A Touch of Memory and Revenge

8. A visit to the orphanage

Lucas had texted him the time and place for the meeting that evening, but before then, he decided to visit the orphanage. It had been a long time since he came to see them, he had been so busy with cases and he knew that if he didn’t come to see them now , then it would be when the case was resolved which he didn’t know when.

Johan gently climbed the stairs leading to the front door and when he got in front of the large door, he pressed the bell and waited for the door to be answered.

It didn’t take long for someone to open the door. The happiness of seeing him was evident in their eyes.

“ my boy…”, sister Marge said, opening her arms and pulling him into a hug. Johan allowed her embrace him even though it was making him see some of her memories, especially the one he would always see, that had him in it the day Erik brought him to the orphanage.

He smiled as he closed his eyes, of course she wasn’t aware of his ability and so didn’t know what she was doing.

“ how have you been?, It’s been a long while…”, she told him, releasing him.

Johan smiled, “ Yeah, work has kept me busy”, he replied.

She rolled her eyes, “ c’mon in, and tell me all about it. I can’t wait to hear about your work”, she said pulling him into the house and closing the door.

Entering inside felt strange, he felt like that little kid that didn’t know who he was all over again. He followed her as they walked down they hallway.

 Johan looked around, “ where’s everyone?”, he asked.

“ oh!, They are having their gatherings”, she told him.

He nodded, he had attended plenty of those gathering when he was in the house. She opened her office and led him inside. “ take a sit Johan”, she instructed as she left the office to probably get him something to drink. He didn’t know why she always bothered to do that Every time he came around.

Instead of sitting down, he walked over to the gallery board hanging in the office and looked through the pictures. It brought a smile to his face when he saw himself in one of the pictures. He smiled as his eyes drown in all the faces in the pictures. They were all out of the orphanage, scattered all around the country.

Sister Marge came back inside the room with another person, carrying a tray. She placed the tray on the table and left the room.

“ hello Johan…, it’s so good to see you again”, Timothy greeted, walking towards him.

Johan smiled. If there was any other person apart from Erik that he owes a lot’ to, it was Timothy. 

The guy has been working in the orphanage for years. He had been the one who opened the door for them that very night. The night when he lost all his Memories and couldn’t remember where he was from or anything.

“ Hey Timothy…”, he answered, hugging the guy. This time, he was not bombarded with a lot’ of unpleasant Memories. He closed his eyes and absorbed it all. Memories from when he was still three years old, to Timothy reading to him and playing with him. Timothy broke the hug first.

“ I heard from Erik that you’re working for the police now”, he said.

Johan rolled his eyes. He knew the only reason why Erik would reveal that piece of information to Timothy was so that Timothy would talk to him about leaving the force because he didn’t just start working for the police. he has been doing some secret work for them for years.

“ yes Timothy and no, I won’t stop” he replied walking over to take the cup of tea that  sister Marge had served.

“ I promised that I would talk to you. He said you were coming here today”, Timothy told him.

Johan frowned, “ wait!, Erik knows I’m here?, How?”, he asked, shocked.

How the hell did Erik find out that he was going to visit the orphanage that day because he did not say a word about his visit.

Timothy shrugged, “ dunno…your brother is smart. That’s why he’s the best closer attorney in the city…”, he smiled.

Johan arched an eyebrow. After Erik found him that fateful day, he had brought him immediately to the orphanage and asked Timothy to take care of him. Timothy who had been doing a part time voluntary work at the orphanage had taken him without questions.

He had always wanted to ask if the two of them were dating at that time, even though he knew his brother was not gay or bisexual. Sometimes when he mistakenly touches Timothy during his visits, he would see lingering Memories of Erik.

Johan sighed, Erik either has someone following him or, he gasped.

“ Don’t tell me he has a tracker on me”, he deduced, pulling out his phone and checking it. He was going to ask Lucas to check out his phone.

Timothy laughed and walked over to the large desk, sitting on the chair. He looked very small behind the desk. 

“ I can’t say… , you ask him yourself. So to what do I owe this visit..”, he asked, becoming serious.

“ I hate it when you enter your director mode…”, Johan whined.

Timothy was recently appointed as the director of the orphanage and so far, he was doing a good work, though it was due to the funds that Erik’s father was pouring in. 

“ Actually, I came to see you guys…” he answered.

“that’s all?”, Timothy asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

He nodded his head, “ Yeah, that’s all and maybe….drop this…”, he said, pulling out the envelope from his jacket and placing it on the table, in front of Timothy.

Timothy sighed, “ you don’t have to do this Johan.., I get more than enough from your father already”, he grumbled.

Yes, he knew that most of the funds that the orphanage gets was from his father’s company. But that was his father’s company and not him. This one was him. 

When the place had been on the verge of closing down and the children were already mobilized to be shipped off to another orphanage, Timothy had approached his father and asked for help.

“ It’s not much Timo, take it”, he pushed.

Timothy sighed, “ how do you survive if you keep giving your salaries to us?”, he asked.

That question was a dumb questions, really dumb, he thought.

“ Have you seen my brother?, That guy makes eight figures basically every month. If I want money, I know what to do…”, he smirked.

They talked for a while before it was time for him to leave. Johan had checked on the kids and some of the few he knew personally.

“ I might not visit for a while. Make sure you check me out anytime you come over to the house. You don’t just have one boyfriend, I’m your boyfriend too…”, he teased, running off before Timothy would smack his arm.

He saw Timothy shaking his head as he worked back inside the building. He walked over to where he had parked the car and pressed the button. The doors opened and he slid in, starting the car.

He got a text from Erik while he was driving on the highway, “ Jane, read the text..”, he instructed the AI that was installed in the car.

“ Okay Johan,” Jane said in a robotic voice.

“ crash my car and I’ll murder you. from my dearest”,  the AI voice sounded in the car.

Johan bursted out in laughter as he changed over the next lane, since he was taking the next turn.

Erik just found out that he had driven the Porsche. Someone from the house must have told him, he chuckled.

“ call my dearest”, he instructed the AI.

“ Calling my dearest…”, Jane repeated.

Jane was one of the innovations launched by his father’s company, Geo-storm Tech. The AI was customized to control functions in the car. He could let go of the steering wheel and ask Jane to drive the car. So long as there’s a destination imputed, it would take control of the car and drive it.

“ What do you want?” , his brother’s voice filled the car.

Johan smiled, “ I want to tell you to stop monitoring me, it’s creepy…” he muttered.

“ I’ve heard you, bye”, Erik hung up, not giving him the time to say anything else.

Johan rolled his eyes as he pulled into the police station. He drove his car over to his parking spot.

“ you’re kidding me!”, he spoke abruptly.

A black Mercedes Benz was parked in his space. The space was always reserved for him and to make sure that nobody parks there, a sign was put up to show that the space was for him. Special consultant.

He sighed, driving back so he could park somewhere else. A car was already behind him, blocking him from moving.

“ ahh!!...”, he yelled.

This was why he hated coming to the police station. 

“Someone had better have an explanation for this mess up”, he muttered as he stepped out of his car.