Robyn

~Chapter 18~

The moment I enter the apartment, I'm thankful to finally be home. My clothes are drenched from the sudden downpour that occured while I was dawdling in the park. I was so engaged in my own mind, that I completely lost track of time and the impending thunder storm. Once I close the door behind me, I'm swallowed into a darkness. The only light filling the room is the weak yellow street lights. My palm runs over the wall beside me until I feel the bump of the light switch. My thumb flips it up, and I wait expectantly for light to fill the room, yet it soon becomes evident that that is not going to happen.

With a groan, I call out into the darkness. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

There's a brief silence before I hear the sound of shuffling feet. A door shuts and a small stream of blue lights travels toward me. As it nears, I can make out Nacy's face and silhouette.

"Did we miss the electricity bill this month?" I ask.

She responds with a small nod. "Yeah Jun and Brielle went to get candles." The electricity bill must have been higher than expected this month I comment to myself. Looking at Nacy, I notice the loss of the usual twinkle in her eyes and the serious expression she is wearing.

"What's wrong?"

Nacy bites her bottom lip, before pulling out the object I just now realize was behind her back. The camera dangles from the lanyard around her finger. "Why didn't you tell me you got the information already?"

My mouth opens then closes, my tongue feeling heavy. There isn't any reasonable explanation. My feelings got in the way of my job, and I'm too fearful of that to say it out loud.

"Did you already see it?"

I shake my head, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. "I haven't even looked at it to be honest."

She takes steps toward, before she extends her hand, giving me the camera. My fingers shake slightly, as I feel the nerves course through my body. I press the forward arrow, carefully skimming each document picture. "Are you sure you didn't? You sure you weren't just trying to protect Ryland?"

My brow furrows, and I look back up to Nacy questioningly. "Are we looking at the same documents?"

Nacy eyes widen. "Do you not see all the missing money that has just managed to disappear from the police budget?"

"But it doesn't say where it's going."

"I'm going to assume if Travis John knows about it, he's the one doing it," she states rolling her eyes.

"You can't assume Nacy! At the end of the day while we're helping people get justice, we're locking someone else up. If we get the wrong person, we're ruining his life for no reason, all because we want to assume!"

Nacy lets out a heavy sigh, her face red with contained fury. "This boy must be really have gotten to you. You can't even think straight any more. You and I both know his dad is guilty and just because you're friends with his son does not make him off limits. If he does something wrong he does something wrong." Rarely do I ever see Nacy this worked up, and it startles me, but I refuse to back down.

"I'd be willing to if I thought he did it, but it's not adding up-"

She cuts me off, her brown eyes unwavering. "Look, you can believe what you want to believe, but the other girls and I are going to do this, whether you want to be involved or not."

Her statement hits me hard. Why is she being so difficult? We always make sure to have zero doubt that someone is corrupt, we never assume who is funneling money, so why is she doing this now. Why is she painting me as unreasonable? "Are you really going to base all this off of assumptions?!"