Secrets and Half-truths

Chapter 8

The room was poorly lit as the night lamp flickered but still revealing how banged up the rummaged room was with furniture displaced, bed tossed to the side against the wall and clothes littered all around as heavy thumps and clattering of sturdy objects echoed in the background.

"We've searched the entire house, there's nothing here!"

"Search again! It has to be here," palms pressing against the drawers and gaze still fixed on the broken mirror

"Enough! There's no time, we have to go!"

~deep sighs~

******

Ashley's tight grip to her coffee cup was the only thing keeping her hands from shaking like a loose leaf on a stormy day. School had dismissed earlier than It should have and she was not pleased with the idea of returning straight home so her and Lovely stopped by the Cafe. For a dusty little town like Willcox, the shop looked quite packed. It was a busy afternoon as the usuals littered around, from the stools by the counter to the booths at the far corner where the girls sat sulking and nursing their cups.

Lovely's gaze was drawn to a frenzied circle of friends, much older than they were. A delightful time they seemed to be having. If only the hippy music that echoed across would put her or even Ashley in a lighter mood as it did most.

"You know...this was her favorite spot in this shit town," Ashley sniffled, her downcast stare fixed bitterly into the cup in her hands.

"Ashley."

"maybe it was for the music, maybe the warm view I don't know........But definitely not the food I can tell you that much," and with teary eyes and sunken hearts, Ashley's remark triggered the girls into a brief sad laugh.

"and every time we hung here, it was between iced cappuccino with extra sugar or Peanut Butter Ice cream with caramel topping for her," blinking away tears that were starting to build up as her voice cracked.

"I almost can't believe she's gone.....You would have loved her, if you knew the kind of friend she was."

"I'm sure I would have," Lovely blurted and outstretched her hand that cupped Ashley's, now away from her cup.

She flashed a smile and sniffled before tucking her lustrous dark hair behind her ear.

Just then some known figures came walking through the door and stopped in front of the booth which they sat.

"Evans!" Ashley voiced, spreading her arms for his embrace, barely waiting till he was comfortably seated. If anyone could make Ash feel any better, it was him, Lovely thought, though he didn't seem his usual self and neither did the rest of the crew that followed closely.

For some reason Charlie wasn't keen on making eye contact but not Marcus, though his expression was empty. As he stared, he could tell Lovely wasn't wearing any makeup but even more frustratingly so, she didn't need it!

"Hi," Charlie voiced in lovely's direction. She raised her head to meet his eyes but still his gaze strayed away, very unlike him but she didn't pay that any mind as he slid into the booth and sat close.

On the other end, Marcus looked a total wreck, as though a whirlwind happened to breeze past his roof with a composure like that of a beat dog, shabbily dressed in a black hooded sweater, jeans trousers and a pair of snickers. His hair artfully messy.

"Hey, we heard what happened. I'm sorry, I should have come to you sooner," Evan said, Lines of worry drawn on his forehead. "it's okay, you're here now," she clutched unto him more tightly.

"You all weren't in school, were you?" Lovely questioned, scanning through their faces.

Lovely's trivial question didn't sit too well with Marcus. "Yes we weren't! We just lost a friend, I just lost my girl. what does it matter If we missed a day of school?"

This reaction sent a sharp chill down her spine.

"Heyy, she was just asking. We're pro'lly all in a bad place put we shouldn't lash out on each other. That's just not it," Charlie coughed out.

"What are you now? Her knight in shining armor?" Marcus scoffed and a much needed silence took volumes. This remark made Charlie and lovely glance at each other rather awkwardly.

Evans gestured to a waiter as to kill the spiking tension who took their orders of smoothies and coffee refills. It was obvious neither of them knew how to handle the grief they felt, all just trying to survive the day.

"This doesn't make any sense. You where there right? you saw her body. What do you think happened? You think she drowned?" Marcus shot up impulsively breaking the resounding silence and drawing the attention of the bunch to himself, his fist clenched on table and gaze narrowed on Lovely with a stiff visage.

She quivered as her face rose from her cup to meet Marcus' ever fierce gaze. Her heart pounded twice as hard as the gruesome scene at the bank came flooding through her mind. She could feel a lump growing in her throat as her lips twitched, dazed by the impulsive questions thrown her way.

"I don't know, I don't work forensics," the only reply that came to mind. The last thing she wanted was reliving such dreadful evening and in a different scenario her response would have forced out a laugh or two.

"I mean since Charlie here couldn't fill the blanks, I thought maybe you would," he voiced as his shoulders retreated to the foam pad.

One couldn't tell if Marcus was being serious, keeping the rest of them guessing.

"I told you, we never got close enough to discern any facts. Those questions are best left for the sheriff," Charlie blurted.

"oh...Here I was thinking you were only her knight, I wouldn't have guessed you were her mouth piece too," he sneered.

"would you let her be!? She was my friend too. My best friend," Ashley hollowed, ripping into the discord.

"Is that why you guys came? To interrogate her? "She glared around as she spoke. "She may not have known Lilah but that doesn't mean she's unscathed. After what she saw, she's no bystander."

