More Than One Way To Die

Chapter 17 In Search For Any Clues

Violet's POV

I watch Kameron climb up the stairs and away from me with multiple people right behind him, which makes me irritated that I can't be with him but I completely understand where everyone's judgement and suspicious thoughts of us and the investigation would come from.. Mostly because he is my man but luckily also a man of his word and anyone who has met him knows that.

So I won't like this turn of events but just deal with it because I do understand, just not liking the result.. mostly because I'm stuck with my father who for whatever reason felt the need to stand up and say he wanted to be with me to help me for whatever reason.

"Come on Violet let's start checking out these back rooms over here." My father says walking past me gaining my attention as I groan and hop over using the crutches I hate so much.

We enter the billiards room looking around slowly. My father is looking under the tables as I'm looking behind the pictures and statues looking for anything that might be a clue or help out.. my crutch seems to get caught on the pool table leg as I pull it out, then tripping as my father quickly catches me to my suprise.

"Um.. thanks." I say to him as he sets me to my feet, steadying me then says, "Anytime.. I told Kam I would watch over you and I meant it."

"Is that what you did for mom to?" I ask suspiciously as he groans and states. "I swear I didn't do it Vi!" I shrug my shoulders just staring at him not knowing what to believe honestly. He was the last one to see her alive that we know of.

"It's a fact that I didn't like your mother anymore." He says as I add. "Did you ever?" He scoffs at that as he states, "I use to love your mother more than anything in this world. It was her addiction that she loved more than me and I had to find a reciprocating love elsewhere.. don't blame me for what your mother did to everyone around her. You haven't had a relationship with her in a while either so who are you to judge me?"

"You're right but I'm sorry it will be hard for me to ever take your side when I don't really know what your side of the story is because you were never around to tell it." I explain as he gets a sad look that appears across his face.

"I'm going to change that. I promise." He exclaims to me as I shake my head and reply without hesitation, "I don't need your empty promises I have enough of those cards send every other year.. that's enough for me." I say turning around as I hop down the rest of the room with him in tow.

"No I mean it Violet I want a better relationship with you and your brothers and I will make sure to have it. I want to be the father you need... Like is Kameron really the best guy for you?" He states as I laugh out loud at his comment.

"That ship has sailed there is no way you can be the father I need you to be, when I needed you years ago and those problems are done and over with.. and you want to know why I think Kameron is more than the best guy for me?" I ask as I watch him nod so I continue, "He is the best for me because he has been there for me through thick and thin and somehow still sees the person that I am within, not judging me off of my mistakes or flaws throughout the years.. he just loves me more for them and that's the positivity I need in my life. Not the false hope and judgment you have brought. I know I'm making the right decision because I can feel it in my heart whether you agree with it or not." I spat as I keep looking around the room.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that. I just remember him being a ladies man and I didn't want him taking advantage of you. You're so sweet and innocent." He says to me as I glare saying, "If that's what you think about me then you really don't know me at all. I'm not innocent, I have had my fair share of love and let down relationships which have lead my to where I am now.. but luckily the failed relationship you had with our mother has set me on the right track because when I see those red flags I leave the relationship instantly.. really not wanting anything like you two had."

He get a sadder look on his face as he nods looking around the room before responding. "I know I don't know you well enough to have opinions about your life, you are right about that.. but can we please try to have some kind of relationship? I really do want that." He says as I turn around probably too quickly, stumbling before I steady myself.

"Why do you want a relationship with us now when you have had lots of years to do so and chose not to?.. is it because gramma said so.. because if that's the case then I don't want a relationship that's forced.. if anything has to be forced it will never work out." I explain as he nods.

"I understand that, but have wanted a relationship for years.. I just never knew how to start it or even what to do or say.. but this whole gramma thing has given me the open door I have wanted so I'm going to take advantage and try to get the relationship I want with you all." He says as I stare at him for a moment.

"We will see." I reply before I continue to look around the room. "I don't see anything that looks suspicious. It looks the same as we left it a couple weeks ago.. honestly." I explain as he keeps looking. "I agree let's move on to the room where everyone was drinking in last night maybe we can find something that might help.

I nod following behind him to the next room. We look through everything on all the surfaces available. He continues to look under as I look over. I get to the drink cart that looks like it hasn't been touched from last night as I cautiously look at the bottles inspecting their every detail. There is nothing on the outside of them just like everyone stated.

"So do you think Samantha killed mom?" I ask still inspecting the area. "I know they didn't like each other.. ever.. but I can't see Samantha doing something like that because she is an i***t and I don't think she could have figure something like that on her own. she would have been caught instantly.. that's what I think at least." He states to me as I smirk agreeing with that. Samantha really wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.. since.. ever. Hence why she lives off of her looks.

"Who do you think did this if not you or her?" I ask as I look at the rest of the plethora of bottles of liquor. "I have no idea.. I honestly didn't think anyone could do this.. I would have believed she died from alcohol poisoning over someone actually poisoning her. It just doesn't feel right, for some reason. I don't know how to explain it." He says but I agree I can see what he means.

