A Clue; March 27th

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Trey's House

14 weeks....

Mitchell rang the doorbell and stood back, waiting for a response. While waiting, he let his mind wander, thinking mostly about the past when he and Trey and Jason had been inseparable.

Till Nicolysse came along.

Ruining their friendship.

Jason and Trey had recovered quickly and fast become friends like they had been before, but he was still a bit distant from them. Nicolysse had nearly ruined his chances at having Samantha as his girlfriend.

Nicolysse had done a lot, including physically hurting Sam for reasons unknown to him till date. It felt like Nicolysse had always liked him but had gone to Trey because of his abundant wealth.

It had been a known fact that of the three of them, Trey was the richest. So, it was a no brainer that a money-hungry girl like Nicolysse would go after Trey even though she didn't really love him.

And that had been the root of all their subsequent arguments.

Trey had actually liked Nicolysse and didn't like the fact that Mitchell was against his relationship with her.

Mitchell noticed with a jolt that the door still hadn't been answered so he did the coded 'two knocks, one bell ring' and waited once more. In a minute or less, Maya appeared at the door, a smile taking over her features when she saw who it was.

"Mr. Adams! Good to see you here after a long time." She stepped back, opening the door wider. "Please, do come in."

"Thank you," he replied with a smile, stepping over the threshold and into the house. "And how many times have I told you to call me Mitchell? Just Mitchell is fine."

"Of course, I'm sorry," she conceded with a smile, closing the front door.

Mitchell waved it off, looking around nervously. "Is Trey around?"

"Oh yes. He's in his office working. Please make yourself comfortable. I'll get him to come down." She walked past him towards the stairs.

He took off his shoes, leaving on his socks, and slipped his feet into crocs before heading towards the kitchen to brew himself some coffee. A few minutes later he heard the unmistakable voice of his old friend behind him.

"Making yourself at home I see," Trey stated casually, sounding bemused.

"Who else would do a thing like this if Jason or I don't?" Mitchell sassed.

Trey let out a laugh, coming to lean against the kitchen doorframe. "Good to see you mate. Been a while."

"Yeah..." He trailed off, focusing on finishing the coffee. "Took me some time to get over the Nicolysse thing. But I'm here because you need me." He finished the coffee and poured it into a mug, giving his full attention to Trey.

"You know something I've noticed about you?" Trey said, with a look of admiration at his friend. "You never use the coffee machine."

"I like it different than what the coffee maker provides," he said simply, sipping on the drink.

Trey chuckled at that with a shake of his head. "How are Sam and the baby?"

"They're good. They're good," he nodded, setting the mug down on the kitchen island. "Had to make her an appointment to the hospital because her waitressing job wasn't letting her have enough money to go to the hospital anytime she liked. Drives me crazy, that one."

"No shit."

"As if I didn't know the money she makes isn't enough. She could've just asked me for money," he lamented making Trey laugh.

"Girls have their pride too you know."

"Lexi?"

"Yeah," he responded shortly, turning away. "Look I'm... I'm sorry about the whole Nicolysse thing."

"If you really are, why are you back with her?" he asked, looking him straight in the eye.

"It's... It's not like that. She's just my date for the wedding. Valerie's doing," Trey responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Your stepmom? Dude, she's such a priss. All the women she picks are also just like her. Never liked her," Mitchell says, sipping on his coffee.

"Don't let her hear you say that."

"Or what?"

Trey pushed off the doorframe and walked into the kitchen. "Or else, dear old Andrew will be coming to her rescue."

They looked at each other for a moment, Trey affecting the serious look while Mitchell looked on, unbothered, then burst into laughter just like old times.

"Hey, a reunion without me?" Jason said with a pout, appearing out of nowhere. He pulled Mitch into a bearhug, smothering his face with kisses.

"Ay, quit it!" Mitchell complained. Trey pulled Jason backwards by the collar so that his hold loosened, and Mitch slipped free. "Don't do that. I'm grown up now with a baby on the way."

Trey shook his head. "Seriously though, why'd you call me here?" Jason asked, raising a brow at Trey.

"I asked Mitch to look into the situation with Lexi, and I thought you'd want to know what had been found so far Turner."

"About time," Jason said, patting Trey on the back.

"Don't make me regret this." Trey turned to Mitchell. "So, did you find anything?"

"I did get something. Might not be what you are expecting though," Mitchell said, pouring the rest of the coffee down the drain and washing the mug.

"I'm listening."

Mitchell turned back to them after placing the mug face down on a tray. "Security here is supposed to be tight right?" Trey and Jason both nodded. "I was looking through your camera feeds and I noticed that part of the footage for March 27th had been cut out. My gut tells me something happened in that short period."

"Do you think Ethan came around to... you know what with Alexandra?" Trey asked.

