The Hidden Truth

Chapter Eighteen: Slithering Snake

When Andrea came over almost a week later on Saturday she had more news for me. It seems she took it upon herself to go to the library to gather more information from the newspaper clippings from my mother’s hometown. After sitting down at the kitchen table she opens a folder handing me one article after another. The more we dig into my family's background, the more things didn’t add up.There was a write up about a little girl named Lula but all it said was that she was lost and trying to find her family. She was found by a farmer down the street from the Kane’s family farm that had been burnt down weeks prior. As I started to read the third story the doorbell rang. When I got up to answer it Andrea started shoveling all the papers strung out across the table back into the folder. Neither one of us knew who was at the door so it was best to keep everything hidden. 

Opening the door I'm greeted by Justice, the only thing that crossed my mind was that there's no way he's done with my task yet. “What are you doing here?”  I ask, surprised.

“I thought I'd drop by.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. There are very few places you could be since you obviously don't have a home to live in. Especially when I know your mind is wrapped around one thing in particular.” 

Andrea’s voice from the kitchen asking ‘Who is it dear?’ takes me by surprise. For a moment I completely forgot she was even here. Moving aside to allow him in, I say, “We'll discuss that later.” At this time I thought that maybe he could shed some light on the discussion we were having before he showed up. 

I then shut the door and ushered him into the kitchen while introducing him to Andrea. She seemed a bit stunned as if she wasn't expecting anyone to be included in this meeting. After reassuring her that he was harmless she seemed to lighten up a little bit. I, on the other hand, kept a careful watch over him to make sure he didn't have any tricks up his sleeves. I knew that Justice was unpredictable and I wasn't sure how he was going to react to the information we had. She proceeds to open the folder again and starts passing the papers around to both of us. 

By the time we were done reading everything Justice’s appearance seemed as if none of this information was new to him. I couldn't understand how he could remain so calm and collected after reading about the strange things that had happened before my parents got together. It makes me wonder if there is something he knows that we don't or if it’s just the fact that he doesn't care. Either way I sat there quietly waiting for him to say something. Minutes pass by and the suspense starts bothering me to the point that I speak up, “Justice, why don't you shine some light on this that we seem to be missing?”

“What makes you think I know more than you do?”

“I know you better than that. You never sit idle when it comes to something like this.”

All he does is shrug his shoulders at me before heading to my refrigerator and helping himself to a bottle of water. I watch as he then walks out my patio door. At that point I wrap up my conversation with Andrea telling her that I will call her later if I find out anything new. I then escort her to the door where I ask if I can hold on to the folder to read through it with a fine tooth comb. She advises me that it's probably better if she doesn't leave it behind. I figured she was probably right. If this information has anything to do with my father's death then it's safer if it's not in my home. The last thing I needed was the government to be storming the house, especially with so much at stake that I don't know about. I have enough problems of my own as it is. 

After closing the door and watching as she leaves, I head out to the back porch by way of the refrigerator to join Justice. I offer him one of the beers the guys left behind but he shakes his head at me as if he's not interested in it this time. So I set it to the side as I ask, “How come I get the feeling that you don't trust Andrea?”