The Broken Pieces novel Chapter 33

I pause.

Parker.

None of this happened until he showed back up.

He must have something to do with this.

I'm gonna find this out, no matter what.

I trudged out of the guest bedroom and into the kitchen where Parker sat at the island on his computer, blueprints and accounts could be seen from the screen.

I need that laptop.

I walked past him and opened the fridge.

"You're up?!"

I heard Parker's laptop slowly shut before the chair made a scraping sound from the floor and he appeared beside me.

"Are you okay? I-I was going to check up on you, but I thought you were sleeping."

I pulled the milk out of the fridge, "you didn't hear the shower running?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him run a hand through his hair and bite his lip.

"I get a little focused when I'm working." He admits as he rubs the back of his neck.

I move past him towards the cupboard to grab the cereal. "Workaholic, maybe?"

He scoffed, "yeah, right. I've seen more assholes worst than me. I'm the lowest of the lowest in the tower of workaholics."

I smiled as I pulled the cereal out of the cupboard.

"Okay sure, whatever you say."

Silence filled the room before Parker cleared his throat. "Hey look, I gotta go get some of the mail from downstairs. I'll be gone for a couple minutes. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

I nodded as I grabbed a bowl. "Yep, positive."

Game plan.

"Okay... um," he nodded, "I'mma go now. I'll be back."

He said before grabbing his phone and walking out of front door.

I waited a couple a seconds before dropping the bowl onto the counter and rushing to his computer.

I quickly flipped up the screen, praying that it didn't lock.

Please, please, please!

The screens awakened to show the last tap Parker was on.

Yes! Jackpot!

I clicked out of the screen, making sure not to exit out of it.

Okay, so if I was Parker, where would I go to keep information?

I clicked on the folder icon on the screen.

Of course, Parker would keep everything organized and perfect. Just look at his life.

The icon opened as did Parker's recent folders. I knew if I wanted to find something, I was gonna have to go down here.

I swiped through folders, each named with different code names.

Company.

Blueprints.

Friends.

Pictures.

Selma.

Purchase.

Home.

Home. Okay, we're getting somewhere.

I clicked the folder and more folders presented themselves.

Hotel.

Problem.

People.

I suck my bottom lip between my teeth.

Ugh!

My hands slam onto the laptop.

A loud screech sounds from it.

"Oh, shit! Oh shit!"

I snatched the laptop from its resting spot.

Oh, please, tell me that I didn't break this fucking laptop.

The screen flashes white before a deep but familiar voice emerges from the screen.

"Testimony? You want a testimony?! Yeah, nice try jackass." The voice scoffs.

Tomas?

Emily Rose

My eyes lingered on the screen in my arms.

Bonded to a chair was Tomas and he seemed to be smirking, but not just any kind of smirk. It was as if he knew something no one else knew, and honestly, it terrified me.

"Date: 3/6/13." Said a deep voice out of the screen.

5 years ago?

"Now, Mr. McCoy, my name is Stanley Richards and we don't need much, we just need you to help us." A lean, tall man appeared on the screen.

Stanley Richards?

"Please Mr. Stanley, we all know that's a fucking ploy." Tomas scoffed, raw anger shot through him. "Go play it on someone else."

The tall man in a boulder hat shook his head in disappointment. "Well, I think you've got us all wrong. You see, we don't want to hurt you, nor the people you work with. We just want what's right-."

"Bullshit!" Tomas interrupts. "You're not here to help me, you just want money; you all do!"

Stanley took a deep breath, "look, Tomas. May I call you Tomas?"

"No."

"Well look, Tomas, we both,"'Stanley gestured between the two, "we're the same, you and I. We all have one common goal. To help people."