Chapter 40
Jayce
What was the best course of action here? Alana wasn’t supposed to reach out to Ben. Not for a while, at least. Everything was riding on that, but I’d been wrong. She was going against her norm and I should’ve considered it was a possibility after everything that had happened.
I could text her from his phone. That could also stir up more suspicion. If I said the wrong thing or sounded off to her, she’d be more inclined to go to the police. I wasn’t terribly worried about the idea since I’d covered my tracks well, but it could still be an issue. There was one thing remaining that could screw everything up. His body.
Ben wasn’t fully decomposed yet. It’d been a few weeks and he’d still need another five, give or take. Unless they truly saw me as a person of interest, I wouldn’t need to worry about my basement getting searched, but it was still an issue. Somehow, I needed to get rid of him, which was a damn shame. It was a waste of good fertilizer, but avoiding prison was more important.
I glanced down at my phone when it buzzed.
Alicia: Grandma said I could come when break starts.
Jesus. She was relentless.
Alicia was adjusting remarkably well, which I wasn’t too surprised about. There was still a lot to do before my parents could actually adopt her, but they’d get there. She was part of the family now and that was the important thing.
Jayce: When does Winter break start?
Alicia: Wednesday. We’re out early.
Jayce: K. I’ll be at a job site late. I’ll get you after. Cool?
She sent a crazy amount of emojis that I assumed meant she was happy about it. I was excited too. There was so much lost time to make up for. It might help Alana think about something else if Alicia came over. Even though there was still a bit of trepidation because of the situation itself, they really liked each other. I knew their relationship would grow and everything would fall into place.
First, I had to fix this Ben situation. Since Alicia was coming over on Wednesday, I really needed to get the body out of my house. Kids were curious creatures and she might go wandering when I wasn’t looking. Knowing her, she’d love to explore the basement.
I grabbed Ben’s phone from his desk where I’d placed it after his death. After letting it charge enough, I turned it on. Texts started coming in quickly, most likely clients that he’d ghosted. Navigating to Alana’s messages, I read through them.
Lana: Hey, I tried calling you, but you’re probably busy. I just wanted to check in. How are you?
Hey. It’s been a couple days. Hope you’re okay.
Ben, I’m kinda worried. I know we don’t talk anymore, but I want to fix that. That’s why I’ve been trying to call.
Remember my 11 th birthday? Mom threw a party together the same day because she forgot. Nobody came and she got drunk to deal with the guilt of being a shit parent. You stole money from dad’s wallet and took me ice skating. That’s still my favorite birthday. It meant everything. Anyway, I just want to talk to you. Please, Ben. I love you.
“Damnit, baby,” I muttered. Why did she have to get sentimental now, of all times?
I couldn’t blame her. This one was on me. Killing Ben had been impulsive because I thought he was going to fuck everything up. He knew too much about what I’d done and if he felt like it, he could’ve told her about Jake, the stalking, the tracker on her car. He was a liability, one that I thought she’d never miss.
Hindsight and all that.
Ben’s phone went off and my brow furrowed when I saw a new text from Alana.
Lana: It’s my fault. I know that. I wish we could have a relationship. Ben, I’m sorry for shutting you out after they went to prison. I’m sorry for putting Jake above you. I’m sorry for everything. I love you.
She was giving up. That was good, but there was still a chance she’d go to the police.
Fuck me. I scrolled through his texts to get a feel for his voice, then went back to the messages.
Ben: Lana… Tbh, idk what you expect. You’re my sister and I’ll always love you, but it’s too late. You know what they say about water and bridges. I want the best for you. I just think things should stay the way they’ve been all these years. Maybe that’ll change later but right now, that’s where I’m at. Be happy, kid.
I read over it a dozen times before I sent it. It showed as read immediately, but she didn’t respond. After ten minutes, I disconnected the phone from the charger and put it back on the desk. Whenever someone did look into his disappearance, everything would look like he’d just walked away. Maybe the text to Alana would make them think he wanted to start over or something.
It didn’t matter. I left no trace of my involvement. Anything that mentioned me in his records was gone. All they’d have was a cold trail and, in the end, they probably wouldn’t put much effort into it. Benjamin Monroe was now a ghost, literally and in the eyes of the world. Gone and mostly forgotten.
