Fatal Alliances: Chapter 18

My world was crashing down upon me. Nothing seemed real anymore. Finny held the steering wheel tightly as he drove me home. I knew he was really distraught about what just happened.

“Juliet, I know this must be hard for you but-”

“I know Finneas but I don’t want to talk about it again, I just want this whole partnership deal to end. People are getting hurt, people are dying because of this, and….those people didn’t deserve to die like that. He didn’t deserve to die.” I sighed.

Upon arriving at my house, I felt the heavy atmosphere drown me. It was so quiet but not in a peaceful way, it was a deadly kind of silence.

“Let me come in with you.” Finny offered.

This time I didn’t decline him, I wanted him to be with me only because I didn’t know how to handle this situation. It’s been over two hours since the incident happened and I’m sure the hospital services must have contacted my family already. Jenna must’ve been calling me as well, I’m sure she must have been worried but my phone battery died. Finny opened the door for me to enter, as I walked in an intense feeling of grief overtook me. The place felt so empty yet I knew the others were home.

“Jenna?” I softly called.

“Julie?” I heard her tired voice reply.

The expression she wore seemed so pale, so fragile and broken. She had been crying, her tears were still evident upon her face.

“Jules, I was so worried. A-are you alright? Where were you? You aren’t hurt, are you? Why didn’t you answer my calls?” she sobbed as she hugged me tightly.

“I- I’m alright Jen, I – Mr. Dawnly – Jen he…”

“I know honey, I – we got a call and we went to the hospital and he…and then you weren’t there as well, and I tried calling you Julie…but…”   

“My battery died and I couldn’t. I’m sorry…” I said feeling an agonizing pain flood through me, “Where’s Mrs. Dawnly? Is she…?”

“She was the one that got the news first Jules. She isn’t talking to anyone, she’s just alone in her room.”

As Jenna pulled away from me, she noticed Finny standing to the side.

“This… is a friend of mine, Finny. He – he brought me home, he helped me.”

“Oh, thank you,” Jenna said as she gave him a grateful smile.

“It was nothing, don’t worry,” Finny replied.

“Where’s Nina?” I asked.

“She’s by the neighbour, I’m going to get her now. I’ll be back soon.” She said as she walked out.

As soon as Jenna shut the door, Finny looked at me worriedly, “Juliet our information on the partnership is a bit limited. Adrian thought that maybe the Dawnlys have some other information.”

“Finny are you crazy? We can’t talk to Mrs. Dawnly about this now! You heard Jenna, she isn’t talking to anyone. This…today is her anniversary Finny…can you imagine what she must be going through? Today is also the day her husband died.” I spoke frantically.

“I know but the later we prolong this more people are at risk of getting hurt, Juliet. It could be anyone.”

“But,”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, he was right but I couldn’t hurt Mrs. Dawnly. As we walked up to her room, I felt so uneasy. The door to her room was left ajar and the sound of the Moonlight Sonata danced tauntingly around the room. It was hers and her husband’s favourite song to dance to. I saw the back of Mrs. Dawnly’s head from the couch, she was as still as death itself. Every step I took towards her felt like a painful stab in the stomach, it was as if I was walking on broken glass towards her. Softly, I touched her shoulder to get her attention.

“Mrs. Dawnly,” I whispered and knelt down beside her.

“Julie,” she said with her voice dripping with agony.

It was so soft and pained. Everything about her seemed tortured. Her husband was her life, but now her life was taken away from her. Mr. Dawnly was her joy, her sorrow, her laughter, her support, he was her everything.

“You’re alright. You’re here. I’m so happy.” She continued as she hugged me.

Returning her embrace, I couldn’t help but allow a tear to escape, “I’m here. I’m okay.”

“Julie,” she sighed.

“I know, I know.” I comforted her as I looked at Finny with a begging expression to not tell her anything.

She wouldn’t be able to handle any of this. Even if she knew any of the information on the covert partnership, would she even be able to cope with the fact that it’s because of that her husband died? He was murdered anyway. The poor lady couldn’t even speak properly at the moment. This wasn’t the right time.

“This is a friend of mine, Mrs. Dawnly,” I said as I introduced her to Finny.

“It’s lovely to meet you, madam, Juliet has told me quite a lot about you. I pray you feel better soon.” He smiled.

“What a nice boy.” I heard Mrs. Dawnly murmured with a gentle smile.

“Oh my, don’t you think we should open the windows in here? A little fresh air is good, being in the AC is quite claustrophobic at times like these. And maybe we could help you tidy up. It isn’t good for your health.” He said as he walked towards a window.

