The Masked Family

Chapter 8-3

Unfortunately, when Cary and Celeste found Lydia, Lydia was looking for them. She was looking for Cary, to be exact.

"You've really let me down, young man," said Lydia, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

Cary and Celeste shared a glance. Instantly, they both understood what had happened.

Blacksheep had beaten them to the punch.

Cary was almost too scared to speak, but he managed to squeak out one word. "Why?"

Lydia glared down at him with cold, implacable fury. "Did your father and I teach you it's okay to steal?"

Cary shook his head.

"Then what do you call this?" Lydia opened her fist, revealing a handful of crumpled cash. Cary identified some of the bills by the green numbers printed on their corners.

Hundred dollar bills.

"M-money?" said Cary.

Lydia pushed the cash toward him. Her voice grew harsher. "I found it in one of your hiding places. It was in the shoebox under your bed."

Cary shivered. Celeste stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, which helped, but he still felt like he'd turned to ice inside.

"Five hundred dollars," said Lydia. "Your father had it in an envelope in his dresser drawer."

"Mom," said Celeste. "Listen..."

But Lydia wasn't interested in listening. "It makes me sick to think we can't trust our own kids."

"Mom." Celeste said it a little louder. "We have to tell you something."

Lydia stepped back and pointed at the stairway. "Get up to your room, young man. Your father and I still have to decide what to do with you."

Cary had tears in his eyes. "I didn't take that money," he said.

And it was then that he saw Grogan had been right.

Lydia didn't flinch. "Upstairs," she said. "Now."

She doesn't believe me.

She doesn't believe me.

Just then, as Cary slogged through the living room and headed for the stairs, Grogan walked in the front door.

He didn't say a word. He frowned at Cary with intense puzzlement and concern on his snaggle-toothed racehorse face.

But Cary heard everything he really said and saw right through his mask to what he really thought as if liar vision were one of his super-powers.