The Long Haul

Chapter 8

Now that comment piqued his interest - what the hell was that supposed to mean? Was that drunk Pat running his mouth? Or was there truly way more to the story? Before he had a chance to decide if he wanted to pry for more information, Pat abruptly hung up the phone with not so much as a goodbye.

Reflexively, Jay put his phone down and pulled out his wallet, quickly sorting through its contents with his fingers - driver's license, credit card, debit card, a few detective business cards, and a wad of cash. Nothing seemed out of place nor like anything his sister would want except maybe money...but it really didn't make sense. It wasn't like she'd steal from anyone...right? He hated himself for second guessing his sister's integrity, but the small voice in the back of his mind was starting to get louder. He replaced his wallet in his back pocket and tried to shake off the feeling that his dad's words were some kind of warning. He made a mental note to check in with her about money and allowances to make sure she had everything she needed. That would reassure him that she wouldn't steal anything.

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Alex had spent most of her afternoon at Grant park, lying under a tree switching between studying her notes and scrolling Instagram. It was the best of both worlds. Once she'd received Jay's text, she begrudgingly made her way back to the apartment, knowing she didn't have any other option.

The Halstead siblings had mainly eaten their dinner in silence, neither wanting to break the thick tension that filled the room from the events earlier in the day. It was as if acknowledging each other's presence meant that they'd have to recognize what happened.

Jay took another bite of steak and decided to suck it up. He was the adult in this situation after all. "So we'll be moving into a two bedroom a few floors up next month."

Alex's shoulders visibly relaxed at the welcomed news. Not only would she never have to walk in on her brother having sex again but she could also have more privacy herself. "Two bathrooms?" She looked up with hope in her eyes.

"I'm a detective, not a millionaire," he retorted.

She flashed an apologetic grin. Hey, it didn't hurt to ask. She knew full well that she was freeloading off her brother now instead of her dad, and for the briefest of moments, she felt guilty about not contributing, but that quickly disappeared. "Maybe next time then," she commented while shoving a huge bite of baked potato in.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Jay decided to start his investigation. "So an early dismissal today. What was that about?" He kept his voice as nonchalant as possible. Years of undercover work made it easy.

Alex took her time swallowing to come up with an answer. She shrugged like all teenagers do. "I think some professional development crap for teachers or whatever."

The lie rolled off her tongue as smooth as butter. Honestly, if Jay hadn't already had a reason to be suspicious, he would have believed her. She was damn good at lying, and it was starting to put him on edge a bit.

"Ah, I see," Jay replied calmly, making no indication of what had just flashed through his mind. He took a sip of his beer without taking his gaze off his sister. Maybe if he put a moment of heat on her, he could smoke out the lie.

The thought never even crossed her mind that Jay asked that question to catch her in a lie. His stare didn't faze her one bit. "Yeah, happens like once a semester or something like that."

Jay nodded. "Got it." He'd be printing the school calendar tomorrow and pasting it on the fridge for sure. He decided to tackle one other topic while they were chatting to see if any answers would come out. "So about money. How did Dad handle that?"

For the briefest of seconds, Alex squirmed in her seat before regaining full composure. "What do you mean?"

There it was - a clear indication that Pat had been giving a real clue. And that was all the confirmation Jay needed right now to know that there was something deeper going on. "Did you get an allowance or...?

Relieved that it was only about that, the color returned to her face. "Yeah, an allowance. Money for the train, lunches, and some spending cash for when I go out with friends," she answered truthfully.

"Got it. Why don't you write out a monthly budget, and I'll make sure you have what you need."

Alex looked up at him with a typical teenage bitch face. "A budget?"

"Yeah, it's a thing adults do, so call it a lesson in life skills." He shoved another bite of steak in his mouth with a grin.

He was only met with a pair of rolling eyes. "Whatever," she replied in true Alex fashion.

Jay didn't press the conversation more as he had all the information he needed right now. If he continued prying, he risked her becoming suspicious and shutting down to dig herself deeper in a web of lies. His gut told him that there was something else larger at play here - not just a random afternoon of skipping school or issues with money. This mixed with her flinching recently during their argument and their father's cryptic warning was starting to slowly paint a picture of his sister's life that he'd never known. There were just a few key pieces missing on the canvas, and if there was one thing that Jay Halstead was good at - it was getting to the bottom of a mystery.