Green Tea (21 page)

“That’s the problem. There’s a first time for everything, and no one sees it coming, ‘cause they’ve never seen it before.”

“You really think so?”

“Not really, I just don’t want you to let your guard down. It would be a big mistake for you to think that now that these two are out of the picture, at least as far as walking up on you, that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of the woods.”

“Got it. Thanks again for everything you’ve done.”

“I’m goin’ Cara.” He smiled. “But I’m right across the hall and if you need anything at all you call me. I’m gonna check with some of my buddies and make sure there isn’t something going on we should know about.”

“Thanks.”

I followed him to the door and put the maid lock on.

Teagan hissed, “Big help his buddies were before! What makes him think they have any more information now?”

“That isn’t fair. He stopped Jerkface out in the parking lot, that was very spy-guy-like and he caught Jerkface right here in my living room. We don’t have any idea what would have happened if he hadn’t come in the door and saved my butt. Give the guy a break. This is real life Teagan, problems aren’t as quickly solved or neatly packaged. It’s not like on TV.”

“True, but then, we don’t have to deal with commercials, so it all equals out.”

“Teagan, I have a question.”

“I’ll bet you do.”

“So, what the heck happened with Steph and the fingerprints and Jessie? What did she mean - of course they have Jessie’s fingerprints. Is there something about him I should know?”

“Why do you ask that? AJ’s fingerprints were on file and you didn’t freak-out about that.”

“True, but she explained why they were on file and taking pictures of little kids in a school isn’t really all that intimidating. Jessie’s fingerprints weren’t explained and he intimidated a lawyer without even raising his voice or writing anything down. That’s a whole lot different.”

“He’s a computer guy Cara. He’s a pretty big time computer guy, and some of their contracts are with pretty powerful people.” She shrugged, “Probably the real fear is that he can put stuff out there on the Internet that never goes away.”

“Yeah, right. If you don’t want to tell me, just tell me to shut up, but don’t treat me like I’m stupid.”

“You say it yourself all the damn time Cara; sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes there’s no more to the story. You’re just being paranoid.”

“I think that major paranoia is an
underreaction
. Think about it, one day I’m just buzzing through life like a normal person, the next day the family priest asks me to clean something, all of the sudden I’m rubbing elbows with crazy people and putting everyone in the family in danger. Paranoia is a smart reaction.”

“Cara, you have never been a normal person and you have always rubbed elbows with crazy people. Think Liam for goodness sake. You don’t have to worry anymore, anyway, because you have officially used up your statistical chances for drama.”

“Oh, crap, there goes the lottery.”

“I didn’t say that, I said for drama.”

“So you don’t think it would be dramatic for me to win the lottery?”

“Huge amounts of money won’t change a person, it will only magnify who they have always been. You have never been the drama type. That would be Sinead. You would just have a very very clean family compound.”

“I’d like that. Everyone in one place.”

“Yeah. I’ll come visit often.”

“You wouldn’t want to live in the family compound?”

“Of course I would, I’m just not sure I want the family to live there with me.”

“So do you think he was right?”

“He who?”

“My neighbor! You think there are other people out there waiting to get at us?”

“Not a chance.”

“So I can relax? Spend time with the family? Go back to normal?”

“I think you’re fine Cara. There’s no way they’re going to get out of jail. They have multiple counts of murder against them and every kind of charge they can think of including failure to clean the kitchen sink. Jerkface also made the cops look bad, so they’re gonna be waiting for him. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“You know what I did think about? Remember in the journals when Louis wrote something that sounded like he was pretty much apologizing that he didn’t tell Jerkface about anything? I wonder if Jerkface planted that so that he’d look innocent of all of it. I wonder if this was a long-term plan. It would take a really long time to write those journals and plant just the right evidence and just the right amount of it and lead me by the nose to find it in the right order.”

“True.”

“It’s not like they could find out that Louis was onto them, and in a matter of a few days, Louis dies, they hatch this huge elaborate plan to frame Louis, get it all in place, and execute it so perfectly they damn near got away with it.”

“Cara, when you’re up on the stand, do not use words like execute.”

“Not funny.”

“I wasn’t kidding.”

“I still don’t understand what happened here. I want answers.”

“I know, but you need to remember that you’ll probably never have all the answers you want, maybe not even all the answers you need, but for right now, things are better than they’ve been for you for a while and we have a wedding to celebrate. Morgan’s
family’s
even going to be there. After all the tension they’ve had over the last few years, talking incessantly about serial murderers and the family being in danger would probably be a bad thing.”

“You know what, I haven’t done that. I’ve stayed away, but I hardly even talked about it.”

