by Ethan Egorov
He continued into the house after punching a few numbers on the mansion’s security system. The door unlocked and he was pleased to find that it was actually locked when he pushed on the door. He quickly turned from corner to corner staring through the sight on his Colt. If there was an intruder he wouldn’t stand a chance. Trent prided himself on a steady shot and had been responsible for a great majority of his family’s kill shots.
As he wandered through the house he noticed it was eerily quiet. Even the housekeeper seemed to either be gone or maybe even sleeping. There was no one in the living room or the parlor. He then made this way to his father’s office and swiftly opened the door. His father’s desk chair was empty and his computer was turned off, its hum was silence early it seems. His father was fastidious about his work. Had he finished early, or did he just decide to take a break? It didn’t appear that he had any pressing work on the top of his desk. Trent retreated from the office and shut the door. It was still peculiar that nothing seemed out of place.
He picked up his phone and while walking to the kitchen dialed his father’s number again. There was no answer and he didn’t hear it ringing in any of the adjacent rooms. The kitchen was cleaned and there wasn’t any sign of meals being prepared. There was only one cup by the coffee pot and he only assumed his father had made a cup at some point during the day and returned it to that same spot. It was empty. So there was no one in the house it seemed and no dinner had been prepared. Maybe Tommy was right and he just decided to go out to dinner, giving his staff the rest of the night off. He then walked upstairs to the bedrooms. He rounded the corner, still with his gun levelled. His father’s bedroom was a mess. After he put his Colt down, he realized that he may have been too late. The dresser drawers were pulled out and his father’s clothes were scattered on the floor. The bed had been destroyed and the sheets and covers had been thrown on the floor haphazardly as well. It seemed as if his closet had been ransacked the same way as well.
“Fuck, Tommy this isn’t good. There’s no way that Pop would have let this go on if he were here. I hope that someone just broke in while he was out. What restaurant did you say he went to?”
“You know how Pop is when he had his mind set on a good steak he always goes to Del Vincento’s on the edge of town.”
“Well what do you think? You think I’m paranoid now?’
“I think that something is definitely wrong here. It looks like they were lookin for something? Any idea what?”
“I don’t know I just know that I feel like I’ve been dragged through the gutter by my hair. I got to pop an aspirin or something. I’ll be back, Tommy.”
Trent walked down the hallway to the master bathroom and opened the door. The room looked undisturbed. The pristine white shower curtain had no moisture remaining on it at all, it appeared that his father didn’t take a shower, at least not recently. Trent surmised that he probably had already showered that morning and didn’t want one before dinner. He did see his father’s comb and pomade on the sink so he at least did his hair before he left the mansion if he left on his own accord that was. Trent opened the medicine cabinet and found a bottle of aspirin on the second shelf. He opened it and put a couple in his mouth. He then used the smaller medicine cups on the sink to get himself a drink of tap water to wash them down. He replaced the bottle and shut the door. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked like hell. He appeared as if he hadn’t slept for days, his hair was disshelved and there were bags underneath his eyes. His head ached and he still didn’t feel like himself. Ever since he had drinks with Kristina he felt odd. He felt like he was standing outside himself watching all of his actions play out like it were a dream. He took a few minutes and splashed some water on his face. The coolness of it felt amazing against his skin and he was grateful for feeling a bit more awake after freshening up. He dried his hands on the towel above the sink and exited the bathroom.
“Hey Tommy, I have a hunch. Do you still have the keys to the attic on your keychain?’
“Yeah. I do. God it’s been forever since I’ve used them though. Why do you want to go the attic for? I’m sure Pops not up there. Let’s just go to the steakhouse and pick him up.”
“Eh, It’s just a hunch. Come on, placate your brother and roll your eyes later.”
“Fine. Whatever you think, bro. Let’s go.”
The pair walked to the end of the hallway where Trent pulled down on a dangling chain attached to the ceiling. When he did so, a ladder dropped down. He then climbed up on the ladder and took Tommy’s keys, which he handed to him. He popped the key in the lock and twisted. He then pushed up the hidden panel to reveal the attic above. “Okay, looks clear, come on Tommy, there’s something we gotta look for.”
“Ya know Trent I’m getting real tired of messing up my suits whenever you’re around. I’m going to have to start charging you for dry cleaning.”
“Eh…put it on my tab. I’ll pay you back one day. Besides, you should be thanking me. I saved you from losing hundreds of thousands tonight at that poker tournament. We all know that you’ve got no poker face.”
“Pfft. I had a good feeling this year. This was going to be the year it was going to change. After all, I was a shoe in to dominate the blackjack table. You know that’s my thing.”
“Hah! Tommy it’s all your thing. Maybe one day you’ll realize they’re all just games of chance. No one wins all the time.”
Trent climbed the ladder and stood in the attic. It had been years since he’d been in it. He really didn’t have a need for anything stored up there. Like every family they kept mostly family mementos in there that had no place in the sitting room or the living room. He fumbled in the darkness and ran his hands along the wall until he found the light switch. Once the room was illuminated he extended his hand to Tommy and helped him climb into the loft. “Jesus, Trent. What are we doing up here? I haven’t seen this room in years.”
