Page 35 of Exposure of Murder

Her eyes narrowed. “How would you know what Mike saved? Did you know him?”

He took his time answering. “Mike and I were in foster care together.” He looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

Jane gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bucky leaned back in the chair and faced her. “Because I knew how much Mike loved you and how much you looked up to him,” Bucky said, his voice trembling. “We were kinda wild when we were teenagers doing shi—stuff we shouldn’t have done. Mike turned himself around, got a scholarship to college, and had a perfect life. Me, not so much.”

“Okaaay.”

“I, on the other hand, have been in and out of jail. Mostly for petty stuff. Although I spent the past three years incarcerated.”

“I know,” she said, her voice softer. “But what were you looking for?”

He paused, took a deep breath, and said, “A girl lived with us in foster care. Her name was Lisa, and I loved her with every bit of my being.”

A pang of sympathy crossed her face. “What happened to her?”

“She was rap—” Bucky gulped before continuing. “Raped. She couldn’t handle it and committed suicide while I was in jail. When I heard, it destroyed me and Mike, although he never talked about it.”

“Why didn’t Mike ever tell me?”

“It was too painful for him. Her death was also the impetus for my time in prison. I found the bastard who raped her and beat the crap out of him. A friend stopped me just before I would have killed him.”

Jane’s eyes widened. “I would have done the same if it happened to someone I knew, but what does it have to do with Mike’s things?”

“Lisa kept a diary and wrote everything in it. I was hoping Mike kept it. If he did, I wanted it. If nothing else, to remind myself what Lisa and I had.” Bucky wiped a tear from his eye, then stared at his hands.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“I wasn’t sure what state of mind you were in, especially after Mike’s death.”

Jane tilted her head. “How did you find out where I moved to?”

“I asked at your building, told the front desk I was a friend of Mike’s. Then I came here and watched to see how you were doing. It was the perfect opportunity to get closer when the sheep escaped.”

She gave him a wry smile. “What a story.” She squinted her eyes. “Do you know anything about animals?”

“Hell no.” Bucky gave her a small smile. “The only animals I was close to growing up were feral cats and rats.”

He kept clenching and unclenching his fist. “I’m sorry I lied. I understand if you want to fire me or have me arrested, but I really would love to have the diary if it’s here.” He hoped she wouldn’t do either. Arrest would lead to a lengthier prison sentence.

“I’m not going to fire you. Your help has been invaluable to me, and I am not going to have you arrested,” Jane said as she stood. “I just wish you told me up front. Why don’t we go up and look through the boxes and see if we can find that diary?”

Bucky nodded. A huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. As they headed back upstairs, Jane paused. “You didn’t write an anonymous note to me saying ‘You have something I want,’ did you?”

Bucky frowned and shook his head. “No. That’s just plain creepy.”

“Yeah, it is.”

They walked back to the room and settled on the floor. He watched as Jane picked up some photos and smiled.

“Gosh, these bring back such good memories. Mike was always smiling. Was he like that as a kid too?”

Bucky’s mind flitted through memories. “Most of the time, especially when he got into high school. Mrs. Martell took him under her wing and helped him get ahead.”

“Mike told me about her.” She cocked her head. “Why didn’t she help you?”

“I was the bad boy, the wild one, the kid no parent wanted their kid around.” He shook his head. “I didn’t fit in anywhere, and the only way I got attention was by stealing and acting out.”

---