Darkness Follows (17 page)

Mitch Joseph McPhee

My breathing immediately caught. My throat felt like sandpaper.

“Daddy,” I whispered. My chin trembled, and tears started to make their way down my cheeks. It had been eight years since I’d stood in that spot. I knew it was true that a tombstone was only a resting place for the deceased. That it didn’t have to be the only place I could talk to him, but standing there in front of his engraved name nearly brought me to my knees. It made it so real that he was never coming back. My heart thudded loudly, and I said the first thing that came to my head. “Why did you leave me?”

My chest hurt as memories of that rainy afternoon played out in front of me. A cold drop landed on the tip of my nose, and then another. I didn’t care. I needed to feel his comfort. “I’m in so much trouble, Dad. I keep thinking I can handle it on my own, but I can’t. Jimmy Lasko has taken so much from me that I’m not sure how to get myself back…and now someone is dead…because of…” I started to sob. I reached for the stone, rested my hand on the top, and a part of me felt like he was with me.

***

Seth

I pulled an umbrella from the back of my car and quickly opened it to escape the rain. I walked over to Vanessa, who offered a hug to Avery.

“Hey, man.” I gripped Avery’s shoulder. “You all right?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Avery’s face said it all. I couldn’t imagine losing my partner. We were like brothers. I’d do anything for Garrett.

“Where’s Emily?” I looked at Vanessa.

“She slipped away about fifteen minutes ago. She walked down that way.” She pointed off to her left. “Riley followed her. She was a million miles away during the service. The gunfire nearly knocked her out of her seat.”

I closed my eyes. I hated when she hurt. “All right, thanks. Beers at our place tomorrow at seven.” I gave a quick goodbye before I ran off down the gravel path. I soon spotted Riley by himself huddled under his umbrella. He was wet from the knees down as the wind blew the rain crossways.

He turned to me as I approached.

“Where is she?” I asked.

Riley pointed. “Over by the oak tree. She started talking, and then broke into tears. I was going to go over, but she seems pretty upset. I figured it was personal, so I wanted to give her some privacy. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by the rain.”

“Okay, thanks.” I noticed Riley didn’t make a move to go back to his car. I admired that about him. Riley was there to guard Emily, and he did it well.

Emily stepped back and walked toward me as I approached her.

“Are you all right?” I asked as I held the umbrella over us.

She nodded, her eyes glued to the ground. Her lips were a light shade of blue.

“We’re heading back now, you ready?” She started to walk back to the car, but I caught her arm. “Em, look at me.” She hesitated a moment, and then raised her pink eyes to me. “Mitch?” I asked, even though I knew the answer. Her slight nod confirmed it. My hand slid down her arm to clasp her icy fingers. “I would have come with you.”

“We should get back.” She pulled her fingers free and started to walk, lost in her memories.

***

Emily

I took an extra-long shower, but it was no use. My body stayed frozen. I dressed in yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt.

A warm glow filled my living room. The guys had made a fire, and it gave off a steady heat. Garrett was telling Riley a funny story about Matthews. I was glad to see they were in a lighter mood. The day had been rough on them. I opened the small liquor cabinet, pulled out a bottle of brandy, and poured myself a small amount. I didn’t usually drink this stuff, but the mood felt right.

I sat in the middle of the couch and wrapped a blanket over me. God, I was frozen!

“Hey.” Riley appeared from the kitchen. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine, just cold.”

Seth came out and took a seat next to me while Riley claimed a chair. Garrett shoved a fork full of noodles into his mouth before he flew into the living room and grabbed his ringing phone from the end table.

“Hello?” he paused. “Oh, hey, man.” He gave us a sad look. “Sure thing. We’re all over here.”

Seth reached for my glass and smelled it. “I haven’t seen you drink brandy before.”

I shrugged. “Felt like a good time.”

“That was Avery. He wants to come over later, if that’s all right with you guys.” Garrett flopped in a chair. “Poor guy sounds terrible.”

“I would be, too, if my best friend had killed himself.” Riley let out a long breath.

My stomach turned violently. Something was off. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “He didn’t kill himself!” I shouted. Everyone looked at me.

“Em, he overdosed on pain medication, and they’ve ruled it a suicide,” Garrett said calmly. “The evidence doesn’t lie.”

