Moth(11)

Since I’m assisting police, Stebbins has taken over the lead of the investigation. I’m not feeling like catching up, but I know I have to save face in order to get the job done without pissing off the locals.

My brother is buried that following Monday. My dad transferred his plot he’d prepaid for in the eighties to Jamie so he’s being buried there. I’m sure he’ll use the one he bought for his wife at the time. God knows she doesn’t want to be anywhere near him in this life or the next.

The viewing is three hours long. I stand by my father and greet people I’ve never met in my life, each one becoming a suspect in his murder. I’m introduced to several guys who were his roommates. I’ve already done background checks on them, and surveillance on the house they all share. They’re your stereotypical nerds as one might say. Two have thick glasses and greasy hair. All of them are sporting button up small plaid shirts and dark trousers, the same ones I’ve seen them wearing each day. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about these guys. They all attend school full time and have jobs. None of their bank accounts give me any reason to believe they’re using or distributing. I’ve already checked them off the list of possible accomplices or the person who killed him.

Everyone coming into the funeral home is dressed in black. I peer down at my Chuck Taylors and wonder if my father has noticed them. At this point I don’t give a damn what he might think of my attire. The shit has seriously hit the fan and I need to remain focused. Back in the day I was a damn good detective. It’s time I use some of my knowledge to bust a fat hole in this case. Maybe if I can find the source I’ll be able to lead it back to how it got into the country in the first place.

The traffic for the viewing is constant. I meet several of Jamie’s teachers and even recognize some neighbors. It isn’t until twenty minutes before the viewing is over when a female walks inside looking to be out of place. She’s petite with an olive complexion and huge brown eyes. Her long dark hair appears to be naturally wavy and when she saunters toward us it bounces around. She’s wearing a black skirt that comes up above her knees, and it’s pretty darn tight. I can already tell from the front that I’m going to enjoy checking out the back. She’s got on a tall pair of heeled boots and a button up sweater that shows off more of her perfect figure. If my brother was hitting it, he was one lucky son of a bitch. She’s sexy as shit, and damn she smells like heaven on earth. If I would have met her anywhere else I’d be on it like a fly to a pile of manure.

When she reaches my father she offers a hug. I’m not surprised he allows it. She’s a looker. If he has erectile dysfunction she could solve the problem.

When it comes to my turn for acknowledgment she skips me over and offers condolences to Jamie’s mother. She never gives me a second’s glance. I’m shocked, and my ego is a bit taken back. I’m not used to being ignored and I don’t care for it one bit. My father leans over and whispers something. “Maybe if you gave yourself a trim every once in a while women wouldn’t look the other way.”

In the midst of tragedy I smile. He has no idea how popular my brawly look is to the exotic women I enjoy spending my free time with. “She hugged you because you’re Jamie’s father and she was his girlfriend. Don’t pretend it’s anything more.”

“Girlfriend? Jamie wasn’t dating anyone.”

Red Flag.

I didn’t know my brother well enough to be sure he wouldn’t keep certain aspects of his life hidden from good ole dad. The man wasn’t the perfect example of a gentleman. If he had it his way he’d give them a pinch on the ass when they offered a friendly hello. He was a pervert by nature. I assume spending his whole life in the military left him unable to see that women weren’t just good for cooking, cleaning, and having children. He’s prejudice like that.

“Sorry. I misunderstood.” I offer him a simple explanation to keep him from questioning the girl. If she is in fact the one who discovered my brother’s body, but she isn’t his girlfriend like she told police, then who the hell is she? It takes everything I have in me not to question her there on the spot. Instead, I watch her every move. My eyes don’t leave her the entire time she walks up to the open casket and stands there staring down at his cold, dead corpse. I look for signs. How are her emotions? Is she showing remorse? Does she appear heartbroken, or is she there to make sure he’s definitely unable to reveal the secrets she and her accomplices want buried?

I realize she’s just a small proportioned female who is probably innocent, but I have to make sure. I can’t let a simple misled judgment cost someone else their lives. The message from Alizar was clear. He said he’d go after my family. The only person I have left is my father. My mom is still alive, but she’s halfway across the globe living a life as if I didn’t exist. She’s changed her name twice and last I heard lives in some remote location without running water like a hippie. She’s probably in a nudist colony. I have no idea what being married to my father did to her, but she’s been f*cked up ever since.

I don’t approach the female as she makes her way toward the exit. It’s important I blend in with the crowd. She doesn’t notice me, which gives me an advantage. When I know she’s probably made it to her car I peek out the window and search. I can see her standing by a vehicle while on her cell phone. She seems distraught, but she’s not exactly crying. Before she gets in and drives away I memorize her license plate. It’s the perfect start to looking into who she could be affiliated with, if she’s not the owner. If she is, at least I’ll have an address for her without using the police for information.