Murder Mystery | Herophine story

Chapter Nine

Inanna

Sunday, September 30th 5:30pm

Ashton unlocks the door to her condo downtown. It's a one bedroom, because she and Charlie can't afford anything bigger. Especially with a year's worth of law debt that'll be hard to repay now that Ashton's graphic design business hasn't taken off and Charlie's decided to make nature documentaries instead of being a lawyer. 

But that's not what we are here to talk about. 

Ashton brews coffee, "Where's Charlie?" I ask as she fills mine with cream and sugar, pale and sweet the way I like it.

"Rock climbing," Ashton says, pressing her lips into a thin line as she hands me the mug. Charlie has lots of hobbies Ashton doesn't share, and they're all expensive. "I'll call him about finding you a lawyer. Maybe one of his old professors knows someone." 

Ashton insisted on taking me to get something to eat after we left the station, and I told her everything at the restaurant, well almost everything. The truth about Dylan's rumour, anyway. She tried calling Mom on the way here, but got voice mail and left a cryptic message. 

Which Mom has ignored. Or not seen. Maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt. 

We take the coffee to Ashton's balcony and settle into bright-red chairs on either side of a tiny table. Ashton pulls out her phone and leaves a message for Charlie, then tries our mother again. "Still voice mail," she sighs, drinking the last of her coffee.

Ashton rests her elbows on the table and clasps her hands together under her chin. "Inanna, you've got to tell Matt what happened."

"Dylan's update isn't live," I say weakly, but Ashton shakes her head.

"It'll get out. Maybe gossip, maybe the police talking to him to put pressure on you. But it's something you need to deal with in your relationship no matter what." She hesitates, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Inanna, is there some part of you that's been wanting Matt to find out?"

Resentment surges through me. Ashton can't stop her hate on Matt even in the middle of a crisis. "Why would I ever want that?"

"He calls the shots on everything, doesn't he? Maybe you got tired of that. I would."

"Right, because you're the relationship expert," I snap. "I haven't seen you are Charlie together in a month."

She purses her lips. "You need to tell Matt, and soon. You don't want him to hear this from anyone else."

All the fight goes out of me, because I know she's right. Waiting will only make things worse. And since Mom's not calling us back, I might as well rip of the Band-Aid. "Will you take me to his house?"

I have a bunch of texts from Matt anyway, asking how it went at the station. I should probably be focusing on the whole criminal part, my mind's consumed with Matt. I take out my phone, and text, Can I tell you in person?

Matt responds right away.

Of course.

I rinse out the mugs while Ashton gets her keys and purse. We step into the hallway and Ashton shuts the door behind us. I shouldn't have had that coffee, my nerves are buzzing. 

We're more than halfway to Matt's when Charlie calls. I try to tune out Ashton's tense conversation, but it's impossible in such close quarters. "I'm not asking for me," she says at one point. "Can you be the bigger person for once?"

I scrunch in my seat and take out my phone. Jess has sent me a dozen texts about Halloween costumes, and Olivia wants to know if she should get back together with Robert. Again. Ashton finally hangs up, "Charlie's going to make a few calls about a lawyer."