32. Chapter 32
Chapter thirty-two
E liza sat up straight with a start. Pools of drool covered her arm which was, at this moment, very, very asleep. Straightening from her slumped position, she shielded her eyes from the bright glare of the search page on her home computer. Her back ached and her neck was stiff from lying on the desk for so long. Squinting at the clock, she realized she’d only been asleep for a few hours, at best.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she leaned back in her office chair to get her bearings. After leaving the office, she’d spent the better part of the night searching different combinations of the four digits and the entry in the bank log, Dra. After finding absolutely nothing, the researcher in her had dug through every article she could find about her father and his law firm. She didn't find anything she didn't already know, her snooping was fruitless and she was more exhausted than before.
But like an annoying little gnat, a few intrusive thoughts were still buzzing in the back of her brain. They poked and prodded and tickled until she couldn't ignore them anymore. The folder Uncle Chet was holding. Why did he have it and why was it labeled with the numbers nine-seven-two-nine? What about a bank account was so secret, that it was protected with a password on her dad's computer? Although, she had to admit, it was a terrible password. And why didn't she know about it? Eliza had to get answers, but first, she had to check on Paul.
The phone to the nurse's station rang twice before a woman with a thick southern drawl picked up. Eliza could tell immediately that the person on the other end wasn't a native of Texas but probably more Deep South like Mississippi or Alabama. After an introduction, the woman's accent became thicker, more than Eliza thought possible.
"Oh, good morning, darlin'," the voice, as sweet as southern tea, cooed. "I'm April, his nurse for the day."
"How's my dad?" Eliza asked.
"I'm pleased to report that he had a restful night. Doc's already done his rounds… your daddy's going to have another CT today. If all goes well, Doc's gonna pull him off the meds and get him to wake up," April smiled through the phone.
Waves of relief washed over her but there was something else behind the emotion. It was something she didn't expect and it even took her by surprise. She felt… afraid. But of what? There was a good chance that by the end of the day, her father would be awake and he could tell them who shot him. She should be ecstatic, but she wasn't. She felt like she was running out of time.
Shoving every concern to the back of her mind, she drew a deep breath, "Thank you, April. That's wonderful news…I'll be by later today."
Eliza hung up the phone and decided to waste no more time getting the answers she needed.
***
The thirty-minute drive to Southlake felt like it took hours and until she turned onto Continental Boulevard, Eliza thought she'd never get to her destination. In the last ten minutes, the morning sun faded behind billowing clouds and the Texas sky turned a dull shade of grey. A thunderstorm gathered in the distance and she couldn't help but see the parallels between her thoughts and the impending squall.
Eliza slowed at the tall iron bars of the gated neighborhood. Adam's Lane was a sprawling development of brick mansions, green lawns, and good schools. After punching in her own code, the one given to her the moment she could drive, she curved around the quiet streets until she found her destination. Eliza stared for a moment at the five bedroom home with its black shutters a stark contrast against the pale sand colored brick.
There was a time when, inside its walls, Eliza found pockets of solace. Barbeques on the back patio while she and the other kids swam in the cool water of the pool until late into the night. The smell of homemade tomato sauce bubbling on the stove in the kitchen while she played game after game of Mario Brothers in the downstairs den. The comfort of nights tucked into the four-poster bed at the end of the hall on the second floor. So many memories. So much time passed.
Hesitating before she rang the doorbell, Eliza braced herself. She didn't want to accuse anyone of anything, but she needed Chet to show her what was in that file. Time was short and something inside her told her she needed her answers before her dad woke.
She pushed the bell.
Within a few seconds, a thin woman with healthily tanned skin and brunette hair opened the door. Eliza noticed her beautiful face becoming taut at the sight of Eliza's presence.
"Aunt Reba, are you okay?" her brow furrowed with worry.
Reba swallowed hard, "Sure honey, I'm okay. What can I help you with, sweetheart?"
Eliza took immediate notice that her aunt never moved to invite her inside. As a matter of fact, she seemed to position herself in a way that would demand a steamroller to move her.
"I wanted to talk to Uncle Chet—"
"Chet isn't home," his wife cut her off tersely, pursing her lips tighter.
Eliza nodded, "Oh, okay… I think he has a file I need for work. Would you mind if I looked in the office for it?"
"Not right now, honey. I think maybe you should go back to the hospital and sit with your daddy," Reba looked as though she was choking back vomit.
"Aunt Reba, what's going on?" she furrowed her brow.
Tears welled in the tired woman's eyes but, before she could shut the door, Eliza heard another familiar voice in the distance, "Who's at the door, Mom?"
She was relieved for a moment when Dave Branson's tall frame came into view behind his mother and Eliza couldn't help but to smile. The sensation was short lived when her adoptive brother began yelling.
"What the hell are you doing here!?" he barked.
"Davy, no. Stop!" Reba turned, putting her hands on her eldest son's chest. "She doesn't have anything to do with this."
Eliza stared through the decorative screen door at the pair in shock and it didn't go unnoticed by Dave. His face softened a bit but his eyes glared. She heard Reba whisper something to her son before he took several steps backward.
"Aunt Reba, what's going on? Where's Uncle Chet?" she pleaded.
The woman grasped the door with a shaking hand, "You sit with your daddy."
"Aunt Reba," Eliza began, but before she could utter what she wanted to say, something else came out of her mouth, much like with her uncle the night before. "Nine-seven-two-nine."
The woman froze midway through her action and was the deer in the headlights.
"You know," Eliza whispered. "What is it, Aunt Reba? What's in that file?"
The last thing she saw before her aunt shut the door were the tears pouring from her eyes.
Eliza walked back to her car more confused than ever. She had no idea why Reba wouldn't let her in the house or why Davy was so quick to attack. What was she missing? And where was Chet?
She pulled away from the home, glancing in the rearview mirror at its beauty. She wondered for a moment if she would ever feel its warmth again. But, the idea was fleeting as a constant reel of questions overtook any other ideas she might have. She drove aimlessly out of Southlake and back into Dallas the whole time trying to piece together the puzzle in front of her.
When she finally regained her focus, Eliza noticed signs for Katy Trail. A pang of guilt and pain hit her heart as she drove closer to Judas' apartment. After everything she'd learned, or hadn’t learned in the last couple of days, it all gave her pause about her uncle's involvement. She couldn't believe he actually pulled the trigger, but he at least knew something about her father's shooting. Of that, she was more convinced than ever.
And then, of something else.
Regret poured over her in sheets like heavy rain. What had she done? She was so tired and so heartbroken. She hadn't been thinking clearly. She had just reacted without a thought. She had let the words tumble out of her so casually. She had been so cold and cruel. The most hurtful thing she could have hurled at him and all he was trying to do was help. She had taken out all her hurt and all her fear on the only one that was there for her. She had crushed him with her words without a single thought of hesitation and she had done it on purpose.
Judas had simply tried to warn her. She’d called him a traitor.
He had trusted her with his deepest secret and she had used it against him.
My god.
What had she done?
She owed him an apology. She just hoped it would be enough.