The two brothers stayed clear of each other the rest of the day. Eric was pissed at himself for making his emotions got the better of him.
'What the fuck was I thinking talking to him like that for?'
Lloyd did not come down for dinner that evening. He was still fuming after the argument he had with Eric. It was just Eric, Tanya and Ericka for dinner that evening. And Tanya acted as if she wanted to be anywhere but having dinner with him. Ericka took center stage chatting up a storm about everything that happened at school. Some of the things she mentioned happened months ago, but one would think it all happened that day. But she had both her parents all to herself and that was heaven to her.
After dinner , Eric headed over to see Lloyd. He pounded on the door. He knew that Lloyd was home, because his cars were still parked there. He walled over to the deck area and there was Lloyd outside with the dogs. Eric headed down the stairs. The dogs saw him before Lloyd did and growled at him. '
'That fucking Pepper'
He could understand her barking at him, because she never liked him. She was Tanya's dog, but the others were his dogs, how dare they? Lloyd had taken over as their master. Eric walked over to them, patted each of them except Pepper and they all calmed down and sat down. Pepper still continued to bark and growled at him.
"Can we drop her off somewhere along the road and just tell Tanya that she wandered off?" Eric joked.
Lloyd smiled and shook his head. "She would never believe that."
"Then maybe let Caesar have his way with her. That should calm her ass down."
"Tanya trust me not to let them near her like that." Lloyd said.
"Really? So Pepper has never been fucked?" Eric asked.
Lloyd couldn't help but laugh.
"So now we know what her problem is." Eric joked.
The laughter ended and they both looked at each other. Eric was the first to break the awkward silence. "Want to go for a beer?" he asked.
"Nay, just want to chill and do some thinking," Lloyd said.
"I am sorry about all the shit I said to you; I had no right." Eric said.
Lloyd closed his eyes. "I am sorry too; we both said a lot of shit."
"You sure you don't want to go for a beer?" Eric asked again.
"I am sure."
"You not still mad at me? Are you?"
"What did you mean by "She looks a lot like her but she is not?"
"I... I don't know what the fuck I meant." Eric confessed.
"You think that I would stab you in the fucking back?"
"No, I don't think that Lloyd, If I did I would never trust you with all that is dear to me. I don't think that. I don't know why I said what I did. Look, I just don't want you to fall into the same shit I did. I just hope that you don't. You are always saying that you hope you find a love like mine and Tanya. I don't know why you want that when everything with me and her is so fucked up. "
Lloyd looked away as if he did not care to talk anymore.
"So you giving Jess a ride, was just that, nothing else?" Eric asked and hoping that was all it was.
Lloyd looked back at Eric. The pause was much too long. "What if it was more?" he finally asked.
"I would say buckle the fuck up because this was going to be the bumpiest ride of your life, that if you have a life after the Johnsons hear about it." Eric warned.
"I am not afraid of them, If I had an interest there, just like you I would not let them stand in my way." Lloyd responded.
'Fuck' Eric cursed in his mind.
"This would be a lot different ... I mean you with Jess would be a lot different than me and Tanya." Eric pointed out.
'What the fuck are we talking about here?' Eric wondered
"Devel's advocate big brother, that's what we are doing."
'Did I ask that out loud?'
"Ok little brother let's play. For one thing Jess is still a baby in my book." Eric said.
"And how old was Tanya?" Lloyd asked.
Eric stopped for a moment and think. Tanya was probably younger than Jess when they started seeing each other, but he was much younger than Lloyd at that point.
"Yes they are probably about the same age but , I was a lot younger than you are now. I was closer to Tanya's age than you are to Jess's," Eric clarified.
"I see what you are saying," Lloyd finally conceded.
'I hope the fuck you do'
"They would see your ass in jail if you go near her and I am not fucking joking. I would not be able to save your ass." Eric said.
"I am just pulling your leg big brother."
Eric patted his brother on the back. He was not sure that Lloyd was "pulling his leg."
<><><><><>
Eric headed to his studio with a case of beer in hand. It had been a while since he was in there. That night he needed the solace of that room. He looked around the state of the art room. The room was sound proof with more than enough space for his band to practice and with everything a music producer would need to make good music.
