“Yeah. That’s the one. I’ve met her a few times. Her father is the one who attacked Isabelle at the clinic a few months ago.”
“Marlin?”
“Yeah. I put my fist into his face a few times. Isabelle didn’t want to press charges. I’m still not happy about her decision, but she said he’s had a rough past few years.”
“Marlin is a crazy drunk.” Miles sighed. “He’s harmless.”
“That’s what Isabelle said.”
“I didn’t realize Lucy was his daughter. Are you sure? I thought she was his granddaughter.”
Andrew thought back to his conversation with Isabelle. “I’m sorry, I meant granddaughter. Marlin is Lucy’s grandfather.”
Miles looked out the passenger window. “Andrew, Marlin’s daughter was the driver of the car that hit you head on. That’s why he’s always drunk. Apparently, his daughter had come into town from Austin and had just picked up her mom from work and was heading home when the accident happened.”
It felt like every organ in Andrew’s body had stopped. Had he heard his brother correctly? Marlin’s daughter was in the other car?
“I thought you didn’t know much about the other driver! You said she lived in another town and was just here visiting family.”
“That’s correct. She was here visiting her parents. I didn’t bring up Marlin’s name the other day because I assumed you would have no clue about him. That conversation would have lasted several hours with me having to explain every single person involved.”
“What happened to her? What happened to Lucy’s mom?”
“I think you know what happened to her. Cassie threw the book at your head. You swerved just as she was coming around the bend in the opposite direction. Her car was also way over the center line. You guys hit each other, your car rolled. Jessica was killed, but you, Cassie, and Warren survived.”
Flashes from that night filled his thoughts. He remembered hearing Cassie yell at him, and then he saw the oncoming headlights of another car. After that, everything had gone dark.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“I need to take the rest of the afternoon off,” Andrew said to Miles.
“Okay,” his twin responded, but Andrew could tell he wasn’t entirely happy.
“What else do you know about Lucy?” Andrew asked. He felt sure they were missing something.
“That’s it,” Miles said. “I can ask Anne if she knows anything.”
“No. That’s okay,” Andrew said as he dropped Miles off at the main building.
He wasn’t sure where he planned to go. He just needed to clear his head and think. He also wanted to find Lucy, and see if she could provide some answers. She had to know about his connection to the accident, which might be why she was around so much. Maybe she was stalking him.
Andrew drove down several streets, but didn’t see her. Then he went toward the outskirts of town, and the curve where the accident had occurred. He parked near the two crosses and walked toward the one with Jessica’s name engraved into it.
“Hey, Jess. It’s me, Andrew.” He kneeled in front of the cross. “I hope you don’t mind, but your sister and I are now dating. I promise I will take good care of her for you. Although, I feel like you already know everything I’m saying right now.”
A bird chirped somewhere in the distance. As he kneeled near the cross, memories of Jessica flooded his thoughts. He could still hear her laughter. It was almost contagious as it echoed throughout the old school hallway. He couldn’t help but smile as he remembered one of the many times he’d run into her. He’d asked if she was going to the party, and she’d looked like she was going to be sick. Andrew doubted she’d realized just how painful a facial expression she’d had as she looked back at him that day. It had been priceless. Miles had seen it, and he’d given Andrew a tough time as they walked away. Andrew had laughed out loud, hoping to distract his brother from saying anything else about Jessica.
As Andrew talked to Jessica’s cross, his thoughts slowly faded into Isabelle. They were both amazing. Sisters who were so much alike, yet also so different. He felt strongly for both of them, but the more he thought about both of their faces, the more they merged into one…Isabelle.
“I really hope this isn’t too weird. I promise, I didn’t know Isabelle was your sister when we first met. In fact, she was pretty tough on me, but then something changed. I think it was mutual. She reminds me a little bit of you, but there are some parts in which you guys seem so different. She’s not always as nice as you, but for some reason, I like her complexities.” Andrew took in a deep breath and glanced around at his surroundings. No cars had passed by since he’d been out here. It was quiet, but it also felt good to talk to Jessica and clear his thoughts.
He stayed out there for several minutes, but Lucy never showed up. Go figure. The one time he actually wanted to see her, and she wasn’t around. Finally, he decided he should head back to the little house he’d rented out near the river. He’d been working on a project, and this would be one of the few nights he would be able to continue with it.
The old purple ceramic mug was sitting in his cup holder. He wondered what he should do with it while he waited to find Lucy.
His phone began to vibrate again. He really didn’t want to answer, but he knew he had no choice. If he didn’t, it would just keep ringing.
“Hello.”
“Swing by the office.” Miles huffed. “We need to talk with you.
“Now? I thought you told me I could take the rest of the day off?”
“That was then. This is now.”
“Fine, but what do you mean by ‘we’?” Andrew asked.
“Me and Dad. Don’t worry, it shouldn’t take too long.”
Having been in the office now on an almost daily basis, Andrew no longer felt like a stranger at Montgomery Industries. He didn’t have a proper space of his own just yet, but Miles had set him up in a cubby near his office.
“What’s up?” Andrew asked Miles when he walked in.
“Dad wants to talk with us right now.”
