The One Alias

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata, and Viz Media. I don't own them; I'm just examining all their possibilities.

Author's Note: This chapter deals with the subject of a death in the family, in this case a sibling death, which might be unsettling to those sensitive to this topic. This also contains a quote from "Toy Story" which is copyright of The Walt Disney Company/Pixar.

Part 7

November 8, 2004

Toronto

The acoustics in the room were good, yet the microphones were still picking up an echo.

Alonzo adjusted his position on the stool in front of the small fader unit on a card table, turning up the volume of the recording he has just made and listening carefully through the headphones for where the echo was coming from. He looked up again through the door of the small closet in the basement now lined with carpet panels with a microphone stand in the center.

The microphone was too close to the wall; that had to be it. The sound of his violin was bouncing off the paneling and making a more hollow sound in the recording.

Alonzo nodded, getting up from the stool and walking into the studio again, closing the door and taking his violin off the stool near the microphone. He held the violin and the bow in one hand, the other hand grabbing the mic stand and positioning it closer to the center of the room; trying to keep an equal distance between the walls.

He then positioned the instrument under his chin and dragged the bow across the strings in one cord. He took another step back, pulling another note and nodding; it sounded better already.

Alonzo closed the door, sliding the stool and the control unit closer to him and taking a seat in front of the microphone. He then pressed a button, activating the digital recording from inside the studio, though hopefully in the next month or so he would have some students at the mixers outside and a few others joining him inside the studio.

Alonzo did a few scales before dragging the bow across and starting "Ode to Joy." He completed the first verse and stopped, already satisfied with how this was going.

He pushed the recording off and got up from his seat, replacing the violin and bow on the stool and opening the door.

The clomping steps of little sneakers running down the stairs pulled his attention upward. Kasey's pink sneakers came into view followed by her blue jeans and blue and pink sweatshirt.

"Daddy, phone call," Kasey said. "Mommy's still on the other end."

"Thanks honey," Alonzo said, walking to the couch at the other side of the room where a cordless phone rested on a bookshelf. "Did they say who they were?"

"I don't think so," Kasey said. "And mommy said she's going to make popcorn."

"Tell her I'll be right up," Alonzo said, watching her nod and run back up the stairs.

Alonzo grabbed the phone off the shelf and took a seat on the old brown couch with blue and white flowers all over it, pressing the "talk" button.

"Hello," he said, hearing a small beep on the other end indicating Margaret hung up her line when Alonzo picked up.

"Good evening, am I speaking with Alonzo Lawliet," the voice on the other end said in a British accent.

"Yes this is he," Alonzo said.

"Mr. Lawliet my name is Travis Wells and I am a business attorney based in London," the man said. "I represent your brother Liam Lawliet and I was advised to contact you."

Liam's attorney? Alonzo furrowed his brows. Liam mentioned something a while ago about having a business attorney who looked over his contracts and managed his affairs. Why the hell would he be calling here?

"In what regards, Mr. Wells," Alonzo said. "Liam isn't in some kind of legal trouble is he?"

Silence followed for a few uncomfortable seconds. Alonzo did not like where this was going. At last the man on the other end gave a sigh.

"Mr. Lawliet, I must ask if you're sitting down," he said.

----------

Margaret pulled the pan off the stove, a few renegade kernels popping out of the pan and bouncing off her arm followed by Amanda's laugh.

"I have a feeling your dad's phone call went a bit longer than he thought," she said, pulling a cereal bowl from the counter and putting some of the contents in it.

CTV was showing "Toy Story" at 7 tonight and the girls had already finished their homework and picked up their rooms. Margaret thought it was a good opportunity to have some family time on a Monday night; pop some popcorn the old fashioned way and watch a movie before the girls had to be in bed.

"Oh he just got off the phone," Amanda said from the table.

"How do you know that," Kasey asked.

"I'm psychic," Amanda said with a giggle.

Margaret smirked before looking at the phone on the shelf under the cabinets. The green light was off near the bottom, indicating the phone was off.

"Yup, she must be psychic," Margaret said with a laugh, walking back to the stove. "Or the magic phone light told her."

"See," Amanda said, followed by a groan from her sister.

"You guys want some popcorn," Margaret said.