“What if it was planted?” I countered.

“Who would do that?” Seth asked as he read my face. “What do you know that we don’t?” He shifted to face me better. “Em, what is it?”

I looked at the three sets of eyes waiting for me to share something. I swallowed hard and struggled to build the courage. I looked at Garrett.

“Remember at the campground when you found me and Matthews talking outside the restrooms?” He nodded. “Well, he had had a lot to drink, and he said he was struggling with being a good person or not. Both decisions came with big consequences. He basically warned me that my case wasn’t what it seemed.”

“What does that mean?” Riley leaned forward.

“I don’t know. Then he came to the hospital to tell me to go into the Witness Protection Program. He mentioned Lasko’s victims. I think he thought I already knew.” I glanced at Seth, who was staring at me wide-eyed as he tried to absorb all of this. “He said me escaping only made it worse.”

“So he did say more.” Seth shook his head.

“Wait.” Garrett set his bowl on the table. “Why didn’t you tell us?” My eyes shot to the floor. “Emily?”

“He told me Lasko wouldn’t stop. He said to give him two weeks before I said anything ’cause you guys are in danger too.” I looked down at my white knuckles. I hadn’t realized I held my glass so tightly. “That was the last time I saw him.”

I took a sip of my drink, but I barely registered the burn as it slid down my throat. “I don’t expect you guys to believe me, but I feel Lasko found out Matthews spoke to me, and I think he, and maybe someone else, killed him and made it look like a suicide. Matthews knew more than what he told me. He was really onto something.”

The guys were silent; it took them a few moments to let it all sink in. Garrett was the first to break the tension.

“I guess if this is true, then it’s a possibility, but I don’t know how we could prove it.” Garrett reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I’m going to fill Michaels in on this.” He left the room with Riley close behind, muttering something about a call of his own.

I focused back on the fire, watching as the flame danced along the log, casting different shades of orange.

“I knew something was up,” Seth finally said.

I glanced at him. “Why didn’t you ask me? I kept waiting for the grill session.”

He raised a brow at me. “I’ve known you long enough by now to pick and choose my grill sessions. You don’t keep things from me for very long. I knew it was just a waiting game.”

I scrunched up my face, feeling slightly annoyed that I was so predictable. He leaned over and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Don’t be frustrated. I love that I know you so well.”

“Do you?” I shot back. My braver side popped out of nowhere. Seth’s jaw flexed at my sudden outburst.

“Of course I do.” His voice was quieter, and he traced a finger along my jawbone. “There are many things I love about you.” I closed my eyes and focused on his warm touch. His thumb brushed my bottom lip, which made me part them. He muttered something, but I couldn’t make it out as the blood rushed to my ears. He shifted, and my eyes fluttered open. He was inches from my face as he hovered over me. My heartbeat kicked into high gear, and the rest of me started humming with anticipation. One hand supported his body weight, while the other slid over my cheek and around to my neck.

“Seth?”

“I crave you every minute of every day.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I matched his force, not caring that we weren’t alone in the house. My fingers were in his hair, and I fisted a handful and tugged hard. “I miss your lips,” he murmured as he pulled me closer to him. “I wish things were always as easy as kissing you.”

My mind popped into gear. He was just having a weak moment. This kiss didn’t change anything. We were not one step closer to him finding his way back to me. No! My brain was trying to cut through my other senses. This was a momentary relapse. I pushed my palms against his shoulders and shoved him back, which gave me a moment to regain myself.

“Please, don’t,” I said firmly.

“Em, I—” The sound of the front door followed by footsteps made Seth pull away.

“Oh, sorry.” Avery looked away. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You didn’t,” I mumbled. “You can’t interrupt something that wasn’t going to happen.”

“Hey, man.” Seth shot me a look before he moved to his feet. “Come on in.”

“Thanks.” Avery hung up his jacket. “It’s really pouring out there.” He gave me smile, but I could tell he carried a lot of pain with him. “Thanks for letting me hang out here. I really didn’t feel like being by myself tonight.”

I went over and gave him a hug. He wrapped his arms around me. “You’re always welcome here, Avery,” I told him. “Anytime.”

