The Things We Couldn't Forget

Chapter 26.

We spend a couple of hours at Kelsea's house.

We go through clothes left behind by previous owners and stuff that she has that she doesn't want and before long we have two big trash bags of clothes for me.

Two bags more than I've owned in years.

We stall, taking longer than we need to. I think we both enjoy the stolen time to not think of killers and police and putting off going back to that house that all of this now centers on.

But after she's forced me to eat a little and we have all of her things we need, it leaves no more time for shutting the rest out.

"I'm worried." I admit as we gather the things to leave.

Kelsea huffs. "Which part?"

"Aries." I tell her, standing on the porch while she locks up. "You don't think we should have heard from him by now?"

She glances at her watch and frowns. "I mean, it has been a while, but I don't really know how long is a normal amount of time to get questioned in a murder investigation."

A murder investigation.

It even disgusts me to think it.

To think of any of us getting questioned over something so heinous while the real killer is out there stalking his next victim makes me sick.

We wake Dallas as we get back into the truck and I quickly fill him in on the information from Mrs. Statham while he eats the sandwich we brought out for him.

"Who would even have access to that?" He asks around a big bite. "Does she have an office in town or does she keep everything in her house?"

"She has a small office in town but my file and her set of keys were at her house." I point out. "That's why she thought I'd taken them."

That, and I'm a known thief.

"So someone who is close to Mrs. Statham?" Dallas asks. "It would have to be someone she knows and trusts enough to let into her house."

I'd rather believe someone broke in.

Thinking someone close to her would also kidnap and murder her niece just seems such another level of evil, but we don't really know what we are up against here.

Giving this person any type of humanity in this situation is a mistake. Anyone who can do the things they've done has to be a monster.

"She has people coming and going literally all the time." Kelsea says. "She's never alone."

"She's very popular in town." I agree. "I'm so mad this is happening to her."

Dallas looks down into his lap. "She was the only one who still talked to me after Dad got arrested." He says quietly. "She doesn't deserve this."

"No one does." I say and he meets my eyes with a sigh.

"You're right." He relents. "But especially not her."

I take a deep breath to try to clear the image of her tears out of my mind.

"Do you want to try calling Aries?" Kelsea asks, turning out of the driveway.

I pull my phone out of my pocket. "Do you think I should?" I ask. "I don't want to bother him or anything, I'm just worried."

"It can't hurt." She says, drumming her fingers across the steering wheel.

I don't get the chance to call though.

Before my fingers can fumble through the phone for his number, the screen lights up with a call from an unknown number.