Teachers Tapestry

Fifty-four

After Stella's twins finished I went home and so did Stella.

I tried to call Collette and take Stella's advice. Just call her. It works both ways.

I called and called but I got nothing.

I left maybe ten voicemails. I didn't care she wasn't answering. I was worried but I knew bigger things were going on.

I sent a two taps from my bracelet hoping that she gets them. And if she does, she's okay. I'd just be there for her. Best I can be.

She sent two back and I felt a little more at ease.

I threw myself into work for the rest of the afternoon. I had two meetings to go to. Thankfully they were all phone call meetings.

The first one passed smoothly and we talked about the budget of the warehouse and maybe upgrading as the business grows. The second one was to market the upcoming spring and summer lines.

I had to get models and send the new pieces to printing before the end of march. Which wasn't a big deal because I had the designs I just needed to send them off with the type of item required.

After that I stopped working for a bit. I sat down to catch up on orange is the new black, I do love the show. Probably more than I should.

I'm only thirty minutes into an hour long episode when my front door opens.

"Valentina." I hear my best friend call from the front door.

"Stella." I say in a flat tone, pausing the show.

"Here is the folder. I've printed everything Rico sent over." She said handing me a folder of papers before sitting down.

"Rico actually found things?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Rico doesn't disappoint." She countered.

I flipped through it and it's all basically a repeat of the stuff we looked at last time.

Nothing new, and the same old thing.

"Nothings changed." I say to her closing the folder.

"Look again. Last page." She says and I do exactly that.

The last page is full of information from the last five months.

He's been in and out of rehab periodically, lasting no longer than two weeks at a time. He's failed and been caught in multiple liquor stores there after. One incarceration for public indecency which is basically useless to me.

"Here you go." Stella hands me a second file.

"¿Y eso?" I ask her taking it from her.
(Translation: and this?)

"Colton smith." She says calmly.

"I don't want that one." I tell her. "It's unethical and something I don't exactly want. I just need some leverage on the bastard if I ever meet him."

"Okay so I'll read it." She started. "Colton dean smith. 40 years old born on the 12th of June. An ex military man, ex police chief and now a CEO of a marketing company, that specialises in magazines advertising. Odd choice but so be it. Married in early 2002 with one son born in 2007, who is a delinquent. Divorced last year and has been ever since. Zero skeletons." Stella says.

"Thank you for the very much unwanted information." I roll my eyes at her.

"Your eyes are going to get stuck like that. The same thing I have to tell Natalia." She snickers at me. And I don't reply.

"She's okay Val. Don't let your mind go off."

"I know she's okay. I just hate that she might be getting hurt again. I don't think you understand Stella. This girl...she makes me feel in metaphors." I say softly.