An Unsettled Past

by C. L. Brees

  “I’m not going to stop you from going. I can tell you though that if you do this, you’re about to open up something that you may not be able to undo. Think about that before you get into your car and drive,” she maliciously squawked as Alex flung both of his hands in the air.

  “I don’t need to think about it. I’m going down there. It’s time I finally put all of this to rest.”

  Alex stood there for a moment, awaiting a response from his mother. The other end of the line sounded awful quiet. “Are you still there?” he bluntly inquired.

  “I’m still here. Look, I have to go, Alex. The traffic is starting to get bad. I’ll see you tonight, and just promise me you’ll be safe.”

  “I’ll be safe, mom. Go to work and I’ll see you tonight,” he harshly said as he hung up the phone.

  Amy stood next to Alex during the entire conversation with his mother. Her jaw remained wide open as she struggled to find the words to ask him what was going on. “I’m in shock, Alex. I’ve never once heard you speak to her that way. Now you need to tell me what in the hell is really going on.”

  “Nothing. Look, my mom is driving me crazy with this coddling. She seems so against us going to Denver today to look into my suspicions.”

  “Did you ever think that maybe she’s dropping you a hint and that we should just stay here today? Didn’t Mike tell you to stay close to town? I’ll go anywhere you go, but as your best-friend I am strongly advising against this,” she declaimed as she followed Alex into the closet.

  “Mike said to stay in a group; he didn’t say we shouldn’t leave.”

  “Hey, look here. Don’t take this shit out on me because you’re mad at your mom,” Amy said as she walked back out into the bedroom.

  Alex quickly walked back into the bedroom. “You’re absolutely right and I apologize. I shouldn’t be mad at you for what’s going on with me and my mom.”

  “Why can’t things just go back to normal? You know, the way they were yesterday morning when we were all on our way to school,” Amy contemplated.

  “If I had the answer to that, we wouldn’t be in this situation and I could be sitting here with you worrying about stuff like formal or semi-formal for prom, college, or career, you know, normal shit that most people our age are worrying about,” he said as she wrapped her arms around him. “We’re going to get through this, Amy. You have my word on that. Now go get ready, I’d like to get there as early as possible so we can be back here for lunch with Mike.”

  Amy nodded her head and stood up from the bed. She made her way towards the door and walked across the hall to start getting ready. Meanwhile, Alex walked into his bathroom, setting out underwear, socks and an undershirt on the counter.

  He stood there and looked in the mirror and contemplated aloud, “I wonder why she doesn’t want me to look into this? I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

  He still couldn’t shake the thought of his mother’s tone. Sure she was working all the time, was barely sleeping, and was probably stressed out to the max, but that still didn’t explain or justify her behavior during their phone exchange. It shouldn’t matter what she had going on in her life. All he wanted was her support in discovering the truth. He waited a moment for the thought to pass and swiftly picked up his cell phone from his desk. He walked towards the bedroom door. The sun had temporarily peeked out from behind the clouds just enough that the hallway was now a dismal grey tone instead of pitch black. The dimness of the atmosphere gave him an unnerving feeling, so he slowly inched backwards into his illuminated bedroom. Just before closing his door, he could hear Amy in the bathroom across the hall, shrieking as she attempted to sing in the shower. He stood there and snickered in amusement while he shook his head from side to side. He shut the door to his bedroom and made his way back into the bathroom, setting his cell phone back on the counter.

  He turned the knobs of the shower as a steady stream of water began to flow. He always waited a few minutes for the water to run hot, so he began to undress while he waited. The small square window in the shower was cracked open just enough to allow for the fresh, cool air to fill the room.

  Alex loved living in the mountains, and it made him think about the important decision that he would have to make in just a few short days. Being in Colorado was like living a new adventure each and every day. New York City seemed so foreign to him, and it scared him to even think about what life would be like. He knew the decision was going to be a tough one, but he was confident that he’d have his mind made up before the end of the weekend.

  He thought back to the events of the previous evening and how nice it was to see Mike again. The feeling of him embracing him made him feel safe and secure. But just then, his thoughts went dark and he began thinking about the two men at the convenience store, the four murders, and now the disappearance of Heather. There was a lot of strain weighing on his mind, and his thoughts were hovering around inside his head so much that he couldn’t rein them in. As the steam billowed from the shower, he pulled the shower curtain back and stepped into the shower. The steamy water pelted his body, and his mind abruptly cleared of all morbid thoughts.

  Meanwhile, in the guest bathroom, Amy was stepping out of the shower, still singing loudly to the song that was on the radio. She too couldn’t help but think about the events of the previous day. She’d been a victim in a crazy robbery; her crush had been brutally murdered as she had lain on the floor, helpless to help him; and then Kelli had been executed in the bathroom of a local park. And to make matters worse, Heather was missing, no sign of her anywhere. She too knew that there was something more sinister going on in this small sleepy town. To make matters worse, no one had the right answers to give her. All she sought out was something, anything to ease her mind. She reached for the towel which she had crumpled on the bathroom floor just outside the shower door. She picked it up off of the floor and dried off inside the shower. The warmth of the air in the enclosed shower made her feel safe and happy inside.

