Beyond Intent

by Karice Bolton

  I heard him zipping luggage when his phone rang. I quickly pulled up my jeans and slid the sweatshirt on. I dotted a bit of concealer under my eyes, since the circles didn’t seem to want to go away, and ran the brush through my hair. I flipped off the light and walked into the bedroom when Jason was ending his call. But for once, it ended naturally. There was no hiding.

  “That was Pete. He’ll be there in about forty minutes.” Jason looked around the room. “You ready?”

  “Yeah. Just let me grab my phone and purse.”

  Jason took a ten out of his wallet and placed it under a glass. I fastened my purse and took one more sip of water.

  “Do you mind if we hit up a coffee shop on the way?” I asked.

  “I already planned on it,” Jason said, walking into the hall, our hands linked. “There’s a Starbucks down the street.”

  “Nice.”

  We walked down to the car, and I piled in, not sure what to expect for the rest of the day. I didn’t know if Jason knew what to expect either. If Pete hadn’t been able to track down his sister, I wasn’t sure why he thought he could.

  We drove to the Starbucks, and I heard a buzz in my purse. Emily had responded to my text.

  “I’ll go in and get your drink,” Jason offered.

  “Thanks.” I glanced at the message from Emily.

  She said the bakery did well yesterday, and another inquiry came in for a wedding cake consultation. She booked it with the bride-to-be and her mother. I texted Emily back that she should see about getting the groom to show up as well. The cake was an important part of the wedding, at least in my world. I knew what else Emily was hunting for so I texted back that things were going well, really well.

  Jason came back to the car, and I opened my window, grabbing my iced latte from him.

  “Yummy,” I said. Jason smiled and walked over to the driver’s side and got in.

  “Thank you, babe. Have I told you how much I love you?” I asked.

  “Not recently,” he said, his brow arching.

  “Well, I love you so much, and I’m proud of you.”

  “Love you too, but I haven’t done anything to be proud of.”

  I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the latte as he pulled onto the highway.

  We drove for about thirty minutes, talking about the bakery and the weddings that were starting to come in.

  “I think this is the exit,” Jason said, nodding toward a ramp about a half-mile away.

  I looked around the area, which was completely rural, and wondered where his sister would be hiding if not in her apartment. We exited off the highway and Jason took a left. There was a grocery store, a dollar store, and three gas stations. We kept driving, and I kept expecting a little more civilization to pop up. I wasn’t even sure where or how Jason found an apartment to rent for his sister. I saw nothing around, but we kept driving.

  Finally an Arby’s came into view, along with a Hardees, and a McDonalds. A strip mall with a Laundromat and drugstore was on my side of the road. Only a few cars filled up the parking lot, but I caught myself scanning the area, which was silly since I didn’t even know what his sister looked like. I wondered if he knew.

  A few houses were scattered along each side of the road as we continued to drive. Something flashed on the GPS screen and Jason took a right. We followed a narrow road up a hill that became more residential. We passed by an elementary school and several more homes. I spotted what looked like it could be a small apartment building. It was concrete block that had been painted beige, and brown trim marked each of the windows.

  “Is this where her apartment is?” I asked.

  Jason nodded. “It looks like it.”

  The surrounding properties were overgrown with messy grass and untidy bushes, but the apartment complex’s lawn was manicured, and the shrubbery was trimmed tidily along the walkway. Jason spotted a man who was getting out of his car.

  “Think that’s Pete,” Jason said, giving a slight wave as the guy glanced over at us.

  We got out of the car and walked toward Pete who was now standing underneath a brown and white striped awning in the center of the building.

  “You must be Pete,” Jason said, extending his hand.

  “I am. Nice to meet you, Mr. Baines.”

  “Please, call me Jason, and this is Gabby,” Jason replied.

  “Nice to meet you,” I told Pete, shaking his hand.

  “Good firm handshake,” Pete laughed. “That’s what I like to see.”

  Jason laughed and slid his arm around my waist as we followed Pete around the building to a side entrance.

  “You set your sister up real nice,” Pete said. “She has the best apartment in the place. Top floor, corner.” He pointed up above. “That’s hers.”

  We marched up one flight of stairs in the two-story building and stood on a landing in front of apartment number 2D.

  Pete tapped the door and glanced at Jason. He knocked on it a little louder and we all waited for a couple minutes.

  “Guess it’s safe to go in,” Pete commented, sliding the key up to the lock.

  “Might as well,” Jason said, as Pete opened the door.

  “Bethany, it’s Pete.”

  There was no response, but it wasn’t like any of us expected one.

  I glanced at Jason and saw the tension build in his expression. She wasn’t here and, by the looks of it, hadn’t been here for quite some time, which was what Pete had mentioned. The apartment was spacious, and it appeared even more so since all of the furniture had been cleared out of it. The beige carpet ran from the living room into the dining room and down the hall. A chandelier hung in the dining room, and it saddened me to know that there had been a table and chairs under it only weeks before. I wandered to the kitchen and looked along the counter. There were unopened chip bags and cookie containers. I opened the fridge and saw eggs and butter.