Except for his body, of course. I needed to get rid of that while Alana was at work this week. Something had solidified in my mind since I won Alana and it became even more clear today.
She could never find out about Ben or Jake. She knew I’d killed and if she asked, I’d be honest about my victims. Not those two. It could break her and, worse, it could drive her away from me. That was something I’d sworn would never happen.
*****
My rotorcraft was finally complete and it was magnificent. Hector had pulled through just before the deadline. It was enough to make me wrap him in a bear hug, which might have terrified him, but I was in a good mood today.
I was going to tell Alana that Alicia was coming, but the kid wanted to surprise her. She loved dropping surprises. Who was I to take that away from her? She’d even made her a Christmas ornament, which was freaking adorable. I loved the hell out of this kid.
“Go put your stuff in the spare room,” I instructed, pointing to the one at the beginning of the hall.
She took off and I followed. Going past her room, I looked at my closed door. Alana hadn’t been in the living room or kitchen when we walked in, so she must be there. It was only seven, but maybe she’d needed a nap after work. She hadn’t texted me back when I told her I was leaving the job site.
Inching the door open, I peered inside. She was lying on her stomach in bed and I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing her there was something I’d dreamed of for what felt like an eternity. We’d earned this beautiful life.
I closed the door behind me and crawled over her. Moving her hair away from her neck, I kissed the back of it.
“Baby,” I murmured.
She made a little sound and covered her face with her arm. I pried it away, then started kissing her cheek, down to her jaw.
“Someone’s here to see you,” I said.
“No.”
I frowned. She was always grumpy when she woke up, but this felt different. Her voice was monotone and she hadn’t even opened her eyes. She’d been tired all week and acted a little distant, which I’d assumed was because of work. In the days leading up to Winter break, she always reached a burn out point.
“Alana, what’s wrong? Talk to me, baby.”
She shook her head, burying her face in the pillow. Her shoulders shuddered and my heart beat faster when I realized that she was crying.
“Hey,” I said softly. When she didn’t respond, I moved onto the floor beside the bed and turned her to face me. Her eyes opened, then she averted her gaze. “What’s going on?”
A tear slid down her cheek. “He’s gone.”
“Who?”
“He’s gone,” she repeated, her face contorting as if she was in pain. “I just wanted to see him again, but he’s gone.”
I didn’t know who she was talking about. Her brother or Jake, maybe. Something was severely wrong, but I wasn’t sure that I could get her to open up right now. A knock on the door made me swear.
“Alana, please get up. I’ll make you some tea, okay?”
She shook her head. “Leave me alone. I don’t want to see anyone.”
I stared at her for another moment before I sighed. Leaning forward, I kissed her lips, then her nose.
“Sleep. We’ll figure this out tomorrow. I love you.”
She met my eyes and gave me a curt nod. Accepting that was all I’d get right now, I stood and headed for the door. Alicia was bouncing on her toes when I opened it, but I jerked my chin toward the living room. With a pout, she followed me.
“Alana doesn’t feel good right now,” I said. “You can give her the ornament tomorrow.”
“Is she sick?” Her eyes were wide with worry.
I smiled and brushed her shoulder. “Maybe. I’m sure she’ll be fine tomorrow. Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she replied dramatically.
“Broccoli is your favorite, right? Or kale salad.”
Her nose wrinkled. “That’s disgusting.”
“You’re right. That’s why I ordered pizza. Extra anchovies.”
“Ugh. I wanna go home.”
With a laugh, I grabbed the TV remote and dropped onto the couch. “You’re a dramatic little devil. I wonder where you got that from.”
“You.”
I feigned shock, putting a hand over my chest. “I am and always have been an angel.”
“Bullshit.”
“Alicia,” I scolded, but I couldn’t completely hide my amusement. “Don’t you know swearing gives you a one-way ticket to hell?”
“Grandmas and grandpa said they’re just words and to call any word ‘bad’ is a sign of low intelligence and conform… confirmit…”
“Conformity to society,” I filled in. It was exactly what they’d said to us growing up.
“Yeah, that. I just can’t say those words at school or with my friends.”
“Fine, but don’t start dropping F-bombs all willy nilly. It quickly becomes habitual.”
Navigating to the Disney app, I handed her the remote. I’d just added the subscription this week for her and I already knew she was going to make me watch something I would hate. If it was Frozen, I swear to god…