#7-9--The O’Connells

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  At the way he said it, Owen could feel that unease again. Everything about their dad should’ve been dead and buried, but it seemed as of late that things just wouldn’t stay that way. “I don’t know,” he replied. “It was a long time ago, you know. She shouldn’t be talking about it.”

  He wanted to pull her aside and find out what the hell she was doing and who else she was talking to. He shook his head and dragged his hand across the back of his neck.

  “Go have dinner with Tessa,” Marcus said. “Try to forget about what happened. I’ll be having another word with Rita Mae to make sure she understands a boy’s death doesn’t give her leave to talk it up, creating drama and scandal. I’ll shut her down. And this thing with our family…I’ll make sure she understands that she’s sticking her nose in business that isn’t hers.”

  Marcus hesitated again, likely waiting for Owen to add something, but then he started around his cruiser, pulled open the door, and slid behind the wheel.

  Tessa was walking his way, right over to him, barefoot on the grass. This was something else about her he hadn’t expected. “So what was that about?” she said, gesturing toward Marcus, who was pulling out.

  Owen took in how pretty she was. “Oh, you know, making sure he’s not talking police business in front of you. I brought up the fact that Rita Mae may be leading him astray. You know, Rita Mae was the one who opened the door to the janitor’s closet. Any idea why?”

  Confusion flitted across Tessa’s face, and then she shrugged. “I don’t know. Why does it matter? Maybe she was getting something to help clean up.”

  Sure, that made sense. Maybe it was just the fact that she’d brought up the scandal of his family, something he wasn’t comfortable with, that had him thinking there was more.

  “Apparently, she insinuated that both of you opened the door together,” Owen said. “But you and I know that when we heard her scream, we were still on the other side, in the bathroom.”

  Tessa went to say something, shook her head, and gave him the oddest of looks. “No, she must’ve been confused. This isn’t because of what she said about your family, is it?”

  He wondered how long she’d had the ability to look at him in this way, which had him feeling as if she could see something in him that no one else could. “You know what? Maybe we should stop talking about Rita Mae, and I’ll help you with dinner,” he said.

  The way she looked at him again, he could see she wasn’t about to be brushed off. “You’re doing it again, Owen. You know how some people change as they get older? Well, you haven’t. I’m more convinced than ever now that when you don’t want to talk about something, you shut things down and change the subject.” She lifted her hands and stepped back. “Fine, I’ll let you have it tonight. Let’s go finish dinner—but I have a question first.” She was looking at him intently.

  “Okay, is it one you want an answer to?”

  This time, she couldn’t hide the smile that seemed to pull at the edges of her lips. “Why is Rita Mae bringing up your family and something that happened so many years ago?”

  For a second, he had to remind himself to breathe. “I don’t know, Tessa. Frankly, that was another lifetime ago. It has no place in whatever demented gossip she’s tossing out there about a boy who was found dead in a closet at school. You know, after Marcus shuts her down, I think I may very well ask her that same question.”

  All she did was nod and then gesture to the house. “Come on,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  As he followed Tessa in, taking in the work in progress that she’d willingly taken on alone, he had to remind himself that whatever this was with her, at least now she wasn’t openly challenging and fighting with him.

  Chapter Eight

  Owen thumbed through his phone, looking at the text that something had come up and the plumbing job that should have filled his afternoon would need to be rescheduled. Fine with him, considering his morning hadn’t gone as planned. He needed to check in with Marcus, he thought as he stepped out of his van at the diner he frequented for lunch.

  The day was overcast, and he reached for his hoodie and pulled it on, glancing at the people on the street, the nods. He didn’t feel like answering any more questions about the school, considering that was all that was on everyone’s mind.

  He pulled open the door to the diner and made his way to the counter, where he grabbed a stool and reached for the laminate menu. A coffee mug appeared in front of him, and coffee was poured, and he glanced up and took in Lori in her godawful mustard uniform, still pissed off.

