The Unearthed: Book One, The Eddie McCloskey Series (20 page)

“Yo
u
have a lot of explaining to do, young man,” Tim heard Jackie say in the kitchen.

Tim and Charlie had excused themselves when Jackie came downstairs. Eddie had followed Jackie down a few minutes later. He still wouldn’t meet Tim’s eye.

“I’m sorry, Dad.” Billy said.

“Sorry’s not enough, William,” Jackie said.

“John, please--” Talia tried.

“Stop undermining me in front of everyone,” Jackie interrupted. “He had us up the whole night, worried sick. He had the police force out looking for him. And he might have vandalized a grave.”

There was a beat in the conversation. In the foyer, Tim gestured toward the front door.

Eddie stuck his forefinger up in the air. Wait.

Tim whispered, “Let’s go.”

“Did you go to the cemetery, young man?” Jackie asked.

Tim didn’t whisper this time. “Let’s go, Eddie.”              

Eddie didn’t move.

Jackie said, “Billy, answer me.”

No answer.

Charlie grabbed Eddie’s t-shirt. “Ed, I think it best if we go outside now.”

Eddie shook his head.

In the kitchen, Billy finally answered, “He made me do it.”

“That’s enough of this shit,” Jackie said. “If Billy told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?”

Eddie broke free of Charlie’s grip and dashed into the kitchen.

“Mr. Rosselli,” Eddie said. “Listen to him. We don’t know what Billy is capable of yet.”

“Stay out of this, Ed.”

Tim hurried in, surveyed the scene. Jackie’s face was beet red, his eyes bloodshot. Talia sat at the table, petrified. Billy sat across from Jackie, with his head down.

“Jackie,” Eddie began.

“I’m not paying you guys to give me parenting lessons,” Jackie said.

“John, let’s just leave. Just for the day. Maybe if we get away from here—” Talia pleaded.

Jackie whirled and for a brief moment, Tim’s stomach dropped. He saw a flash of anger in Jackie’s eyes and he worried the man was going to hit his wife.

“We are not leaving this house, Talia. We bought it so you didn’t have to work full-time, remember? We got it nice and cheap. And we knew why we were getting it nice and cheap. We did it so we could put our money away, like we’ve been meaning for years. I can’t just wave a magic fucking wand. So either you go back to work or we find a smaller place. But you don’t want either.”

“John, this isn’t the time for—”

“Now’s as good a time as any.”

“Mr. Rosselli,” Charlie said. “I think we all need to take a break. Let’s go outside for a few minutes and let off some steam.”

Charlie had one arm out. His voice was calm, but his eyes were wide.

“Don’t talk to me like that,” Jackie said. “I’m allowed to yell in my own house. I haven’t hit anyone.”

“Yet,” Charlie said.

“Dad—”

“You still have a lot of explaining to do, young man.” Jackie turned back to Billy.

Billy put his hands over his ears, and there were tears running down his face. He got up and ran over to Talia, who put her arms around him.

“Don’t run to your mother.” Jackie moved toward them.

Billy moved away, and Talia stood between father and son.

“John—”

“Who have you been talking to? On the phone?” Jackie asked her, his face inches from hers.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“No one.”

“Maybe you didn’t screw anyone yet, but you’re planning on it.”

“John!” She slapped him across the face.

Tim was shocked by the force of the blow, but even more shocked by Jackie’s reaction. He seemed unfazed.

“How dare you hit me.”

“Mr. Rosselli.” Charlie’s voice, not as calm now.

Jackie’s hand came up. Charlie moved forward. The world was whirling around Tim. He had no idea what to do. He looked from one person to the other.

Billy dashed to the sink and yelled: “Stop!”

* * * *

I told you this would happen. Do it. This is your chance.

Billy held the knife out in front of him. He’d never held a knife this big before. It scared him. He didn’t want to cut himself by mistake. The sunlight streaming through the kitchen window above the sink caught it, shooting a glint off the blade.

“Get the fuck away from her!” Billy shouted. He tried to sound older, tougher. His arm was shaking.

“Son, put that knife down before someone gets hurt,” Charlie said.

Billy moved more behind the kitchen table so it was between him and the cop. That way, he’d only have to worry about Dad. Tim wasn’t moving. Eddie was watching him.

Eddie held up a palm. “Billy, don’t listen to him. You’re a good kid. I know he’s telling you to do this.”

You’re only a kid, and they’ll think you’re crazy. You won’t even go to jail. Do it.

Mom stood between him and Dad. “Honey, please put that knife away.”

He felt a twinge of guilt, because he didn’t want to scare Mom. He was trying to protect her.

“He was going to hit you, Mom. He was going to hurt you. And then he was going to hurt me. That’s what he was going to do the whole time.” His voice cracked, betraying him.

“Billy, please,” she said.

Dad grabbed Mom’s shoulders and spun her out of the way. Billy nearly jumped out of his shoes. He’d never seen Dad move that quickly before, not even when they were sparring in the basement. So even that was a lie. All that time, Dad had been telling him he was faster than he really was. It wasn’t true.

He was crying. He wiped the tears away, trying to clear his eyes so he could see better.

Kill the motherfucker. Now.

He couldn’t tell if that was Billy’s voice or his own.

“You don’t have to listen to him,” Eddie said.

“He was right about everything!” Billy said.

“Son, you put that knife down!” Dad said.

“Fuck you, Dad. I’m going to ki-kill you!” Billy said, his arm shaking. He couldn’t hold it steady, no matter what he did.

“Is he here right now?” Eddie asked. “Is he telling you to do this?”

“It doesn’t matter what he’s telling me. I’m going to do this anyway.”

