The Neighbour

Chapter - 22

"Well Monte you going to finish what you're saying...." 

Mother said though she noticed my eyes were no longer on her and fixed on the teenager standing behind her.

"Vale...I take it you're wondering where your parents are." 

Startled by the sudden unexpected guest, he stared coldly at me as he advanced forward, ominously pausing behind the chair.

"I couldn't care less where they are. Besides this was kind of full of disappointment just like yourself Mr McDermott." 

Vale produced the envelope. My eyes widened as he threw it onto the table as my mother was confused as to what was going on. Vale had broken into my house and taken the envelope. He must have also seen the other items in that box. I was stunned.

"Monte, who is this?" 

Mother stuttered as she grabbed the envelope off the table. It was then Vale had reached behind his back and produced a revolver. I gasped as he grabbed my mother and restrained her against the chair with his arm pressing the gun into her head.

"Do not tell her Monte, I finally have a chance to get some answers out of you. I want to know if you killed my grandfather!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about..." 

I stammered as I was utterly helpless here my mother looked frighteningly at me she was shaking in fear.

"Really this isn't the time for you to be spurting out lies, I will kill this woman right here you start talking right now." 

Vale said coldly as I stared at my scared mother. I couldn't bring myself to say it. For that moment I felt sympathy for the old woman who was being held against her will.

"Please Vale let her go, I'll tell you if you let her go." 

I cried loudly as Vale smirked at the torture this was creating though he released her as she was still frozen in the chair but the gun remained in clear sight of mine.

"I decided to be a little lenient, I still can kill her Monte now tell me the truth and this can all end." as he cocked the gun mother gasping at the sound as she started to cry.

"Monte didn't kill him he's innocent. I made him think he did it because I was upset and scared. I shouldn't have done that but I wasn't in the right state of mind...Chet was an awful man."

Mother confessed profusely as Vale listened to her words. I didn't want to say anything that could jeopardise the situation. The moment he said grandfather that meant one thing, Vale had some relation to me which was not possible.

"Chet Fredrickson was your grandfather?"

" Yes, what is so hard to understand here? The fact that you cowardly buried a man in the backyard. Not even considering giving him a proper burial because you are too scared that someone will question it all." 

Vale yelled in anguish as he was starting to get quite upset he still had the gun pointing at my mothers head.

"I lost my real father when I was young. My mother here didn't want her son to be raised without a man to give her the benefit of the doubt here. Please let my mother go!"

I couldn't believe I was now defending my mother. Somehow mustering up the courage must be the onset of adrenaline for me to be able to face this troubled teenager. After a long time dealing with them at the high school. I had to somehow tap into my knowledge and figure out a way which will not cause Vale to take drastic action.

"You fail to realise the repercussions here, he had a family, it disgusts me that he walked out on them. Abandoning my mother so he could play father to a son he never had."