Not Guilty

Chapter 9

Tuesday, Peter's house 

Peter rolled over to find Eva gone. The smell of bacon drifted down the hallway. "Eva, you're going to burn the bacon. Don't leave it in the pan for so long..." 

Instead of Eva, Jacob responded. "Eva went with Izzy to the tavern. Madame and Joel are on their second honeymoon tonight and wanted to make sure we didn't burn down the blind-man. And I'm a great cook!" 

Peter wasn't happy. Eva had a habit of waking up early and smoking while Peter was still asleep. Her friends were trying to get her to quit but it was one of the few things that kept her sane while waiting for Peter to come home from a job. Jacob had a habit of letting himself in and eating their food whenever he wanted. 

"Dammit! She took her cigarettes! Jacob!" Peter bolted up and threw the covers off. "Help me up!" 

"But the bacon will burn..." Jacob said looking at the food on the stove. The kitchen was relatively clean only because Eva had been staying over. Otherwise it would have looked more like that living room, full of useless junk.

Peter grunted as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He'd been ordered by both Eva and the doctor to stay in bed as long as he could. "Would you forget about the bacon!" 

Jacob took the pan off the stove and extinguished the flames. He grabbed a few pieces of bacon and wrapped them in a rag and took them with him. "I'm coming, don't hurt yourself." Peter was already out of bed when Jacob reached the doorway of his room. "Okay, I'm here," he said with his mouthful. He almost spat it out when he saw Peter struggling to put on a long sleeve shirt. 

He had his left arm stuck through the head hole and his head through the right arm home and gotten stuck. Peter hoped around bumping into things as he pulled the shirt on correctly. "What are you doing?" Jacob asked leaning against the doorway. 

"I'm going to find Eva. What-" Peter stopped digging around the drawer of the bedside table. "Are you eating my bacon?" Jacob swallowed and shrugged. 

"I dunno know if it's yours per se," he said taking another bite. "Eva does all the shopping really." 

Peter was throwing things from the drawer; a bag of marbles, a pair of loaded dice, a pack of matches, several letters from Eva, and whatever else he had stuffed into the tiny drawer. "Where's my key?" 

"Eva." Jacob dodged as things were thrown at him. 

"My cards?" 

"Eva."

"Did you take my knife?" 

"Yes." 

Peter turned around and narrowed his eyes. "Give it back or swear I will kill you." He said crossing the room. 

"Shit!" Jacob skidded down the hallway dropping his food. Behind him Peter had grabbed the book from the dresser and threw it at his best friends head. It dented the wall behind the doorway of Peter's room and landed on the floor with a thump. Jacob dove behind the couch that marked the end of the kitchen and the start of the dining room. 

"Whatever Eva threatened you with," Peter threatened, "I can top it, trust me." A knife from the kitchen landed in the wall centimeters from Jacob's ear. He looked for something to throw back but there was nothing useful. He settled for throwing a broken chair leg. Peter poked his head up from behind the counter as the leg came flying at his face. 

Jacob hit the floor as Peter threw a burning piece of bacon at the couch catching the arm on fire. "This! This is why Joel left her in charge and not you!" Jacob shouted as Peter launched a fork full of burning food at the wall behind the couch.  "It's time to grow up! Be an adult, if even it's just for her." He stood up and waited for an onslaught of flying objects. Instead Peter dropped the fork on the counter and sighed. He could see Jacob standing behind the couch, his hair had pieces of burning food and his shirt was covered in grease and sweat.