Little feet padded across the linoleum and Margaret looked back to see two smiling faces looking up at her. She gave one bowl to Kasey then Amanda before lifting the shaker of popcorn spice from the counter and shaking it on. It was a healthier experiment Alonzo tried with the girls a while ago and since then they insisted on having it.

"Now go find a spot on the couch," Margaret said, gently putting a hand on their shoulders and moving them along to the living room.

She walked back into the kitchen, adjusting the barrette in her strawberry-blonde hair and looking at the phone. The green light was on again, indicating Alonzo was on another call. Maybe it was one of those phone trees at school, though she did want him to join them for the movie.

Margaret walked to the hallway, opening the basement door and walking down. She heard Alonzo's voice for a moment, something about "please call me back" before silence took over.

She slowed her pace near the bottom of the stairs, cautiously poking her head under the ceiling to see what Alonzo was doing.

Alonzo was seated on the couch, his forearms on his knees; the phone in one hand and his glasses in the other. She paused for a moment, one hand resting on the railing and one foot taking a quiet step.

Alonzo's head was bowed; she could hear heavy breaths from across the room.

He raised his hands and Margaret saw they were shaking; the phone went on one side of the couch, glasses on the other. He put his elbows on his knees, forehead resting in his hands.

Alonzo took a few more hard sighs before letting out a sob, tears streaming down his face.

--------

Calgary

"I told Mr. Gonzales that the water pressure was down in my bathtub," Mrs. Holman said, ignoring Sharona's obvious clues that she was more interested in getting through the door of her apartment than standing in the hallway and listening to her neighbor complain. "I told him, 'Look, I like to take long showers for my sciatica and I can't be helped unless the pressure is at a certain level.'"

"Mr. Gonzales told me he there will be spikes in water pressure but that's because of the city and not him," Sharona said, at last managing to put the key in the lock and twist it. "I'm really sorry to cut this off but I have company coming in half an hour. I've got a stew to make, I'm just really busy."

"Well don't let my old woman ravings keep you," Mrs. Holman said with a smile.

Sharona smiled back and shoved open the door, entering the apartment and closing the door behind her before the conversation continued there. She threw her purse on the couch, wanting to just sit down and watch TV but her story about making a stew actually sounded appetizing. Maybe she had some cans of Dinty Moore in the cupboard.

She turned around toward the kitchenette, though a blinking number drew her attention to the phone; she had two new messages. She wanted to ignore them, but it was probably best to have it over with before officially settling down after work.

Dave was coming up this next weekend and wanted to hang out, one was probably him. The other was probably some political call about legislation over room taxes she had been getting for the past two weeks.

Sharona walked to the phone, sitting on the couch and pressing the "play" button.

First message received today at 4:25 PM.

"I am calling for Sharona Lawliet," a voice said on the machine with a pronounced English accent. "My name is Travis Wells. I am a business attorney in London and I represent your brother Liam Lawliet. Please call me back as soon as you receive this message, it is rather urgent."

The voice listed off a country code and a series of numbers. The pen from her pocket and wrote the numbers on the back of her hand, hearing the man say the number again and allowing her to fill in the numbers she missed.

Sharona realized she was numb; what the hell could this have been about but Liam was in some kind of trouble. Liam was practically alone in England; it made sense that he would appoint his attorney, his main contact and liaison through his business, to contact his family if something was wrong.

Maybe he had been arrested, that was the only option she could work with at the moment. Or maybe he was in the hospital; maybe he fell ill on a jobsite and was unable to contact them.

Worrying about the possibilities however would not mean any answers. It was probably nothing anyway; Liam had been on her mind too much since that last email.

Next message received today at 4:40 PM

"Sharona it's Alonzo," said the familiar voice on the line. "It's about quarter to 7 my time so it's probably closer to 5 where you are and I figure you are just getting out of work now." Alonzo's voice was taking on more of a strain the more he continued, almost threatening to crack. "I just got off the phone with a man named Travis Wells, he says he's Liam's attorney. He says he tried to call you earlier but tried me next. Anyway, all I will say right now is if you receive a message from him please call him back as soon as possible it is regarding Liam." Alonzo's voice cracked and he took a heavy breath before continuing. "After you get off the phone with him, I beg you to call me right afterwards. It is rather…" Alonzo paused; Sharona swore she heard a sob. "Anyway, just please call me back."