  He realized she didn’t compare to Tessa. They were both blond and tall and slender, but there was something about Tessa: He didn’t just want to spend time with her; she sparked his interest in ways no woman ever had.

  “You’re here for lunch?” Lori said.

  Was he supposed to answer that? This was his go-to lunch place, and he hoped him and Lori no longer being together wouldn’t have to stop him from coming. It was the perfect diner for him, quick, tasty, and within his budget.

  “I’ll have the clubhouse today,” he said.

  She scribbled it on a notepad, and he hoped that would be the end of it. “So I heard about the school and what happened to Jackson Moore. My sister was just over with the Moores, helping out, you know, with planning the funeral. It’s a sad thing, what happened. Drugs at school… What were those kids thinking?” She settled her hand on her hip, ready to really dig into the conversation, though Marcus had already warned him not to talk about it.

  “It is,” he said. “Shouldn’t have happened.” He tucked the menu back in the slot and folded his hands together on the counter.

  “So what do you think happened to him, and how did he get in the closet?” Lori said. “I know the Moores aren’t going to stop until they have answers and someone pays for what happened. His father, PJ, said that he wants to know who supplied the pills. Any idea? You must have heard, or Marcus. You know how PJ is; he doesn’t let it sit if someone wrongs him or someone he cares about.”

  There she went with the questions. Maybe he should have asked for the sandwich to go. He thought about the Moores, who did have a history of taking care of problems themselves.

  “You know I can’t talk about that—not that I know anything, anyway,” he said. “There’s an investigation, and I’m sure they’ll find who’s responsible and all those questions will be answered in time. Marcus doesn’t disclose his investigations to me.”

  She still didn’t move, and he wanted to remind her that he was waiting for lunch so she would put the order in, but he could see she still had something on her mind.

  “You know, Owen, we never had a chance to finish our talk yesterday,” she said, not pulling her gaze from him. Just yesterday, everything had been different, but he didn’t want to rehash anything with her now, considering how she could go on and on. She was angry, hurt, and he didn’t want to deal with her many emotions.

  “Pretty sure we did, Lori,” he said. “Look, I’m sorry, but you and I…” He just shook his head.

  She stiffened, and he could see she wasn’t going to make this easy. “Heard you and Tessa Brooks were out having drinks last night,” she said. Now she sounded accusatory, and she hadn’t even let him finish.

  For a second, he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have to ask where she’d heard that, considering no one seemed to mind their own business anymore. “We were at a bar, two people having a drink,” was all he said. He glanced at her notepad, hoping this would be the end.

  “So it’s that easy, is it?” she said.

  He wondered if he groaned. He wished his phone would ring or something. Maybe it was time he figured out a new place to go for lunch. “I’m not sure I get what you’re talking about, Lori. We’re done. Who you see is your business, and who I see is mine.”

  “Oh, I see, so you’re moving on, dating, taking another woman out, when my bed is barely cold. I dropped off your box of things,
but I expected you to call. I expected you to realize your mistake, not take out the first woman you set your eyes on. Is it really true about me and how easy it is for you to move on?”

  Huh? “Lori, I’m confused,” he said. “We’re done, finished. In fact, how many days ago was it, right out there in that alley, that you told me to make a choice? In fact, you gave me an ultimatum. You want something more, and I’m not there—and you know what? I’m not going to get there, to the ‘forever’ thing. You made the right call, giving me that ultimatum. You can’t force this…”

  “You mean with me, or is this about Tessa? Are you sleeping with her?”

  He knew people could hear everything, so he gestured for her to lower her voice. “Okay, that is completely not your business, Lori. Look, I like you, but there’s nothing here with us, and there won’t be. To be clear, we’re done, and I’m not interested in picking up and starting something again. You were right about ending it. You deserve someone who can give you what you’re looking for, and, just to be clear, that’s not me, and it won’t be me. You need to move on, find someone else, okay?” he said, more to end the conversation than anything else.