“About Warren?”
“No. I’m not sure what he wants to discuss. He just told me to call you and have you swing by.” Miles’s brow furrowed. Then he got up, grabbed his phone, and strode past Andrew. Their father’s office was just across the hallway.
Miles knocked and entered, and Andrew followed behind him. The interior walls of the room were lined with various animal heads. Wayne Montgomery was sitting behind a large mahogany desk, his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose.
“What’s up, Dad?”
Wayne Montgomery exhaled. “What are we going to do about Warren?”
Miles’s mouth dropped open. “How did you know we were going to talk to you about Warren?”
“The accountant provided me with a report. Don’t forget, I started this company. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve had someone skimming off the books,” their father said nonchalantly. “Nora told me the two of you had gone out to lunch, so I figured you’d probably talked. Am I right?”
Nora Holmgren was Miles’s secretary. She had been with the company for twenty years, so it wasn’t surprising that she would have loyalty to the Montgomery patriarch.
“Yes, we talked,” Miles said. “We were waiting for a better time to come and discuss this matter with you, but obviously, and not surprisingly, you know more than we realized.”
Andrew glanced from his brother back to his dad. He wasn’t sure how he could contribute to the conversation. His knowledge about the family business was still very limited, and his dad seemed to have the upper hand.
“I want Warren gone,” their father grumbled, without breaking eye contact with Miles. “I’m tired of his shit. He’s gotten very sloppy lately, and I can’t afford for him to take down our company. Miles and Andrew, I want you to talk with Lester and find out how we can sever ties with Warren. You need to provide me with some sort of answer in forty-eight hours.”
“Yes, sir.”
Andrew stood. He was used to responding to a figure of authority when orders were given. He looked over at his brother. Miles seemed stunned, but then followed suit.
“Will do,” he said begrudgingly.
“Good. Your mother and I are leaving next week for a little vacation. I want to make sure everything has been resolved by the time our plane takes off.”
Andrew scratched the back of his head. “I’m glad you and Mom are getting away.”
“Me too,” Miles echoed. “Don’t worry, Dad. We can handle everything.”
Wayne Montgomery’s lips pinched tightly together. “That’s what I’m afraid of. You two are my only children, but I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to leave the business in your hands.”
Miles rolled his eyes. “Dad, I’ve been handling these matters for years.”
“Really? Then why are we just now flagging Warren? As I see it, he should have been gone long ago.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Miles swore under his breath as he looked at several sheets of paper sitting on top of his desk. The two brothers had been in his office for hours, going over the information they had on Warren. It only proved further that Miles should have known Warren was up to something months, if not years, ago.
Andrew finally had enough. “I’m going home. We can talk to Warren tomorrow.”
It didn’t take him long to get to the cottage. The small structure consisted of two starkly furnished rooms. He opened his fridge. The top and bottom shelves were empty. The middle row held several cold beers.
“Guess I need to go to the store,” he said to himself.
Andrew grabbed one of the beers, popped the top, and took a long swig of the cold amber liquid. Finally, he had some time. He shuffled over to the kitchen table and looked down at the sketch pad. It was his notebook from high school. Thankfully, it had been in his truck at the time of the fire and was one of the only things he now had from his childhood. He traced the edges of the pages before turning to the sketch of Jessica sitting in a class. It had always been one of his favorites.
“Hi there,” he whispered as he looked into her familiar eyes.
He had been mulling over the idea, and had recently decided it would be his present to Isabelle. He had purchased a new, larger sketchbook last week and had started copying Jessica. Andrew would then add Isabelle next to her, and maybe Pete. It would be a sweet, boyfriend-like gesture to add him too, but Andrew still wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to be that nice just yet.
Even though it had been years since he’d sketched her, it had come back to him relatively quickly. His pencil slid over the fibers of the paper, and slowly Jessica’s face came into view.
It had been a little more than four hours and he still wasn’t finished. He looked up and stared out the window. The sun had set, leaving a black sky. His stomach had been growling for the past thirty minutes.
“I know…I know. We need to eat,” he mumbled to himself.
Maybe he should suck it up and go hungry tonight, but he quickly decided that was a stupid idea. At some point, he would need to buy food, and tonight was probably the right time to do so. He slid his feet into a pair of flip-flops and grabbed his truck keys off of his little key rack.
Andrew headed down the gravel driveway, toward the main road. He looked over at Miles’s house. All the lights were on. Anne and Miles must be having dinner. The thought brought a smile to his lips. He was glad his brother had found his soul mate. Miles deserved to be happy.
He turned his gaze back to the driveway, and saw something. He almost missed it, but as his head snapped back to the right, he realized Warren’s truck was parked near the back of the driveway, hidden under the shadow of a large tree.
“Hmm. What do we have here?” Andrew whispered to himself. He threw his truck into reverse, backed down the driveway to his cottage, and then turned off the engine. An odd feeling in the pit of his stomach wouldn’t allow him to drive away and ignore the fact that Warren was at his brother’s house.
The night air was quiet as he got out of the vehicle. There were only a few stars in the dark sky. He’d had heard on the news that a storm would be coming later in the week, but right now, the sky was clear.
