Page 86 of Until Landon
“Oh man,” Hunter says with fear in his voice.
“Spit it out.”
“We can’t find the metal box. And the red one looks like it was gone through. There’s one drawer that’s pretty empty.”
“Oh, God.”
“But they couldn’t pick up something as heavy as the metal one, right?”
“Then they had accomplices. Of course they did. They’d need muscle. The girls most likely opened the garage from inside and the guys loaded up their car.”
“Oh shit.”
“We need to file a police report. Hold off for now. I want to talk with your mother after you do. I’ll be there in about five hours. We will decide then.”
“Okay. I’m so sorry, Landon!”
“I don’t want to talk right now. I’m too fucking pissed.”
“Just one more thing I need to tell you.”
I can hear the cringe in his voice.
“What?”
“The old bicycle you put in the corner.”
“Yeah?”
“They took it. Mom said it was special to you. I’m really sorry. We fucked up good. Don’t know why they left the paddle board. I guess it was too big.”
I heard nothing afterthey took it.
My bike. Mom loved that I hung on to it. Anger swells, and I want to go off on the boy-man. On both of them. But I reel it in because I might say something that cannot be taken back. I’m thinking of Kim mostly, and how this will disappoint her.
“Call your mom. Now. I take back the fifteen minute offer. That was a bad idea. I don’t know if you two need to see a doctor…”
“We don’t!”
“Neither one of us can make that decision. Your mother will know what to do.”
“Okay. I’ll call her.”
“I need to figure this out. I’m supposed to fly to Kentucky day after tomorrow. I’m meeting Mabel and her family. Now I have to come there first, figure out the losses, and file a police report.”
“We’ll be here.”
“And don’t move anything! Maybe there are clues the police will...”
“Oh shit. We already started cleaning up!”
In an expression of my general mood, I disconnect without saying goodbye, and wait for the rest of the shit to hit the fan.
The initial kick in the gut has settled by the time I pull up in front of Dad’s. Good thing Stacy is here. That’s the one lucky break. She and Wes can oversee plans for the party while I’m gone. We only have a week and a half. I’ll be gone in three.
Things are moving too fast. I’m not ready. It’s not like I am going to Outer Mongolia. Four hours. That’s all. The entire thing is out of my hands now, moving on a conveyer belt of time. But it doesn’t feel like I am going toward something. I am going away from everything.
The front screen is pushed open with force, and an agitated Kim walks out to face me. She has been crying. I’d like to cry too at some point, if it didn’t make it look like I’m a big pussy. As I get out of the truck, she is already talking.
