Learning To Love

chapter 43

"I know, I don't know either. It's still not enough. I mean what are a bunch of dirty old tools going to prove? Did he throw out anything else?" While Ollie was going in for a check up on his stitches, I had about two hours to kill.

"Nothing really, just those and like a bunch of papers and crap." Grayson was calling me in his car again because the audio was shit.

"I have one more idea, but I think I'll need your charm to help me pull it off." Walking out of the building into the dry sun, I had a wide smile on my face.

"And what is that?"

It was surprisingly empty but the smell of fresh coffee burned my nose. I wondered how Ollie could stand it all day. Grayson walked up to the counter where a woman a little older than me stood. She gave a casual smile and leaned against the cash register.

"Good Morning miss, how are you today?" Graysons voice sounded like molasses as he pulled out his wallet from his pocket.

"Good, you?" She answered nonchalantly.

"Fine thanks, we're just gonna look at the menu for a second." Grayson informed and looked up to the chalkboard behind the woman. She smiled and nodded before continuing to be busy with something at the register.

This was it...

"What did you say Ollie likes again?" Grayson asked casually, looking over his shoulder at me. The woman at the register looked up in alarm.

"Uh, I think he likes Irish cream." I answered, trying not to grin.

"Ollie? Ollie McLain? He drinks a vanilla chai latte." I looked from Grayson to the woman, and Grayson smirked at me before turning around.

"You know him?" Grayson asked, sounding befounded.

"He works here." she sounded bitter, but her face didn't give off the same mood.

"He works here?" Grayson smiled, fixing his black leather jacket. "You must be Mary then, huh, you're just as pretty as he said." Her eyebrow raised but she didn't seem amused. I figured Graysons charm didn't seem to be her style.

"Ollies dying for a coffee, so I guess you'd know what he likes better than anyone,'' I gave a warm smile and stepped forward a little.

"Yeah, hey I think I've seen you here before, are you guys his friends or family?" She typed something into the register making a total of $5.00.

I had to clear my throat before speaking. "I think my friend works well enough," Grayson chuckled behind me. Mary obviously didn't understand but smiled anyway.

"So how is he then, he's been calling in like, all week." Grayson handed her a bill and she took it from the counter.

"Well," Grayson and I glanced at each other for dramatic effect. "He's in the hospital right now from an almost fatal injury."

Her jaw dropped. "Is he okay?" she slammed the register drawer closed. "Can I visit him!?" her determination startled me a little and then I thought about how she could accidentally let Ollie know about our snooping, so I lied.

"Uh, well. I guess you can. He's asleep most of the time, you probably wouldn't want to see him right now. It's really rough." My voice sounded grave and from the back I saw another woman walk to the counter.

Mary turned around to her and in a harsh tone said "Ollies in the hospital." Instantly the other girl froze.

"How did it happen!" Mary asked, leaning closer to us on the counter.

I sighed and leaned forward, "that's what we're trying to figure out."

"What do you mean?" Her voice lowered to a whisper and the other girl leaned up beside her.

"We have some suspicions, but we need your guys help," Grayson leaned on the counter with his fists in his pockets.

"Did Ollie ever come into work injured?" Grayson asked ominously, turning to them with a dark look in his eye.

"You think someone hurt him! Oh god! No, my ex! It could've been my ex!" Mary gasped and I was completely caught off guard.

"Explain," my voice was commanding and Grayson looked serious, not just faking it.

"My ex boyfriend, he came to work once and pushed me and Ollie beat the piss out of him!" Grayson and I both glanced at each other with an uneasy look.

We could use this to our advantage.

"So, have you?" I pushed and she stood and thought for a moment.

"N-no. It happened sort of more recently. Although, he had been kind of strange recently. He'd been very down and emotional. I don't know why, but I didn't want to ask. But it must have been something serious because Ollie doesn't get sad very easily." A part of this stabbed me in the chest.

What if it was my fault?

I shook the thought out of my head and continued what was important.

"What about before that happened?" I pressed further and she shrugged.

"I saw him limping once. And a few months ago, any time he'd grab something heavy, he'd wince in pain. He wouldn't say anything though." The girl beside her spoke and she looked distraught.

"Do you know anything about Ollie's home life?" I finally asked and Grayson looked like he wanted to kick me.

"Wouldn't you, you're his friend's?"

I sighed deeply, looking out at the empty cafe. "That may be, but Ollies very to himself. I'm afraid he doesn't really say much." Looking back at Mary, she was biting her lip.

"Okay, I don't know if I should be telling you this but," she checked around me to make sure the cafe was completely empty.

Leaning in even closer into the counter, she whispered "one night when Ollie first started his job, and he didn't have a car, I offered him a drive home. He was walking an hour and a half to work everyday!"

"He seemed reluctant to go inside and then he knocked on the door. I suppose he didn't have a house key yet, either. A man opened the door and shoved him inside. It was so strange and I had a bad feeling so I stuck around for a moment."

"Through the window I saw Ollie and the man, I can only assume his dad, arguing and his dad threw something at him. I called the police as I left for a noise disturbance." Her face turned red and she looked down at herself.

"He didn't really talk to me much a week after that, he must have been embarrassed. So, if you ask me," she looked between Grayson and I.

"Something's not right with that father of his."