“You’re right. You’ve been surprisingly mature about the whole thing.”

“Thanks.”

“Cara, I don’t know how all this stuff works and I’m not completely comfortable asking Steph, so I think at least for the time being we should just be careful to keep the doors locked all the time, remember that there’s safety in numbers, kind of like having a bathroom buddy at school, and enjoy the wedding. My guess is now that the media knows about it they’ll hound the hell out of Jerkface and his family so that at least we’ll know where he is. If they let him out of jail, the media will be all over him. Same with his sister. I already put a flag on it for my phone. You should do the same. If there are any updates, they’ll email us.”

“Good idea.”

“I think at least until we hear different, we should go on the assumption that we’re good.”

“Works for me.”

“I’m out of here.”

“What? You’re the one that instituted the buddy system and within a minute and a half you say you’re leaving alone?”

“I meant you, not me.”

“I know. Kind of like flossing. You always say it’s a great thing, until you have to do it yourself.”

“I have to go home at some point Cara.”

“True, AJ can follow you over as soon as he gets home.”

“Then you’ll be alone.”

“Yes, but I’ll be locked in the apartment, not driving around where someone can drive me off the road or snatch me on my way up the stairs.”

“They’re in jail, Cara. No one is out to get
me
anyway.”

“Sorry, but you’re in this just as deep as I am. If they put me on the witness stand, they’ll put you on right after me. You’re the one that actually found the memory cards. You’re the one that contacted Steph.”

Teagan was quiet for a second, “You know, the more I think about the whole Steph thing, I’m thinking maybe Steph contacted me.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ve known Steph on a ‘Hi, how are ya?’ kind of basis for a while, but we never did lunch or talked at any length until all this stuff started with you and she seems to be right square in the middle of it. Why?”

“I’m not sure. You’re just thinking this now?”

“There was no more reason for me to think that Steph was weirdness than there was for you to think that getting a call from a priest was weirdness. I’m not gonna beat you up about Billy, and you aren’t going to beat me up about Steph.”

“Truer words were never spoken.”

I finally showed Teagan what my dress for the wedding actually looks like on, with the shoes. I still don’t have a necklace, but maybe just earrings will work.

“Cara, I have the perfect necklace, I’ll bring it tomorrow night, don’t even worry about it. God, am I good or what?”

“I have to admit, you’re good.”

“You seem to be dressing better these days. AJ has been a very good influence.”

“It isn’t about AJ. He doesn’t care what I wear. Actually, he would prefer I don’t wear anything. It’s about trying to build a business or at least some kind of professional life for myself. Because I am working, in essence, for myself, I never know when I am going to meet someone that is a potential paycheck.”

“Smart.”

“Do you know if we’re setting up the ballroom, decorating it or whatever, after we do the rehearsal and dinner, or maybe in the morning? I hate that rushing around thing.”

“I didn’t even think to ask Mom. I’ve been as busy as you lately. Not good. The family survived without us, Cara. Next thing you know, they’ll think this could be a long term thing and we won’t be invited anymore.”

An uncomfortable chuckle followed.

“It’s too late to call Mom, we’ll figure it out tomorrow. I really have to get going Cara. If Steph hadn’t called and told me to watch the news, and if it weren’t faster just to pull into a parking space here, than to go home and figure out if I park in the garage or in the driveway, and most of the time Mr. Johnstone is there and I chat with him, he does own the property, anyway, I would have gone home alone before.”

There was a knock on the door. AJ and Jessie.

“Hey Sweet-T. Your mom called your dad and filled him in. I figured you would be here. I’ll follow you home.”

With that, they were gone.

AJ went in to take a shower. I felt it was my duty to join him there and fill him in on the details of my evening. The fact that I felt more like myself than I had since God knows when might have had something to do with it.

After our shower we talked about all things Jerkface, then moved onto things more pleasant, like the fact that Nana is doing well, and the wedding. AJ was almost asleep when I said, “I’ve been thinking about this, and you know I’m gonna be really busy at the wedding, have you thought about bringing a date?”

He sat up so quick I almost landed on the floor. “A date?”

“Yep.”

“You want me to bring a date to your brother’s wedding?”

“I thought it would be nice.”

“Are you out of your mind? Let’s set aside the fact that your sweet little mother would pull me apart limb from limb, and that your brothers would do worse when she was done with me. Did you have someone particular in mind or am I just supposed to wander the streets walking up to complete strangers saying, ‘you want to go to my girlfriend’s brother’s wedding with me?’”

“Actually, I thought it might be nice if you brought Nana.”