Jason lifted a brow. "Of all the things to assume?"

"Well..." Mitchell trailed off, not knowing what to say. "We can't say for sure because we don't have the footage. But we'll be closer to knowing what happened if we know who was on duty that day, who was in charge of the cams and most probably cleared those minutes off the records."

Trey stood in silence, then shifted on his feet. "So uh, want me to bring in a security personnel?"

"If possible. And if there's a logbook for who took care of what in a specific day, let them bring it along."

"I guess we have to go over for that. Come with me."

* * *

Trey's Security Base

Trey walked off the elevator and into the security base confidently, his two friends in tow. The chief of security spotted him and started making his way over.

"This place is like an ops center," Jason mumbled with a low whistle, looking at the amount of people bustling around in this space. "Why have I never been here before?"

"This exact reason," Trey answered, narrowing his eyes at Jase.

"Sir!" his Chief of security greeted with a salute upon reaching him. "This way," he continued, leading them to the small conference room. He closed the door behind them. "To what do we owe this visit?"

"First off, these are my best friends Jason Turner and Mitchell Adams," Trey began, and paused as they shook hands, "and guys, this is Lieutenant General William Armstrong. He's my chief of security after retiring from military service."

The chief of security nodded at them, before turning to Trey. "How can I be of assistance sir?"

"Please get us the logbook for those who were in charge of cams in March," Trey requested.

"Sure. I'll be right back."

As soon as he left, Jason turned to Trey, mouth open. "Exactly how did you get a Lieutenant General to be working for you?"

"Same way he gets people into closing deals with him," Mitchell stated with a smile, seating himself in one of the chairs around the table. "You really shouldn't be surprised."

Trey sat as well, and Jason followed suit. Not long after, Lieutenant General William brought in the logbook, and Trey invited him to sit next to him. "What are we looking for?"

"March 27th Lieutenant General," Mitchell replied, leaning forward. "March 27th - we want to see who was in charge of cams on that day."

"Okay," he replied, turning the pages to find the log entry on March 27th. "And please, call me Billy." He paused to look at them, saying, "The logs are split day and night shift so what are we looking for here?"

"That depends on the hours that each shift comprises," Mitch answers without missing a beat.

"Twelve hours each," Billy replied. "Six a.m. to six p.m. for day - "

"Great. What I'm looking for is around 10:03 am to 10:12am. Day shift."

"Alright." Billy looked into the book, pointing to a name. "Dustin Rayner was on the day shift - March 27th."

"Call him in," Trey said, leaning back.

Billy nodded and moved to the wall, saying into the intercom, "Dustin Rayner, your presence is needed in conference room C. You've got a minute."

He moved back into his seat. Not even a full minute later, Dustin was in the conference room, closing the door behind him. He gave a salute in greeting but his whole composure screamed nervous.

"We want to ask you a few questions. Sit," Billy said, pointing to a seat on the other side of the table. He sat down, still looking nervous.

"March 27th," Mitch said, biting the bullet and watching for his reaction. The man tensed a bit and Mitchell shared a look with the others. "March 27th Dustin. What happened?"

"I-I... I don't know what you're talking about sir," he stuttered.

Mitchell set his elbows on the table. "Look, all I'm saying... all I want from you, Dustin, is the truth. Don't be scared. Whoever it is can't hurt you - not here."

"Look, it's either you say the truth," Trey said with a deathly calm when Dustin remained silent, leaning forward to grab him by the collar of his shirt, pressing the young man's chest to the table just as his was, "or you spend the rest of your life in jail."

Dustin looked shook when Mitchell managed to pry Trey's hand off him. "I honestly don't know him! T-this man came up to my house and rounded up my family and said that if I didn't do it, he'd blow out my wife and kid's brains in front of me, find someone else to do it, and frame me so I spend the rest of my life in jail. I-I'm sorry, but I... I couldn't let my family die."

"What did he ask you to do?" Trey questioned in that same low voice.

"He told me to buzz a certain guy in when he arrived at 10, and make sure I cleared all the footage, so he's not caught."

"This guy who came at 10, did you see his face?" Trey questioned, having a suspicion it was Ethan.

"No sir," he replied truthfully. Trey released him so he could talk freely. "He had a ski mask on and took it off when he got to the living room where Mrs. Robinson was, his back to the camera."

Trey leaned forward. "Did he do anything to her?"

"No."

They all lapsed into silence, each trying to put the pieces together. "You think it was Ethan?" Jason asked Trey.

"It's kind of obvious Jase," Mitchell said, leaning back in his chair.

Trey spoke up again, asking Dustin, "Do you remember all the places he went into?"

"The more stuff I tell you, the more danger I put my wife and child in," Dustin said, silently pleading that they let him go.

