CSI: Smalltown USA

Chapter 9: Partner + No answers = Headache

    Mary's P.O.V.   

    We go into his car and headed out to find and talk to the other people from the photos. I couldn't help but think about Joe's reaction, also I couldn't help but think about James and the feeling I have that he wants to ask me a question or a thousand about me and Joe.

    "I know you wanna ask me a question so go on and ask." I told him.

    "What?" he asked trying to act surprise but he's a horrible actor.

    "You know what I'm talking abut so just ask me whatever it is you want to ask me."

    "Alright....what did you mean about dinner when you were arguing with that monster of an ex?"

    "Nothing."

    "Mary! Tell me the truth!....Where you going to have dinner with him and get back together with him?!?" he asked with tension in his voice.

    "What does it mater if I was? I'm not with him and I'm sure that you heard him say that I'm never to call him and we never had lunch." I said trying to hold my anger back.

    "It matters because that guy was a jerk to you! You deserve better so you can't go back to him! I care about you Mary and don't want to see you get hurt anymore."

    "James I already told you to keep your feelings out of work and he's not that much of a jerk....You know what I'm done talking about this!" I yelled back no longer holding back my anger.

    "Fine." he said sadly.

    "Who are we talking to first?" I asked quietly.

    "Terri Smith."

    "Where does he live? And how old is he?" I asked relived that the subject changed.

    "He's 28 and lives in Sealton, he works at Kmart here in town though."

    "So are we going to his job?" I asked James.

    "Yep shopping for answers." he said smirking to himself.

    "Oh that was sure original." I said at his failed attempt of a joke.

    "What?

    "Nothing." I said feeling all my anger from before leave.

    "Alright Kmart is up ahead so get in the left lane and turn at the red light." He said pointing across me to the left.

    "I know where Kmart is James! I lived here my whole life, I'm not stupid."

    "I never said that you were stupid."

    "You don't have to. You like to imply things especially how you feel." I said holding my anger.

    "Ok ok I got it. Sorry." he said with a hint of sarcasm.

    "Just shut-up...idiot." I said quietly or so I thought.

    "I heard that." he said as we pulled up to the Kmart.

    We headed inside and found Terri easily; He was upfront hanging up clothes in the women's department. Unfourtently he couldn't or wouldn't give us anything on the photo or the other kids in the picture. So we left and headed to meet the others from the picture, only to have the same result.

    "Well that was a bust! No one wanted to talk!" I said agitated as I got back into the car letting James drive back to the lab.

    "Well except that ex of yours. He had a lot to say...just nothing about the case."

    "James if you want to live please shut-up! Let's just find something else to look at for a lead...maybe that paint." I said as we headed back to the lab.

    Once we got back to the lab I headed straight for Luke's station.

    "Luke please tell me something good."

    "Um...You look very pretty."

    "Thanks but I meant about the case, did you find a store where that particular paint is sold?" I asked him leaning on the door frame.

    "I didn't find one particular store but I narrowed it down to three stores where it is sold."

    "Any nearby?"James asked walking up behind me.

    "Two of them are nearby, but which one is not my job that's your job." Luke said handing us the paper with the list of the stores and the two nearby circled.

    "Thanks Luke." I said messing up his hair then walked away.

    "Hey wait! What do you thing you're doing? This is our case, we work together on this." James yelled after me.

    "It's not my fault you can't keep up. Now come on we need to go to the stores and find out which one the paint was bought at and who was the one who bought it." I said not looking back and just heading straight back to the parking lot.

    "Ugh wait up!" He yelled again.

    "Speed up!" I yelled back.

    "Mary!" He said annoyed.

    "I'm not gonna wait, I'm gonna go get some answers....and some advil." I said not to loud and not to soft.

    I had to kill this headache before I killed James.