Watching Trin by Freya Barker
Chapter 26
Bodhi
My knuckles turn white as my grip on the counter I’m leaning against tightens. I’m trying hard not to lose my shit.
Trin just finished telling me about her little stunt last night at the football game she’d dragged Tucker to. My mood was already in the dumps after pulling the lifeless bodies of a single mom and her baby from a fire in a cheap apartment building. The fire was suspected to be the result of alcohol and an unattended burning candle. Careless and irresponsible, with a disproportionately devastating outcome.
I don’t know if JD was responsible for Cherry’s death, but it’s certainly possible, and the risk Trin took last night could easily have ended in another tragedy that would’ve been avoidable. She was lucky, but I hold my tongue, not trusting myself to be diplomatic in my concern.
Vic went straight to bed when we got home and Tucker is in school, so it’s just the two of us in the kitchen.
“I talked to Wapi yesterday as well and he remembers her going to that party, but he doesn’t recall her coming home. You never saw her after that night either, right?” She doesn’t wait for an answer before she continues talking. Her hands never stop moving either as she washes dishes in the sink. “Damn, I forgot to call your sister yesterday. Was she home? During the party?”
She’s like the Energizer Bunny, I can almost see sparks coming off her as her mind spins thoughts that seem to fly straight out of her mouth. Like a dog on a scent. I’m not sure whether to shake her out of it or let myself get pulled onto the ride.
“She was upstairs. I think she had a friend over,” I share, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers.
The headache that started forming before I got here is not letting up.
“Are you okay?” she asks, worried eyes scanning my face. “You should get some rest. I’m sorry I’m just rambling on.”
She wipes her hands on a towel and steps in front of me, cupping my face.
“I’m okay.”
She shakes her head.
“You look like death warmed over. Go to bed.”
I’m tempted to tell her about our last call but what would that serve? She’d feel guilty, it wouldn’t bring that mom and her child back, and it would definitely not erase the sight of their dead bodies lying side by side on the strip of grass in front of that apartment building from my mind.
Instead I pluck her hands off my cheeks and bend down to press a kiss to her lips.
“Yeah. I need some shut-eye,” I tell her.
Maybe after a few hours of sleep I’ll be in a better frame of mind to bring up the risk she took last night. I have a feeling it might not be an easy discussion, but the whole thing doesn’t sit right with me. Especially since she spent the night alone with Tuck in the house after that stunt.
I’d spoken with VanDyken on Tuesday, who promised to send a patrol car by a few times during nights I’m working, and Paco assured me the club would keep an eye on the house. Trin would probably have my head if she found out I contacted them, but I needed the assurance so I could focus on the job. The other option would’ve been to take more time off, but I don’t think that would’ve gone over any better.
Trin may be used to fending for herself and everyone else, but with me in her life she’ll have to get used to someone looking out for her.
* * *
Trin
“What are you doing here?”
Anika looks surprised when I walk in with a take-out bag from one of the food trucks at 11th Street Station just up the street. One of the trucks had sushi burritos so I picked us up a couple. I hope she likes spicy tuna.
“Hoping to catch you for lunch.”
I hold up the bag and her face lights up.
“What a nice surprise. Give me five minutes to finish with Darla.” She indicates the woman whose hair she’s blow-drying. “There’s a small seating area in the back, why don’t you go ahead and grab a drink from the fridge? I won’t be much longer.”
The little bar fridge is surprisingly well stocked, but I opt for a bottle of water and take a seat at the small round table.
“You’re a lifesaver,” Anika announces minutes later when she walks in and sits down across from me. “I grabbed an apple on my way out the door this morning—it was all I had left in the fridge—and planned to have that for lunch today, but this is much better.”
“I should probably have checked to make sure you weren’t too busy.”
She shrugs. “My next appointment is running late, so timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
Moaning as she takes the first bite of her sushi burrito, her eyes close for a moment.
“I also wanted to see if you’re free Saturday afternoon. It’s my son Tucker’s birthday and we’re going zip-lining. I would love for you to come. And your parents, of course,” I add quickly. “But I still have to call them.”
Anika almost chokes on her food.
“Not sure Mom and Dad will be up for zip-lining.”
“No, not for that. For pizza and cake after at our place,” I explain.
“Sounds like fun and I’m normally closed Saturday afternoon, but it’s been busy so I just booked a client for one o’clock. Depending on what time you plan to go, I might be a little late.”
“That’s fine, I think Bodhi said it takes a couple of hours at least.”
I take another bite and wait for an opening to ask her what I want to know, but I don’t want to look too eager. We talk a little about her salon and then she asks me about my work, handing me an opportunity to bring up Cherry.
“Are you serious? I remember her, only because she was dating JD Hawkins. God, I had a massive crush on that guy. I remember feeling sick to my stomach whenever I’d see those two together, which was more than I liked because at the time I hung out at the Pickled Egg quite a bit and she worked there on the weekends. I remember he used to pick her up after her shift.” Anika suddenly laughs, shaking her head. “In the end, I guess I dodged a bullet. JD turned out to be a bit of a douche.”
“How so?”
“He was a player. Girls flocked to him and he happily sampled the goods. Stereotypical high school jock with no self-restraint or common sense. Gah, to think I would’ve willingly fallen victim to that lying cheat. Cheated on Cherry too. I felt a little sorry for her then.”
My dislike for JD Hawkins grows, as does my suspicion he had something to do with the threats on me, and Cherry Danvers’ disappearance.
“Do you remember Bodhi throwing a party for the football team when your folks were out of town? It would’ve been in the spring your brother’s senior year. Cherry would’ve been there with JD.”