“I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you. Whoever burnt down our warehouse and probably the person who stabbed Saul’s wife has been here. I found my baby blanket in the abandoned building. The last time I saw it, it was stored with Grandma Monica’s things. I know she kept things in a trunk in here.”
“So you think whoever took that also may have taken something else. There’s a problem with that theory Matlock. I’m the only person other than Pop who has a key to the attic and I assure you I haven’t given anyone my keys. I haven’t been up here in a million years either.”
“What if you lost your key and didn’t notice it for a while because you don’t have a need for it? I’m just saying it’s possible Tommy and we don’t have any other leads right now.”
“Pfft. I don’t understand why it’s so important to find the one person who did this anyway. I say we go old school and storm their warehouses and their homes guns blazing. I don’t think all this detective work is necessary. I mean, I don’t think that they would be very considerate if they were retaliating on us for some reason.”
“Because we’re not those people, Tommy. That’s not how pop pop and Dad raised us. We were raised to only take action when provoked or backed into a corner. Jesus you just can’t shoulder your way through life and expect to be rewarded.”
“It’s been working for some people it seems. Why are you so concerned about this anyway? I mean, they want you dead obviously, so why the concern?”
“Sigh. I can’t expect you to understand Tommy. They’re still family in a way.”
“Hah! Family! Now listen to me and you listen good, Trenton. I was young, but I remember when Pop brought you home from their house the first time. You were so freakin’ tiny and fragile. You were weak too. They obviously hadn’t been taking very good care of you for you to be their only male heir or whatever that bullshit is. Pop sat all of us down that night and as we gathered around looking at you sucking your thumb in your bassinette, he made us promise that we wouldn’t treat you any differently just because you came from another place. So let me
tell you something about family Trent. We’re family! We’re not blood and sadly never could be, but that time you broke one of Grandma Mon’s figurines and was too scared to tell pop pop who took the blame for that? I did. That’s what family does, Trent. They stick up for one another. So that trash who left you in your little crib unprotected and under nourished? Well that’s definitely not family it’s blood but not family.”
Trent considered what his brother said. It was all true. When he was little, he wasn’t treated any differently. If anything his brother was more overprotective of him than anything. Tommy would make certain when he was little that he was okay if he fell and had some scrapes and bruises. He would always have a kind word for him if he lost one of his baseball games or if he was stuck on a Friday night without a date, Tommy would sometimes offer to stay at home with him or even offer to go out to the movies with him for a guys’ night. Tommy was in short, aside from his good-natured hard assedness, a great brother, one he was lucky to have.
“Tommy, listen I don’t say this nearly enough, but thank you. You’ve really went out of your way to be my family through the years and I appreciate it. You are my biggest fan and best influence. You helped me with homework and I can’t count the number of fastballs you’d pitched me through the years so I could work on my swing.”
“Hey I still think you could make the majors… even if you’re old now.”
“Hey… I’m certainly not old. You’re the one who dyes your hair.”
“There’s nothing wrong with taking a little pride in one’s appearance. We age gracefully, but I’m not one to age prematurely. I’m not ready to be a silver fox just yet.”
“Hah! I’m going to send that company a letter saying you said that. Who knows maybe you can be their next spokesperson.”
“Nah. I’ll pass on that. So come on brother, let’s look through all this crap and see if we can find some more of your evidence.”
The pair looked at all the photographs that were displayed on the walls, and smiled. Most of them were from generations lost long ago and were solemn black and white posed portraits. The boys were dressed in their Sunday best and the girls of course had their best dresses on. Getting a portrait taken was a status symbol and during that time period only the wealthy could afford it. So the day when the photographer would come to the home and load his gunpowder into the tray with the familiar flash and pop was a special day indeed. As they walked through the attic they saw Trent’s old baseball trophies and also saw Tommy’s old letterman’s jacket. When Tommy was in high school he was quite the ladies’ man and everyone wondered if he would ever settle down and marry any of his sweethearts. He was still the ladies’ man he just didn’t have the jacket to back it up.
They looked through stacks of old papers. It appeared also that their father’s secret cash pile hadn’t been touched either. He always told the boys that if worst came to worse, that he had some security in the attic. He always kept an ample supply of cash hidden there. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were stored in a trunk in the attic, which Tommy had the key to as well. Of course, all of their homes were already bought and paid for some their property was free and clear, but their father was a smart businessman and knew that investments sometimes went south. His father had instilled that in him, and if anything, being shrewd in business matters ran in their blood. Trent wished that he had somehow inherited that trait. Instead, he was emotional and was more interested in action than he was doing the books and putting on a front. He wasn’t the type to watch the stock market or even network. This is why Tommy was the logical choice to front their businesses. Trent was just too headstrong for the finer points of socialization.
