Dirty Secrets

Part 69

They're hostages.

Geno Bonatello, Clover, and that horrid little girl. They were hostages to a force that no longer inhabited a mortal body, a body that had decomposed so severely it wasn't worth the effort of reanimation. Hopefully, Geno was now free.

Lyla snatched the striped top from the dryer and stormed up the basement stairs, through the kitchen, and out to the backyard. She opened the lid of the propane grill, placed the shirt on the grate, and ignited the burners. She watched it burn, consumed by flame until its charred remains contracted into a smoky rag. When she was satisfied that the fire had done its job, she turned off the burners and tromped alongside the house to the front porch. 

She sat on the porch steps, elbows planted on her knees, her chin in the cups of her hands. She knew the nosy neighbor was peeking through her mini-blinds but she didn't care. 

Her dad's car pulled into the driveway obscuring the neighbor's view of Lyla.

"Something the matter?" His eyebrows peaked like a roofline when he got out of the car.

She shook her head no.

"You still smell gas?" He came around the car to the porch steps, clasping a bag from Home Depot.

"Just needed some air. My head hurts from pretending I understand Chemistry."

"Lemme replace this thermocouple and we'll be back in business." He jogged into the house.

........

When Darcy steered her car into the Packer's housing plan the following afternoon, her eyes popped. "Are you serious? He actually lives here?"

"Yep."

"Jump on it, girl."

"It's not like that." Lyla sighed. "I mean it maybe could've been. But after all that..."

"So what about that Iron Man thing he's training with?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe he recovers way ahead of schedule. Look. You thought he was dead and now he's actually walking around." 

Lyla turned away. 

"Sorry. That was insensitive," said Darcy. "Just trying to keep it positive. Not that I'm one to give advice."

"It's not just about his legs and arm being paralyzed," Lyla said quietly. "He has a seriously bad brain injury." The words hurt when she said them. "Make a left up there."

"So how did he fix your laptop if he's so disabled?"

Lyla shrugged and said wistfully, "He's full of surprises."

"Look at these houses!" Darcy craned her neck. "Oh, my God! Is that a pear tree? Yeah, that's totally a real pear tree. They're teenie little pears. Look at them. They're adorable."

"Are you high?"

"No, I'm not high. Can't a girl appreciate a mini-pear?"

Lyla shook her head. "You just get weirder and weirder."

"Me?"

"Wait'll you see the house on the corner up here." Lyla pointed. "Looks about as big as our school."

"Okay, I'm just gonna say that robot suit totally sounds like a rich person thing."

"Yeah, probably is."

"If it was me or you, no robot suits for us."

Lyla dialed her phone.

"Hey," said Packer.