Chapter 10 When the Truth Hunts You Down by. Sam Tinnez
Will
I watched as Theo took a sleeping Violet into her room to put her down for the night. After I had been declared Willey, we ate dinner in the backyard to the sounds of the ocean waves. It was the perfect October night.
Honestly, it had been one of the greatest days of my life. Theo was so much like Jackie it was incredible. Violet was also slowly becoming their triplet as well.
The three of them had a light to them that was unmatched by anyone else.
Jackie's joy around them was astounding as well. I had never seen her smile and laugh so freely. It made me see that the woman she was in Oregon wasn’t her true and full self.
It made me wonder why she hid this part of herself, but also feel extremely lucky I got the privilege to see it all.
The more I learned about her, the more I realized how similar we were.
I hid the darkness within me and masked it with coolness and detachment.
Jackie took her darkness and tried to find as much light within her life to overpower it.
She loved hard and freely. She did keep that darkness within her, buried deep down.
The darkness, I realized, was all tied to one person.
Her brother Nate.
She had never mentioned that he was dead in her stories about him.
This man saved her and Theo. From what I can tell, he was only eighteen when he took the two of them in and began to raise them himself.
I am not sure the specifics of what he took them from, but I can tell easily enough he saved them.
The two incredible women I know today owed so much to their brother.
I think I did, too. He seemed to be the reason I got the privilege of knowing Jackie and having her in my life.
I owed him for that.
My thoughts were interrupted as Jackie sat next to me. “So… Willey, great name by the way, what’s the plan?
I turned to face her, noticing how close she was to me. I was able to see the golden specks in her eyes that matched her blonde hair. “What plan?”
She smiled, nearly taking my breath away. “You know, the plan for the next step in our case. The whole reason we’re here.”
“I thought I was the reason you two were here,” Theo stated as she reentered the backyard and took a seat next to Jackie on the couch.
“You’re definitely a part of it, but I do have a job to do.” Jackie turned to me as she continued, “I am not sure what to look into next. I feel like there must be more to this case. I want to know how that drawing got in Joey’s closet.”
“I have an idea… Did Janice talk about her ex-husband to you?” I asked.
“No, I just know he isn’t involved,” Jackie replied.
“Well, I want to talk to him. I have a weird feeling he may have some answers. She told me some weird things about his thoughts in regards to Joey. It makes me wonder if he drew the sigil,” I shared.
It made sense that he was the one to draw it before he left.
His actions and thoughts about Joey were suspicious as well.
I was leaning towards the possibility that there was some mental illness in the family that both Carter and Joey had.
This caused the thoughts that there was something wrong with him and his son and maybe led him to the Cult of Creatio.
Maybe he was even behind the disappearance of Joey.
Jackie looked off, most likely pondering my statement about Carter. Until now, he was inconsequential to the story. “Yeah, I think we could do that. Do you know how to get a hold of him?”
“I can find out tonight. Theo?” I asked as I looked at Jackie's sister. “May I borrow your phone?”
“Of course! There is a line in the kitchen and another in my room.”
“Thank you!” I said as I made my way inside. Luckily, neither were following me. There were parts of who I was that I didn't want to share with them, especially Jackie. She knew me as Will, or Doctor Bly. That was it. That was what I wanted.
Slowly I dialed the number I had memorized a lifetime ago. She may not even answer, it was late in New York.
“Hello?” I heard her ask in a groggy voice. Due to the time difference I had I most likely woken her up.
“Hey Bec, it’s Will. I need your help with something.”
After I hung up the phone, I headed back outside with the info we needed.
I knew Bec would help me and get the info about Carter.
He worked at an accounting firm only ten minutes away from where Janice’s house was.
He was so close to them, and from what Bec could see, he still watched out for them.
I couldn’t figure out why he would stay so close but cut all contact with them.
“Did you get the information you wanted?” Theo asked as I took a seat next to Jackie.
“Yeah, I know where he is working. I’m going to head over there in the morning. Are you good to head out around nine tomorrow?” I asked Jackie.
“Well, I was actually going to ask if you could go on your own and maybe ask some questions for me. Theo has a meeting with her lawyer about custody and asked if I could watch Vi. Would that be okay?” Jackie asked apprehensively.
