Chapter 33
Sirens blaring broke through the early morning’s
peace and quiet.
His mother was frantic, his father was angry and
Lance, Lance didn’t know what to feel.
Just thirty minutes earlier he’d stumbled
downstairs, he’d just woken up and had been angry he woke up this early on a
Saturday morning. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and slowly made his way
through the hall, the living room and into the kitchen he unconsciously noticed
that there were some empty spots in places he could have sworn were occupied
the night before.
It wasn’t until he reached the kitchen, pulled out
a plate and then opened the drawer to pick a knife that he realized something
had happened while he’d been asleep.
The drawer was empty!
No knifes, no forks and no spoons.
The silverware was gone and Lance got a bad feeling
in his stomach. Wide awake now he left his plate for what it was and walked
into the living room. He looked around, turning 360 degrees as he did a mental
check on the room. No golden statue; the one his dad had brought back from
Africa. The small crystal statues were gone, the glass cabinet totally emptied
and the valuable statues around the room where no longer there.
The bad feeling grew as he dashed for the stairs
taking them two at a time as he descended them leading him to the basement. He
stopped finally in front of the safe, his heart pounding and his hands shaking.
He took a deep breath, then twisted the dial a couple of times in order to open
the safe; 4,2,9. He pushed the handle down, unconsciously closing his eyes as
he opened the small wall safe. When he reopened them, he was met with… nothing.
Except for the few documents that covered the bottom the safe was empty. His
mom’s diamond ring, his father’s golden watch and his own Rolex, all the cash
and other jewelry they’d kept in this safe. It was all gone.
Lance’s bad feeling grew. He sank to his knees. The
tears flowing as he was crouched down on the cold basement floor. Suddenly the
tears stopped and Lance wiped them away with jerky movements. The sadness made
way for the anger.
He quickly stood, ran upstairs, woke up his parents
with a quick, “We’ve been robbed” and then grabbed for the phone on his dads
bedside table and called the cops, reporting a break of entry.
Lance was hugging himself as he watched the cops
swarm the house for the second time in just six months. He stared without
seeing anything as they questioned his father, then his mother and finally one
officer stepped towards him.
“Excuse me son” Lance looked up a little startled.
A blank expression in his eyes.
“You were the first one to come downstairs?”
“Uh, yes” Lance croaked.
“Did you notice anything strange when you first saw
it?”
Lance shook his head no, forcing himself to think
and to get the other random thoughts out of his head.
“Did you hear anything during the night?”
“No I slept throughout the whole night”
The officer nodded, glancing down at his notebook.
“You and your parents reported a robbery six months
ago correct?”
Lance nodded.
“Do you think it could be the same person or
persons since they didn’t quite succeed last time?”
Lance took in the question. He thought long but
finally nodded.
“Yes” he said determined, all eyes were now on him.
“Lance?” his mother’s voice asked confused.
The officer saw the certainty in the boy’s eyes and
he could tell that this young man had an idea or might even know for sure,
who’d done this.
“Young man,” he started gently, slowly.
“Do you have any idea who could have done this?”
the man asked still friendly but straightforward and firmly.
Lance looked around the room. Officers had dropped
their work and were all staring at him. He met his parents’ eyes, shooting them
a regretful ‘I’m sorry’ look, noticing his father’s hands on his mother’s shoulders
squeezing them for support. Lance then focused back to the officer.
He nodded.
He knew.
“Joshua Chasez”
***
Josh woke up to a banging on the door, cringing as
he thought it might be Henry he tried to ignore it and go back to sleep. Another
3 loud knockings made Josh groan and roll over, thinking; why the hell didn’t
Henry just come in already?
“Open up police!”
Josh froze.
The police?
At their door?
Oh no.
He sat up quickly wondering where Henry was, he
slid out of bed and carefully stepped into the living room. There was one more
loud knock followed by the command, “Open up!”
But Josh didn’t move.
The next thing he knew he saw the door swing open
without much trouble, splinters springing off the sides and a police officer storming
right at him, many more following, gun in hand shouting stuff at him but Josh
couldn’t comprehend a damn word. As basic instinct he stuck his hands in the
air. He was still dressed in his old jeans and fading T-shirt from the night
before, his eyes feeling very puffy and watery, still. The officer grabbed him
by the shoulder and spun him around, placing his hands against the wall.
“Joshua Chasez?” the officer asked from his right.
Josh looked at him strangely, letting the question sink in; he nodded.
“You’re under arrest for the burglary at 23rd
Elmwood Street last night” the officer informed him and proceeded reading him
his rights as he brought his hands back one by one to cuff them together behind
his back. Once finished he spun Josh back around, ready to leave with his
prisoner when a voice interrupted him.
“Hey Andy come take a look at this!” a second
police officer called pointing to the kitchen table.
