Page 117 of A Forgotten Mistake

“I wasn’t, no, sorry. He was out of town. Left yesterday morning.”

“Could I have some water?” I ask.

“Of course,” Marissa says as she heads into the kitchen. Honestly, I just want to see different parts of the house. If he was hiding something, obviously, it wouldn’t be right out in the open, but some people are so confident with what they do that they often leave it out in inconspicuous ways. She reaches for the cupboard before going for the dishwasher instead and pulling out two clean glasses. “There are cookies. Would you like some?”

“No thanks,” I answer as I meander over to look at some knickknacks in the corner, all music-related stuff. He’s got records arranged neatly, each clearly having been well cared for and in protective sleeves. I bend over to get a closer look and notice quite a few rare ones in the mix.

“Here you are,” she says as she hands glasses with ice water to both of us.

“Thank you,” I respond. “Living room this way?” I just wander off without rhyme or reason as I head off into a hallway and start peeking into every room I walk by.

“No, this way.”

“Oh, my bad,” I say as I turn around, and because I do, she also turns around to show us where the living room is. I use my foot to push open the door of the room I’m closest to. This one is a bedroom, but nothing looks out of the ordinary. There are two guitars hanging on the wall and the bedsheets are half off the bed. The dog hurries in and starts pawing at the blankets that hang off, making herself a pile to sleep on. As she does so, I see a phone slide off the sheets and onto the floor. I’m more than a little tempted to slip in and grab it, but Marissa looks back to see if I’m following before I can. She likely doesn’t have much on her phone, but who knows… she could be like Cameron’s wife and be aware of what’s happening.

When we reach the living room, Gabriel immediately sits, so Marissa takes a seat across from him.

“So where did you say Anthony was?”

“A convention. Music something. He works in a music store, so he and his buddy go to some convention thing together. I’m sure you can tell by all of the music stuff going on that he’s quite fond of different types. Can’t play anything but a guitar to save his life, though. Ha. Don’t tell him I said that. Dear god. I have to just grin and bear it whenever he tries to serenade me with the keyboard.”

I notice the calluses on her fingers as she waves toward the keyboard in the corner. “You play? You have calluses.”

“I do! Guitar. It’s how we met. He was giving me lessons at the shop he works at. He’s good at guitar. Kind of good. He’sa great teacher but only okay at the instrument. I’m getting off topic. Sorry.”

“Mind if I use your bathroom?” I ask.

“Sure. Right through that door,” she says as she points, and I’m disappointed that it’s right off the living room so I can’t wander some more.

I head inside, leaving Gabriel to the questions. I just wantsomethingto stand out. Obviously, I’m not expecting to waltz into a cinema packed full of videos of him and the others killing people, but at least…something.

I quietly open the cupboards and look at the medicine cabinet for anything of concern. Of course it’s nothing but over-the-counter drugs. I look inside the vanity, but besides toilet paper and other normal bathroom items, I’m greeted with nothing of interest.

I flush the toilet and wash my hands just so it looks like I’m doing something before drying my hands off. Just as I’m reaching for the door, my hand brushes the towel hanging by the door. I hesitate as I grab it and feel how damp it is.

Then I quietly pull back the shower curtain and look at the water that hasn’t yet dried in the bottom of the tub. I go back over to the vanity and dig around for a hairdryer, which I find tucked way in the back. I press my hand against the mouth of it to see if it feels hot, but it doesn’t seem like it’s been used in quite a while.

Is she covering for him? Is he in the house somewhere? Did he see us and hide? Is that his phone in the room? And does she have hers somewhere on her? Did he have time to message her to cover for him?

I step out of the bathroom and try to determine whether she has a phone on her, but I don’t see one. “Do you have your phone?” I ask.

Marissa looks over at me. “Uh… not on me. Do I need it?”

“I was just wondering if you could call Anthony while we’re here, see if he’d be interested in talking to us.”

“Uh… yeah, sure. My phone’s in my bag over here,” she says, heading back toward the kitchen as I see a record sitting on the rough surface of a stone dish. I pick it up and flip it over, noticing a crack on the edge of it. I flip it again and then gently set it back down.

Huh.

How interesting.

“What?” Gabriel asks.

“Marissa, we found his phone number. No need for you to call him,” I say, hand on my gun as I slowly move toward the kitchen. “We got everything here that we need.”

Gabriel is up in a second, his hand also near his gun as he follows me, but she doesn’t make a peep. Did she notice me picking up on things? What spooked her? Must have been me asking her to call him. I mean… she could have lied, but maybe she knew I would have insisted on checking the number if she had.

Even me acting like we’re prepared to leave doesn’t make her emerge, telling me she’s already gone or at least far enough she can’t hear me.

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