The Things We Couldn't Forget

Chapter 26.

"Hello?" I place the phone to my ear while I can feel Dallas and Kelsea glancing at me.

"Missouri Jacobs?" A man's voice booms into my ear.

"Speaking."

"This is Detective Mayfield down at Faulkner PD." He says and my heart starts racing. "We need you to come in as soon as possible. When can you be here?"

I glance nervously at the other two in the truck, Dallas mouthing what to me.

"Um, what's this about?" I try to hide the quiver in my voice, but I can tell by Dallas's worried expression I'm not doing a good job.

"I just need you to come in." He replies cooly. "I can send a squad car to your place if you-."

"No." I cut him off. "That won't be necessary." I quickly say. "I can come...I just, can you tell me why?"

"We can discuss everything when you get here." He tells me.

"Is this about Aries?"

"We can discuss everything when you get here, Ms. Jacobs." He repeats more slowly. "Just let the front desk know when you arrive and they'll bring you back."

"Ok." I chew the sore spot inside my cheek. "I'm on my way."

"What the hell was that?" Dallas demands as soon as I end the call and shakily place the phone into my lap.

"The police." My mouth is dry and bitter. "They need me to come in right now."

Kelsea slows the truck. "Why?"

"They wouldn't say."

"Don't freak out." She says, straightening in her seat. "I'm serious," she glances at me. "Don't freak out." She repeats. "We went over everything, ok?"

I nod slowly.

I'm trying not to freak out.

But, let's be honest, I'm freaking out.

All of my run ins with the police have been unpleasant. If I were to make a list right this second of things I don't want to have to do, sitting in a police interrogation room again would be sitting pretty far at the top.

"Just drop me off." I tell her, trying to borrow some of her confidence as I sit up straighter in my own seat. "But...but can you guys wait for me? Somewhere near by. I don't want either of you to be seen or anything, I just want to know you're close."

"We aren't going anywhere, Miss." Dallas promises. "You're gonna be fine."

I try to believe those words as we pull into downtown. I try to fill myself with good thoughts only, but the problem is, I don't have a lot of those to pull from.

Kelsea let's me out a little ways up the road from the police station and I do my best to not look back at either of them as I begin the walk away.

One look at their worried faces and the fake smiles I'm sure they wear to hide it, and I'll lose it.

"Missouri Jacobs for Detective Mayfield." I tell the man at the front desk and he nods, getting up from his desk to go into the back.

I go ahead and wait by the side door.

I know the drill at this point.

It buzzes and a tall black man in a suit opens the door, looking down at me through his dark tan glasses.

"This way." He says by way of greeting.

I follow him up the hall and into the back where there is another hall of doors. We stop at the first one with a big number 1 posted above it and he holds the door open for me to walk inside.