The Beginning After

by Kiersten Modglin

  “Shotgun!” Peighton yelled as he shut the door, bouncing around.

  “You’re the only one in the car, weirdo,” he told her jokingly as he threw his arm around her, leading her to the car.

  Fifteen

  PEIGHTON

  Peighton sat at the laptop she’d only recently gotten back from the police. It came with the news that Todd’s death had been ruled an accident, no foul play involved. For some strange reason, that seemed to make this all worse for her. Her husband’s death was caused by something as simple as a bit of clumsiness. Her life, her son’s life, everything was ruined all because their house had too many stairs. She stared at the picture on his desktop, the three of them around the Christmas tree, as she moved the mouse around mindlessly, drawing boxes around their faces. They’d been happy that day. She wondered if she’d ever be that happy again.

  She pulled her cellphone out of her pants pocket, dialing Frank’s number. He answered on the second ring.

  “Yeah?” he said, the same way he’d always answered the phone.

  “How is he?” she asked.

  “He’s not here right now, but he’s fine. Taken care of, I mean, not fine. He will be though.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He’s out, Peight. It’s not even seven o’clock. He’s hanging out with his friends. He’ll come home.”

  “Home?”

  “He’ll come back to my place,” he corrected.

  “You can’t let him stay out too late, Frank. He’s in a bad place. He’s vulnerable right now.”

  “I know that.”

  “I just don’t want him to get mixed up with the wrong crowd.”

  “He’s a smart kid, Peighton. He’s going to be fine.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.”

  “When do you think he’ll come home?”

  “He just needs time. He’s lost his father and the perfect image he had of his mother. He needs something solid in his life right now. Something stable.”

  “You’re stable?” She half-laughed.

  “I’m the best we got, babe.” He chuckled. “We’re all in trouble.”

  The line was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “Do you miss him?”

  “He’s only been gone a few hours,” he joked. When she didn’t respond, he answered again. “Every day.”

  “Me too,” she said softly, trying not to cry.

  “I know,” he told her.

  “I don’t know where I’m supposed to go from here, Frank.”

  “I wish I had the answers, Peight. We’re all just figuring it out as we go, you know?”

  “I miss having you here.”

  “I just…I just can’t be there for you right now. Not like you need me to be. You know you can count on me for the big stuff, but in the day to day, I’m…” he stopped, and she heard him take a sharp breath. When he spoke again, she could hear the tears in his voice. “He was my best friend, Peighton. My best friend. More than that, Todd was family. He was all I had. I know you loved him, but I loved him too. And I’m trying to pick myself up right now, same as you.”

  She let her tears fall again, staying on the line and listening to Frank’s distressed breathing. “You’re all the family I have left.”

  “I just need time.”

  When the line went dead, she placed her phone down. There was a knock on the door and she jumped up, hoping for just a second it would be the one person she knew it wasn’t. She rushed out of his office, into the living room, and swung open the door.

  “Alexis?” she asked, staring at her friend. She held up a casserole, smiling wildly.

  “Hi! How are you?” Alexis asked, allowing Peighton to wrap her in a hug as she held the casserole dish to her side.

  “I’m okay. What are you doing here? It’s so good to see you.” Peighton shut the door behind her, taking the dish. “You didn’t have to do this.”

  “I know,” Alexis said, “I meant to bring it by so much sooner, but it’s just been so crazy. I feel terrible I haven’t been to visit you since, well…since everything. I planned to come by, I really did.”

  “Life happens,” Peighton dismissed her apology. “Come on in, sit down. I’m going to stick this in the fridge. It smells amazing.”

  Alexis nodded. “It’s chicken, broccoli, and cheese casserole. I remembered you liked it when I brought it for the potluck.”

  “Thank you so much,” Peighton said, disappearing into the kitchen for a moment. When she returned, Alexis had sat down on the couch. She patted the seat beside of her, inviting Peighton to sit down. Peighton did. “I’m just so happy to see you. It feels like it’s been a lifetime.”

  “I know,” Alexis said. “How are things? How’s Kyle?”

  “He’s okay. We’re…okay,” she said. “It’s been tough.” Alexis nodded, urging her to go on. “It’s just strange, you know? Not having him here. It’s the funniest things that get to me. Like, I can’t throw away his soap. It’s still sitting in the shower. Kyle hates the smell of it, so it’ll never get used, but I can’t bring myself to throw it out.”

  “There’s no rush,” Alexis said. “You have to do it in your own time.”

  “I just feel like it’s been so long and yet, I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I heard his voice. How is that even possible?”

  “Have you heard anything else from the police?”

  “The investigation’s closed. It was ruled an accident.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?” Alexis asked, reading the look on her friend’s face. “I mean, not a good thing, but better than the alternative.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I mean, I’m glad it’s nothing else. I feel safer knowing that. I don’t know, Lex, it just doesn’t feel finished, you know? I feel like there has to be something else, some other reason he died. Not just because…because he missed a step.” She tried to make her thoughts make sense, though she wasn’t sure if it was working.

  “Sometimes there isn’t a reason, Peight. Sometimes…sometimes the world just sucks, you know?”