What was he doing? Finny never struck me as the pushy kind. And besides, the place was already spotless, there were only some papers scattered around. Nonetheless, Mrs. Dawnly never seemed to acknowledge that, she just smiled kindly at him.

“Wow, you won quite a lot of beauty pageants in your time Mrs. Dawnly. I’m very impressed.” He stated as he passed his hands along the photos.

His eyes seemed to be scanning everywhere possible yet he was doing it so skilfully and unnoticeably. The only reason I noticed him was because I was looking at him constantly, I wasn’t taking my eyes off his weird behaviour. He, on the other hand, knew I was looking at him because I could have sworn I saw him smile when I had raised an eyebrow.

“We should probably let you rest now Madam, please take care of yourself and your health.” Finny smiled and walked out.

Following behind, I shut the door quietly and gave Finneas my ‘what was that all about’ look.

“Well?” I pushed.

“The Dawnlys didn’t have any information on the partnership, I’m afraid Frank Dawnly was the only one who did and they killed him probably because of that.” he sighed.

“Wait, how do you know that?”

Finny lowered his eyes a bit, “They just don’t have any. And I highly doubt his wife knew anything about it too.”

“Finny,”

“Look Juliet, I’ve done things like this already. A lot of times before, I know what I’m talking about.”

“It’s not that, it’s just that well- I never expected you to be so- professional at something like that.”

“I have to go, just take care of yourself.” He replied.

He totally ignored that.

“Julie –Julie!” I heard the voice of my little sister call.

As she ran up to meet me, she tripped on the rug. It probably runs in the family.

“Nina!” I exclaimed but Finny got to her first.

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked as he helped her up sitting her on his lap.

“No,” she replied with her pouty face.

“Did you get hurt then?” he continued.

“No,” she stated sadly.

“Then what is it?”

“No one wants me around. My sister Jenna says she’s busy. But she’s always busy and then she told me I can’t meet Mrs. Dawnly and then you know I can’t even find Mr. Dawnly to play with me and Julie never has time for me again these days. Nobody cares for me again.” She said burying her face in her hands.

As much as I was disheartened when I heard that, I was a bit disappointed at the same time. I mean, didn’t anyone ever tell this girl not to talk to strangers? This was the first time she was meeting Finny yet she was blabbing her whole life story to him.

“Nina,” I said surprisingly soft. I couldn’t be mad at her at a time like this, she was a kid anyway.

Finny suddenly lifted her up playfully, “I’m sure your sisters love you very much and care for you a lot.”

She giggled, “You’re very nice, unlike that mean man who met Mr. Dawnly this morning.”

“Man? What are you talking about Ni?” I asked curiously.

“Before Mr. Dawnly went to work he dropped me off at school. And umm…there was a man who called Mr. Dawnly old and….and…” she trailed.

“And?” I pushed for her to continue but she shook her head.

“I can’t say those words,” she replied.

I didn’t know why, but I just had a sinking feeling that that man had something to do with Mr. Dawnly’s murder. Frank Dawnly was an honest man, his circle wasn’t very big, and whoever he knew he was on good terms with. There was no one that he ever made enemies with.

“He looked like the nice man who sells at the Chinese restaurant we go to but, well, he wasn’t very nice.” She completed.

This sold it. I knew for a fact that that must have been the same man who pushed me off into the pond and the same who murdered Mr. Dawnly. If it wasn’t then it must’ve been at least someone with them, in that cult.

“Finny,” I managed to say with a worried expression.

All he did was look at me and sighed, “Take care of yourself, just be safe, I’ll have to talk to Adrian about this.”

When he left, I locked all the doors to the house like never before and I slept with Nina in her room keeping my golf club with me. I felt scared, not for myself but for the people I love. What if those men try to break in? What if they try to harm Nina and Jenna and Mrs. Dawnly? What could I do? Could I have saved Mr. Dawnly today? Mr. Dawnly loved me as a father would. He treated me like his own, he understood me when no one else did, he accepted me, he was always there for me when I needed him.

But I need him the most right now. Why did he leave? Everyone I love always leaves.

It should have been me, I should have been the one to die. He had so many things to live for.

What did I have? I mean, I love my sisters but maybe with me gone it would have been less of a burden on Jenna’s shoulders. Why didn’t that man shoot me?

Wait, why didn’t he?

I saw the man point the gun at me but he didn’t shoot, instead, he went away. So why? Why didn’t he shoot me?

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