by Alan Wild
Giving it a moment to sink in, Oliver said, “I just need to have a conversation with Ray. I was hoping that this would blow over. I really like the guy, and I want to be his friend. I do need him to know where I stand, and that is with you.
“What do you think about assessing the damage? Do you want to go look at your house?” Asked Oliver. Noah sighed heavily and said, “I guess it has to be done. I am not excited about it, though.”
Chapter 20
Noah Blain
Walking into his home brought up emotions that Noah didn’t want to address. The experience of discovering blood and body parts in his home has left him with night terrors. Oliver gave Noah a pep talk before they went to look at the damages. He reminded Noah that he would be there with him the whole time. The first thing that Noah noticed was the foul coppery stench of blood. He detected a strong chemical smell. Oliver must have mind-reading superpowers. He said, “That is the powder the police use to detect fingerprints.” Oliver pulled Ajay to the side and said, “I want everyone to take pictures to make sure we do not miss anything. One person may catch a detail that the rest of us miss.
Choosing to walk into the house through the garage was a good idea. Noah wouldn’t have been able to continue if he walked in through the front door. It still had blood caked in the carpet and drying on the tile. His kitchen was a mess with dried food stuck on a plate in the sink. Dirty cups half full of some liquid that smelled like a mix of rotten milk and piss sat on his table. He had food on the walls, stuck on the refrigerator. “He said, I barely recognize this place. When I left, the house was clean. Who does this?”
Making his way through the house, Noah was relieved that Oliver brought everyone along. Owen was snapping pictures of every room along with the damage. Every now and then, someone would point something out, and He would snap a few pictures. Opening the refrigerator, Noah didn’t know what to expect. “Great, someone had a party” Empty bottles of Jack Daniels, some sort of Gin and a container of bacon ranch dip that was missing its lid displayed the dried-up cracking contents.
Moving through the kitchen, Noah headed to his sunken family room. The smell of feces and blood hit him first, he began to gag. Trying to hold back from spewing vomit all over, Noah covers his nose and his mouth with his undershirt. Taking deep breaths, he continued on. The door next to the family room was closed. Reaching out to open it, Oliver stopped him. He reached past Noah with a gloved hand and opened the door. The smell wafting out to the rest of the house was from this room. Stepping in the small bathroom, the walls he once knew to hold a pleasant wallpaper pattern of a tribal print now covered in blood and shit. His toilet was cracked with chunks of human flesh stuck to the jagged edges.
Oliver rubbed his back and asked Noah if he needed a break. “No, I want to get this over with. It’s like walking through one of my nightmares.” Moving up the stairs and heading to his formal living room where he attempted to open the front door, he saw the blood splattered on the walls. The blood reached as far as the sofa that was no less than 15 feet away. On top of the blood and filth left by the squatters, all of his belongings have been placed in boxes. Anything with a value, boxed, or covered in blood. Moving up the stairs to the bedrooms, he has his breaking point. His favorite picture of his parents on their wedding day still hung on the wall, only being supported by the nail that was driven through his father’s forehead. Turning to Oliver, Noah expressed his anger and hurt over the damaged cherished photograph.
At the top landing, Noah chose his bedroom first. Oliver noticed the layout was similar to his room, but Noah had his desk and computer, that now lay broken on the floor. His multiple monitors had been stepped on and shattered. In the closet, more blood. All the clothes he had nicely folded were destroyed, saturated in human remains and cruor.
Looking up at the top shelf, he noticed his boxes remain untouched. Retrieving the only furniture item in the room that remained intact, he placed the chair in the closet so he could reach the top. Pulling down box after box, Noah handed each to Oliver as they were stacked on the bed that was slept in by someone else. Oliver heard beeping sounds, and he panicked, “Noah, we need to leave, what is that sound?” With a frown, Noah told Oliver, “Don’t worry. I am getting into the safe I have hidden up here.” Placing items in one last box and handing it to Oliver, Noah asked him to keep that box and protect it. He got down from the chair, leaving everything else where it was.