It took him several minutes to walk up to Miles’s house. The sound of heavy footsteps coming from inside echoed in the quiet night. He could hear someone’s muffled voice.
Andrew crept up the front porch and over to the window. During his military career, he had approached many buildings and residences where he didn’t want to be heard or spotted.
The blinds were slightly ajar, allowing Andrew to see into the living room.
Warren was pacing back and forth, a small pistol in one of his hands. Andrew scanned the rest of the well-lit room. His brother and sister-in-law were sitting on the couch.
“Shit,” Andrew said under his breath. “Warren, you better be joking around right now,” but Andrew knew he was simply hoping for the best.
Anne looked horrified as she stared at Warren. Her eyes were wide with fear and her skin was pale as a piece of paper. Andrew’s former best friend must have said something, because suddenly her eyes widened even more and her face contorted into a pained expression. Miles started to rise from the couch, but Warren held up the gun, and Miles quickly fell back next to Anne.
Andrew knew there was nothing he could do from here. He wished he had a weapon, but everything had been destroyed in the fire. The only thing he had was his switchblade. He needed to get into the house.
His phone began to vibrate. He threw the device into a patch of grass near the porch. Andrew didn’t need that thing going off as he tried to sneak up on Warren. He slid his feet out of the flip-flops and crept slowly around the porch to the back door. He knew it was going to be tricky getting into the old house without them hearing him. All the doors and windows would surely let out angry moans at any movement. He paused and returned to the main window. He needed Miles to create some sort of distraction.
Warren still had his back to Andrew. So, he decided to just stand in front of the window, to see if Miles or Anne might catch a glimpse of him. He waited for what seemed like an eternity before Anne glanced over. Her brow creased. He could tell she was trying to figure out what was going on. She looked back at Warren, and then glanced over at Andrew. He held up two fingers, and then shook both hands. He hoped she would get his message and make some noise in two minutes.
Anne slowly nodded. He wasn’t sure if she knew what he was talking about, but he really didn’t have much choice as he silently began to count to one hundred twenty.
Andrew made his way to the back kitchen door. He prayed they’d left it open. Otherwise, Anne’s distraction would be pointless.
Just then, he heard Anne begin to cough. Her voice got louder. In between coughs, she said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. When I get nervous, I tend to cough. It’s horribly embarrassing.”
Andrew watched through the back window.
“Shut up,” Warren said. He looked around the living room and raised his gun. Andrew knew his time was almost up.
He could hear Anne begin to cough again. This time even more loudly. He slowly opened the door. The handle slid easily. It wasn’t locked. He didn’t bother to close it. Instead, he crept toward the wall that separated the kitchen and the living room. He stood with his back against it for only a second. There were few thoughts going through his mind. He had been in situations like this before. Warren was yapping about how he’d done so much for the company. His irate speech was slurred as Andrew thought about his next move.
After several very long seconds, Andrew knew it was time.
Before Warren had time to react, he ran into the room, grabbed the hand holding the gun, and twisted Warren’s wrist until he heard a crack. Warren let out a painful howl and stumbled backward. His eyes were ablaze with rage.
“What in the hell—”
“Shut up, Warren! Trust me. You don’t want to say a word or I’ll snap your neck.”
“I told you to shut up,” Andrew growled into Warren’s ear. “Don’t fuck with me tonight.”
Warren didn’t seem to hear Andrew’s warning. “Why’d you even have to come back to Sable Falls? Things were so much better for your family without you here.”
“No. Things were better for you,” Andrew shot back as he pushed Warren’s body forward away from his and then stood back upright, both of his hands clenched into fists. “Let me guess. I have you to thank for the knives in my tires and leather seat.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re delusional and probably have some sort of PTSD.” Warren cradled his broken wrist. Andrew could tell he was trying to hide the pain. “Sane people don’t walk into a room and break someone’s wrist.”
Andrew pulled the knife out of his pocket and opened it. The blade gleamed in the light.
Warren’s eyes widened, and then he began to laugh. “You’re not going to do anything to me. I’ll sue you, Montgomery.”
Andrew looked over at his brother. Both Miles and Anne sat motionless on the couch. “Warren, are you done? If so, we can call the cops. If not, I’m not sure that I won’t kill you,” Andrew said, very matter-of-factly. “Besides, if you’re dead, you can’t sue me.”
“Bullshit. You’re nothing, Andrew Montgomery. Cassie never loved you. Jessica also didn’t love you. Trust me. I tapped that thing as well.”
Andrew nodded. “I’ll take that as your way of saying you’re not done and we can continue this little dance.”
Warren tried to take a step back, but Andrew was too quick. He grabbed Warren’s neck and pulled him against his chest. He put his knife to Warren’s throat, and then looked over at his brother.
“Call the authorities. Now!” he yelled.
Andrew began to shake. He wasn’t entirely sure he could trust himself to not push the blade into Warren’s weak skin. The thought of Isabelle was the only thing that kept him from ending Warren’s life. After all, Warren had attacked his family. Andrew felt like he was justified. Although, he knew things were different here. He didn’t have the authority to make the kill.
Stay Forever Page 21