Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

 I rang the bell, as Fay hid behind me in the shadows of the front porch. She was still stiff from the whole Greg thing, but somehow I managed to get her here.

"I don't like this Dom," she tells me nervously. "I mean, we hardly know this woman and... and she could be even more crazier than me, right?"

She looked up at me expectantly.

"There's only one way to find out Fay."

I turn back towards the door and ring the bell again when no one answered. This time around the sounds of crashing items and scratched floor boards told us this was definitely the right place. Fay gripped the back of my shirt and clung to my side, her nails eating into my flesh.

"Ow Fay, why can't you chew your hair like other girls when their nervous." I say trying to lighten the mood.

Fay scowled.

"I'm not nervous."

She released my shirt.

"I'm just...just... protecting myself, yeah I'm protecting myself." she said more surely. "We don't know, she could be psychopath or something."

"Or something." I agree.

Fay shakes her head.

After what feels like an eternity, the door opens a crack, held together by a chain. A pale and frail looking woman, with ash brown hair, and grey eyes opens the door and peeks out through the gap. The sound of her croaky voice startled not only Fay but me as well. She sounded old and withered yet this woman didn't seem to look a day older than 30.

"Fay?" the woman called out.

Fay hid behind my back again, continuing to clutch my shirt.

"Yeah." she managed to squeak out.

A small timid smile appeared onto the woman's face suddenly before she backed away and closed the door. Unassumingly, I heard Beatrice start to remove the chains but then she stopped half way.

"Um," she calls through the door. "My house is mess so let me clear the way a little before you come in."

The woman doesn't wait for an answer before more crashing and scratching is heard. Fay and I eye each other curiously. What the hell does that woman have in there?

No later than after five minutes, the door swings open and there stood Beatrice in a rumpled T-shirt and knee length shorts. She smiles timidly when Fay slowly came out from behind me and approached her.

"Please come in." Beatrice invites.

Fay nodded and both of us followed her inside. We were lead to a dingy looking couch in the center of a worn out room. I looked around and couldn't help but notice the rust stains on the walls and the and the tainted carpet display that only covered half of this room. Her windows were unbelievably small and barely transparent from all the debris piled up on the seal. And there was this smell, this... faint smell that I couldn't quite make out yet, but I could tell, It wasn't good.

There was three doors that lead to three other different rooms. Each door was chipped and pealed from it's paint coating. The room itself wasn't that big so I could tell the others weren't much of a sight either. Finishing evaluating her apartment, I tried to make myself seem more comfortable than what I was really feeling. All but.

Beatrice sits opposite of us and smiles bashfully.

"Sorry this place seems a little," she glanced around, "rundown."

Fay shook her head in response, her eyes set determinedly on Beatrice and Beatrice alone.

"It's fine Beatrice, I... I just need answers. Please tell me you called me here to give me answers because I can't handle any more questions."

Beatrice sighed

"I can't tell you everything. A day ago my mind was set on not telling you anything bu now I--"

"But now you will right?" Fay asked desperately.

Beatrice didn't say anything. Instead she turned to face me.

"I don't know you." she tells me matter of factually.

"No, and nor do I know you." I reply back in the same manner.

"Well since that's the case then I can't trust you."

"Trust me with what?"

"With what I'm about to tell Fay." 

I roll my eyes inwardly.

"Look, Fay and I are on the same page here. We both want to know what happened to her and what Greg is hiding so if you don't mind, I think I'll stick around for a bit."

Both Fay and Beatrice can sense that my determination is set. Fay shot Bea a pleading look. 

"You can trust Dom." she reassured her.

"Do you?" Bea asked, eyes penetrating Fay's cautiously. 

Fay turned to look at me. A tentative smile grew on her face. 

"I do." she answered looking straight at me. "If it's anyone, I trust Dom the most." 

I couldn't help but smile at those words. 

"Thanks Fay." I replied. 

She nodded. 

In the corner of my eye, I can see Beatrice looking back and forth between us with a confused expression on her face. 

"Fay." she interrupted. 

Fay hesitantly broke eye contact with me, and turned to face Beatrice again. 

"Yeah." 

"What is he to you?" she asked.

Fay's face scrunched up in confusion. 

"Who, Greg?" 

Beatrice shook her head. 

"Him." She nodded her head in my direction. 

"Dom?" Fay confirmed. 

Bea nodded yes. 