  After drying off she wrapped the towel around her generously proportioned breasts and stepped out onto the freezing, ceramic tile floor. Wiping the steam from the mirror in one swipe she examined herself in the foggy mirror. The past few months hadn’t been too kind to Amy. Her parents were on the verge of a divorce, but thankfully Alex had been there for her to help as much as he could. His support as of late kept her mind on positive things happening in her life, especially prom, graduation, and moving away. She valued him so much as a friend; he was her solid rock. He was someone she could just be herself with while they were on their crazy journey into adulthood. She always became teary eyed each time she thought about it, so she wiped her eyes and pushed the thought into the back of her head and finished getting ready to leave for the day.

  Alex stood on the cold ceramic tile of his bathroom and began putting his clothes on. He was in a determined mood and knew that the answers he sought were now within reach. Pulling his hair gel from the drawer, he opened the top and squeezed a large glob into the palm of his hand. He rubbed his hands together and ran the gel through his short, dark brown hair. He looked down at his cell phone sitting on the counter. It began ringing as he laughed to himself.

  Maybe I’m psychic or something.

  He hastily picked it up off of the counter, looked at the caller ID, and answered the call.

  “Good morning, sexy,” he exclaimed as he continued to work on his thick hair.

  “Wow, you sound like you’re in a better mood. Let me guess, you just stepped out of the shower.”

  “Oh stop, you know me too well. It’s starting to scare me a little bit. So what’s up?

  “I just got out of the morning briefing, and I’m going to give you two guesses as to what the top headline of the morning was.”

  “I’ll go out on a limb here and say, the four unsolved homicides in town and a missing person case.”

  “You’re so smart. You’re going to go places,” Mike said as Alex laughed.

  “So
, what, if any, new information did you get this morning? Anything that any of us should know?” Alex asked.

  “Well, we’re getting more information about one of the suspects. The chief believes he is connected with this man who is a big time Russian mafia leader who was recently released from prison. He’s been on the FBI’s radar for quite some time it appears. He’s from a suburb of Moscow by the name of Solntsevo. Because I’m so talented I was asked to assist Detective Scott on these cases. So of course, he has me driving down to talk with the major crimes and investigation division with the Denver police. But listen, I have to run. You’ll be the first one I call if I get any more information.”

  “That sounds good to me. We’re actually heading into Denver in a little while ourselves; I have some research to do myself on my father’s murder. But strange that you mention Russia, because from what I’ve gathered over the years from my mother, my father was involved with some sort of underground crime gang based out of St. Petersburg around the time he was murdered. I think he uncovered something that had to do with a money laundering operation and had it closed down. I don’t know much more about it than that. However, all of this makes this gut feeling I’m having even stronger.”

  “Alex, just please be safe and call me if you need anything.”

  “Of course Mike. You’re on speed dial.”

  6

  The time was closing in on seven fifteen, and Alex was even more anxious to get into Denver after his phone conversation with Mike. He grabbed his clothes and walked back into his bedroom to finish putting his socks and polo shirt on. He looked over towards the bathroom as the steam mixed with the rain cooled air which blew in from the open window. Alex walked back into the bathroom and closed the locked the window. In his mind it no longer felt safe to leave it even slightly cracked. He flipped the light off as he departed back towards his bedroom. There was another knock at his door.

  “Amy, you don’t have to knock; if I’m not decent I’m usually in the bathroom.”

  “Well, I’m ready to go. Traffic is going to be a bitch going down the mountain.”

  “Yeah, isn’t that the truth. By the way, have you heard from John at all this morning?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure he’ll call us. Knowing him, he is probably already half way to school by now. But let’s give him a call. We should be keeping in touch with each other when we’re apart.”

  John was usually good about calling Alex each morning. To not hear from him sent Alex’s mind into a complete panic. He picked up his cell phone and dialed. After two rings the call connected.

  “Good morning, Alex.”

  “Is everything alright? I hadn’t heard from you yet.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that. I overslept and then spent the better part of the past half hour trying to play catch-up.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear that everything is good. Amy and I aren’t going to school today. Something important came up and we’re about to leave for Denver shortly,” he informed him.

  “Denver? What is going on down there today?” John inquired.

  “I have a hunch. Are you going to school today?”

  “Yeah, I’m about to head that way. Anything you need?”

  “Yeah, can you stop by and pick up my paper for literature class today? My mom ran out of here so quick this morning that she forgot to take it on her way.”

  “Sure, I’ll be by in, like, five minutes.”

