by JJ Liniger
“What brought you here?” Mom asked.
“Rumor has it you’ll be released soon, so I brought clothes. I can stay in case you need help.”
“I take back the slacker comment,” I whispered.
“I knew you’d appreciate me, eventually.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“I have my ways.” Tiffany winked and dropped shorts and t-shirt on my bed and walked to Mother’s side, helping her.
Of all people to have playful banter with, I never dreamed it would be with Tiffany. Why couldn’t things with Monica be so easy? Maybe, cause she’s crazy. Easy. When did things with Tiffany become easy?
Mother released a long sigh as she stood from the bed, her hand cradling Tiffany’s elbow the same she would with Alex. Was he still gathering those who escaped?
Mother disappeared in the bathroom.
“How’s your family?” I asked.
“Unhappy because I left them with the neighbor, but they’re fine.”
“I haven’t seen Alex in a while.”
“Well, who knew you visiting HIM would cause such a mess.”
“They’ve never escaped before?”
“No.” Her face fell.
“I’m sorry about your father. Mom told me about the research team and took me to donate blood to find out if I can help.”
“Good luck.” Tiffany used a band on her wrist to hold back her blonde hair.
“Do you know anything about what they are doing with Samuel’s blood?” I asked.
Her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed over her chest. “How did you know about that!?” she yelled.
Something about the testing upset her. Her breathing became uneven and if steam could rise from her flushed face, it would. It seemed better to pretend I knew what she meant.
“I figured it out. When did you know?”
“Today!” She dragged a chair close to my bed and plopped into it. Her shoulders slumped forward and her palm cradled her forehead. “I literally just pieced everything together. I don’t know what to do!”
I nodded, taking a moment to plan my questions, so I didn’t give away that I didn’t know what we were talking about.
“Does Alex know you know?”
“Not yet.” She glared and her shoulders stiffened.
Was she confirming Alex’s involvement?
Mother exited the bathroom wearing the same solid scrubs of those Down Under. It made her being sick suddenly real. I had to do something, now!
Tiffany took her arm and helped Mother into bed, placing the white sheets and blanket over her like she’d done with her kids many times.
“God bless you and your family.” Mother cupped Tiffany’s cheek and prayed for her.
Tiffany bowed her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Carole,” she said.
Mother prayed for Father and myself for several minutes. Then all went quiet. The silence lingered. Did Mom die? I leaned forward to peer around Tiffany, listening to her sniffle.
“Is she okay?” I asked.
“Yes, just sleeping.” Tiffany cleared her throat and tried to hide her emotions.
“Tiff?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you prove Alex’s involvement?”
“Yes and no. It’s in my name. I’ll be the one charged if it goes that far.” She glowered.
“Where’s the evidence?”
“My house.”
“Let’s go!” I threw the blankets off and reached for my crutches.
“We can’t, genius. You haven’t been released, yet.”
“You snuck me out unconscious. I’m sure being on my feet will be easier.”
“Feet?” She gestured to my injury.
“Okay, foot, same difference.”
She nodded.
I hopped to the bathroom with Tiffany following. She placed the clothes on the counter.
“Hopefully, you won’t need help,” Tiffany said, crimson staining her cheeks.
“I’ll be fine. But if I fall over…”
“I’ll be sure to take a picture first.” She giggled.
“Of course you will.”
After closing the door behind me, I dressed. It took longer than I’d like to admit, but I managed without falling. The shorts would be cold in the evening air, but long jeans would’ve been impossible. Opening the door, I left the gown on the floor and wobbled through.
“Took you long enough.”
“Hey, I did it.”
“Congrats,” she said with a frown. “I wanted a front page pic.”
“There’s a much better story going on than my rear on the floor. Come on.”
Tiffany nodded, and I followed her down the hall, in the same direction as the research team. The walkway remained vacant. Were other patients in the hospital?
“Hey,” I whispered. “How did you know Mom and I would be released soon?”
“Dr. Easton called and spoke to Alex. Neither were happy you were in the lab and made the decision to release you and take Carole together. I became suspicious and listened to them talking.”
“They’re the ones working together to prevent the cure from being found,” I said, making sure it didn’t sound like a question.
“Bastards.” Tiffany frowned.
It was confirmation enough for me. I followed her past a series of empty rooms and waiting areas. Down the hall a door opened. Tiffany paused, and I hit her foot with my crutch.
“Seriously?” she whispered.
“Sorry.”
A nurse in Loony Toon scrubs yawned and entered the first room on the right.
“Who are we hiding from?” I asked.
“Everyone.”
“Great. Lead the way, I’ll follow as quickly as I can. Let’s get out of here.”
Tiffany continued, only pausing at doors to check for anyone on the other side before entering. Along the narrow hallway, wooden benches had a layer of dust making it obvious they were rarely used. Each place remained empty.
“Why is it so deserted?” I asked.
“You, Carole, and HIM are the only ones that I know of in this section of the hospital. I’d assume everyone else is helping the Takers Down Under.”
My good leg ached, and the crutches rubbed against my arm pits. With practice, I’d hopefully move without hurting my already injured body.
