CHAPTER 21
BODHI
My eyes trailed over Jackie’s pert ass as she fluttered around the diner, topping off coffee cups and delivering platters of steaming eggs and bacon and sausage.
She was definitely beautiful. Just like her mother, Jane, had been, and just as my father had described her grandmother.
Looks like that runs in the family, I guess.
Will sat to my right, sullen and angry as usual. Ross, always chipper and upbeat, sat to my left. And Connor sat next to him. Our corner booth gave me the perfect view of the front door, so I could always see who was coming in. My father taught me to never turn my back to the door, and I’d taken his advice to heart.
“Bodhi, did you hear me?” Will asked, his voice urgent and low.
“What, sorry?” I said, pulling my eyes away from Jackie’s curves.
“Someone broke into my house last night,” he said.
“Shit,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t know what’s going on. Did they take anything?”
“Not that I can tell, which is fucking weird, because my laptop was right there in plain sight. They just rummaged through my office, but everything is still there. Someone’s looking for something, I tell you!”
“Well, I’ve got a man on it, don’t worry.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hired some security.”
“You did?” he asked, his eyes wide. “That’s not like you.”
“Modern times call for modern solutions. I’ll send my guy over to your place to look around, too. His name is Fury.”
“Fury?” Ross asked. “You’re kidding, right? What kind of man goes by the name of Fury?”
“A tank of a man,” I replied, smiling proudly. I liked Fury. I liked his quiet yet seething demeanor. I liked his hulking frame, his scary tattoos and scars. “You’ll see. I’ll send him over to your place this afternoon, Will.”
“Alright,” Will said. “But I don’t think some big ape running around is going to solve anything. We’ve still got New York to think about and those guys aren’t happy, Bodhi.”
“Fuck them!” I said, my voice bellowing through the diner. A few heads turned my way, but most of the people in Greenville were used to my sudden outbursts. “They can kiss my ass. And trust me, they’ll do what we want. Money talks. And those kind of people? They always listen.”
“Bodhi, listen man, I gotta tell you,” Will said, shaking his head. “I’m thinking about leaving.”
“What do you mean?”
“Leaving town. Moving away. Starting fresh somewhere else. Take the wife and kid and look for a less stressful life.”
“Is that so?” I said, staring him down. “I don’t think so.”
“You can’t just —.”
“— yes, I can.”
“Bodhi, it’s not fair to my family!”
“Yeah, and what you did to Bryce wasn’t fair, either was it?” I whispered, seething with anger. “And yet, look at you — a free man, with a loving family, a strong career and your freedom. What does Bryce have? Nothing but a cold grave.”
“Bodhi, I know, and really, I appreciate everything you’ve done, but this is getting to be too much for me to take. Maybe we should just turn ourselves in and get it over with. We’ve been living with this secret for twenty-five years! It’s wearing on me.”
“You selfish prick,” I said, shaking my head. “After all I’ve done for you over the years and now, as soon as the heat gets turned up a little, you want to abandon ship? Fuck you, Will. You’re an asshole.”
“Bodhi…”
“You’re not fucking going anywhere, and if you tell anyone what happened, I’ll make sure you don’t live to see the light of day, do you fucking understand me, Will?”
He hung his head in defeat and I couldn’t help but smirk. The little asshole threatening to ruin everything, after I saved his ass? Fuck him.
“Fine,” he muttered. I glanced over at Ross and he shook his head and shrugged.
“Ain’t no use in dredging up the past, Will,” Ross said. “Won’t do anything but ruin our lives at this point.”
“He’s right, Will,” Connor said. “We’ve come this far. We just have to stay the course. Nothing good will come out of it.”
“I don’t see how you guys sleep at night,” Will said, shaking his head.
“In a comfortable bed and very deeply, thank you very much,” I said, laughing.
Jackie walked up, filling up our cups.
“Hey, Jackie,” I said, eyeing her up and down.
“Bodhi,” she nodded, avoiding my eye. “Can I get you fellas anything else?”
“We’re good,” I said. “Jackie, why don’t you ever smile? A pretty girl with a face like that? You should be smiling all the time.”
She pursed her lips and shook her head.
“I only smile at people when I want to, Bodhi,” she said.
“Such a shame,” I said, shaking my head.
“Why don’t you go make your wife smile and leave my face alone?”
“Testy,” I said, laughing. “I think my wife forgot how to smile.”
Will shook his head but I ignored him. I was pretty sure he was still in love with Marilyn, but he’d never admit it. Or, at least the woman she used to be. Nobody could love the woman she’d turned into. God, she was like a limp rag most days, just uselessly taking up space. If I didn’t have to consider what it would do to Molly, I’d just get rid of her and find someone new, someone younger, healthier, prettier.
Jackie strolled away without another word and Will turned back to me.
“I have to go,” he said. “I have a conference call with the attorneys in an hour.”
“Me, too,” Ross said. “Gotta get to the office.”
“Yep, same,” Connor said. “Bodhi, let me know if any information turns up about the break-ins.”
“I’m going to have my guy put in surveillance cameras today. I’d suggest you do the same, Will. Want me to have him put cameras in your place, too?”
“I don’t know, Bodhi. That’s so disturbing. Whatever happened to the town where you could leave your doors unlocked twenty-four seven?”
“Everything changes, my friend,” I said. “Everything changes.”
“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head. “I think I’ll pass on the cameras for now.”
“Suit yourself,” I said.
“If I suited myself, I’d be fleeing this god-awful town.”
“Don’t start up again,” I warned, as the three of them slid out of the booth.
“Yeah, yeah,” Will said, throwing a twenty down on the table and walking away.
“Call me after your conference call,” I called after him. He waved without turning around and was out the door in seconds.
“I think he’s starting to lose it, boys,” I said to Ross and Connor.
“He’s just scared, Bodhi, cut him a little slack,” Ross said.
I shrugged as they walked away, leaving me alone in the booth. I looked around at the diner, the past strolling through my head like a movie. So much had occurred in this place, from my first date as a teen to celebrations after winning football games. We’d organized the search for Bryce here, too. The entire town had participated in the search back then. We’d never had anyone disappear like that before and most of the townsfolk was convinced we had a murderer walking amongst us or something. Luckily, they’d never found him, because I’d managed to convince everyone there was no need to look on my folk’s property back then.
The Green family was a pillar in the community. Nobody in my family would ever suspect Bryce would be buried there and that’s exactly why I’d chosen that spot. And I’d been right. All this time, Bryce’s grave had gone completely undiscovered and undisturbed. Every now and then, I’d wander back there, talk to him a little, spend a little time with him, even leave behind some flowers occasionally. But, for the most part, after all the hoopla died down and he was never found, after the search was called off, folks just went on with their lives as if nothing had ever happened.
Will, Ross and Connor had benefited the most from my quick thinking and they’d do best to remember that.
My property was vast and other than wildlife, completely deserted.
Plenty of room for more graves, should the need arise…