Duskwood: Love's Beginning

12 - Jake

My consternation grew as I watched some of the group turning against Jayna. I felt protective of the witty, compassionate woman they were trying to exclude.

Fools! Didn't they understand how important she was? Well, I guess I must explain it to them, as they seemed unable to figure it out themselves.

Afterward, Jayna did the closest thing she probably would to admitting I was right in monitoring the chats. I almost laughed, pleased that I could help her. I needed her not only for this investigation but also for myself.

There would be a time in the near future when I would have to let her go. But I couldn't do it just yet. So for now, I would enjoy what I had and take care of her however I could.

Meanwhile, we must get back to work. I felt slightly guilty that I used my intervention on her behalf as currency to persuade her to interrogate Jessica. But until the culprit was revealed, everyone in this group was still a suspect.

Jayna reluctantly asked Jessica about the bracelet with the initials that matched hers. Somehow, Jayna's response that she "knew" Jessica didn't give the bracelet to Hannah made Jessica suspicious that I was behind the questioning. She called me a creepy guy and logged off.

Well, this "creepy guy" needed to know, Jessica. We had to follow every lead, and that required interrogations of potential suspects.

After their chat, I forced Jayna to go through the process of logically determining whether Jessica was telling the truth. I did not want to put distance between them, but I needed to ensure that Jessica was not behind Hannah's disappearance. Despite my doubts, Jayna seemed convinced that the bracelet had not been Jessica's.

I admired how she trusted in her friend and defended her, just as Jessica had defended Jayna. How long had it been since I had a friend like that? Maybe never...I needed a break to clear my head before the next project. I made my excuses to Jayna and left the chat.

Staring around the sterile space that was my home, I decided some sunlight and fresh air could be in order. Not that much would seep in under my hood. I pulled it as far forward as possible, placed sunglasses over my eyes, and stepped out the door, squinting.

Immediately, the muffled noises of traffic and people came at me full blast. I maneuvered my way around litter and people leaning against the side of the building. I noticed that new graffiti had popped up since I'd last been outside. Good. It helped to add to the abandoned look of the building.

I walked a few blocks, keeping my head down. I thought about Lilly. She seemed to consider herself on the correct side, while she thought of Jayna and me as acting against her. I wished that I could speak to her and convince her differently, but I could not take that risk. Better for her to hate me than to know the truth.

That was enough pondering. The endless amount of work that must be done awaited me. I went back inside, comforted by the relative darkness of my space. The ice-cold temperature required to keep my racks of servers functioning optimally kept me in long pants and hoodies year-round, but I was used to it by now. I sat back down in my expensive ergonomic chair and started typing.