With determination and urgency, Noah moved to the hall. Heading to the last door on the left, Noah didn’t even attempt to open the door. He kicked it in with force, sending it flying into the drywall as it bounced back, partially hanging from its hinges. Noah walked in his office, taking a moment to orient himself as so much damaged furniture lies everywhere. Oliver reached out and asked, “How can I help you?” Picking up the remaining computer monitor and hitting it on the desk, Noah said, “Just watch that box with your life, please.” Oliver assured him that he had it in sight and was watching it. Noah reached down under the desk and pressed more buttons to open another safe, pulling more items out and placing them on the only clear spot left on the desk. He then turned around and pulled a picture off the wall, revealing yet another safe.
Studying the contents, he swung around and asked Oliver, “Why would Ray want the code for this safe if he wasn’t going to get into it?” Not waiting for an answer, Noah huffed and started pulling files and stacks of cash out. He had everything piled on the desk. Ray stood behind Oliver at the door and said, “Because I wanted to see your face as you explain why you have stacks of cash in your safe. People only have that kind of cash if they are dealing drugs.”
The sound of Ray’s voice sent both Oliver and had Noah jumping out of their skin.
Noah, having just about enough from Sergeant Matthews and his attitude, slammed his hand down and screamed, “That kind of money comes from someone who has made his own money and invested it wisely in bitcoin, asshole. If you had done your fucking job, you would have figured that out. All you had to do is fucking look at the god damn bank transfers that are attached to the money. I have the paper trail for everything here. You just had to look!” Picking up another box containing his various possessions and tossing the contents to the floor, Noah packed the contents from his safes into the box.
Walking out of the room with the box in hand, Noah stopped in the hall and said, “Sergeant Matthews, I am done with you treating me like shit. My life in this house is fucking over. Everything that I have worked for is trashed. I am being stalked by a psychotic uncle, or whatever the fuck he is, and someone I love is in just as much danger as I am, and all you can do is accuse me of dealing drugs? The next time I answer any question you have to ask; it will be with a lawyer present.” Oliver was speechless for the first time. He picked up the box he was tasked at guarding and quietly followed Noah, who had stomped to his bedroom. Sorting through the boxes Oliver placed on his bed, he began to sob. Snot flowing down his lips and tears burning his cheeks, Noah started to selecting items he wanted to keep. Shaking uncontrollably, he lost control of his breathing. Holding an old and matted curious George monkey, he feels arms wrap around him. Oliver whispers in his ear. “I have you, you are safe. Let it out.”
Once his breathing was controlled, his shaking continued. He pulled away from Oliver, “I’m fine. Sorry, I just want to get out of here.” Looking up, everyone in the house has gathered to see what was happening. Asking each person to grab a box, Oliver had the two boxes containing the contents from Noah’s safe. They made their way back to Oliver’s home. Once in the house, Noah asked if they could place the boxes in Oliver’s garage. “Can we take these to your room?” Asked Noah.
Padding in the bedroom, Oliver asked, “Are you alright? I am worried about you.” Noah sat on the floor with the boxes in front of him, leaning against the love seat. “I’m upset but fine. Will you please join me?” Pulling out contents from the boxes, Noah stacked his cash bundles in piles.
Sitting down next to
Noah, he asked, “What’s up?
Noah explained, “Your opinion of me is all that matters. I know you trust me, but I do not want even a shred of doubt to come between us.” He picked up the first stack of cash, looked at it, then handed it to Oliver. “This is from the investments I made when I was in high school. Everything is documented on the withdrawal slip. I am sure it is somehow traceable. The next stack is from my college investments.” Stack after stack, Oliver held the money without looking at it. He allowed Noah to continue without interrupting.
He explained where all the items in the box came from. “This jewelry is from my grandmother’s safe. She also had this paperwork that I never looked at. He handed several other items, files and explained their value and how he acquired it. Noah hands Oliver the stuffed a very old and battered Curious George monkey, a patch quilt blanket, and a picture of his family. Waving his hands in front of Oliver, he said, “Everything that you are holding, including you are the only things in this world that matter to me.”
