Hour twenty-two

I walk through his apartment slowly in my black skinny jeans, a plain black t-shirt, green combat jacket, and combat boots.

"Morning" Harry greets as standing in the kitchen, holding two mugs filled with tea. "Did you sleep well?"

How could I? I just met an aunt that I didn't know existed who has letters from my mum that I didn't know she wrote.

"Not really" I admit as taking one of the mugs "I couldn't stop thinking about those letters"

But the truth is I can't sleep unless I have Ross laying beside me. Otherwise, I need to rely on sleeping pills or alcohol.

"Do you have any idea what's in them?" Harry questions.

"I've got no clue...she's going to show them to me today" I sip my tea. There's a moment of silence as Harry shoots me a blank look. "What?"

"I can't believe that you're looking for the guy that started all these" Harry sighs.

Hank was one of the men that started all this but he was also the first to abandon the project after he got to know me. I was his target, whatever that means. Was his job to find out what I knew about their mess?

"It was Hank, Johnathan Banks, Matthew Peterson, and Calvin Johnson who started all this" I correct.

"The same thing" he shrugs.

"That's how Matthew Peterson knew me that day, you know? He was the guy that threw me at the back of that van on graduation ten years ago" I say my thought out loud.

I never saw the guys face. He carried me over his shoulder so I only had a view of his body. Now I know it was Kyle's dad.

Harry sighs once again. "What are you going to do about it huh?" He folds his arms. "What's the point of finding them?"

"I'm going to put a bullet into each of their heads," I say simply as placing the empty mug onto the bench.

Except for Hank of course. I don't understand how Hank could trust Johnathan with our safety. He knew about how shady he was, and yet he still trusted him.

"Well if you get killed I'll beg Ross to let me do the eulogy" he smirks "Isla Mills, a friend, a sister, a wife, a bloody Plonker"

I roll my eyes. Very supportive Harry.

"Burn in hell Harry" I flash him a grin as taking a doughnut from the bench top before walking towards the apartment door.

"Love you too Plonker!" He cries.

I genuinely smile as closing the apartment door behind me.

I love Harry. I hope he gets the happy ending that he deserves - God knows that he never deserved my mess.

***

My cell phone buzzes in my back pocket as I walk down the sidewalk - on my way to Rebecca's apartment to see my mother's letters.

"Isla" she greets as I hold my cell against my ear.

"Marissa? What are you-" I question.

She's supposed to be in prison. her trial was yesterday. how could I forget? I guess I had a lot going on.

"I've been acquitted" she screams in excitement, almost deafening me.

"You...you what?" A smile washes across my face.

I've been waiting patiently for this day for way too long. I need to Thank Elijah for getting my sister back. Now hopefully she can live her life without all this mess.

"It's over Isla....I've filled out all the paperwork...I'm out" she announces.

Thank God.

"That's great" I nod "I love you kid"

"I love you too," she says "...Thomas told me that you're in England"

I nod "....yeah....look I can't tell you much just in case this whole thing goes sour"

The last thing that I want is Marissa getting caught up in any more of my mess.

She's only eighteen. She should be worrying about colleges, not whether she's going to be shot in the back on the way to college.

"Can you at least tell me if you're safe?" She begs.

"I'm safe" I assure her, though not actually sure myself.

"Good" she sighs in relief.

Suddenly I spot an ambulance with four police cars in front of Rebecca's home.

An overwhelming amount of fear washes across my entire body, causing my hands to shake and my heart to pound.

"Marissa I gotta go" I immediately say.

"Is everything okay?" Her voice begins to sound panicked.

"No," I say simply "I need to call you back" I end the call as walking quickly towards the cops that stand in front of the house. "Excuse me I'm detective Isla Mills" I flash one of the cops my badge "Can you tell me what's going on over here?"

"The owner of this home was murdered late last night," she tells me as two other cops begin to put yellow tape around the property.

Time stops immediately.

No.

No.

No.

"What?" I stutter as my heart drops to my gut.

"The perpetrator seemed to have trashed it either before or after because the entire house is a mess" she informs.

"How was she uh..." I force myself to ask.

"She was shot at the back of the head" she informs as another cop gestures at her in the distance "Excuse me"

I take a shaky deep breath as slowly entering the home of my deceased aunt. I search the surrounding with my eyes carefully.

The entire place is trashed. Completely trashed. The table that we sat at last night was flipped over along with the chairs. Everything around me was flipped, smashed, shredded, and demolished.

I watch as they carry her lifeless body out of her house in a body bag. I stare at the pool of blood that her body was dragged away from by paramedics.

No.

Fuck.

I wrap my arms around myself.

"Ahhhhhh!" I scream at the top of my lungs, falling to the floor.

"Now I'm afraid it's time for you to leave...."

I nod "Thank you for all your help"

I stand up and begin walking through her home.

"Isla" she calls. I stop in my tracks, and glance at the woman "the evidence....it might be at your family home in New York....come back tomorrow and I'll show you the letters your mother sent me"

I nod "I'll be here around eight"

"No! No! No! No! No!" I scream. "Oh God" I begin to hyperventilate. "Oh God"

She had answers. She was the only person left to give me answers.

I look in the distance to see a quote on the wall.

The thought is the wind

I had the same quote on my bedroom wall in New York.

"the evidence....it might be at your family home in New York"

"New York" I sniff as standing up slowly.

I need to go to New York. I wipe my tears with my palms.

***

Hour thirty-one

Four pm.

"Here lays Isla Mills, a complete plonker!" He announces.

"Shut up Harry" I roll my eyes as walking through the airport at four o'clock pm.

"Do you have a plan?" Harry asks.

"Of course" I roll my eyes.

I always do. You need to be four steps ahead in this game.

"Well! Care to share" he cries impatiently

"....Promise me that you won't call Ross or Thomas" I beg.

If they know that I'm in New York to retrieve the evidence, they will jump on the first over here. I can't have any one else getting hurt because of me.

"Isla" he sighs.

"Harry they would freak out....please" I beg as slowly walking through the double doors - leading me outside of the airport

"......okay" he hesitantly agrees.

"Thank you" I sigh in relief.

"Hey Isla" his voice softens.

I hate it when Harry softens his voice. It makes me feel so unsettled.

"Yeah?" I raise a brow.

"I joke about your eulogy....but please don't get yourself killed" he starts slowly "I still need you around you know..."

I hate it when he speaks like this. As soon as Harry becomes fearful - I do too.

"I love you Harry," I tell him as I stop at the kerb.

"I love you too Isla" he says.

I nod my head before ending the call, as a cab drives in my direction.

"Taxi" I wave.