times. I ran over to the desk and got her a pen and paper. She scribbled wildly while she tried to keep the cell phone between her shoulder and her ear, without hanging up. I hate that about cell phones.

  “We can do that. On our way.”

  “What are we doing?”

  “We are going to run over there right now. Jordan needs a ride to school and Morgan has a morning of beauty planned, but she also needs us to run over and do something for Liam. Liam is going to pick up all the tuxes, and we need to make sure Dad tries his on. We also need to make sure that Jordan’s tux stays at Mom’s and then after school he can try it on. If it doesn’t fit, we have to keep all sharp instruments away from Morgan because she might fall on her sword. It’s so funny to hear her flustered she’s usually so serene. We need to pick up some safety pins, a tube of lipstick and those special Band-Aids for blisters. We have to make sure that Liam and Jordan have clean fingernails, they were working on an RC car and Morgan keeps forgetting to check.”

  “I wonder if she has all the something old, something new stuff covered.”

  “She said that she has everything but the family money to stick in her shoe. Mom will give that to her tomorrow. From what she says, I don’t think she knows about the box.”

  “Mom better give that to her early. If she cries she’s gonna mess up her makeup.”

  “We also have to find out who is going to decorate the ballroom. I already have Jessie on alert. Told him to throw some jeans in the car. I guess we’re going to have to go over there after dinner at Mom’s or really early in the morning. That’s a really big room to fill up with stuff, it’s gonna take forever, and I’m still not sure what Jovana is doing with all those twinkle lights and that weird fabric.”

  “What weird fabric?”

  “Oh, she had this stuff on huge tubes. Looked kind of like interfacing that you use for sewing. Think compressed spider webs. The tube said it was fire retardant, if that tells you anything. Is she having a pyrotechnics show?”

  “I don’t think so. I think the budget is pretty much over the moon already. Thank God the big-ticket items were all pretty much barter. They were able to barter the ballroom, the dress, I’m pretty sure they did the same thing with the cake. The DJ guy is doing the reception as kind of an interview for working at the bar, so he’s giving them a really good price.”

  “So, you think she has the old and new thing covered?”

  “You already asked that.”

  “I know.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’m not sure. I just have this feeling that I’m supposed to do something for her.”

  “Bernie?”

  “I think so.”

  “You want to pick it yourself, have her pick something out? You don’t even know what’s in all those little cubby holes, what if you let her pick her own thing, you could be giving her the Hope Diamond.”

  “I doubt Bernie had access to anything like that, or that she would leave it to me if she did. Besides, I think it’s more of a lending thing, and I thought I’d pick it out myself.”

  “When?”

  “Now?”

  “We have to head over to pick up Jordan. We’ve got like five minutes before we have to leave. Do you really want to rush it?”

  “Well, if I just dip my hand in and pull something out, and it’s something appropriate for a wedding, then I’ll bring it with me. If I dip my hand in and get a hot pink thong, then I’ll take it that my psychic abilities are as limited as I’ve always believed them to be, and that Bernie was as outrageous as any erotica-writing 134-year-old woman is bound to be, and we won’t mention it to another living soul.”

  “That works.”

  I’m using the beautiful chest Bernie left me as a coffee table. I had a piece of glass covering the dresser in my bedroom. It was almost exactly the right size, so I moved it onto the chest so that when Teagan is overtaken by carelessness because she is engrossed in some TV show, and puts her glass down on the chest, I won’t have to kill her.

  We took the glass off, set it on end behind the couch, and opened the trunk. It smelled fabulous. I really have to find out what that smell is. Citrusy and clean. I breathed in so deep my toes could feel it.

  I sat there for a moment. Teagan silently watching, and for once, not directing.

  I smiled, reached in and pulled open a little drawer. Inside was a box about three by three inches. I could feel it under the tissue paper, powder pink, with a white lace ribbon tied neatly around it.

  I untied the ribbon and folded it gently, to put back in the spot that I’d taken the box from.


  Teagan couldn’t take it anymore. “You’re killin’ me here. Hurry up!”

  I unwrapped the tissue paper. A beautiful blue velvet box. Must be jewelry. Perfect.

  I opened the box, it creaked loudly, startled me at first. Inside, more tissue paper.

  Teagan almost fell into my lap she was leaning so far forward.