Page 7 of More Than Nothing
“Isn’t that the truth.” Athena reached for the vodka bottle on the carpet and uncapped it. This time, she didn’t bother with the Coke.
Elenie had been new to Pine Springs and a withdrawn fifteen-year-old when Mrs. Westlake recognized her love of learning, spotting the form of escape it had been for a teenager with an unsettled home life. Young Elenie had hoovered up facts, devoured books, and absorbed languages, trivia, and history like a sponge. The more random the better. She still did. And Mrs. Westlake had encouraged her where she could.
Babysitting Millie and her brother was a sporadic but golden opportunity until the contact with Elenie’s former teacher dwindled. She’d envied their family life so much at the time. Itwas painful to think of the turmoil the Westlakes must be going through right now.
They watched the rest of the movie without talking. When it finished, Athena scrolled lazily on her phone and Elenie reached for her book. She’d only bothered saving for a phone once, losing it within a week to a light-fingered stepbrother. It hadn’t seemed worth the effort a second time. Money was too hard to come by. She had no friends to keep in touch with anyway, and no desire for instant access to everyone else’s perfect lives on social media.
The room lit up with headlights from the driveway. Minutes later, the front door opened and closed, and male voices filled the hall. Years of experience gave Elenie the ability to instantly judge the levels of alcohol, temper, and threat from the first words she heard; this seemed like a promising night. Frank was laughing, a low, raspy chuckle. Dean babbled, high and happy, his sentences falling over each other. Strutting into the room, Tyson stripped off his t-shirt and the overwhelming smell of gasoline permeated the air.
“Fun evening, boys?” Athena tipped up her face, Frank’s kiss landing squarely on her mouth.
“Enlightening.” He took the glass from her hand and swallowed a slug of vodka before she snatched it back. Lifting Athena’s feet from the end of the couch, Frank slumped on the cushions with a grunt and pulled her legs across his lap. “Get me a drink, Dean!” he yelled in the direction of the kitchen, where her stepbrother rifled noisily through the cupboards.
Ty, still bare-chested, sat on the floor in front of Elenie, his back against the armchair. Her eyes began to water. “Jeez, Ty—you stink.”
“I love the smell of gas.” His grin was a little unhinged. His eyes glittered, pupils huge. “I’ll have a beer, too, Dean!”
“Where have you been?” She didn’t even know if she wanted to know.
“Out.”
Dean sloped into the living room, holding three uncapped bottles. Ty took a long drag from one, let out an enormous belch, and snickered. Athena poured herself another vodka and Elenie decided to make a move. The quiet of her room seemed appealing right now, the draw of her mother’s company fading.
“Seems the Westlake girl’s blown her chances of a basketball scholarship.” Frank’s voice held an undertone of gloating. His heavyset chest tightened as he raised his beer to his mouth. Elenie felt the loaded look he exchanged with Tyson like icy fingers on the back of her neck. “So much further to fall when you’re all high and mighty.” He leaned his head against the couch, the picture of relaxation, and glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. She knew he hadn’t forgotten her link to the Westlake family. His words were a poke at them and a poke at her, too.
This was Frank all over. Contained but mouthy, throwing out observations like poisoned breadcrumbs. Stirring and provoking—especially her. He’d been doing it for years, ever since he married Athena when Elenie was eight. He got his kicks from pushing her, winding her up, intimidating her where he could. She’d grown used to tuning him out wherever possible and never rising to his taunts. It was really the only way.
“I’m tired. Think I’ll head upstairs.” Elenie swiped her book from the arm of the chair. Before she’d reached the door, Tyson had taken the seat. “I enjoyed the movie, Mom.”
Athena didn’t answer but Frank raised his bottle in a mock salute. A dark realization washed through Elenie, tingling the hair on her head and settling on her chest with the weight of a Corny keg. It didn’t matter how she wrapped it up or how much she tried to deny it. This, bottom line, was what her family did.
They set fire to things and nearly killed teenagers.
Chapter 4
Roman
Less than twenty-four hours later, there was positive news on the lost-and-found jewelry.
As Roman headed for his SUV to check out a tripped alarm at the mayor’s office, Maggie stopped him at the front desk. Handing over a couple of messages, she said she’d made it to number six on the list he’d given her before reaching Elfrida Alberty, the relieved owner of the bracelet.
“Mrs. Alberty grabbed a coffee with an old neighbor to kick off a day busier than a church fan in August. She retraced most of her steps but forgot about the coffee, so didn’t think to call the diner. No doubt we’d have seen her in here today but there’s no need now.”
“Great.” He flicked through his messages as she chatted on.
“The Albertys are Pine Springs’ social bigwigs. There’s barely a committee one or other of them aren’t involved with. Elfrida was gushing with gratitude until I mentioned Elenie Dax’s name and then she couldn’t get off the phone fast enough.”
Roman leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. “But Elenie hasn’t been in trouble. I checked her record and it’s clean. What’s Mrs. Alberty got against her?”
Maggie snorted, her lips forming two tight lines. “That girl’s been in here more times than a cold virus. Just because she hasn’t been charged, it doesn’t make her Barbie.”
“Wouldn’t there be something on her record if Chief Roberts brought her in for questioning? There’s plenty on her dad and her brothers. Even Mrs. Dax. But nothing on Elenie Dax.”
“Stepdad,” said Maggie. “And stepbrothers. I’ve heard Elenie was a kid when Frank married her mother. They’ve lived in town for ten years or so. Maybe longer.” They must have literally moved into Pine Springs as Roman headed out. Maggie picked up a pile of forms from her desk and shot him a look over the top of her glasses. “I’ve only worked here a couple of months but I’m already aware that our files are neither comprehensive nor orderly. Whatshouldhave been documented is not necessarily the same as whathasbeen documented.” Maggie sniffed and turned back to her papers.
By mid-morning, the alarm had been easily dealt with and Mayor Magellan’s ego successfully soothed by the personal attention of the new police chief. Magellan was a decent sort. Roman was happy to give up a little of his time to lay the foundations for a good relationship going forward.
Heading back to the station along Main Street, he turned his car into the parking lot of the general store and grabbed his wallet. As the only member of the team who drank tea—going against the unwritten rules of every cop shop in the US, it would seem—he was sure as hell no one else would have stocked up on teabags.
