Deception Read Online Free Page A
Author: Dan Lawton
points his arm toward me. The arm reaches forward, grabs my collar, and pulls me into the van. The door slams and the driver peels off, out the same way he came in.
It all takes less than five seconds.
CHAPTER SIX
BILLY
The ride home feels like the drive of shame, as if I did something dirty. It’s 9:45 A.M. and the streets are nearly empty. I’m able to cruise well above the speed limit in my patrol car and arrive home within fifteen minutes. It usually takes me twenty-five. I’m still a bit irked by the way Jack dismissed me the way that he did, but I try to tell myself it’s not personal. But if he’s not going to do something to help me either, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.
I unlock the front door and walk into the living room. My brother, Frank, is napping on the leather sofa. The TV is on in the background, as usual, and I don’t recognize the midday programming. I intentionally slam the door to wake him. Frank’s husky frame startles at the sound and he nearly falls onto the floor. He notices me standing in the doorway.
“What you doin’ home already?” he says as he tries to pretend like he wasn’t sleeping.
“I’ll be home for the next few weeks, so get used to it. And get your feet off the table.”
He does. “Did you get fired?”
“No.”
“What happened then?”
I just stare at him, not wanting to get into it. “Vacation.”
He nods, conceding the conversation. Frank moved in with me immediately after our father died. Our father was his caretaker, and he did an admirable job of it. Our mother died of cancer when we were young, so it was just the three of us up until a few months ago. Now all we have is each other.
“Did you take your meds?” I say to Frank.
He closes his eyes and thinks for a moment, his tongue protruding through his teeth. “Yeah. I think so.”
“Are you sure?”
He thinks some more. “Yeah, I remember now, I did.”
I nod and walk down the hallway to my bedroom. I place the box of personal items from my desk on the floor and start to remove my uniform. I place everything neatly on the bed before putting them on hangers. Frank walks in as I’m changing my underwear.
“Hey, Billy, I forgot to tell you something,” he says.
I cover myself instinctually, then I drop my arms to the side to prove a point as I face Frank. He covers his eyes with his hands.
“Can I get dressed first?” Frank nods and walks backwards until he’s out of the room. I finish getting dressed and find him back in the living room. “What is it?”
“This came for you yesterday.” He timidly hands me a sealed envelope addressed from the city.
I stare at him in disgust, as this isn’t the first time he has forgotten to give me something that was dropped off at the house while I was out. I rip the envelope from his hand, tear it open, and read the notice: It’s the final notification that my property tax bill is due today. I have the three other notices hanging on the fridge, but I keep forgetting to pay it. Maybe I should have listened to my broker when he suggested that I set up an escrow so it gets paid automatically with my mortgage. I guess I’ll have to go pay it in person so it’s paid on time.
I look to Frank. “Do you want to go for a ride?”
---
It takes me about twenty-three minutes to drive back into the center of town. I take my personal van, which is just an old painters van that I bought for a couple thousand bucks earlier this year. I had bought it with the intention of having something inconspicuous that I could use to track Snake without him knowing it was me. He hasn’t seen me yet, as far as I know, so it seems the investment is paying off. The van has two front seats and a wide open back with a leather bench on either side. I’ve been tossing a bunch of trash back there for reasons I’m not quite sure of. It’s unlike me to do that, but something about the condition of it makes me feel like it’s better to be a
It all takes less than five seconds.
CHAPTER SIX
BILLY
The ride home feels like the drive of shame, as if I did something dirty. It’s 9:45 A.M. and the streets are nearly empty. I’m able to cruise well above the speed limit in my patrol car and arrive home within fifteen minutes. It usually takes me twenty-five. I’m still a bit irked by the way Jack dismissed me the way that he did, but I try to tell myself it’s not personal. But if he’s not going to do something to help me either, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.
I unlock the front door and walk into the living room. My brother, Frank, is napping on the leather sofa. The TV is on in the background, as usual, and I don’t recognize the midday programming. I intentionally slam the door to wake him. Frank’s husky frame startles at the sound and he nearly falls onto the floor. He notices me standing in the doorway.
“What you doin’ home already?” he says as he tries to pretend like he wasn’t sleeping.
“I’ll be home for the next few weeks, so get used to it. And get your feet off the table.”
He does. “Did you get fired?”
“No.”
“What happened then?”
I just stare at him, not wanting to get into it. “Vacation.”
He nods, conceding the conversation. Frank moved in with me immediately after our father died. Our father was his caretaker, and he did an admirable job of it. Our mother died of cancer when we were young, so it was just the three of us up until a few months ago. Now all we have is each other.
“Did you take your meds?” I say to Frank.
He closes his eyes and thinks for a moment, his tongue protruding through his teeth. “Yeah. I think so.”
“Are you sure?”
He thinks some more. “Yeah, I remember now, I did.”
I nod and walk down the hallway to my bedroom. I place the box of personal items from my desk on the floor and start to remove my uniform. I place everything neatly on the bed before putting them on hangers. Frank walks in as I’m changing my underwear.
“Hey, Billy, I forgot to tell you something,” he says.
I cover myself instinctually, then I drop my arms to the side to prove a point as I face Frank. He covers his eyes with his hands.
“Can I get dressed first?” Frank nods and walks backwards until he’s out of the room. I finish getting dressed and find him back in the living room. “What is it?”
“This came for you yesterday.” He timidly hands me a sealed envelope addressed from the city.
I stare at him in disgust, as this isn’t the first time he has forgotten to give me something that was dropped off at the house while I was out. I rip the envelope from his hand, tear it open, and read the notice: It’s the final notification that my property tax bill is due today. I have the three other notices hanging on the fridge, but I keep forgetting to pay it. Maybe I should have listened to my broker when he suggested that I set up an escrow so it gets paid automatically with my mortgage. I guess I’ll have to go pay it in person so it’s paid on time.
I look to Frank. “Do you want to go for a ride?”
---
It takes me about twenty-three minutes to drive back into the center of town. I take my personal van, which is just an old painters van that I bought for a couple thousand bucks earlier this year. I had bought it with the intention of having something inconspicuous that I could use to track Snake without him knowing it was me. He hasn’t seen me yet, as far as I know, so it seems the investment is paying off. The van has two front seats and a wide open back with a leather bench on either side. I’ve been tossing a bunch of trash back there for reasons I’m not quite sure of. It’s unlike me to do that, but something about the condition of it makes me feel like it’s better to be a
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