  “Thanks, John. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  As he hung up the phone, he could hear Amy outside his door pacing up and down the hallway. The tension between Amy and John had been so thick the past few weeks that you could cut the air with a sharp, serrated knife. Alex felt a little better after the two had apologized to each other after the bickering session in the car. He pondered if it were possible that the two would be able to bury their problems and attempt to get along. Alex sat his phone on the desk and smiled broadly. He knew that everything was going to work out in the end. He couldn’t help but keep an optimistic outlook on any diversion from a perfect reality.

  Alex opened his door and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her facial expression exuded a sense of concern.

  “I talked with John. He is going to go ahead and go to school today. Actually, he was on his way when I called him.”

  “Well, that’s John for you. No wonder he’s one of the smartest people in our school. He’s not like me at all. I’m a free spirit. My rank is pretty irrelevant now that I have already been accepted to NYIT. I’ll just be happy once we walk across that stage and close this chapter of our lives.”

  “Amy, you know damn well that we’re making it to graduation day. You’re such a pessimist about life.”

  “I know. I can’t help it though. I must get that from my mother,” she jokingly said as the two stood at the front door.

  “You must. John should be here any minute to pick up my paper to take to class. Once he leaves we can take off.”

  “Sounds good.”

  True to his word, John pulled up in front of the house within five minutes. He casually stepped out of his car and strolled up the walkway. Alex and Amy walked out the front door. It closed behind them, making a loud thumping sound. Alex stood there with his black backpack draped over his shoulder.

  “John, you’re a life saver. Thank you again for taking this to class for me.”

  “Not a problem. I have a few minutes though, and I want to hear more about this hunch you have.”

  “Well, as you know, my father was killed thirteen years ago when we lived in Colorado Springs. The man who was eventually sentenced for his death was working with the Russian mafia. I find it too coincidental that the same men who murdered those people at the 7-11, according to Heather and Amy, had an eastern European accent.”

  “So? Aren’t those men who murdered your father in jail?”

  “As far as I know, they are. But these days, you just never know what can happen. Like I said, it’s just a hunch. I could be wrong, but then again I could be right.”

  “Well, you have to do what makes you feel comfortable. Amy, do you need anything dropped off at school?”

  “Thanks, but I am already ahead on my assignments,” she said, as he approvingly smiled at her.

  “Alright, well I won’t keep you two. I guess I will see you tonight.”

  “You will. My friend Brandy is driving up from Colorado Springs and having dinner with all of us. We’d love to have you there with us.”

  His face lit up with excitement. “Count me in.”

  They all parted ways as John walked back down the walkway and Alex and Amy walked towards the driveway only a few feet from the front door. Out of the corner of his eye Alex noticed his neighbor across the street standing in her yard, holding a dog leash in her hand. Alex waved politely as he opened the driver’s side door.

  Alex never used the garage. It was a complete waste of time in his mind. Those minutes opening and closing the door added up over time, and he wasn’t about to waste those precious moments on something as mundane as a garage door. Pearly dew covered his car, and the air felt damp and cool. For late April the weather was much cooler than normal, and Alex was puzzled by the late arrival of spring. He sat down on the cold leather which sent a quiver up his spine. He closed the door and put the key in the ignition.

  As he looked backwards over the seat, Alex pondered, “I wonder how cold it was last night. This car is absolutely freezing.”

  “Not sure Alex, but you’re right—the car is freezing. Do you mind if we just get going and worry about the weather later?”

  Flabbergasted by her tone, he whipped his head towards the passenger seat. “Well, from the sound of it we should stop at the drugstore and pick you up some Midol or something.”

  “No, but the faster we get moving, the quicker the car will warm up. Besides, I’m trying to be supportive of this, but I also don’t want to spend all day the library. I have television shows that I’d rather be watching.”<
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  “What are you talking about, Amy? What do you mean your shows? You’re in class every day; how could you possibly have any ‘shows’ that you watch in the afternoon? Not to sound rude or anything, but you’re beginning to sound like an old lady.”

  “I’m not old by any means. I just don’t want to spend my entire day in a library. We both know that only losers hang out in the library all day long, looking up their past, researching—all of the things I detest in life. The only reason I’m going with you is because I know how important this is to you. You’re my best friend, and I want to be there to support you. How quickly you forget that we swore that we’d be in this together,” she said as Alex clipped a sharp turn. “Hey watch it with the turns. I don’t want to be bruised up by the time we get there.”

  “I’ll get us there in one piece, so stop worrying. Let’s use this time to discuss an important matter at hand. What do you think really happened to Heather?”

  “Who knows? Knowing her unstable self, she probably snapped under the pressure and is holed up somewhere with one of her many guys scattered around the area.”

  “So you think she’s going to show up then?”

  “Of course she’ll show up. She’s such a drama queen and right now the attention isn’t focused on her. All she’s doing is what she’s good at: acting out.”

  “Be serious Amy. I don’t think she’s that much of a drama queen. Who in their right mind would run away because her sister is found dead? You’re going to need to come up with better reasoning.”

  “Well, if we’re not going to use that scenario, I can’t help you come up with any others. She either ran away or she herself has been kidnapped or murdered. Those are the only two options I can think of.”