Chapter 10
Everleigh
After going to bed feeling completely flustered and barely sleeping a wink, I got up super early and took a long, hot shower.
I took my time—washed my hair, and shaved my legs.
When I got out, I went over to the mirror and checked my wounds.
I was pleased to see that, while the skin still looked a little red and angry, they were healing.
I was also pleased to find that they weren’t as tender as they’d once been, and I was able to move around without as much difficulty.
As I stood there looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but notice how out of control my hair had gotten. I desperately needed a trim, so I started searching the bathroom drawers for a pair of scissors. It took me a minute, but I eventually found a pair in the medicine cabinet.
I quickly combed out the wild strands into sections and prepared to start cutting. I was no hairdresser, but after a few precise cuts, I could already see an improvement. I continued trimming, and it wasn’t long before I’d finally managed to make it look presentable.
I cleaned up the mess I’d made, then decided it was time for coffee.
The house was eerily quiet as I stepped out of my room and walked into the kitchen.
I hadn’t seen or heard Billy since the night before, and honestly, I was okay with that.
I was growing frustrated with his hot then cold behavior, and after him banishing me back to the house, I was in no rush to see him.
In hopes of avoiding him a little longer, I poured my cup of coffee and quietly carried it outside.
It was a beautiful morning. The sun was peaking over the fields, and a light mist hovered over the pond.
I felt like I was being beckoned as I started down the steps and headed down to the dock.
It didn’t take long for my mind to drift to my encounter with Billy the night before.
It was just so unexpected, especially after the nice day we’d had.
I finally felt like I was getting to know him, but our exchange proved I didn’t really know him at all.
The thought had me feeling restless, so I decided to take a little walk.
I left the dock and was making my way around to the back of the house when I spotted a concealed door to the basement—the exact spot where I’d seen Billy the night before.
I don’t know what I was hoping to find, but I wandered over and started looking around.
I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, so I turned and started back to the house.
I’d only taken a couple of steps when I noticed something shimmering in the grass.
I knelt down, and my heart sank when I picked the gold necklace up and found that it had St. Christopher pendant—just like the one Matteo wore.
A smile swept across my face as I remember the day I spotted it tucked beneath the collar of his shirt.
The second he noticed me looking at it, he reached inside his button-down and pulled out the pendant, holding it up for me to get a better view. “It’s Saint Christopher.”
I leaned in for a better look. “It’s beautiful.”
“You heard of him?”
“Yeah, back when I was a kid.” I thought for a moment, then added, “He’s supposed to protect you when you’re traveling or something, right?”
“That’s right.” Matteo smiled as he told me, “My grandfather gave it to me when he found out I was moving to America. He believed Christopher would protect me while I’m away from home.”
“That’s such a sweet thought.”
“Yeah, it meant a lot to me.” He flipped it over, showing me the initials MWE, as he said, “He even had it engraved for me.”
“That’s so nice. Your grandfather must’ve been a...”
The sound of footsteps cut me off before I could finish my sentence. Matteo’s back stiffened as he quickly tucked the necklace back inside his shirt. And just like that, our brief conversation was over.
I looked down at the gold pendant in my hand, and as I ran my finger over the image of Saint Christopher, I wondered how such a beautiful necklace had ended up in Billy’s backyard. At first, I thought Billy must’ve lost it, but then I turned it over.
My blood ran cold the second I saw the initials MWE engraved on the back.
I knew without a doubt that it was Matteo’s necklace, but I had no idea how it had gotten here.
I couldn’t help but wonder if something bad had happened to the handsome, happy-go-lucky guy who whispered secrets when no one was looking.
I was trying to make sense of it when I heard Billy say, “Everleigh? What are you doing out here?”
"I was just out taking a walk.” I stepped over to him and extended my hand, revealing the necklace. “I was about to head back inside when I found this.”
He took it from my hand and studied it for a moment, then said, “Where did it come from?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“I have no idea.”
“I think you do.” I reached for the necklace and turned it over in his hands. “You see these initials?”
His eyes narrowed with uncertainty as he replied, “Yeah, what about them?”
