Haven: Deep Secrets NSFW

We're sitting round a table in the The Gull: Audrey, Nathan, Julia and me. Cards were shuffled the intent had been poker but they were never dealt. A half eaten plate of wings is still being picked at though.

“I can't imagine,” Audrey says, “Not having your children for that long of the year they're just out to sea like that. No way of getting in touch.”

This promises to be a fun time if I can't find a new topic. I drain what remains of my beer and try to drag my thoughts away from where the Hell Jean could be right now and who the Hell even has her. It's not like it would do me any good being her father for all of the half a day it'd take before I crumbled to dust, but—if I could at least see where she was, know what was going on with her—I need another beer.

“Anyone else want another?” I ask the table, standing up.

Nathan raises his hand. Audrey shakes her beer experimentally and decides no.

“I can get them,” Julia offers.

“I'm up, already.”

I grab two from the bar and have Kerry behind it note it and come back to the table handing one off to Nathan. Thankfully they're now on Chris Brody and Nathan is the one looking uncomfortable.

“I'm not the only one who came over all man crush,” Nathan points out as I sit down.

“Spreading the love of waffles is a civic duty I take most seriously,” I counter, “Your vile pancake propaganda must be stopped.” Not that pancakes are that terrible but this is not the point right now.

“Aren't they fairly similar when it comes down to it?” Audrey inquires.

“Oh, no,” Julia murmurs.

“Get out of my bar,” I instruct her, pointing towards the door as dramatically as I can, “Officer Agent Parker: You are banned.”

“Seriously?” she asks.

“Apologize,” Julia hisses, urgently, “Save yourself.”

Nathan might actually be cracking a smile.

“Duke, I am truly, sorry,” Audrey says, putting her hand on her heart earnestly, “Please educate this poor soul.”

“Alright,” I say, magnanimously, leaning back in my seat, “You can be forgiven because there are a few ingredients that are the same but seriously those ingredients are also in cake itself and even pie crust so really, Audrey, really?”

“It's not like I cook all that much,” she says.

“It's the ratios primarily,” I explain, “But then to get a good light airy waffles as opposed to your stodgy pancake,” I give Nathan a look, “You separate your eggs and fluff up the whites before adding them back in.”

“I see,” Audrey says, though I'm not sure she does.

Julia just laughs. I get the feeling she has maple syrup on her mind again.

“Stodgy?” Nathan asks.

“Yes,” I say, “Pancakes are dense, thick, stodgy. Waffles are light and crisp.”

“I think we should stop there,” Audrey says, “Don't want to have the world's first bar fight over baked goods.”

“Duke,” Julia says in warning tone before I correct Audrey.

I let it drop, partly because there's something going on at the door. After a moment I can see it's Evi kicking up a fuss because Little Mike won't let her in. Finally she hands something off to him and stalks off. Little Mike brings me the thing, which turns out to be an envelope. I tear it open, pull out the contents and then write on the envelope a note to Kerry that he gets two free drinks as a thank you.

“I've had the psycho ex before,” he says, “You sure you want to read that—might be written in blood.”

“Morbid curiosity,” I say with a grin, “Besides I have cops right here.”

It's two sheets of paper. The first is a note from Evi, saying that she went ahead and got into the Rev's office because it was important even if I couldn't see it and just knows I'll be thanking her after I read it.

We'll see.

The other paper is a list. It looks like a photocopy, something that was clearly added to overtime sometimes typed, sometimes handwritten by a couple of different people, most of it is between '81 and '83 but at the very bottom in the right hand column there are a few recent additions whose names I recognize.

“People Killed by The Cursed” is the title. About halfway down the first column Evi has drawn an arrow and written “see” pointing to the name SIMON CROCKER with the date May 1983. When I scoff laugh the table turns to look and inquire exactly what's going on. I double check the names though, the recent ones are people who have died during issues with Trouble fighting. James Lester, who died right before Audrey arrived, Phil Reiser who I remember all too well given his fate could have been mine too. But then there are ones like Darlene Lewis, Johnathan Masters from the 80s and I have no idea who they are.

“What is it?” Julia asks.

“I'm guessing it's supposed to insight me to riot or something,” I drop the paper on the table, “Grand revelations that my Dad pissed someone off enough that they offed him, supposedly; because I immediately trust information that came from the Rev via Evi.”

Nathan reaches for the paper, for a moment I debate snatching it back but whatever. He looks it over, “Ah, yes, I forgot that I'm Cursed. Well, we know Lester and, uh, Reiser,” he looks at me sideways for a moment, “were...”

“But that's classic con, Nate, put just enough true information on something that the rest which might be true is easier to believe.”

Julia rubs her foot along my calf.

Audrey reaches over and takes the list from Nathan, “Well, we can look into these others easily enough, and surely there's a cause of death on your Dad's certificate.”

“Accident on boat,” I tell her. Of course that would mean he was damn clumsy on boats the entire time he was doing work given the state he generally came home in. I shake my head, “but what they tell kids and what actually happens...so that might not be what's actually on there. I've not gone back and looked.”

“You don't sound like you believe it.”

“I lived with the guy,” I wave a hand, “One thing he was good at was boats, but he was not good with people. If some Troubled person did kill him I'm sure he deserved it.”

“Duke,” Julia says.

“And what the Hell point is there in them giving me that,” I wave at the paper in Audrey's hand, “Are they figuring I'm going to go on some rampage about it? He's dead and gone and it's damn good riddance.”

Nathan gives me an eye.
“If your Dad was still here he could tell you some things. I swear some times he was up at our place once a week,” I drain the beer, “Anyway, enough of that bull shit,” I lean slightly forward and drum my hands on the table top a couple of times, “If we're not actually going to play poker I'm going to turn in.”

“Can I keep this?” Audrey asks.

“Have at it,” I tell her, moving away from the table towards the door, “I'd probably just light it on fire or...do something else with it.”

“I better go make sure he doesn't fall off the dock and drown,” I hear Julia behind me and wait just on the other side of the door away from line of sight until she catches up.

She links arms with me which is good in more than one way because I realize after I stood up that I was getting kind of dizzy; drank that last beer a little too fast and we walk the short distance back to the Cape.

 

$$$$ 

( NSFW behind the cut )