I think this one is a little boring but i really needed it to tie everything together.. enjoy!
Chapter 9
"Searching"
Two days had passed since Sheryl was arrested and taken to jail after being caught trying to run from the backdoor of my property, which was the distraction that kept Dean and Serena from being caught as they escaped. After explaining to the cops over and over again what happened they finally left. With no real injuries I opted out of going to the hospital, deciding it better to stay home. Standing in front of the couch I stared at the large hole in the wall just above the back of the couch. There were quite a few different holes Dean, Sheryl and Mark had created in all parts of the house I guessed for no other reason then to really piss me off. Rubbing my palm across my face I sighed, wondering if Serena was even still alive or this whole thing had been a bunch of bull shit. Of course had it been bull shit, why would she leave her truck and belongings at my house? The whole thing was confusing enough I had bunch questions and, no god damn answers.
"You okay?" Edgar asked, cautiously approaching me. I had been standoffish the past few days, I knew it, I didn't care.
"Fine." I put it as simply as possible, taking a hit from the cigarette in my hand. Stepping away from the couch I approached the window, looking out of the green grass and sunny afternoon.
"How long is it going to take?"
"For what?"
"Before you come to your senses and get rid of her things."
"I'm not getting rid of her things yet." I growl at him, giving him a look of death before turning back to the window.
"I'm sorry." he says, putting his hands up in defense. "I just…. You can't wait forever."
"It's been two god damn days, Edgar! I think I owe it to her to wait for awhile!" I snap angrily, watching the construction truck pull into my driveway.
"The guys are here to fix the damage."
"I'll be upstairs."
"Don't worry, I'll deal with them!" he calls after me.
Ignoring him I made climbed the carpeted stairs, stepping over the bloodstain Mark's body had left. Knowing before I could have Serena's room fixed it would have to be cleaned up. Taking a deep breath my hand landed on the cool brass doorknob. Turning it I slowly pushed the door open. Shaking my head at the destruction. It looked as if a tornado had passed right through the middle of the room. Random items littered the floor; a few lamps, papers, any decoration that was on the dressers. Looking to the top of the dresser I spotted a key ring, walking toward it I picked up the silver key chain that read 'right now my world is upside down, so if you don't mind you'll have to kiss my ass' I laughed to myself, sticking the key ring in my pocket for later use. The dresser drawers had been pulled open and left that way. Clothing hanging over the edge of the drawers. It then occurred to me with all of the destruction the right side of the dresser where she kept her gun was still neatly closed. It was an odd sight. Why would four drawers on the left side and the middle of the dresser be open with her clothing hanging out while the last three drawers stacked on each other on the right side were left alone. Opening the middle dresser drawer I pushed my hand to the back of the drawer, the tips of my fingers finding their way to the cold steel. Smiling to myself I pulled the 380 handgun from beneath the t-shirts. I stared at it in awe. How could something so beautiful be so deadly? Questions began to plague my mind as I stepped backward I sat on the corner of the bed with a sigh the full size bed was littered with papers and a light drywall dusting. If it was a set up why would she have left her two prize possessions? Her truck and her gun? Nothing made sense anymore
"You okay?" Edgar asked from the doorway, his hands in his pockets.
"Fine." I say, looking up at him.
"Where'd you get that?"
"Serena's."
"Can I see it?"
"Sure." I nod, standing to hand him the gun.
"It's nice."
"Do you really think she played me?"
"I don't know. Somehow, I don't think so."
"Excuse me, Mr. Hansen, would you like the wall to be painted the same color?"
Edgar immediately looked to me.
"I thought you said you'd take care of it."
"Well, if you don't like the paint now would be a good time to change it." He reasoned.
"There's paint cans in the basement of all of the colors that are currently on the walls, you should have enough for the fix."
"I'll show you where they are." Edgar replied, returning the gun to my palm he lead the contractor from the room.
After a quick cleaning of Serena's room I took her gun to the master bedroom, tucking it away in my safe I sighed. Making my way back downstairs to be sure the contractors where working. It was getting late in the day and I knew they would be leaving soon. Standing on the front porch I sighed, taking a long drag from my cigarette I stared at Serena's truck. What the hell was happening to me? Why the hell did I care so much about someone I hardly knew. Should I even care? If it were true she was a thief, should I write her off? The thought didn't make me feel better at all. Something was wrong with me, I figured out that much. Digging into my pocket I pulled out her key ring, making the conscious decision to see what was inside. Walking to the driver side I took the last drag from my cigarette, tossing it into the bushes with a huff I quickly unlocked and opened the large door. The scent of her perfume mixed with the hanging pine air freshener with the undertone of cigarettes made me smile briefly. Sitting in the drivers seat I began my search, pulling the visors down I opened the flap for the mirror, nothing. I did the same to the passenger side, a small piece of paper fell out, it had a phone number written on it but, nothing else. Stashing the pice of paper in my pocket I looked around unsure of what I was looking for made it more difficult. Reaching over I tried to open the glove box, locked. Grabbing the keying I quickly unlocked it. Nothing of real importance, a few receipts and the owners manual along with a few pens. Slamming it shut I looked down to the floor. A few random McDonald's wrappers and loose change laid on the floor untouched. Opening the center counsel my eye caught something in the bottom. Lifting the insert that hung in the middle I set it on the seat. Pushing the random papers aside my fingers gently ran over the hard covered book.
