Beyond A Reasonable Doubt (2012 Watty Winner)

Persistence

I awakened the next morning, still clinging to sleep, with a mildly painful throbbing in my head. I rolled out of bed... wait "How in the hell did I get here?" I mumble as I get up and make my way to the bathroom. I don't have to look in the mirror to know that my eyes are bloodshot and there isn't a thing I can do to change that.

I fruitlessly splash water on them anyways, and all over my face. I finally glance up in the mirror to see that I'm right. My face looks that of a person who hasn't slept in weeks. I brush my teeth and shower. After getting dressed I walk into my living room and find Jackson asleep on my couch. Oh, this must be how I got here. I go into the kitchen and make a pot of coffee.

"Jack." I say, shaking him awake.

"Huh, yeah?" He says springing upright, looking around the room with wide eyes. I giggle before handing him the cup in my right hand.

"Here." I say and he takes the coffee. He sips it slowly then murmurs a thanks. I walk over to the chair that's across from the couch he was sleeping on and sit down. "I have a new lead." I tell him as I take a sip of my coffee.

Ah!

Heavenly.

"What is it?" He asks doing the same.

"I went to talk to Spencer yesterday..." I start and I can see him smile behind the coffee cup that's lingering just above his bottom lip. "Knock it off, Jack." I warn him and he smiles wider. "Anyways, she told me that, about a month back she found this receipt in the victims pocket for this restaurant downtown and I wanna check it out." He gives me a confused look.

"Okay, so he got something to eat...what does that have to do with the case?" He asks as he sits his coffee mug down on the table. Oh right, I forgot to tell him about Kyla and I having lunch.

"The mistress Kyla told me about over lunch, I think this receipt is our connection to her and that mystery number." I say.

"Wait, lunch?" He says sitting back on the couch, interlocking is fingers and placing them behind his head, smiling.

"I swear, I don't even know why I bother sometimes." I shake my head at him and get up from my spot on the chair. "We were talking about the case, Jack. Nothing else." I assure him, going into the kitchen to pour myself more coffee.

"Oh, no I believe you." He says in a sarcastic tone, nodding his head slowly.

"Right." I say simply with a smile. "If you wanna go you should probably go get cleaned up. I have spare toothbrushes under the sink." I tell him, pointing in the direction of the bathroom—like he doesn't know where it is.

"Just be careful, Ash." He says in a serious tone as he gets up from the couch.

"Careful of what?" I ask knitting my brows together.

"This case is pretty high profile, you know with paparazzi and such..." He trails off.

"Jack, I'm not sleeping with my clients best friend." I assure him. Kyla is honestly not even my type.

I get this weird 'we could be sisters in a different life' vibe about her.

"I'm just saying." He says holding up his hands in a defensive gesture.

"Well don't." I tell him and my mind drifts to Spencer for some reason.

"You're not falling for her best friend cause you're falling for her." Jackson says quickly, snapping me from my thoughts. I look up to say something mean to him but he's already making a run for my bathroom.

"Asshole!" I yell after him.

"Whore!" He yells back. I giggle and finish the rest of my coffee while I wait for him to get ready.