As Evil As Murder

08 | To Die A Mystery

"To go from a familiar thing, however undesirable, into the unknown, is always a matter for apprehension and I suppose that is why so many people are afraid to die."
-Margaret Atwood
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The car ride back home was a disaster, to say the least.

At first, Lucas wouldn't even get in the car and I had to push him inside. He didn't touch anything other than the seat and kept really still like a sculpture all the ride back home. This didn't annoy me. But what did annoy me was when he started giving me a lecture on how we should stop using cars because one day it wouldn't open their mouth and we would be trapped inside forever. He thinks that cars are some kind of evolved species of horses which are trained for humans to ride in.

"Before you came in," he started, ruining the peaceful two seconds I had. "Someone named Alexandre heard me playing the piano."

"That's CJ's music instructor." I informed, smiling a bit. "That guy is the human embodiment of happiness. Did he start tap dancing when he heard your music?"

"No, he gave me a business proposition." He answered. Even though my eyes were on the road, I could guess how confused Lucas's face was.

"Why did he do that?" I asked, happy to be talking about something normal for once. I was tired of murders, nightmares, and threats. It's funny how Lucas is a supposed time traveler yet talking to him was the most normal I felt today. Maybe I'm not tired of time travelers yet.

"He wanted me to be his personal assistant." He said in distaste. "Can you see how silly it is? Me, being a servant to someone else. Me being a Pumsin to someone else!"

"Okay, I gotta ask, who the heck is this Pumsin?"

"He is my servant, but I wouldn't say that to him, he is a really loyal friend-"

"Was," I interrupted, a bit tired of his double life. "No one you think you know is alive in 2017."

"I know," he answered, his voice strained. I could see he was trying to play it off cool, but I could hear the sadness behind his words. "But I'm going back, aren't I?"

It took me a few seconds to realize he was expecting me to actually answer him, to tell him what he wants to hear and give him empty promises again, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wasn't that cruel.

Or maybe I was, because I didn't tell him the truth either. I changed the topic altogether.

"I think you should take up the offer." I started casually. "It makes sense. You like music and you don't have any job so maybe you should go for it."

"No, I do not need any work." He said firmly. "What I need is to get back to England."

"And how do you plan to do that?" I took a left to my lane and drove a bit faster, getting really annoyed at keeping up this conversation.

"I don't know but I'm certainly not getting work here!" His teeth were clenched and for the first time, he sounded genuinely angry.

I didn't reply but drove my car through the open gates and into the garage. I turned off the engine and sighed before looking sideways at him.

"What's going on?" I asked. His bottom lip quivered and he avoided my eyes.

"If I work here, it will feel final," he admitted, his shoulders limp. "I feel like I'm in a dungeon and allowing myself to feel comfortable when I should be breaking out."

I wanted to reach out and give him a hug, which would have been extremely weird because we were still sitting inside the car. But before I could, there was a knock on the window and I jumped in shock.