by J. R. Tate
Charlie saw Detective Garza at the bottom of the staircase when they walked through. The cop kept his stare on him and Charlie resisted the urge to flip him off. With as bad as Garza wanted him, that probably would have landed him another twenty-four hours in jail and he’d likely get a less forgiving judge the next time.
“You hungry?” Mary asked as she unlocked her car.
Charlie was happy to smell fresh air again. The jail had a stale scent that seemed to be burned into his nostrils.
“Kind of. Can you take me to get my truck?”
“Where is it?”
They got in the car and he tried to make sense of everything. It was like a bad dream he was slowly waking from, unable to tell what was real and what his mind had made up.
“It’s at Cassie’s, unless they impounded it.”
“I think they would’ve told you if they did, so you could prepare to come up with more money to get it out.”
Charlie was having a hard time reading Mary. She was always snarky about things, but was she mad? He shouldn’t expect her to be a ray of sunshine after asking her to miss another day of work, get his money, and spend the morning at the jail. And he also thought about what the detectives had told him. They were looking into Mary now. He wouldn’t be able to handle them messing with her. That was going too far.
“I’m sorry about all of this, Mary. Did you have a hard time getting the money out of my account?”
Her hand tightened around the steering wheel and she kept her eyes on the road. “No, none at all. And you don’t owe the bondman much, so at least that. I wasn’t expecting to be done until the afternoon, so I guess we’re ahead of schedule for the day.”
“Shit, I should probably call Todd and let him know what’s going on. He’s probably wondering why I’m not at the shop.”
He grabbed his phone from his pocket and of course, the damn thing was dead.
“He knows, Charlie. I told him. He’s got it covered.”
Nodding, Charlie hated how thick the air in the car felt. “Everything okay, Mary?”
“That male detective came to the house last night.” She finally glanced at him when she stopped at a red light, her brow creased, her mouth set in a hard line.
“What?”
“He had some fun questions.”
“What did he ask you?” Charlie sat up, his blood boiling.
“He wanted to know about us. The same bullshit.”
“What did you say?” Charlie didn’t have anything to worry about, but he was still curious.
“I told him we were banging each other’s brains out and that you did kidnap your daughter.” She rolled her eyes and accelerated when the light turned green. “C’mon, Charlie, what do you think I said? I stood up for you. He wasn’t there long before I kicked him out.”
Charlie suddenly wasn’t ready to get his pickup from Cassie’s. The fact that Detective Garza had gone to Mary proved that what he told Charlie was true – he was about to make everyone Charlie cared about go through hell.
“Pull into the park over there.” Charlie pointed toward it.
“What? Why? I thought you wanted to get your truck.”
“Just do it, Mary.”
When she put the car into park he got out and walked to a picnic table near a swing set. Since it was still morning, not many people were out except for an occasional runner who had headphones in. Mary sat beside him, her eyebrows crinkled as she waited on him to talk.
“I can’t stand seeing you get brought down with me in all of this.” Charlie’s voice shook. This was one of the hardest things he ever had to do.
“I told you, Charlie, I’m here for you.”
He touched her hand and pushed his fingers between hers, feeling her warm palm against his. Her skin was so soft and her touch was intoxicating.
“We’ve gotta stop this.”
Her eyes widened. “Stop what?”
“Sleeping together. Seeing each other. The cops see it. They think you’re involved in Skylar’s disappearance. I can’t let them harass you too.”
“Charlie, please don’t do this. You’re innocent. They can’t make you stop dating someone.”
He squeezed her hand before releasing it, looking out into a grove of trees a few yards away. The morning dew was still thick on everything, and if it were a few degrees colder, there would be a thin layer of frost.
“I love you Mary. I love you so much that I can’t let you get hurt. I can’t let you get pulled in the middle of my family drama. I just can’t. I think we need to take a break.” Saying it didn’t make him feel any better. In fact, he felt like a complete asshole, but if it meant keeping her out of the investigation and out of the rumor mill, he would do it for her.
“I’d try to fight you on this, but you’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”
Mary was one of the toughest people Charlie knew, so seeing the tears well in the corners of her eyes broke his heart. But he couldn’t go back on this. He had given it a lot of thought. The detectives were brutal and they were set on ruining his life any way that they could.
“Detective Garza is using you to get to me. The less we associate, the less he has to tear me down. You’ll see. Right now it’s hard, but get back to your life, Mary. Go to work. Do the evening shift like you enjoy.”
“And what are you going to do, Charlie?”
Standing up, he let out a sigh. “I’m going to find Skylar. Once she’s home safe, maybe we can get back on track. But until that day comes…” he cut himself off, hoping it’d happen sooner than later.
“I understand, Charlie.”
She stood with him, brushing her lips over his. He savored her flavor, planting a much deeper kiss before they both pulled apart at the same time.
“Find Skylar and bring her home. I’ll be waiting for you. And if you need anything, you know I’ll be right there.”
Charlie’s smiled and it felt genuine. He never had a friend as loyal as Mary, and even after all of this, she was still willing to stand by his side.
