3
Beckett
I park my rental SUV outside of Upwood Police Department and look around outside.
On the drive up I was surprised to see how nice it actually is here. I was expecting more of a redneck mountain town, rundown and standing on its last legs, since Charlie has been hiding out here.
But instead I was met with mountain views, a decent looking downtown area, and lots of deer and wildlife roaming around. Most of the people I saw walking around were older, and it makes me wonder who Charlie was even selling to out here. I guess he somehow could have been honest when he said he was only storing the drugs at his house for a dealer in a bigger town.
I already took Dragana and Helen back to our rental cabins so they could get everything set up for Edison's arrival. Helen has her own rental SUV, and I told them to get groceries in town as well. I just want everything to be ready for when we bring Edison there.
I get out of the SUV and am greeted once again by the fresh mountain air, and warm sun. I'm thankful that Charlie at least had his life fall apart in an acceptable month to travel here. If I had to come here in Winter when it's likely -500 degrees, I'd be even more pissed off than I am right now to make this trip.
I go inside the police department and check in with a friendly woman named Tiffany at the front desk. She escorts me back to a big office at the back of three rows of workstations that have a few officers sitting at them. She knocks on the door, and a moment later a rough voice tells us to come in.
I walk in and see a large man with sharp hazel eyes look up at me. He stands up to greet us, coming over to give me a firm handshake.
"Sheriff Vaughn, I’m Beckett Kade. Good to meet you in person," I say, shaking his hand.
"You as well. I appreciate you coming quickly on such short notice, Mr. Kade," he says. "Please, come with me."
I follow along with him back the way I came, and then down a hallway until we reach two interrogation rooms. "Charlie's Lawyer is already here. We will bring Charlie in with you two in a moment, I just wanted you to have a chance to speak with his attorney alone," Vaughn explains, motioning to the door.
"Thank you," I respond, and he opens the door to let me step inside first.
An older man wearing glasses and a baggy suit stands up and comes over to shake my hand enthusiastically, "Hello, Mr. Kade. I'm Daniel Williams, the public defender for your brother, Charlie," he greets, motioning for me to take a seat.
"Right," I murmur, looking around the musky, old, interrogation room. I sit in one of the uncomfortable metal chairs as Daniel sits back in his.
Being here feels oddly familiar seeing that this is the third time I've been sitting in this situation, speaking to a lawyer who is going to explain to me how badly my brother has now fucked up his life.
Only this time I won't be taking out a check book, or bringing in some big gun attorney to make it all go away. And it isn't Charlie that is my main concern in any of this. I'm only here to sign what I need to, and finally go get Edison so I can start sorting all of this out for him.
Sheriff Vaughn leaves Daniel and I alone to go get Charlie while we go over everything once again. Daniel explains to me the temporary guardianship I will be given for Edison that Charlie has already signed.
"Once I find his mother and make sure that she's clean, I’ll get her set up with some kind of employment, then I'll be leaving," I explain to him as I sign the last document. "It's time for her to grow up and step up to her responsibility now. There's no one else to take over. Our father is gone, and Charlie's mother has been in the wind for years now. And even if she wasn’t, I wouldn't trust my stepmother toraise a cat."
My father had an iron clad prenup when he married Charlie's mother, Angelina, two years after my own mother died. Angelina still received a fair amount of money after they divorced when Charlie and I were teenagers, but she frittered away what she received by not living within her new means. She had the nerve to come back asking for more, and when my father not so nicely declined, none of us ever heard from her again.
She doesn't have a maternal bone in her body, and she was hoping that having Charlie would be a lifetime meal ticket for her somehow. But she should have read the prenup more carefully. My father got full custody of Charlie, and she moved on to find her next victim.
Charlie ended up choosing a woman just like his mother, which sadly, isn't surprising.
I set the pen down and Daniel gives me the same sympathetic look I've become accustomed to receiving when I tell people my complicated, screwed up family tree. It's something that I'm used to, but I've never for one second felt sorry for myself like Charlie does.
I don't believe that having mommy, or daddy issues should doom you to a life full of irresponsibility, or treating others poorly. Especially when you have access to enough money for therapists, and enough connections to do anything you want with your life.
I want to make sure that when I start a family someday I don't pass down any of this generational mess to my kids. I need to make sure that Edison doesn't become another victim of it either.
"It's really a shame how things like this go," Daniel says, taking the papers from me and letting out a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, I do think that your brother's greatest mistake among many was deciding that he could somehow sell the drugs he was using himself. I think he ended up being his own best customer. Which obviously is very destructive."
I listen silently, having no emotion or sympathy left to expend for Charlie. Daniel folds his hands on the table, and we sit in silence until we hear the door opening behind us.
Vaughn leads Charlie into the room and I turn to take him in.