The message ended. Sharona felt like she had melted to the couch, her head swam.

She took a few breaths and took the phone out of its cradle, jabbing the numbers down on the keypad and not pausing for a moment to even consider what she was going to hear.

The usual dial tones followed, every one digging into her now-frayed nerves. The tones stopped with a brief moment of silence that felt like an eternity.

"Travis Wells, esq.," a voice said, the same voice Sharona just heard over the answering machine.

"Ah, hi, Mr. Wells," Sharona said, trying to keep her voice as calm and even as possible despite the pounding through her ears. "This is Sharona Lawliet; I believe you left a message on my answering machine almost an hour ago."

"Yes, Ms. Lawliet," Wells said. "As I said on the message, your brother Liam Lawliet has been my client for the past five years. I mostly manage his contracts, though I am his contact in case of an emergency."

"Your message has led me to believe such is the situation," Sharona said, voice a little more insistent. "What happened to Liam, is he alright?"

Silence followed for a second along with a sigh.

"Ms. Lawliet I have to ask if you are sitting down," Wells said.

"Yes, I'm sitting down," Sharona practically barked, "now what's going on with Liam."

She just wanted an answer; no lead up, no preparation, just an answer. Words like this were usually followed by the worst, though she blocked out all conscious thought of that kind.

"Ms. Lawliet I am very sorry to be the one to tell you," Wells said.

Sharona could barely hold the phone; her mind went blank and her hand started to tremble.

"Your brother has passed away," Wells said.

Her mind barely registered what she just heard though it was slowly sinking in. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"God…what…what," she sputtered, all words failing her with the explosion of sobs that threatened to break through. "What the fuck happened!"

"He was on a jobsite and…and he went into cardiac arrest," Wells said. "They took him to a hospital and the doctors and emergency workers tried to save him but it was too late."

"How, how was that possible he was healthy," Sharona yelled through sobs. "He never said anything about…God…Goddammit how did this happen!"

"Ms. Lawliet I am truly, truly sorry," Wells said.

Sharona pressed the talk button, managing to stand and throw the phone across the room. It bounced off the table, the battery pack flying out and all pieces landed on the kitchenette floor.

Her knees slowly buckled, her legs shaking too much to stand. Knees met the carpet and she lowered herself in an awkward sit, back resting against the couch and head lying on the cushion.

She gave out a few breathy sobs, her body numb, her mind blank.

This wasn't happening. This was some kind of prank, some kind of miscommunication.

But this made too much sense and she hung up before she could receive any real answers. She had feared the worst for Liam over the past week; now it actually happened.

"Otouto," she whimpered.

A pair of wide, gray eyes entered her memory. That messy black hair, shorter now than when they were kids, but still something like he would wear.

"Sensei."

He was sitting on this couch just a year ago, eating some brownies she mad made for the occasion. They talked about the upcoming Presidential election and how she sprained her wrist in gym class.

She could still hear that deep, mature voice; see his knees pressed to his chest as that black hair brushed against the back of the couch as he pondered some matter she had already forgot.

It was like he was here…but he would never be.

The next thing out of her mouth would be a long wail.

"LIAM!"

The word broke into sobs.

She buried her face in the cushion, hot tears soaking the material and every breath a new cry.

---------

Toronto

"You are a toy!"

Woody accentuated each word with a flail of his spindly limbs.

"You are a sad, strange little man," Buzz said, shaking his head under his helmet.

Kasey and Amanda burst into giggles, Amanda reaching into her bowl and tossing up a piece of popcorn. She tried to catch it in her mouth but it landed behind the couch instead.

She shrugged, simply picking up another piece knowing she would have to pick that one up later along with a few of the others. Mom wasn't here to remind her.

Shortly after the movie started, their mom poked her head in the room saying she had to help dad with something for a little while but they would both be back up.

That was a while ago but other than a couple words of speculation on what their parents could be doing downstairs, the girls weren't too bothered.

At last footsteps came across the floor. Kasey popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth and looked at the door, Amanda more focused on the Pizza Hut commercial that just came on.