  She gestured toward him. “Fine, got it. I’ll put your order in.” She ripped off the paper and slid it over the metal window to the cook in back.

  He heard the door again, the jingle, and someone sat beside him at the counter. He glanced over, taking a breath of relief, only to see Rita Mae. Speak of the devil! Just someone else he wanted to settle things with, but having that conversation here wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind.

  Rita Mae lifted her hand to Lori. “Lori, I’ll have a coffee, please. I heard from Ellen that you’ve got this coconut cream pie to die for, so, since I’m on forced holiday today, I thought I’d treat myself to a guilty pleasure.” She lowered her voice and leaned on the counter as if this were a secret, then let out a soft laugh as she took in Owen. “Hey, Owen. How are you doing today?”

  What was he supposed to say to that? He wished now that he’d have thought through his need to revisit the diner he’d been going to for as long as he could remember. “Fine, great. You?” he said. He didn’t really want to do small talk, so he lifted his hand to Lori. “Lori, make that order to go, would you?”

  He glanced back to Rita Mae as Lori poured her a coffee and then strode away to deal with customers at the other end. It wasn’t lost on him that she hadn’t said anything about his order.

  “Well, I’ve been better, considering I’m having to take the day off, and Marcus called to remind me not to talk about you know what.” She actually made a motion as if zipping her lips, and he was pretty sure he winced as he lifted his coffee and took a swallow. “You know, I didn’t mean anything when I called Tessa,” she continued. “I just needed to talk to someone who was there. I still can’t get the image of that poor boy from my head. You were both there, Owen. Finding that boy in that closet…it’s horrible. I know we’re not supposed to be talking. I get it…” She lifted her hands, then dumped cream into her coffee. He wondered what it was about her that made her blend into the background, someone he’d never noticed before.

  “You know, Owen, going into that closet is one of the worst things I’ve ever done,” she said. “Why did I go in there, again?” She looked up as if thinking. “Oh, yes, to help clean up the mess, to get a mop or something… That’s what I told your brother, since there was suddenly a question about why I had been looking in there. At the same time, we all do things we wish we could undo. You understand, right?”

  The way she said it had him giving her everything as he settled his coffee back on the counter. “Evidently, I don’t, so why don’t you spell out what this is about, Rita Mae? Sounds to me as if you’re trying to hint at something. In case I need to remind you, my family is not your business. Not sure why you’ve brought up the local gossip about something that happened a long time ago. Like, what the hell was that about?” He lowered his voice, very aware of everyone around them.

  “You mean when I called Tessa? Well, for one, she’s my friend, Owen. You were out with her, getting drinks, after what happened and what we saw…”

  He glanced away, spotting Lori talking to some old guy. What was this with Rita Mae? Was it a friend looking after a friend, or was it something else?

  She pulled in a breath and gave him everything, and he took in the light brown of her eyes, an odd shade. She seemed convinced of whatever it was she had to say. “You know, Owen, there’s this thing about secrets. Everyone has them. Sometimes someone sees something and doesn’t understand what it means. Think about it. Let’s say someone saw something eighteen years ago, someplace in the woods—someone doing something that wasn’t quite right. You wondering what I’m getting at?”

  He felt sick, felt sweat prickling on his neck, as she leaned in and lowered her voice.

  “I know what it is you did that night in the woods,” she said. “You were burying something. I wondered why you’d be out so late, alone, at your age. What were you doing? But you know what, Owen? I consider us friends. We are, right?”

  He couldn’t get his tongue to move.

  She reached over and patted his arm. “Kids today, huh?” She lifted her mug of coffee and took a swallow, and he couldn’t pull his gaze from her as she settled it back on the counter. “You know, Owen. More than anything, you should know. Friends watch each other’s backs and make sure nothing comes at each other.” She slid around on the stool.

  Down the counter, Lori had cut a slice of pie and was coming their way.

