Abby went to her bedroom and closed the door. The coffee was already brewing so I grabbed a cup once it was done. Being at home with my family was exactly where I needed to be, even if part of me wanted to be with Marissa. Kincaid might have needed the downtime more than I did, but I knew he would just dive into the next case while stifling his frustration. I walked into the living room with a cup of coffee in my hand and looked at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. It was surprising that the old artificial tree from my childhood had survived so many divorces. It definitely brought back memories of the good times, when Janine and I would run into the living room and tear into our gifts on Christmas Day. My Dad started to stir and the instant his eyes opened, he reached for his pack of cigarettes.
“I think you should throw those things in the trash.” I grumbled under my breath.
“Donovan? What are you doing here?” He looked over at me in surprise.
“I have a couple of days off. I came to make sure you were following the doctor’s orders—which you certainly aren’t.” I walked over and grabbed the pack of cigarettes out of his hand. “What happened to the electronic one I bought you?”
“The battery went dead.” He grunted and looked up at me.
“Did you charge it?” I titled my head to the side.
“Yeah, it’s over there.” He pointed at the table in the corner of the room.
“At least try it, Dad.” I walked over and grabbed it. “You don’t even have to go outside to use this. It smells like strawberries.”
“Fine.” He grunted again and took a puff of the vaporized nicotine.
My Dad was definitely stubborn. I took the pack of cigarettes into the kitchen and put them on top of the refrigerator, so he couldn’t easily find them. If he started losing his mind, I’d give him one, but he was going to have to at least try to wean himself off them while I was there. He seemed to be okay once he had a few puffs of the vape. I poured him a cup of coffee and sat down across from him. He immediately started asking about Fireball, so I told him the story from the beginning, and ended with his capture. The television in front of him might as well have been telling the story along with me, because I noticed that the press conference was about to start. I got Dad to turn up the volume and stared at the screen as the mayor and Detective Lewis walked up to the podium.
“It doesn’t sound like they appreciate your help.” My dad grunted and puffed his vape.
“No, but I’m going to have to get over that I guess.” I shook my head angrily.
What choice do I have?
My Dad and I watched television for a few minutes after the press conference was over and then started talking about sports. One of the few things we had in common was our love of the New York Yankees. The season was over, but my Dad followed most of the news in the offseason as well, so he filled me in on the latest trades and acquisitions. He believed they were going to have a good year with all of the promising prospects. I wished I could share his enthusiasm, but my baseball team had let me down more than my father over the years. He suggested that we try to catch a game together, and I promised him that I would buy tickets if he was up for it. I really did need to spend more time with my Dad. I would regret not having that opportunity if I lost him. We were talking and joking like old friends when my sister appeared at the doorway of the living room.
“Janine!” I stood up and walked over to give her a hug.
“Hey.” She barely hugged me and immediately pulled away. “Have you seen my purse?”
“No?” I shrugged and looked around the room.
“I think I saw it in the dining room.” My Dad motioned with his hand and turned off the television.
“Thanks.” She turned and walked in the direction he was pointing.
“Is she okay?” I moved closer to my father, so Janine couldn’t hear me once she was out of the room.
“I don’t know, son. She just seems to live in her own world these days. I stopped asking questions because it just pisses her off.” He sighed and leaned back in his recliner.
Great… This should be a fun visit.
Janine returned to the living room with a tattered green purse that looked like it had seen better days and seemed to be overly agitated to discover that her cell phone was dead. She plugged it in and sat down with a disgruntled look on her face. My sister hardly acknowledged the fact we hadn’t seen each other in months. She was cold and distant. It was almost like talking to a stranger wearing my sister’s skin. I asked how she had been, where she was living, and all I got was vague replies. It reminded me of the way she was after she left Livingston Capital, but the last time I saw her, she seemed to be doing a whole lot better. Her cell phone finally got enough charge for her to turn on the screen and a few seconds later, I saw her face get even more agitated.
“I have to go.” She hopped up from her chair and grabbed her purse.
“What? At least stay for a little bit. I haven’t seen you in forever.” I stood up and tried to reason with her.
“Sorry—something just came up.” She tapped her phone several times.
“Do you want me to drive you somewhere? I didn’t see your car outside when I got here.” I watched as she hurried towards the door.
“No, I’ll get an Uber.” She waved me off and slammed the door behind her.
“Wow, what the fuck?” I looked over at my Dad and sat back down.
“I think she’s got a new boyfriend.” He shrugged. “Or maybe a girlfriend.”