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I don’t have time to think because Tucker puts his hand on the small of my back to move me forward. I hear footsteps to the right and recognize Abraham, the man who works at the mansion. He stares at me for a moment, his mouth wide open and his eyebrows furrowed. He doesn’t seem to like my coming.
Not at all.
“Mr. Bomley,” he begins softly as he approaches Tucker. “I don’t think that—”
“I’ll take care of everything, Abraham, just relax.”
The man doesn’t seem to be relaxing, quite the opposite. His eyes seem to be filled with panic. The two men take a few steps away, but I can’t help but listen in on their conversation.
“Where is my mother?”
“She is sleeping in her room.”
A certain relief comes over me.
“Great, so there’s no reason to stress, right?”
“Yes…but, sir…”
Tucker doesn’t listen to the old man anymore. His hand catches mine, and he leads me towards the huge wooden and marble staircase.
“Tucker,” I murmur, pulling my hand away, “he’s calling you.”
He sighs and stops in the middle of the stairs.
“Would you like me to prepare something…decent, for your meal?”
Abraham points to the bag of fast food with a disgusted pout.
“What could be better than burgers with sauce and fries with cheese?” I exclaim, and Tucker explodes with laughter.
“We have everything we need, Abraham. Thank you.”
Tucker backs away, staring at the paper bag with a dark look. My stomach rumbles loudly.
“Feed me, man,” I mumble to Tucker.
***
Half an hour later, I’m lying on my back at the end of Tucker’s bed, my head hanging off. I think I’ve eaten so many fries that I’m probably sweating grease and have gained at least six pounds.
Tucker is leaning against the headboard, staring at me without a word. I look around the room, trying to imagine him as a child here. It’s unfortunate to say but this room feels empty, as if it holds no memories.
The sheets are black, the curtains too. Fortunately, the walls and moldings are light to offset this. There are no paintings hanging on the walls. The room is perfectly tidy, contrary to what I thought.
Finally, my eyes land on a desk that seems to be left abandoned in a corner. I straighten up when I see two small photo frames on it. I glance at the tall, dark-haired man, but he doesn’t move, continuing to stare at me like a predator would stare at its prey. I walk towards the pictures, and a burst of laughter comes out of my mouth when I see the first picture of him.
“Damn, your cheeks are so round, I want to bite them.”
My eyes then land on the second shot where there are four people, including Tucker and his mother, whom I immediately recognize. A beautiful young girl stands between them, smiling with all her teeth. Exactly the same look as him. She is full of life…
Full of life.
I raise my index finger to the picture but hold back at the last moment. I hear Tucker’s footsteps behind me. He stops beside me, silent. I swallow my saliva and let out a few words.
“She is beautiful…”
He nods but says nothing for a while. “Debbie has always been beautiful, since she was young,” he finally answers me, emotion piercing his voice.
