Chapter 17
Jayce
When I got off the plane, I didn’t go directly to Alana’s place. I imagined she was working through some intense emotions and, honestly, I wanted her to feel them. What was the point if I went and made her feel better after I did all of that to start breaking her down? I wanted her to move into a state where she decided to keep it inside and deal with it herself, which I was sure would be her reaction. If she had me there to support her while she was still so raw, she’d probably spill everything and I’d have to play the role she expected by convincing her how fucked up it was.
It may have been fucked up, but she’d be okay. If things went the way I wanted them to, I’d be able to gradually twist the key to her mind until the door flung open and let me inside. Soon, she’d start to question her thoughts and desires.
Even if she decided to go to the police again, they wouldn’t have anything substantial to investigate. She’d realize it was all but hopeless because I wasn’t some amateur who came into this unprepared. Once she accepted that she was at my mercy, her mind would be mine.
Opening my bag of fertilizer, I ran my fingers over the small amount that was left. I credited the perfection of my last batch of wine to this particular substance. It was a shame that it was almost gone, but we’d had a good run.
“One last ride,” I said as I scooped the rest of it out. After I’d spread it through the garden, I stared down at the plants.
The sweet potatoes would be ready for Thanksgiving and I found that fitting. When we talked about what we were thankful for, I might say something about Jake still being with us, watching over us. Sustaining us. Contributing to the healthy growth of the food we ate.
Turning human bodies into fertilizer wasn’t even that difficult of a process. It took my brother only a couple of months to become something more useful than he’d been in life. I had one of the bottles of wine set aside to age and I may never open it since it was the last piece of him that remained.
It wasn’t as if I’d hated the guy. He was my brother and there were many things we’d enjoyed together. I loved him but a lot of the time, I didn’t like him. In the end, he hurt Alana one too many times and he was in my way. Watching him take his last breath while the betrayal burned in his eyes triggered a slew of memories from our past. I never had to fake my grief; I just had to conceal my relief.
I liked to think that he’d be glad I was here to take care of Alana. Despite his myriad of faults, he did love her. Not enough, but I was trying to think of positives while I watered him into the earth.
When I went back inside, I washed my hands, then pulled out my phone and navigated to a news site for Denver. My lips curled upward when I saw one of the top headlines.
Man found dead in Denver hotel suite.
When twenty-nine-year-old Viktor Campe failed to show up for his flight Saturday afternoon, his coworkers at Elrod Aviation Technologies contacted hotel staff to conduct a wellness check. Campe was discovered deceased on the floor in his bathroom. The exact cause of death is unknown, but a contact within Denver PD speculates that Campe may have died of natural causes. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
It was a sink or swim world and when you stuck your nose where it didn’t belong, you should expect to be drowned.
Things were rolling with Alana now. I wouldn’t allow a single thing to get in the way of that, even if I had to kill more people along the way. None of them were as important as my future with her.
I walked down the hall to my bedroom and opened the door to my closet. There was a small box sitting atop a shelf, tucked behind the other shit I had stored up there. I grabbed it and set it on the bed, then flipped the top.
Picking up the plain wedding band, I ran my thumb over the smooth metal. I hated gold, but Jake thought it was classic. Alana wanted it to be buried with him, so he’d been wearing it when they put him in the ground.
I pocketed the ring and stuffed the clothes I wore as Erebus into my backpack. I wasn’t going to fuck with her tonight, but I wanted to see her after she went to sleep. If she happened to wake up, I couldn’t be wearing anything she might recognize as mine.
There was a stop I needed to make along the way, so I climbed into my Bronco and headed further into the city. The office was small, located in a strip mall, which might make things easier if I had to resort to less desirable tactics.
I parked on the other side of the lot and walked to the suite I needed. The woman at the desk looked up and flashed me an overly friendly smile.
“Welcome into Moore, Levian, & Associates. Do you have an appointment?”
“No, I actually didn’t know I was going to pursue this. There’s a case that involves my family. I want to get information about it.”
“Do you know who the attorney on the case is?”
“Moore.”
“One moment.”