"Hey bro, whatcha doin?" Edgar's voice caught me off guard causing me to jump lightly.
"Christ, Edgar!" I snapped, looking over to him as if I were a child and my hand was caught in the cookie jar just before dinner. "What do you watch me, wait till I'm not paying attention then see if you can scare the shit right out of me?"
"Sorry man." He apologized.
"It's fine."
"So…what are you doing?" he asks again this time with curiosity.
"Looking." I say, pulling the book from the counsel.
"anything interesting? Unlock the other door." I eyed him for a second but, complied. Unlocking the passenger seat Edgar rounded the truck and got in.
Opening the book toward the middle I began to read, the entry dated a few months ago.
It's been strange being on my own, I haven't ever really been on my own. I'm somewhere near the Tennessee boarder, I made it halfway to Florida when I decided I had to turn and go north. It will be summer soon and that is no place to be in the summer, to damned hot there. I don't know if he is following me, though I fear he might be. Every time I turn around I can only hope he hasn't located me yet. I traded in the '79 trans am, the car my father gave me for my 16th birthday, I feel guilty about it. It took him so long to save up for it but, I know now I didn't have a choice. With a different car it'll take him longer to find me. I need to end the trail I've been setting up for him, I will end it later tomorrow once I drain our savings and checking accounts, that should give me enough money to make it to Oregon after that, I just don't know. I'm tired but, I need to keep moving like it's my last because it might be.
"Well, what is it?"
"A diary." I say closing it and looking it over in interest. Looking to my lap I realize a picture had fallen out, flipping it over I looked at it. The background was a green grassed hillside and an older white house with black window panes. In the foreground stood Serena, to her left an older gentleman his hair a salt and pepper color, obviously thinned by age, his face hard and unsmiling. To the right stood a petite older woman, her long red hair floating in the wind behind her. Her hands together in front of her, she looked happy yet sad. I could only guess that it was a photograph of her parents. It was recent I knew that much. My eyes floated back to Serena, She wore black jeans and a red t-shirt. Her hair tied into a pony tail.
"I thought only teenage girls kept diaries." He replied, getting out to pull the seat forward and look into the backseat.
"Apparently not." tucking the picture back into the dairy I set it on the gray dashboard. Taking another look into the counsel before putting the insert back inside and closing it tightly. Standing from the seat I pulled the driver seat forward, the backseat folded down a pillow at the far end of the cab and two folded up blankets beside it. The cab was rather clean for the amount of time she had probably spent inside. Reaching beneath the pillow Edgar retrieved another book, opening it immediately.
"Another diary?"
He nodded in response. "This one seems to be current."
"She must write everyday. You know what that means?"
He shook his head no as he eyed me.
"There's got to be more, we have some reading to do."
"Oh no, we can't read her private thoughts."
"What if this is the way to find her?"
"Then we should hand them over to the police."
"No, if she really was a "thief" I don't want them reading about it." I tell him, walking to the back of the truck. Unlocking and lifting the tinted window on the cap I looked inside the bed. There was a massive amount of boxes and none of them were labeled. Which only meant we were going to have to tear it apart until we found what we were looking for or something better.
"I don't know about this.." Edgar trailed off with a sigh.
"Edgar I know I have no right to ask of you to help me. If you don't want to, you don't have to."
I began pulling boxes from the bed and opening them, one right after the other. With a heavy breath Edgar followed, lighting a cigarette he pulled up a chair from the garage and began to look through the boxes as I pulled them out.
"ahah, Bingo" Edgar smiled.
Jumping down from the tailgate of the truck I stepped toward him to see what he had found, pulling the Marlboro from the box I quickly lit it, inhaling the soothing smoke. I looked down into the box, surprised to find it filled with what I guessed to be diaries.
"There have to be diaries from every year for the past ten years." Edgar gasped, picking up a few of them in a cluster.
"Damn." I mutter, now realizing just how much work this was going to be. "What kind of a thief do you know of writes down every thing they've ever done?" I ask, now more confused than ever.
"Not a very good one?" Edgar jokes, I didn't laugh.
"Bring the box into the house, there's a few other ones I want to look through I'll bring them in."
"So were really going to do this?"
Taking a heavy breath I thought about it for a long moment, if there was ever a time to turn back it was now. I wasn't in any trouble yet. Could something really bad happen if we were to read these? Or would I learn things about her that would ruin any type of relationship we may have had. I thought long and hard before replying. "Yes."