“Well, those initials belong to Matteo. He works for DeLuca, and he was my only friend. This is his necklace. He wore it every day.”
“It’s just a necklace, Everleigh. It could be anybody’s, and those initials could belong to anyone.”
“Yeah, they could, but they don’t. It belongs to Matteo. I know it,” I pushed. “What I don’t know is how did it end up here in your yard.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Oh, come on, Billy. You know something. Just tell me.” When he didn’t immediately answer, I started hammering him with more questions. “Did you know him? Did you do something to him? Hurt him? Did it have something to do with DeLuca?”
“Everleigh.”
“Just tell me!”
“You shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”
“Oh, God,” I gasped. “You did! You hurt him!”
I didn’t give him a chance to answer. I just ran. I ran as fast as I could, and I didn’t look back—not even when Billy called out to me over and over again. “Everleigh!”
I just kept running.
Even when my wounds started to ache, I kept running.
I was too distraught to stop. I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do when I got there, but I had to get away from him.
I needed a minute to think and clear my head, but that didn’t happen.
Before I could even reach the front steps, Billy had caught up to me and had a hold of my arm, pulling me back. “Hold on a damn minute.”
“Why? So, you can kill me, too?”
“You got it all wrong.”
“Does that mean you didn’t kill Matteo?”
“No, as a matter of fact, I didn’t.”
I jerked my arm away from him as I spat, “Then how did his necklace end up in your yard?”
“It’s complicated.”
“It’s only complicated because you’re making it complicated. It’s very simple. Either you killed him, or you didn’t.”
“I’m not a murderer, Everleigh.”
“Then what are you?”
He inhaled a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I’m a cleaner.”
“A cleaner?” I took a step back and let his words resonate for a moment.
At first, his response seemed absolutely ludicrous, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it actually made.
It not only explained his unorthodox behavior and his unusual basement, but it also explained how he’d found me.
“You’re like the guy in the movies? You get rid of bodies and clean away all the evidence of blood so the cops won’t find it? ”
“It’s a bit more complex than that, but yeah. That’s about right.” He clenched his fists nervously at his side as he added, “But you need to understand something. These aren’t good people that I’m taking care of. They’re all criminals.”
“What about me? I’m not a criminal.” Billy looked like I’d punched him in the gut when I said, “Just how many innocent people have ended up in your hands?”
“You’re the first.”
“Are you sure about that?”
He didn’t answer, but I could tell by the expression on his face that I’d hit a nerve. It seemed warranted since he’d struck one with me. I had my suspicions, but I had to ask, “So, what about Matteo? Is he okay or...”
His face twisted into a grimace, and I knew I had my answer. Tears started streaming down my face as I cried, “Oh, God. He’s dead, isn’t he?”
Billy didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. I knew I was right. I could see it in his eyes. “But how? What happened to him? Was it DeLuca?”
I didn’t give him a chance to reply. I just kept rambling.
It was the only way I could keep myself from having a complete breakdown.
“He was such a sweet kid. He had his whole life ahead of him, and it was ripped away from him. I can’t believe DeLuca did this.
Wait... if Matteo is dead and his necklace is here, that means you gotta be DeLuca’s cleaner. ”
He didn’t respond.
He just stood there silently staring at me as I put all the pieces together.
His eyes were fixed on mine as I asked, “And if you’re DeLuca’s cleaner, then you were there the night I was shot. That’s how I ended up here. You were supposed to get rid of me, but you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“But why didn’t you?”
“You weren’t dead. You were badly wounded and suffering with every breath, but you were alive and holding on.” His voice was strained as he explained, “You were a fighter and determined to live, and as I told you before, I’m no murderer.”
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.
I believed everything he said, but it was a lot to take in.
I was struggling to accept it. It shouldn’t have been that hard.
I knew Billy was different. I’d seen it in all his little quirks and odd little side-glances, but of all the crazy ideas I’d had about him, I’d never once imagined that Billy was a cleaner.
And not only that, but he was a cleaner for men like Antonio DeLuca.
I should’ve been horrified by the thought, but I wasn’t.
Honestly, I didn’t know how to feel about any of it.