Dad walked through the door first with mom behind him keeping her hand on his shoulder. Amanda gradually turned her eyes to him, though both sisters' gazes were soon locked to their parents.

His eyes were red and he wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve. He looked like he had been crying.

"Everything okay, daddy," Kasey said.

Alonzo put his hands in his pockets and walked forward. Margaret rubbed his back before walking to the couch and sitting beside Amanda.

"Girls I need to talk to you about something," Alonzo said, the concerned looks on their faces already digging into him.

He reached for the buttons on the TV set, pushing the volume to its lowest setting. Maybe a little visual distraction would be nice right now but he needed the floor.

Alonzo then sat on the couch, putting an arm around Kasey.

"What's going on," Amanda said.

Alonzo took his glasses off, wiping his face with his hand and trying to think of the best way to say this or even if he could say this without breaking down. He put his glasses back on and took a few breaths. It was best to be as forward, yet gentle as possible.

"I just got a phone call from a man in England, someone who works with Uncle Liam," Alonzo said. His throat closed for a moment but he managed to relax. No, there shouldn't be any flowery introductions; it was best to get to the point. "Girls, your uncle got very sick; he had a problem with his heart."

Both of them gave little gasps.

"Is he going to be okay," Kasey said.

Alonzo slowly shook his head, the words leaving him for a moment as he clutched her shoulder a bit tighter.

"He was in the hospital and they gave him medicine, tried to make him better," Alonzo said. "But he…he didn't get better. Girls, Uncle Liam died."

"No!" Kasey and Amanda said in succession.

Margaret put both her arms around Amanda; Kasey looked helplessly up at her dad as he held her close.

"I tried to call Auntie Sharona, but I think she was at work," Alonzo said.

Kasey buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around him. Alonzo put his own arms around his daughter, feeling her sobs and feeling the water build in his eyes as well. Amanda had her face in her hands, Margaret running her hand through her long, black hair.

"You guys remember what they said in Sunday school?" Margaret said. "Your uncle was a very good and caring person. You guys will always have the memories of how nice he was with you, but your dad and I truly know how good he was. He's in Heaven now; he's probably hanging out with Jesus right as we're talking."

Amanda managed a laugh between a sob. Alonzo smiled, doubting Liam was at all the praying type.

--------

Calgary

Sharona replaced the battery in the back of the phone with shaking hands. She missed the connections a few times, though finally the blue battery was back in the phone and the cover soon following it.

She pulled out a chair at the table, legs now strong enough to put her on the seat. She looked back down at her hand and jabbed the numbers on the keypad again, hoping this attorney would be patient with her meltdown.

Sharona took a few deep breaths as the dial tones followed. The initial shock was over; it was time to get some real answers.

"Travis Wells, esq.," the voice said on the other line.

"Mr. Wells this is Sharona Lawliet," she said, surprised at how well she managed to keep her voice from cracking. "I am really sorry for hanging up earlier."

"Oh Ms. Lawliet I am so glad you called me back," he said. "I was definitely concerned, though I understand what a blow this must have been."

"Regardless, since you're the one calling us about this I assume you're the one with all the details," Sharona said, wanting to get straight to the point.

"Yes I do," Wells said. "I spoke with your brother Alonzo shortly after my initial call to your residence. I would like to have a word with you both over a conference call regarding the exact details; you and Alonzo are Liam's next of kin and any arrangements should be mutually worked out between you. That and I'm not fond of repeating myself twice to be honest."

"That does sound reasonable," Sharona said with a shaking sigh. It was best if she and Alonzo discuss this together. Then again it would be best if she and Alonzo were in the same room, but those details could be worked out when she called him back.

"All I will tell you is Liam did have a last will and testament including his wishes for burial arrangements," Wells said. "He was a very thorough individual. You will receive the details later though he did say his wish was to be laid to rest in Alberta. I gave Alonzo the same information."

Sharona's stomach turned, though somehow she wasn't surprised. What reason would a 25-year-old have to make a will with burial arrangements? There was something more to this, but then Liam's mind never seemed to work like everyone else's. It sounded like something he would do but that hardly put Sharona at ease.

She could pick it over later, or perhaps the reason would be part of that final package the lawyer wanted to present.

