8
Elizabeth and Nikolas stood outside of Luke’s club, nervously going over what they were going to tell Luke. Would he even believe them? They barely believed themselves.
"Nikolas…I’m not sure about this. What if he doesn’t believe us?" Elizabeth twisted her hands nervously. She hated this. She really did. There used to be a time when she could go to Lucky about anything. But now…it was so different.
"He will. He’s seen how Lucky’s been acting lately," Nikolas rubbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "We’ll just tell him what we saw. He’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on."
Joining hands, they enter the seemingly empty club and made their way to Luke’s office, where the older Spencer was sipping on gin and puffing on a cuban cigar as he went over his inventory.
"Cowgirl! Nikolas! What brings you both to my neck of the woods?" Luke greeted, expecting to see Lucky walk in behind the new arrivals. He was both surprised and disappointed when Lucky never appeared. "And without Lucky."
"Luke…we have to talk," Nikolas stepped forward. "About Lucky."
Luke frowned. By the looks of Elizabeth and Nikolas’s faces, this was as serious. He sat back in the chair and took another drink of the burning liquid. "What about my son, Nikky. What’s going on?"
Nikolas rolled his eyes at the nickname. No one by Lulu called him Nikki. Lucky also called him Nikki at times…but only when he felt like being a pest.
"Luke…you know about the recent murders on the dock. Right?" Elizabeth took a deep breath, repeating to herself that they weren’t betraying Lucky. They were only helping him and telling Luke about their suspicions were the only way to do so.
"Sure."
"And the missing items that belonged to the victims. A jacket and a ring," Nikolas nervously paced the floor. He knew that Luke didn’t trust him one bit. He just hoped that he would over look that fact for right now.
"What does this have to do with Lucky?" Luke asked, confused. He didn’t think he liked the sound of this. Not one bit.
"Well…the other day…Lucky gave me this," Nikolas laid the jacket on Luke’s desk. "It’s too small and there’s a blotch on the same arm that Matthew Brewster had on his."
Luke looked at the jacket closely. It was a nice jacket. In fact, he was surprised that Lucky could even afford something like it. "Coincidence"
"Well then how about this?" Elizabeth asked, setting the black box containing the ring on his desk. "Read the inscription."
Luke glanced as Elizabeth skeptically and paled when he read the inscription. Things were indeed looking bad for Lucky.
"Luke…both Nikolas and I think it’s Helena’s programming. Even Lucky….even Lucky suspects that something’s up. He just doesn’t want to burden you down with his problems. He still feels horrible for almost shooting you."
The trio are startled by the slam of the office door. They look up to find Lucky looking at them suspiciously.
"What’s going on here? It looks like a secret meeting between my brother, my fiancée, and my father. Feel like clueing me in?" He asked, a hint of betrayal in his voice. He couldn’t believe that they had gone to his father. Especially after he had asked them not to. Besides, he’s been normal ever since that night. There hasn’t been an anymore-violent outburst that he couldn’t remember.
Elizabeth stood up straight. Nervously, she walked up and took Lucky’s hand in hers. Tears came to her eyes as she thought about how gentle those hands had been with her and she couldn’t understand how those same gentle hands were capable of something as violent as murder.
"We’re glad you’re here Cowboy," Luke got to his feet. "We have some questions for you."
"Questions? What about?"
"Lucky…where did you get the gifts for me and
Liz?" Nikolas asked.
"What? Why do you want to know that for?" Lucky asked, looking at Elizabeth. "Didn’t you like it?"
"Oh Lucky, I loved it! It’s beautiful," She sighed. This was going to be so hard and she knew it was going to hurt him. "But there was another murder on the docks the night before last. She was missing a pearl ring."
"And you think I did it, don’t you? My own blood and the love of my life actually think that I’m capable of murder!"
"It’s not like that Lucky. It’s just that…it’s weird. You give me a jacket with a blotch on the left sleeve and then to find out that Matthew Brewster’s jacket had the same imperfection on the same sleeve," Nikolas picked up the ring. "And then, somehow, your gift to Liz has an inscription meant for another murder victim. To Sara. We are so proud of you. Mom and Dad."
"They must have given me the wrong ring."
"Cowboy, there’s too many coincidences here. Just tell us what’s going on with you. We all love you here. We won’t judge you," Luke got to his feet, recognizing the look in Lucky’s eyes when he was getting ready to bolt.
"I didn’t harm anyone. I would never kill anyone and then give you guys their belongings! And further more, it’s no ones business where I got those gifts!"
"Lucky," Elizabeth whispered and gasped when he snatched his hand out of hers.
"Just leave me alone," Hurt and angry, betrayal in his voice. "All of you just leave me alone!" He ran out of the club, wanting to be as far away from them as possible.
"Well that went well. Now he hates us," Nikolas sighed dejectedly.
"No, he doesn’t hate us. He’s just hurt right now. Give him time," Luke sighed, used to Lucky’s angry outbursts.
Elizabeth stared in the direction Lucky had disappeared in. She closed her eyes, wishing that Helena had never messed with their lives.