Grand. - Episode 13

Falling

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Present day

17th February 2017,

Friday night.

Johnson's Bungalow.

"How has my Penny been?" He asks in a sweet yet carniving manner. My heart leaps in excitement. I do not respond to his statement, instead i walk away from the window while he closely follows. I feel him edging closer and soon enough he grabs me, turning me around on the process.

"Penny i asked how you have been?"

I look away from him not wanting to meet his intense brown gaze . He then takes my chin and directs my eyes into this.

"How are you Penelope?"

"Am okay Lloyd."

"See? Was that hard?"

I haven't been that close to Lloyd except for the night he slept at my place. His lemon like scent emanates everywhere. I clear my throat and try to push him away. I do enjoy being close to him but i know that closeness can also be dangerous. He holds me in position then draws me close to him while tightly hugging me. Unconsciously i rub his back with my eyes closed.

"Thanks Penelope for everything."

"Its the least i could do."

He breaks the hug and we both settle on my bed. Silence reigns for a while.

"Did they freeze your parents account?"

"They sure did." He responds solemnly.

"What of your car, is it listed under your father's property?"

"It was brought by money from my trust fund grandpa created for me, by law my trust fund is protected

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/grand

. "

"So you still do have it?"

"Yes i do."

"I would like to see your brother Eddy?"

"Why...what for?"

" I am looking for someone who might have known the dead woman. It will be a step closer towards finding what really happened."

"Taking you there isn't a problem, i just want you to let me in your plan."

"That's if i have a plan at all." I respond while standing up from the bed.

"Stop being slippery Penny, can you just tell me whatever you know concerning the dead woman."

"I will have to kill you first."

"Whatever it is you are hiding....i will find out eventually."

"Till then." I say sarcastically.

I stand arranging all the books in my bedroom bookshelf not knowing what else to tell Lloyd.

"Did you talk to your dad?" He asks.

"Mmmh.....nope."

What was i going to tell my dad.

'Hey fav dad, my friend's parents eloped and left him hanging. Can he stay at our place while he figures his way out of this mess."

"But you said you would."

"I know what i said but am beginning to see how dumb that suggestion was.

"Penny i want to go back to school and see what they have to say about my suspension. My school fee is already paid for and i also want to try and figure out what happened with my parents."

"We will work something out...but what of Jace and Paul?"

"I can't stand Jace's parents. If word gets out my parents eloped they will be the first people to dance on my parent's grave. Paul is an orphan and the folks he stays with aren't exactly nice."

"Ooh...okay we will have to figure something out."

********

Sartuday

18th February 2017

I had him sleep ln the floor. I could not risk what happened the last time happening again. Especially now that am beginning to feel this certain kind of way. I stare ahead. Silence is covering the car as a morning dew. Lloyd keeps changing stations trying to cover up for the tensed atmosphere between us. Occasionally he flexess his neck. I geuss sleeping on the floor is not a nice experience for a multi billionaire's son.

"Am sorry you had to take the floor."

"Its okay, atleast i had a roof over my head." He says rubbing the back of his neck.

"Next time we will exchange."

"Mmmh...so there will be a next time?" He asks raising one of his eyebrows.

"You know what i mean Lloyd."

Silence reigns once again. I sink deeper into my seat. Lloyd starts humming some Luther Vandross song. I'd rather have bad times with you and man he can sing. I listen quietely not wanting to interupt when he says something that shocks me.

"You remind me of her."

"Her, who?"

He takes a deep breath then slows down coming to a final stop.

"Wait, why are we stopping?"

He opens the car door and i follow suit. We sit on the rear side of the car. He has this distant look on her face.

"We never found her body."

"What body? ....who are you talking about?" I ask clueless whatsoever.

"Her name was Sidney." His adam's apple moves up and down as he says he name.

Sidney..Sidney... I remember that name. Where did i hear it? I ransack my brain but i can't seem to place it.

"You two must have been close huh?"

"Yeah she was my girlfriend."

I narrow my eyes while looking at him. He shrugs his shoulder.

"Let me get this straight, at the age of seventeen you have already dated two ladies, one has already left you a widower."

