His attention turns to the tray of food. “I don’t think lunch is very nice today.”
I follow his gaze, narrowing my attention to the tiny pieces of fluff and hair sticking out from the side of one of the sandwiches.
He backtracks. “Maybe you shouldn’t eat it.” He shrugs and continues his retreat to the door. “And I don’t think the orange juice is any good either.”
I hold in a laugh and lean forward, looking into the glass to find tiny white bubbles in the sea of orange.
The little shit corrupted my lunch and spat in my OJ. “I guess I’ll hold out for dinner.”
He nods and turns for the door.
“Hold up, Toby. I’m not finished with you yet.”
He freezes, like a criminal caught in the act.
“Penny mentioned you recognized Benji’s voice.” I lean back against the bedhead. Calm. Casual. “Have you been able to remember any conversations you might have overheard?”
He glances over his shoulder at me, fear clear in his eyes. “She told you?”
“She trusts me, and you can, too. I want to make sure you both feel safe here.”
He swivels slowly, returning to face me. “But he’s your brother.”
“He is.” I incline my head. “Does that worry you?”
“Baba always said a man should never turn his back on family.”
Luther may have said it. Didn’t mean that fucker lived by it. He continuously threw his children under the bus. “I agree with the sentiment, but that doesn’t mean family don’t get punished for doing the wrong thing. If you think Benji is involved in something he shouldn’t be, I need to know, okay? And I need you to tell me first so I can protect everyone. You and Penny most of all.”
His eyes narrow, almost imperceptibly.
Fuck. I pushed too far.
He shakes his head. “I don’t remember anything.”
And I don’t believe him. Not when his discomfort is increasing.
“That’s okay.” I give a half-hearted smile. “I just want you to know I’ll protect you no matter what happens. I’ve got your back.”
He nods, but there’s no belief. He’s entirely untrusting.
“Okay, kiddo. You can go play. If you find Penny can you tell her I’d like to see her?”
“She’s not allowed. Torian said she has to leave you to work in peace.”
“Right.” Now Tobias’ visit makes more sense. “That sounds like something he would say. Can you give her a message for me instead?”
He nods.
“Tell her I miss her, and that I’m working as fast as I can to get back to her.”
It’s sappy as fuck, but it’s for the kid’s benefit. I’ll earn his trust through Penny, no matter the cost.
He smiles, nods again, and dashes for the hall, leaving the door open to allow the mumble of distant chatter to enter the room.
I wait a while, attempting to decipher the garbled conversation as I picture Penny out there, surrounded by people she doubts. Her discomfort encourages me to get back on the phone in search of answers. My paranoia over Benji keeps me working for hours without so much as a snack break.
I reach out to people who know people, who know more people. I try to get my hands on Abi’s preliminary coroner’s report, along with more surveillance images from the businesses surrounding the gas station.
I dial my brother’s number over and over again, leaving innumerable messages, sending additional texts.
The more he ignores me, the more my gut protests.
I’m almost convinced he’s fucked up again. That he’s dragging me into a mess bigger than ever before.
I thought he’d settled down after becoming a husband. A father. He made me believe this new life with a crime-riddled family had been the right decision. That these circumstances weren’t the best, but at least he was.
I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’ve noticed the positive change.
He rarely drinks anymore. He has a purpose.
Problem is, all the positive changes don’t mean dick if he’s stuck in old habits. If anything, Benji’s good fortune could be more reason for him to fuck up. He doesn’t know how to be happy. It’s a foreign concept. Self-sabotage may be the only routine he knows.
I fucking stew on those thoughts as I work. All I get in return for my hard hours are a few snapshots of a green sedan I think Robert was in. No plates. No make or model. And then there’s the vague promise that the coroner’s report might come through