Page 24 of Diluted Truths

That was a lie. I knew he wrote it, I just didn’t know him yet. I was getting really good at lying.

“Doctor, huh?” Will had a gleam in his eyes as he looked at me with a smirk.

“That’s what you are, Doctor,” I flirted back.

Two could play at this game.

He smirked, as he leaned back in the chair next to me. “I like it. You should call me that more often.”

“Because of that remark I am never calling you that again,” I challenged, turning myself in my chair to face him. God, even the way he sat turned me on. The more I was around him the more I wanted to learn about the ladies man aspect of his personality. “Can I ask you something?”

“Always.”

“Why are you here, Will?” Sarah told me the truth. He did have work. He had other places to be, but he put it aside for me.

I still wasn’t sure why she decided to tell me, she was usually a vault of secrets. She must have been up to something.

Will looked at me, really looked at me. It was almost as if he could see all my questions about him swirling around in my head. “For you, Jackie. I came for you.”

I couldn’t respond.

How do you respond to something like that?

Will made me feel things I didn’t understand. It made no sense. I had known the man for only two weeks now. Yet every time he looked at me it felt as though my entire body was on fire.

Will cleared his throat, clearly feeling or at least seeing my shock at his words. Luckily for me he changed the subject. “So what are we doing today once we land?”

I breathed, grateful I could stop trying to figure out these complicated emotions he was eliciting in me. “Taxi straight to Janice and Joey’s house. Give you a second to talk to them if you would like. I want to see the drawing. It’s what ties the case into the cult. Maybe even try and get some more information about what happened while Joey was gone, if he remembers anything.”

“I’m curious if we can find anything else that will further tie the case to the Cult of Creatio. What we have is subjective at best,” Will responded.

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, the plane began boarding.

I had a feeling we would find more in San Fransisco than expected. The case I was developing was subjective and bare. I was working on a gut feeling, a hunch. Maybe Joey’s disappearance had nothing to do with the Cult, but the chance it did was enough drive for me to dive as deep as I could.

This is why I was good at my job, I was too stubborn to ever give up.

Chapter 8Bad Things by. The Phantoms

Will

As our taxi drove through the streets of San Francisco, I was struck by how unprepared I was for the upcoming visit.

I had essentially invited myself along for this trip. I knew a bit about Joey’s disappearance, but truthfully not much. All Jackie had mentioned was the drawing in the closet.

This was unlike me.

Yes, I was known to jump into the unknown without hesitation, but I was always ready. Always prepared.

Something about Jackie was making me impulsive. I was doing things, saying things, I never would have before. The longer I was around her the faster my armor that I had built around myself was cracking. I knew if I stuck around she had the power to break through, and for the first time in decades, I no longer thought that was a bad thing.

Our car pulled to a stop in front of a Victorian house. We both got out of the car and stood on the street. The front yard was overgrown and in need of a good mowing, but other than the few cosmetic updates it needed, the house was beautiful. It was two stories tall and painted a lively blue color.

It looked inviting, happy even.

“You ready?” I stated as I looked at Jackie who stood by my side.

She took a breath and steeled her shoulders. “Let’s do this.”