Classified ☑

[ chapter 33 ]

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I finished telling Thomas and Joseph everything. Shelly and Mark were in my room, getting some rest while I explained what had happened the last month and a half. I could tell Thomas and Joseph were weary of all the information I'd given them.

"So I was right about Cole all along?" Thomas asked. I nodded my head and he ran a hand through his hair before rubbing it over his face. "I really hoped I wasn't."

Dante shifted on the seat next to me on the couch we were sitting on, probably uncomfortable from talking about his brother.

"And you're related to him?" Joseph pointed an accusing finger at Dante. I could tell it was going to take awhile before the two of them could be in a room together without Joseph accusing him of something - even if it was true.

I ignored Joseph's comment and looked at Thomas since he seemed to be the mature one out of the two of them. It was weird seeing this side of Joseph, but it also felt more like a sibling issue in a way with the way he was acting towards Dante. "Dante and I plan on going to the bank tomorrow to see what's in the lockbox."

Thomas nodded his head but Joseph spoke before he could get a word out. "Don't you think that should be you and me going? It is our dad's lockbox after all."

I sighed in frustration. Joseph was really getting on my nerves. "Dad left the clues to lead to Dante. I think he should be the one to go. He had the necklace after all the contained the note."

That shut Joseph up real quickly and I could tell it bothered him.

Thomas chuckled, watching the two of us bicker. He was being oddly calm about Dante being in the same room with us. He even knew he'd been the one to accidentally kill Dad. "Dante, I would like to have a word with you in private."

Dante's Adam's apple bobbed up and down but he stood and followed Thomas into the kitchen, glancing at me once before the door closed behind him.

I wondered what Thomas wanted to talk to him about, but I had something to get off my chest and I felt like I had to share it with Joseph before anyone else. I felt like a lunatic for just thinking about it being a possibility.

Joseph took the seat Dante had sat in and looked at me. "He didn't hurt you in any way, did he?"

"No."

His brows narrowed. "Didn't force you to do anything?"

Okay, this was getting weird. "Joseph, nothing happened between us if that's what you're asking."

An expression of surprise took over his face. "Nothing?"

"Why do you seem so surprised? Aren't you happy?"

"I mean yeah, but the way he looks at-" He stopped talking before he finished his statement. "I'm just surprised I guess."

I nodded my head, not pressing for information. I think I knew what he was going to say, but I was too tired to try and get it out of him. A more important question had been on my mind. "Why did you tell me to call the number? Lucille's number?"

"I knew it was hers," he said sadly, remembering that she was dead. "I thought if you went to see her you'd get some answers."

I snorted even though I knew it was rude. "Hardly, that woman barely spoke to me actually."

Joseph's head tilted, curious at what I had to say. "But you lived with her for a month?"

I gulped nervously. "Yeah, but she wasn't the easiest person to get along with. Things were good at first with her, but then it slowly started declining. She made an effort I think, but I wonder if I reminded her too much of Mom." It was a possible theory.