Their cocaine stash was still safe in the attic as well. It was another one of their father’s business safe houses. In the event that the market dried up and the supply vanished, he could easily have enough supply to meet demand for at least six months. That would keep their businesses vital long enough for the supply chain to be replenished. Trent then opened another trunk and smiled. His father’s antique tommy guns were still safe in storage. Of course, he had inherited them from their great-grandfather. While not really a man for much gunfire, their great grandfather understood the importance of safety and protection. He kept a hidden storehouse of weapons and most of them went to their grandfather and father. Through the years, their father and of course even the boys added to their cache. Tommy was more interested in the assault rifles, but Trent found himself fascinated by revolvers and there were multiples stored throughout the attic. He found himself absent-mindedly touching the Colt that he still held in his waistband. He loved the feel of the metal against his skin and realized that one day it may save his life once again. It had many times over in the past.
They all did share a passion for weaponry and one year Trent even went out of his way to find his father an antique Civil War shotgun. He was pleased to find that it even still had the firing pin intact so it was a festive day when all of them went to the shooting range in a neighboring county to try out the weapon. Their father was an impeccable shot and even with the aged rifle he managed to destroy all of the clay disks that soared into the air. He was a skilled marksman, but he was also a big man so he wasn’t graceful enough to be a sniper. Trent feared that there was a sniper taking pot shots at him. He frowned a few moments then was roused from his stupor by Tommy’s voice. “Hey I don’t know what moment you’re lost in, but come on didn’t you say that we had to hurry. I for one, am wanting to go find Pop.”
“Yeah. I was just thinking… hey go ahead and open that trunk of Grandma Mon’s things. That’s where the blanket would have been.”
Tommy jingled his keys once more and they popped open the antique trunk that smelled of mothballs and old papers. There were various newspaper clippings. There was also her own marriage certificate to their grandfather. There wedding pictures were included in the contents. Every time Trent saw them he couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t known anyone as suited for one another as his grandfather and his grandmother. They kept each other going through the years. They didn’t think their grandfather would be able to continue on without her constant harassment, but he said that he heard her everyday still. She woke him from his slumber, always complaining, but always loving and pushing him to be the best. He found himself wishing that he had that kind of force in his life. It just hadn’t ever been time it seemed.
Trent and Tommy raffled through the contents of the trunk and did discover that Trent’s ‘blanket’ was missing. They also discovered that their grandmother’s sterling silver broach was also missing. “Tommy, do you remember pop or pop pop selling Grandma Monica’s broach?”
“Nah. Pop pop would never do that. He wouldn’t part with any of her things. It was pulling teeth to get him to even consider donating some of her old clothing if you remember. He insisted that she would have felt the need to keep it just in case it would be needed in the future. It took pop sitting him down and explaining to him that even when we had wives they wouldn’t want any of her dated articles of clothing. Besides, her other jewelry is in here along with her pearls and wedding set, so why would he sell just the broach?”
“That’s a good question Tommy. I just can’t make heads or tails of this. I can tell you this though, we’ve had an intruder here and I’m tired of playing cat and mouse. Come on. Let’s lock up and go find Pop. I think you better go ahead and call your poker pals, because we’re in the middle of a war it seems and I think it’s time we take the fight to our enemies. I’m tired of just sitting still.”
“Yeah. Let’s go. I’ll make the calls in the car…we’ve gotta find pop and get to the bottom of this.”
“Hey Tommy…. do me a favor?”
“Yeah?”
“Bring that trunk of guns with you when you come down. This is serious.”
Tommy followed him down holding their cache of weapons and they took their time locking up the residence once more. They loaded the trunk in the back of one of thei
r many cars and Trent threw Tommy the keys. “What? You’re the better driver. I’ll admit that much. Now let’s go get Pop.”
Tommy slid into the driver’s seat and Trent sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt while Tommy backed out of the driveway. “You know you could have been a great driver like me, but you never listened to me when I was trying to teach you. You were always too busy fumbling with the radio to make any real effort to learn technique.”
“Hah! Well why you were busy keeping it between the lines, just know that my radio ‘technique’, scored me lots of points with the ladies. You don’t have to know how to be a good driver if you’re only parking.”
“Trent you crack me up, you’re something else, you know that? So what were you doing earlier? You said that you were in a hotel and felt weird? Did you get fucked up or something?”
“No, nothing like that… did you know that Kristina’s in town?”
“Oh shit. No way. You know that’s always trouble. Hey do you remember the ice cream job?”
“Hah! Fuck yes. God, I can’t believe she fucked that job up that bad. We took care of it though. We always do. I’ll admit that you were pretty funny covered in fudge ripple holding nothing but a case of dilly bars as a silencer. I told you to leave the action stuff to me, but you insisted it would be good to keep you sharp.”
“See….every single time we hang out, I have to get a new suit. Good times. Anyway, brother what is she in town for, did she say?”
“Nah. She just said she had a job and was meeting a client at the hotel. We had some champagne and I found myself dodging some bullets on the way out. They were having their annual fundraising dinner or something.”