It didn’t take long to reach the parking lot. A single light illuminated half of the area, allowing me to see the red chevy truck Tiffany drove the first day I arrived in town. The night air chilled my legs and I swung quickly into the vehicle.
“You gonna let me ride on the inside this time?” I grinned, teasing her.
“I suppose. You’ve been through enough torture.”
“Thanks.”
Had I not been escaping from a hospital on a mission to incriminate my best friend, I would’ve enjoyed the drive to Tiffany’s house. The moon shone brightly and for the second time since returning to Becton, a star shoot across the sky.
There was so much to wish for that I didn’t know where to start. For the people to be cured. For the town of Becton to thrive once again. For my father to come out of his coma. For Alex to be innocent. I sighed, knowing that wouldn’t happen.
After swerving around one pothole then another, we arrived at a pale yellow brick house. A dirty bulb next to the front door did the best it could to spotlight the narrow walkway. Alex’s monster truck wasn’t in sight. Good. After getting the evidence we needed… then what?
Alex said he handled most of the crime, only involving the county police if it was a major problem. Taking thousands of dollars from hundreds of people certainly qualified. I left the truck and used the crutches to hop toward the front door.
“What are you doing?” Tiffany whispered.
“Obviously, going into the house.”
“Wrong house, genius. That’s my neighbor’s house. I borrowed the truck from him.”
“Oh, right.” I pretended to remember and swung
to her.
We hurried past three dark houses and around the corner. The bright moon made it easy to avoid pieces of broken asphalt. Patches of dried grass and weeds scattered between the house’s yards. Was anyone still in Becton who didn’t have a loved one infected?
Parked in front of a house with similar yellow bricks was Alex’s tank. Dang. Now, what?
“Do you have a plan?” I asked.
“Working on it.” She kicked a small rock with her alligator boot.
“Where in the house are we trying to go?”
“The computer’s in my bedroom. I have a file tucked between my photo albums because Alex wouldn’t look there. I investigated all I could before Daddy died.”
“How did you figure out it was Alex?”
“I received a letter from a bank in Lubbock about opening a new account.”
“Probably a marketing tool sent to their customers,” I suggested.
“Yes, but I wasn’t a customer. Or at least, I didn’t think I was. I called them and found multiple CD’s set up equalling over half a million dollars.”
“Dang.”
“Yeah, I was shocked. I asked them to email me the statements for the past five years. It’s saved to my computer.”
“Lay down!” Alex yelled from within the house “And don’t get out of bed again!”
“I hate it when he screams like that!” Tiffany jerked on the front door and lunged inside.
“Wait! Can you keep Alex with you while I sneak in and get the file?”
“I can keep him distracted. We have some things to discuss…”
“He’s clearly frustrated. Maybe now’s not the time.”
“Fine.” She continued to glare. “There’s a PTA flash drive in the top drawer. You can save to that.”
“Alright, let’s do this.”
Tiffany entered, and I listened, leaning against the frame. My armpits ached from the crutches. The tight bandage on my foot made me wonder if I needed the crutches. Slowly, I shifted my weight, testing its ability. Pain shot up from my heel. Bad idea.
“Drew won’t go to sleep!” Alex yelled.
“Let’s start over and put him to bed together,” Tiffany said.
“I’m done!”
“No, you aren’t! Alex, you know it works best when we are both there. You don’t have to say or do anything. I can tell you’re tired, simply be in the room with us.”
It was quiet for a moment. Did they go?
I cracked open the door and listened. Down the hall, instrumental music played. Using the crutches, I wobbled inside and quietly closed the door behind me. I had searched their disaster of a bedroom before when looking for the backpack with the binders describing the poison crisis.
My pulse hammered in my ears as I turned the knob on the door to their bedroom. The desk, directly across from the entrance, still had mail and papers scattered everywhere. If Alex came to bed, there’d be nowhere to hide.
Closing the door, darkness surrounded me. I moved to the desk and turned on the computer. It hummed as it came to life. Once awake, the screen’s glow allowed me to see well enough to peer inside the desk drawer. Surprisingly, the drawer was perfectly organized with everything having a specific spot, making the flash drive easy to find.
Two icons appeared on the screen indicating separate logins for Alex and Tiffany. I clicked on Tiffany’s icon and then needed a password. Crap! She didn’t tell me the password. My fingers clicked against the keys and I tried to think of what it could be. Being born the same year as me and attending multiple birthday parties, I knew her date of birth. It didn’t work. I looked around the room for other clues and saw a picture frame of her wedding.
They had huge grins on their faces and Tiffany looked beautiful. I didn’t want to believe it was Alex because he was my best friend. We had each other’s back and defended those weaker. What would it be like to be betrayed by your husband? I couldn’t imagine.
On the bottom of the frame it had the date. I tried it as the password, but it also failed. What could it be?
A question popped up on the screen, reading, “Need a clue?” I clicked yes and read: Name of HIM. Him? Samuel? I tried it and failed. God. Failed. Her father, Coach King. What was his first name? I didn’t know, but I didn’t believe Tiffany would’ve referred to her father as HIM. My gut told me it was Samuel, but I’d already tried that.
