Just Like Animals

№ 19

Chris had just parked his car - not having taken even three steps away from it - when the front door opened, revealing Jaime.

"Were you expecting me?" He called out as he crossed the snow-covered walkway and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

Without answering the question, Jaime stepped aside, nodding slightly before turning back into her house. Chris followed, shutting the door behind himself and taking off his shoes.

Despite how overcast it was, the only light was a dim table lamp in the corner of the living room, leaving the majority of the house dark. But what he could see - and felt underfoot - it was a mess. There were papers and clothes everywhere. Anything that had once been in a cabinet or closet was now in pile on the floor.

Doing his best to navigate the space, Chris tread carefully towards the kitchen where he could hear water running.

Jaime stood at the sink, sniffling quietly as she stood over a pile of dishes that were so dirty that she would've been better off throwing them out and buying a new set than trying to clean them all. "I saw you pull up on the cameras," she said, her voice raw. The cameras were certainly a new addition that bolstered Jamie's growing paranoia.

She was shaking horribly and looked unwell. Her hair was in a knotted bun, her skin paler than normal, and her eyes puffy and tired. She was wearing a hoodie - notably one of Ricky's - and a pair of old pajama pants that were covered in stains.

"Are you doing okay?" Chris set a hand on Jaime's arm, her flinching upon contact.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped, hitting the faucet handle to turn off the tap and leaving the room before Chris could even answer.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Chris followed her back to the living room, taking a seat on one of the chairs she had cleared off.

"Jaime, you're concerning me. When's the last time you showered or had something to eat?"

"This is your fault, you know?" Her words were sharp, "you sewed all that doubt in my mind - that night at the party. You're the reason I left him that night. You're the reason he's missing now. What if he's dead, Chris? If he's dead, then you're the one that killed him. His blood is on your hands." She began crying, her voice catching as her breath quickened and her shaking intensified.

Although Chris could tell that Jaime was spiralling into hysterics, he knew he needed to steer her away from those thoughts before she really started to ruminate on them. "Jaime, I found his phone." Of course it was a lie... Unless "found" meant that he knew exactly where it was from the moment it left Ricky's possession. Having Ricky's phone didn't benefit him any longer and was more useful to him as a breadcrumb that would keep Jaime busy for a bit.

Pulling the phone from his pocket, Chris presented it to Jaime. "Where was it? Is it on?" She stared in shock, absolutely flummoxed.

Staying as calm as possible in an effort to ground Jaime, Chris held it out to her, but she began to back away. "I found it at the end of my driveway this morning." It was another lie, but he had carefully fabricated this story.

"I was taking the trash out and it was by the can. I'm not sure how long it's been there, especially with the recent snow melt. I haven't seen Ricky since he came to my house the day after the party, so my best guess is that he dropped it then."

Jaime began to dig through one of piles of papers, murmuring to herself as she searched. "I have texts from him after that though," she stammered, producing a printed copy of the messages. "He had to have stopped by your house after that," she insisted.

Chris didn't need to read the messages to know what they said. He was the one who sent them, after all. "I haven't seen him since that day, though. And wouldn't he have access to his messages through his tablet or laptop?" Standing up, he returned the paper to where it came from and set the phone down on top of it.

"Maybe you could check the location history and that'll tell you where it's been." He had no problem baiting the line so heavily since he knew Jaime was no forensic investigator; she was borderline tech-illiterate.

The two stood in silence, Jaime clearly having a hard time processing everything that had just been said. "I'll go now," Chris sighed, heading towards the front door. Before he could put on his shoes, Jaime cleared her throat.

"Could you maybe stay... Just for an hour or so? I need to shower but I don't want to miss a call or anything," she explained.

Chris smiled to himself, nodding and turning around. "Of course. I'll be here," he assured.

Jaime wasted no time scampering off to the bathroom, leaving Chris alone in the house. Genuinely, Chris had no problem helping Jaime out for a bit. The less impact Ricky's absence had on her, the better it was for everyone.

But being alone in the house also gave him an opportunity to sleuth. Under the guise of cleaning, he was able to look through the papers, getting a fair idea of Jaime's presumptions and leads in Ricky's disappearance. He tidied up as much of mess as possible, even having a chance to start cooking a basic soup before Jaime reappeared.

A little self-care was all that was needed to perk her up. "Thank you, Chris." She sighed, voice still hoarse. Before Chris had a chance to respond, she embraced him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry for what I said before. It wasn't right of me. I'm sure this is just as hard on you as it is on me."

"I guess you could say that."

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