Survived By Secrets

14 • Her Past

The kettle whistled and Lawrence got up from the living chair. He turned a corner which Ryan assumed led to the kitchen. Ryan slumped into the sofa. Nothing made sense. The entire time, the box wasn't helping them to find Nancy's killer.

"This was why we weren't getting anything from the box," Ryan whispered, turning to Lya. She sat up straight as she leaned closer to him.

Soon Lawrence came back with a teacup and sat back down in the chair, placing it on the table beside him.

"I'm lost here. You said your parents died recently of old age. But you also said you hid the box when you moved out," Mahlik said.

Lawrence looked at him, giving him a quaint smile. "Myrtle and Wallace aren't my parents. They adopted me after my actual parents, Roland and Margie, died."

"Margie is Myrtle's sister," Lya said. "So Myrtle was your aunt and Nancy was your cousin."

"Yes." Larence rubbed his hands as he stared at them. "Though I had always referred to her as my sister."

"Why was Nancy's diary in there?" Ryan asked. Lawrence shifted in his chair, not answering him.

"The box has no lead to Nancy's killer? We've been using it this entire time." Lya slumped back in the chair. She sighed and put her forehead in the palm of her hand. They were going the wrong direction all along. But maybe the person that killed Lawrence's parents were the ones that killed Nancy.

"I was just a kid. It wouldn't have helped you anyway."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. He could tell that there was something he wasn't telling them. He didn't seem to want to find Nancy's killer but he more wanted to talk to her ghost. "There were a few things on the papers in the box and we don't know what they mean."

"I already told you, I was just a kid but if you insist..."

Ryan pulled out the papers out of his backpack. "Woods, Brooke St."

"The woods on Brooke St. That's where my parents' bodies were found. I overheard Myrtle talking about it."

"Beaten."

"My parents were beaten to death. They didn't find the murder weapon." His jaws tensed as he slouched back in the chair. "Look, you can find all this information in the newspapers. I was just a kid. I wasn't some detective."

Ryan sighed, defeated. "I guess, this is just the impossible case." Ryan heard Lawrence scoffed slightly but it felt like he had only imagined it.

Lawrence took up the cup of tea and sipped it. It was the only sound they heard as they took in what was happening. They had spent the last few weeks trying to solve a murder using a box that they thought had contents that would lead to Nancy's killer. They were being led blindly all this time, and Ryan would never be able to get Myrtle out of his head because he would never be able to find Nancy's killer. And again they were at a dead end.

Ryan looked at Lya as she sat up straighter. He knew what she was going to ask him. "Did you know Linh Hoang?"

Lawrence looked up and his eyebrows raised slightly. "Are you Lya?" She nodded and then Lawrence averted his gaze, lowering his voice. "I'm sorry about what happened to her."

"How did you know her?"

"She used to work for Wallace's company. I met her through Myrtle. They were really close. She was like a daughter to her." Lawrence tapped his fingers against the arms of the chair. "We thought he was going to pass the business down to your family. There was no one else he could give it to. Myrtle said he trusted them but he didn't want to do it."

"Do you know why?" Lya asked.

Lawrence sighed. He shook his head slightly and then said, "There was a rumour right before he died." He hesitated and then continued, "There were some accusations of embezzlement. They said he was scamming his client's money. It doesn't matter now, he's dead and so is the company."

"Is that why he didn't want to give the company to my family?" Lya asked.

Lawrence shrugged. "Can't be sure." Lya furrowed her brows and then Lawrence said sincerely, "I know what it's like to lose a mother."

He then grew quiet for a while, staring out the window. Ryan could see the window from where he sat. The sun had just begun to set and hues of purple mixed in with orange. It created beautiful mixed swirls across the sky. Ryan looked back at Lawrence as he stared with sad eyes. There was something he could see in them. He didn't know exactly what but it looked like realization.

"You kids should go. It's late." Lawrence stood up, waiting for them to get to the door. This time they didn't protest and Ryan got up out of the sofa.

"Thank you," Mahlik said as they headed towards the front door.

"Remember what you promised," Lawrence said to Ryan as they opened the door. Ryan knew he said he was going to take him to talk to Nancy but he was tired. Tired of the murder and all the secrets and the curse. The curse of being able to see ghosts and having this connection. He didn't ask for any of it. He wanted to give up. Just go back the life he had before. But he wasn't sure if he could.

Before he could go through the door, Lawrence stopped him. "I'll be at the house at four," he smiled slightly and Ryan considered just ditching him. He didn't want to do any of this anymore. But then Lawrence said, "I have something to tell her that you might want to hear."