Sandcastles | Completed

30 | findings report

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Elijah Baker

Marc decided to go with a car accident.

A fiery crash made Coby have a closed casket funeral, and made it impossible to find signs of strangulation that would've been there.

The toxicology report showed his blood alcohol content was double the legal limit– Texas had a high number of DUI's, nobody thought twice about it, adding him to the statistic that flashed on the screen above the bridges on the interstate.

It was a well-thought-out plan, one that couldn't have been thought of in the short period that it took for him to leave my house and die.

"What was I supposed to do?" He asked casually, "He knew who I was, still decided to fuck with Lau, Ion' get how anybody mad at me."

"You could've just beat his ass, scared 'em– some besides that. Lauren still walking and breathing ain't it?"

"Lani need her mama. That's the only reason."

My head was hurting, as Marc continued to explain his thought process, "I can't let nobody disrespect me like that. All in my house and shit for weeks. Weeks Eli. Nigga had to know how it was gone end."

I wasn't surprised it'd been happening for weeks since they'd made it to the point of them discussing her and Marc's marriage, but it did surprise me that he was stupid enough to be in the house. A house filled with cameras.

The timeline had to be around that night he dug the hole and saw her at my house, asking who she was and I told him not to worry about it because she wasn't Jai.

Their paths wouldn't have crossed again unless he wanted them to, but even if Coby didn't know better, Lauren did.

"Why you wait weeks to do some?"

"Ain't his bitch pregnant? Just like Lani need her mama, his baby needed him." He almost sounded ashamed, "I was hoping they'll just stop... But nah. She in my face giggling at her phone and shit like she finna run off with 'em. Fuck them."

Our conversation paused when Lani walked into the living room, "Hey, Uncle Eli." She shifted her eyes to her dad, "When's mom coming home?"

"Ion' know. You asked her?"

"She told me to ask you."

He knelt to smile at her, "I wish I knew, baby. Next time you talk to her, ask her if it was worth not being able to see you. Ask her why she wanted to leave us."

"Don't tell her that shit, Marc."

"What?" Still smiling, "She ain't talkin' to me. Maybe Lani can figure out what was going through her big ass head."

I later found out that she was forced to stand by and watch Coby die, a large part of why she wouldn't talk to him.

She wasn't gone though, she was in the apartment Marc rented for the woman Lauren killed in their home.

Tit for tat, back and forth– it didn't seem worth it.

"Eli?"

I put the paper I was reading down, as Jailyn was the last person I wanted to see it, "Yeah?"

"I cooked if you're hungry?"

"Not forreal."

She nodded, "I kinda... just don't wanna eat by myself. Again."