Where to go from here

Chapter 18 House call

Minnie's POV

We arrived pretty quickly at this place, it's further out of the city than I had expected, but the most concerning part is that I don't know if anyone is there at the place or not. It's hard to see onto the property it looks as if its curving around. So it worries me that we might get into trouble just showing up to this place we can't properly see, but I guess we don't really have any other option. I pull up closer to the area I need to access the property, but I make sure to not go up the driveway. I'm leaning forward looking around the house as I pull over. "I can't tell if there is a car parked out front or not." I say to him as he hums out, but not giving an actual response. I look over and see he is staring at me not the house. "Lachlan, are you not looking at the house?" I ask him hoping for a little bit of help.

"I.. am looking at what is important." I look back at him again seeing he is still staring at me. I scoff at that sweet talk.. It's nice to hear and I always love hearing the accent, I don't know if he is just trying to flirt or what, but we are here to take care of something and I just stole this file so I want to make sure it is worth it. I slap his chest as I pointed at the house. "That's what is important right now.. I stole to help us get here. Now let's make it worth it." I state with a determination in my tone that makes me feel tough, maybe unstoppable, as if I'm the one in charge of this.

"Yes maam." he says this to me as he leans in closer to me while we both look in the direction of the house. We keep staring as I feel his breath feathering off of my neck as I try to control the chills running rampant through me. That is until I see a car leaving the garage and driving straight towards us. "Sh*t she is coming.. duck." I shove his head down as I bend down leaving us out of sight but leaving our faces only inches apart. Of course our eyes lock.

"I like being like this with you." he whispers to me as Walter gets right next to his face, licking it over and over again causing me to smile and shake my head, "Being where with me? On the floor of my car?" I ask him as I pick up a fry that was dropped, however long ago, showing it's not the ideal place to be. Walter grabs the old fry out from my fingers as I silently gag at that, making Lachlan chuckle.

"I like to be in close proximity to you.. I just like spending time with you running around the city and just so we are clear, I don't think it's the trauma." he softy says this to me as I whisper right back, "you know, your father said he thought you would adore me as much as he did." I playfully state as he smiles and whispers. "I really do and my father has always known me well."

I shake my head hearing the revving of the car as it flies past us and down the long strip of open road. I sit up saying. "I think this is our chance to look through the house." I open the door swinging my legs out getting ready to jump up but he quickly grabs for my hand. "Minnie." he says as I quickly stop him. "Lach, this is not the time to do this.. we don't know when she will be back so we need to do this now.. this might be our only chance. Hurry the gate is closing." I declare watching the gate slowly cross the driveway to shut.

He lets out a deep breath and nodding at me while he opens the door as we both get out of the car. We run past the shutting gate. "How are we going to get back out?" he asks as I shrug my shoulders. "maybe just climb them." I declared as I see him continuously nodding. We keep jogging up the driveway and towards the house to see that there is a keypad lock on the door. "Sh*t how are we supposed to get in?" I ask as he types away in the key pad and it automatically opens, shocking me completely. "How the hell did you do that?" I ask him as he chuckles then states as if it should be obvious. "My father has always made my mother's birthday his password for everything.. so I thought he might do the same here.. it's funny that his girlfriend has to type in my mother birthday every day just to enter the house." He states shaking his head as he opens the door, letting us both in.

This house is huge on the inside, with a vaulted ceiling and every last bit covered in what looks like crystal and chrome.. but who really knows what it is.. I have never seen such a place and wouldn't have any idea what these materials really are. Lachlan shuts the door behind me as we both start to search each room.. One after the next, just finding the kitchen, closets, back porch, living room and onto the next. I open another door to see that it looks like an office. "Lach I think this might be your dad's office." I say over my shoulder as he approaches from behind me and getting close to pass me by.

He smiles down at me as I match it. He walks in and gets excited, "that's his hat.. thank ya Min!" he says to me as he grabs the hat and places it on his head. Then taking it off to stare at it again. I walk over to the desk and pull open the top drawer, taking a look through his things as I see a card for a lawyer. "I think I might have found his lawyer." I declare as I put the card into my pocket. I keep looking through the desk as I see a picture of a gorgeous woman and Oliver looking years younger with a boy in his teens standing right in front of them. I think that it might be Lachlan. "Is this?" I start asking before I am cut off by him reaching over me, grabbing the picture from my hand. "This is the family photo.. That's the last picture my mother, father and I ever took together before she passed. He has the only copy and has carried it with him no matter where he has gone.. except for the nursing home." He says softly into my ear as he continues to stand behind me.

