41. Killing over tea
I realised that I had no other way to follow the lead but to wait around for Dean and Damon to solve it on their own. Kay was disappointed when I told her that we could do nothing to pursue Carlos. That man had his lips sealed and refused to give out the name no matter how much we tried to bribe him.
When we exited the house Sam hugged me, assuring that everything would be alright. It seemed that for the first time he had experienced not getting the thing he wanted. He couldn't understand how to console me so gave me a hug instead. It was sweet.
Carlos was able to tell us about what went down in bits and pieces. It wasn't new or exciting information but we could understand the situation from his point of view. He was equally guilty even though he refused to admit killing Mr and Mrs Arcuri. The ex-biker did not hesitate to put the full blame on his dead partner.
"Am I going to be in trouble after this?" He quietly asked after he was done with his story. I shared a look with Sam because I had no idea what to say. Carlos was a criminal because he hid the truth all these years and let Damon suffer for something he did not even commit. Not only that but Carlos was enjoying his luxury life, feeling no guilt whatsoever which angered me even more.
Worry started clawing inside me at the thought of Dean and Damon meeting him. They would not hesitate to break his arms and legs. Might even kill him to get their revenge. What good would that do them? Carlos simply refused to give out the name of the person responsible for causing pain to them.
"I don't know" I answered, folding my hands in my lap. Carlos demanded we hand our phones to him before he started confessing about everything. Clever bloke. There was no way I could manage to sneak out and give a call because that would ruin the entire thing. Carlos might walk away from jail again because of the influence. Whoever that person was had a strong sense of hold over Carlos, enough to scare him even after all those years and keep him, mum. No wonder Damon said that it was difficult and dangerous than I had imagined.
Carlos gritted his teeth, "But you promised! Both of you"
Sam squirmed under his gaze, not used to the sudden anger by the person he adored. I took a deep breath and tilted my head in his direction. It was true that we promised him to not involve the authorities. The phonecall to Dean does not count.
"Carlos I know what we did alright. Trust us we are not going to the police but if someone else finds out about this then we don't know"
Carlos simply chuckled, "Oh don't worry whoever finds out won't walk away from here. Atleast not alive"
I gulped at the venomous tone and Sam let out a small gasp. He was shaken up at that statement as much as I was. We did send our location to Kay for emergency purposes. Maybe she could find our dead bodies, after all, I thought oft chewing my lips.
Sam blew his breath sharply, "Carlos-"
"Don't worry I am not going to kill you both. But do not breathe a word about this to anyone. Got it?"
Oh, how the tables have changed I thought to myself. A while ago we thought we had the upper hand only to realise that Carlos was cunning since the beginning and had everything planned out. Those were his last words to us before he threw us out of the house and warned to never come back. Dreadful indeed.
***
The very next day when I did not see Damon I couldn't help but panic. Dean had Carlos name and information which he could have used. That would mean that Damon is busy elsewhere and would not be able to attend the school. With that thought in my head, my lips turned down. I had so many plans in my head about talking to him and finally confessing everything that I was experiencing from the past few days.
Just as I was about to make a turn to the classroom the shrill ringing of the phone stopped me. Embarrassed I looked around and rushed to the corner. It's better to be Damon I thought to pull my phone from the bag.
Seeing the unknown number flash on my phone made me quirk my eyebrows in confusion. Who called me and at the very beginning of the day? My eyes wandered around the hallway hoping that no one was nearby so that I can talk to Damon, assuming it was him on the phone.
"Hello," I softly said, leaning against the wall.
"Anya? Am I speaking to Anya?" The frantic and rushed out the voice from the other side made me stand uptight. Why did the voice feel so familiar? I tried to rack my brain to identify the exact same sound I heard before.
"Umm...yes?" I hummed, my fingers swirling my loose hair around.
A sigh followed, "Thank heavens! Where are you right now?"
My mind went blank at the question. Who was it and why were they so concerned about my whereabouts? Just as I opened my mouth to ask the exact same question the speaker went dead. I frowned staring at the blank screen. What did just happen?
The phone rang again before I could redial the number. Taking a deep breath I slid on the green icon and pushed against my ear. It was a static sound for a few seconds before I heard someone clear their throat.
"Sorry, it's Mrs Smith by the way. I had no idea how the call got cancelled midway. Apologies" Her voice filtered through from the other. She sounded different on the phone than in real person. Less scary.
I shook my head, "No worries Mrs Smith. You were saying?"
"Please I need you to rush back to our place as soon as you can. It's urgent"
I stilled at the use of those words. Did they finally find out about my stupid clue? Is that what it was all about? My mouth stopped functioning to even ask that question. The thought of Damon being hurt filled my stomach with dread.
"Mrs Smith-"
"We don't have time for this Anya. I have already texted you the address"
I nodded, my throat clogging up, "Okay I'll be there in few minutes"
Sam raised his eyebrows when he noticed me rushing out of the hallway instead of walking to the class. There was no time for me to explain so I did not bother turning back. Damon needed me. That was my first priority.
***
The house was quiet when I got there. Fortunately, I was able to find a public ride behind the school just in time. My hands felt clammy as I took several steps towards the building. The last time I had talked with Mr Smith it did not end well. Just thinking about it made my cheeks red.
I frowned when I noticed the empty garden. Usually, there is someone working on maintaining the beauty of the garden but everything was very quiet. Ignoring the feeling I was experiencing since morning I pushed the doorbell.
"Hola!" Mrs Smith flashed her pearly whites as she opened the door.
"Hello, Mrs Smith. Is Damon okay? Where is he?"
She shook her head, rolling her eyes at my excitement "Atleast come inside first."
"Sorry" I blushed, stepping insides. As I proceeded to close the door behind me Mrs Smith interrupted.
"It's a special lock. I'll do it. Why don't you make yourself comfortable in the kitchen?"
"Uh...Damon-" I asked in a small voice, my eyes shifting towards the staircase that led to Damon's room. Something felt really off and I had a gut feeling about it.
An exasperated sigh left her lips and she pointed at the kitchen, "Go wait there please"
Trying not to annoy her further I simply nodded my head and walked in the direction she pointed. There was no one in the kitchen. I pulled a chair and slumped down on it. I felt the bulge in my pocket due to the phone. Unable to hold myself back I decided to text Damon. Let him know that I was downstairs waiting for him.
"Do you like tea, Anya?" Mrs Smith voice made me jump from the seat. Shakily I nodded my head at her and pocketed the phone back. I hoped that he finds the text and end the awkward meeting. Her heels clinked against the floor as Mrs Smith walked towards the stove.
"Sure" I shrugged my shoulders.
"How do you take it?" She asked, looking over the shoulder.
I cleared my throat, my eyes shifting towards the stairs again "Maybe we can wait for Damon. Have tea together?"
"Don't worry he already took his tea."
"Milk and half sugar"
"Coming right up!" Mrs Smith said with an amused tone. I squirmed at that. Why was she being so cheerful? My phone buzzed in my pocket but I could not even reply because it would seem rude.
"So are you enjoying your classes?"
I hummed, "They're alright."
"Graduation is fast approaching. Are you excited?"
I nodded my head, still unable to wrap my head around the fact that Mrs Smith was casually talking to me. She was also my mom's boss so I have to tread lightly.
"Here" She sat down with the tray holding two steaming cups of tea, her lips pressed tight.
"Damon is not here, is he?" I questioned instinctively.
She laughed, "You guessed it right"
"Why did you call me then?"
"To kill you of course"
***