Duskwood Mysteries

Part 60

Lilly: Ok you know who I miss?

Me: Dan. Did you speak to him?

Lilly: I am meeting him tonight. Do you think Jessy was right? That all this could have been avoided if Hannah had just spoken up?

Me: What's the point in dragging things that cannot be changed?

Lilly: Come on Jade. What do you think?

Me: Hannah should have told someone. Whether or not it would have led to the same incidents, that is something I really don't know.

Lilly: Hmmm I think so too.

Me: Really?

Lilly: I just didn't want to say it.

Me: Hows Hannah dealing with everything?

Lilly: She does go to Dr. Barett. Thomas is still salty.

Me: You have to make peace with Jessy you know?

Lilly: Yes I already did. She is very forgiving. I feel bad for saying that.

Me: Okay that's good.

Lilly: If Jake contacts me what should I tell him about you?

Me: How about we cross that bridge when it actually happens?

Lilly: Fine. But honestly I had a question.

Me: Ask

Lilly: Does Richy cook breakfast shirtless?

Me: Where do you get such false information from? And why does it matter?

Lilly: Just curious

Me: Bye Lilly

I groaned. "So who is bothering you now?" I see Jake's upside down face hovering over me as he standing over the couch I am sprawled on. "Your sister. Who else? She wants to know if Richy cooks breakfast shirtless?" I said rolling my eyes. "Why does she want to know that?" he asked curiously. "Beats me. Do you?" "Do I what? Cook shirtless?" He narrowed his eyes and smirked, "I can do better things shirtless, why waste that on cooking?" "I know, I was there," I said winking at him. He chuckled, "How about a repeat then?" "You are game mister," I said.

A few days of bliss passed, and it was time for Jake to leave again. This time to Paris. "I wish you could join me," he said. "Unfortunately, your sister has us busy. She has a big announcement that she has to do in person," I said. "I am dreading the drive," Richy muttered. Richy had been so involved in his work that anything pulling him away from it just bugged him, especially when it involved meeting friends. Luckily, they had resolved their differences. Thomas and Hannah were planning to start afresh, in a new place. Aurora was thriving. Jessy had planned to join Aurora. And Roger's would open again in the fall after Reggie graduated. Turns out Lilly's big announcement was her engagement to Dan. That really changed a lot for the group. I think happy moments bring people closer. Jake was in Paris and after an unfruitful week or so, he got the information that his mentor was actually in Geneva. Which meant he couldn't make it to the wedding. And then Richy had planned for the road trip. We had been cooped up inside the house for a long time, other than visiting Duskwood or going to work, which didn't count as trips. And I agreed. Seemed like fun. Though my birthday had started on a sour note. Actually, I didn't know how to handle the situation. Should I be happy that Luke was dead? Or should I be sad because beneath all that he was still a person and he had to serve his sentence? But one thing was for sure, it was sad for the other women whose whereabouts were unknown. The bracelet investigation just told us that the jeweler had made 16 bracelets, the last one was for me. It was made around the time I had come to Duskwood. The other engravings as per the list the jeweler had given coincided with the missing women. Now the only living link to that was Cleo and Alan. Alan denied knowing about these women as Luke was out of town, but Cleo just didn't want to say anything at all. Well, her mother did but I wasn't ready to focus on that yet.