Worried that a vehicle will comeup behind me and hit my truck, or worse yet, hit the stunned dog, Iget out of the cab to shoo him off the road. “Hey, boy. You’regoing to get squished, hurry up and go.” I point to the side.Instead of obeying my command, he trots up to me. It’s only when hegets close enough to the front of my truck that I recognizehim.
“Stinky. What the hell are youdoing out here?”
Either this dog is a brilliantescape artist or his master sucks at keeping him contained. Hejumps up on me and I give him a quick pet. “All right, you might aswell get in… again.”
Stinky waits until he’s standingon the dry passenger seat before having a full body shake,projecting dirty water all over the cab. “Thanks, pal.”
When we pull onto the longdriveway leading to the house, I see a yellow flicker through thetrees. “What the hell is that?” The closer we get, the moreapparent it is the lights are. They’re coming from the inside ofthe cottage. I’m almost positive that I turned off every light inthe house before I left for work this morning.
Annie.
Maybe she finally grew tired ofrunning. Maybe she finally realised that the best place for her ishere with me.
As soon as I park, I hurry tograb my bag and let Stinky out. I’m so excited to see her thatdespite the strong wind and stinging rain, I almost float to thedoor.
I open the front door and Stinkybounds in, leaving muddy paw prints on the floor. I hope he doesn’tscare the hell of out Annie, or leap on her with his muddy paws,but I remind myself that she’s Annie. She’ll be on the floor inseconds, rubbing his ears and cooing. Had I already forgotten thatabout her?
I drop my bag and then call forher. There’s no answer. Maybe she’s sleeping or in the shower. I’mwalking towards the bedroom when I hear a rustling sound comingfrom the kitchen. Stinky hears it too. His ears perk up and hestands at attention.
I feel the first flicker ofapprehension. Turning around, I change direction. With my armextended as far as I can, I push the swinging door open, whileStinky, as thanks to me for saving his life, hides behind my legs.
Denny is sitting at the kitchentable with a glass in front of him and a smoke in his hand.
My voice loud. “What in the hellare you doing here?” Stinky whines softly.
“Jade.” He turns his head tolook at me. His eyes are bright red. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Get the fuck out.”
“I can’t. Not without talking toyou first.”
“Want to bet?”
“I’m in a really bad situation.”He sniffs. “I need your help.”
“I don’t give a shit about yourproblems. I’m not helping anyone who walked away while mygirlfriend was getting fucking raped.” I’m not helping a murderer.I hold back the words, though my stomach twists with fear at thethought.
“Jade, you’ve got to listen tome, seriously. You’re my sister. Mom’s gone. I’ve got no oneelse.”
I can’t even believe that he’susing that angle. I’m so shocked that, for a moment, I forget theevents of the past couple of weeks. “Denny, what a crock of shit.You’ve treated me like garbage since I was in junior high. It’s alittle late to bond.”
“You have every right to hateme.” His voice actually breaks. “I’d hate me. I kind of do hate me,actually.”
I stare at my brother. His eyesare red, and I wonder if it’s just due to some kind of substance,but then a tear leaks out. He quickly wipes it away. Something inme, some small, unknown part, wavers. “If I listen to you for a fewminutes,” I say, “Do you promise to leave?”
He nods and then points to thechair across from him. Reluctantly, I sit down and fold my hands infront of me.
He tells me how he’s been in thepolice’s radar, and how they’ve been inundating him with questionsabout Robbie. “What the hell would I know?” He takes a long drinkfrom his glass.
“You’re saying that you hadnothing to do with it?”
“No fucking way.” His voice isgruff. “I’m many things, but I’m not a murderer.”
The softer part of me waversagain. Then I remember Annie. “What happened that night, Denny? Whydidn’t you help Annie?”
He stares at me. “What the hellare you talking about?” For the first time since we were kids, Isee a glimpse of sincerity in his eyes. “Why would I help her?”
“Why?” I feel a flash of rage.“You are twice the fucking size of Robbie. Why wouldn’t you?”
Something seems to click in hisbrain, though he still looks confused. “Jade, Annie didn’t needhelping.”
What the hell is he saying? Ishe actually suggesting that she enjoyed it? Being drugged andfucked by some drunk asshole? Or did he just not realise what washappening? Assumed Annie wasn’t drugged, that she was clean andsober and willing to sleep with a disgusting sleazebag? “As usual,you’ve got a distorted view on reality, Denny.”
I don’t know if it’s because ofmy anger or because I’m thinking of Annie, but tears spring from myeyes and down my cheeks. Denny gets up and grabs me a box of tissuefrom the cupboard.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbles, slidingthe box to me. “For everything. For being an unbearable prick.”
I grab a tissue and stare athim. “Did you start taking your meds again or something?”
He nods. “I got tired of my headfeeling like it was in a tornado.”
I relax, but not much. “Why arethe cops up your ass if you’re so innocent?”
“Apparently someone called inanonymously and said that he and I were here, by our dock arguingthe night he went missing.”
“Were you?”
“Yeah, I mean…I think so. Fromwhat I can remember, I was trying to get him to come back to WestVan with me, but he wanted to stay.”
“Yeah, to rape mygirlfriend.”
“I don’t know, Jade.” He rubshis head. “I don’t remember a whole lot.”
“Whatever, Denny. I know betterthan to believe you. It’s not like you’ve been the pillar ofhonesty over the years.”
“Jade, I’m a suspect. I’mscared, all
