We walked down the long hallway to Nick's hotel room. Reflective and quiet. I could tell everyone was having doubts and anxiety about having to pack up his things. He had paid to the end of the month but still we felt we needed to do this. So in we walked. Kevin allowed the hotel manager to open up the door and we slowly walked inside. It looked as if he had just stepped out for a minute. Clothes were still laying on the floor. Towels rolled up in a bunch piled high in the bathroom. The bathroom smelled like Nick. His razor still lying on the sink where he left it.
"Well, nice to know Nick is still a pig!" AJ commented while carefully stepping over the dirty clothes on the floor next to his bed.
"He was coming back here. He must have only taken the things he needed. Otherwise this place would be completely bare."
"I agree Howie. Maybe we'll be able to find something here. Have the police gone through this place yet?" Everyone looked up at me like I would know the answer to that question.
"I have no idea. I don't think they did though. He was kidnapped in Florida, not here."
Kevin looked under his bed and pulled out one of Nick's sketch pads. He sat on the floor and browsed through the pages. I stood over his shoulder admiring Nick's handy work. There was a picture of Kevin drawn as a caricature. He had rays coming out of his eyebrows. Kevin laughed and flipped the page. There was one of a dog sitting by a door waiting for his master to return home. Everyone was now gazing at the book in Kevin's hands.
"This kid is really talented" Kevin said in awe of some of the drawings he was passing by as he flipped through the book. The second to last picture was a self portrait. He was staring at himself in the mirror cutting his hair with a pair of scissors his blue eyes dull and unhappy looking. The BSB logo was scrolled down along the handle of the orange scissors.
"I wonder what that symbolizes?" AJ asked.
"We'll have to remember to ask him that when we see him again." I then moved from my perch above Kevin to the dresser. His watch was still sitting there. I picked it up and examined it.
"He forgot his watch" I put it back down on the dresser. Opening the top drawer, I found some socks and underwear.
"Goodness, how much underwear does this boy have?" D commented as I pulled out about three weeks worth of clean undies out of the drawer. Once his drawer was clear I saw the Bible. I picked it up and started looking through the pages. Howie continued on to the next drawer. He laughed.
"What's so funny?" I asked. He said nothing but held up a pair of underwear.
"There's like ten more pairs in here!" We all laughed. I turned my attention back to the Bible. It had been so long since I went through the sacred book. I would need to make it my mission. My family had a tradition that if you closed your eyes and asked a question while holding the Bible the answer would be revealed when you would randomly flip to a page. We spent so many rainy days doing that. Better than getting into trouble I suppose. I closed my eyes,
"Will we find Nick?" I asked. Then I flipped open to a page in the Book of Acts. I scanned down the page but nothing was relevant to the cause.
"What are you doing?" I looked over at AJ, I didn't feel like explaining.
"It never worked when I was little either. I just thought I'd try" I closed the Bible and it accidentally slipped out of my grip and fell to the floor, startling everyone in the room. I picked it up and put it away. Laughing under my breath.
"What's so funny now Rok?"
"Genesis! It fell and landed on Genesis. In the beginning God created man." The empty sounds in the room made me continue.
"Basically it's God's way of saying this is only the beginning!" they all grunted and turned their attention back to their detective work. I walked back over to were Kevin sat still looking at sketch pads. I sat down on the bed and was about to open the night stand drawer when Trish walked in interrupting our investigation.
"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" She asked taking a seat next to me. She looked alarmed for some reason and we were afraid that we had made a mistake by coming here.
"We came to pack Nick's things up. Maybe he left something behind."
"He didn't. I was with him when he left and anything he needed or wanted was with him. There's nothing here that will help us find him." She then walked over to the dresser and noticed all the clothes thrown onto the floor.
"Guys, look at the mess you are making. This is not helping anyone. Why don't you stop and we'll let housekeeping finish the job. It is probably breaking your hearts doing this."
She began to usher us out of the room. I stayed though. I went for the drawer again and opened it up. She came and closed it. She grabbed both my hands in hers and sat herself down right next to me.