I looked at her, initially confused because I thought she wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her work. However, I was beginning to realize that she loved her job, but she loved her family more. Oh how lucky would it be to be loved by Jacqueline James.
“That’s totally okay. I can do this. Leave me a list of your questions for me to ask,” I responded, in awe of this woman.
She took my hand and gave me the slightest squeeze. “Thank you, Will.”
We sat there for a moment, neither wanting to be the first to let go.
I noticed that the longer I was around her, the more I wanted to keep her close.
I had never allowed myself to grow close to anyone, at least not close enough to give them a chance to find the skeletons in my closets.
I knew I couldn’t let her close to that darkness, but damn was it tempting.
She was tempting.
That night I laid in Violet’s tiny bed under princess sheets contemplating how tempting her lush lips were, and her gorgeous blonde hair. Even the next morning as I got ready and headed out, she took up every one of my thoughts.
As I approached the accounting firm where Carter worked, I did my best to push those thoughts about Jackie out of my mind and focused on her list of questions she had given me at breakfast.
“Hi! How can I help you?” the perky blonde receptionist asked as I entered. She was beautiful and the usual woman I went for, but her blonde hair was the wrong shade and her eyes not the brown I had grown to long for.
“Hi, I’m here to see Carter Reagers,” I responded coolly.
“Do you have an appointment, Mr…?” She asked with a slightly flirty tone.
“William, Dr. William Bly. And no, I do not, but it's urgent,” I stated, hoping she got the point I wasn’t interested.
“Well Dr. William Bly, you are lucky, his schedule is clear. Follow me on back,” she stated as she began to lead me towards what I assumed was his office. She knocked to let him know we were here.
As I entered the office, I was taken aback by the exhausted man in the chair before me.
His brown hair was dull and mussed. He had dark circles lining under his eyes.
I could see the resemblance between Joey and Carter.
Same color hair, eyes, similar bone structure.
They both shared a similar distant look in their eyes as well.
“Mr. Reagers, this is Dr. William Bly,” the receptionist stated as she exited.
“Thanks, Ashley. Take a seat, William. What can I help you with today?” Carter stated as he gestured to the chair across from his desk.
“Well Carter, I am here to talk about Joey.”
Carter looked shocked by my statement. I guess I would be if a stranger asked me about the son I abandoned. “Excuse me? Who are you?”
“Carter, as I stated I am Dr. Bly. I met with your son and wife yesterday about his disappearance. You know, the family you abandoned?” I exclaimed in a matter of fact tone.
I needed answers from this man, but I wouldn’t let him free of the guilt he has for his actions.
“They said some interesting things about you, and your thoughts about your son. It got me thinking that maybe you know more than you’re letting on about his disappearance. ”
“Dr. Bly, this is not the place…” Carter started, but I quickly interrupted.
“I also noticed that you took all of the photos in the house of Joey. Strange behavior, you know, to take the pictures of your son that you abandoned and who subsequently went missing.”
“Are you insinuating that I kidnapped my own son?” Carter asked, clearly offended.
“Did you?” I asked as I stood and began to look around his office. It was a tactic I learned from my father. If you acted like you own the place, people would be more likely to submit to you.
“N-no, of course not. I would never do anything to hurt my son!” Carter sputtered in his chair.
“Oh, yes, you wouldn’t hurt him. Just abandoned him and his sister with no explanation?” I responded in a calm tone. I needed to show him who was truly in charge in this situation. It’s how I would get the truth from him.
“I had to!” Carter exclaimed.
“That makes sense. You were forced to leave your wife to pay the bills, deal with your kids, and their expenses. You were forced to be of no help when your only son went missing. For five days,” I stated as I approached the desk and rested my palms on the edge to exert my dominance.
“You don’t understand! It was the only way to keep him safe! The only way to keep them all safe!” Carter bellowed at me.
Okay, now we were getting somewhere. “Safe from what? From who?”
“I don’t know its name,” said Carter.
I was perplexed.
Its name?
Not their name?
“What is it?” I asked, hoping he could clarify what he meant.
“I-I don’t know,” Carter sighed. “It would be easier to show you.”