  “Tessa is also a friend, a good friend,” Rita Mae said. “I like Tessa and don’t want to see her hurt. She’s kind. Having someone who could pose a problem showing interest in her is something I don’t want to see. Your brother’s the sheriff, so let’s just say that what I know is the kind of thing that could really hurt his chances of re-election. I just want to be clear, cards on the counter, so to speak.” The pie appeared, and she glanced up to Lori and smiled. “Thank you, Lori.”

  Lori only nodded as she slipped his carton of to-go lunch in front of him with the bill.

  He took it, pulled out his wallet, and tossed a twenty on the counter. “Keep the rest,” he said as he stood up and shoved his wallet back in his pocket, then stepped away from the counter. He was still next to Rita Mae, who was shoving the pie in her mouth as if it were the best thing ever, and he waited until Lori strode away and Rita Mae looked up at him. “You know, Rita Mae, for a minute there, it sounded as if you were trying to threaten me.”

  She appeared shocked and set her fork down on her plate, shaking her head, giving him everything. “Really? Seems to me I was just clearing up any confusion before it could happen. Have a good day, Owen.”

  All he could do was take in this woman he’d known forever from a distance. Panic licked the back of his throat as he thought about that night long ago, what he’d found, and what he’d promised himself he wouldn’t share with anyone. It was a secret to protect his family, and he’d planned to take it to his grave.

  Now, as he strode out of the diner without another word to Rita Mae, he had this awful feeling that her showing up at the diner had been deliberate, planned, as was her threat against him and his family.

  He pulled open the door of his van and slid inside, tossing the Styrofoam container with his lunch on the passenger seat, and he stared into the crowded diner again. All he could think was that it was time he talked to Marcus.

  As far as Rita Mae was concerned, her words had gone way beyond a simple warning. Could it really just be that she was concerned about Tessa, or was there something else?

  Whatever it was, he couldn’t take a chance on leaving it alone anymore. As he thought about everything that had happened as of late, with his siblings’ questions about their dad, questions about what had happened, it seemed everything he’d thought was dead and buried was coming up in ways he couldn’t control anymore.

  Yeah, it really sucked sometimes, being the eldest.


  Chapter Nine

  Owen took in the house where Marcus now lived, across from Ryan’s place, in a safe neighborhood. Charlotte’s Subaru and Marcus’s old pickup, which he never seemed to drive anymore, were parked in the driveway, and the sheriff’s cruiser was parked in front. Jenny, Ryan’s partner, was just pulling into her driveway across the street in her small Jeep, and she stepped out just as Owen did.

  “Hey, you coming over?” she called out, lifting a paper bag of groceries.

  He could see that Ryan wasn’t home yet, and he shook his head. “Later. Have to see Marcus,” he said.

  Jenny walked up to the house and pulled open the screen door, and there was his niece. Right, he needed to find out what Alison knew about Jackson, the kids at school, the grad prank, and how any of that tied into Jackson being found dead in a janitor’s closet. Then there was Rita Mae.

  He started up to Marcus’s front door, across the porch, hearing Eva, Charlotte, and Marcus’s voices inside as he tapped on the screen door and stepped in. The living room was sparsely furnished, and his brother poked his head out from the kitchen at the end of the hall.

  “Hey, didn’t know you were coming by,” Marcus said.

  Charlotte appeared too. Her small baby bump was beginning to grow, and her deputy’s shirt was untucked from her sweatpants. “Owen, could you tell Marcus here that he needs to take a break? I can’t even get him to sit down and have a real meal.” She slid her arm around Marcus’s waist as Owen stepped farther inside.

  Marcus was eating what looked like a granola bar, whereas Eva sat at the small dated table he recognized, which had to be a hand-me-down from his mom. It still had the scrapes from the knife Marcus had used to carve his initials underneath. He wondered if that was why his mom had seen to it that he got it. He realized they were both standing, looking at him, when he hadn’t said anything.