"I know what you mean I have felt the same.. I know she had a lot of enemies so don't get me wrong but I don't think this was suppose to happen.. unless it was a last minute sloppy decision. I could see that more than anything else because this doesn't seem to well thought out.. but who am I to judge I'm just basing it off of my murder mysteries I love to read."

"I don't see anything in here that's note worthy.. what about you?" My father asks as I shake my head. "Ok I guess it's time to look at the office.. let's go." He says waving me to follow behind him.

I do just that, slowly but surely making my way into the only room that still smells and feels like my grandmother. I know that might sound weird but everything gets cleaned every single day and this is the only room that seems to feel homey and warm as if my grandmother was just here and the fact that it smells like her helps that too.

I go straight her desk, sitting down in her comfy chair as I look around her desk area. Nothing on the floor underneath, but I pull open her drawers one by one looking around.. Most are just files that I have no idea what they mean.

One of the top drawers holds a picture of her and I at my graduation. I smile at that as I look at the next picture and it's one of Gramma with me my two brothers and Kameron. But something I never noticed from this picture was that Kameron was staring at me in this photo. He looks happy and serene.. I have been worried that he didnt mean it when he declared his love for me, that he has supposedly felt for years but from this picture you can see and even feel the love in it. Which causes me to smile big.

I look at the next picture and it's my grandmother and my grandfather. I miss him so much he was a great man, who gave any man a run for his money on how to not only treat a lady but how to treat anyone around him.

I just wish he would have been around longer when my brothers needed a father figure the most and maybe they wouldn't have this distaste for anyone and anything.. But instead my brothers turned into this hateful band of brothers.

I push in that drawer as I go to the next but as I try to pull it out it gets caught on something. It won't fully open. I groan as I tug at it again but that's not working. I open it slightly and with having small hands I slide my fingers in moving things around trying to help it open.

After much help of shimmying and shaking the items in the drawer I can finally get it open. I open it to see a diary looking book in the back of it I'm pretty sure that's what was keeping it from opening. I glance up at my father who is still wandering around the room inspecting the books around the shelves.

I open it up to see a young picture of my grandfather and grandmother. They look so happy.. their relationship was the epitome of true love and everything anyone could ever want for in a relationship.

But it's not a diary it's a log. It's some type of information log of sorts I guess. It has abbreviations of names and I can only assume what those abbreviations mean.

Some of this I can make out pretty easily because some of it is about Lydia and the money she was laundering from my grandmother. She really kept track of every little bit and man she stole a lot from my grandmother. That's sad really that she was willing to steal that amount from a sweet lady like her. Just that thought alone makes me livid.

I keep looking through it to see all my mother's mistakes listed one by one year after year and over and over again. I get to the next section and can tell it's a continuation from my mother's profile but about my father because I know about his wife and kids.. and the information had to do with that, like birthdays and such.. so easy to decode.

I get to the next page and it's about me, the school I attended what I studied and everything from my birthday to ex boyfriends and even my love for Kameron. I never knew she knew so much about all of this.

The next page is my brothers and for some reason they are together on this page not seperate. They have question marks around their names and Kamerons name circled multiple times but not much more than the basics of birthday date and schools attended.. not even anything is listed for girlfriends for either of them.. but now that I think about it they have never had girlfriends just flings here and there getting what they want then leaving.

I go to the next section of my mother's and it's about Brad I guess come to find out my mother took advantage of him and took lots of money from him never paying him back but now that I look through this she did that to Chad and Richard as well along with Peter no wonder he hates her.

I guess people had more reason than I thought to kill her. I knew she burned bridges with our family but I never knew the extent of it honestly.

My father humms as he pulls a book out and the bookshelf opens slightly by moving forward exposing a secret dark doorway to who knows where. I knew my grandmother had these in here but I never knew where but she told me multiple times of secret passages through this place.

I just thought she was making up stories for our imagination to play with us as kids. But I guess she was being completely honest with us.. crazy. I wonder what else she was being honest with me about that I never knew.. I wish she was here to talk about this kind of stuff with.

"She always talked about the secret passages but I never knew how to access them." my father states as I stand up slowly. "Are you coming with me to check this out? This might be where Samantha is hiding from us." My father states as I stand still nodding. I take the wind-up flashlight on the desk into my hand as I reply, "Of course I'm joining you what kind of a question is that when it comes to hidden rooms."

"Ok just keep your eyes open and stay vigilant because she could be in here and a threat to you especially since your already hurt.. let's leave the door open just in case to help us find our way back.. but you have a flash light and so do I so let's head this way." He states as he pulls the book shelf open more while he slowly walks into the darkness.

I can hear him winding the light up as I do the same before I really start walking because I'm going to need all the help I can get in there because it looks dark and deep.

I let out my nervous breath trying to calm my beating heart as I hop forward leaving one of my crutches leaned up against the desk to make this easier to move around since there isn't much room in there that ibcan see. I hold the flashlight with one hand and the crutch in the other as I start hopping my way down the deep dark hallway that leads to who knows where.