Chapter 16 #2
She paused, confused by the comment. “I ate at the school lunchroom today, which means I came home hungry. I’m cooking to feed both of us.”
“Right,” he said, and headed down the hall before he said something else equally stupid.
* * *
Lilith had gone to the pharmacy to pick up prescription refills so they wouldn’t run out before they had a chance to get them transferred to a pharmacy in Sparta, leaving Tate at work in the house on his own.
He was preoccupied with a man who had messaged him multiple times through three different social media sites, pleading for help to find his wife who’d gone missing. Even as Tate was finally responding, he had a funny feeling about the man.
His name was Carl Fellows, from Moab, Utah. Tate offered a Zoom consultation, told him the flat fee for any consultation was five hundred dollars paid in advance, and if he was still interested, to let him know.
Fellows responded within minutes and paid the fee, and Tate sent him a link to the Zoom.
It didn’t take long for the man’s face to appear on screen, or for Tate to realize his instincts about this man weren’t wrong.
He wasn’t going to help him find his wife, but he was about to teach him a lesson he wasn’t going to forget.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Fellows. Do you have the photo of your wife?”
“Yes,” he said, and pulled out a picture and held it up so Tate could see. “I’m just so grateful you’ve offered to help. I’ve been out of my mind with worry. The police have searched but to no avail.”
Tate saw the woman’s face and her story, all at the same time, and was about to put an end to Fellows’s charade.
“You are aware of the contingencies connected to who I help and why, aren’t you?” Tate said.
“Yes, yes, I read all about you,” Fellows said.
“Clearly, you missed the fine print that says I know when people are lying to me. Your wife isn’t missing.
She took out a restraining order against you, and you’ve been arrested more than once for spousal abuse.
You chose to ignore the order. She left you, and you’re pissed.
You expected me to tell you where she is so you could beat her back into submission, and that’s not going to happen.
What I will tell you is that if you don’t back off and leave her alone, I will tell the police where to find you, because we both know there’s a warrant out for your arrest, right? ”
“Damn it all to hell! I just paid you five hundred dollars for—”
Tate interrupted. “That’s what it cost you to lie to me. Now you make better choices, or your ass is grass. How’s that sound to you?”
“Where do you get off threatening me?” Fellows roared.
“I got off at the station just ahead of you, and if you raise your voice to me one more time, I promise you will regret it.”
Tate heard a muttered curse, and then a huge exhale of breath before Fellows spoke again. “Yeah, yeah…look, sorry dude. We’ll just call this even and be done, okay?”
“You end your search now, and yes, we’ll call it even. If you don’t, I will know it. The rest is up to you. You can’t lie to someone like me. Ever.” And Tate ended the call.
It was his first real confrontation with a man he knew could be dangerous, but it wouldn’t be his last, and this—exactly this—is why he had to keep Briar’s existence out of the public eye. Because, if they couldn’t get to him for payback, they would hurt someone he loved.
* * *
The next day Abel and Tate went to the tag agency, had the ownership of Lilith’s car transferred to Tate’s name, and then went straight to the insurance agency to get all that in Tate’s name as well.
Roger stifled a grimace when he saw them walk in and was all business as he wrote a new policy for Tate. Tate wrote a check out of his account, signed the papers, and was given new insurance cards.
“I will be moving to New Orleans soon, and I’ll find a new agent to work with there, but for the time being, this will suffice,” Tate said.
Roger nodded. “Yes, of course. I understand. It’s really nice for you that your parents are giving you a car.”
Tate’s eyes narrowed. He caught the passive-aggressive remark and resented it. “Yes, it is…and Briar is going to be surprised to get that brand-new Ford SUV you’re giving her, which is nice too. You and my parents think alike. Don’t worry about me messing up your big reveal. I never tell secrets.”
Roger blinked.
Tate grinned. “You are never going to believe I’m real, are you? No matter. I have long since quit expecting anything but grief from the people in this town. Is this all I need to do now?” he asked.
Roger felt the sting. His subtle dig at Tate’s parents giving him a car instead of buying it on his own just got handed back to him with a little hot sauce for good measure. “Yes, your insurance coverage is immediate and official. Have a safe move,” he said.
“Thanks,” Tate said, then glanced at his dad. “It’s done, and you and Mom are the best. I’m ready when you are.”
