Chapter 6 #3
“And you may never know,” Detective Colt pointed out. “Some cases don’t give us all the answers. That may end up being something you just have to accept.”
Anderson clarified, “I can tell you that, as far as I’m concerned, this isn’t something that requires acceptance.
It requires justice, one way or another.
” No matter how much he wanted to say more, the conversation was circling, and he was done with the discussion.
“I won’t take up any more of your time, Detective, but please find out what the hell’s going on. And if you don’t, … I will.”
Later that day, both Anderson and Burton had been working around the house. Anderson took a moment to lie down on the sofa, while Burton sat at the kitchen counter. Suddenly Burton looked up, his gaze narrowed, as he listened to something in the distance.
Anderson popped upright and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Heard something,” he whispered, as he got up slowly.
He checked on the babies, who were on a blanket on the floor, just staring at the ceiling, the fireplace, or whatever else they could see, completely content.
“Give me a second.” He turned and quickly left the living room.
Almost immediately one of the babies started crying.
Anderson sat down beside her, rubbed her tummy, and talked to her quietly. He didn’t know what Burton had seen or heard, but he trusted him. As soon as the baby calmed down, Anderson gazed around, looking to see just what had startled Burton, but Anderson sensed nothing suspicious.
Burton returned a moment later.
Anderson asked him, “What’s happening?”
“I thought I heard something, maybe saw it too. What was that vehicle you saw earlier?”
“It looked to be a Tesla,” he shared, alert now. “Why?”
“Because I just heard a vehicle outside,” Burton explained. “It sounded like an EV, so could have been a Tesla again.”
“Okay.” Anderson frowned. “And you’re thinking the same car was back here again?”
“It might have been, yes,” Burton hedged. “I’m just not sure.”
“Okay, I get it.” He got up and went to step outside when Burton waved him off.
“As soon as I stepped out back, they disappeared. No one is outside now.”
“Interesting,” he muttered.
“That’s also pretty indicative,” Burton noted.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Anderson confirmed, lost in thought.
“At the same time, it’s not proof of anything.”
“No, it isn’t unfortunately.” Anderson turned to his friend. “We’re just looking for ghosts that aren’t there.”
“Maybe,” Burton began, “or maybe we should be looking for something that’s not here. Who’s to say that this brother-in-law of yours isn’t coming back after something? We don’t know what he is looking for, if it is even him looking for something.”
“But what?” Anderson asked, frowning at his buddy.
“I don’t know, Anderson. I mean, he’s your brother-in-law.”
He winced. “Yeah, believe me that I’ve thought of that quite a few times now. I’m not sure what to say, but the detective did mention he works for some international company, as a clerk, which feels very off to me.”
“International, you say?” Burton asked, with a knowing look. “What the hell’s going on here? And, if our visitor was Tim, what does he want?”
Anderson thought about that for a long moment and then nodded. “That’s the question we should be asking. What would he want, and why wouldn’t he just come get it? Also, each time I call the hospital, no one but me has been visiting Talia.”
“So we haven’t been approaching this quite right.”
“Yeah, you’re not kidding,” he muttered.
“I’m just not sure what the right way is.
I mentioned drugs, theft, smuggling to the detective, just spit-balling ideas.
So, if it’s Tim, either he’s here voluntarily or under threats of death.
So, surely he already knows where the drugs are or the stolen goods or whatever the real thieves told him about and where to find the contraband.
Maybe whatever he wants is in the house, and our visitor is waiting for us to leave. ”
He stopped to think about it and added, “I sure hope they are not after the triplets.” He shared a look with Burton, nodding in return. “Can we consider something else along this line? Do we have anybody we can contact to ask for help on this investigation?”
Burton eyed him and asked, “Officially?”
“I don’t know that officially would even work here.
I don’t think the local cops will let me have anything officially to do with this,” he shared.
“But is there anything we can do? I mean, … we’re already up to our ears just tending to the triplets, so what can we do, from right here, in this living room? ”
“How about a real rundown on Timothy? A deep background check? I’m surprised you didn’t do that back when she was dating him.”
“My sister told me not to,” he admitted. “There was a time in my life where I didn’t let anybody get close to her, not without my doing a full rundown on them. She finally told me to stop. Talia wasn’t having it and threw a tantrum.”
“So, you didn’t check Tim at all?”
“Right now, believe me that I’m wishing I had. But I had caused so much trouble in her previous relationships that I was damaging the relationship I had with her, and I couldn’t let that happen.”
“I understand,” Burton replied, studying him. “I get it. Family is family, … and we want to help. But sometimes, sometimes …”
“I know.” Anderson shook his head. “Sometimes family is the problem.”
“Everybody wants to have a family, to become a family. And that shouldn’t cause problems, not in theory.”
“Yeah, exactly,” Anderson muttered.
Just then, right on cue, one of the triplets rolled over, looked up at him, and laughed.
“Oh my God, did you see that?” Anderson spoke with all the pride of a new parent. “She just rolled over all on her own.”
And the two hardened military men went all googly-eyed over the little girl’s newest accomplishment.