Lovely felt relieved by how her Ashley came charging in to her rescue. All of a sudden, her inner friction melted away like butter on a hot summer day.

"I'm sorry, okay? It's just, there are so many unsettling questions, I'm just trying to find answers" said Marcus.

"Look for them somewhere else!" she barked, almost breaking into tears.

"uh oh....Why did my little brother do this time?" A shrilling voice echoed, closely accompanied by soft approaching footfalls.

The gaze of the bunch drew briskly to the new figure that had taken up the spotlight but for lovely this had not only grip her eyes but her heart as she was thrown aback by the uninvited addition in their presence. She watched as her hips swayed with that subtly sexy walk that Lovely had noticed earlier.

"What do you want Beth?" Marcus snorted with visible imprints of spite on his face.

"ohm, is it wrong to be there for my grieving brother?" she grinned as she leaned in closer to Marcus, a hand against the edge of the table. The sarcasm in her tone was profound as her gaze scanned across the table till it met with Lovely's.

"Not now Beth," Ashley voiced softly and glanced at lovely.

"And It seems we can't stop bumping into each other, can we?" Beth continued with a cold stare fixed on lovely, totally ignoring Ash.

"To think you're all sulking over a slut," she scoffed before lovely could voice a word. A remark that flared Marcus up as he gripped her wrist rather aggressively.

"We are not doing this here!" he uttered in a grim low voice and a vicious glare in his eyes.

"fine! let go of me," she whimpered as she broke free, flung her hair backwards and strode off in quick steps that reeked of aggravation.

"Guys, mind telling what that was about?" said lovely, her brows elevated. A question that was only meet with a deafen silence

"It's getting a little late, best we go ahead," Marcus announced and the boys took to their feet forthwith. Evans kissed Ashley goodbye and out the door they went leaving lovely's lips gaped in stunned disbelief.

She turned her gaze to Ashley expecting an explanation for their silent and awkward secrecy,

"it's nothing Love, Finish your coffee let's be off, "Ashley said, her eyes not daring to meet lovely's.

*******

The walk home was timeless and awkward after all that transpired at the cafe. As they sauntered, Lovely couldn't help but reminisce on Betty's remarks and how her so-called friends reacted. Why was Betty so spiteful to Lilah? Even the coldest of hearts would have an ounce of sympathy for the dead She thought.

Ashley has spoken very little since the cafe, repeatedly giving one worded replies no matter how engaging the topic lovely sprung up was, till she stopped trying. Clearly she wasn't in a chatty mood, who could blame her?

As they goose-stepped along the sidewalk, they observed the very distinct police flasher lights up ahead. Two cop cars parked off the pavement with couple of officers upfront. This stirred up a nervous reaction causing them to hasten their pace. What ill affair had Willcox dished out this time around?

Lovely had discerned a familiarity in the house that took center stage and the closer they got, the more it dawned on them. Something dreadful had occurred at the Abram's!

Poor miss Abrams stood by one of cop cars with a mask of terror on her face, hands pressing Alex to her knees.

Now behind the picket fence, the pair caught a glimpse of the living room and it really was a dreaded scene. The once eye-catching living room had been ravaged, with the dazzling inner art deco either tossed out of place or defaced beyond remedy. Even the furniture was not spared by the ghastly invaders as the couches had being torn, leaving their stuffing littered all around.

"Mrs. Abrams? Good lord. What happened?" Fretted Ashley

"I don't know, I left to house to pick Alex form school and I came back to this. The house trashed -From top to bottom," Her nervous voice cracked.

Lovely heaved in fright. Was this the new normal? robbing old folks? a grieving and broken family, days after losing a loved one?

"what was taken?" Asked Ashley.

"Nothing! My husband doesn't keep valuables in the house I'm certain."

The girls glanced at each other and knew not what to say next. A break-in with nothing stolen? how profound was that?

"Alright girls, enough with the questioning Let the poor woman be," the sheriff drawled in his notable southern accent as he emerged from the house with a thumb hanging on his belt and anyone could discern he was in any good mood.

"This is an active crime scene, best you ladies be off," he continued in a husky tone..

"but--"

"Ashley let's go. We're no use here," Lovely muttered as she tried to guide Ashley away.

just then an aquamarine beetle car parked behind the cop station wagons and a familiar frame jolted out briskly, pacing towards where they all stood.

"George!" cried Mrs. Abrams, bursting into tears as she clutched unto his hand, trying to save her frame from its ceaseless quivering. The down pour she had managed to hold back, reason being as not the trigger Alex to do same, came flooding out at the sight of her husband.

He had left early for the precinct to see the sheriff and was informed that Sheriff McNeil was already headed for his home.

"Sheriff? Mind explaining this?" He uttered as he tried to calm his shook wife.

"Mr. Abrams, do you owe money? Gambling debts maybe?"

"What? No!"

"Involved any dealings gone sore leaving former business associates disgruntled?" He continued.

"The hell!" He barked.

"This doesn't seem to be a robbery from the looks of things, your wife confirmed nothing of value is missing.......I think your home was ransacked sir."

"What! That doesn't make any sense."

"I'll go question the neighbors now, maybe one saw the bastards who did this." And He walked off with one of his deputies following closely.