He picked up one of his guitars and pulled a few strings. He hesitated a moment then made his way to a wall of tapes. His eyes zeroed in on one that was labeled T&E vol. 1. He pulled it from shelf and pushed it into the machine and sat back and watched as the projector brought the characters to life on the huge screen. It was him and Tanya in a very intimate setting. He grabbed a beer and gulped it down in one go, then another and another. The video set him on fire. 'Fuck'
There was a knock on the door. He had locked the doors from the inside. He ignored the knocking for a moment, then thinking that it might be Lloyd, he went to answer it. To his surprise it was Tanya. She was in tears and Eric thought the worst.
"What is wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked pulling her to him.
"Jess ... Mommy just called to see if she was here."
"Jess here? Why would she think Jess was here? What is going on?"
"Jess is missing. Mommy is at the police station. Jess never came home after school." Tanya cried.
"Tanya, listen to me, I am sure she is ok. We will find her. She is probably just pissed at her mother about something and is being rebellious."
"You think so?" She hiccupped.
He touched her face. "Yes I think so. Do you know any of her friends?" Eric asked.
Tanya nodded no.
"Do you need to go see your mother?" Eric asked getting a tick in his jaw. He had no love for that bitch.
"No, she blames me for Jess running away. She believes it's all my fault that Daddy is gone and she has to raise Jess alone." Tanya cried.
"So she is still hanging on to that?"
"I believe she is right. Jess needs a father and I robbed her of that."
"No she is not right. If Jess ran away it's because of her not you. She has the girl in a cage."
"Do something Eric, please."
"I will get Lloyd and we will find her." Eric promised. He went and got Becky. He told her to stay with Tanya.
Eric knocked on Lloyd's door for the second time that evening. He opened his door and Eric pushed pass him and enter the room.
"What the fuck is it now?" Lloyd asked.
"Do you know where Jess is?" Eric asked.
"Why are you asking me this? I thought we went through this shit before,"
"She is missing; is there anything you need to tell me before I go bat shit crazy?"
Lloyd's demeanor changed immediately. "What the fuck do you mean that she is missing?"
"Her mother is at the police station, she didn't come home after school,"
Lloyd grabbed his shirt and car keys and pushed pass Eric. Eric grabbed his arm.
"And where the fuck are you going?" Eric asked.
"To find her. It's my fault."
Eric blocked the exit. "How is it your fault? Talk to me Lloyd, did you touch that girl?"
"Fuck no, I would never do shit like that."
"Then why is it your fault she is gone?" Eric shouted at his brother.
"I need to get the fuck out of here man. You gonna stop me?"
"Come, we are wasting time. You can tell me in the car."
<><><><><>
As the two brothers drove to the station. Eric looked over at Lloyd. He could not read him. He was just so stoic.
"I am going to see what Jimmy can tell us, any lead will be helpful." Eric said.
Lloyd just nodded.
"So, what is really going on with you and Jess?" Eric asked.
"Nothing, that is the problem." He muttered.
Eric looked over at Lloyd, hoping he would elaborate but he didn't.
"So what is it? Is she into you but you are not into her? Is that what this is about?" Eric continued to dig.
Ok, Look ... I don't want you judging me or reading more into what I am about to say."
"Talk to me little brother. I promise not to judge you."
"Her mother keeps her on a fucking leash. She is suffocating the girl. Jess wants to go away to college but her mother said no way, not after what happen with Tanya." Lloyd said.
"And how do you know this?" Eric asked.
"I told you, her aunt brings her by to see Tanya. We talk, NOTHING more. Life is hell for her living in that house. Her mother is making her pay for what happened with you and Tanya."
Eric was having a hard time understanding the nature of Lloyd's relationship with Jess.
"I know the woman is strict, but I never thought that Jess was that unhappy. She hangs out with her aunt all the time. It's not like her mother never lets her out of the house."
"A prison is a prison Eric."
Eric pulled into the station parking lot. He was weary. He contemplated going in. He did not want to deal with Tanya's mother if she was in there and he did not want Lloyd getting entangled with that woman. He grabbed the car phone and called Jimmy. Jimmy was not at the station and Eric wondered who the fuck was handling the case. He called Jimmy's house.