"Come on Brian, let's save this for another day. Maybe I'll call the police and see if they want to scope this place out. They could do a better job at it than you guys could anyway."
"Yeah you're right and that's a good idea. I'm gonna come back another day though." She looked happy as she stood up giving me a hand.
"I know what will make you happy. Let's go out for lunch. You in the mood for Corn beef and cabbage? Nick said that was your favorite" I froze in my tracks when she said that.
"What?"
"Corned beef and cabbage, Nick had told me that you absolutely love that. I know a great place where we can get some authentic Irish food. What do you say?"
"I hate cabbage!" she looked completely shocked like I had just shot her dog or something.
"Oh" She said seeming a little angry.
"Trish, what's wrong?"
"Nothing..it's just, well Nick just made it seem like that was your favorite food."
"No, we even used to make a joke out of it we..." then I remembered.
"It's not important" I said as we continued down the hallway. My heart racing in my chest...
We sat and played video games for hours. I wanted him to leave but he just stuck around draining all my energy. I was letting him win now hoping he would grow tired of my bad play.
"Ha! Won again. What's gotten into you kid? You feeling all right?" he said mockingly feeling my head.
"Yeah I guess I'm just not at the top of my game. I'm kind of tired actually."
"All the working out getting to you little man?" God I hated this guy. How can he act like I'm his little buddy? It made me sick.
"So, Trish told me that SHE was the one who beat the crap out of you!" I laughed. He didn't seem to care.
"Yeah, she accidentally made me fall down the stairs!" Now I was going for it. What do I have to lose?
"I don’t believe in accidents Joe." He looked over at me curiously.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm just saying watch your back!" I then picked up my joystick and continued to play. He was staring at me like a man who wants to know more.
"Why would you say that? Did she tell you something?" I slowly looked over at him. Taking a deep breath I started to bluff to the large man.
"Well, she did tell me about your relationship."
"Oh really? Well, how do you feel about it?" Oh God I was afraid something like this would happen. Um what do I say? um....
"Not sure, why don't you tell me your side of the story?" he took a deep breath
"Well, my sister and I haven't always gotten along Nick. Our relationship is a love hate one. We love to hate each other" He laughed "But you know how that is right?" I smiled and nodded.
"She's still mad that I killed our parents" I looked away just then. I didn't want to show the fear that was in my eyes. "They deserved it for doing that to him!" he grabbed my shoulder and I jumped.
"She told you about him right?" I didn't know whether to shake my head yes or no. I wasn't given a chance because Joe's cell phone rang making us both jump. I wanted to grab it just then but fear wouldn't allow me to. He got up and paced as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line.
"What do you mean?"
"Yes, calm down Trish talk slowly!" My ears perked up at the mention of the unstable woman's name.
"He did?" When Joe said that he looked over at me with a smug look. I was terrified.
"No...that would be too suspicious, just stay cool. It's probably nothing." He looked nervous more nervous than he was allowing Trish to hear in his voice.
"Yes, don't worry I'll ask him" He glared at me. I was in trouble.
"Okay, yes I said I would okay fine. Bye" He hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket.
"Nicky what did you do?" He came towards me with so much hatred in his voice I ran toward the bed. He laughed.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Don't make me punish you young man, just admit it!"
"I swear Joe, I have no idea what you are talking about!" He laughed again.
"Well, maybe a full twenty-four hours without food will refresh your memory. Nick something you should realize. we have been doing this for a long time. Don't play with me. You won't like the results!" He then walked up the steps and slammed the door.
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!" I yelled up to him. I sat down wondering what that was all about. when it dawned on me I smiled. Even laughed a little. Starvation was going to be a small price to pay for maybe getting things in motion. I walked over to Julia and wrote down the fact that they were siblings Trish and Joe. I also wrote that Joe killed his parents. If I was a betting man I would guess their real last name was Topper. I probably would have gotten to that if the phone hadn't interrupted us.
Next time...
Revelation by Mare