Beyond Dad, Billy saw the cop draw his gun. He kept the weapon pointing down at a safe angle. The cop said, “Billy, I will use this if I have to. Please put that knife down before someone gets hurt.”

“Put that gun away,” Mom said. She grabbed for it, but the cop kept her at bay with his free arm.

Dad took a step forward.

“Ma’am, I will put you on the floor if I have to,” Charlie said.

“Billy, listen to me, listen to me!” Eddie shouted.

Billy stole a glance at Eddie to let him know he was listening, then he looked back at Dad, who had advanced a step forward.

“Stay back!” Billy shouted.

“Is he here?” Eddie asked.

“Yes!” Billy shouted.

Dad started to extend his arms.

Eddie said, “You don’t want to hurt anybody.”

* * * *

Tim watched the scene play out in front of him. The paralysis had come again. He couldn’t move. The universe was out of control.

“Eddie—” was all he could mumble.

Eddie tore his eyes from Billy for a second to shoot a nasty look at him. “I’ve got this, Tim. I’m not a complete fuck-up.”

Tim’s heart dropped. He’d never wanted to make his brother feel that way. It made him feel low.

He wanted to say something but words failed him.

He could only watch. Eddie turned back to Billy and tried talking to him more. Talia struggled with Charlie. Jackie took another step closer to Billy. The whole world moved away from him. There was no order. Just randomness. And all he kept thinking about was the residual they’d seen last night, of the Moriartys killing each other, three years ago on this day, in this very same kitchen.

* * * *

When you’re done with Jackie, go for the cop next because he has a gun.

“Billy, listen to me,” Eddie said. “You’re a great kid. This isn’t you. You don’t act like this. This thing talking to you is seriously fucked up.”

After you’ve killed the cop, kill Eddie.

“But he’s been right about everything!” Billy shouted. He wasn’t sure if he was talking to the ghost or himself or Eddie now.

Jackie held out his palms and took another step toward Billy.

One step too close.

Billy swung the blade in a wide arch and nicked Dad’s palm.

“Ah fuck!” Dad grabbed his hand.

“Son—” Charlie said.

Billy saw Mom make another effort to grab the gun out of the cop’s hands.

Billy stepped forward and swung the blade a few times to keep Dad away. Dad backed up into the chair and lost his balance. He fell back into Mom. Mom fell into the cop. Billy watched as the cop tried to keep hold of the gun. Tim finally moved, trying to keep them from falling, but he only made it worse.

Because now the gun was in the air.

It hit the kitchen table once, flipped through the air a couple of times, and landed right in front of Billy.

He picked it up. He switched hands with the knife and aimed the .45 with his right.

“Billy,” Eddie said. “Please. You have to listen to me.”

Billy leveled the gun at him. “Why?”

“Because I know this thing has put these thoughts into your head. This isn’t you.”

“He said all this would happen. That Dad would try to hurt me and Mom.”

“But he’s wrong. Your Dad’s not going to hurt you.”

“As soon as I put these down, he’s going to beat me!”

“Billy, you have to believe me. This thing talking to you—he’s a loser. He’s got no power over you. You’re the only one in the world he’ll talk to. He’s afraid. He won’t even talk to us when we asked him.”

Kill Eddie after you kill Jackie. He’s a fucking liar.

“I won’t hurt him,” Billy said.

“He wants you to hurt me? Because I called him a few names?”

“No …” Billy said, but he was unsure of his answer.

“This thing is psycho, Billy. He’s not your friend. And he can’t do anything to you.”

He’s wrong. I can do plenty.

“He says he can do plenty,” Billy said.

Dad stepped to the side of the kitchen table. By then, Mom and the cop had stood up, too.

“Son—” Charlie said again.

“Charlie, we’re okay.” Eddie held his hand out in a stopping motion. “No one’s going to hurt anyone.” Eddie shot Dad a look. “Right?”

“Right,” Dad said.

Eddie took a deep breath. “Now tell this thing to do something.”

“Ed, that’s not a good idea,” Tim said.

Eddie ignored his brother. “Come on. Do something.”

Tell him I’ll make you kill him.

“He says he’s going to make me kill you.”

“You and I know you’re not going to do that. He has to do something himself, without your help.”

Nothing happened.

Eddie raised his voice. “Do something, asshole.”

The phone rang.

Mom checked the ID and shook her head.

“Thanks, that clears it up for us.” Eddie shot Dad another look. “Now we know that Talia hasn’t been taking calls from anyone.”

Dad nodded.

“Do something else.”

Tell this guy I’m going to fucking kill him and his brother.

“He’s really angry,” Billy said, warily. “You should stop now.”

“Do something.”

Moans sounded from upstairs.

“Wow, that’s really scary,” Eddie mocked.

The moans stopped.

“I’ll bet you can’t even make the massacre play out.”

“He says he did that last night,” Billy said.

“Then show it to us again.”

They waited a long minute. Nothing happened.

Eddie said, “You’re just a sick, pathetic asshole. That’s all you are and all you’ll ever be.”

Dad took a step toward Billy. Billy brought the gun and knife around.

“Don’t,” Billy said.

“It’s okay, son.” Dad held out his palms. His cut dripped blood onto the floor.

Eddie asked, “What did he call you?”

“He calls me a fag and a pussy all the time.” Billy choked up. “He says he’s going to kill you, Eddie.”

“Big words,” Eddie said. “Why don’t you say them to me yourself?”

Nothing.

“Don’t come any closer, Dad,” Billy said.

“I love you, son.” Dad dropped his arms to his sides. “I’m not going to hurt you. No one is.”