'Well, Dom's--" Fay broke short. Confusion contorted her face again. "Dom is..." 

She turned to me again. That same smile appeared on her face. She turned to face Bea somehow happening to find the answer in my eyes. 

"Dom's the guy took me in." 

Now it was my turn stare surprising at her.  

"Okay." Beatrice said. "What about--"

"Bea." Fay cut her off. "I told you you, I can't handle anymore questions." 

Beatrice nodded. 

"Yeah, um... sorry for prying. I just... I'm scared."

 Fay took the opportunity to lean in closer and lay a comforting hand on her knee. 

"Please." Fay whispered. 

Beatrice took a deep breath then got a hold of herself again. 

"Okay," she said. "I'll tell you what I can." 

Fay and I kept a steady eye on her as our ears perked to attention. 

"I don't know Greg personally. I only know him through my brother." she began. "Even then, my brother didn't know Greg personally either. He knew him through... you." 

"Me?" Fay said. 

Bea nodded. 

"I'm not sure what type of relationship you two had but you two seemed very close. I don't mean to come out blunt but, I think you were cheating on Greg with my brother."

Fay gasped. 

"I did?" she asked in disbelief. "I was capable of cheating?" She shook her head. 

"Yeah, but you're relationship kind ran deeper than the average cheating just for fun kind of thing."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "I mean I can understand why the past her would have cheated on the b*****d, but knowing Fay, what would could have drive her into another committed relationship when she hadn't ended the other, Fay wouldn't have done that. That's not her." 

Bea turned down to the carpet. 

"I can't dwell on their relationship. See, there's just so many things I know myself."

She sighed.

"My brother and you Fay, were keeping something from Greg. A secret so to speak, and by the look on your face back then, you were terrified of Greg finding out." 

"What did I--" 

"I don't know." Bea concluded. "Only my brother and you knew." 

"Yeah but, wouldn't you think it's the fact that they were hiding their relationship from Greg the secret?" 

"I don't know, maybe. But the way I see it, it looked much deeper than that. I don't know." 

Bea shrugged. 

"Where's you're brother now?" Fay asked after a stretch of silence.

"My... my brother?" Bea asked. 

Sadness clogged her words. 

"Truth is, I don't know."

Bea got up and started pacing the floor. 

"I mean, he still calls to check up on me time to time, but then that's it. Gone." 

"Why? Why did he disappear?" 

"Again," Bea said. " not to be blunt but, I think it was because of you, or at the very most, Greg. I don't know what happened between you three, but everything that happened borders around the accident you had eight months ago."  

"Yes!" Fay exclaimed also standing up. "What happened? Please tell me, what happened that night?" 

Bea stood stiffly as Fay went around and clutched onto her arms. 

"Please." Fay begged. 

Bea closed her eyes. 

"I don't know what happened." she whispered. 

I watched as defeat washed over Fay and she slowly pulled away.

"You don't know. Fay repeated in a daze. 

She turned around, pain enveloping her face. I was immediately at her side, already pulling her into a tight hug. Fay responded instantly, wrapping her tiny arms around me. Face in my chest we both turned to look at Beatrice again. 

Beatrice's eyes were overflowing with withdrawn tears as she struggled to keep her sobs in check. 

"I'm so... so sorry." Bea cried. "I wish I knew, I really do." 

Beatrice wiped at her tears furiously. She gasped. 

"Maybe... maybe if I had been there... then maybe... maybe I could have--

Fay, now out of my grasp, wrapped her arms around Beatrice, giving her the comfort I had given her. 

"It's okay." Fay said. "It's okay, really."  

"I'm sorry." Bea said again. 

Fay was now stroking her hair. I watched in fascination at how strong Fay actually is. Up until now, I saw Fay as confused, and mentally weak but now, seeing her capable of being someones shoulder just like I am to her, I can't help but be marveled. 

Beatrice quickly got a hold of herself though and gently Fay pulled back again. 

"You okay?" 

Beatrice nodded, smiling gratefully 

"Thanks." 

Bea sat down again in a heap, somewhat exhausted. 

"We won't waste anymore of you're time." I tell her. "We do appreciate what you had told us so far so--

"No!" Fay interrupted. She turned to me. "One more answer, I need one more answer." 

To Bea she asked, 

"You're brother, what was his name?"

Bea looked up at us, eyes bulging.

"His name is Terrence McCoy." 

And just like that, Fay was out like a light.