"Why are you calling again ? Do you know that i have to work some times ?" Alan said, irritated.
"I wouldn't have to keep calling if you answered all my questions at once. Plus, you were the one to harass me so i would talk to you."
"What do you want now ?" He sighed, and i heard a sound that sounded like he had rolled back on a chair with wheels.
"Do you have any idea about why they're keeping Phil Hawkins in jail ? He was suspected for Hannah's disappearance ans Amy's death. But has you understood, he was not guilty. So ?"
"Well, they actually shouldn't keep him. The case was close as it was supposed that it had been Richy Rogers who was behind it all."
I didn't ask how they came at that conclusion, but it was easy to understand. "So you're letting him go ?"
"He's not at the police station. All i can do is call the place where he's locked up." He said, probably typing something on his computer. I could hear clicking sound. "Right, i'll call them after our call. Happy ?"
"Yes. Thank you. He better be set free." Because Jessy wouldn't bear it.
"He will. Can i work now ? You're giving me a headache."
"That's the second one already. I'll buy you ibuprofen."
"You shouldn't talk like that to a police officer."
"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I'll let you work. Bye."
I didn't let him talk anymore, ending the phone call. Good. Now Jessy.
I left my bedroom, going down the stairs faster than i should.
"Jessy, good news !"
"What ? Why ?"
"I talked with Alan, he's contacting the jail to set Phil free."
"Yes ! Thank you Judith !"
She jumped inside my arms, jumping up and down like an overexcited little girl. I was happy for her too, of course.
"My brother is coming home !"
"I know, i know !" I tried to calm her, but she was just so happy that i couldn't really do much. I just hoped that their relationship would grow better.
"I'm so happy ! Is he going to call back ?" She asked, taking my hands in hers.
I tighten my grip. "I don't know. Probably. Or i'll cause him a third headache."
She laughed and hugged me one more time. I was happy that she could be happy with just that.
But like we say, happiness doesn't last long.
It was past six in the afternoon when Jessy's phone, rang. She stood from the couch, going into the kitchen where she had left it. I looked at her from my spot on the couch, a pillow pressed to my chest.
She furrowed her eyebrows at first and i could see her swallow before picking it up. "Hello ?"
I couldn't hear what the person was saying. I didn't even know who it was. But it didn't seem like happy news.
"Of course i'll come. Could you give me the time ? I'll pass the info to my friends." She stuttered at the end of her sentence. She quickly noted something on a piece of paper that was laying on the kitchen counter before turning to me again.
Her eyes were glassy and her bottom lip shook.
Oh.
"Alright, thank you for calling. See you there." She hung up and let her phone nearly drop on the kitchen table. Jessy silently walked back to the couch, taking her pillow in hands before sitting down.
"It was Richy's father."
I should have guess. With Richy's body being found, he would have his funerals soon after.
"When is it ? I'll come with you, of course."
"In two days. They will do the ceremony at the church near the Gates of Hope and bury him in the cemetery near it."
I nodded. I knew it was hard for her to talk about him . It was hard for everyone. "Come here." I said, opening my arms.
She fell into them, suppressing a sob. She wasn't full on crying anymore, she just let the tears roll on her face without making more sound.
It was sad, knowing that we would never see Richy ever again. We would never hear him joke again. Hear him talk about cars. I was sad too, obviously. I never thought my life would come to that.
"It's going to be okay..."
I felt Jessy nod against me while i was stroking her back in an attempt to calm her. She soon fell asleep on me. I never moved, even when the movie on the TV ended and boring advertising came without being able to change the channel.
I stayed like this for a good hour before slowly getting up, not moving too much so i wouldn't wake her up. It took me a good ten minutes to be able to stand on my feet. My back was hurting me and cracked when i got up, making me wince.
I still had to do the diner. Or i could just call for pizzas. Yeah, that's better.
After ordering two pizzas, i quietly made my way to the stairs, going into my room to retrieve my computer. Taking it with me, i stayed as silent as possible on my way back downstairs.
