Chapter Ten: Shatter
Kai has me stretch my arms across the table and he examines them closely. Before he can say anything to me, there are authoritative knocks beating down the front door, and they're rather loud. He calmly steps away and then tosses me my sweater from the big laundry basket by the stove. When he sees that I have it on, he goes to answer the door. Part of me says to runaway... That he's gone so I can make my escape no problem, but fearing the guy, I stay put. If Kai wasn't raised in the military, or at least served in it at one point, that would surprise me.
"How can I help you?" Kai asks from the living room.
I peep around the corner and notice Officer Raul Fernandez is at the door. Ok, uh, how am I to feel about this?! He looks like Kai, but he has trimmed, bright red, spiky hair in the front with a milk chocolate brown at the back. His skin is pale and his eyes are a bright, jewel green color. His frame is smaller, and he's a head shorter than Kai, but that doesn't mean he's not intimidating in his own way. He's a fully equipped cop so, yeah, 'nuff said.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you, but-" The two-toned, black uniformed man motions to a smaller object at is right.
"Ah, of course. Come on in."
As Kai steps aside, I spot Agatha walking next to Raul. And here I thought the champion gymnast Julia was her mother. Guess she's her aunt.
"Agatha?" Her dad shoves her forward, in between the two of them. She looks nervous, and like she's about to cry. "The floor's yours. Go on."
Mr. Fernandez looks down at her, standing firm and waiting. Kai looks like he's waiting too, though he seems more patient than our sudden guest.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hiwatari." Agatha mutters shyly, her face going red from the humiliation.
"For what?" Kai asks, a slender hand going to his hips.
Through heavy, body trembling tears, Agatha explains that she's sorry for falsely accusing him of all she had. She says that she was mad that she got called out and made to look like a fool. But something sounds off, my gut says there's more to this story than she's letting on. Strangely, I want to go out there and comfort her. Having put the pieces together, she's suffered a lot.
Kai looks at her dad, and then down at her before he hesitantly places a hand on her rounded shoulders. When he has her attention, he removes his hand and offers her his box of tissues from the coffee table.
Agatha takes them and soon a slew of nasally trumpet noises ensues, entertaining us, really me. I shake my head, trying to stop myself from laughing out loud. Why is that still funny, I'm sixteen.
Once things die down, Kai comes back into the kitchen for some drinks. And, once I've got mine, he motions for me to go outside, kicking the laundry basket to me. I silently nod, understanding why. Though I leave the home, openly thankful for the done laundry, I sneak around the side to listen in. As strong as my curiosity is at times, I think I was a cat in another life. I watch them through a curtained, corner window on the other side of the room, a knot forming in my gut.
Kai sits their drinks, juice and coffee, on the table.
"While I appreciate the apology, the damage has been done." He says, sounding a mix of sad and lost. I guess he doesn't know what to do with himself.
"Do you understand? Actions have consequences. The more adult the action, the worse the consequence."
Agatha nods, tearing up again, though this time she seems to be able to keep it down.
"You don't think they'll give you your job back?" The cop asks, taking a drink of his coffee. He looks like he could use a pick-me-up. How did he find out about this anyway, wasn't it supposed to be under wraps or something?
Kai looks at the two, seeming defeated, "No, I don't. But, who knows? Maybe I'll be the new janitor."
When I see Agatha's frame tighten, an idea hits me and I dash off of the property. I think I've found a way to stop that crazed, crafty man. It's out of nowhere, and it's weird, but it just might work. After several minutes of running around the block, I jog back up to the house and knock on the front door. Hopefully I can pull this off and that it'll look how I want it to.
Kai opens the door and nearly slams it in my face.
"I'm busy." He says, not looking happy. Eh, what else is new?
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." I say, sheepishly rubbing the back of my head.
"Gou?"
At Agatha's voice, Kai shifts aside to let her see me, sweaty and all. It's then that I put the rest of my plan into action.
"I was going on my nightly jog and saw a cop car here. I'm looking for someone. Can you help me?"
Mr. Fernandez stands tall, pulling out his pad of paper and pen. Going to a clean page, he waits for me to speak. Kai jerks his head toward them and I go inside, him closing the door. Ok, he's on to me, obviously. Let's hope no one else catches on.
"See, I was supposed to be serving detention and the janitor, a Mr. Alfred Stephen, never showed up. I haven't seen him for three days. I'm a little worried."
Agatha glares at me and sharply says, "Why would you be worried about him? He's a horrible man. Haven't you seen how he treats those around him?"
I play dumb, pretending to wave off her insult, when really, she's playing right into my hands. "Really? How so? He's always been nice to me."
"Maybe to you, but not anyone else, he's an asshole. Now what do you want? My dad and I are a little busy here." She bites, her tongue venomous. It's blatantly clear she doesn't want me here.
I shrug, ignoring her attempts to drive me out of the home. "I just can't find him. Thought it was odd."
"Well, don't get my dad involved. Go bug someone else."
"Why not? He's a great cop. I know if anyone can do the case earnestly and succeed, he can."
"Just don't, ok. Now leave, will ya?"