Jimmy answered the phone out of breath and Eric knew what he was doing.
"Put some clothes on and get your ass down to the station." Eric said.
"What the fuck for and how the fuck you know that I have no clothes on?" Jimmy asked.
"You are like a fucking book. Tanya sister is missing. Can you get here like now?"
"Tanya's sister? Which one?"
"Her baby sister."
"Have you seen that girl lately? She is not a baby. The other day I went into the store and I could have sworn she was Tanya, they could pass for twins." Jimmy said.
Lloyd huffed and puffed at hearing that. "The fuck don't you get your ass down here?" Lloyd asked.
"Who the fuck is that with you? Lloyd?"
"Just hurry down," Eric told Jimmy and ended the call.
Eric turned to Lloyd. "You need to calm the fuck down Aya."
"How the fuck can you sit there and tell me to calm down? If this was Tanya would you be calm?"
Eric looked over at his brother. He was scaring the shit out of him.
'How the fuck could he equate Tanya missing to this unless he was in love with the girl'
"You in love with Jess?" Eric asked.
"First you practically accused me of lusting after your wife, now Jess?"
"I never accused you of any such thing," Eric defended himself.
"No?" Lloyd asked.
Lloyd opened the truck door and got out without answering his brother. Eric followed him out. He wanted an answer. But just then Jimmy pulled up in his jeep and joined the brothers. Jimmy looked at Lloyd. And Eric knew what he was thinking. If there was one thing Jimmy was good at, it was at reading people.
"Let me see if Mrs. Johnson is here. You should not let her see you here Eric. She will think that you had something to do with Jess missing." Jimmy warned. He looked at Lloyd again.
"The girl is a teenager, she is probably pissed off at her mother and took of with her boyfriend." Jimmy said and looking at Lloyd.
Lloyd hissed his teeth. "You going to stand here and chit chat or go in there and get us some information?!"
"What is wrong with him? Seems like you two switched roles. Him being the hot head and you the cool head?" Jimmy smiled.
"Cool? My pregnant wife is frantic about this, so I am anything but cool. Her mother blames Tanya for Jess running away."
"And why do you think she ran away?" Jimmy asked.
"Who wouldn't living with that bitch she calls mother." Eric said.
"See this is the type of shit I don't want, you and her jumping to the wrong conclusion."
Jimmy came back with the information that Jess was seen boarding the ferry to a neighboring island.
"Fuck, she could be any fucking where by this." Eric said.
"Was she alone?" Lloyd asked.
Jimmy looked at Lloyd with knitted brows. "Am I reading this wrong or does he have a particular interest in the Johnson girl?"
"Jess is family, of course we all have a particular interest in her," Eric said.
"We are handling this as an abduction, until we know more." Jimmy said.
Lloyd walked away. "Am I missing something here?" Jimmy asked.
"Just keep me informed," Eric said and left to go after Lloyd.
"What the fuck is wrong is wrong with you?" Eric asked Lloyd.
"I am taking off. I am going to find Jess." Lloyd said.
Eric looked at his brother. He wished he could go with him. But he could not leave Tanya.
"Of course, I would love to go with you, but the two of us cant leave Tanya ," Eric said.
"I wouldn't want you to leave her. Just so you know, I won't come back until I find her."
"I know."
"Tell Tanya that I will find her."
"You can tell her yourself. Come back to the house. You are going to need the right tools to go on this search and Take Phil with you. That mother fucker can find anything or anyone." Eric said.
"Your friend Phil? That crazy fool?"
"Yes him, you have no idea who Phil is, do you?"
"No, who is he really?" Lloyd asked.
"I will let him tell you. I have a feeling you and him is about to become close friends."
"Anonymity and disguise is the key. Linden can give you a ride on his boat or the copter, just don't tell him the nature of the emergency. He wont want you to get involved if he knows it's the Johnsons." Eric advised.
"Seen?" Eric asked.
"Seen." Responded Lloyd.
**********************
Note: Seen? = Do you understand? Seen = yes I understand. This is the island way of asking and answering the question. Do you understand? :)