Free Evolution by L.L. Bartlett

presents?”
    Mary seemed to squirm. “They were under the tree this morning, sir, untouched.”
    “Where are they now?”
    Panic filled her eyes. “It wasn’t me, sir.”
    “Where are they?” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
    Mary looked as though she might cry. “In the trash, sir.”
    Outside, the garbage truck rumbled away.
    “Who put them there?”
    Tears overflowed Mary’s eyes.
    #
    Richard stood in the butler’s pantry doorway for a full minute before Helen acknowledged his presence. Crouched before one of the mahogany cabinets, a clipboard in hand, she appeared to be taking inventory of the canned goods.
    “Oh, Dr. Alpert.” At last she straightened, her face impassive. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
    Richard played it cool. “I understand you spoke to my grandmother this morning.”
    “Yes, sir. She said to take down all the decorations.”
    “Did she say it had to be done today?”
    “She wanted them down before she returned.”
    “Which won’t be for another week.”
    Helen sniffed. “Sir, she left me in charge of the staff. I have the discretion to give them instructions.”
    “Yes, but this is also my home, and I wish you’d consulted me before you had Mary dismantle everything.”
    “As I told you, sir, I didn’t expect to see you today. You’re rarely here.” She turned her back on him.
    “There’s another more serious matter I’d like to discuss. My brother’s gifts are missing. Mary seems to think they’ve been thrown away.”
    “I don’t know what you mean, sir.” Her voice was level, but she didn’t face him.
    “Jeff’s gifts are gone. I understand you disposed of them.”
    She didn’t answer, but a blush colored her cheeks.
    Caught!
    “Where’s the TV?” Richard asked.
    “I beg your pardon.”
    “The color TV. Or did you toss that, too?”
    Again, no answer.
    “You wouldn’t mind if we checked the trunk of your car, would you?”
    Helen turned to face him, her eyes wide. “I don’t like your inference, sir.”
    “Oh, well, then perhaps you’d rather talk to the Amherst Police.”
    #
    The long walk from school in frigid temps left Jeff feeling chilled to the bone. Thank goodness the weather had waited a day to revert to Buffalo’s stormy wintry norm.
    The back door was unlocked, but Jeff wasn’t sure who he would find inside since there were no cars parked in the drive. He hung his coat on his usual peg in the butler’s pantry and he made sure no snow clung to his shoes. He’d been yelled at too many times for that infraction.
    The house was deadly quiet, and he crept along the hall, pausing at the threshold to the large and unwelcoming living room. Richard sat at the far end of the oversized couch, staring at the cold fireplace with a glass clutched in his hand and a bottle of Scotch on the cocktail table before him. A little TV sat by his side on the floor.
    The sight of the drink in his brother’s hand frightened Jeff. How often had he come home from school to find their mother drunk—passed out? And if she wasn’t, she was liable to blow up at him—take out her anger at him for transgressions he’d never made—problems he hadn’t caused.
    He cleared his throat. Richard looked up, startled, then stood up. “Thank God you’re home. Where have you been, kid?” His voice wasn’t angry. In fact, maybe he even sounded … worried?
    Then again, he had a lot of nerve asking that question. Still, Jeff decided to answer honestly. “School. I’ve been at school.”
    Richard frowned. “School? Doing what?”
    “Printing pictures for the yearbook. I’m their photographer. Remember I told you?”
    Richard’s expression darkened. “It’s Christmas vacation. How’d you get in?”
    “The janitor. He knows me. And I have a key to the photo lab.”
    Richard sank back into his seat, eyed Jeff, and took another slow sip of his Scotch. “The housekeeper says you didn’t sleep here last night. Where were you?” This time