Charade

Vic

An hour passed.

Then two.

Then three.

Benjamin didn't move once. He sat in his chair, staring at his shoes, tapping his fingers and his toes. He sniffled and wiped his nose. I could see the frustration rising under his skin, the fury glowing in his eyes. I wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in my throat.

Lily stirred, scowling and pulling the blue blanket up to her chin. She'd be waking up soon. I went to the kitchen and scanned the cupboards for any kind of food, expecting beer cans and glass bottles, and found a small can of tomato soup buried up the back of my father's least-used cupboard. I tipped the slop into a bowl and nuked it in his microwave, splattered with a decade's worth of spaghetti, burritos, and canned goods. Benjamin jumped out of the recliner, raked his hands through his hair, and stormed up to the front door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, watching his tense shoulders hunch.

"Sorry, Vic. But I can't just sit here anymore. I have to do something."

"Be smart about this, Benjamin," I said, following him to the door. "There's nothing you can do for her at the moment."

"Yeah, yeah there is. I'm gonna go back to the apartment and look for clues. See if I can figure out where they went."

"There are cops everywhere in that building at the moment. You won't get two feet inside."

"The cops don't even know she's missing."

"Yes, they do. When I came and got you, there were cops pulling up. I only just got away."

Benjamin paused, back to me.

"I can't keep waiting, Vic. I have to go."

"And do what?"

"I don't know!" He snapped. "I just... I have to get out of here."

Benjamin pulled open the withering wood door. My phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking up what little quiet there was.

"Wait," I begged. "Let me answer this and I'll come with you. I can help. You and your intuition won't be enough to analyse everything."

Benjamin pressed his lips together, considering.

"Fine," he said. "Hurry up."

I flipped my phone open.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Victor Langley?"

"Speaking."

"This is Officer Hastings, CSI. I'm sorry to tell you, but your father has just been in a serious car accident just off Lincoln Highway. He's in a serious condition but is on his way to the hospital as we speak."

"What?" I asked, my blood running cold.

"As you are next of kin, if you would like to meet him at the hospital – "

"Of course. I'll be there in a minute."

I hung up the phone, shock vibrating through my flesh. I looked up at Benjamin.

"My father's just been in a car accident," I whispered.

Benjamin's anger turned to concern.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I-I don't know," I said honestly. "Please, can you stay? Watch Lily while I'm gone?"

Benjamin looked to the front door, then back at me. His eyes, filled with blue desperation, gave in.

"Okay. There's nothing I can do anyway, right?"

Before I could rationalise, I grabbed the kid and pulled him in, holding him tightly in my arms.

"Thank you," I said in his ear.

Benjamin patted my back and I broke away, running out the front door, never looking back.

© A.G. Travers 2015