“Liam Phillip Bourges, I do not appreciate having a son who constantly checks on his mother as though she is a child!” Katherine Kent announced sternly through Liam’s answering machine. “Call me back the instant you receive this message, and not a minute later! Goodbye.”

Liam stared at his house phone, deciding on whether or not he should return the call, to be scolded and made feel guilty by his mother or call his obviously non reliable brother that he made swear on their grandmothers’ grave that he would not tell their mother of what he had assigned him to do.

Pulling out his pocket watch and glancing at the time he decided to take the latter.

.

.

.

20 minutes, three splinters, and one scuffed Tom Brown suede shoe later, Liam found himself in his younger brothers bedroom. Breaking and entering wasn’t exactly a brilliant idea, but he knew that it was the only way to speak to his coward of a brother, who refused to answer all eight phone calls he had made while driving to his place. While Liam straightened out his clothes, he took a moment to assess his surroundings.

Well made bed, cologne and brush placed neatly on his armoire, laundered clothes folded neatly and placed on top of an armchair, shoes lined up on a floor shoe rack.

“Looks like the little shit has a new bird in his life”, Liam muttered to himself while walking slowly to the left bottom corner of the bed and lifting the mattress. Looking between the mattresses, Liam’s suspicions were confirmed.

No porn magazines.

Placing the mattress in its proper position, Liam grabbed all of the neatly folded clothes off the chair, placed them in one of the drawers, picked up the book that was on the bedside table and took a seat on the armchair that was inappropriately placed behind the bedroom door. Before making himself comfortable, Liam reached behind the armchair finding a wooden bat and placed it across his lap. He would have laughed at the fact that he and his brother kept the ‘thief be gone’ instrument in the same place if he wasn’t so gutted about the situation with their mother. Composing himself, Liam looked down at the book in his hand.

“Catcher in the Rye? Great, a future serial killer.” Liam sighed, opening to the page that was dog eared and oddly enough, highlighted.

 . . . . I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. 

After reading that small passage, Liam’s anger seemed to slowly bleed out of him. His brother is and has always been a timid, intelligent boy that felt the need to bury all his emotions deep inside and searched for understanding in books. Never really wanting to stand out but wasn’t slow or a coward (except when it came to the family) Luscious Byron Bourges was the youngest man to ever become Detective Sergeant of London’s Metropolitans Police department.  Liam admired his idealism and wide eyed aspirations, more so after his parents had savagely broken and dragged the family about, but Liam knew there was a deep sadness in him. Whether it was caused by their parent’s separation or their fathers’ lack of affection, Liam didn’t know nor did he care, all he wanted to do was take care of the annoying little sibling with the lopsided grin and hopeful sturdy regard towards the good in mankind. But none of those thoughts of his bad feelings were going to stop the hurt he was planning to cause his sibling.

Out of love of course.

One chapter later, Liam heard the locks being opened downstairs. Taking his pocket watch out and glancing at the time, Liam situated himself on the chair and continued reading.

After some shuffling around Luscious strode into his bedroom and began removing his uniform

“Good evening, darling”, Liam announced on a loud sigh.

Reaching for his holster and whipping around, Luscious pointed his gun at his comfortably seated brother.

“BLOODY HELL LIAM!” a shocked Luscious exclaimed, finger poised on the trigger of his gun. Without looking at Luscious, Liam grabbed the bat on his lap, stood up and placed the book back on the bed side table. Watching his brother, Luscious re-holstered his gun, scrubbed his hands down his face, and then laced his fingers behind his neck, elbows pointing at his reseated older brother.

“Shit! I knew I should have gone to the pub with the boys, and then nipped off to Angela’s” Luscious thought, while taking Liam in. He was dressed in his black tweed pants and vest, navy blue button up shirt, and the most frightening, his black trench coat, which indicated that he was so upset that he didn’t even changed out of his work clothes. Leaning back into the chair, palm resting at the butt of the bat, he resembled a mobster ready to attack.

“Jesus Liam, I’m really brassed off with your scaring tactics, I could have shot you or-“

“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t beat the living shit out of you. You have made a real dogs dinner out of the situation with mum that I am absolutely godsmacked” Liam interrupted, pointing the bat at Luscious.

“Well first of all, you’d be assaulting an officer if you went with that decision, and second, I wish that I had picked my mobile but after letting the first rings go, it seemed easier to let the others go too. Look, my days been in complete shambles, and I was just fed up with dealing with her! I’m….I’m sorry but I can’t anymore, let’s just go with what we all have decided on in the first place, Li. Yeah?”

Liam stared at his brother and decided to keep his comments to himself. He had serious thinking to do but wasn’t in the correct mood to start being rational. Standing up, Liam tossed the bat onto the bed and took his phone out. Flipping it open, he saw that he had four missed calls. The first, his receptionist, the next two from his younger sister Lyra and the last and most recent one from Anna, his recently ‘missing’ wife. Feeling his anger roll around again after seeing his wife’s name, Liam decided to put everything on hold and just head home and sleep.

Tucking his mobile into his pocket and straightening his coat, Liam turned on his heel and strode out the bedroom and to the door.

“Cheers, Luscious” Liam tossed over his shoulder before walking out.

“Liam, wait! Talk to me!” Luscious shouted, but Liam had already stepped out.

“I’ll throw today away and let forgiveness wash over me” Liam repeated to himself, as he got into his car and drove home