Dirty Little Heart

Clues.

We drove for another hour and we reached the address. It was an old wooden house. The paint was old. There were a lot of cracks in the walls. It felt like no one used it for a while.

Jonathan and glanced at each other and went towards the door to knock.

"Is anyone there?"

I look around, and Jonathan attempts to knock. But there was no response.

"What do we do now?" I ask.

"Well, there's only one thing to do."

He picks up a stone from the garden and throws it in the window beside the door. I look at him, shocked.

"That's breaking and entering, Jonathan."

"We'll leave a note and some money. Come on."

I had this chill running down my spine. Watching him helping me in full detective mode was actually turning me on. But right now, I had to focus and look for some clues.

Jonathan unlocks the door through the window and we get in. I look around and see that most of the stuff is covered with a white plain sheet. There were a lot of spider webs...

"I'll go check if there's someone here or not."

I nod and watch him go. He stops in the hallway and turns to me.

"Stay here and be safe, okay?"

"Go, Jonathan, I'll b fine." I chuckle.

I open some drawers and under the covers, on the sofa and at tables. There was nothing that came valuable into my eyes. As I look around, I hear some noises from the other part of the house. I gaze into the deep halls patiently to see if there was someone beside me and Jonathan, and I pick up a wooden plank placed beside the table. Seeing a shadow, I get into a defence position, waiting for the person to expose himself.

"Woah.... It's me." Jonathan says.

"Don't scare me like that, Jonathan."

He laughs as I do too.

"Well. This was a dead end. There's nothing here." I say.

"Don't say that. We haven't even checked most of the rooms. Maybe there is something."

"I don't think there is. I... I'm sorry I dragged you into this too, Jonathan. I completely wasted your time." I say while I walk towards him.

"Hey, Don't be sorry." He cups my face with both of his and chuckles.

"Besides, any reason to spend some time with you? I'd definitely take it."

Before we both leaned in to kiss each other, we hear a voice at the front door. We look back and see a guy in his 40s holding a can of beer and some bags of chips. The three of us stare at each other like weirdos.

"This isn't a place to have sex for free, you know?" The guy says.

"We're not here to... You know what? Nevermind." I say.

"Who are you again?"

"I'm the guy who's a place you're trespassing in."

"Wait, you?" I ask.

"But the guy at the bar said that this place wasn't being used by anyone from the past week."

"Yeah, I've heard that too." He walks towards the couch and throws his groceries there. He sits and opens a bag of chips, eating it immediately.

"I was on vacation with my buddies for the past three weeks. I wasn't using this place. I mean, look at it. I bought this hell when I had only a few pennies in my pockets. But now? I am in a better place. Hey. This isn't for sale, you know. I have deep connections with this shithole."

"We're not here to buy this house. We just want to know who was the guy living here?" Jonathan asks.

"I don't know squat about him. All I know is that as soon as he figured I was back in the state, he ran. Can't say the bastard was lucky, total drunk, too."

"I don't think he's the guy, or even this scenario is what we're looking for, Angelica," Jonathan whispers in my ear.

I dropped my shoulders, exhausted, and frustrated. I thought I was losing it.

"All right. Let's just go."

Before I could walk out, my eyes catch something that I had seen before too. I watch that guy's hand and he was wearing this brown bracelet.

"Where did you get this?"

I point at his wrist.

"This? It was on the couch when I got here. I figured the guy living here was wearing this. Must have left it here. It's mine now." The guy grunts and I offer him a deal.

"Give me the bracelet and I'll give you 400 dollars," I say.

Jonathan looked at me, all confused.

"What are you doing, Angelica? That's a lot of money you're dealing with."

I ignored Jonathan, and the man looked at me, repulsed.

"What's the game you're trying to play here, woman?"

"No game. I know your type, 20 dollars won't be enough for you. And given that bracelet's condition, I'm offering you a fortune. Time's ticking. Take it or leave it."

He looked at me, repulsed, but eventually agreed.

"Fine, 450 and the bracelet is yours."

"Ugh, Fine. Here." I take out my purse and take out 450 dollars.

He gets up from the couch, drooling over the money, and I take them back before he could hold them.

"What are you doing?"

"Bracelet first."

He scoffs and murmurs something while taking off the bracelet and handing it to me. I give him the money and he immediately starts counting it. I glanced at him one more time before walking out. Jonathan followed me.

"Angelica. Why would you need something like this? Please tell me rusty old things don't attract you."

I stay silent for a while, taking it in, controlling my emotions and mostly anger. I turn to Jonathan.

"This isn't what you think this is, Jonathan. This is a gift."

"I gave this to the only person I cared about.

"Gave it to whom... Exactly?"

I take a few breaths, not wanting to believe what I was just about to say.

"I gave it to Roger, Jonathan. I gave this old shit to Roger."