The Price of History

“How long are you going to stay here, Tim?” asked Phil to a young man standing behind the counter, transfixed at the sight of a diamond earring, he held up close. Its vintage design evokes a sense of history as though it has been passed down through several generations before it somehow ended up in this shop.

“Timothy?” Phil repeated.

Startled by the sound of his name, the young man looked up and let out a short breath. “Hmm…well, I like the weather here. I feel like staying here for good.”, Tim replied warmly.

Phil’s countenance brightened, followed by sigh of relief. “How convenient. I might need you more than you think, kid.” Phil said, eyeing the young man thoughtfully.

“I’ll be here whenever you need me, Phil.”

Tim returned to scrutinizing the diamond earring. “Hey, Phil, do you want me to put this on this display?” He looked inquiringly at Phil, holding up the diamond earring.

Phil squinted, studying the object in Tim’s hands before finally saying, “Ah, just leave it where you found it. That’s from my personal collection—not for sale.”

“Where’d you get this?” Tim asked, still examining the diamond earring.

“I didn’t ‘get’ it. It was given to me,” Phil replied confidently.

Tim frowned, puzzled. “Why would someone give you an earring? Did they mean to give it to your daughter... or was it from a lover?”

Phil let out an awkward laugh before responding, “It was just given to me by a friend—for safekeeping.”

“But if it was given to you—” Tim started but was abruptly cut off by a woman bursting through the door.

“Hey, Phil, do you have it wrapped already?” she called out, her gaze landing on Tim with a look of surprise.

The men turned their heads in unison toward the woman as she made her way toward them.

“Yes, it’s in my office. Are you picking it up now, Beth?” Phil replied, starting to head toward his office.

“Oh, no, maybe later. I have somewhere to be right now. By the way, Phil, is this your kid?” Beth asked jokingly, glancing at Tim as she approached.

“I wish he was,” Phil chuckled.

“Hi there, I’m Bethany,” Beth said, extending her hand toward Tim.

“I’m Timothy. Nice to meet you,” Tim replied with a slight grin as they shook hands.

“Nice to meet you, Timmy,” Beth said teasingly before turning to Phil, who was readying the item. Beth leaned in to admire it. “I’ll swing by later. Thank you so much, Phil.” And with that, she disappeared, the two men were left alone again.

Phil shot Tim a knowing look. “Ah, to be young again.”

“Don’t start. I’m not interested,” Tim replied, shaking his head in exasperation.

Tim waited for Beth to pick up the item before closing the antique shop. Phil had to leave early to run some errands. Before leaving, he instructed Tim to deliver the item to Beth’s apartment if she wasn’t able to pick it up by the end of the day.

As Tim made his way up to Beth’s apartment, he heard angry voices growing louder as he approached the door. He stopped at the doorway, hesitated for a moment, and decided to leave. A lover’s quarrel? But it does sound serious... he thought as he made his way out of the building.

“Seriously, Ed. I don’t need you drunk all the time. Please do me favor and fix yourself! Damn it,” Beth lashed out furiously, slammed the door, and stormed off. She spotted Tim in the distance and quickly hurried to catch up. “Timmy!” she called out.

Startled, Tim stopped and turned, waiting for her to reach him. “Must you call me that?” he asked, feigning annoyance.

“What? Timmy?” Beth teased, a mischievous smile on her face. She then noticed the item in his hand. “Did you…?”

Tim stayed silent.

She sighed and continued, “I’m sorry you had to hear that. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Okay,” Tim said with a shrug, casually handing her the item.

“Thanks. And I’m sorry I forgot,” she said, hesitating for a moment before adding, “Do you want to grab a drink? Coffee?”

They chatted for hours. Beth seemed relieved to have someone she could rant to. Tim didn’t mind at all; he sat there like a sponge, reacting only when necessary. He did so to keep the person he was with engaged and comfortable without appearing distant. To a keen observer, it was clear he was very calculated in everything he did.

It didn’t take long for Tim to notice the faint scar on Beth’s arm. She caught his gaze and quickly explained that it was an accident. Ed hadn’t meant to hurt her; he’d lost his temper and started breaking things, and that’s how she ended up with the scar.

“How long have you been together?” Tim asked.

Beth paused for a moment before responding, “It’s been four years, I think. I mean, he wasn’t always like this. It’s only recently that his drinking got intense and his temper got worse.”