  “I stopped buying things that could spoil as soon as I talked with you about it,” Pete told Jason. “It really seemed like a waste.”

  Jason nodded and walked into the kitchen. His eyes glided along every surface as if he’d pick up on something that would lead him to his sister. His hand slid along the stove that looked like it had never been operated since she lived here. It was spotless. I followed Jason down the hall. We passed by the bathroom that had a seashell shower curtain and towels hung on a rack. When we walked into the bedroom, Jason sighed. It was empty; the marks still in the carpet from where the bed and nightstands had once stood.

  I slid my hand into his. “I’m so sorry, babe.”

  Jason nodded and slid his finger along his lower lid. “It’s something I hoped wasn’t true. I had to see it for myself.”

  “I understand.”

  “There’s no life inside this apartment, no hint of the woman who lived here. It’s an empty shell,” Jason said.

  I nodded, wondering if that’s all his sister was at this point; a shell of a human being guided by the same addictions as his mother.

  Pete stepped into the bedroom and looked around.

  “So it seems like a small, tight-knit community,” I said.

  Pete nodded. “That it is.”

  “Well, if she was hawking her things, wouldn’t it be kind of easy to find out who bought them?” I asked.

  Pete scratched his chin. “Absolutely. I know several of the people who bought some stuff, but they feel real bad about it. They didn’t know the background. Bethany was new to town.”

  I nodded, not wanting to look into Jason’s eyes. I could feel his pain from feet away.

  “I see how that can happen. Do you think they’d be willing to talk to us?” I asked.

  Pete nodded. “I do. I know the family who bought the dining room set. I think the wife’s home today. Saw her van in the driveway on the way over. I’ll go give her a call.”

  “Thanks.” I turned to look at Jason. “You doing okay?”

  Jason’s eyes darkened as I walked over to him. “I’ll be fin
e.”

  “I know you’ll be fine. That’s not what I asked.”

  A weak smile appeared on his lips and he nodded. “I’m doing okay. I’d be doing miserably if you weren’t here.”

  I pressed my head against his bicep as our fingers entangled.

  “What time is it?” I asked.

  Jason glanced at his phone. “I’ve got about thirty minutes before I want to make that call.”

  Pete walked back into the bedroom. “We’re good to go. She doesn’t have to pick her little one up from kindergarten for two hours.”

  “Great. This is really nice of you,” I told Pete as we walked out of the bedroom.

  A glimmer of something under the closet door caught my attention. I slid the door open and bent over to take a closer look. It was a receipt from a convenience mart in Bridgeport.

  “Where’s Bridgeport?” I asked. Jason glanced at Pete who turned to look at what I was holding.

  “It’s in Alabama, about an hour’s drive.”

  I scanned the receipt, an eighteen pack of beer and some gum. The date was blurred on the paper, but I couldn’t imagine it was that long ago. I handed it to Jason who glanced at it before putting it in his pocket.

  “I wonder what’s in Bridgeport?” I asked.

  “Not much,” Pete answered.

  We walked out of the apartment and Pete locked it up, handing the key to Jason. “Not trying to be pessimistic, but I think it’s better if you have the spare for now. I don’t see a need to be bringing much in the way of groceries by.”

  Jason’s body tensed as he took the key from Pete. “Agreed. Appreciate what you’ve done for us.”

  “Not a problem.”

  We walked down the stairs and headed to our car to follow Pete to the house where Bethany’s dining room furniture sat. I wasn’t sure what answers we expected to get from staring at a table and chairs, but it was the only lead we had. Following Pete down the road, the area quickly became more rural. Pete turned on his left blinker, and we followed him down a private road that started out paved but quickly turned to gravel. The Fusion bounced down the road, and I held onto my iced drink so it wouldn’t pop out of the holder.

  A red brick rambler sat back on the property. It was flanked by a couple of small sheds and a detached garage. We parked in front of the garage when a woman opened the front door and began waving at Pete. She looked quite pleasant and friendly as her attention turned to us. Her blond hair was in a ponytail, and she was dressed in jeans and a pullover.

  We got out of the car and followed Pete toward the house as the woman came down the steps to greet us. “Any friend of Pete’s is a friend of mine.” She held out her arms and gave me a quick hug and then dispersed one to Jason.

  “Come on in. I’m Tamara. Forgot to mention that.” She smiled and motioned us into her home, and boy, did it feel like one. The entry hall was well organized with various sizes of shoes stacked by the door, and several different jackets hung on pegs. I spotted the dining room set and squeezed Jason’s hand. The table was a beautiful, pine trestle table. Toys were sprinkled underneath, and I thought about how bittersweet this moment was.

  “Thank you for letting us into your home. I’m sure it seems odd.”

  The woman gave us a gracious smile and shook her head in understanding.

  “I think you might have bought that table from my sister, and I was hoping to find out…well…anything about her or the situation,” Jason said. I noticed a slight tremor in his voice. No one else would’ve caught it, but I did and it ripped my heart out.

  “Well, she lived at those apartments up the street. The only apartments our town has, actually. I drove by about two weeks ago, I think it was, and there were blue balloons and a sign stuck in the ground. It said estate sale or something like that. I don’t honestly remember.”

