But That Makes You Family (Craig Cody)

Pt 6

"Craig!" Olivia shouted walking through the open patio door, "Craig!"

Charging the corner into the kitchen, she glanced in the living room to find it deserted, much like the kitchen and patio. Where the hell was he?

"Cra..." She stopped halfway down the hall, bumping into J. "Where's Craig?"

"How would I know?" J shrugged a sulk etched into his face. Did this kid ever smile? "And how did you get in?"

"Lena's birthday, not hard to figure out. Has he been around or not?" Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot in annoyance.

"He said something about going to Deran's bar, did you try there?"

"Obviously." Olivia grunted.

Craig was not making this easy. It was like he'd disappeared on purpose, to avoid this. Whatever his game, it was highly unfair since he had a head start and had left no clues.

"Why do you need him, anyway?" J pushed past, Olivia followed him into the kitchen. Pulling out a beer, J offered one to Olivia.

"I don't see how that is your business." Olivia popped the top and took a drink. The cold liquid calming the anger, until she found Craig.

J shrugged and opened a cupboard, a bag of chips in his grasp, he pulled the shiny bag open and left them in the middle of the island cupboard.

"If it's important, I can tell him that you're looking for him. If I see him."

Disgusted, Olivia snorted and took another drink. The house was eerily quiet, in the same way an empty church or a forest could be. The Cody house was never quiet.

"I'll wait." Olivia answered, tipping the bottle back to her lips.

"Suit yourself, but I have work to do." J shuffled off.

If she waited, she could be here a while. Picking up her phone, Olivia dialed Craig's number - the tenth time in the last hour and a half. Why was he doing this to her?

He wanted to meet his son, she let him, and this was how he repaid that favour? Craig was still as self absorbed as ever.

It's Craig...

Olivia ended the call when the recorded message picked up. She could picture him seeing her number and sending the call to the recording. Craig was likely drunk in some bar or snorting a line off of some girl's ass. Both images made Olivia want to scream at him, telling him what a terrible human and parent he was.

That sort of behaviour had been fine when he was younger and had no real responsibilities. Everybody assumed Craig was the village idiot, because he kept leading them to that conclusion.

Sitting and waiting was accompanied by the clock ticking on the wall. Down the hall, J listened for any movement or signs of his guest leaving. If he waited her out, maybe?

Craig would do well to remember they had a job to plan, the last thing anybody wanted or needed was a hysterical mother wandering in here at all hours. After Olivia had shown up with Deran, it took no time for J to start the digging. He held to the warning, not telling Smurf, but it didn't mean that he couldn't start his own investigation on Olivia.

J would have to hand it to her, she had quite the colourful background with his uncles. Arrested once, getting off as a juvenile offender. Caught but never convicted three times, all on petty crimes. Then there was the drugs and alcohol problem, those appeared to stop around the same time Craig got her pregnant.

What had really riled J's interest to his Uncle's conquest had been the money. Shifting through the accounts, he had found one set up by Smurf on behalf of Craig.