“Well, if you need saving, I’ll give you my number,” Tim offered.

Beth, taken aback by his remark, squirmed slightly. “No, as I said, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You don’t need to play the hero,” she replied, her tone laced with condescension.

“I won’t play the hero. But if you want me to, I will,” Tim shot back, his voice calm yet firm.

“Look, I appreciate your concern, but this is between me and Ed. It’s none of your business. Got it?”

“Got it,” Tim replied casually.

Left alone at the antique shop, Tim decided to do some cleaning. He wiped surfaces, swept the floor, and, as he approached Phil’s office, he peered inside. Papers were sprawled across the desk, and the entire room was a mess. He was then interrupted by the sound of someone entering the shop. It was Phil carrying a package.

“What’ve you got there, Phil?” Tim asked, pointing at the package in Phil’s hands.

Phil began unpacking the item and gestured for Tim to come closer. “Just you wait and see, kid,” he said enthusiastically. Then, with a grin, he added, “You’re about to witness 18th-century elegance—”

“A Victorian parasol,” Tim finished in utter amazement. He turned to Phil, let out a short laugh, and said, “You’ve got such bizarre taste, Phil,” patting him on the back. “By the way, where’d you get that?”

“Hm… a master doesn’t reveal his secrets,” Phil shot back with a sly grin.

“Huh! I suppose that explains why I’m always here alone, then…” Tim replied in mock surrender.

The banter between the two men was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the shop door opening. It was Ed and Beth.

“Hey, y’all,” Beth greeted with a cheerful tone. She hurried over to Phil, her eyes instantly locking onto the parasol. “Whoa, what is it this time, Phil?” Leaning in to get a closer look, she gasped and turned to him. “Where’d you get this?”

“Nah, it’s a secret,” Phil replied teasingly.

“C’mon! Is it for sale?”

“Nope.”

“Then where’d you get it?”

“That looks pretty nice. How much for it, Phil?” Ed interjected, clearly intrigued by the parasol.

Phil chuckled lightly. “I just told you guys—it’s not for sale,” he said, slowly making his way toward his office. Beth, undeterred, followed closely behind, continuing her persistent interrogation about where Phil had acquired the item.

“Just tell me, Phil. It’ll be our little secret,” Beth pleaded, giving Phil a knowing wink.

Tim trailed after the two, his curiosity now fully piqued. As he approached Phil’s office, he leaned slightly, trying to eavesdrop. He caught snippets of Phil mentioning something about auction items but couldn’t piece it all together.
As Tim mulled over the information, Ed’s voice suddenly broke his concentration.

“Hey, you work here? I haven’t seen you before,” Ed asked, eyeing Tim curiously.

“Yeah, I just moved in last week,” Tim replied. They chatted for a bit, and the conversation shifted to Tim’s previous hometown and his earlier place of residence.

“Oh, that’s quite far. What’d you do there, man?” Ed asked.

“I, uh… was helping out my sister. She had some business and needed an extra hand,” Tim explained, hesitating slightly.

“Well, that’s interesting because I could use an extra hand too,” Ed said matter-of-factly. “I’m looking for something to give my mom for her birthday, and I want to pick something that matches her age.”

There was an awkward silence before both of them burst into laughter. Tim quickly got to work, showing Ed around and suggesting a few items. Eventually, Tim managed to find one that caught Ed’s interest.

Moments later, Beth and Phil emerged from the office. Beth, wearing a look of triumph, walked straight toward Ed. “Oh, you’ve found something already? That was quick,” she said to Ed.

“Not me—this guy here,” Ed replied, motioning toward Tim.

“Oh, Timmy!” she exclaimed.

Tim frowned. “She still can’t get my name right,” he muttered in surrender.

Phil joined the conversation, inspecting the item Ed had chosen as a gift for his mother. He nodded approvingly. “Good choice,” Phil said with a smile.

Then, Phil’s eyes caught Ed’s watch. Intrigued, he leaned in for a closer look. “That’s quite a piece. Is it vintage?” he asked.
Ed nodded. “Yeah, it was my great-grandfather’s.”

Phil’s face lit up as he eyed the watch, a slight grin forming. “Well, if you’re thinking of selling that, I’d be willing to buy it.”
Ed chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not for sale,” he replied, mimicking Phil’s earlier tone from their conversation about the parasol.

