The Things We Couldn't Forget

Chapter 36.

"Kels, he hates Aries." I say. "He's not going to want to believe it wasn't him. He's so dead set on believing he's right. Fuck, maybe I am too. But Frank was his friend. He's not going to want to switch the blame from Aries to him. I don't know that he wouldn't tell if he knew what I'm going to do."

Kelsea looks down at me, tilting her head. "What are you going to do?" She asks warily but I can tell by the look on her face that she already knows.

"I have to go there." I say, trying not to picture it. "I've got to talk to Aries myself. I've got to give him a chance to explain his side. What if he really is getting railroaded? I have to warn him."

"But what if he's not?" She fires back too loudly, then lowers her voice again. "What if the person he's working with is Gillians and you go there and tell him you're onto their whole scheme and then he..."

Then he kills me.

Like he still might have killed those girls.

But it doesn't make sense anymore.

Not that it ever did.

But if Aries was working with Gillians, it would be too dangerous for him to be gunning for Aries so hard now. Aries would have information to take them both down.

Either scenario, Aries is in trouble.

Either Aries really is the killer, and they're gunning for him while I sit back knowing exactly where he is.

Or Aries is working with Gillians and now Gillians is going to want him silenced for good while the detectives try their best to cover up the truth.

Or...

Or Aries is entirely innocent and is about to be framed for murders he didn't commit.

"I don't have a choice here." I tell Kelsea, tying not to see the worry etched into her face. "I've got to find out the truth before something bad happens."

"And what if something bad happens to you?" She demands. "Have you even thought of that?"

"Of course." I sigh, looking away. "If it does, then the truth still comes out."

"You're insane." She tells me. "You can't just gamble your life like that, Missy."

"It's not that simple." I try to explain. I hear her and I get what she's saying but I have to disagree. "It's not just my life, Kels. It's Aries, and every person in this town if the wrong person goes to prison while the killer walks. I've got to talk to him."

She takes a few deep breaths, running her hand over her braids trying to calm herself. "I'm trying to see it like that, I am, but it's too much. You can't expect to solve this alone."

"Who am I supposed to trust then?" I point out and she opens her mouth but says nothing. "I really don't know what else to do. We can't just take it to the cops. I don't know if it'll get back to the wrong people. What if they try to turn it back on me if I start making a mess of things?"

"More of a mess than getting yourself killed?"

"I don't think that will happen." I whisper, reaching out to take her hand but she draws back. "Please, Kels, I'm gonna need your help."

"There is no way you're going to be able to sneak out of here, Missy. Even if you do, then what? It's a blizzard out there. You think you're just going to drive there?"

I can feel her frustration with me and I understand it, but I've got to do this. I can't think of another way. He won't trust me to talk over the phone even if I did call him from another number or something. His phone is off anyway. Too much time will pass if I just try to sit around and wait for him to turn it back on.