“Wasn’t unusual for Bodhi to have people over when our parents weren’t home. He could be a bit of a douche himself,” she says, her eyes on me as she wipes her hands with the paper napkin. “Not now, but back then. He certainly didn’t want his little sister around, so I usually hid out in my room, or went over to a friend’s.”
“Well, on this particular night JD upset Cherry, who proceeded to get drunk and your brother found her puking on your front lawn,” I share, hoping it might trigger a memory.
But before she has a chance to think on it, we’re interrupted.
“Anika?” Both of us turn when one of the other hairstylists walks in. “Mrs. Shumway just walked in.”
“That’s my next appointment,” Bodhi’s sister explains. “I should probably get out there or I’ll be playing catch-up all day.”
“Yeah, of course.”
I stand up when she does and she immediately moves around the table to give me a hug.
“Thank you so much for lunch, and I’ll try to get out of here as fast as I can on Saturday.”
“That would be awesome.”
“Your boy have a wish list?”
“You don’t have to get anything,” I quickly assure her, but she tosses me an are-you-kidding-me look.
“He’s a kid, it’s his birthday, of course I do.”
It’s not even one o’clock when I get behind the wheel. Maybe I’ll drop in for a quick visit with Pops. Hayden is coming tomorrow and Saturday is Tuck’s birthday so I won’t have a chance then.
These visits are more about me than they are about him. He doesn’t even know who I am—he even stopped calling me Margaret since moving to Memory Lane—but I haven’t forgotten him. Or at least who he used to be.
On the way I dial Nira’s number, hoping I catch her to invite them before someone else beats me to it.
“What a nice surprise,” she says with a smile in her voice.
“I’m actually calling to invite you and Chuck over for pizza and cake late afternoon Saturday. It’s Tucker’s birthday.”
“We’ll be there, but…pizza?”
I chuckle, it’s not like Bodhi didn’t warn me.
“It’s easiest, since we’re taking him and a friend zip-lining first,” I explain.
“Well, I’m not, so why don’t I throw something together?”
“Really, you don’t have to,” I try, but it doesn’t surprise me when she scoffs.
“Of course I do. Now, what about the cake? What are your plans?”
“I was going to bake him one but I have a friend flying in tomorrow, so I’ll pick one up at the City Market, they have a really good bakery.”
“Nonsense. Does he have a favorite flavor?”
“He’s a plain vanilla kinda guy, but seriously, I don’t want you—”
“Consider it done,” she cuts me off, ending the call before I can object.
That woman, all five foot nothing of her, is a force to be reckoned with.
Pops is in good spirits when I get to the home. Not that he knows who I am, but he seems happy for the company. I notice he is not nearly as agitated as he was when still at home. We talk about a few things he does remember, like the firehouse and Mom, and the rest of the time I follow wherever his confused mind takes him.
By the time I leave I don’t feel upset or frustrated as I have so often, but instead am simply glad I had a nice visit with Pops. I wave goodbye to Jason, who is standing by the front desk, and walk outside. Winds have picked up and the first drops of rain fall. I unlock my doors even as I run for my Jeep, hoping to reach cover before I’m caught in the downpour those dark clouds threaten.
I make it in the nick of time and need to put my wipers on a higher speed to see anything through the windshield. For a moment I consider waiting it out, but it won’t be too long before Tuck comes off the bus and I’d like to be home in time for that.
Luckily there’s hardly any traffic when I turn toward town. Coming up to a turn, the rain comes pelting down even harder, making it almost impossible to see the road. I tap on my brakes to reduce my speed, but nothing happens. There’s no resistance at all and my foot goes straight to the floor. A loud horn startles me and I jerk the wheel, trying to get out of the path of an eighteen-wheeler barreling toward me.
Terrified and completely disoriented, I feel control slipping from my fingers as the Jeep’s wheels hit a rough surface, bouncing me around, before I’m suddenly jerked forward.
The last thing I hear is the crunch of twisting metal.
* * *
Bodhi
“Where’s Mom?”
Tucker tosses his backpack on the floor in the middle of the hallway as he kicks off his shoes. When I don’t answer, he looks up and catches me staring at him. Without a word he puts his shoes on the shoe rack and grabs his bag, setting it on the stairs instead.
“I’m not sure. She left a note that she was running a few errands. I expect she’ll be here shortly.”
In fact, the note said she’d be home before Tuck got home for sure. Vic left about an hour ago, she said she had some stuff to do.
“Cool. Are we working on the bike?”
“Kid, have you looked outside? I had to scramble to get everything in the garage before the storm hit.”
With these high winds I’m sure there’ll be tons of calls about fallen trees. I just hope Trin is on her way home, she’s not picking up and hasn’t responded to the text I sent her ten minutes ago. This isn’t great weather to be out on the road in.
I step out of Tucker’s way when he aims for the pantry, undoubtedly to grab something to eat.
“Maybe do homework first, then if it clears up after, we can go out there for a bit,” I suggest.
“Awesome,” he mumbles when he reappears with half a Pop-Tart in his mouth.
He snatches his bag and hustles upstairs, while I try Trin again with the same result.
I’m starting to get a little uneasy and contemplate going to look for her when the house phone rings. Only problem is I don’t know where the fuck they keep it. I finally find it half hidden behind the flatscreen TV—after hitting my shin on the fucking coffee table in my hurry to get to it—and answer a little out of breath.
“Trin?”
There’s a heavy silence before a voice I don’t recognize comes on the line.
“Hi, I’m calling from the emergency department at Mercy Regional Medical Center. Is this Mr. Paige?”