The water continues to drain and with it revealing a large kitchen knife protruding from the neck of the body. She was murdered, she didn’t fall in here. She was put in here. I fall to my knees at the edge of the pool and I feel my healing heart break all over again. The bitch I thought was my mother, murdered Sonja in cold blood. She was hateful and took it out on the one person who stuck it through to help her, even though she helped Sonja be raped and mistreated by my father. No, that’s wrong, Sonja stayed here for me. Endured the pain and mistreatment for me, and I abandoned her, too.
I see her white maid’s outfit now stained in green and what looks to be one of my father’s belts around her waist. Why the fuck is one of his belts on her? Then it slowly clicks in, she’s attached to the eighty pound weight belonging to the umbrella we were looking for before. It’s the only thing heavy enough to keep her down. How the fuck did that bitch I called Mother manage this? And where was Sonja stabbed? I look around the yard but there’s no evidence of blood anywhere. Honestly though, why would there be? It’s been weeks and has rained many times. What evidence there was is surely washed away.
I stand up and shrug E’s arms off me. She’s been quiet and respectful but I can’t be around anyone right now. Especially since the whole gang will be here any minute. I head back inside the house, through the kitchen and up the stairs. I stop at my parents room and look inside from the doorway. It’s eerie seeing it unoccupied and free of screaming and crying. I grew up petrified of this room and I remember how I used to run by it to get to mine, hoping no one heard me. I step inside just as I hear the front door open and all their voices calling out. I close the door slowly behind me and shut out the sounds. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.
I walk into the bathroom and as always my eyes lock on the door. I wish I could remember every detail of her hanging from there, but I can’t. She deserved so much worse, just like my father and just like Coach. They all got the easy way out, free of the prolonged torture they deserved. I open the cabinet on the wall and find all my mother’s different pills. Uppers, downers, Oxy, and all sorts of sleeping aids. I grab my father’s shaving bag off the vanity and dump the contents on the floor. I begin to fill it back up with all the pill bottles in the cabinet. After that, I take one final look back and let my feet take me out of the house and to my car.
I just need to get away for a bit.
28
I hear the beep of a car unlocking, then an open and shut of it’s door, “do you hear that?” I ask everyone.
“Just let him go,” Vin says. “This is a fucking shitshow.”
“I called Moore,” Ember says, coming back out from the kitchen. “Did Travis leave?”
“I’m going to go after him,” I move by Vin who grabs my arm.
“I’ll call him in a bit. He needs time to digest.” He nods at me.
That’s when I hear more cars pull up and I get swept up into the torrent of cops and coroners. I remember Sonja, she was a beautiful woman but what they pulled out of that swimming pool was bloated and indistinguishable. Something that was distinguishable? The large kitchen knife sticking out of her throat with the Greene insignia on it. Did Robert’s arrogance know no bounds? Did he have to see his name on every fucking thing? I’m happy I never met the man.
I watched as they covered the body and the cops said they were confident to be able to get prints from the knife. Ember relayed the story to them about Travis’ mom being off the rails and more than capable of killing and dumping Sonja before taking her own life. The chief listened intently and reiterated that the prints would determine everything.
Two hours later, we all pile into Vin’s Hummer and he sets off back home. I need to speak with Travis. He’s probably feeling so alone and I didn’t have to be stuck at his house for two hours but the cops weren’t letting us leave because we found the body. Travis is needed for questioning as well. When we get home, his car isn’t in the driveway. My stomach sours with worry and I immediately call his cell phone. It rings through to voicemail and I leave him a message telling him to come home.
Ten minutes later, we are all in the family room trying to figure out where he would’ve gone.
“I’m going to check the park I took him to once.” Vin stands and heads for the front door.
“I’ll come with you.” Ari calls out and hurries behind him.
The front door shuts and I resume my frantic pacing. My heart is crashing against my ribcage and I just can’t stop thinking that he might have hurt himself.
“You care about him?” Ember asks quietly from her seat on the couch.
I stop pacing and look over at her, her eyes are clear and she also has worry etched on her face.
“Yeah.” I nod, “of course I do.”
“Like more than a friend.” She states.
I scratch my fingers into my hair and tug on the ends, “it’s complicated.” I growl and resume pacing.
Then it hits me, where was
