Garlic Is For Vampires (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 25: The Video

"My name is Mason Cast," my father said. "And I'm dying."

I bit my bottom lip as he continued with his speech. He looked tired and very weak. I wasn't sure if it was the camera or just me, but I could see that he was shaking. His expression was grim and his eyes were hard.

"The chemotherapy isn't working," he said. "And I don't expect it to work after all I've done to people. After killing an innocent person. I don't know where else to look for answers to this disease. So I've stopped. I've stopped attending my daily chemo treatments, and I'm just going to let myself lose. But before I go I'd like to say a few words that hopefully one day someone will hear and think that I was still human after all I'd done."

So was this going to be some sort of apology video? I clutched Brendon's forearm for support. I gazed at the screen, waiting for my father to say something.

"First off, I'd like to apologize to the woman who I know will lose everything very shortly after I die. Her own drugs and demons will take her away from the one who needs her most. I would like to apologize to the man who's life I destroyed. Who's children will grow up without a dad. I can't imagine that being any more difficult than it already is. And I'm sorry I've caused the widow this pain.

"Whatever happens to me after I die, I just want whoever is watching this to know that I take my secrets to my grave. I won't leave any evidence behind that will tell my story. Everything will go to ash. I'm getting rid of the skeletons in my closet. And I'm holding everything close to me in death. So don't try to figure out who I was. You won't get very far. And as a conclusion to this message, all I have to say is..."

He hesitated and I silently urged him to say what he needed to say. His bottom lip quivered and then I watched his expression close.

"I did what I had to do."

Then the screen went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you okay?"

I nodded my head and then lowered my gaze down to the paper I was reading. It was my father's arrest record. Murder by knife, stealing a million dollar ring from an Egyptian tomb. Assaulting a police officer. My father was the packaged deal.

"For a man who committed so much crime, I'm surprised he looked so gentle in the video."

"Well, he was dying of cancer. I guess I can give him credit for keeping his cool instead of making more violence during chemotherapy. I looked him up-the year he died was when he stopped committing petty crimes. The only reason he wasn't sentenced to jail for life was because he helped in a big murder case-he was an eye witness. Even after that he stopped with stealing jewelry. Just little things after that."

"Good." I put down my papers and rubbed my temples. "There's something in that line. I can't figure it out..."

"What line?"

"When he said he'd take his secrets to his grave. That only he would know them even in death. What if that's what I need? The secrets Dylan was hinting about? What if they're in his grave?"

"He might've meant it as a metaphor." But I could tell Brendon was thinking about it as well. We stared at each other for a few minutes as we tried solving this case. It was possible my father could've taken something with him to his grave. Maybe a book or letter or something like that. He could've left something in his will.

Brendon dug through the file he brought with him that wasn't in the box and held up a sheet of paper. "This is his will," he said. "Let me see...blah blah blah...here we go. 'I wish to carry my family's legacy book in my casket as a testament to my devotion to the Cast family. Also, please wrap my daughter's necklace around my wrist, so I may carry her in death with me'."

I blinked and then frowned in surprise. "What necklace?"

"I don't know."

"I never had a necklace, unless you count the one my adoptive mom bought me for my twelfth birthday." It was a silvery star and I had worn it for a year before the chain snapped and it fell into the drain in the bathtub. I loved that necklace. But why would my father have a necklace that belonged to me? Why would he even care about me?

"If this family legacy book is the key to all of this," I said slowly. "Then I'll do anything to learn the truth. You know that, Brendon."

"I do. But digging up a grave is...it won't be pretty." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't get me wrong-I'm up for anything too. But if we get caught..."

"We won't." I stood up with a new heavy weight sitting on my shoulders. "Just let me change and grab the stakes."

"It's just a robbery. It's not like your biological father's ghost is going to attack you like a vampire."

"Let me add the holy water and a cross to the list."