“Maybe, but it seems like no one’s home.” Anthony killed the engine. “Let’s go check.”
They got out into the chilly evening air, the vast valley around them picturesque under the setting sun. Yet the area also carried an eeriness Anthony couldn’t shake, maybe because of the absolute quiet; he’d been living in the city long enough to grow accustomed tothe constant humming of traffic and people.
They made their way toward the house, the gun tucked safely in Anthony’s waistband, although he didn’t like walking around with something so deadly.
There was still no sign of life when they walked up the road leading to the property. The vegetation around had seen better days, with weeds growing here and there and flowers that had begun to wither.
“Remember the plan?” Ethan asked quietly.
“Yes.”
They were to pretend that their car had broken down. A cliché for sure, but they preferred to peacefully gain access into the house. Dima, if there, would be their biggest threat, the one who would recognize them immediately.
Facing the large entrance door, it was impossible not to notice all the empty alcohol bottles scattered on the wide porch.
Ethan knocked on the door while Anthony kept his hands behind his back, close to the gun. A stressful minute passed before Ethan said, “They’re not home.” He tried the door handle, but it was unsurprisingly locked. “Let’s look around.”
“They might have security.”
“Good, let the police arrest us. They’ll have to track down the psycho brothers, and at least we’ll know where they are.”
There was logic in that, although Anthony preferrednot to get arrested. “We can also check with the neighbors.”
“I doubt they’ll know anything being so far away, but we can try.”
They walked around the house, where a human-sized topiary decorated the wide garden. At first glance, Anthony was impressed by the precise work, but a closer look revealed that those had also been neglected, bound to become plain bushes soon. Every window they passed by showed a dark interior and no sign of life. Once on the back patio, where more alcohol bottles lay around, Ethan nudged Anthony. “Check this out.”
They walked to the back door, which was slightly ajar. Either someone had been reckless, or this was a trap. Anthony pulled out his gun, the feeling unpleasant yet empowering. He nudged the door open and stepped into the kitchen, smelling a waft of old food; not yet rotten, but soon to be. Dishes piled up in the sink, some scattered on the kitchen counter.
They continued deeper into the house and reached the wide living room.
“I’m turning on a lamp,” Ethan said before warm light illuminated their surroundings. More dishes lay here and there, next to empty pizza cartons with some pizza still inside. Yet even the mess couldn’t take away from the prestige radiating from the room. Dozens of paintings made the space feel like a museum. Some were of epic scenes of war, while others were regalportraits of people who seemed incapable of smiling.
Anthony couldn’t imagine how anyone could feel comfortable living among such expensive—and intimidating—art.
“What do you think happened here?” Anthony nudged a shirt someone had left on the floor with his foot.
“Seems like two spoiled men needed to clean up after themselves for the first time, and it didn’t go well. Let’s keep looking around.”
“Maybe there’s an office here with information we can use to track them.”
Ethan rubbed Anthony’s back. “Lead the way, Sherlock.”
They found the office on the ground floor. Anthony switched on the light, his eyes moving from one mess to the next. “Did someone break in here?”
Ethan walked inside, trying not to step on any of the hundreds of scattered papers. “I think the brothers were looking for something. Money maybe, or maybe something to do with the will. Jay said that Trevor was becoming desperate.”
Anthony walked closer to where a big, framed photo had been taken down and put on the floor. The safe behind it had been left open and empty.
Anthony picked up the photo, the wooden frame well-crafted. His eyes glided from one face to the next. The two parents appeared elegant and handsome likemovie stars. The woman smiled broadly, her lipstick overly red, as if she wanted to draw all the attention to her mouth. The man had an aristocratic vibe, similar to some of the regal portraits in the living room. His smile came across as disingenuous, maybe because of the cold look in his eyes. The older brother was as tall as his father, handsome with his jet-black hair and white-toothed smile. He carried a sense of smugness that made Anthony think he wouldn’t have liked him under any circumstances. The younger brother was chubby, with a hollow expression. His thick glasses made him look older, and something about the way he stared at the camera made Anthony uncomfortable.
Ethan came closer and ran his fingers over the teenager at the center of the photo. Chris stood stiffly, his blue eyes tired, and his face too pale. He didn’t fit in with the rest of the family, and Anthony would have felt so without even knowing he’d been adopted. The woman had her hand on Chris’s shoulder like a claw, her nails as red as her lips. The older brother had his hand behind Chris, seemingly resting on his ass.
“We’ll find him,” Ethan said firmly. “Both of them.”
Anthony put the photo down. “Should we start going over these papers?”
“I’m going to look upstairs first. You can start here.”
