Chapter Two
Robert Summers waited in front of his older brother Derek's house for nearly 20 minutes, ringing the doorbell again and again, when suddenly a car stopped in front of the house and his father and niece came out. Both looked haggard and torn as if a truck had run them over.
Seeing his father, Robert said,"Dad, I've been here for 20 minutes and no one's answering the door," he said as Jon Summers took out the house keys and opened the main door.
"Come in Robert. There's no one else to open the door for you," he said as Robert stared at him in confusion. As it is he had to leave all his work pending and rush here and now dad was talking in riddles.
"I'll go and freshen up grandpa," said Brittany not wanting to be a part of any conversation.
Her grandpa nodded, relieved that he could talk to Robert privately.
"What's going on dad?" Robert asked the moment she was out of sight.
"Derek, Amy and Brian had a fatal accident the night before last. Two trucks simultaneously hit their car which went up in flames killing everyone inside. The bodies are charred beyond recognition and have been sent for post mortem," he told Robert who held his head in dismay after hearing the sordid details.
"Have they arrested the culprits?" He asked his dad.
"No, I feel it was a planned murder as all the CCTV footage in the vicinity have been sabotaged. No tyre marks, no number plates could be procured. Both trucks have disappeared. If it were an accident, two simultaneous collisions would not have taken place," he told his son who nodded his head.
"Even if you're right, our hands are tied. We need to depend upon police investigations. In the meantime let's wrap up Derek's office and claim Amy's dues from the hospital. I'm sure later Brittany will need the funds that her parents worked so hard to earn," he told his father.
He went to a room and kept his luggage there knowing well that this would take much longer than he had thought. After freshening up, he came down and cooked a simple chicken soup. He knew no one was in a mood to eat, but the girl was too weak to skip meals.
He went upstairs to knock on Brittany's door, concerned since she was locked in for a long time. Brittany opened her door as her uncle Rob came into the room.
"Lunch is ready Brits, come and eat a little," he told her.
"I'm not hungry uncle Rob," she said.
"Maybe not, but still you need to eat. How will you fight and help catch the culprits if you fall sick yourself? Not eating will make your family sad. They're watching over you, remember?" He said as Brittany stared at her uncle Rob.
"Grandpa didn't tell me everything. If I listen to you, will you tell me everything that there is to know?" She asked him as he nodded his head.
"Yes, I will and we will jointly look for the culprits. That's a promise I make to you," he said as Brittany hugged him.
"Thank you uncle Rob. I'll do everything you say," she said and they went downstairs to the kitchen to eat. Her grandpa also joined them.as they buttered the bread and ate with the soup. Brittany hadn't realised how hungry she was. She had to keep her strength going and punish the culprits.
By afternoon two officers came to visit them. Brittany gave them the dental records of Brian since he was the only one who went to a dentist. The officers collected samples like their hair brushes, their toothbrushes, her mom's last knee x-ray report and her father's chest x-ray that was done four years ago when he had a bad case of flu. They even took blood samples of Brittany, her grandpa and uncle.
"How long will this take officer? We have to have a funeral for them," asked grandpa.
"Give us a week's time. We will collect all necessary samples and then you can have the bodies for the funeral," the officer informed.
"Do you have any enemies who might wish to murder your family?" Asked the officer while leaving.
"Not that I know of," said grandpa as the officer nodded and took his leave.
"What murder grandpa?" Brittany asked curiously.
They both explained the exact details as Brittany's face turned red with anger. Why would someone want to murder her family? She needed answers and grandpa and uncle Rob weren't answering. So she left it for the time being. She would find the answers herself.
"Are you interested in running your father's company Brits?" Asked uncle Rob.
"No, I don't understand finance stuff," she answered truthfully.
"Then we will sell it and deposit the money in your account." Said Robert.
"We would be returning to Texas after the funeral, Brits," said uncle Rob.
"I'll stay here in this house," she told them stubbornly.
"That won't be safe, if this was murder, then they might hunt you down too. You're coming with us till the danger is completely over," said grandpa.
"Okay, but how will we go on with the investigation here?" She asked confusedly.
"If the need arose we will come here. Otherwise we can always call up and find out everything going on here," said grandpa as Brittany sighed.
"Okay, I'll go," she said disheartened. She didn't want to leave the house her parents built, where all her memories were present. It brought her close to her family who were ever present in her heart, in her memories. She wanted justice for them before going anywhere, but grandpa and uncle Rob were right. Her life might also be in danger.
She knew that she had a week's time at hand to sort out everything. After the funeral her grandpa and uncle Rob would take her with them. So, she started packing what she needed in suitcases to take with her.
She then accumulated all her mother's jewelry and valuables and went to her bank to be kept in her locker. They went to her hospital and collected all her dues and deposited the money in Brittany's bank.
They were able to sell her dad's shares to his business partner and have the money deposited in Brittany's bank account too.
They went to Brian's college and informed the details, as they cancelled his name from the student database.
They sorted the things in the house in huge cartons and sealed them, storing them away in the basement. They sorted her father's paperwork and important documents and kept them in the locker.
After being satisfied with their work, they visited the police station for an update.