"Well, I'm happy we found it for you Lach.. now that we got everything you needed we need to get out." I say to him, trying to convince him to leave before we get caught. "We need to look for his will to see if we can find that as well, to prove that he doesn't want to be cremated but buried before they do it to him." he says as I look around seeing a filing cabinet beside the desk. "Maybe in there." I declare as he starts looking through the top drawers while I look through the bottom ones. I didn't find any in the first one and neither does he, so we move onto the next, then the next before we hear beeping.

"What's that sound?" I ask him as he looks outside. "The gate is opening. That means they are getting ready to drive in." he says this to me as he shoves the picture into his pocket. "she can't see you here." I say with panic in my tone. We quickly run through the house, getting out the front door faster than I had anticipated before we shut the front door behind us. I can see around the little corner that the car is parked and they are walking straight up to the door. I shove Lachlan to the side as he falls into the trees and bushes beside the front door. He looks pissed at me but I just put my finger to my lips telling him to be quiet as he just scoots further back and out of sight leaving me to take care of this.

Into my line of vision comes Lydia and Jason, Marilyn's boyfriend, they are laughing and joking around with one another until they see that I am standing right in front of the front door. They look back and forth between each other before slowly getting closer as Lydia whispers to Jason. But I can't hear what they are saying.

I start fluffing the trees making sure she knows I'm the one making all the noise with the trees. "These are beautiful trees.. did you plant them yourself when you moved here?" I ask as Lydia looks confused by me being here but still answers. "No they were already here." I nod. "Oh ok.. well they're lovely.. and it's nice to see you again even on these bad terms." Lydia is nodding as she is looking back and forth from me to Jason who is still standing right next to her. They both look confused but I have to just play this as casual as possible.

"It's Minnie.. right?" I vigorously nod and put my hand out for her to shake showing her I mean no harm and don't want to look suspicious. "Lydia, the reason why I am really here is because I just wanted to give my sincere condolences for your loss. Oliver was a very nice man and I know this world will be darker without his bright prescence." I say as she shakes my hand, letting out a deep breath still looking between Jason and myself, but luckily accepting my handshake.

"Yeah.. it's been a hard day, but.. um Lachlan, his son, is here to help me.. you remember Oliver talking about his son.. this is him." She says pointing at Marilyn's boyfriend. "Yeah.. of course I remember him talking about his son every single day.. Um.. it's nice to meet you, I'm Minnie," he extended his hand out for me to shake, so I willingly take it, just trying to keep the conversation pleasant. I don't want them to know that I know they are lying to me.

"Yeah, that's me, his son.. Lachlan." this guys repeats her words as she glares over at him, and his stupidity.. He should have just kept his mouth shut." I c*ck my head to the side staring at him as I say sweetly, "Yes I do remember him talking about his son all the time but you look nothing like he described.. and what's so odd is that you don't even have the accent like he did." With my blunt comment I watch as he stiffens up trying to throw an accent in there every other word trying to explain this phenomenon. "I have fallen out of the accent.. um.. because I travel.. all over."

I look at Lydia who is now glaring over at the both of us as she nods but the ironic words just seem to fall from my lips, like the word vomit I'm always trying to avoid. "Wow, that sounds amazing.. It really does.. but oddly enough, you look like the man that has been dating my friend Marilyn.. strange huh?" I'm shocked by my words, just wishing my internal filter would have been turned on for this conversation. I can see the anger building in both of their eyes now as I feel the tension rising as well. I swallow the lump in my throat nervously wondering about what they might think of me.. I want to be inconspicuous, but here I am showing my cards and proving I don't believe them.. I need to reel this conversation back in.

I watch Jason's jaw clench as they both look at one another then back at me as if they are having and internal conversation with one another.. but I quickly change the subject. "Well, that must be just a weird coincidence, like a doppelganger or something.. am I right?" I say as they both push out fake laughs as they nod their heads. I keep it going as I state. "I have even read somewhere that everyone has at least 6 dopplegangers in the world.. isn't that insane to even imagine?" They both nod as I let out a deep breath, watching as Jason's hand clenches into a fist as he keep glaring daggers at me.

I'm really feeling the awkwardness coming through along with the tension that clearly won't go away, so I need to go before this gets any worse. I clear my throat before stating. "Thank you so much for your time.. I.. I just wanted to make sure to say I'm sorry for you loss since I haven't seen you and now that I have done that, I remembered that I do have other things to take care of." I say waving as I turn to leave the property. "Ok Ms. Minnie.. just be careful going somewhere you don't belong.. we would hate for anything to happen to Oliver's favorite sheila." she states to me in a ominous tone that I think was meant to be a threat.

I swallow the lump in my throat again as I turn around and say over my shoulder. "Thank you so much for your concern but I can take care of myself.. have a better day." I say as they keep glaring at me for far too long. But as I wave and turn the corner I can see through the trees that they are walking inside the house. I shake off the nerves just trying to get out of this situation and to my car.