The Things We Couldn't Forget

Chapter 35.

"Miss." Dallas says my name in a whisper, like a wounded animal.

"Don't." I shake my head at him. "I'm doing the best I can. What else would you have me do? Go out there and find him myself?"

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous."

"Then hush." I stare at him. "You're not helping the situation right now either."

My phone starts ringing from the other room before anyone else can say anything.

Everyone but Dallas rushes into the living room as I snatch my phone off of the table.

I pray to see Aries's name light up across the screen but it isn't him.

"Hi." I say into the phone and I hear a rustling of papers on the other end.

"Ms. Jacobs, good, I was able to catch you." Mr. Polis says back to me. "I need you to come down to the courthouse and pick up some paperwork and sign a couple more things and you're all set."

I rub my temple. "All set?" I ask, confused.

"The money," he says as if it's obvious. "Mrs. Statham was supposed to be handling this but as you know she's going through a lot right now in her personal life and isn't able to come by, so I'm gonna need you."

I run a free hand through my hair. "I can't really." I tell him. "As you know," I repeat him. "I've got a lot going on in my personal life right now as well."

"As I'm sure you do." He replies cooly. "The matter still stands I need your signatures and to pass along the paperwork to you. With the storm the courthouse is going to be closed for the next few days so if you could go ahead and come on by so we can have this handled, that would be ideal."

He's still as cold and straight to the point as he'd been when I'd gone with Mrs. Statham to the courthouse to meet with him when I'd first gotten here.

I take a deep breath and sigh it out slowly, letting my annoyed breath blow right into the receiver.

"I'll see what I can do." I say, then end the call.

Mayfield slides the bulky headphones on his head off and looks at me. "We don't have time for this." He tells me and I roll my eyes.

"All we were going to do for the rest of the day was sit around waiting for something to happen anyway." I retort. "I need to get down there before the roads become impassable."

"You're not going anywhere." Dallas calls from the kitchen, but I choose to ignore him.

"Kelsea was right," I tell Mayfield. "As long as I'm sitting around trying to force something I'm not going to magically figure it out. My brain needs a break and I need to get out of this house for a little while before we get stuck here."

"It's not the worst idea." Davenport chimes in. "I can take her and grab some stuff from the station and the store."

"I'll go too." Kelsea says. "I want to see the outside world for a minute." She sighs, then slaps on a smile. "Not that I don't do enjoy all of your company." She says sarcastically and I laugh.

"Can we just get it over with?" I ask Mayfield and he thinks hard for a minute before finally relenting.

"Fine." He says. "Bring me back some tea." He tells Davenport and he gives a little salute.

"Let's go freeze our...whatever we all have off."

Half an hour later we leave Dallas and Detective Mayfield behind while we take the treacherous drive into town.

The road is slick and the snow falls so heavily you can hardly see even with the windshield wipers going at full blast.

Kelsea was right though, I needed out.