With that, the couple left the shop. Phil then instructed Tim to take care of the parasol and store it safely, as he had an errand to run. Phil walked out of the shop, leaving Tim alone once again.

As Beth and Ed walked along after attending a birthday celebration, it was clear Beth was not enjoying her current situation. Ed was drunk again and on the verge of passing out. Just ahead, she noticed a familiar figure—it was Tim. He appeared to hesitate and tried to turn away, but she caught his gaze. With a resigned sigh, Tim began walking in their direction.

With Ed unable to walk and Beth clearly struggling to support him, Tim offered to carry Ed on his back. Together, they began the journey to Beth’s apartment. Just then, Beth received a call and explained that her sister needed her. Tim was fine with it; she handed him the keys and promised to return as soon as she could.

Hey, man, can you stand up?” Tim asked, nudging Ed slightly. There was no response—Ed had passed out. “Sh*t,” Tim muttered under his breath.

Tim was alone at the shop once again, a cold cup of coffee in his hand, looking a bit haggard. He let out a big yawn and was about to take another sip when two police officers walked into the shop.

“Is your name Timothy?” one officer asked.

“Yes, what’s going on?” Tim replied, his confusion evident.

“Do you know someone named Ed and his girlfriend, Beth?” the officer continued.

Tim nodded cautiously.

“Where were you last night?”

“Wait, can you just tell me what this is about? What happened?” Tim protested, growing uneasy.

“Ed was found dead in his girlfriend’s apartment,” the officer explained. “We received a report from Beth this morning. She said you were the last person with Ed before she left him in your care.”

“What?” Tim asked, utterly shocked.

“You need to come with us to answer some questions,” the officer said, gesturing for Tim to follow.

Beth was in the antique shop, pacing back and forth, sitting down only to stand up again, when Tim finally returned from his questioning.

She immediately approached Tim and demanded, “Tim, what did you do?”

“Oh, you finally got my name right,” Tim scoffed.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Beth screamed. “Did you do it?”

“Really, now? I did exactly what you told me to do. Ed was too drunk that night; he passed out, and I had to carry him all the way up to your apartment,” Tim responded quite irritated.

“Huh! And what about what you said at the coffee shop? Can you explain that? You made some pretty daring statements there!” Beth was now on the verge of tears.

“What exactly did I say?” Tim asked, searching Beth’s eyes. He continued, “I said I wouldn’t do it unless you wanted me to, and I don’t remember you giving me the signal.”

Beth burst into tears.

“Look, Beth. I’m sorry about what happened, but I have nothing to do with it. The police just questioned me, okay? So, you should go home to your family and get some rest. I’ll take you there,” Tim assured her, trying to reach out.

Beth slapped his hands away, glared at him, and stormed out.

Tim tried to call Phil, but there was no answer. Setting his phone down, he looked around the shop, taking in every detail of the items on display. He memorized it all, finding a strange comfort in the stories each piece seemed to hold. “Too bad we have to part ways. I guess our time together is short-lived,” he muttered to himself.

His gaze rested on a watch he hadn’t noticed before. Curious, he walked over and picked it up. The craftsmanship was exquisite, but it seemed out of place. Intrigued, he went into Phil’s office to look for the inventory records.

As he rummaged through the clutter on Phil’s desk, he came across what he believed to be the inventory. He opened the book and was surprised by the photographs printed inside. They were in black and white, looking as if they’d been clipped from a newspaper. Tim scanned through the pictures, and strangely enough, they all seemed familiar. They were all part of Phil’s personal collection.

Tim flipped through the images and paused at one featuring the parasol. The photo looked as if it had been clipped from a separate source. Suspicious, he began searching for the origin of the clippings. He glanced around, searching for papers that had similar clippings removed. He sifted through the piles of paper on the desk. None. He checked the drawers. Nothing.

His eyes fell on something beneath the desk—a cardboard box filled with papers. He picked it up and began sorting through the pile. They were newspapers, many of which had clippings removed. He turned to one page with a missing clipping, he froze. The headline read, Woman Murdered in Her Own Residence, Suspect Still at Large.

His heart began to race. He reached deeper into the box and pulled out another paper with a similar missing section. This one read: 8-Year-Old Child Killed. He kept going, finding one paper after another with ominous headlines and clipped-out sections.

He turned and looked at the watch again, a slow dread creeping over him. He was certain—he’d seen it before. The pieces were starting to come together, and the significance of what he was uncovering was beginning to dawn on him.

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