My Best Friend's Funeral

CHAPTER 29

       “It’s time to celebrate” I said, my lips curling into a big smile. “Not yet” “oh c'mon! I cracked the case” I said throwing my hands in the air. “What case?” a voice startled me. I whipped around and stood aghast. “Brittany” I said, flatly. “Cheryl” she said with least enthusiasm. “Why are your hands in the air?” she asked titling her head. “You know” I said laughing nervously stalling for time to come up with some really good excuse. “I don’t know actually” “yeah, me neither” Paul chipped in. “Um..” I cleared my throat looking around Brittany’s room “Yoga” I said dropping my hands down. Little did the dumb blonde know, the poster behind her of a girl doing suryanamaskar (I know because it’s written on the frame) gave me the brilliant idea. “Did my poster inspire you?” she asked turning around. I looked at her, my eyes wide open. “Um..no. Actually” I stammered. “I'm joking Cheryl. Please, stop taking me so seriously” “as you say Brit” I flashed her a smile. I kept wondering what ‘talk’ Paul gave her, but then  again, I don’t care. She’s good to me and that’s all that matters. “You guys must be starving. Shall I get you something? You probably skipped lunch as well” she said sympathetically. I looked at my watch. It was 6 in the evening. Wow! Talk about time passing quickly. I wasn’t really hungry but a bite wouldn’t hurt. “Paul, do you mind coming with me?” Brittany asked stretching her hand towards Paul. “Okay, but water is fine for me” he said rubbing his stomach. “We’ll be right back. You love to read, right Cheryl? Please help yourself” she said glancing at the built-in bookshelves. “Thank you” I said and walked to the other side of the room, towards the bookshelves.

The bookshelves were fixed in the shape of a huge B. She had a huge collection of books and she arranged them so neatly. Every book looked like it came directly from the book house. “Wow!” I exclaimed breathing in the air. Books always brightened my day. I feel too lazy to start, but very enthusiastic when it comes to purchasing a novel. The big B has four shelves. It looked magnificent. She had novels written by various famous and not so famous authors. Novels by Stephen King, Stephanie Mayer, Anna Perkins, Nora Roberts, Mills & Boon, Ally Carter, Sophie Kinsella and many bestselling authors. I looked closely at every book starting from the bottom. I stopped when I reached the top. “How to relate to your adopted sibling” I read loudly. Forgetting how the old saying- ‘The walls have ears’. Now, why would Brittany have this book? She knew her brothers from when she was little. They were so close. Why did she have this? I kept asking myself, even though I was aware that only one person could answer this question. I couldn’t delay this anymore. I had to know why she had this book. “Or maybe she borrowed it?” I considered this possibility too. “Why are you here?” I asked the book. “My house” came the reply. I jumped dropping the book to the ground. “Seriously?” the voice asked again. I whirled around and found myself staring into sparkling eyes. “Jake” I breathed out. “Seriously, you thought the book spoke?” he asked and chuckled. “Well, I'm talking to a ghost” “I see your point Cheryl Goldsin”. We both bent down at the same time to pick the book and my hand brushed against his. “I can touch you” I said looking at Jake. “That’s interesting” he said and reached for the book. “But, I can’t feel anything” I said hesitantly. “thanks for breaking my happy moment, you devil!” Jake said, annoyed. “Tell me, why are you reading this? You have no siblings” he asked reading the title of the book. “It’s not mine. It belongs to Brittany, I guess” I replied  and grabbed the book quickly.  “Oh. Something tells me you have a theory at the tip of your tongue” “well, I do. You might not like it” “I think I know. Brittany has a gut feeling that William is not her real brother and so she bought this stupid book” “no book is stupid and that was not my theory. You lost the knack of mind reading homie. My theory indicates she had a gut that you were not her real brother” “firstly, I'm not your ‘homie’ and secondly…WHAT?!”  Jake exclaimed. “Relax. It’s just a theory” “your theories are sometimes, almost, always right Cher. I don’t want this one to be” he said and plopped on the bed. I sat gently beside him and held his hand. It felt nice being able to hold my old friend’s hand again but disappointing being unable to feel him. “Why would she have this?” Jake asked ending the killing silence. “I don’t know. But I bet it’s nothing Jake. Remember, once she had a book titled ‘Know the real you’ but inside it was a love story. It had nothing to do with personality, like we assumed” “assumptions can be wrong” he agreed. He stood up and looked outside the window unbuttoning his coat and buttoning it again. “Is the coat troubling you?” I finally asked. “It just feels weird” he admitted. “that’s because you never wore a suit” I reminded. Shocking but true. Jake never wore a suit. May be once, here and there but he never really liked them. Whereas for me, I love suits. Huge fan. I would wear one every time I stepped out for a drink with my friends, but they despise me wearing a suit. So, that’s at the back of my closet when it comes to ‘an evening with friends’. “Why don’t I ask her about this?” I said pointing to the book. “okay” Jake replied. “But on one condition. You stay here” “why?” he asked. “I have very less time to find out who wants the will and who killed you for it. So, I need you to be here and listen to whatever Brittany has to say about keeping this book and why” “okay, okay. I'll stay” he agreed and then we waited for Paul and Brittany to return.

“Sorry we took so long” Brittany said pushing the door open with her foot. “that’s alright” I said and moved forward to help her. “Bumped into mama bear and her pot of questions” Paul whispered when Brittany was busy placing making place for a tray she was holding. I stifled a laugh and turned to her “you have a lovely collection of books Britt” “thanks Cheryl. You still have your mini library?” “yes, I do” “geeks!” Paul coughed. “Hey!” Brittany and I said in defense. “What’d you bring me?” I asked pointing at the tray. “Some chicken sandwiches with mayonnaise and lettuce” she said handing me one sandwich wrapped in foil. “You made them?” I asked nervously. The last time  Brittany cooked a meal, she gave everybody stomach upset. “Jenny sent them over” Brittany replied. “I'll have two in that case” “you don’t have to be mean Cheryl. I cooked twice in my life never after that” she said looking in the distance. “oh my god!” I exclaimed. “What? Something wrong?” Paul asked with concern. “Brittany where was I the second time?” I asked and hit my forehead. She grabbed the sandwich from my hand and stuffed it in my mouth. “I meant to ask you about this” I showed her the book. “What about it?” she asked snatching it from me. “Why do you have that?” Paul asked after I told him the title of the book. “I didn’t want my brother to feel left out just because the blood of this family didn’t run in his veins” “which brother is this?” I asked placing my hand on her shoulder. Jake was standing right next  to Brittany. I could not imagine what he must be going through. The anxiety, the various kinds of feelings, poor guy is dead but he definitely didn’t deserve a shock at this point. But all what I just said only matters if he is the adopted one. Which I hope not.  “Um…well..” Brittany began breaking my thoughts. “Spit it out already!” I yelled throwing my hands up in frustration. This dumb girl didn’t realize that her revelation could possibly be the key to solving Jake’s murder. I really hope finding the book was a good thing. I don’t wanna look back and think about how much of precious time I wasted over nothing while I could be solving the murder or whatever it was. “For heaven’s sake Brittany will you tell us already?” Paul blurted and I could sense the same frustration I was going through in his voice. “It’s Jake” she said and stared in her lap, holding her head in her hands.