An Unexpected Visit

Unaware, almost blissfully unaware of his sister and nephews’ arrival in his town, Luke Mills walked around the old family home. He, along with both his sisters had all grown up here, but now he was the only one that resided in the old house, and it showed.

Apart from his own room, along with the living room and kitchen, the entire house was coated in a thick layer of dust, and a strange patches on the corners of the ceiling. Both his sisters had long since moved out as soon as they could, but he couldn’t. Why? Even he couldn’t answer that, but something was keeping him here.

Not that he was here much these days. Sure, something might be keeping him from living in this dump of a town. But that didn’t mean that he’d submit and work here. His job as a wedding photographer made that choice a necessity.

Eventually settling himself in his office, Luke thumbs about on his laptop, editing the last of the images from the wedding he’d done the previous weekend. On the desk was his camera, probably the most valuable thing in the house, this was shown as it was the only thing that looked like it had been taken care off.

Luke began biting at a pen as he worked, only stopping to scratch out a series of letters and numbers that formed a list to the right of him.

The doorbell rings, Luke refuses to answer it. It was probably just that pompous prick, Mr Leonard Davies, come back to make yet another unsuccessful offer to buy this place. The man owned half the buildings in Brookfirth he would guess, and it coincidently coincided with the town’s decline in his opinion. But this was one place that Leonard Davis would never get. So long as he lived here.

That was what that man did. Offer to buy properties at what seemed like good rates. Then once he got them, strip them down for anything of value, sometimes not even waiting for the owners to have moved out. He done that to the elderly Pierces’, who had woken up to find contractors inside their home a mere day after signing on the dotted line. That was if you were lucky as well. If you weren’t, or refused to sell. Leonard would employ other tactics to get you to move. The garbage company, also his, would stop collecting the rubbish. Post would be diverted to Leonard’s own home. Bags of dog shit would suddenly appear on your front lawn. Windows would be smashed through. Doors crowbarred open and then left as a message.

Of course, none of these were ever traced back to Mr Leonard Davis, who maintained nothing but the best outward appearance to the authorities.

The worst though, had come a month prior, when Mia Barker, a young woman who had one of the few houses left on the high street had simply vanished. The police, what little good they were, had conveniently failed to find any trace of her. But Leonard took her house, claiming to have her signature from before her disappearance and giving it over to the new antique dealer that the very next day.

The doorbell rings again.

Feeling like he was about to burst a blood vessel, Luke tries to blot the sound out. Instead focusing on his work, hoping against hope that the weasel would get bored and leave him be if he didn’t answer.

“Go away!” Luke shouts and tries to return to his work. This was important, he couldn’t afford to miss yet another deadline. His business was already down as it was. This last wedding had been a lucky get for him in the usually bad late autumn and winter season.

But then the doorbell rings again. And then again. And then again.

Frustrated, Luke stands up, causing a few papers to fall to the ground.

Now properly pissed off, Luke storms through his house, ready to give whoever it was a piece of his mind.

“Seriously Leonard, I’m busy right now! I ain’t selling, so kindly piss off!” Luke threw open the door, intending to give Leonard a reason to go to the hospital. Only stopping when he saw who it was on his doorstep.

“Hey Lukey.” Alicia said nervously. Next to her, were Will and Jack, and behind them were a mass of suitcases. This obviously was not going to be a quick visit.

Luke stares for a moment, dumbfounded and wondering what he’d done to deserve this level of punishment. His sister, who had told him in no uncertain terms that she’d never come back to this house, and that he should also leave. Was now standing on the doorstep, looking at him like all of that never happened.

“Can erm… can we come in?” Alicia asked. She had one hand over Jack’s shoulder, hoping to keep him from bolting inside. Will for his part, was just staring at his phone, scanning the numerous texts from his Dad.

Luke blinked. Then he grudgingly relented. “Sure.” He might have his grudges with his sister. But he was not a complete monster, unlike the bastard she’d married. And he must have really messed up for Alicia to be here right now.