Abel had stayed quiet throughout the entire transaction, letting Tate handle his own affairs, and was more than satisfied that his son was going to be just fine, wherever he was.
But once they walked outside and started down the street to where they’d parked, he couldn’t help but comment.
“That was a dig at you, wasn’t it? The fact that you were given a car. ”
Tate laughed. “Dad, that was nothing, and his moment of being nice when I was in the hospital has long since come and gone. What was funny to me was that he was doing the same thing for Briar and didn’t realize what a dumbass comment that was coming out of his mouth.”
Abel grinned. “You remind me of Joseph at this age. He never let shit bother him for long.”
“Well, it’s because we already know the losers from the doers, and the lack of truth when we hear it. After that, there’s nothing to stress about. The lie is on them. Their attempted deception is right in front of us.”
Abel shook his head. “I know you haven’t been on this earth quite twenty years, but I swear to glory, son, your soul must be at least a thousand years old.”
Tate threw back his head and laughed. “Get in the car, Dad. I’m gonna buy Mama some flowers. I think maybe an azalea bush, so she can plant it at your new home, and every time she sees it blooming, she’ll think of me.”
Abel had tears in his eyes as they drove toward the florist. All the way there, he kept thinking… Just when I think my son can’t get any better, something like that comes out of his mouth. Take care of him, Lord, when we can’t.
Lilith cried when Tate gave it to her, then hugged him fiercely.
“Well, I’ll say, Tate Bandy, pink azaleas are my favorite, and you know it.
This is the sweetest gift ever, and I am so proud of you.
I’ll carry this in my lap all the way to Tennessee, and plant it in the front yard for the world to see. ”
Then she carried it to the kitchen and set it in the sink to water it, while Tate went back to his room with the laptop and began scrolling through messages again.
Three wedding proposals and an offer to model western wear later, he was beginning to think this was not the day for serious inquiries, and then one popped up in his email.
Mr. Bandy,
My name is Evan Springer. I’m fifteen years old, and I live on a farm outside of Porum, Oklahoma.
That’s close to Lake Eufaula. My PawPaw lives with us, and he has dementia.
We’ve been camping out by the lake and fishing for two days.
This morning, PawPaw wandered off right after breakfast and we didn’t see which way he went.
The police and all the people we know are out looking for him.
I can’t help search because I have a cast on my foot.
Broke it playing soccer. This is a picture of PawPaw.
Do you think you could tell us where to look?
That lake is huge. Over 800 acres, and I’m so scared he’s gonna fall in and can’t get out.
I don’t have any money, but I will say prayers for you for the rest of my life if you can help.
My phone number is at the top of this message.
Evan Springer
There was a lump in Tate’s throat by the time he got through reading the letter. One look at the old man’s picture was all it took for him to call. It rang twice, and then the call was picked up by a boy with a shaky voice.
“Hello?”
“Evan, this is Tate Bandy. I just read your letter. Are you at the camp by yourself?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You need to get a pen and paper and write down everything I’m about to tell you, and then call your parents to let them know. Can you do that?”
The kid was crying. “Is he still alive?”
“Yes. Do you have that pen and paper handy now?” Tate asked.
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Okay…tell the searchers that I see a sign that says Grandview Drive. He went north there. And I see another sign. Bigfoot Treehouse. Does that make sense to you?”
Evan’s hands were shaking as he wrote. “Yes! Yes! All of that, which means he went farther north than where they’re searching.”
“Tell them I can see him inside what looks like a big treehouse. There’s a ramp leading up to get into it. He’s asleep on a bed. I don’t think he’s hurt. Just tired and lost.”
Now Evan was crying. “I’m sorry I can’t pay you, but thank you so much.”
“It’s okay, kid,” Tate said. “Our elders are precious and full of wisdom. Even if your PawPaw doesn’t remember anymore, it’s all still stored inside his head. He thought he needed to go to work. That’s why he walked off. Now call your people.”
The line went dead. Tate sighed. The knowing was exhausting, and sometimes depressing.
He needed to let go of other people’s misery for a while.
He got up, grabbed a cold drink from the refrigerator, and went outside.
When he left here, he wasn’t just saying goodbye to people. He was leaving everything familiar.