"Alonzo did tell me that he wanted to arrange for the call later after he had spoken with you," Wells said.

"That is going to be my next call after I get off the phone with you," Sharona said.

"Well I have nothing more to add at the moment, perhaps it would be best if we end this conversation and pick up when you two have talked," Wells said.

"Yeah, that would be the best thing to do under the circumstances," Sharona said.

"Ms. Lawliet, you and your brother have my deepest condolences," Wells said. "If you need anything do not hesitate to call me at this number at any time."

His tone was absolutely sincere, though she still took it with a grain of salt.

"Thank you," she said, not holding back a small sob. "I will talk with you soon."

Sharona pressed the talk button and practically slammed the phone on the table, resting her forehead in one hand and taking a few deep breaths. Tears welled to the surface again though she held them back long enough to pick up the phone again and dial Alonzo's number.

The requisite dial tones followed: one, two, then three.

"Jesus Christ, Alonzo," she muttered, resisting the urge to throw the phone against something harder.

The fourth tone followed with silence.

"Hello," Alonzo said.

Sharona tried to speak but the words caught in her throat for a moment.

"Alonzo," she said in a shaking voice.

"Sharona, thank God," Alonzo said with a heaving breath.

"I just got off the phone with…" she said, though tears took over.

She simply gave into the sobs, hearing more on the other end.

"I can't believe this," Alonzo said, his own voice in loose sobs. "He's gone, Sharona; our little brother's gone."

"But…but…this can't be happening, this lawyer guy has to be a fraud," Sharona sputtered, "there's no way, he was healthy!"

"Sharona we really don't know that," Alonzo said, sounding like he was trying to control his voice. "But that is something we can discuss with the attorney when we talk to him. He probably has easier access to all the documentation than we do right now. Sharona, I don't think we should be in two separate areas right now. I'm going to book a flight to Calgary, hopefully tonight or at the latest tomorrow morning."

Sharona sobbed a little harder, though more from happiness. She wanted Alonzo here now.

"The lawyer said Liam wanted to be buried in Alberta," Sharona managed to say through sobs.

"That's exactly what he told me as well so it would be best if the two of us were in Alberta," Alonzo said. "That way we could discuss matters with Mr. Wells together and handle any arrangements on home turf."

Sharona covered her mouth and let out a few more sobs.

"Sharona we have each other, we'll get through this," Alonzo said with a sob.

Sharona nodded to herself.

--------

Toronto

"I know it's late, but I made some coffee," Margaret said, walking through the screen door to the back patio.

Alonzo looked back at her from his seat on the steps. His glasses were on and his eyes did not look as red.

A blue mug was in each hand and she passed one to Alonzo with the usual milk and Splenda, which he took with a smile.

"Thank you so much," he said, blowing on the steaming contents before taking a cursory sip.

Margaret walked across the patio and took a seat next to her husband with her own cup of black coffee.

"Are the girls in bed?" Alonzo asked.

"Yes," Margaret said. "We said an extra prayer for Uncle Liam and they seemed to fall right to sleep after I left."

Alonzo took a sip with a sigh.

"They just adored him," Alonzo said. "Whenever he would call or come over it was like a huge treat to them even though he was hardly around."

"He seemed a bit child-like himself," Margaret said, taking her own sip. "Those girls are two little balls of energy and talking to everyone. To them he may have been like a shy little boy on the playground they wanted to drag on the swing set."

Alonzo chuckled at the analogy.

"The biggest difference between when he was six and when I last spoke to him is he actually talked," Alonzo said. "When we were kids, hearing him speak more than a full sentence was a like an event in itself."

"Didn't you say he was autistic," Margaret said.

"None of us heard anything official when we were kids and damned if he ever mentioned it recently," Alonzo said. "But I heard the word tossed around. Dad would come home and sputter to all his scuzzbag buddies how the school district didn't know its ass from a hole in the ground; in those exact words mind you."

"I can imagine," Margaret said with a laugh.

"But, no, given what I've seen of him and given how many workshops and training sessions we've done on special education, I can almost tell you he was on the spectrum," Alonzo said. "Asperger's probably. But then we never really knew much about him."

Alonzo took a long sip and pondered the words.

