to admit, I was more than shocked by your phone call. Sorry I wasn’t able to answer. I was in a meeting.”
“Let’s cut the chit-chat. We aren’t friends. You’ve pretty much fucked up the possibility of any sort of father-son relationship. But since you say that all the fucking shit you did was for my benefit, I have something that I need you to do. I would never ask if it wasn’t important. I think you know that.” I raise my brow at him.
He lets out a defeated sigh. “Yeah, I know. I know nothing I do can make up for everything I have done. But if it’s in my capabilities, I am willing to help you out — to at least prove that I truly do care.”
“Oh, I’m more than sure what I’m going to ask you to do is right up your fucking alley. This is what I need: I need you to check out the videos at Mallory’s work from six weeks ago. I need you to check out all the tapes near all stairwells because I’m not sure which one it’ll be. Mallory was pushed down one of them leaving work one day and it caused her to lose our baby.”
“I’m sorry to hear th—” I put my hand out to shut him up.
“I have a hard time believing that. But anyways, I have very good reason to believe it was Allison who did it. I want you to find her. I want her to pay for what she has done. There has to be some proof that has been overlooked. I doubt there are cameras in the stairwell, but maybe around it and we can pinpoint Allison being there in the first place. Hell, she might have placed the sign on the elevator. No one else would think to check all the other tapes. Just don’t make a fucking big deal about this — meaning don’t make it a spectacle and have it blasted all over the news channels…and keep my name out of all of it. Think you can do that?” This is his only chance to prove anything to me.
“Sure thing. I’ll get right on it.” He pulls his phone out and starts typing on it like crazy, leaving me to believe he’s either texting or emailing someone.
“Okay, good. Let me know what you find out. Also, is there any way you can have one of your guys keep an eye out on Mallory? I’d hate for Allison to come back to finish what she started.”
“You bet. I already have someone on top of it,” Doug says with confidence.
I stand up and push my chair in. “I do appreciate it. Like I said, I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t important. I want her to pay for what she has done.” He nods his head in agreement and I make my way to my Jeep.
I head over to Derek and Jesika’s before I hit the road again. I’ve been avoiding it for a little while because I’m not sure how to take seeing Journey as she reminds me of my loss...both of them now. They say you can’t miss something that you never had, but that’s a fucking joke, because in my own quiet way I’m mourning two of my kids that I will never know.
It’s perfect timing on my part. As I pull in I see Derek at his grill and the kids running around the back yard. I notice Jesika’s car is gone when I pull behind Derek’s truck. I’m more than happy to see Derek playing grill master because come to think of it, I haven’t eaten all day. That explains the now audible stomach pains I’m feeling.
I shut my door and walk through the carport to the brick porch in the back where Derek is standing by the grill holding a spatula in one hand and a beer in the other, “Damn bro, you making enough for me?” I pat Derek on the back. Jaxon and Emma run up to me yelling ‘Uncle Seth, Uncle Seth!’ I give them both hugs as they ask me to jump on the trampoline with them.
“I will before I leave guys. Let me hang out with the chef for a lil while.” I rub Jaxon’s head before they both take off. When it comes to these kids, I’m a man of my word. I walk into Derek’s detached garage to grab a beer from the fridge he has in there.
“Hey, grab me one too!” he yells.
I twist the lid off before I hand him the cool bottle and then do the same to
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