“That’s sweet. Thanks.”

“Avery, we’re all glad you’re here. You hungry?” Garrett asked from the kitchen. Avery headed in his direction.

“Seth.” I turned to face him. I wanted to clear the air.

“We have a lot to focus on right now. We’ll talk about this later.” He gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I sighed. I was so over this back-and-forth shit. I grabbed my phone as I headed up to my room. I needed to make some calls of my own.

***

Seth

I reached for a beer while I mentally kicked myself for kissing Emily like that. I knew it wasn’t fair that I acted like a yo-yo. One minute I couldn’t keep my hands off of her; the next, I pulled away. My heart and my brain played a screwed up game.

“I can’t get that image out of my head.” Avery sat at the table. “I knew when he didn’t answer his phone or doorbell that something was wrong. When I looked in his bedroom window and saw his legs on the bed, I knew he was there, so I broke the window and climbed in.” Avery’s face grew pale. “I’ve seen enough dead bodies to know what they look like, but when it’s your partner…” He took a moment to clear his throat. “Shit. They said he had been dead for a few days. I didn’t even notice the smell till the paramedics came.”

“It’s just not right,” Garrett said with a glance in my direction. We had both decided not to mention Emily’s news to Avery. We didn’t need to upset him further.

“Any word if anything was found?” I asked over my shoulder. I needed more caffeine to keep up with this day.

I set a container of muffins Emily made in the center of the table. Not that we were hungry, but I still wanted to offer. Avery didn’t look like he’d eaten much.

“No, just the bottle of pills.” He choked on the last word. He shook his head as if to clear it.

“That’s odd, though,” Garrett added. “Matthews doesn’t take anything.”

A look spread over Avery’s face. Something was up.

“What?” I asked, making sure he knew I caught it.

Avery rubbed his brow. “I’ve been lending Matthews’s money.” Garrett shot me a look. “He’s been playing at the casino, and he lost a lot of money very quickly. I think he may have gotten himself in trouble, and I think it had gotten out of hand.” He looked at the door. “The last time he asked me for money, I said no.” His face dropped and he bit into his bottom lip. “I-I can’t help but think if I had just given it to him, he wouldn’t be six feet under…he’d be here.” He caught a tear before it hit his cheek. “This is seriously fucked up.”

***

Emily

I pulled out my red suitcase and started to choose outfits and place them on my bed.

Swim suit, cover up, bras, panties, jewelry, heels, dresses…my mind tuned in to the TV that was mounted to the wall.

“We are sending you live to Channel Six, reporter Lillie During,” the news anchor said.

“Thanks, Steve. The body of a thirty-year-old woman, believed to be a prostitute, was found dead in her motel room last night. Police report she had been dead for at least a week. Let me tell you, folks, this footage is not for the weak-stomached. She was found handcuffed to the bed. It appears she was raped, and then strangled to death by her own python. The snake actually attempted to eat her after—”

“Oh God!” I quickly changed the channel. “What the hell is wrong with people?”

I packed and started to zip the case shut when Riley came into my room.

“I don’t like this, Emily.” He gave me a weary look as I disappeared into the bathroom to grab my makeup bag. I returned to find him on the edge of my desk, looking stressed.

“You don’t have to like it, Riley. Just be thankful I told you and didn’t just leave.” I knew I was a jerk, but frankly I didn’t care.

“I don’t feel right not telling them.”

“I plan to tell them. I’m just not giving them a three day heads up so they can come up with a reason why I can’t go. I’m checked in under a different name, so there won’t be any record of me even being there, and a limo is taking us. I’ve covered all the bases.”

“Seriously?” Riley gave me an annoyed look. “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

“Look.” I pulled my suitcase off my bed with a thud. “I need time away from all of this, and the Wind Gate Spa is the perfect place for me to get a break. I get it’s a bit reckless, but hell, Riley, I really need this.”

“I know.” He let out long breath. “But reckless doesn’t begin to describe this situation you’re putting us in.”

I turned to look at him so he knew how serious I was. “I’m going with or without you. Now quit bitchin’ or you won’t get your mud wrap I promised you.”

He pushed off the desk. “Yeah…you know I’m not doing that, right?”

“We’ll see.” I gave him a wink.

***