“Him, him, him…” I mumbled while my mind raced with ideas. “It wasn’t Samuel, so maybe…” I shook my head and sighed. Who could it be?
I wasted valuable time, and I needed to figure it out. Looking around the room, I saw my reflection in the dresser mirror. My black hair disappeared into the darkness and the bruises from the bar fight looked like shadows. As I stared at my reflection and like a light bulb came on in my head. Me.
I typed in Trevor and the screen immediately loaded Tiffany’s preferences.
“I’m going to bed!” Alex said.
“Shhhh, we just laid him down,” Tiffany countered. “Let's go to the kitchen and give him a few minutes to get to sleep.”
“If you want to, great.” Alex paused. “I’m tired.”
I had to hurry. On the screen I read the icons, looking for her photos. Clicking on the folder, I scrolled through multiple smiling faces. I understood why Tiffany couldn’t simply leave him. I literally watched their picture perfect life as I scanned as quickly as I could.
Finally, I came across an unlabeled file folder. The voices outside the door made it clear I didn’t have time to find out for sure. Slamming the flash drive into the USB port, I transferred the file.
“Come on,” I whispered. Not that it would download faster. I watched the bar slowly fill, nearing completion. Had Tiffany been able to convince Alex to stay with her? I listened for a moment and didn’t hear anything.
A couple minutes later, the screen flashed: “Complete!” I closed the file folder and yanked the flash drive from the computer, placed the cap over it and plunged it in my pocket. With a flick of my finger
Now what?
Assuming they were in the kitchen, I couldn’t leave through the front door without being seen. Tiffany knew I’d need an exit. There must be another option. Grabbing the crutches, I hobbled around the room.
My eyes had acclimated to the darkness and with the additional light from the computer screen, I saw easily. I wobbled along the outside wall, finding floor to ceiling blinds. Moving the shades, I looked through glass patio doors into the backyard. I flicked the lock and heard Alex’s voice from beyond the bedroom door.
My pulse hammered wildly in my ears and I flung the sliding door open.
The long blinds rocked against each other as I hobbled through. It wasn’t the silent exit I would’ve hoped for, but at least I’d made it out.
The dry yellow grass crunched as I wobbled further into the backyard. I remembered seeing one of the children dangle from the swing set and saw a solid wood privacy fence around the home. My muscles ached as I hobbled as quickly as I could.
Through the slotted shades, I noticed the silhouette of Alex and Tiffany moving around their room. What must it be like for her to perform a charade? What if I was wrong about Alex and it was actually her? She said everything was listed in her name, maybe it wasn’t him.
I needed to find out what I had on the file. Following the fence around the side of the house, it brought me to a gate. I clicked the latch open and swung it wide to hobble through, catching the wood before it slammed closed to quietly click it into place.
Where should I go? My SUV remained parked at the hospital. I hadn’t noticed what Tiffany did with her neighbor’s keys, unless she had her own she probably left them in the truck. The perks of small town life. So trusting.
My good leg throbbed and the pain in my injured foot returned as I hobbled quickly to the neighbor’s house.
Looking back often, I never saw Alex or Tiffany. They either didn’t notice the door being open or she closed it without him seeing.
&nb
sp; The driver side door of the red Chevy truck creaked as I opened it and climbed inside. Unfortunately, my injured right foot made driving difficult. Dangling from the ignition, the key chain reflected the moonlight. I shut the door and started the vehicle. It roared to life.
I shifted in the seat to drive with my left foot. Thank God it was an automatic. I let the truck roll toward the pavement.
Light inside the house sprung to life. An old man pointed a long rifle my direction.
“Get back here!” he yelled.
Slamming on the gas, I flew down the street. I hoped the man valued his vehicle enough to not shoot at it. I was wrong. A blast from the rifle made me lean closer into the steering wheel. The second slammed into the tailgate and the third splintered the glass on the back window.
CHAPTER 23
FIGURES
I strained to keep my left foot planted on the gas pedal. I intentionally swerved and took the first right and another left to wiggle my way out of the neighborhood to the main street.
It wouldn’t take long for the neighbor to run to Alex’s house and report his truck being stolen. With the evening Alex had, he’d be on a rampage. Or maybe, he’d finally call the sheriff. With somebody from out of town, I'd show him the evidence and justice should come to Becton. Whether it be Alex or Tiffany, someone would be punished for the damage they caused.
The boarded buildings that had once been the main street of Becton quickly greeted me. Luckily, the neighbor didn’t know who had taken his vehicle, so I drove to the Town Hall without worry of being followed. The more I thought about Tiffany being guilty, the less sense it made. She helped me leave the hospital with instructions where to find the evidence. It would’ve been impossible without her assistance.
I parked in front of the large ash tree and hobbled along the broken sidewalk to the doors of the Town Hall. Inside, the same single lamp provided light to the empty building.
The rubber on the heel of the crutch squeaked against the tile flooring as I passed the peeling wallpaper to my parents’ makeshift home. I didn’t see a computer in the room, but there could’ve been one tucked away in one of the other offices. On the plaque in front of the door read Mayor Matthew Porter. Even if he wasn’t still active, I appreciated the respect given to my father.