Olympus Drive Book 2: Nothing to See Here

Chapter 3

Detective Stamos

I've been off of work for two hours. And I'm still working. I'd have rather stayed and had dinner at Lisa's. At least the mystery of the disappearing dogs is solved. Oh, apparently it's very solved.

"Mommy says we can't keep them!"

"It's not fair!"

"Hi," Basil says as his two youngest run and limp up to him. He picks up poor little Isa immediately, and then let's Dara climb into his arms as well. Elena is still petting like ten damn dogs that are tied to the front porch.

"I called you three times-- please take them away," Helen says, to me, pointing at the dogs. She's in a white button up that's probably Basils and is tied in a knot to make it a crop top, and she's wearing a leather skirt and red heels. Basil takes one look at her and works on finding his hip flask again, despite holding the two kids.

"I've been calling you for three hours," Rhea says, he's standing on the porch as well.

"I know .I've been ignoring you for three hours," Basil says.

"Grandpa, I had a bad day," Juno runs to hug him.

"Oh that's awful. I'm so sorry. I'm not your grandpa," he says, patting her head briefly.

"Stamos---I give you dogs one of the crackhead kids stole. Please take them," Helen says.

"I'm calling animal control," I sigh. Why did I come here? I had a purpose.

"Is Dean here?" Basil asks.

"Yeah he's inside," Helen sighs, just staring at him.

"Come on help me get dinner started yeah? Elena, come and help you know you're still in trouble for getting suspended," Rhea says, ushering the two girls with him.

"Okay I needed to talk to him," Basil says, still carrying Isa. Dara has come to attach herself to me. Oh fuck Isa was the kid I had to talk to yeah I knew I needed him for something and Basil just took him inside.

"Is he as plastered as I think he is?" Helen asks me, catching my arm.

"Yeah, pretty much," I sigh.

"Do you know why?" she asks.

"It's been a year," I say.

She frowns.

"His father died? A year ago yesterday. He's been drunk since six am yesterday," I say, tiredly. "They didn't get along well, but that's not making him feel better."

"Shit you're right," she says, "I don't know why I forget that. Thanks."

"Yeah, no that's it. I'll get rid of the dogs just, give him his time? He might want to be alone," why am I helping Basil sneak off to his mistress? Pretty soon I'll be fucking driving him there. Jesus.

"And pass out in a gutter or the middle of the road?"

"Again? Yeah no I know, he doesn't want to talk about it--he told me," I say.

"He needs to talk about something," she says.

"I know. I'll bring him back out here without the kids," I say, "Let me go find him now. I need Isa for a minute."

"Okay," she says, not even wondering why I'm questioning her six year old.

I go in to find everyone vanished. Typical. Utterly typical. They could change something about this house. Other than adding kids toys and holes in the walls. It's the same as the day I pulled all those damn kids out of here. Now two came back. To fucking multiply.