Placing the items in his hands on the loveseat, Oliver found himself crying also. They held each other until the tears had dried. Whispering in Noah’s ear, “I am so sorry you had to deal with that today.” Thinking back to everything that happened at Noah’s house, Oliver said, “I had no idea Ray was going to be there. I will have a talk with him, though. If we are going to work together, we need to trust each other.”
“I think I just want to shower and go to bed; I can’t face anyone after having my fit.” Said Noah. “Where can we put this stuff, so it is safe?” Oliver walked over to his closet and said, “Great minds think alike,” as he pointed out his hidden safe and opened it. “Is it empty” Asked Noah. “Yeah, that is where I keep my guns. I, like you, have other safes in the house. Plus, I was poor and broke in college, and I have no idea how to begin to invest. The money, the will, and the jewelry were all that fit in the safe.” Oliver hid the rest in his closet. “Tomorrow, we can get a bigger safe or take it to a safe deposit box.
Kissing Noah on his head, Oliver headed to the door, turned around, and asked, “Do you have a preference for dinner?” Smiling, Noah shook his head. “I think I might skip dinner,” Oliver told him, I don’t want you to skip dinner, I will bring you something. Relax, shower, and turn on the TV. I will check on you in a bit.
Looking for Owen, Oliver walked from room to room. He found everyone in the dining room, talking about the case. At the head, sat Ray. Oliver asked Owen,” Will you order dinner, and have it delivered? I don’t care what you get.” Ray spoke up, “I am going to need to take him in for questioning.” Oliver asked, “Do you really want to do this now? Do you want to go there, Ray?” Ajay stood and said, “Okay, let’s all calm the fuck down.” Giving Ajay and incredulous look, “I am calm, very fucking calm. What I am is fucking pissed off.” Looking at Ray, Oliver asked, “So, Sergeant Matthews, do you want to do this here or in my office?”
Slamming his office door, Oliver was too upset to sit. Just as he opened his mouth to yell, his office door opened. Ajay walked in and sat down, giving Oliver a challenging look. “I am here to mediate, that is all” A laugh escaped Oliver, he said, “So what the fuck was that about? Was that a setup?” Ray said, “The guy is shady, who has that much money in a safe without it being illegal?”
“The only person here that is shady is you. I will tell you exactly who has stacks of money in their safe. An introvert with trust issues. He was honest with you. I checked, and on each stack of money was documented proof of where it came from. It is legal. But you knew that, right? This is about something else, so why don’t you share what this is really about.”
Ray laughed “What else could this be about?” Rolling his eyes, Oliver said, “Come on, I am not stupid. I want to hear it directly from you.” Ray said, “Fuck you! Your little Noah is going to do time. He is involved, and you know it. What do you see in the guy anyway?” Smiling, Oliver said, “Awe, there it is, keep going. What do I see in him? What else?”
“The guy is fucking weird.” Ray blew out a frustrated breath. “You don’t even have anything in common.” Shaking his head, Oliver crossed his arms. “Say it, Ray, we have nothing in common, unlike you and I do, right, Ray? That is what you really mean.”
Ajay cleared his throat “Um guys, this is getting personal. Let's take a break.” Oliver lost his shit and screamed, “This is personal, that is all that this is about, and you can’t tell me otherwise. Oh, and Ray, you have no room to call anyone weird.” Ray asked, “What does that mean?” Oliver shook his head. “You know, Ray, don’t worry about what it means. I trusted you, and in one swift act of selfishness, you destroyed that trust. I thought you had the balls to at least come clean and admit the real reason you are going after Noah, but I guess you don’t.”
“Hey, now Ollie, let's just talk about this before you say anything you can’t take back,” Ajay said.
Oliver said, “Talk about it? I was willing to talk about it after Ray was honest, but he doesn’t have it in him. Now, I am finished talking. Ray, you know your way out.” Storming out of his office, Oliver went directly for the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. Guzzling it down in one gulp, he tossed the bottle in recycling and grabbed another, opened it, and walked up the stairs, ignoring everyone sitting around the table.
