My Spy 6: Private Eye

Private Eye

Ryan doesn't say anything in the car ride over. He also doesn't go over the speed limit, so I know he's trying to stall whatever conversation he has to have with us for as long as possible. Austin and Gus gab in the backseat but my brain blocks out their conversation as if my head has been pushed underwater. I am trying to guess what this "lie" is about but I have no idea. It can't have anything to do with Ryan, or Gus wouldn't be helping him out. It can't have to do with Ryan or Austin's job because I have seen both Austin in their F.B.I getups and have met them in their offices. It can't have to do with Jackson because neither Ryan nor I would care if anything came out about the Hemmings.

I try to think of my family, but I don't know how anything about them could be a "lie". We're the Sweeneys. We have ancestors in photos displayed at the Wellington House. My mother was born and raised as a Liddell in Hollis with strong southern roots and was matched with my father by their parents. It wasn't a love at first sight story, but my father needed a wife from high society and my mother was raised by Matilda Liddell to be the perfect lady. My father is an only child, and now Austin is left to carry on the name, so we don't have family drama. The Sweeneys have always been a well-off, well-connected family. Nothing about that could be a sham. 

When we pull past Austin's gate, my stomach drops. Whatever is about to happen is going to be bad. I can feel it. I can feel the fear oozing off Ryan. After he parks the car it becomes silent. Like we all just remembered why we left the party to come home. 

Ryan kicks his door open first and we all follow his lead. Austin leads us into the kitchen and flips all the lights on as he walks past. The house is suddenly flooded with light and we slowly huddle together around his island. From living here, Ryan knows where everything is so he immediately opens the alcohol cabinet and pulls down a bottle of wine and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Gus quickly grabs the Jack from him and Ryan spins around to grab glass tumblers. 

"This conversation requires alcohol?" I ask and Ryan slides a glass over to me. I catch it as I wait for him to answer.  

"Yeah I need to liquor you up a bit," he tells me, and Austin and I glance at each other, "Wine or whiskey?"

I shrug, "I dunno, how bad is this about to be?" He stares at me as Gus starts dropping ice into his glass. He slides the wine bottle away from him and I guess it's bad enough that he thinks I need something strong. Gus drops ice into all of our glasses and Ryan generously fills us up. He stays standing on the opposite side of me and Austin, while Gus places himself at the end of the island, creating a rectangle. He's not with Ryan but he's not with us either, just here in the middle, however we need him. 

Ryan downs his whiskey while I keep mine in my hands. After he drops it on the island he says, "I'm going to start this off by saying, I'm out of the P.I business. After this, I realized this is not what I had in mind and I hope this is the last time I have to deliver this kind of news."

"This is something you investigated?" Austin asks but Ryan quickly shakes his head no, "No, I had absolutely nothing to do with this. It was Whitney's P.I who brought this to her attention and she showed me everything on Sunday. I then found out Annabeth knows about this as well yesterday and I don't trust her one bit to keep this quiet."

"So whatever you are about to tell us you've known about for days?" I ask, surprised he hasn't told us sooner. 

"I found this out, found out you were taken by Kit, found you, we lost our child, Kit disappeared and Gus had me investigate A.B. There really hasn't been a good moment to drop another bomb on you baby girl," Ryan says, trying to bite back a hint of anger. Austin glances to me, "He's telling us now Sawyer." I put my hands up, not trying to sound accusatory and decide to take a sip of my whiskey after all. Whatever this is has Ryan tightly wound. He sighs and glances at Gus, "I don't really know where to start with this."