My head sinks into my hands as I think through everything she said. Thinking through everything I heard.
I’ve imagined her face as she’s on the other end, gutting me as I watch the fear in her eyes.
Playing through the entire conversation, the entire walkthrough of her apartment. Nothing stands out.
I’ve known most of these guys for years. I’ve kept a close eye on them because I never trusted them. There has to be something that sticks out.
Glancing up, I see both of them staring back. Their eyes are both wide as they look down at me. Zeke’s hand holding the comms I threw. Noticing the VP patch he’s wearing.
“What’s going on?” Zeke asks.
“I’m thinking.”
“About what?”
“There has to be something, fucking anything that can give me a clue. I’m missing something.”
“Eli, it’s not…” Z trails off because he knows no matter what he’s about to say, it won’t change anything. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Sh, let me just think!”
“This place isn’t helping.” He glares down at me. “Let’s get the hell out of here, and maybe that’ll help.”
“Whatever.” I mumble, pushing myself back up the wall, catching the glance they shoot between one another.
Walking in front of them, I’m almost to the end before I stop.
Both of them moving past me.
“Wait,” I call out, pushing the first door in the hall open and stepping inside.
“What?” They step behind me and pause.
“She was here.” I tell them, noticing something I had overlooked at first, or maybe I hadn’t; maybe I saw it and only made a subconscious note, hoping that it meant she was still here.
“Is that…” Z trails again, stepping past me and picking up the small chunk of red hair lying on the floor. Pulling out a piece of metal and turning it over in his hand. He looks back at us.
“She wore it around her neck.”
“I never saw this.” Z looks at me.
“Is that a fucking tooth?”Zeke asks in disgust.
“She kept it hidden from you.”
“Why?” Z asks me, concerned, looking back over.
“Cause she knew if you saw it, you’d ask questions.”
“Yeah, like whose fucking tooth’s around your neck?” Zeke chimes in.
“Yeah, that.” Nodding my head, agreeing with him. Z tosses it back over to me, and I look down, shaking my head.
“Okay, as much as I know I’m gonna regret this,” Zeke starts again. “I have to ask, why a tooth?”
“Kyle knocked it out.” Z answers for me.
“Yeah.”
