Page 34 of Seven

I let his words marinate for a moment.

I was still hurt, but he was, too. Knowing that helped ease some of the anger churning inside of me. It helped even more when he added, “I’m really sorry, Tal. I’m sorry about everything, including this mess with Dad. I wish I’d been here, so I could’ve helped you guys.”

I could tell he was being sincere, so I sighed and said, “Wouldn’t have been much you could’ve done.”

“Maybe not, but I would’ve been here.” He turned his attention back to Mom as he asked, “Did they ever find out what was taken from Dad’s office?”

“No, they’re still looking into all that,” Mom answered. “But we’re supposed to go see the detective this afternoon. I was hoping you could go with us.”

“Absolutely.”

“We also need to figure out the funeral arrangements,” I added.

“Already?” Rooks groaned. “It’s just been a couple of days.”

“Yes, but we need to get something planned.”

“Have they even released him from the coroner yet?”

“I don’t know. That’s something we can discuss with Detective Joyner,” Mom interjected. “But your sister is right. It’s time to start making a plan.”

“Okay, fine. Let’s go and get this thing over with.”

Rooks let out a defeated sigh, then nodded.

I did the same, then went to get Ford.

The ride to the police station was quiet. We were all tense and lost in our own thoughts. I stared out the window, trying to brace myself for yet another meeting with Detective Joyner. I wasn’t looking forward to it. I knew we’d just end up leaving with more questions than answers, but Mom clung to the hope that he would have something new for us.

When we arrived, it was even more crowded than the day before, and the entire place reeked of BO and feet, which made me even less thrilled to be there. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long. Detective Joyner was expecting us and called us right back. His tie was slightly askew, and he looked more tired than the last time we saw him. I hoped that meant he’d been hitting ithard and would have something for us, but he was quick to say, “As of now, we don’t have any new developments.”

He gestured for us to sit, but Rooks stood near the door with his arms crossed. A scowl marked his face as he asked, “Do you have any developments at all?”

“I’m afraid not,” Joyner answered, flipping through the folder on his desk. “We’re still following up on leads and reviewing the surveillance footage.”

I glanced over at Mom and found her pulling Ford protectively to her side. She was trying to stay composed, but she was struggling. I couldn’t exactly blame her. She’d just lost her husband, and her home had been violated. If that wasn’t bad enough, her daughter was furious with her, and her two children were at odds.

That thought had me turning my attention to Rooks. I could tell he wasn’t pleased about Joyner’s lack of information, but I didn’t know how unpleased he was until he spat, “And what about the files from my dad’s office? Have you figured out what was taken yet?”

“As I told your mother, we’re still cataloging everything.” Joyner sighed, leaning back in his chair. “It takes time.”

I watched the vein in Rooks’ neck start to bulge as he snapped, “There are important documents in that office.”

“I’m aware, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Are you? Are you really?” Rooks gave him a smug look. “Cause from where I’m standing, it doesn’t look like you give a shit about anything except where your next meal is coming from.”

“Now, son, I know you’re upset about your father and all, but throwing jabs isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

“I want access to my father’s office. Both of them.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, at least not yet. We’re still in the middle of an investigation, and…”

“How long is this investigation going to last?”

“I can’t answer that. As I said earlier, these things take time.”

“We have a right to know if they’ve been taken!”

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