"Agatha, will you let him talk?" Mr. Fernandez warns.
She discretely scoffs, briefly looking to Kai for help. He just empathetically glances back, figuring things out too.
"What's he look like?" The cop asks me.
"He's got greasy, but bushy black hair, sunburned looking skin, and cyan eyes. He's chubby, waddles when he walks, and shorter than you by half a head. He has a greying broom mustache and drives a beat up Ford. I last saw him wearing his work uniform, a beige jumpsuit. He was pushing his cart of tools with him."
I can see Agatha's panic-induced anger rising with every word I speak, meaning this has happened to her on multiple occasions and that she was threatened into silence. That's just awful. Still, why target Kai?
"Ok. Thank you for coming to me. I'll turn this in later tonight." He gives me a kind smile and I return it, stuffing my hands in my shirt pocket.
"Gou, seriously, why would you want to find someone who hurts people?" She says, practically begging me to go. In seconds, the pressure valve finally releases and she crumbles.
"You idiot, just let him die!" She screams out.
Tears stream down her face as she cries hysterically, all but verbally pleading for him not to be found. This is worse than I thought.
I rush up and hold her tight, letting her soak me in makeup and tear-filled snot. The two adults exchange heartbroken and shocked glances, the cops' much more expressive than Kai's. I whisper how sorry I am for doing this, how proud I am of her for finally crying it out so openly, and that despite my attitude and her past behaviors, I'm here for her if she needs an ear.
"You're really strong." I say, fighting back the urge to wipe her tears away.
She pulls away from me. We look around to see the two adults wiping their eyes and trying to keep it together.
"What a way to spill the tea, huh?" I say, trying to make her laugh. She does so but not without hitting my arm first.
"You're weird." Agatha adds, composing herself.
"Nah, just a nosy opportunist."
"Agatha."
She turns to Kai who points to her dad, and he looks about ready to let the hell hounds loose.
"I'm sorry, Kai, but I've got some work to do. I'll get Chief Kenny on the case pronto. We'll clear your name, I promise."
Kai nods, but instead of letting them go, he has the two sit down. "I'm not trying to be rude, but you are in no shape to drive. You'll end up doing something you regret."
Mr. Fernandez nods, taking a seat on the couch, his daughter copying him. Kai then looks at me and points to the back door. "I'll be with you in a minute. Outside."
I leave without a word, smirking to myself, content.
Thirty minutes later, the cop car drives off, and Kai comes out to join me after taking a deep breath to steady himself, mainly his mind. We don't talk, he just pats my shoulder as if to say 'good work' and then he motions for me to follow him back inside. I do so, gathering my stuff and the now neatly folded laundry in the process.
"All of it. On the table, right now." He barks, pointing at the table we were at before.
I do as ordered, emptying my pants pockets and bags. I take in the mass of bongs, dirty metal spoons, lighters, unused/used needles, and the small plastic bags individually filled with the separate green and white powders. I then see Kai make his way over to his fridge. Out of it, he proceeds to get a six-pack of beer and a bottle of Scotch, both unopened. I take a deep breath to stabilize myself while he slams the items down onto the table with the illegal substances.
"I found all of this in your duffle bag, now explain!" He shouts, veins protruding from his forehead and neck.
"What were you doing snooping through my stuff?!" I scream back, seeing red now too. What happened to the good job he gave me?
"I was doing your laundry. Now fess up. Where the hell do you get off doing shit like this?! You're sixteen! You should be able to comprehend all this does to your body, what it could possibly turn you into. Or did Max not raise you as well as I thought he had?"
Kai steps back, surprised at that last part. Evidently, he didn't mean to say that. It just came out, as most unmeant things tend to do.
I don't say anything to him, because I don't know what to say. I just swallow my emotions and leave him there to fester in whatever mess he's made. What the hell did he mean by that? And, how does he know my dad's first name? None of us students met him until the first day, and I know the parents didn't because he wasn't at orientation. Nor was he at the school tour.
I storm down the streets, not hearing anything but my own stomps crunching on the old concrete and the random debris littering it. While still chewing on the last thing Kai said, trying to decipher it, I notice a small crowd of people oddly clumped together on a nearby crosswalk. They seem to be standing around someone, most calling out to the person. Curious, I head over and make my way through. The moment I do, my heart sinks, all my vitals go cold. Splayed below me is my dad and he's pretty bloodied up. He's unconscious and it's clear people are waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Whoever made the call, I am forever grateful to you.
"Dad!" I scream repeatedly, immediately holding him in my arms.
I hear someone say that they pulled him out of a banged up car somewhere around Northward Street and Lulu Avenue. That's a street away from our neighborhood. He must've been out looking for me and got sideswiped. Whoa, how many times has he done something like this? He must've collapsed on them a bit ago. But how long is 'a bit ago' exactly? My heart breaks at the caring, desperate notion, but it shatters completely at the thought of losing the only family I've ever known.
The moment the ambulance pulls up I explain who I am, lie and say my age is eighteen, and am thus told to climb in with the stretcher. I do as ordered, grabbing hold of papa's lifeless, icy hand the moment the doors are closed.