Chapter 8:
Pardon The Interruption
We walked down the long hallway to Nick's hotel room. Reflective and quiet. I
could tell everyone was having doubts and anxiety about having to pack up his
things. he had paid to the end of the month but still we felt we needed to do
this. So in we walked. Kevin allowed the hotel manager to open up the door and
we slowly walked inside. It looked as if he had just stepped out for a minute.
Clothes were still laying on the floor. Towels rolled up in a bunch piled high
in the bathroom. the bathroom smelled like Nick. His razor still lying on the
sink where he left it.
"Well, nice to know Nick is still a pig!" AJ commented while
carefully stepping over the dirty clothes on the floor next to his bed.
"He was coming back here. He must have only taken the things he needed.
Otherwise this place would be completely bare."
"I agree Howie. Maybe we'll be able to find something here. Have the
police gone through this place yet?" everyone looked up at me like I would
know the answer to that question.
"I have no idea. I don't think they did though. He was kidnapped in
Florida, not here."
Kevin looked under his bed and pulled out one of Nick's sketch pads. He sat on
the floor and browsed through the pages. I stood over his shoulder admiring
Nick's handy work. There was a picture of Kevin drawn as a caricature. He had
rays coming out of his eyebrows. Kevin laughed and flipped the page. There was
one of a dog sitting by a door waiting for his master to return home. Everyone
was now gazing at the book in Kevin's hands.
"This kid is really talented" Kevin said in awe of some of the
drawings he was passing by as he flipped through the book. The second to last
picture was a self portrait. He was staring at himself in the mirror cutting
his hair with a scissors his blue eyes dull and unhappy looking. The BSB logo
was scrolled down along the handle of the orange scissors.
"I wonder what that symbolizes?" AJ asked.
"We'll have to remember to ask him that when we see him again." I
then moved from my perch above Kevin to the dresser. His watch was still
sitting there. I picked it up and examined it.
"He forgot his watch" I put it back down on the dresser. Opening the
top drawer, I found some socks and underwear.
"Goodness, how much underwear does this boy have?" D commented as I
pulled out about three weeks worth of clean undies out of the drawer. once his
drawer was clear I saw the Bible. I picked it up and started looking through
the pages. Howie continued on to the next drawer. He laughed.
"What's so funny?" I asked. He said nothing but held up a pair of
underwear.
"There's like ten more pairs in here!" We all laughed. I turned my
attention back to the Bible. It had been so long since I went through the
sacred book. I would need to make it my mission. My family had a tradition that
if you closed your eyes and asked a question while holding the Bible the answer
would be revealed when you would randomly flip to a page. We spent so many
rainy days doing that. better than getting into trouble I suppose. I closed my
eyes,
"Will we find Nick?" I asked. then I flipped open to a page in the
Book of Acts. I scanned down the page but nothing was relevant to the cause.
"What are you doing?" I looked over at AJ, I didn't feel like
explaining.
"It never worked when I was little either. I just thought I'd try" I
closed the Bible and it accidentally slipped out of my grip and fell to the
floor, startling everyone in the room. I picked it up and put it away. Laughing
under my breath.
"What's so funny now Rok?"
"Genesis! It fell and landed on Genesis. in the beginning God created
man." The empty sounds in the room made me continue.
"Basically it's God's way of saying this is only the beginning!" they
all grunted and turned their attention back to their detective work. I walked
back over to were Kevin sat still looking at sketch pads. I sat down on the bed
and was about to open the night stand drawer when Trish walked in interrupting
our investigation.
"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" She asked taking a seat next to
me. She looked alarmed for some reason and we were afraid that we had made a
mistake by coming here.
"We came to pack Nick's things up. Maybe he left something behind."
"He didn't. I was with him when he left and anything he needed or wanted
was with him. There's nothing here that will help us find him." She then
walked over to the dresser and noticed all the clothes thrown onto the floor.
"Guys, look at the mess you are making. This is not helping anyone. why
don't you stop and we'll let housekeeping finish the job. It is probably
breaking your hearts doing this."
She began to usher us out of the room. I stayed though. I went for the drawer
again and opened it up. She came and closed it. she grabbed both my hands in
hers and sat herself down right next to me.