  Peighton nodded. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek, thinking it seemed like she’d been crying for weeks on end. “Enough about me, how are things with you?”

  “Actually, that’s part of the reason I’m here,” she said apprehensively.

  “What? Are you pregnant again?”

  Alexis let out a nervous laugh. “Oh my god, don’t you dare jinx me. No! I’m—” she suddenly looked very serious. “I’m starting a new job.”

  Peighton’s face fell, though she hadn’t consciously meant it to. “Oh.”

  “I didn’t know how to go about telling you. I mean, I wish I didn’t have to find something else, I know it must seem like this is too fast. I would’ve never left if it wasn’t for…all of this.”

  “No,” Peighton assured her, “of course. You have to find something else. I expected it. You have to take care of your family. I couldn’t expect you to wait around with no money coming in. I’m happy for you,” she said.

  “Thank you, but I know this has to be hard on you.”

  “It is. I don’t want anything to change, but I know it has to.” Peighton smiled at her, refusing to let any more tears fall. “I really am happy for you though. I’m going to miss you.”

  “It’s not like I’ll be far away, you know? We’ll still see each other. I hate it though. I really hate starting over. You and Todd, well, you were the best bosses I’ve ever had.”

  “You’ll do great, Lex. Todd was so proud of everything you did with us.”

  “Todd was very special to me.” She smiled, her voice cracking slightly. “I’ll never forget everything you guys did for me.”

  “Here we go again.” Peighton laughed as they both began to cry. “Why are we sad? We should be celebrating. Would you like some wine?”

  “Oh, that’s all right. I need to be heading home here soon. I just wanted to drop that off and tell you the news.”

  Peighton
hugged her friend again. “I’m so glad you came by. I forgot to ask where you’re going to be working.”

  “Actually, I’ll be working at Channel 16.”

  “The news station? Oh, that’s incredible!”

  “I’m really excited about it,” she said. “It’ll mean good money and great experience for my resume.”

  “I’m so proud of you. I wish you so much luck.”

  Alexis stood up, walking toward the door. “Well, enjoy that casserole.”

  “I will,” Peighton said. “Thank you again for bringing it by. Stop by again when you have more time. I want to hear all about the new job.”

  “I will,” Alexis promised. “Take care of yourself, Peighton.”

  She walked out the door, leaving Peighton alone to ponder just another piece of her life that was being torn from her.

  Sixteen

  PEIGHTON

  After Peighton’s shower the next morning, she walked into the kitchen feeling refreshed. Isabel had a cup of tea waiting for her. “Good morning!”

  “Good morning, Izzy,” Peighton greeted her. “Thank you,” she said, taking a sip of her tea. “Woah, is this a new tea?”

  Isabel turned to her. “What do you mean? It’s the same tea you always drink.”

  Peighton sniffed it. “It smells like perfume.”

  “I’ve got you hooked on my English breakfast tea.” She laughed. “We’re all out. That’s Earl Grey.”

  “I knew it was different,” Peighton said, taking another sip and instantly spitting it back out. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” She laughed. “You’ve got me spoiled.”

  “I have to run to the grocery store this afternoon, I’ll pick up some more of the usual. Would you like some coffee for the road?”

  “That would be good,” Peighton told her. “I won’t be gone long. I’m going to talk to some of the police on Todd’s case. I want to see if I can get copies of what they found on his laptop. When they dropped it off last night, it was almost completely erased.”

  “What?” Isabel asked.

  “Yeah, I can’t figure out why that would be.”

  “That’s illegal, I’d say. I’d be finding out for sure, dear,” Isabel said cautiously, handing her a mug of coffee. “Drink this before it gets cold.”

  Peighton nodded. “There’s a casserole in the fridge. Could you heat that up for dinner?”

  “Of course, honey.”

  “Thanks, Izzy. I’m going to go now. Kyle might come home…if he does, will you call me?”

  “I will,” Isabel said, getting back to work.

  With that, Peighton walked out the door, cup of coffee in hand, and headed for the police station. When she arrived, she walked into the brick building, searching for a familiar face. Clay was nowhere to be found. A young man with thick black hair approached her. “Hi, can I help you?”

  “Yes, I wanted to speak with someone about the investigation around my husband’s death.”

  “What was his name?”

  “Todd Claiborne.”

  “Okay, just one second,” he said, disappearing through a doorway. When he returned, there was a large gray-headed man following him.

  “Ms. Claiborne.” He held out his hand. “I’m Sergeant Lewallen.” She shook his hand. “I was sorry to hear about your husband’s passing. We all really thought a lot of him here at the station.”

  “Thank you, that’s very kind.”

  “Is there something I can do for you?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about the investigation. I had a few questions. When I received my husband’s laptop back, it was wiped cleaned. Several of his documents, even pictures, are gone. I just wondered…well, why they’re gone and if I could get them back.”

  His eyebrows raised. “Could I get you to step into my office?”

  She nodded, following him back through the door. He took a seat in the oversized leather chair. As she sat down across from him, he leaned forward across the desk, speaking low.

