Part 7 (2/2)
”Daddy, he was the one who had me committed.”
Stew growled, ”Because you wouldn't come out of the G.o.dd.a.m.n hole!”
”I thought the world was gonna end!” Emma yelled. ”And he used it as his excuse to get me away because he knew I found his picture on the 'net.” She faced Andy. ”I found his picture on the internet. He's a missing spy. I'll show you.”
Stew tossed his hands in the air. ”Let it go, for crying out loud. You are both grandparents to that child.”
”I don't trust him.”
With another growl, Stew turned. ”I'm leaving.”
”Why are you here?” Emma asked.
”I don't know now. I forgot. You frustrate me. I'll be back.” Stew walked out the back door.
Emma chuckled. ”And he calls me crazy.”
Andy laid a hand on her cheek. ”You ... you're fine.”
”Thank you.” She tiptoed up and darted a kiss to Andy.
”I ... want ... t... to see ...”
”The spy picture of Val?”
Andy nodded.
”Absolutely. But first ...” She placed Cody back at the table, pulled the cookie decorations to her, and then grabbed her phone, resetting it. ”We do the drill again. Right this time.”
Hartworth, Montana
Val kissed Heather on the cheek as he put on his coat. ”I will be making rounds at the hospital, so I will not get to see you two off.”
”Thank you,” Heather said, ”for letting Roman get time off.”
”Have fun.” He stepped to Roman and kissed him on the forehead. ”Drive safely and call when you arrive.”
”We will, Father. Thanks.”
Val grabbed his briefcase and walked from the clinic, waving one more time.
Heather spun to Roman. ”All right, what's left to do?”
”I did all the work, we can leave as soon as Vivian gets here.”
”Sweet.”
”Hey ...” Roman leaned to her. ”We got about fifteen minutes. No patients. Wanna do something we're not supposed to?”
”Fool around?” Heather asked.
”No.” Roman grabbed her hand. ”The bas.e.m.e.nt.”
”Seriously?” Heather asked. ”You mean the stuff that your father is obsessed with?”
”Yeah, aren't you curious as to what it is?” Roman asked.
”You bet.” Heather looked at her phone. ”Ok, let's look, but we don't have much time. We don't want Vivian to bust us down there and tell your dad.”
”Cool, let's go.”
Roman led the way to the bas.e.m.e.nt, leaving the door open. He turned on the light. Sitting center were several boxes and two old trunks.
”Why do you suppose he is obsessive about this?” Heather asked.
”I'm betting there are pictures in here. He doesn't talk about living in Russia at all.”
”Was he a doctor there?” Heather asked.
”Yeah. He was a lot older than my mother.” Roman began going through the boxes. The flaps weren't sealed. ”Books.”
Heather checked another box. ”Oh my G.o.d.”
”What?”
”How freaking old are these boxes?” She lifted a tape from one. ”These aren't even VHS; they're the ones before it.”
”Oh wow. Beta?” Roman laughed and took the tape. ”This is so great.”
”Let's try the trunks.” Heather walked to the first trunk. They both knelt on the floor.
”It can't be all that secretive,” Roman said as he turned the key. ”He left the key in the lock.” As he opened the trunk lid, the key fell out. He didn't think much of it, he'd get it later.
Inside the trunk were books, some clothes, and a few pictures.
Heather's hands rummaged at the same time as Roman's. ”What's in here that he's so protective over?”
”I don't know. Maybe there's a diary or an old girlfriend.”
”Oh, maybe he had a wife in Russia.”
”You think.”
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