❛𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒!❜
⸻ in which Rory Hargrove is obsessed to uncover
the truth behind Barbara Holland's disappearance, while
facing her brother's enemy and buried se...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THE FRONT DOOR OF THE HOUSE SLAMMED shut after the roar of the blue Camaro's engine. The sound on the TV was quite loud, but not loud enough for Susan and Neil, who were sitting on the sofa, not to hear Billy arrive.
Neil turned his head sideways toward the door. It didn't take long for the smell of tobacco and alcohol to fill the already nicely furnished and decorated living room.
"Billy, do you think those are decent hours to arrive home?"
The father called his son by name, who looked at him with half-closed eyes. His movements were slow and clumsy. Neil waited for someone else to come into the house, but no one else did.
"Where is your sister?" He asked in the same low tone of voice, but it indicated that Billy was in trouble.
"Um, well... I thought she was home. She is home, right...?" He mumbled through his teeth in a hoarse voice.
Mr. Hargrove stood up quickly and walked over to his son.
"No, she's not home. She went to the party with you, remember? Or did you get so drunk you forgot your sister existed?"
"She left the party...I thought she came home..."
"You thought?" He shouted, already losing his temper, his eyes red with rage. Susan stood up in fear, ready for the worst. "Have you lost your mind, William? I asked you to do one thing, take care of your sister, and you can't even do that?"
If the neighbors were asleep, they must have woken up. He brought his face even closer. Their foreheads almost touched. Billy didn't even move.
"Where's your sister?" Neil asked again, trying to stay calm.
"I... I don't know." Billy swallowed, leaning against the door.
"Are you kidding me?" He spoke in a low but sufficiently intimidating tone. Within seconds, Neil's fist sank into Billy's already bruised face. He leaned against the wall and knocked some pictures on the dresser to steady himself. Susan pulled her boyfriend back to avoid the worst and tried to calm him down.
"I can't believe in this." He continued, "You are so incompetent, Billy. You can't keep anyone safe! You couldn't even get Aurora home safely, and you were supposed to get Maxine home as well, but she arrived hours ago, in case you ask!" He ran her fingers through his moustache in frustration. "You left your twin sister there? In a stranger's house?"
