Selected
Twenty-Second

After dinner I went to wait for Vox in his room. I thought it was my best chance to confront him. As soon as he walked in I was going to ask him why he was lying. This was the second time he had lied to me about having to work. At least to my knowledge. Granted, the first time he was buying me an engagement ring. However, after today I had my suspicions. That day he had left abruptly and then was gone all day. How long does it really take to buy a ring?

I had already planned on what I was going to say. I just needed him to walk through the door so I could start my interrogation. I looked at the clock, it was already half past ten. I sighed and tried to focus on my book. But it ended up being a fruitless effort. I couldn’t focus on Jekyll or Hyde. My mind kept wondering to the situation at hand.

Vox was lying to me. Vox was sneaking off with Addeck to some place and lying to me about it. Why would he lie? What could he be hiding? My mind fluttered through a few excuses, things as innocent as going with his brother to a therapy session, to things as alarming as him being involved in some sort of gang. My mind even made the notion that his secretive behavior had some connection to Kootnz. I quickly shook that thought from my head. That thought was too dark for it to be plausible.

Vox was a good person. He was kind and sweet when we met, and has been nothing but ever since. He took me to the library, he taught me how to ride a horse, he even took me to see Koontz, he made sure to do whatever he could to make me happy. None of these things added up to his secret being anything more than a misunderstanding.

My eyes fluttered awake the next morning, the clock read 7:00. I must have fallen asleep waiting for Vox. I actually slept. For the first time in two days I had gotten sleep. It felt good to be able to wake up in the morning. It felt good to feel refreshed and ready for a new day. I smiled and rolled to look at Vox. But he wasn’t there.

I thought that he may have risen early to go back to work, but the sheets weren’t pulled back, the pillows hadn’t been moved. Vox didn’t come home last night. Worry overcame me. Why didn’t he come home? Where was he? I bolted straight up. I rushed as I put on my clothes and left his room. I checked my room first before going downstairs.

No one was in the dining room. The house was silent. Mrs. Bly always had a platter of food waiting on the table for breakfast. Even as early as seven. Something felt wrong. I could hear someone descend the stairs.

Hal came up from behind me, “Where’s breakfast?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know. Vox didn’t come home, so I thought someone else would know.”

Hal shook her head, “This is weird. I’ll check on Mother. You see if Addeck is upstairs.”

I nodded and carried out my mission. As Hal opened her Mother’s door quietly, I ran up the stairs and knocked on Addeck’s door. I waited. Nothing happened. I knocked again and the door flung open.

“What?”

I took a step back from surprise. “Oh, sorry. Um, I was just making sure you were here.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Vox didn’t come home last night, and breakfast hasn’t been served yet.”

“Yeah, okay. Both of those things are red flags. I’ll get dressed and be down in a second.” He closed the door before I could respond. As I walked away I heard his voice muffled from behind the door.

I would have pressed my ear to the door to make out what he was saying, but Hal turned the corner, “Yeah, Mother isn’t downstairs. Is Addeck here?”

I nodded, “Yeah, he’s changing.”

“I don’t know where everyone is. I checked the kitchen, but it was completely devoid of staff. It’s like an alien spaceship came and abducted people.”

“It does have that eerie atmosphere, doesn’t it?”

Hal nodded just as Addeck opened the door. “I called Vox. He’s at the office, so is Mother. Apparently, Father died last night.”

We all just stood and stared. None of us really knew what to say. Hal swallowed, “What happened?”

Addeck shook his head, “Vox didn’t say.”

“Do we, uh, do we need to go to the office to… I mean Vox and Mother are there, shouldn’t we be there too?”

He shook his head again, “No. Vox said they would be home soon.” He took his eyes from the floor and looked at Hal, “I’m not really sure how to act, Hal.”

Hal frowned and nodded, “It doesn’t seem real, does it?” She hugged her brother. Addeck embraced his sister back. I felt awkward throughout the encounter. I didn’t know what would really be appropriate in this situation. It was a bit of a shock. Mr. Bly’s death was sudden and unexpected. I had always thought of him as this invincible being. He was The Selector. How could anything hurt him? He was the most powerful man in the nation. Now, he was gone.

We decided to wait in the living room for Mrs. Bly and Vox to return. I hadn’t spent a great deal of my time in this room since my welcoming party. I took the spot next to Hal on a couch while Addeck sat down in a chair. Hal put her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her in a show of support and comfort.

Addeck turned the TV on. He gave a brief explanation, “I can’t just sit here in silence. I need some more information.”

The reporter’s face was grim as he spoke. “- and left for dead in the Section building with no signs of breaking and entering. This is what his son and the heir of the Selector title, Vox Bly, had to say about the situation.”

