chapter 2

patrick and jj speak!

src/background/characters/all.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ formerly a chemist at Acme labs, a front company for the CIA. his research focus
 forensic accountant. He's the "serious" brother. very business like. he was the golden child and the only one John Sr. spoke of with friends, but after the mother died, even their relationship frayed and John Jr. would ultimately go as far away as he could for college (UCLA) and after a blowout fight one thanksgiving (which is also when he and Patrick stopped talking), never return home. More recently, he's going through a lot of personal problems at home that he's keeping to himself (his wife is leaving him and taking their daughter). His firm, the one he started, is also struggling and he's losing the Kleiner account (his largest and most lucrative client). his life is falling apart, though he hasn't acknowledged that yet, and he's trying to keep everything together - at least from the outside, so far there are few cracks to be seen. he is living on the other side of the country (e.g., LA). John's biggest hope is that he finds a solution to his family woes, namely by finding the money he assumes his father has been stocking away.
 
 **Patrick** - Middle
-more of an artist - currently working in marketing for a large agency, his primary client is a large multi-national food company (e.g., General Mills). He had big dreams when he moved to new york, but he's struggled with drugs and alcohol over the years, though he's been sober for the last few. he's been working on a screen play for years, but doesn't seem capable of finishing it. his story is a trail of half-finished projects. of all the siblings, Patrick has the most active imagination, willing to see intrigue behind every corner. patrick's biggest hope is to understand what happened to their dad, because he's convinced that there has to be a story.
+more of an artist - currently working in marketing for a large agency, his primary client is a large multi-national food company (e.g., General Mills). He had big dreams when he moved to New York, but he's struggled with drugs and alcohol over the years, though he's been sober for the last few. he's been working on a screen play for years, but doesn't seem capable of finishing it. his story is a trail of half-finished projects. of all the siblings, Patrick has the most active imagination, willing to see intrigue behind every corner. patrick's biggest hope is to understand what happened to their dad, because he's convinced that there has to be a story.
 
 **Amy** - youngest
 the glue for the family. even though john sr. never gave her the time of day, she was the one who always kept tabs on her brothers and an eye on their dad after mom passed away. even when she moved away for school, ultimately attending WashU St. Louis for Medical school and training in infectious disease. After training, she had the option to go anywhere, but wanted to come home to be near dad who she was getting more and more concerned about. though he didn't welcome her back with open arms, she was near enough to keep tabs on him. meanwhile, she reconnected with her high school boyfriend, Beau, who'd also moved back after school to take over his family's construction business (he doesn't talk much about the business, it's likely not legitimate, and he's refused her offers to introduce him to John Jr. for accounting help.) after her father's disappearance, she was the one who called her brothers when the police declined to investigate suggesting that no crime had been committed. her biggest hope is that her brothers will reconcile (the disintegration of the family post-mom meant the brothers haven't talked directly in years) so that they can be a family again.

src/chapters/chapter1.md

@@ -12,4 +12,28 @@ She'd refused to let herself relax since she first called the police to report t
 
 # Chapter 2
 
-John released Amy from his grasp and they went inside the house. The shades are drawn and there's a definite musk in the air. Even the layer of dust blanketing every horizontal surface were no surprise - dad had always been useless around the house. When mom was alive, she'd made sure the house ran on time, and after she'd passed, the responsibility passed to the kids. Dad just worked all the time. Most of the time he was down at the lab, not getting home until well after dinner, but even on the nights when he got home early he wasn't around. Instead, he'd go straight to his office where he'd close the door, light a cigar, and bury himself in more work.
+It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light - or lack there of. No one had bothered to turn any lights on in the living room, so the only light was the little that managed to sneak past the tightly drawn curtains. His hand instinctively reached for the switch on the wall, but no lights came on.
+
+"Burnt out."
+
+"Huh, strange. I know dad's always been mostly useless around the house, but to let all of the lights burn out and not change them feels... well, it feels unusual. The dust on the other hand - that's no surprise." Every horizontal surface was caked with dust. That's how it'd been ever since mom had passed - or would have been had it not been for Patrick, Amy, and him. Patrick had moved to New York years ago, and he hadn't stepped foot in the house for even longer, so taking care of dad had fallen on Amy - not that she didn't have plenty on her plate as it is.
+
+"Yeah, he's been even more _himself_ of late. Working all the time. It's been all I can do to get him to come over for Sunday dinner with me and Beau." Dad had always been a workaholic. Growing up he'd stay at the lab until well after the family had sat down for dinner. When he did finally get home, he'd head straight to his study, where he'd pour himself a whisky and light a cigar to bury himself in more work, but only after closing the big oak door.
+
+A light came on in the hallway, not all of them had burnt out apparently, and a few seconds and several footsteps later, Patrick stepped into view. Backlit from the hall light, his features were obscured, but, even after years of not seeing him or hearing his voice, there was no doubt who was standing in the doorway.
+
+"Amy said you'd come. I wasn't so sure."
+
+"Pat, please!"
+
+"No, no, it's alright." He said as reassuringly as he could to Amy before turning to face his little brother's outline, "I can't say I wasn't wondering the same about you."
+
+"Ha - I'm not the one who swore I'd never step foot in this house again!"
+
+"Guys! Now's not the time to get into a pissing match about something that happened over a decade ago! You can duke it out after we find dad. Until then, try to act like the grown men you are. For me. For dad."
+
+"Fine by me. Sorry Amy. Pat?" A grunt emanated from the outline in the doorway which he decided to interpret as assent. "What do we know so far?"
+
+## Chapter 3
+
+Amy led them into the kitchen which at least had working lights and less dust, and outlined what she'd been able to piece together. It wasn't much.

wordcountlog.md

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 | 2020-11-03T03:07:00.417Z | 3453       |
 | 2020-11-03T03:24:01.346Z | 3585       |
+| 2020-11-16T03:42:10.691Z | 4045       |