Underestimated Too(117)

Looking up, I stood, took the brown taped up envelope, and smiled. “I’m sorry, I’ll call you later,” I apologetically said.

“I’m worried about you. Open it here.”

“No, I’m fine. I promise. I’ll call you later.”

I took my prize, turned on my heels, and got the hell out of there. Sitting in my car, I looked over to the envelope. What was it? I didn’t find out right away. I wanted to get out of there, go somewhere alone. Where was that? Where could I go that I could see what I’d anticipated seeing for months? I couldn’t go where there were people. What if it was something that was going to cause a reaction?

I drove the way Drew wouldn’t want me to go, feeling nauseated. I wasn’t sure if I was feeling sick because something was wrong or if it was nerves. Hoping it was just nerves I shook it off, focusing on the two yellow lines running down the middle of the road while I rubbed the sharp pain in the side of my head with the tips of my fingers. I was going to call Dr. Tharp as soon as I laid this to rest.

I didn’t drive far when the curiosity got the better of me, that and I was having a little bit of double vision. I needed to pull over. I parked in a parking lot of some factory. Employees sat around picnic tables, smoking cigarettes and eating lunch.

I knew, feeling around the envelope that there was another key. Great. If I had to do this again, I’d surely lose my mind. Pulling off the copious amount of tape, I wondered why so much. It wasn’t like someone couldn’t just tear the paper. I blinked trying to clear the focus in my eyes. I blinked again trying to rid the dots and blurriness. I carefully opened the trifold letter with a Desert Springs Hospital header. That was strange. Why would Drew get a bank security box for that? What was it?

Unfolding the sticky note wrapped around the key, I read it first: Downtown store, safe in utility closet.

What did that mean? There was something else at the store downtown? Why wouldn’t he just put it at the bank with this hospital letter?

I screamed, jumping clear out of my skin when someone tapped on my window.

“You can’t park here. We have trucks coming in,” the burley looking man explained.

I started my car and nodded, letting him know that I was leaving.

Hell, I’d already come this far, I may as well go to the strip store and finish it. Drew was probably going to kill me anyway.

I jumped clear out of my seat again when my phone rang. I didn’t answer Drew. I couldn’t. I would lose my nerve if I did. Instead, I turned my phone off, not wanting him to be able to track me, pulled out, and headed to the jewelry store on the strip.

“Hello, Mrs. Kelley. What brings you in today?” one of the well-dressed men asked when I entered. My head hurt and I fought hard to feign a happy smile. It wasn’t a normal headache. The pain was more of a burning sensation right behind my eye.

“Hello, Norman. How are you?” I smiled. He bowed, returning the smile as I made my way back to the office, feigning smiles as I passed the staff in their extravagant work attire.

“Mrs. Kelley, pleasure to see you.” Johnathan stood from behind the desk.

“Hello, Johnathan. Do you have the key to the closet here? I just need to pick something up for Drew.”

“Um, Drew didn’t call. What is it?”

“I’m not sure that is your business. No. I know that it’s not.”

“I should call Drew.”

“You should give me the key. You technically work for me, not my husband. If you’d like to continue your employment with Callaway Jewels, you should probably do as I say,” I threatened.

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded and handed me the key from the top drawer, leaving me alone.

Closing the door, I blinked again. I’m not sure why I kept doing that. It was doing nothing to help my vision. Opening the door to the supply closet, I looked around, spotting the safe in the back of the closest. I inserted the key, gratefully it opened. A small size box with an envelope was all that was there. I retrieved the items and thanked Johnathon on my way out.

I didn’t even remember driving to the cemetery. I sat, parked in the center of the cemetery, trying to recall the direction to Michael’s gravesite. My head was on fire, my vision was blurred, and now I felt like my balance was off. “What the hell am I doing?” I asked myself, walking in the direction I thought was right.

I sat between Michael and Drew’s mother, more out of need than anything. I was going to fall if I didn’t sit down.

I opened the legal envelope first. A handwritten letter? This wasn’t Drew’s writing. If this was some love sick letter from Skyler, I may end up in prison for murder.