Katie Bug

One Last Mistake

As the summer trickled on Martin and Kate tip toed around each other. The cops were still trying to figure out what had happened to Riley. The best they could come up with was that Jake had killed him and then a little while later killed himself out of guilt. It seemed to be the best fit that anyone could come up with, and nobody was questioning it. Kate was feeling pretty good about the whole thing, a little cocky even.

One evening Kate came downstairs to see her dad at the kitchen table with papers spread out. A beer sat next to him, he seemed to be drinking a bit more these days. "Dad, what's all this?" Kate asked. He looked up at her, "Oh, just financial crap for the truck. Insurance company wants an inventory of everything in and on the truck that was totaled." Her mind rolled a little, "Inventory? Is the truck even still around?" He shrugged, "I dunno, it might be in an impound lot waiting to be paid out so they can salvage it and all the shit with it." "But does it have to be accurate? Like are they going to check it against the wreck?" She asked. He set the papers down and furrowed his brow at her, "I really don't know Katie, what's with the sudden interest in the company wreck? You weren't even there." She recoiled from him, "Jesus never mind I was just curious." She started up the stairs, "I'm going to go take a shower."

It wasn't that she had a sudden interest in anything with the company, but she wondered how accurate the inventory her dad kept was. Would he notice a roll of plastic and a moving blanket missing? Would they count something so small in monetary value? Would they report it missing? And to who? What would it matter? As far as she knew they never checked or found any evidence at the camp ground. If anything it wouldn't be a piece of trace evidence that got her, it would be the knife. Kate knew she needed to get rid of it, but every time she held on to it she felt she same rush like it was happening all over again. She'd dump it, just later. Any way she was just being paranoid, she had buttoned everything up tight. It was going to be okay. Besides she would have a new hunting ground in little under a year, strange things happen in college towns.

From the outside it might have looked like Martin was having business troubles. The fact was they were far from it, he was meticulous. The usually straight laced single dad was now on his fourth beer of the night and it was only nine p.m. He had combed through the paperwork four times and everything looked right. It was an excuse, an excuse to be stressed. He wasn't able to put his finger on it, but there was something strange going on with the kids. Not just Kate, but the stories surrounding Riley and Jake, the girls surely knew more than they were letting on. He didn't trust any of them. The secrets were getting thick in this house and Martin was starting to feel like he was going to suffocate in them.

"Mr. Belfast?" Jenny's mousy voice jerked him out of his thought. "Jesus Jenny!" He snapped, more embarrassed the little shit had just startled him. She cringed a little, "Sorry Mr. Belfast." Lightly touching a couple pieces of paper she looked back up at him then continued, "Looked like you were lost in that head of yours. Everything okay?" Physically shaking the thoughts out of his head, he looked for a moment at Jenny. She got under his skin just standing there. Her behavior over the last few years had become unbearable, and he really didn't like his daughter spending so much time with her. But she was Katie's best friend and he only had to deal with her until Katie went to college.

He flashed his usual sleepy smile, "Fine Jenny, everything is fine. Katie's in the shower if you want to wait in her room." Jenny turned to glance up the stairs but she didn't move. She looked down at the empty beer bottle, "Known you most my life Mr. Belfast..." Grabbing the neck of the bottle she lifted it up and swung it lightly back and forth, "Never seen you drink so much." Martin scowled and grabbed the bottle from her, taking it to the trash he dropped it in and cleared his throat. "I don't have to justify my Friday night activities to anyone. Katie's upstairs."