ett's

a loud crash echoed behind me. Maybe Ever

cked voice from inside, hurriedly a

ust've been. Just imagining

I couldn't car

ing related to Everett Rob

*

te Stone-, I headed

d out of the vil

s, my ID, passport, and the things I'd brou

an. And now, pain was pushing

e couch in my hotel roo

s Mo

hovering over the answer butto

that needed to be tied up, and he

n," Davis gre

e who knew about o

s just about to call you. I've left the ke

other end, as if he did

re you really going

chuckle. "You think I'm

cared about Mr. Robinson," he repl

t disli

ars, he was one of the few peop

that made me pause.

verett-crossed borders, changed

did I get

silence that cut dee

en's way of teachin

goes one way. n

d quietly. "But that

the faint mark of the wedding r

I added. "Everything Everett ever gave

doesn't want to show up tomorrow, you

wer, it wouldn't be hard fo

a reply. I hung up

ett'

ind my desk

sting long shadows across the room. My lean frame wa

ll Scarlett, finding ou

she said, I was confused. I didn't kno

f me lay a stack of di

ed. By S

is to draft the

claims. She walks

. No sane woman would si

re she'd

all about the money

e sign

of t

way-empty-han

ind of reverse

e how far she

*

ing – Civil A

rived sharp

car, parked just do

t, I watched her

onytail, the ends curled slightly, the crown fluffe

her small, delicate face m

ripped denim skirt that barely reached her mid-thigh. Her legs

a high schooler

here to ge

th

to 9:00, s

ng her phone ev

during that hour, throwing out

wn with a cold glare

ense. N

dared to walk over. My jaw tight

s's

eat, watching the same scene unf

June heat was already unb

ly, "Mrs. Robinson has been stan

om the rearview

oice ice-cold. "Feeli

and turned my eye

I saw him unlock his phone

deg

could see the irritation

econds

ve o

was low,

eplied and star