Chapter Twenty-Three
Elyse
Ithink the victim, may have been related to the killer in this one. It just doesn’t make sense, if not related, they were definitely having relations if you know what I mean.”
I was listening and I did agree, but I was too lost in my own mind to reply.
“Elyse. Elyse. Elyse? Goddamn it, woman, are you in there?”
I shook my head out of my thoughts, wiggling around in the passenger seat of the SUV, turning back to Johnathan. “Yes, sorry. I think you’re right.” I replied.
He glared back at me. It was the same look that I hated from him, the very same look that I really did not need right now. But then his jaw dropped open, his eyes rolled around in his sockets as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. And there it was. I’d been waiting for this very look.
“What the hell has gotten into you, Elyse? You’ve been so distant. You hardly looked alive back at the crime scene. Usually that’s your favorite place to be. But for a second there you were so pale and despondent I thought that you were about to become the next victim.”
I scoffed. “Don’t be so stupid, Johnathan. I could never be someone’s victim.”
“Then do you mind acting a little more alive and tell me what the hell is going on with you?” he asked. I kept my mouth shut. “Please don’t tell me this is still about your sister.”
“Of course this is still about my sister. I was only talking to you about it yesterday and I still haven’t heard from her. I have no idea where in the world she is.”
Johnathan sighed, “Yes, but you know exactly who she is with. And from what we’ve seen, she is with a pretty reputable guy.
Elyse, seriously, Molly is a grown woman and you’re not her mother.
If she wanted to talk to you right now, I’m sure she would, but she’s not.
Call her when she’s back, which is only two days away anyway! ”
Johnathan kept speaking but I had tuned out. The only words that I heard clearly enough was, You are not her mother. And right now, those were the last words that I needed to hear.
“Pull over,” I said.
“What, no, I’m not pulling over, we're heading back to the station.”
“No, you can head back to the station. I’m going home, pull over please Johnathan, pull over right now.”
“Elyse, calm down, look I’m sorry….”
I couldn’t hold my rage in any longer. “Johnathan just pull the fucking car over!” I screamed as I turned away from him.
I couldn’t look at him, and my body shook.
I was about to combust and counted the seconds until Johnathan finally pulled the car over to the side of the highway.
As soon as the car stopped, I undid my belt, opened the door and breathed in the fresh air.
Sitting in this car with him had made me feel claustrophobic.
“You know what, I’m sorry, Johnathan. I’m sorry that I’m not Molly’s biological mother.
And I know that I never will be. But we are all that each other has.
I am the only one that has been there with her from day one.
I have soothed her, cried with her, cheered for her and held her through fucking everything.
So, no even though biologically, I’m not her mother, I’m her sister.
There’s still this feeling that I have being so goddamn connected to her and that is something that you will never be able to understand because no I don’t have proof, and I don’t have science.
But I have this feeling that is so deep in my gut that is telling me that things are not okay, okay?
And because of that right now. I’m not okay.
” I said finally taking a breath as Johnathan sat still in the car, not daring to say a word as I sprayed him with mine.
I felt instant regret as soon as I saw his lips pursed shut. He did not need to be spoken to like that. He was the last person in my life that deserved to be spoken to like that. Johnathan had always been there with me, by my side through everything.
“What I’m trying to say is, I’m really not okay. I’m taking the rest of the night off, and I’m just going to get an Uber home from here.”
Johnathan just nodded. “I’m sorry, Elyse, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
“I know,” I sighed, “Bring the husband in for questioning in again. I’m 99.
7% sure that it was him. If you get him inside an interrogation situation and ask him to run through his day again but slower, I think he will trip up on his so-called grocery trip.
All you need to do is suggest that we have their security footage and I have a feeling that’s all it’s going to take to get him to confess to the whole thing.
That man’s not as strong as he thinks he is. ”
“Rest up, Elyse. I’ll call you, okay?”
“Call me if I’m right and if I am, then I’m taking tomorrow off as well.”