“Keep an eye on him” the police officer instructed
a third one as he released the boy before he walked over.
Josh looked in the direction the other cop pointed
in and found… a silver ring. Josh looked at it for a second, he hadn’t seen it
laying on the kitchen table last night but the blur was gone now. He took the
opportunity to survey the room. Till his surprise, here also, things were
missing from there places, just like he’d left Lance’s house. The stereo, TV
and DVD player were gone. And Henry’s safe
was revealed now for the first time to Josh as he saw the empty space behind
the books, a few of them laying on the floor as they gave away the hiding
place.
“Someone made a break for it, this room is totally
empty” a fourth officer informed as he came back into the living room.
“Bring the kid” the first one, Andy, instructed.
The fourth one nodded and disappeared out the front door. Josh followed him
with his eyes till he couldn’t see him anymore. The officer watching over him,
blocked his view.
“Who lived here with you kid?” Andy asked as he
turned from the kitchen table to Josh, advancing on him. Josh blinked,
realizing they were talking to him.
“Um… mmy step... stepfather” he stuttered.
Henry split?
Henry had left?
He had left him here alone to take the rap? Maybe
he was still with Tony but when he had left last night all the things that were
now missing had still been there. He must have come back in the middle of the
night. But why? Had he heard about the fact they were going to pick him up?
Why hadn’t he warned him if he did know?
“Do you recognize this?”
“Yes,”
Josh’s head snapped up.
“Yes this is my ring” a deep bass voice answered.
Only one person had that voice!
Lance.
He was here?
“Lance?” Josh called taking a step towards the
hallway where he heard the voices coming from.
“You don’t have to”
“It’s ok, I want to”
Josh heard whispering as the officer pushed him
away, keeping him away from the hallway. Suddenly Lance walked into the room,
the officer took a step back and somewhat left the two.
Josh tentatively looked at his friend, former friend,
and unconsciously took a step back as Lance looked at him. His face had a hard
edge to it, his lips stood in a straight line and fury showed in his eyes. The
soft gentle green eyes never seemed so dark and it was almost as much as he
used to see in Henry’s eyes. For the first time he was truly afraid of Lance.
Lance had insisted on coming along, his parents had
protested just like the officers but Lance was determined and persuasive.
Finally they agreed. He had to know why, again.
“Lance?” Josh asked softly, hoping to get in touch
with Lance’s soft side again.
“Lance? What is going on?” he asked cautiously,
afraid of the position he was in. Officers swarming the place, himself in
handcuffs with the announcement that he was now under arrest. It was too much
to take in at once.
“Are you serious?!” Lance asked angrily and Josh
instinctively took a step back at the tone. It was second nature for him
whenever someone was angry he immediately kept his distance. Although he knew
Lance wouldn’t hurt him, he couldn’t help but step away. Josh eyed Lance
carefully, his whole demeanor was one of defeat and anger. He wanted Lance’s
sweet, soft and innocent side. He did not like this side of him but he guessed
he’d brought it out himself. It was his own damn fault. Nevertheless he jumped
when Lance startled yelling, rage in his eyes.
“You thought I was some naďve little rich boy
didn’t you?! I trusted you! And you played me for a fool Josh. I thought we
were friends but you robbed my parents right under my nose!”
“No Lance wait! It isn’t what you think! Trust me!”
Josh defended, stepping back towards him as his arms tried to get in front of
him, wanting to explain and he flayed his arms when he did that usually but now
he couldn’t.
“I did trust you and look where it got me! I should
have known you can’t trust a con man. I will never be that stupid again!
Never!” Josh hung his head but Lance was not finished with him yet.
“What did you think, little naďve rich boy I can
get my information through him, just if he trusts me I can get in everywhere?”
“No!” Josh’s head snapped up, taking another step
forward but an officer was by his side at once, holding him back, he was
obviously too close to the officer’s liking.
“Take him away” Lance said dismissively to the
officer who was holding back Josh’s cuffed form.
“Lance wait!” he yelled, struggling in the
officer’s strong grip.
“Lance please…” Josh said in a pleading tone,
trying to take a step towards Lance again, he was too far away from Lance but
the officer didn’t allow it.
“At least give me the chance to explain” he
pleaded, eyeing Lance but Lance looked back with cold hard eyes which reminded
him of Henry.
“You can do that in court” Lance said calmly and
Josh shuddered at the mention of having to go to court.
“Take him away”
Josh looked at Lance once again, when he saw Lance
turn away from him he hung his head low. He felt the officer tugging on his
right arm and he allowed him to guide him to the police car parked outside,
never looking back at Lance who watched his best friend being led away. Josh
was too ashamed to look back, he had betrayed Lance he was aware of that and he
deserved this, he didn’t deserve a friend like Lance, from the beginning he
knew sooner or later he would screw up their friendship and he’d be left alone
once again and that time had finally come.
