Terri Austin - Diners, Dives & Dead Ends

He just smiled. “Okay, look at this.” He shifted the screen toward Roxy and me. Ma crowded in, squashing my shoulder until I moved my chair over and gave her some room. “This could be the library they took you to.” He glanced up. “Do you know if it was on the first floor?”

“Yeah, it was.”

“Good. There are six bedrooms. Four upstairs, two down. Axton may be in one of them.” He hit a few keys. “Then there’s the basement. The door is here, next to the pantry in the kitchen. Any questions?”

“What should we search first?” I asked.

“We should start downstairs,” Roxy said, “work our way up and search the basement last.” Then she grinned. “It’s been too long. Do you feel it, Rose? The rush?”

I shook my head. I didn’t feel a rush. I felt the need to hurl. “Are we sure this is the right move?” I scanned their faces. They didn’t seem fazed we were about to commit a very serious crime.

“It’s your call,” Eric said, “but the longer Sullivan has Axton, the more worried I get. And the dean said if Ax didn’t show up tomorrow, he shouldn’t bother showing up at all.”

“He’s been gone for over a week,” Roxy said.

I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “Okay, let’s do it.”

“Right,” Eric said, rubbing his hands together, “we’ll be in Steve’s Explorer on the edge of the property. You two,” he nodded at Roxy and me, “will have to run through a wooded area, here.” He pointed to the aerial map. “I’ll hack into their mainframe and disengage—”

To tell you the truth it got very technical at that point. All I knew was the computer geniuses decided to temporarily disable the alarm instead of turning it off completely.

“So you guys will bypass the alarm and Roxy and I will sneak in.”

“We’ll hook you up with headphones with a microphone attached. You’ll tell us if you need a diversion or if you get caught. We’ll have your back.”

We agreed to reconvene at Eric’s house at ten p.m. Project Rescue Axton was a go.

I was about to walk out with Roxy when my phone rang. It was Jacks and she was crying.

“I’ll be right there,” I said.

I knew Jacks was going to be angry with me, she always was when Barbara and I weren’t getting along. It was easier for her to blame me than confront my mom. I’d already been through the wringer the last couple days and wasn’t looking forward to any more confrontations, but she was my sister and I loved her. It was time to put on my big girl pants.

For once Scotty didn’t answer the door. Jacks greeted me with a red nose, watery eyes, and splotchy skin. She wasn’t a pretty crier.

“I heard your talk with dad didn’t go so well.”

“No, I guess it didn’t.” I stepped inside the foyer. Sunlight shone through the windows, leaving bright lines of light on the marbled floor. The house smelled like furniture polish and disinfectant, so I knew the maid had been by earlier.

“Dad’s very upset,” Jacks said, with a sniff.

“I hear that’s going around.”

She gave me a look. “I thought you’d listen to him.”

“You sent him?” I assumed my mom gave him those marching orders.

“I thought he might be able to calm the situation down. Do you want some coffee?” She walked to the kitchen and I followed.

She poured me a cup and topped off her own. She rubbed a tissue against her red nose. “This whole thing has been very distressing.”

“I can see that.”

“Dad’s angry because you were so disrespectful. Mom’s barely talking to me. She’s mad because I didn’t tell her you’re dating Dane. Then he calls and he’s all worked up about your place getting vandalized. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Jacks—”

“And you know when Mom’s pissed off like this, Dad is too. So now he’s doubly upset.” She took another sip of coffee. “I don’t want to be in the middle of this.”

I hated when my sister cried. And I hated she was in the middle of this family drama. But I hadn’t put her there, my mother had.

Old anger resurfaced. Anger at my mom for holding the family hostage with her icy temper all these years. Anger at my dad for acting like her little lap dog. And anger at my sister for letting my mom control her.

I set my cup down a little too hard and coffee sloshed out onto the counter. “Mom’s upset? Dad’s upset? Are you freaking kidding me?”

She pulled another tissue from the box by her elbow and delicately blew her nose. “Of course I’m not kidding. I get so stressed out when everyone’s like this. Why can’t we all just get along?”

I looked at her like she had told me that clouds are made of delicious marshmallow fluff. “Because, Rodney King, we can’t.”

“Why do you have to be so difficult?”

“How is this my fault? What did I do wrong?”

“Let’s not get into this, Rose.”

“I think it’s the perfect time to get into it, Jacks. How am I difficult?”

She put her hand to her temple. “I don’t want to do this.”

She wouldn’t look me in the eye. So I kept at her, like a little kid picking a scab.

“How am I difficult, Jacks?”

She finally met my gaze. “You always have to provoke Mom. Why can’t you just do what she wants? I mean, I did and is my life so bad? I have a husband and a child. What do you have? You live in a hovel. You’re a waitress, for God’s sake. You have no one to love you. Thumbing your nose at Mom and Dad really paid off, didn’t it?” Her voice had gotten louder and louder as she spoke.

Feeling like I had been sucker punched, I left the kitchen and headed for the front door.

Jacks scurried after me. “I’m sorry, Rose. I didn’t mean it.” Fresh tears ran down her cheeks.

“Yes you did. And you’re right.”

“No I’m not, Rose. You’re just more independent than I am. You live your life your way.”

“Bullshit, Jacqueline. You think I’m a loser.” I looked around the foyer of her beautiful home. “And you’re right. I’m dead broke and don’t know what I want to do with my life. I’ve been pissing around taking random classes trying to figure it all out. And I date other losers because that’s all I can attract.”

Jacks shook her head and sniffed. “No.”

“I know what Mom and Dad think of me, but I never thought you saw me like that.” I pulled open the door and left, swiping at a tear as I ran to my car.

I spent the next hour sitting on my new futon feeling sorry for myself. Axton was gone — it wasn’t his fault, but I really needed him right now. And I needed Jacks, too. I pushed for the truth, and I didn’t have any right to complain, but I still felt abandoned by the people I loved when I needed them the most.

I stood and started to pace. My frayed thoughts took me from Jacks and my broken relationship with my parents, to worrying about Axton and breaking into Sullivan’s house. A week ago, I thought my life was boring. Now I prayed for boring.

As I wore down the nubby carpet, there was a knock at my door. I grabbed Sparky before I looked out of the peephole. Two delivery men in red t-shirts stood on my doorstep.

They brought in a small rectangular cherry wood table with two matching chairs. One of the men handed me an envelope before he left.

I ripped it open and read the note.

Hope you like this. If you don’t, please notify my secretary and she will arrange an exchange.

This was the most thoughtful thing my father had ever done for me. Was this a peace offering? Did my mother know about it?

I ran my hand along the smooth cool wood. It was the most beautiful thing in my apartment.

I called his cell and left a message thanking him. It was easier for both of us this way — no awkward pauses.