She stood and disappeared into the back. I took a Hershey’s kiss from a bowl on the desk and smiled. Even though I hated them, I popped it into my mouth. I grabbed one more and put it in my pocket just before the receptionist returned with a man who looked barely out of law school. His dark curls were cut close to his scalp and he wore a dark blue suit that was more stylish than I’d expect from a recent grad. He must’ve come from money. Most likely, there were prestigious lawyers in his family considering he was already a partner at this firm.
“Hello, I’m Carl Moore,” he said, holding out his hand. I shook it firmly and smiled in a friendly way. “Luna said you’re here for a case involving your family.”
“Yeah, it’s regarding Jaykob Weste and his daughter, Alicia.”
“If you join me in my office, we can discuss that.”
I nodded and followed him to the end of the hall. He held the door open, then motioned for me to sit on a couch off to the side. He settled in an armchair and crossed his legs.
“You must be Jayson Weste, considering you have the same exact face as Jaykob.”
With a tight-lipped smile, I shrugged. “I had it first by seven minutes.”
“Twins always say that sort of thing. Is it true?”
“Maybe. My parents don’t remember. Mom refused medication, so she was a raging mess and dad was smoking a joint before she went into labor. I think he was still smoking up until one of us was halfway out and the nurses had to go find him.”
“That’s… interesting.”
“They’re very free people.”
He laughed before he clasped his hands on his knee. “I wasn’t under the impression that you were interested in being involved with this case.”
“Let’s just say that I want my parents to be happy, which means doing what I can to help them. And if they do find a way to have Alicia in their lives, I want her to know me.”
“You’re aware that this is not a case for custody or visitation rights. It’s simply to establish a conservator for the estate left by her parents.”
“I know, but it’s still important to them. It’s a step, I guess, and they want what’s best for the kid.”
“Do you?”
“Of course. That’s why I want to support them.”
“And what is it you’re looking for here? To say your piece, get information, or test the waters?”
“I want to know the details.”
He regarded me carefully. The longer I was around him, the more convinced I was that he had more prowess than his age would suggest. He was good at appearing objective at all times and his stare felt like it was meant to intimidate. I leaned forward and quirked a brow.
“There’s not much I can do for you, Mr. Weste. I don’t represent your parents or Alicia’s father. I’m here to help the court determine what’s in the best interest of the minor involved.”
“Does that mean you can’t tell me anything?”
“I can tell you what the process will look like, as well as what you can do to help. I can give you the court dates and any updates along the way. If you want information about the other parties involved, that’s not something I can provide.”
“So, if I wanted to talk to Alicia’s father…”
“I’d recommend going through the courts. In the state of New York, some records are sealed, but you could always try.”
“Fuck,” I muttered.
“Marriage records, on the other hand…”
I snapped my fingers and got to my feet. “You’re right. Thank you, Mr. Moore.”
“Was that the only purpose for your visit, Mr. Weste?”
“It’s one of them. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
I left his office without another word and made a beeline for the exit. Luna said something to me as I left, but I was on a mission. As soon as I was in my car, I pulled out my phone and started typing in information. I knew who Alicia’s mom was, otherwise I’d be shit out of luck. We’d gone to high school with her and judging by how old the kid was, Jake and Hailey had their fling junior year, not too long after she and Alana had their falling out.
Fucking asshole. Who could blame me for killing the bastard?
Finally, I found the record of filing. They got married when she was eighteen, which meant he was the only dad Alicia ever knew. I wondered if she was aware of the truth or not. I tried to remember if Hailey had been dating anyone during high school, but I hadn’t seen her since Alana stopped talking to her. As far as we knew, she ended up moving.
They didn’t even become enemies. They just completely went their separate ways. Hailey had issues and she was sort of an attention-seeking bitch, willing to do anything for a moment of fame, even at Alana’s expense. I was surprised she’d even kept the baby a secret when she could’ve rubbed it in her face instead.
I looked at the names and stroked my jaw. Interesting. It turned out I wouldn’t be spying on my girl tonight. There was something else I needed to explore.