Trouble Times Two

Chapter Nine

Sunday

I had a pep in my step, for once in a very long time.

I was very excited to be an aunt, I mean it's not like I'm not an aunt already but those children did not have a clue who I was and to be honest, I didn't know them.

I grab the skateboard I'm currently using, put my helmet on and make sure everything in the house is locked on the security systems before leaving my house, locking the door and skating to Maisie's new address, which was also Dacre's new address. They'd moved in together. I came earlier because I was hanging out here for the whole day. I still had another week off school.

I can tell that they were already preparing

When I get there, I can smell fresh paint and I knock on the door, Dacre opens it and I can tell he's a little bit stressed.

"What's up?" I ask and I put my bag down on the table and take off my shoes.

"Donovan didn't come home last night, I don't know where he is. He got pissed off with me because I started lecturing him. Next thing I know he's gone off without his car and he's not back. I've asked some of my buddies at the force to look out for him and Carter's looking for him. He forgot he was working this morning so he can't make it to this announcement planning so we might move it to next week. I'm sorry for making you come all the way out here if that's the case." Dacre worries like a father, it makes sense seeing as Alan is always away, saving the world.

"Dacre, I'm going to overstep here but you need to stop trying to fill the footsteps of your father because now you've got to focus on being the father to your own child and that's scary and daunting but I believe in you. Maisie is an amazing cousin and she will be an amazing mother and you two, will be amazing parents. Now, tell me everything about Donovan's friends and I'll try and deduce where he is." I get a piece of paper from my bag and a pen.

"Okay but first let me tell you some stuff. Such as the fact that you'll be glad to know that Danny and Fahir have been taken in and arrested. You said you aren't going to testify, and that's fine. There are a few other victims who will. It's like a weird ring that was connected with each other. Like a secret society."

"Like the Scelerati, Pugnatores or Mors Edunt. I'm going to assume they were the Amentis'." He seems shocked that I know about this.

"How do you know about these groups? They're meant to be a secret." Dacre makes me laugh.

"I'm glad to see Maisie is such a loyal cousin. You know the Pugnatores fighting ring got shut down a couple of years back, right?" He's confused but starts to recall.

"Yeah I do, it was a state wide thing. One of the youngest fighters was like 14 or something like that. Scared the shit out of me when I learnt about it because that could've been Donovan." He really loves him and Donovan is stressing him out.

"No you'd have been fine as that ring was hours away." Dacre looks at me with a certain look.

"Hold on. You know a lot about this, much more than I did until I was told about it."

"Yeah, I know about it because I used to be part of the Pugnatores and I was that fighter, back when I used to live with Joni." It's all starting to come together in his mind. I can see wheels turning with every new piece of information I tell him.

"You know what, that makes a lot of sense. I've checked your record before." He waits for my reaction.

"I'm not bothered, when you date someone who's cousin is a violent kid and you're a police officer, I can see why you'd be curious. I reckon you checked it before you started dating Maisie again though, it was probably when as a friend, she told you that she was going to be taking care of me as a guardian."

"You seem to be able to deduce a lot." Dacre is impressed, I can tell.

"I can tell you another thing, my record was sealed." I don't know about this one, it's a deduction.

"Correct, why?"

"They wanted me to have opportunities in life, so they sealed it. I can go to college without cause for rejection. I can work in the government, work as a police officer so long as I go on regulatory checks, and no offence here, I will never, ever work for the police right now. You guys are tired, underpaid, irritated and for some of you guys, yourself and Carter excluded, irritating so that's not an option. If you're going to be Maisie's partner for the rest of her life, you should know the story of her first technical child." Dacre is smiling.

"I'm glad you accept me, Maisie was worried about how everyone would react to us being a couple let alone her being pregnant but you accept me. It's reassuring." He's a goofball but the goofball for Maisie.

"I'm glad you know that but now, we need to find your brother, so tell me all the details about all his friends and I'm seventy percent sure I'll find him." We both laugh and we start detecting.

***

It's thirty minutes later and with Dacre as my scribe, we managed to push it to three possible places.

"The reserve doesn't make sense, it's smelly and he's got a really good sense of smell so he would hate that." I cross that one out. Dacre really loves his siblings.

"I think we can rule out the new skatepark as well, he's clearly not a fan of skateboards so I reckon he'd hate the skaters there but the abandoned skatepark would be amazing. It's overgrown and unskateable and makes for a good exploration point for..." I don't want to say it in case Dacre gets upset.

"Don't worry, I know. It's where all the kids smoke weed. I'm gonna call him and tell him Carter's going to pick him up. Hopefully they'll all scram and he'll stay." Dacre doesn't seem fazed.

"You seem pretty confident that he's smoking weed." Dacre's right though. I smell it when I'm on my balcony all the time and I did not know where it was coming from, until I realised it was Donovan's room.

"I don't know if you know much about drugs and alcohol." I try not to laugh but fail.

Dacre seems concerned now. "Stories for other days, stories for other days my friend."

The doorbell rings and I get up and look through the peephole. It's Maisie.

I open it and she hugs me, Arthur is behind her.

"Picked up the delinquent." She says and we all laugh.

We all chat around for a bit and the doorbell goes off again.

It's Donovan. I open it and silently close it after he enters.

I walk to living room again and sit back down.

Donovan comes in after me and we all look at him as we sit down.

"What's up?" He's a bit nervous.

"My God, you smell worse than a cow. Holy moly." I say and motion him to stand up.

"Shut up." He retorts. He's higher than a kite.

"Go shower, right now Donovan." Dacre says and Donovan stands up and goes to shower.

What a bizarre guy.