Putting my computer on the kitchen table, i opened it. Opening a research tab, i begun to type. I had to search if i could find anything about that cave i found. Maybe there would be other caves or building.
Unfortunately, by the time there was a knock on the door, i hadn't found anything. I sighed, quickly getting up so the person would not knock a second time. Taking my wallet, i opened the door once i was sure it was my pizzas. Paying in seconds, i closed the door, pizzas in one hand. I was putting them on the table when i heard Jessy.
"What is it ?"
"Pizza. I thought we could eat that. I wasn't in the mood for cooking."
"Me neither. Thank you Judith. I'll pay you back later." She said, sitting at the table.
"No, no, you don't need to. Really. Just eat please." I shook my hand in front of me to illustrate my saying.
She nodded, not arguing. I watched her take a piece of pizza, biting a small amount of it. "What are you working on ?"
"Ahh, i was trying to see if i could find anything on that cave in the forest, or anything surrounding it. But nothing. I can't even find it on maps or pictures, it's like it never existed." Well, it was rare for a tiny cave to be on any maps to begin with. I don't know why i was hoping finding something here.
I took a piece of pizza too, leaning on the chair behind me.
"Should i bring wine into that ?"
"If you want. I know you like a glass of wine here and there." I smirk, leaning back up and putting my face on my hands that was resting on the table. "I actually thought i would find something. But of course not, it would be too easy. Thank you." I took the glass Jessy was giving me.
"Do you think he stayed there ?" Jessy questioned me, looking at the pictures of the caves on my computer screen that i had transferred.
"My best guess would be that he somehow walk to there without being noticed. He probably stayed there for a really short time, just to see what injuries he had. If he had stayed longer, there would have left more traces. He probably left minutes after he got there. But like i said, it's only my guess. The FBI was looking for him. They weren't here for Hannah."
"What ?"
"Yeah. Just before all of that happened, Alan asked me if i told anybody else where Hannah was, i told him no. That's when he told me that the FBI was here and it wasn't for Hannah. They were looking for someone else."
"They were here for Jake." She concluded.
"Most likely." I swallowed a sip of wine. "He knew the FBI was here, i told him before he stopped talking. If we are to assume anything, it would be that he had to go into hiding again. At least, that's what i'm hoping."
"Hm. I know i never really talked to him, but he seem really important to you. And i'm sure he's a good person, after all he helped us so much with Hannah too."
"Jessy, he's a good man. I swear to you he is. He just doesn't have any idea how to express his feelings to other people. Which is valid. I would be the same if i were to lost contact with everyone and everything in order to stay alive."
"Besides you. He talks to you like you are his world." She said, smiling behind her glass.
I felt my face heat up. And it wasn't the wine. I would have liked it better if it was the wine causing me that.
"Aww, you're blushing ! It's okay i know you like him."
"Stop it already." I slapped my face, hoping to hide behind my fingers. I slowly let my hand fall to my glass, drinking from it. "Of course i like him. I don't know how it happened, it just did. You never saw this and i never told you anything, but the way he talked to me, it was like i was the most incredible thing in this world. I felt like that too. He always tried to be careful that i would never be overwhelmed, that i would have time to rest even if it meant that he wouldn't have time for that himself."
"I can tell that he likes you. Even in the group chat he was always attentive about everything you said. You always seemed to complete each other. He trusted you and you trusted him." She smiled a little sadly. Because maybe she was reminded of Richy and how they completed each other too.
"I still trust him. That's why i now have so much hope for him. He knows that i will wait for him and that i will find him if needed. I trust him. I know that he's doing what he thing is the best. The police and FBI will investigate a bit more on this case, the simplest clue about him could cause trouble. If he need me to wait for him, i'll wait for him."
I smiled at nothing in particular, not even looking at Jessy. I had hope.
If i needed to wait a day, a month or a year, i would wait for him. Hopefully it wouldn't take a year.