“I know you will, Mary. Things will get back on track. I’ll talk to you soon.” He started walking down the path to the road. “I think I’ll walk to Cassie’s. It’s not far from here and I need to clear my head.”
He fought the urge to look over his shoulder. This was the toughest thing he had to do in a long time, and if he looked back now, he’d likely run back to her, and he had to stand strong. This was about Skylar right now. No more dragging other people down with him.
Cassie’s house was only a few blocks away, and he balled his fists when he saw her car in the driveway. She was home and he mentally prepared himself for the confrontation. Maybe she was still asleep and he could get his truck and go before she caused a scene. Hurrying across the street, he unlocked the vehicle with the remote and went to open the door, looking around the neighborhood that showed no hint of life anywhere.
“Good morning, Charlie.”
His heart pounded immediately from the sound of her voice, and he turned on his heel, seeing Cassie behind him. She was in her pajamas, the strap of her tank top falling off of her shoulder. She looked deathly skinny and her clothes swallowed her. Squinting into the sun, she shielded her eyes.
“Aren’t you cold?” Charlie asked.
“Nah.”
“I’m just here to get my truck.”
“I almost had the damn thing towed.” She pointed at it and stepped back. “Detective Garza wants me to press charges.”
Charlie didn’t want to have this conversation right now. He was exhausted and felt dirty, and what little energy he had left he needed to use to investigate the address and password he had found in Skylar’s journal.
“Do what you gotta do, Cassie.”
Apparently she didn’t like his response, because she scoffed and threw her hand in the air. “You’re not even going to fight it?”
“No. I need to go. Go take another hit off the pipe and you won’t even remember this happened.�
�� He never imagined Cassie would be as far gone as what he was seeing. She always seemed weak, taking risks and indulging in things to escape from real life, but this was bad. She needed help. She needed high caliber therapy and drug rehabilitation. She wasn’t long for this world if she continued at the pace she was currently on, but right now, Skylar was priority. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but his daughter came first.
“You’re an asshole, Charlie. I’ll see you in court for the kids and for breaking into my house.” She patted her chest and walked toward the porch, shivering when a cold gust of wind came through.
He didn’t respond. She wanted to get a rise out of him, and it would just waste more time. Slamming the truck door, he sped off, taking a quick glance at her in the rear view mirror. The woman he used to love was wasting away and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do. Some things were out of his control. And some of those things he had to try and get back.
When he got home to his place, he didn’t go in right away. It had been a while since he had been there, and the sight of the duplex didn’t excite him. He thought about the day that changed everything. The last conversation with Skylar was an argument, and he tried to shove the horrible memory from his mind.
His neighbor was out on the porch, staring at him as he flipped through the newspaper. Charlie tried to not be angry with the man – he just answered questions for the police. Any honest person would have done the same thing. He didn’t lie. Anyone looking on would’ve thought the same thing. He and Skylar were fighting. That never looked good.
He finally brought himself to get out of the truck. The mail was stacked up in his mailbox and he pulled it out, dreading what he’d find inside. He had let his bills get out of hand, knowing eventually he’d have to take care of those menial tasks.
He nodded toward his neighbor, and the guy just kept his gaze set on Charlie, not responding. Charlie expected it. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary to be looked at like he was already a convict. It was crazy how some people around town were already quick to slap the cuffs on him and assume he did this, including friends who knew what kind of man he was.
Stepping inside, the stale air was thick. Everything was just how he had left it, and he tossed the mail on the coffee table, several magazines scattering onto the floor. Ignoring it, he found a blank piece of paper and jotted down everything he remembered from the journal. The address and password were the main two things, and now he was second-guessing himself.
He had repeated them both in his head over and over again, engraining it in his memory so he wouldn’t forget anything. But now he wasn’t sure. Was there more numbers in the address? Was it a capital letter in the password?
Walking to the refrigerator, he opened it, scowling at what stared back. One beer, a package of lunchmeat in the drawer, a carton of milk, and a half empty bottle of mustard in the door. He grabbed the milk and unscrewed the lid, cringing at the sour smell that escaped. Of course it wouldn’t be any good, so he tossed it in the trash. He didn’t have time to get groceries, but his stomach growled. The jail had provided him with breakfast, but the eggs had the consistency of powder and he was better off eating cardboard instead of trying to stomach what they called bacon.
There was no time to eat. He took the fastest shower of his life and it gave him a small boost of energy. Who would’ve thought that the simple act of brushing his teeth would feel so good? He avoided looking at himself in the mirror. He wouldn’t like the man staring back. The past month had seemed to age him by several years, and it was best not to harp on his appearance.
He ignored his stomach’s warning to get food and turned his laptop on, waiting for it to boot up. As he waited, he plugged his cell phone in and powered it on. As expected, there were several messages, and he sorted them, deleting Cassie’s. It was funny how that worked – when he was available, he rarely got calls. But the one night he gets arrested, everyone called or texted him about something.
