Money Trail

Chapter 25: Stories

Chapter 25: Stories

“O-o-h! Nothing to say now, James?” Ilia sneered as Dallas turned from her to turn off the stove and wipe his hands on a small towel. “You were so chatty just a second ago. Where did all that disappear to?”

“Put on some clothes.” Dallas ordered her, walking out of the kitchen and around her.

“Uh-uh!” Ilia turned on her heel and walked after him as he started down the hallway. “We're not done talking. You wanted to do this, so come on. Ain't got the balls, James? Hey, that's my room!”

Dallas, ignoring her, strode into her bedroom without hesitation, disturbing Kaylin who called out in protest as the door banged against the wall once, when Dallas came in, then a second time as Ilia barged in after him.

“James Duke, you get out of-UMPH!” Dallas cut her off by slipping a shirt over her head that he had scooped off the floor, he was pretty sure it was the one she had worn yesterday.

“Stop manhandling me!” Ilia growled uselessly as Dallas calmly pulled her struggling limbs through her shirt like she was a particularly bratty child.

“There, don't you feel better now that you're dressed?” Dallas asked as if they were discussing the weather. He was trying to collect his thoughts. He hadn't expected Ilia to come across his original name, he wasn't prepared to deal with it.

“No!” she exclaimed stubbornly though she made no attempt to remove the garment. That weird desire to both push him away and pull him closer was back, confusing her and frightening her just a bit. Kaylin was glaring at the pair of them, angry they had disturbed his peace but making no effort to attack either which surprised Ilia a bit. Kayling wasn't a human person, Dallas's presence alone in her room should have been enough to upset the caladrius.

Dallas scrambled to collect his thoughts as Ilia crossed her arms over her chest, like she was trying to keep herself from falling apart. She looked like she hadn't been sleeping well lately. Her eyes were dark and baggy, she looked pale, and the effect of her glamor had faded to almost nothing. For the first time since he had met her, Dallas felt like he was looking at a normal, every day girl.

And she was still beautiful to him.

“How much do you know?” he finally asked, happily surprised at how calm his own voice sounded.

“Not as much as I want to.” she admitted, she was still angry but her voice lowered in response to his own. “I looked up Dallas Kirkland and all I could really find was everything Jack already showed me.”

“So how did you find my old name?” he pressed. He was certain that all records of James Duke were either destroyed or locked away.

“I actually had to get off my computer.” she smiled just a little bit. “I called that guy you mentioned, who arrested you. Sheriff Officer Howard Lancaster.”

Dallas cursed quietly as he shut his eyes, realizing far too late how stupid he was. Ilia was the personification of the phrase 'give them an inch, they take a mile'. “What did he tell you?”

“Well, former-Sheriff Lancaster is getting on in his years, he has some trouble remembering things sometimes. Like the fact that you can't talk to people just because they call you on the phone and claim to be Paradise Falls PD.” Ilia smirked happily.

“Ilia, that's illegal.” Dallas sighed as he opened his eyes again and watched her, surprised at how completely unsurprised he was.

“So arrest me.” she stuck her tongue out at him. “He didn't remember ever arresting anyone named Dallas Kirkland. However, he does remember arresting a 17 year old 12 years ago named James Duke.”