In front of me, resting in the middle of Joel's garage, was my mother's car. The same car that she had all throughout my childhood and the same car that she escaped the crime scene in. Joel said that he hadn't seen her since college, but the truth was resting feet from where we sat.
I walked over to take a closer look and check that the car wasn't just an exact replica he happened to own. There was a scratch on the side that matched ours, but a lot of cars were scratched. I peeked in through the window to see the only thing that couldn't be replicated.
Many years ago when I was in preschool, we had an arts and crafts day to create gifts for our parents. My table group was creating a unique gift that could hang from the rearview mirror in a car. I was given a wire that I swirled into a shape and a number of beads that I strung up along it. They were pink and glittery, which was my favorite look at the time, and the end was bent at an odd angle because I thought it looked cool.
I took a couple of steps up to the car and looked through the shadows at the rearview mirror. I couldn't quite make it out, so I grabbed the car door and wrenched it open. I leaned in with my hands on the driver's seat and looked over.
I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't there. Joel was telling us the truth and this was just a wild coincidence. I tried to back out but the shine of something on the floor caught my eye. I peeked back in to see what it was and saw my little swirled contraption lying on the floor of the car. I gasped and stepped backward, hitting the door of the car and crashing into a bike that was propped up beside the wall. It made a loud clatter and I heard my name called by someone inside the house. I did a sweep of the car and then ran to the light and flicked it off before sprinting to the front of the house.
Joel was standing at the door, holding it open for me, and Koda was nowhere in sight.
"You forget to flush?" Joel asked threateningly, leaning down and catching my eyes. I realized that he hadn't heard it from where he was and in this small house, every noise probably echoed. He watched my face closely to see if I was lying, but this wasn't my first rodeo.
"I was trying to save water," I answered smoothly, smiling up at him. "That's what we were asked to do at my last group home due to the large number of orphans who lived there. I guess I forgot."
He hunched his back at that and guilt flushed through him as I stepped out the door. I saw Koda in the driveway and heard the car running.
"Uncle Joel?" I asked as he pulled Lilly back from the doorway by her collar and began to shut the door.
"Yeah, kid?" he asked, looking nervous. I wasn't going to attack him like Koda did. At least, not in the same way.
"I saw my Mom's car in your garage. Next time you lie, you might want to hide the evidence better," I advised him angelically. His jaw dropped and his face grew red in anger and shock. I stepped closer to him, leaning in and making my face deadly serious.
"Do you know how much we've been through? I suspect you do, which makes me think you should be a little more loyal to your family. But we're not really family to you, are we? Keep protecting our mother, who killed our father and abandoned her two children. Great choice," I said in a low voice, looking directly into his eyes.
"Don't ever talk to Koda again. He, unlike you, is my family. And I don't let people hurt my family."
Joel stumbled back against the wall as I spoke but he pushed himself off with his forearms and towered over me.
"Get out of my house!" he bellowed, a mixture of feelings displayed on his face. His body shook and he looked fearsome, but I knew he wouldn't do anything. There was shame in his eyes at my proclamation and I could tell he was feeling the weight of it.
"Gladly," I replied. I skipped to the car and hopped inside, smiling at Koda.
"We better get out of here fast," I declared, as Joel walked out of the house and over towards us.
"What did you do?" Koda asked, pulling us into reverse and shooting back into the empty street.
"Found us our next clue," I said with a grin, holding up a handful of papers.
YOU ARE READING
I Don't Believe You
Mystery / Thriller"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." -David Foster Wallace It's hard to believe that one night has the potential to change your entire life. For Sloane, that was the night that her father was murdered and her mother...
