The Coffee Date

Chapter 9 - Meet Evidence

No. She shook her head. She couldn't read it. Not now. Not today. Not again. She had re-read that letter almost everyday until her mental autopilot had snapped off. Today, the day she was off to meet so many important people regarding her parents case, she couldn't be zoned out by the thoughts of her parents leaving their belongings to her. She couldn't have the heavy weight of her parents gone against her shoulders when she was supposed to stand tall and shake hands. Her hands almost ached as she pushed it away, as if pushing away the last letter her parents ever wrote. Like her parents were waving goodbye and she was closing the door on them.

Just as the aching in her arms and chest was becoming close to unbearable she felt her phone buzz against the couch, calling her to turn her attention away from the single sheet of paper.

She made her way towards her cell, lifting it up to her ear and attempting to clear her throat that she felt was getting clammy. The last thing she wanted or needed was for whoever was on the other end to tell she was on the verge of yet another mental breakdown.

"Hello?" For a moment there was silence, then a voice filled her ear that for some reason allowed a wave of calm to wash over her.

"Hazel? It's Nathan, how are you?" She couldn't tell if he was asking because he sensed something wrong in her voice or if he was wondering how she was managing after their painful late work night the day previous.

"I'm," She turned around, originally her eyes wanting to drift to the table but instead landing against the gently humming oven. She slowly took a deep breath. "I'm doing okay." Why was it then whenever she really needed it Nathan always swept in? There was another pause on the other end of the line. Maybe he didn't believe her, maybe he just didn't know what to say, but eventually he resumed.

"I wanted you to know that I just got to the office and am ready to start whenever you are." Hazel raised an eyebrow at his comment, shuffling her way closer towards her soon-to-be-finished breakfast.

"We can start? We finished all that paperwork around," She glanced up at the lone clock hanging in her home. Doing the quick math in her head she responded, "Five hours ago." Hazel could hear his nasally laugh through the phone, probably recounting the odd state she had been in as he sleepily helped her home.

"We can't do too much but we can get started by looking at the records of the case that we have on file here."

Ding! The oven went off like a lightbulb over the brunette's head.

Hazel slapped the off button on her appliance and grabbed an oven mitt. She was so starving she would eat through the door just to get to them. Yet, of course with her luck, they finished just as Nathan was telling her that they could get a head-start on the case. Clearly she would need to eat on her way.

"That sounds great, I'll be there soon. I'm getting ready to leave now."

"Again, there's no rush." How could he always sense her urgency or panic through the phone? On every instance he called he told her to calm down, relax or gave soothing words of reassurance. Hazel liked to brush it off saying that he was a detective and it was his job to read others, yet it was comforting to know that despite her parents being gone someone in this city understood how her brain worked.

"I'll be there soon." She assured, more softly this time. After hearing him say his normal goodbye and the click of the end call button, the brunette threw herself into swift action.

She removed every muffin from the two tins she had put them in onto a large plate, covering it with a dome lid and placing all her dishes in the sink. Maybe she wouldn't get back so late and could actually do something productive at home for once. Talk about a major opposite from a week ago.