Theo And Reed's Family Secrets

Chapter Twenty One

Theo let out the very frustrated breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding in. He covered his face with his hands briefly then let them drop gradually. " Just like Matt said , Juan. I got a call from this man out of the blue. Earlier today. He wanted to meet me here. I don't know why exactly. When he arrived he was hit by a car. The damn driver was speeding like he was crazy ! We have a lot of kids in this neighborhood ! What if one of them had been out playing ? " Then he fell silent as he thought. Juan remained silent as the other man gathered his thoughts. " Wait. It looked like the other car was aiming for him. But that can't be. Right ? It happened so fast but it had to be an accident. Right ? " Theo fell quiet once more before whispering almost to himself , " He said my brother is still alive. "

Juan lifted a well plunked black eyebrow at him. " Since when do you have a brother ? Thought it was just you , your really cool Mami , and that scary ass sister that came for Thanksgiving last year. Is he the black sheep of the family ? I can relate to that. Anyway what's your brother have to do with Mr. Maynard Rhodes ? "

Theo said , " I don't know. I just now found out I even have a brother. It's a very long and complicated story. One I don't feel like recounting in the middle of Chestnut in front of all my neighbors. "

" Well , " Juan said merrily , " if it's long we should probably go inside your very nice house and sit down all comfy like. Cause my new shoes are killing me , amigo. A little snack would be nice too. You got any of those little vanilla cookie things your superman hunk hubby wolfs down when he thinks nobody is looking ? "

" Maybe , " Theo said , " but only if you stay away from Lane Davis. "

Juan smiled too sweetly with mischievous dark eyes. " Maybe you should be telling your fancy bougie friend to take better care of his toys instead , Theodore. Or someone might want them too. If it ain't me it'll be someone else. Lane just won't have as much fun. Now let's go inside so you can tell this really interesting hopefully not too long story of yours , Dancing Theo. "

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The three men did go into Theo's house where they settled down with cups of coffee and Reed's favorite cookies in the kitchen. Theo tried his best to explain all of this to Juan who ate and drank and made the occasional note. At the story's end Juan was just as confused as the other two but also was too interested in Reed's cousin's student film. He wanted to know if Natalie wanted to interview one of the legitimate investigating officers in the Jasmina Raye case. " I don't know , " Theo said , " ask her. " Juan agreed he would do just that and , after picturing himself with viral fame , suggested that Theo ask his mother more about Micah or even if she knew Maynard Rhodes. Theo was not doing that at all. He didn't have a clue how to explain to his elderly mother that Micah might not be dead and buried in Texas but alive God knows where. He didn't want to get her hopes up. Like his were currently. What he was going to do , he decided privately , was do some searching on his own to determine if the old man was right about Micah being alive. Only when he found the truth would he tell her or Grace anything. After all his mother was not the only Walton who could keep family secrets.

Matt had been silent as he and Juan talked. Then as he refilled his cup of coffee Matt said casually that after school tomorrow he and Theo should pay a sympathy call on the Rhodes family. Primarily to offer sympathy but also to find out more information about Maynard Rhodes and his connection to Theo's family.

Juan munched noisily on another cookie ( Theo made a mental note to pick up more from the grocery store soon or Reed would not be happy )as he mentioned that Maynard had lived in a senior citizen apartment building over on Rhode Island Avenue. And he also mentioned that the immediate family consisted of Rhodes herself , her sister who lived with her husband and father in that same apartment and a brother that didn't get along with Rhodes much. The brother apparently was in Louisiana working on an oil rig. The mother had died of a massive stroke two years ago and the other daughter had moved in after that to help care for the father. Juan didn't say them doing a sympathy call was a good idea but he didn't say it was a bad one either. What he did say was " anymore cookies ? ".

Theo reluctantly agreed that Matt's idea was a good one although the very last thing he wanted was to come across the unhappy and always hating on him police captain. But he wanted to answer the questions forming in his head.

If his brother was still alive he wanted to find him.

Then Reed and the kids came back home and Theo had to explain again what had just happened in front of their home. Which wasn't fun because Reed was not happy at all hearing it.