Vox’s face appeared on the screen. His eyes were dark and his face pale. His blonde hair was falling all over the place. He didn’t look at the camera, instead his gaze was directed somewhere beyond it, unfocused as he spoke.

“I just can’t believe he’s gone. I mean, I was, I was in the building. I was there. And I didn’t. I was there and I couldn’t help him.”

A disconnected voice belonging to the interviewer spoke. “Tell us what happened. Take us through the events of last night.”

It took Vox a while before he responded, He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I was working in my office, Father and I are the only ones that work late. He was, he was good about letting everyone go home, even if it meant we had to stay later…” He sniffled, “and uh, and I hear these shots go off. At first I didn’t know what to do. It didn’t register what… what had happened. By the time I had finally realized, it was too late. I ran to him, and he was alive when I got there, but..” He swallowed. It was hard to imagine a frantic Vox kneeling beside his father’s body. Vox didn’t finish his sentence, he just looked a the ground and then solemnly walked away.

The TV cut back to the news anchor. “That was Vox By, as of right now he is acting Selector until he gets inaugurated, that date is to be determined.

"Tragedy has struck our great nation. Lincoln Bly was found last night after being shot. His last words, according to Vox, was that he loved his family. Those responsible have yet to be identified. More information is on the way after this commercial break.”

At that moment the front door opened. Vox and Mrs. Bly stepped through, as did Captain Pike. I made eye contact with him and a shiver ran through me. I took a deep breath and shifted my attention toward Vox. He didn’t seem to look as grim as he had on the television. Mrs. Bly didn’t say anything as she kept moving toward her bedroom.

“Vox. ” Addeck rose to greet his brother, “He’s really dead?”

Vox nodded, “Yeah. He’s dead.”

“Wow.”

Vox nodded once again, “Yeah, wow.”

“Well, I guess congratulations are in order, Mr. Selector.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Vox’s place, “Thanks. I think I’m just going to go shower. I have to get back to deal with some stuff he left behind.”

Addeck nodded, “Yeah, okay. Well, let me know if you need any help with anything.”

Vox nodded, “Of course. You’re always the first I call.” He clasped his brother on the shoulder and then headed toward the stairs. Addeck sat back down at his place and continued to watch the news. What a strange interaction.

I have found that the Bly family handles death very strangely. An old lover gets tears and heartache, the daughter of a family friend gets sorrow and angry outbursts, but the patriarch gets a ‘wow’. The husband, the father, get’s a statement of surprise and shock, but no mourning.

I mumbled an excuse to Hal before climbing the stairs toward Vox. I knock on his bedroom door, which he opened immediately.

“Hey, I was about to shower. Care to join me?” I could hear the water running in the bathroom. He pulled me in before closing the door behind us.

I shook my head, “No I was just coming to check on you.”

He shrugged, “I’m fine.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up against him. “Now, would you like to reconsider my offer?” He started kissing me.

I pulled away, “Vox.”

“What?” He gave an exasperated huff.

I stared at him in shock and awe. How could he act this way? “You’re father was just murdered.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, “Yeah I know. And it was awful and bloody, and I want to forget about it. Now will you please just let me-.”

“No, Vox.” I took a step back and broke away from his arms.

He sighed, clearly irritated with me. “And why the hell not?”

“Because your father just died and you don’t seem to care at all.”

“Because I don’t.”

I stared at him at first, not really knowing how to respond. “But, he’s your father.”

“He may have been my father, but he wasn’t my father.” He sighed as if the words hadn’t come out right. “He was never here. He cared more about his work than his family. He rarely ever showed up for birthdays or graduations. He didn’t love us. He only cared about genes. He was more of a boss to me than a father. And yeah, it was shocking that he died, that he was murdered, it’s awful, but I’m not going to sit here an cry about it.”

“But, you’re interview on TV, you were upset and-.”

He shook his head, “That was for show, just like his last words were. Do you really think that man would have told me that he loved us with his dying breath? It was for the public. Who wants to see a son stand there and shrug when asked how he felt about his father’s murder? Who wants to hear that the Selector’s last words were ‘Don’t fuck up my empire.’?”

I wanted to comfort Vox more now than when I had come in here. I couldn’t believe that his father said that to him before he died. Actually I could, it was Mr. Bly. He was the epitome of workaholic. I don’t think he ever left the Selector building, unless it was to have meetings at city hall. Vox didn’t actually love his father and that made me sad. Sad for him. I never had an overly fond relationship with my father, he was distant, not Mr. Bly distant, but I would like to think that I would at least shed a few tears for him. “I’m sorry, Vox.”

Vox just shrugged, “Like I said, I’m not that upset over it.”

I nodded, “I know. I’m sorry that you aren’t. I’m sorry that your father wasn’t your father.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, “Thank you.”

With that he kissed me again and my accusations from last night about his lies and mysterious behavior had fluttered away, forgotten.