  “Now, I’m a bit confused. What investigation are we talking about?”

  “The one surrounding my husband’s death.”

  He scratched his head. “Your husband’s death was ruled an accident.”

  “Right, I know, but when I received his laptop back yesterday—”

  “Back from where?” he asked.

  “From…from you,” she spoke slowly, her head beginning to pound.

  “We never had your husband’s laptop, Ms. Claiborne. We had no reason to. There were no signs of foul play, no forced entry. There was never an investigation because his death was ruled an accident on the scene.”

  “W-what?” she asked, clutching her chest. “But then why—”

  “Who took your husband’s laptop?”

  “When we came back from the hospital, it was gone. Izzy said the cops had taken it.”

  “Izzy is…?”

  “Our housekeeper.”

  “Would Izzy have any reason to need the laptop?”

  “Of course not.” Peighton shook her head. “And what about Beelzebub? Clay said you found the messages on his computer.”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Claiborne, I truly am, but I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. Beetle-whats-it? And who’s Clay? I’m afraid you’ve lost me.”

  “Officer Nealson…” she said, trying hard to catch her breath.

  He stood up, walking to a filing cabinet. He sifted through, pulling out a tan envelope and bringing it to his desk. Opening it, he began running his finger across the page, reading. “Right, Officer Nealson was one of the officers on scene the day of your husband’s death. He brought you in to ID the body. There’s nothing at all in here about a laptop or a beetle…beezle…what was it again?” She shook her head, afraid to answer. He went on. “Officers found no signs of forced entry, no foul play suspected. Autopsy confirmed cause of death was severe internal hemorrhaging and a broken neck, likely caused by a fall. There was no further investigation.”

  Peighton stood up, nearly knocking the chair over. She felt as though she would be sick at any moment. “I have to go.” She pulled open the door, rushing out.

  “Ms. Claiborne! Ms. Claiborne!” the Sergeant yelled after her, but she couldn’t stop. She pulled her phone out, clicking on his name with her thumb.

  Clay answered almost instantly. “Peighton?”

  “You lied to me,” she said, hardly able to catch her breath. She stood on the sidewalk, one hand on her knees, trying to keep herself from breaking down right there.

  “What?”

  “You lied to me, Clay. About Todd, about the investigation.”

  “What are you talking about, Peighton?”

  “Save it. I just came from meeting with your sergeant. Now, either you tell me the truth right this second or I am marching myself right back into that station and I’m telling him everything, and so help me god, Clay, if you do anything to hurt my family…I will kill you myself.”

  Seventeen

  CLAY

  Clay had to come up with a plan. And fast. He drove to Peighton in a hurry. They’d agreed to meet in public, at a local coffee shop. She didn’t trust him now and he couldn’t say that he blamed her. He’d been so stupid to ever get close enough to her to let this bother him. He couldn’t care that she was hurt. The laptop had had nothing of importance on it, but he’d wiped it clean in order to protect her from what she’d find. The messages were enough to break her already broken heart, and he couldn’t let that happen.

  He pulled into the parking lot, staring at himself in the mirror. Pull it together, Nealson. He heard his father’s voice in his head. He had been foolish, of course she would have gone snooping and noticed things were missing. If this all blew up now, if the entire plan was destroyed, he would have no one to blame but himself.

  He walked onto the sidewalk, spotting her immediately. He waved to her, though he immediately realized how stupid that was, and when she didn’t wave back, he pulled his hand down. He pulled up a seat across fro
m her at the wrought iron table.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet me,” he said.

  “I’m not saying I won’t go back to the police and tell them what you did.”

  “Peighton, I am the police.”

  “What? Is that a threat? Because you’re a cop they won’t do anything?”

  “No! God, no, that’s not what I’m saying. You’ve got this all wrong.”

  “Then start explaining.” She crossed her arms across her chest, leaning back in her seat.

  “I don’t even know where to start.”

  “Start with why you stole my husband’s laptop,” she demanded.

  “Okay, fair enough. Well, I didn’t steal it. Not, technically. I…borrowed it. I brought it back, unharmed.”

  “You violated our privacy.”

  “I was trying to protect you.”

  “From what? His death was an accident!” she screamed.

  He leaned in, trying to get her to lower her voice. He placed his hand on her arm but she jerked away. “Peighton, stop. You can trust me, okay?”

  “You haven’t given me any reason to.”

  “I took his laptop, yes. But I took it because I believed something else was going on. I believed…” he paused. “I believe Todd was murdered. And even though, no, there wasn’t an official investigation, I did still look into it. And I’m a cop, so technically that’s an investigation.”

  She pressed her lips together, looking at him in disbelief. “That’s not how it works, Clay.”

  “It’s not, you’re right. But I wanted to help you. I still do.”

  “But why? Why do you want to help me?”

  “Like I said, I don’t believe Todd’s death was definitely an accident. It has everything pointing toward that, so it’s easy to call it an accident and move on, but I just don’t believe it was.”

  “Why though?”

  He leaned forward, choosing his words carefully. “Because of Beelzebub.”