Chapter 25 #2
“I came home and it was okay for a few hours, but then the bad memories came back. I couldn’t deal with this helplessness.
It felt like my control over my own life was slipping out of my fingers.
Someone knocked on the door and I was surprised to find Billy here.
He told me he wanted to talk about Owen.
He came indoors and I offered him tea. He went on to ask me if I was feeling better.
I told him the truth, that I was finding it hard to adapt to life without your father.
I told him that I had terrible anxiety often.
He told me he understood my grief and gave me a couple of white tablets.
He said I could take them if I wanted to relax and he wouldn’t tell anyone.
He waited ‘til I gulped a couple of pills down, he even got me a glass of water.
I went to lie down on the bed and he asked me where the watch was.
“When I didn’t reply, he yelled that I was going to ruin everything.
One minute he was screaming at me and the next minute he was rummaging through the contents of the dresser.
He snatched the watch before I could react.
He told me this was my punishment. He was going to destroy the watch so I learned my lesson and never let addiction get the better of me again.
He said that he was testing me and I had failed.
“I ruin everything, Ryan. I’m so sorry.”
My mind was buzzing with questions. How did the watch end up in the bottom of the dresser? This made no sense. And why the hell was Billy suddenly getting involved with my mother’s addiction and punishing her?
“When was this? What time?”
“Two nights ago, around dinnertime. I was afraid to tell you. I know you are angry. I’m ashamed of myself, Ryan.
I went back to him today and I apologized and begged, but he is now denying everything.
He says he never took the watch. He is lying.
I saw him take it. I swear, Ryan, Billy took your father’s watch. ”
“Mom, listen to me. I’ll bring Dad’s watch back. But you’re going back to rehab. Dad isn’t coming back. But you still got us. I need you. Owen needs you. You’ll stop taking those pills and stick to the program. I want Owen to come back home. I don’t want him to live with Bolton anymore.”
She nodded. I could see how she felt guilty but she needed the cold hard truth.
“I’ll go to rehab first thing tomorrow morning,” Mom promised.
I left Mom to fend for herself. I needed answers from Bolton. I parked outside Bolton’s home and barged through the doors. Owen was gardening with Wendy outside. At least he was smiling again. I walked straight to Owen and as he tried to give me a cold shoulder, I grabbed him.
“Did you see Dad’s watch?” I asked.
“What’s going on?” Wendy interrupted.
“No. I didn’t see it. But Mom told me she had found it at home. That she was keeping it safe for me. But she called me today and said she was sorry, she lost it.”
“Ryan, why are you here?” Wendy asked.
“Where is Bolton?”
“He’s in his office upstairs. Ryan, what’s this about?” Wendy yelled.
I didn’t wait to answer Wendy, I chased up the stairs of his two-story lavish home and barged into his home office.
Billy jolted in his chair as he saw me approach him. The fear in his eyes was clear. He was hiding something but he recovered quickly. He composed himself and pretended to be unaware of any wrongdoings.
“I want my father’s watch back,” I said.
Wendy and Owen had followed me into his office. Bolton was on guard.
“What makes you think I have it?” Bolton demanded.
“My mother is convinced that you have it. You came into our home two nights ago and gave her some pills to calm her anxiety. You then took my father’s watch from her in return.”
“Why would I do that? I don’t need a dead guy’s old useless watch. Your junkie mother is lying. You can search my house. You won’t find anything. Ask your aunt, I was home.”
“He is right, Ryan. Billy came home from school and was working all night,” Wendy confirmed for him.
His smug confidence made me seethe. “I know you took it. And I am not resting ‘til I find that watch.”
“Don’t cut off the hand that feeds you, Ryan. I’m on your side. I’m helping you. Addicts lie. Why would I steal the watch? I have no purpose for it. Go home. Your mother needs help. You have my sympathies.”
I walked out of there without meeting Owen’s eyes. Bolton had an alibi. He was home all night. Wendy saw him. Then there was this story of my father’s watch that nobody had seen except for Mom. Only one of these two things were true and I was going to find out.
My friends were home for their winter break and they could help me solve this mystery.
Mason, Jake, and I sat in the old warehouse with a bottle of beer in our hands. I told them what had happened.
“Let’s say your mom is right. She’s telling the truth. If a high school principal needed to hide something where would he hide it?” Mason asked.
“In the principal’s office.” Jake laughed.
My eyes met Mason’s first and then we both stared at Jake.
“You are a genius, Jake,” I said.
“That I am, but what did I do?”
“You solved the riddle,” Mason said, getting up and walking toward his SUV.
The guy’s dad was rich and Mason liked to spend his dad’s money.
Money was all he got from his parents. They were too busy to give him anything else.
He was jaded since his girl, Tia, left town without saying goodbye.
It was like she had become a ghost because no one knew where she disappeared.
“Where the fuck are you going now?” I asked.
“To bring your dad’s watch back, asshole. Say thanks later.” Mason grinned.
“We can’t do this without a plan. Let Aariv help,” Jake pondered.
“No way. Granddad will give us a list of things that would go wrong, along with the criminal charges and jail time for each of those offenses. He is a damn killjoy,” Mason said.
We called Aariv - ‘Granddad’ because he was the voice of reason and always tried to play by the rules. Growing up, he was like this kid who was already an adult.
“I don’t want you guys to get in trouble. I want you to cover for me, that’s all,” I said.
“Fuck you. I’m not letting you have all the fun. We’re going in together and that’s how we distract the guards if we get caught. You go east, I go west, and Jake can do circles to throw them off ,” Mason suggested while Jake frowned at him.
“Why the fuck am I stuck doing circles again? Can’t I just hoot like an owl and do the Highland fling on a trampoline instead?” Jake protested.
“Nah. Jake, you’re destined to do the circles. Everyone loves you. Go bless the streets, my man.”
“Fair point.” I agreed. Jake had a sweet charm about him that Mason and I lacked in. He could talk his way out of trouble any given time.
“Fine. I’ll do the circles. Just buy me a dozen dough nuts on the way?” Jake announced.
“What the fuck is wrong with you guys?” Aariv’s voice boomed from Jake’s phone.
Jake had called Aariv from his phone and we hadn’t even noticed.
I had no idea how long Aariv was on the line listening in on us.
“You can’t go inside school premises without a plan.
We need the right gear. Check the school surveillance and the building map.
I need to know how many guards are on duty and at what times.
I can remotely turn off the security footage.
A toy drone can scan the grounds for a start—”
“Hi, Granddad, and how long will it take for you to chalk out this plan,” Mason asked.
“A couple of hours. Depends on the security system they are using,” Aariv replied.