Ignoring me he continues.

"When Sidney went missing, we searched everywhere. Any chance that she had maybe run from home but no clues penned out. Her stuff were intact just as she had left that morning. Sarah was there for me."

"How convinient." I say with a smirk on my face.

He pockets without saying a thing.

"You know your girlfriend is a ..." I leave the sentence unfinished.

"She is a handful i know but she is never like that with me."

"Right." I say with sneer on my face.

"I mean it. She was there for me when all that happened with Sidney."

*******

Raven is a much simpler town. What i would describe as simple in every sense. The streets are full of life. People walking. People vending second hand stuff. I haven't realised how much i miss my old town Fov River till now. Eddy's house is similar to many houses in his lane. Its small, probably a two bedroomed one. It is the kind of place you would want to go back to after a long day of work. Lloyd parks his car beside a white vitz that i assume belongs to his brother. He stops the ignition then let out a huge sigh.

"How did i get myself to this point?"

"I ask myself the same question every morning for the past one week."

We alight from the car and proceed to knock at the door. A well built bi-racial male opens the door with hair dropping down on his neck.

"Hey, whatsup Eddy." Lloyd says while sauntering in into the living room, i closely follow while Eddy closes the door.

"Whatsup bro, i was expecting you last night..who is your friend?"

"Oh me am nothing..i mean sir you are drop dead gorgeous, have you ever considered modelling?" I parrot out.

Shut up Penelope!

"Pardon my manners sir, am Penelope..Lloyd's..."

"Friend." Lloyd cuts in.

"I like her already." Eddy says.

Lloyd gives me a questioning look and inturn i shrug back.

"Coffee anyone?" Eddy asks.

"We fine." Lloyd answers for the both of us

"Oh okay..i will make one for myself."

He leaves the room. Lloyd is throwing daggers at me. Maybe am reading this wrong but he is acting kidish. Whatever. Eddy comes back with a mug steaming with hot coffee.

"So how is everything?"

"Am holding up just fine."

Awkward silence follows.

"So my friend is searching for a girl from around here, we wondering if you may know her?"

"Who is she?"

"Hazel Grace." I say.

"Uuuuh..."

I can see he is a bit taken aback. He sets his mug upon the table then sits back. He has lost the composure he had earlier.

"What are you two upto?" He asks

"Nothing ...why?'

"You are asking me about the dead woman in Grand, does dad and mum know about this."

"Look bro we just curious, my friend here wants to become a detective. Her sources says the woman might have been from Raven. She is just here to collect information. No harm."

"Let it go. It's not worth finding who she is. Some secrets are not worth uncovering."

Oh my goodness.

"You too?"

"I might have called for her services once or twice.

"Now you really need to help us."

"Look i know nothing much about her except that she is a high class prostitute. Lucy was her best friend and patner in crime, she is the one you should be having this conversation with."

"Where can we find her?"

"She waits at a local bar downstreet."

************

The bar is dimly lit. I have never been inside a bar before. You know what they say. There is always a first time for everything. Lucy is standing behind the counter serving drinks. After saying my graces i approach her.

Read " Made " by the same author ( DORSILA ANYANGO )

. I settle on a stool directly facing where she is standing.

"Hey kid, you know you not getting served right?"

"Its not what am here for, i want to talk to you?"

"About what?"

"Not here."

She looks at me probably wondering what could be so important for a kid like me to want to talk to her. Reluctantly, she removes her apron and follows me.

"So what do you want to talk about."

"I want to talk about Grace."

"I don't know of any Grace."

"Aren't you Lucy?"

"Kid i don't know who you are or where you come from and also i know nothing about this Hazel Grace you are talking about."

"I didn't say her first name but apparently you know her name is Hazel. You sure you don't know a Hazel Grace?"

She flexes her eyebrows giving me the answer.

"Its what i just said."

I look at her and in my mind i can't believe i have come all this way for Lucy to play dumb on me.

"I saw your reaction when i said her name. How can you pretend you don't know her?"

"Am not pretending. I don't know who you are talking about."

"So you want to play games. Am going to tell on you." I say.