What Has Fallen

12. Jax: Natural Instincts

September 24

6:30 AM

"Thanks man." I finished my call with Marco, who told me to take the day off if I wanted. Even exhausted I didn't like missing work, so I only asked for a few hours. He told me his buddy would cover for me as long as I needed him to. I tossed my phone off to the side and curled back into my blankets. Slowly I felt my breathing steady, my heart slow, and my eyes closed heavily drifting to sleep.

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!

Son... of... a bitch...

I opened my eyes and stayed calm. I had no doubt a Westford sister will be standing in my front yard. I didn't bother grabbing a shirt before heading to my front door. I opened it to see Charlette Westford standing outside the driver's door of a convertible Mercedes Benz holding down the horn. Her eyes caught mine and I shouted, "I'M UP!!"

She removed her hand from the horn and said, "I do hope I didn't wake you." I felt myself growing a hate for this woman. I shook my head slightly and she simply instructed, "You have ten minutes to get ready." She looked at a thin watch on her wrist, waited a moment, then looked at me, "Starting now."

I took five minutes to get ready - I threw on a t-shirt and jeans with Brooklyn boots. I took the other five minutes to prepare myself for the day ahead. I grabbed a bomber jacket before heading out and locking my door. Charlette sat in the passenger seat. I looked around not seeing a driver, leaving me to assume I'd be driving her around. She looked up and tossed me the keys carelessly. I caught them, then got in. She looked me over. I could feel her eyes burning holes into my clothes. So I looked over at her leaning back in the seat to give her a clearer view. I looked over her long skirt, high rise flat bottomed boots, blouse and jacket. Compared to the first time we met she looked much cheaper.

She sighed and sat back in her seat, "Are you familiar with Rutland?"

I thought for a second, "Up in Jefferson?"

She took my question as an answer and said, "Good. Drive." I should have expected that. I started the Benz and sped off. She put on sunglasses and pulled her phone from a big purse. She didn't turn on the radio or say anything else. I didn't mind the drive or driving her around. Even the silence didn't bug me very much. Her pinched face, made me slightly unnerved though.

About forty-five minutes into a three and half hour drive she started talking, "Olive told me you were uncomfortable in the limo. Is that true?"

This caught me off guard. I didn't think Olive noticed. In the limo I felt constrained, but a few other reasons contributed to discomfort. "Yeah."

She didn't look at me, her focus stayed on the road, "My husband's the same way. Large men usually have a problem with small places." Her husband's a beast, I couldn't imagine someone trying to put him into a limo or any car. Then she looked at me, "Although I did have another thought..." she paused and I knew exactly where her sentence would end. I didn't look at her. I let whatever she had to say, be said. "Maybe you don't like small places because it reminds you of jail." She tilted her glasses down so I could see her dark eyes, "Just so you understand, I think you did it. I don't know why, honestly I don't care. But I think you killed him." I didn't understand why she needed to tell me this. "My sister doesn't think so, but I know a killer when I see one." From that I only had one question - Which sister?

She sat back and pushed her glasses back up, "So, tell me... why'd you move to our town?"

"It was random."

"Nothing's random." What a cynic.

"I just picked a place."

"I won't tolerate lies." What a paranoid cynic.