Turning back to the computer, he clicked on the internet icon and brought up Facebook. He didn’t have his own account, but it was popular among lots of people, including his daughter. Shit! What was her email address? He opened up his email and searched through his address book, pulling the only listing for Skylar that he had.
Typing it into Facebook, he tabbed and put the password in, crossing his fingers that it would work. A small message popped up, saying it was the wrong password and email combination, and he groaned. Damn it, did he not remember it correctly?
He tried different combinations, each time Facebook warning him that it was the wrong combination. Maybe she had a different email. Leaning back in his chair, he sighed. What other sites could she be a part of that he could find more stuff about? Maybe the cops deactivated her account, but wouldn’t that hinder the investigation?
He had to step away for a moment. He wasn’t the best with computers, and his frustration was so strong that he was close to throwing the damn thing out of the window.
The house was empty and cold, and for a split second, he regretted putting his relationship with Mary on hold. Being alone meant his mind ran wild, the demons creeping up, making him want to escape life. He only had one beer in the house and that wouldn’t do the trick. And he couldn’t allow himself to resort to that. He couldn’t stoop to Cassie’s level.
Sitting back down at the computer, he pulled up Google and typed the local address in. It was residential and not far from him, but that was the only information he could find. The thought of who could possibly live there made his palms sweaty. He could potentially be going into a dangerous situation, but it was a risk he had to take. A risk he should never think twice about.
He waited a bit longer before going, allowing his cell phone to charge up some. He debated on letting Mary know where he was going in case it was dangerous, but he had to stick true to his word. He had to leave her out of as much as possible. The less she knew, the less Detective Garza could pick at her.
When he was satisfied with the battery level, he unplugged it from the wall and locked his house up, not even acknowledging his neighbor who was still on his porch. He made a U-turn in the cul-de-sac and sped down the road, easing off of the accelerator when he noticed he was speeding. He had enough trouble with the law – the last thing he wanted was to get pulled over right now. The cop would likely catch onto his sense of urgency, so he had to grip the steering wheel and take a deep breath to try and calm down. This could be another false alarm like the damn password was.
Turning onto the street, he slowed the truck down, parking several houses down from his destination. Getting out, he kept his eye on the house. It was a fairly nice place with a small car parked in the driveway.
What would he say to the person who answered the door? Hey, my name is Charlie Wright, now where in the hell is my daughter? He shook his head at the thought. It was a quick way to get the door slammed in his face. He tried to think of a plan as he forced himself to step forward, mentally telling his feet to move.
Balling his fist, he went to knock, but noticed a button for the doorbell and mashed it with his thumb. He could hear the faint sound of it on the other side, and a dog barked.
“Shut up, Rex!” A deep voice yelled, but Charlie didn’t hear any footsteps.
He pushed the button again, hoping the person on the other side got the hint that he needed to talk to them.
“Hold on, I’m coming!”
The dog barked again, but it abruptly stopped and the door swung open to a middle aged man with a dark beard. He was about three inches taller than Charlie and probably fifty pounds heavier, but Charlie tried not to harp on the physicality of the man. It wasn’t to that point, at least, not yet. He was dressed in a polo shirt and slacks, like he was about to head into work. He eyed Charlie for a second, not appearing to recognize him.
“Can I help you?”
“I hope so,” Charlie replied. “I’m looking for my daughter. I was hoping you could help me.”
The man he
ld onto the screen door as if he was ready to slam it at any time, but Charlie made sure he was close enough that his body would prevent it from happening.
“What makes you think I can help you?”
“My daughter had this address written down in her journal. It didn’t ring a bell for me, so I thought I’d come check it out. I’m getting pretty desperate.”
“She probably knows my daughter,” the man replied. “Skylar Wright?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s in the same grade as my girl. I think they’re friends.” The man stepped out on the porch and shut the door, almost like he wanted to hide something, but then again, maybe he was just being protective of his home. Charlie might act the same if the situation were reversed.
“What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Why?”
“Maybe Skylar mentioned something to her.”
He shook his head and laughed. “I think you need to leave. I’m not releasing any information to you. I don’t even know you, so the last thing I’m going to do is tell you my daughter’s name. How do I know you’re really Skylar’s father? What if you’re involved and you’re trying to get my daughter too?”
Charlie reached for his wallet, but the man grabbed his arm, stopping him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“I’m just going to show you my license. Prove to you I’m Charlie Wright.”
“That’s not necessary.” He released Charlie’s arm. “Like I said, you need to leave.”
Charlie rubbed his wrist. The man was strong. “I just need help. Your daughter might know something. You know how girls are. She might have said…”
“Then go to the cops. We’re done here. I’m not about to tell you anything and put my daughter in danger. Now if you don’t leave, I’ll call the cops, and I don’t think you need anymore headache, do you?”
Charlie backpedaled down the steps. Another damn dead-end, but he felt like he was right on the verge of a breakthrough. Rather than have Detective Garza on his ass again, he’d leave as requested, but keep this on his radar.