"We can bring your wife and child to stay down here till it's safe," Billy offered turning to Trey, "If it's okay with you sir."

"I don't mind. If you have a room for them then fine," Trey responded.

"Thank you so much sir," Dustin said with a salute. He'd half expected Trey to refuse because he'd put his wife in danger.

"Just tell me what I need to know and we're even," he said with the same deathly calm. "Do you remember all the places he went to?" he repeated as Billy went to make calls, giving out orders for some of his men to get Dustin's wife and child.

"Uh... yes. I think so. He went into your bedroom with a duffel," Trey run a hand over his face, feeling like a jerk for laying the blame on Lexi. He should've listened when she tried to explain.

"Then he went to your office but came out empty handed. From there, he went to the living room where Mrs. Robinson sat, reading."

"You're sure he didn't do anything to her?" Trey asked, worried. He remembered coming home to a quiet Lexi once, and she'd made him promise that no matter what happened, he'd still love her.

He'd broken his promise and had, on top of that, shamed her.

"No," Dustin replied. "He didn't get close to her. He just spoke to her from afar and left."

"Did you hear what he said?" Mitchell asked, rising out of his seat to pace.

"No."

Trey slumped in his chair. Jason was glad that part of the truth was out; that they had a clue. Mitchell paused to smile at Dustin.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Your wife and child will be here soon. We'll personally supply you with clothing and all the necessities for your stay down here."

"Thank you, sir." He left after a salute, letting out a deep breath once he was outside the room.

Billy stood. "I'll go handle the rest. I'm happy to be of assistance anytime." He also left with a salute.

"I've messed up Jase," Trey muttered, staring into space.

"I tried to tell you. Not that you listened," Jason said, earning a glare from Mitch. "Just the facts."

"All the things he planted... He told me she didn't want my babies and had been taking contraceptives to prevent pregnancy but it was him who had put the duffel of pills there. He got my files somehow yet said it was from someone close to my heart and living in my house." He leaned forward with elbows on the table, running a hand through his hair. "I'm an idiot."

Jason nodded.

Trey was hating himself at the moment. He hated how he'd embarrassed her in front of the whole world. He'd called the media groups the day he'd fired her to broadcast him dumping her, and he wondered how she'd react if he found out that little detail.

What he'd give to turn back time.

He sat up. "On the day I was fed with these - obvious now - lies, I went home to find a big dinner set up and a Babygro saying 'BABY'."

"And you're in the process of getting a divorce. My definition of messed up," Mitch muttered, wondering if he should tell Trey that she was indeed pregnant; that he'd seen her at the hospital.

"Not if I can stop it. She probably doesn't want to see me anymore." Trey turned to Jason. "You have been with the girls much recently, and you were at the hospital with her... What, twice? Is she pregnant?"

Jason bit his lip, smiling nervously. "Well..."

Trey slumped further in the chair, drained. "She is. She is, she is, she is," he whispered to himself. "I could've killed my baby and harmed herself by kicking her out." He turned back to Jason, realizing something. "How long have you known?"

"Uh..." Jason scratched the back of his neck, trying to do the math.

"How long?!"

"I don't know, okay?!" Jason yelled back. "Probably 3 weeks?"

"Three. weeks?!" He thundered in disbelief. "And you kept it from me?!"

"She said not to tell you, that she'd tell you when she was ready. It wasn't my place to tell you."

Memories of their interaction in the past week hit Trey. "She said was already sick and that it would last a few months. Then she came home to pack up the baby stuff we'd bought together. She cried so much it pained me. She threw up, she got dizzy... all the signs were present. All along."

"She was probably trying to tell you," Mitch reasoned. "I thought you knew though man. I saw her when I accompanied Samantha for an ultrasound." Trey looked at him in surprise, but he continued speaking before Trey could say anything. "Give her up to the wedding. If she hasn't said anything yet, confront her about the baby."

"Don't ruin my wedding. And it's babies Mitch," Jason corrected. "She's pregnant with two."

Trey stood from his seat, dazed. "All of this... all this while you kept it from me, watching me go ahead with the divorce when that would've left her a single mother of two? I thought you were my best friend."

Trey sounded so broken, and they didn't know what to do. They stood silent for a second before Jason spoke up. "And just like that, I know I've said too much," he stated with a grimace.

"Shut up," Mitch muttered. He stood, laying a hand on Trey's shoulder, then squeezed. "It'll be fine. Just talk to her, even if it becomes a screaming match and you'll be fine."

"I... I need some air. Excuse me," he mumbled, walking toward the door. He paused when he remembered something. "Mitch?"

"Yeah?"

"That day my papers... my project didn't get missing. We need proof that he took them in some way. Please find valid proof for me. I need to apologize to her."

"Sure. I've got you."

Trey nodded at them and walked out, running a hand through his already messy hair.