Owen spoke first, “Lesson learned, don’t piss off the boss. So, what does everyone want to eat for dinner? Chinese food? Great. I will get on it.” Willa said, “Hey, we didn’t even vote.” Owen said, “I am sorry, I made the decision just now. Willa, you are the lucky one. You got to stay here while we toured the murder house. I need fucking Chinese food and a lot of it.” Willa held her hands up in surrender and said, “It’s cool, boo, you, do you. I got your back.” Walking out of the room, Owen went looking for his laptop so he could locate a restaurant. Dario laughed and said, “I guess we are driving him crazy. He didn’t even ask what we wanted to order.” Owen screamed from the living room, “That is because I am ordering everything, Dario! After it is delivered, if you can’t find something you like, then you can just order something else.”
Chapter 21
Owen asked everyone on the team, minus Oliver and Noah, to Join him at the table. With everyone in attendance, Owen said, “First, I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I was on edge after touring Noah’s house, then overhearing the fight between Ray and Oliver. That is no excuse, I apologize. I also want to let you all know that as long as we are here in Oliver’s house, I will ask that you fill out a meal survey. This will tell me what everyone wants to eat. It is just as easy to order from a few different restaurants in advance as It is to order from one at the last minute. Oliver and Noah are both being overly generous by paying for our salary, around the clock, as well as our meals. I do not want to continue to take advantage of their generosity. I have set specific days that we are all fending for ourselves. We are also going to split cooking and cleaning duties. It is just fair for us all. Does anyone have concerns about this plan?”
Willa spoke up first. “I am good with your plan, sweetie. I completely understand how you felt, I am sure everyone here understands. You have nothing to apologize for. We are all in this together. I have never viewed anything like the fucked-up shit that happened at Noah’s house. If I can help it, I never will. I really hope you speak to Oliver about how you feel. You were not given a warning. I mean, no one really knew what to expect, but a warning of the worst-case scenario would have been nice for you. That way, you could have declined to go. Let’s face it, most of the team has been in law enforcement or had investigated a murder in the past. They may not be used to seeing a murder scene, but at least they know what to expect. Sweetie, talk to Oliver, but more importantly, give yourself a break.”
“I second that,” said Ajay. “I think it would be good to talk to Oliver, but I just ask that you wait until this case is over. We all have to iron out the wrinkles together. Working with a new team has its challenges. On top of working together, we are also li
ving together. It is a new experience for us all. I have to figure out how in the hell I am going to fix the mess between Ray and Oliver. The first thing is to keep Ray from dragging Noah down for more questioning. If that happens, then all shit will hit the fan. Lines will be drawn, and the battle will begin. If what Oliver said is correct, then Ray could be in deep shit. We all know the kind of money Noah has, plus they were digging out additional stacks of cash, stocks, and bonds. That is above and beyond what we know about. As it turns out, Noah is a self-made man, he was wealthy before he became obscenely wealthy. I need to talk to Ray and get him to see the benefits of working with us as a team instead of against us on his own. It will be beneficial to establish a working relationship for future cases as well. But, it will all be for not if he flies off and fucks it all up by pulling Noah in for questioning.”
From the living room, Nate spoke as he slowly moved into sight. “Ajay, I will take care of Ray. He is grasping at straws, and he is allowing his personal feelings to cloud his judgment. I actually think that we can talk to him together if we can get Oliver to allow him back in the house.” Helping Nate get seated, Ajay asked, “How are you feeling? I take it by the color in your pretty little face, you are feeling better, and the fever has broken.” Nate giggled and said, “Yeah, much better. I feel human again. I can’t run a marathon, but I sure as hell can eat the cookies Oliver has hidden.” Owen stood and went to gather Nate’s cookies. Dario said, “Shit, I am so sorry, guys. I ate them all. Every last cookie in this house. I was on the overnight watch and finding out that Ray wasn’t really into me, well I self-medicated because hard liquor isn’t a good choice when standing guard.”