As Luke watched his sister and nephews haul what looked like everything they had ever owned into his house. He was unsure what to make of it. But he knew what was coming, Oliver Evans would not take this kindly and would almost certainly be only a few days behind his fleeing family. Even with his sister had made no secret of her hatred of this place after all.

As Alicia put the last of the suitcases down in the living room; wiping her sweaty brow at the same time, she turned to Luke.

“So, Luke. Our sister didn’t call you then?” Alicia said looking at the still stunned look on her baby brother’s face. “And thanks for the help back there by the way, not. Those cases weren’t light.”

“What?” Luke said, taken aback. “No. Of course not. That’s why the welcome party was so shit.” As Luke looked around at the pile of suitcases, a sudden thought came to him. “Wait. Why would Joe have called?”

“Because we’ve been living with her.” Jack replied, before either his Mum or brother could stop him. “For the past few months anyway.”

At the comment, William kicked him. And Luke looked over at Alicia, his eyebrows and suspicious raised. This was a turn up for the books. It also meant that this really was the last place that Alicia could hide. Luke had just been thinking of offering his help until he could get them to move on to Joe’s place in Cornwall. That idea thought was now out the window.

“Yeah.” Alicia said guiltily, she couldn’t hide anything now. “We’ve been down there since just before Halloween.”

“And now you’re here.” Luke said curtly as he sat down on the sofa. There was a bitterness in his voice that had not been there before. “I thought you said you’d never come back.”

Will and Jack looked away at this, as even they were able to sense the tension between the adult siblings.

“Yeah. And you know why that is, Lukey.” Alicia said, her voice tense.

Luke didn’t say anything to this, though there was a fire in his eyes that had not been in them a few seconds before.

Then suddenly, he got up and stalked to the door that led to his office, before turning around.

“You can have Mum and Dad’s old room. William and Jackson can have the other two.” Luke said, before entering his office and slamming the door behind him.

Luke slumped down into his chair, in truth he was surprised he’d made it, his legs had been shaking that badly.

How dare his sister bring that up. On any other day he’d throw his ungrateful sister, and her offspring out of his home for that comment. Slowly though, and mopping the sweat that had built on his forehead, he managed to gain control of his temper.

Before he could think any more on what his sister was even doing here, if not to ruin his life, then the real person came through the doors.

“You ain’t sleeping in Mum and Dad’s room then?” Alicia asked her younger brother, trying to restart the conversation on more friendlier grounds.

“No.” Luke grumbled. “My room is all I want.”

“Look Luke. I know we didn’t leave on good terms.” Alicia said, giving a furtive look at her two boys. Not that she needed to worry, they were engrossed on their phones. Either that or they were very good at faking it. “But can we keep it good between us whilst they’re both around.”

Luke looked up at this. He saw no reason why he should. He hadn’t just dropped in on their lives without warning.

“That depends on you sis.” Luke said as his gaze drifted over towards his nephews. He was under no illusions. They were very clearly listening in on the conversation no matter how much they stared at their respective phone screens they made the simple mistake in not moving their eyes.

“Alright. I won’t mention it if you don’t.” Alicia said, conceding defeat.

“Deal.” Luke said. Then he turned to his eavesdropping nephews. “You can stop pretending now!”

Will at least tried to continue the facade. But it was utterly pointless as Jack looked up, his face crestfallen.

“How much money you got?” Luke asked.

“Enough.” Alicia returned. Then she elaborated. “I withdrew the money from our joint account when I left for Joe’s. I ain’t going to be needing any handouts for a long time. Don’t worry.”

Luke did not respond. That wasn’t what he was concerned about. Oliver Evans was a lot of things. An asshole, a homophobic and sexist bigot. But what he was more than anything else, was a miser. He would not be happy to have his money stolen. And would almost certainly do anything both in and out of the law to get it back.

But his sister had managed to keep one step ahead of her husband so far. Luke just hoped that it could last a little longer.