  I nodded and smiled. “I wouldn’t be able to remember either.”

  “Well, I’m a girl who never wants to miss a garage sale. Anyway, your sister had just about everything for sale. The couch had already been sold if I remember correctly, and her bedroom set was amazing, but I wouldn’t have been able to explain that to my husband considering we bought a new one a year ago. But the dining room set we were in desperate need of. With five little ones our old one didn’t last long. It was a cheapie, but this is such beautiful quality.” She waved at the table and chairs.

  “Did the woman you purchased them from seem…” I wasn’t sure how to phrase it.

  “She seemed distracted, and there was a man with her who looked very,” she paused, “determined. He was hovering and she seemed a bit uncomfortable, but I didn’t think much of it.”

  Jason’s body stiffened as her words landed on us. Who was his sister with? Was it someone she owed money to or someone in the same predicament that she was in?

  “Well, thank you very much for your help,” Jason said. “I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us and letting us into your home.”

  “Of course,” she replied.

  We walked out of the woman’s home, and I knew we’d barely scratched the surface.

  “Tamara was more helpful than she’ll ever know,” Jason muttered, as we returned to town. We’d gone back to the parking lot of the apartment and said our goodbyes to Pete and were now headed to grab some tea from one of the fast-food restaurants and regroup before hitting the road.

  “I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of this,” I said, glancing at Jason.

  “I’m sure we will too. I’ll call Stanley when we get to the parking lot and see what that’s all about.”

  I nodded and turned on the radio as we drove down the country road. I needed to stay positive for Jason, but hearing that his sister seemed to have someone lurking in the background worried me.

  Jason pulled into the parking lot and found an open space. It was pretty busy for late morning.

  “You want anything besides a tea?” I asked.

  “That’s all,” Jason said. He let out a sigh and propped his head back. “I think I’m going to wait until you get back before I make the call.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Okay. I’ll be quick.”

  I shut the door and strolled into the fast-food restaurant where the smell of greasy food almost sent me over the edge. I’d been nauseous for the last hour or so, and I didn’t know how long I could stomach the scent.

  “What can we get ya?” the woman asked, from behind the counter.

  “Two teas,” I said, digging out the cash from my purse.

  “Sweet?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “No. Sorry. Unsweetened.”

  She grinned. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  “What gave me away?” I laughed.

  “No one drinks unsweetened tea.”

  “I’m from Seattle,” I confessed.

  “How do you like it here?” she asked.

  “It’s so pretty and the people are really nice.”

  She smiled and shoved the two large iced teas toward me.

  “Well, enjoy yourself.”

  “Thanks,” I said, walking back outside to Jason.

  I got into the car and my nerves immediately began to go crazy. Jason took one of the iced teas and took a sip.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I nodded and he dialed the number on the card. After the third ring, my stomach fell. The guy wasn’t answering. Jason left a message on the man’s voicemail and hung up.

  “Hope he calls back soon.”

  “Me too,” Jason said, turning on the engine and pulling out of the parking lot.

  “So what’s your plan now?” I asked.

  “The PI I hired a few months ago to find my sister is going to meet us for dinner tonight in Nashville. I talked to him yesterday, and he didn’t have anything new, but maybe that’ll change by tonight. His wife is coming too.”

  “We can hope,” I said, finding his hand and squeezing it.

  �
��You wanna know what’s absolutely killing me?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “I escaped the hellhole that was my mother’s wrath, but she didn’t stop. Instead, she took someone else down with her. While I was trying to forget everything about my life and build a new one, I had a sister out there floating around in the same hell I was lucky enough to get plucked from. I should’ve done more.”

  “Don’t do that, Jason. You did the best you could. You didn’t even know you had a sister until this year. Sure, your life is great now, but think of all the struggles that got you to where you are. You didn’t just roll out of bed one morning and develop a company that happened to net you quite a bit of money. You fought for our country. You put your life on the line for our safety. You just happened to come up with an idea that was something our society wanted. Nothing has come easy to you. You’ve earned it.”

  Jason let out a deep breath and shook his head. “It’s so hard to fathom that while I’ve been following my dreams, my sister’s been running from her nightmares.”

  His words sent a chill up my spine. I knew what he meant. I really did understand, but I wanted him to realize that none of this was his fault.

  “That’s a terrifying statement,” I said, looking over at him.

  “It’s a terrifying way to exist. I remember like it was yesterday what it was like crashing at drug houses and being disregarded, forgotten. I got out. She didn’t and now look at her. She never had a chance.”

  “But you did and now you’re trying, Jason. Don’t give up on her. But you can’t hold yourself accountable for someone else’s life.” I stopped for a second as my mind raced. I didn’t want to sound cold, but I didn’t know how else to say it. “There’s nothing you could have done. All you can do now is try to help, but you’re in no way accountable for the actions of others, your mother’s or your sister’s. I’m sorry that your sister fell into the same lifestyle as your mom, but there are a lot of children who have faced the same trials and didn’t fall into those same temptations.”