"You think he had any illnesses that you didn't know about," Margaret said.

"Oh God yes, I'm sure of it," Alonzo said. "He looked like hell, was rail thin, barely ate anything that wasn't sweets. I thought he was a junkie for the longest while, though maybe I was right. He…he just seemed to be a mess, but then most 20-something computer nerds look like that." Another thought went through his head that made another connection. "Sharona did mention after his last visit, you know that day when we all went to that cabin on the lake over the summer. She mentioned she saw this rather long scar across his side and from her experience it looked somewhat recent. She said she asked him about it; he didn't want to talk about it. He said he had a skiing accident, put a tear in his kidney."

"But neither of you are buying that," Margaret said.

"She said he didn't let her look at it long enough, but she swears she saw another scar beside it, a smaller one. It could have been anything from a small biopsy scar to a stab wound. He never mentioned it before this, which we both found rather suspicious; he ends up in the hospital for major surgery and doesn't tell us."

"I think it could be that he was so used to handling things on his own," Margaret said. "You guys had to fend for yourselves in a way after your dad died. That and he hadn't seen you for 14 years, maybe it would have taken another 14 to fully warm up especially if he was autistic."

Alonzo nodded, taking another sip. Silence followed for a few more seconds as so many things built up in his mind.

His hand started shaking, eyes down on his stocking feet on the step.

"I think that's the worst part," Alonzo said. "I never really warmed up to him either."

"He was gone for so long and suddenly just shows up, I don't blame you," Margaret said, inching closer to him.

Alonzo shook his head, putting the cup to his mouth and savoring the warmth.

"I felt…" he said, knowing this was going to sound horrible. He had to have it out anyway or else it would destroy him. "I felt that he…he was a part of my life that was over. Five years ago I truly felt I had made piece with everything that had happened to me. I had you, I had two wonderful girls, I had full sobriety, I had a great sister back in the country who brought back a great brother-in-law. I was satisfied. For the first time in over a decade…no…for the first time ever I felt like I had the life I wanted. And then he showed back up and just brought so many horrible memories with him."

Alonzo took a glance at Margaret, seeing her look at him with a calm, yet sympathetic gaze.

"It's not like I didn't love my brother," Alonzo continued, voice caught in a sob. "It's just that the last time I saw him he was six and…it's just I got to a point over the years where I just stopped worrying about him; where I just made peace with the fact I would never see him again and that was that. I wanted to be happy when Sharona said he called her, but I just wanted to pretend she never said anything."

"Alonzo all of you were put through so much back then," Margaret said, putting a hand on his knee. "I'm sure all three of you had different ways of coping and I can't blame you for how you feel."

Alonzo nodded, though that was just the simple explanation. He could say so much more, but he didn't want to deal with that now.

"Anyway, I'm flying out to Calgary tomorrow morning, it's an 8 a.m. flight," Alonzo said with a heavy sigh threatening tears. "I already called the sub and I got a hold of Mrs. McKenzie and made all the arrangements. I now have the week off with bereavement time."

"Oh good," Margaret said. "I'm still debating if I should call the girls in sick tomorrow."

"I'll leave that call up to you," Alonzo said, taking a sip of the now-cooling contents. "We will be speaking with the lawyer to make arrangements. I'll give you a call when we have the details for calling hours, the service, whatever happens."

Margaret nodded.

"I'll give the bank a heads up that I might not be in come the end of the week," she said. "How is Sharona doing?"

"She's a mess, but she's managing," Alonzo said. "She told me about an hour ago she was staying at a friend's place tonight."

"Good she shouldn't be alone," Margaret said.

She was the one who kept the closest to Liam, Alonzo thought. She was the worrying big sister, though what did that make him.

"After this is over, after I get back, I'm going to give Dr. Hurwitz a call," Alonzo said. "This whole thing is going to be too much to handle on my own."

"I think that would be best," Margaret said. "He has helped you so much in the past, I'm sure he will help all of us get through this tough time."

Alonzo nodded, looking at his wife and putting his arm around her.

"Have I ever told you you're the greatest," he said, pulling her close.

"Not today at least, but I knew that anyway," she said.

Alonzo laughed and kissed her on the cheek.