"Come on Brian, let's save this for another day. Maybe I'll call the
police and see if they want to scope this place out. they could do a better job
at it than you guys could anyway."
"Yeah you're right and that's a good idea. I'm gonna come back another day
though." She looked happy as she stood up giving me a hand.
"I know what will make you happy. Let's go out for lunch. You in the mood
for Corn beef and cabbage? Nick said that was your favorite" I froze in my
tracks when she said that.
"What?"
"Corned beef and cabbage, Nick had told me that you absolutely love that.
I know a great place where we can get some authentic Irish food. What do you
say?"
"I hate cabbage!" she looked completely shocked like I had just shot
her dog
or something.
"Oh" She said seeming a little angry.
"Trish, what's wrong?"
"Nothing..it's just, well Nick just made it seem like that was your
favorite food."
"No, we even used to make a joke out of it we..." then I
remembered."It's not important" I said as we continued down the
hallway. My heart racing in my chest...
**********************************************
we sat and played video games for hours. I
wanted him to leave but he just stuck around draining all my energy. I was
letting him win now hoping he would grow tired of my bad play.
"Ha! Won again. What's gotten into you kid? You feeling all right?"
he said mockingly feeling my head.
"Yeah I guess I'm just not at the top of my game. I'm kind of tired
actually."
"All the working out getting to you little man?" God I hated this
guy. How can he act like I'm hid little buddy? It made me sick.
"So, Trish told me that SHE was the one who beat the crap out of
you!" I laughed. He didn't seem to care.
"Yeah, she accidentally made me fall down the stairs!" Now I was
going for it. What do I have to lose?
"I don;t believe in accidents Joe." He looked over at me curiously.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm just saying watch your back!" I then picked up my joystick and
continued to play. He was staring at me like a man who wants to know more.
"Why would you say that? Did she tell you something?" I slowly looked
over at him. Taking a deep breath I started to bluff to the large man.
"Well, she did tell me about your relationship."
"Oh really? Well, how do you feel about it?" Oh God I was afraid
something like this would happen. Um what do I say? um....
"Not sure, why don't you tell me your side of the story?" he took a
deep breath
"Well, my sister and I haven't always gotten along Nick. Our relationship
is a love hate one. We love to hate each other" He laughed "But you
know how that is right?" I smiled and nodded.
"She's still mad that I killed our parents" I looked away just then.
I didn't want to show the fear that was in my eyes. "They deserved it for
doing that to him!" he grabbed my shoulder and I jumped.
"She told you about him right?" I didn't know whether to shake my
head yes or no. I wasn't given a chance because Joe's cell phone rang making us
both jump. I wanted to grab it just then but fear wouldn't allow me to. He got
up and paced as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line.
"What do you mean?"
"Yes, calm down Trish talk slowly!" My ears perked up at the mention
of the unstable woman's name.
"He did?" When Joe said that he looked over at me with a smug look. I
was terrified.
"No...that would be too suspicious, just stay cool. It's probably
nothing." He looked nervous more nervous than he was allowing Trish to
hear in his voice.
"Yes, don't worry I'll ask him" He glared at me. I was in trouble.
"Okay, yes I said I would okay fine. Bye" He hung up the phone and
placed it back in his pocket.
"Nicky what did you do?" He came towards me with so much hatred in
his voice I ran toward the bed. He laughed.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Don't make me punish you young man, just admit it!"
"I swear Joe, I have no idea what you are talking about!" He laughed
again.
"Well, maybe a full twenty-four hours without food will refresh your
memory. Nick something you should realize. we have been doing this for a long
time. Don't play with me. You won't like the results!" He then walked up
the steps and slammed the door.
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!" i yelled up to him. I sat down wondering
what that was all about. when it dawned on me I smiled. Even laughed a little.
Starvation was going to be a small price to pay for maybe getting things in
motion. I walked over to Julia and wrote down the fact that they were siblings
Trish and Joe. I also wrote that Joe killed his parents. If I was a betting man
I would guess their real last name was Topper. I probably would have gotten to that
if the phone hadn't interrupted us. Next
time...
***