Keeper Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Jamie and Del walked back to the house, each lost in his own thoughts.  When they approached the house, Jamie noticed that he had some of Michael’s blood on his shirt.  Comments about Michael not being his brother flashed through his mind and Jamie decided to keep the shirt safe just in case he ever needed to get the blood tested.  At the house Jamie went to the kitchen, took out a large zip lock bag and took off his t-shirt.  Del watched with amusement as Jamie stuffed the t-shirt into the bag and then zipped it.

“It has Michael’s blood on it,” Jamie explained.  “I figure in case we need to test it...” Jamie trailed off as he wondered if there would be anything in Michael’s blood from the woods.

“That’s not a bad thought,” Del said pouring them each a cup of tea. Jamie sat in one of the chairs and sighed tiredly.

“You know, there was a time not long ago when I didn’t need to think of blood samples or of what lab wouldn’t mind if fae contamination was part of the sample.”

“True,” Del said. Jamie rubbed his hand over his eyes, feeling the sleepless night settle in on him. They drank their tea.

“Do you have any guesses as to what’s going on?” Jamie asked.

“There is a thought but it isn’t a nice one,” Del responded.  Jamie looked at him.

“Well,” Del continued.  “If something did infect Michael when he was out here and got bitten, It might be calling him back.” Jamie thought about it and was chilled by the potential implications.

“He didn’t say what his latest plan was,” Jamie said slowly.  “He could have just been too shook up to mention it or he never really had one and just thought that’s why he wanted to come out here.” They finished their tea in silence and Jamie wondered if there was something in the woods calling for his brother.

“Damn,” he said finally.

“You aren’t really going to get much done until you get some sleep,” Del said.

“True but I might have a look at the surveillance footage before I go to bed. Who knows, maybe the sight of a    real monster will banish all of the imaginary ones that would give me nightmares.” Del snorted but followed when Jamie went to look at the video footage.  Jamie could tell he was curious and not a little bit nervous as Jamie rewound the tapes and found the right section. 

In silence they watched Renee’s car arrive.  Renee and Michael got out and Michael seemed agitated and angry.  He grabbed the gate and tugged it a few times, trying to rip the lock from the gate with his bare hands.

“That doesn’t look right,” Del said.  Jamie nodded in agreement.  This did not seem like typical Michael behavior.  If he hadn’t known better he would have sworn Michael was jacked up on some sort of drug. Renee seemed to have her doubts as well.  She walked over and put her hand on Michael’s shoulder.  She said something to them and Jamie wished there was audio on the cameras.  Whatever she said seemed to enrage Michael further and Del sucked in air through his teeth with a hiss as Michael reached back and backhanded Renee.  She fell against the hood of the car and Michael hauled her to her feet by her hair.

“Son of a bitch,” Jamie said.  Del nodded as Michael hauled Renee to the gate and forced her to climb over.  Michael followed and the two of them moved out of camera range.  There was nothing on screen after that, just the car waiting as they had found it the morning after.

“He seemed rather ...excited,” Del ventured.

“He looked hopped up on something,” Jamie replied.  “He gets angry and yells but he is always convinced that eventually he can talk you out of anything so he never loses it like that.” Jamie shook his head and stepped away from the monitors as the phone began to ring.  Jamie answered it.

“Jim hi,” he said, hoping that yet another disaster had not occurred.

“Jamie,” I got word this morning that I was to arrange things for the funeral, you know talking to the funeral home about the special circumstances and getting the coffin and headstone ordered.”

“Right,” Jamie said thinking fast.  The term special circumstances caught him at first and then he realized that as Albe looked like a 2000 year old mummy, sans wrappings, someone well versed in the outré would be useful. “Is there a separate funeral home?” he wondered out loud.  Jim laughed.

“Of course,” Jim said.  “Just like there are special lawyers.”   

“Makes sense I suppose,” Jamie told him. Jamie relayed the details of his plans to hold the funeral in the small cemetery the morning after the Lune Merdos and asked Jim to spread the word on the off chance anyone else would want to come. After settling the details, Jamie decided he ought to be the one to tell Bella and he dialed her number before he could put it off.

“So, finally decided to call,” his mother snapped when she answered, proving she had checked the caller ID.

“I called to tell you that Albe’s funeral will be on November 3^rd in the small cemetery out here.  We will have a small service and then some food and drinks at the house.  A few of his friends will be stopping by and I wanted you to know you are welcome to attend.”

“Well that is mighty gracious of you,” she said in a cloyingly sweet voice.  “I’ll be sure to clear my social calendar.”

“If you want to bring Michael, let him know,” Jamie said with a sigh, too tired to rise to the bait.

“Did you have a fight with your brother?” Bella asked.  “He’s only trying to do what is best for this family.”

“Is he really my brother?” Jamie asked, the question slipping out before  he realized he was going to ask. On the other end of the phone Bella sputtered indignantly.

“That’s what this is about isn’t it?” She finally demanded.  “That old man left you a letter or something telling you were weren’t your real family and now you think you can just cut us off.  Well you were just a baby when I married your father and I took care of you even after he died.  I could have sent you to live with that crazy old man out there in the woods but no, I raised you as if you were my own, with only a pittance sent my way for your upkeep, and I will not be cut out of my share. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” Jamie replied softly. Bella continues on her tirade of how she was short changed but Jamie had the gist of the situation.  Bella was not his mother and Michael was not his brother.  Jamie wondered who his mother was. He hung up on Bella mid rant and tucked the phone into his back pocket.

“I think I’m going to go take a nap,” Jamie told Del.

“Sounds like a good plan.  Did I hear you say we’d be having folks up to the house after the funeral?”

“Yes,” Jamie said.  “If it’s too much trouble I can order something...”

“No trouble,” Del told him, cutting him off mid sentence.  The small man seemed excited by the prospect of company. Jamie left him planning his menu and wandered back up to his room, head full of unknowns and odd situations, he never expected to fall asleep.  To his surprise, sleep pulled him down quickly.