✔Cupcakes to Kill For

5. Keeping Secrets🧁

When Casey was little, his mom used to tell him the snowflakes were full of people's secrets. Each silent crystal harbored something no one wanted anyone else to know. As the flakes pivoted all around him, he wondered how many his parents hid from him.

Casey, Lani, and Wyatt ate their supper in silence. Casey nibbled on his chicken fried steak, too lost in thought. After everything that happened, Casey found it concerning how their father disappeared without a word. It was almost exactly like with their mom and so far; the police had yet to hear from him either.

That made Casey wonder if he ever went to file an official report or try to figure out what happened. Doubting his dad felt wrong, but something in his heart insisted something was wrong with everything. But that left so many unanswered questions about where he'd gone and why he wasn't answering them. Every time he checked his phone, Casey hoped to find a message or voicemail from their father. His worries only mounted as the time passed by without a word from him. Had gang members taken both his parents?

Such a horrific thought made Casey ill. August wouldn't have orchestrated a hit on his family, would he? Not after he helped bandage him up, right? He'd wanted no cops involved, and Casey tried his best to not reveal too much about his identity, but it wasn't like he could keep it a secret from his folks.

"Where's papa?" Wyatt asked through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"He's busy helping the police find the person who hurt Nana," Casey replied.

That wasn't entirely a lie, but Casey knew he wasn't being completely honest with his son either. He'd already learned someone killed his Nana, and he didn't want to worry him more by mentioning his papa missing too.

"Let's watch a movie later," Lani suggested. "It can be anything you want, Wyatt."

Trying to make everything seem normal didn't qualm the anxiety churning in Casey's stomach, but he appreciated his sister for the distraction. He checked his phone repeatedly throughout the day, hoping to find a response or explanation from his father. He even kept a close eye out on their landline, jumping up at every ring from telemarketers, thinking it might be their father calling.

"Yeah, I think a movie sounds like a great idea," Casey said.

After they finished supper, Casey, and Lani set a movie up in the living room for Wyatt. Casey found it difficult to concentrate and kept checking his phone, anticipating answers from his father. Casey worried that he met a similar fate as his dear mother.

Her sullen complexion and frightened eyes haunted his memories, and he wished he could erase that gruesome image of her. He wanted to remember the fun times they spent together as a family, and how she comforted him when he needed her the most. When he learned he'd be a father, he told his mom first, needing advice on what to do and how to go about it. She'd sat him down, let him cry and vent and worry about what awaited him in the future. She never judged or got upset with him.

It wasn't until the movie was almost over when someone came pounding their fist on the door. Casey froze, eyes glued to the locked front door. Lani pulled Wyatt close, giving Casey a side glance.

"Who is it?" Casey called out, taking tenacious steps toward the door.

"It's just me, Casey. I forgot to bring my house key," Mr. Lockhart replied. "Hurry and let me in. I'm freezing out here."

Casey wasted no time with the locks, letting in a blast of chilling air along with his father. He kicked his boots off on the mat, tracking in bits of snow.

"Where the hell have you been?" Casey asked him. "You haven't answered our texts and calls. What happened?"

"It's a long story," Mr. Lockhart sighed, removing his coat and wool scarf. "Have the police already stopped by?"