Without Me

Survival

Sunday evening

After the third time of making sure she had everything, Ashley zipped up her suitcase for the final time. Marshall was going to travel with her overnight to New York and stay with her before flying back on the Tuesday after.

''You ready?'' Marshall asked popping his head around the door of her bedroom, making him half in and out of her room.

''Yeah I think so,'' she replied shrugging on her coat, before then buttoning it up, while Marshall continued to watch from the doorway. She looked up turning back around to look at him, ''what? why you looking at me like that?''

''You may wanna pack the dress you're gonna wear,'' she frowned before following his index finger until her eyes landed on the garment bag hanging for the top of her wardrobe.

''That might be a good idea,'' she mumbled. moving over to unhook it and drape it over her arm as she took her suitcase in the other.

''Are you ok?'' She nodded, but Marshall wasn't so sure she was telling the truth, ''you're not Ash I can tell. What's wrong?''

Ashley just shook her head and started to walk towards him, but he stopped her from getting past. Instead, he took the dress from off her arm and yanked her suitcase free from her hand. Throughout the action Ashley didn't move, she didn't even look up at him, her eyes fell firmly to the ground and stuck there until Marshall put his fingertips under her chin so he could look her fully.

'' They're going to ask me questions, questions I don't want to answer,'' she whispered as Marshall's hands travelled to her shoulder and rested on them, keeping her looking straight at him.

''Then don't talk to anyone simple and if you do and they ask that kinda shit, do what I said the other day and tell em to fuck off.''

''Marshall you need to give me a tenner,'' Jamie's voice called out from behind them causing Marshall to whip around.

''A tenner?'' He then questioned turning back around to face Ashley, once the teenager had disappeared bounding down the stairs.

''It means ten pounds, but I'm pretty sure he means ten dollars,'' she explained.

''Are you secretly turning him English,'' Marshall gasped pointing an accusing finger at her.

''No he just says some words that are English, and some that are American. You should be happy it's not his accent that changes because that would probably drive me mad,'' she laughed, completely forgetting the previous conversation. It had seemed Marshall had too as he let out a chuckle before then carrying her suitcase down the stairs for her.

Ashley shut the boot with a loud thud after pointing the last of their luggage inside. She then turned around to face Jamie, who was stood at the top of the stairs on the front porch of her house. He was leant over the railing so one arm hung off the front, the other rested on the rail folded underneath him.

''You know the rules, Tom can stay as long as he likes. No parties...''

''Yeah cause everyone's gonna come to a party thrown by me,'' he mumbled rolling his eyes, however, Ashley only saw the eye roll and didn't hear the words.

''No excessive amounts of food.''

''Wait what about food?'' Marshall questioned, not sure if he'd just heard what Ashley had just said.

''Last year I came home and god knows why I opened the freezer to find like a zillion frozen Pizza's for no reason.''

''On the bright side you didn't have to buy any for a couple of months,'' Jamie pointed out.

''Yeah and you're banned form buying frozen pizza,'' she shot back, Jamie rolled his eyes, ''and stop rolling you're eyes they'll fall out otherwise,'' he responded rolling his eyes again, causing her to huff, giving up and just getting in the car.

''See ya later kid,'' Marshall did a single wave at the teenager before he got into the driving seat.

***

''Marshall I'm cold,'' Ashley whined as she tried to snuggle further under the furry blanket she'd smuggled on the plan with her.

''What do you want me to do?'' Marshall asked a teasing smirk appearing on his lips as he watched her poke her head over the blanket opposite him.

''Make me warm,'' she demanded pulling her arms up and out of the blanket to beckon him over.

''Nah,'' he couldn't help, but laugh as she pouted pulling the blanket right over herself, concealing herself completely from him, ''fuck you and your needy ass,'' he mumbled sitting in the chair next to her and heaving her body so her head rested on his chest.

''I'm not needy she mumbled, I'm just cold,'' she mumbled amitting a little yawn as she snuggled into him.

''Oh I no idea you were cold in the slightest,'' he sarcastically commented, earning a slap to the chest, ''ow, you're a bitch.''

''Oh I know,'' he laughed. A silence then falling over them as they rested against each other, the flight wasn't long and they'd be landing soon, but Ashley had something she needed to say before they landed, ''I wanna open the letter, like now.''

Marshall frowned looking down at her, days ago she hadn't even wanted to talk about it let alone wanting to open it. He couldn't understand she'd seemed so scared and worried to open it then, yet she wanted to open it now, he just didn't understand.

''Why now?'' He asked his hands subconsciously running through the curled strands of her hair.

''It's just bugging me and since it's just us two, we can discuss it alone,'' she reasoned, before then pulling her notebook out of the pouch on the side of her seat, tipping it up so the envelope fell out and onto the furry blanket they were wrapped up in.

''you sure about this?''

''No, but we got to open it at some point right?'' Marshall nodded, watching her carefully as she ripped open the flap, his eyes widening when she unfolded the paper.

The letter wasn't just black words on a white piece of paper, Alonzo had put a photo in with it and that's what made both their hearts stop. Ashley flipped over the photograph first reading the date, time and names inked on the back, coloured circles corresponding to who they were.

Title: Arthur Calderon's last case
Date: Tuesday 12th August 2003
Time: 15:30pm
Victims name (circled in red): Arthur Calderon
The killer's name (circled in black): Unknown

''What the fuck is this?'' Marshall wasn't the only one confused.

''Read the letter he explains,'' Ashley replied shoving the letter into his hands.

Dear Ashley and Marshall,
I totally get it if you report me, I shouldn't have lost my temper. I just got too carried away.

Marshall scanned over in his opening, which in his opinion just a half-assed apology before finally coming across the explanation about the photo.

I was going through old files in the hospital when I came across the photograph, as far as I'm aware the photo is the one piece of missing evidence the police couldn't find. I'm not sure who wrote or took it and why it was in some random woman's cancer file, but I couldn't bring myself to not give it to you. I hope this picture will give a fresh lead into your husbands and friends case.
I won't bother you again, I'll plead guilty if you ever take me to court because I deserve it.

Alonzo.

''How are we supposed to reply to this shit?'' Marshall exclaimed.

Ashley shrugged clutching the photograph in her hands, the last surviving moments of her husband captured and trapped in a single still image.