A few days later Max called Emma. There was a car on the side of the road on the edge of town. When Emma came, the two began searching the car.
"You two mind if I take a look, too?" Sidney asked.
"What for?" Emma replied.
"Well, just because I got fired from 'The Mirror' doesn't mean I can't do a little freelance reporting. So what do we got here?" Sidney responded before taking a picture.
"Gym teacher found this thing on the side of the road, abandoned, engine running, no one around." Max answered, "It's registered to Kathryn Nolan. She's M.I.A."
"Kathryn Nolan, whose husband very publicly left her? I mean, the story writes itself." Sidney said, "If I get a scope like that, 'The Daily Mirror' would have no choice but to take me back."
"Calm down, tiger. You don't work for Regina anymore." Emma retorted. "Kathryn got accepted to law school in Boston. Maybe after David dumped her, she decided to leave town. Car broke down. She hitched the rest of the way. That's what I would do if I was running away from my problems."
Emma grabbed the keys from the ignition and opened the trunk, revealing Kathryn's suitcase.
"And, uh, would you leave your clothes in the car?"
"I guess it's time to pull Kathryn's phone records and find out who she spoke to last." Max said.
"Yeah, you know, if you go through the sheriff's department, it'll take you days to get those. I've got a contact over at the phone company who used to help me out when I was at the newspaper. I can get those in a couple of hours." Sidney replied.
"Great. Call me the minute you get your hands get on those phone records." Emma ordered before a truck pulled up behind Sidney's car.
"There he is."
"Time to break the news." Max stated.
After Emma talked to David, the two woman went back to the sheriff's department. Emma spoke to Kathryn's school over the phone and Max wen tout on her lunch break. She walked through the Miner's Day celebration that was at city hall.
Maddie sat on a bench next to Jefferson, the two watching the blonde walk around.
"You should ask her out." Maddie commented, "Take her out to Miner's Day tonight."
"Why would she want to go out with me?" Jefferson asked.
"God, you are so blind, Jefferson. She really likes you. Take the chance. You may have lost your daughter and Maxxie, but you might be able to get one of them back. And if luck is really on your side, you'll get both." Maddie stood up, "So, take my advice." She said before walking away.
Max went back to the sheriff's department and helped Emma go over the evidence as Sidney walked in with the phone records.
"You find something?"
"Kathryn's phone records." Emma took the envelop and took out the records, "Every call she made the day she crashed her car, including an 8 minute call between her and David within an hour of the accident."
"That's not possible. He said he didn't speak to her that day." Emma replied.
"Then he's lying." Sidney responded.
"No. I know when someone is lying, and David-"
"It's right here on paper, Emma." Sidney interrupted, "Phone records don't lie. People do. And our friend David does it better than most. Don't beat yourself up over this. You're not the only person David fooled."
"Do you think Sidney is acting weird?" Max asked Emma once the man left.
"Weird how?"
"Well, he really wanted David to be the cause of Kathryn's disappearance." Max replied.
"Yeah, that did seem kinda weird." Emma said.
Max stared at the piece of paper, "How easy is it to tamper with phone records?"
"I don't know. I guess you'd have to have the right connections." Emma answered.
"Like... Madame Mayor?"
"Max, are you saying that Sidney had Regina tamper with the phone records so it would seem like David got rid of Kathryn?" Emma questioned.
Max shrugged, "Maybe."
"Why would Sidney do that?"
"Maybe Regina fired him so he would get on our good side. Sidney could be telling Regina everything at this very moment." Max said.
Emma stood up, "I'm gonna talk to David again."
"What should I do?" Max asked.
"You can... take the rest of the night off. Go to the Miner's Day celebration." Emma answered.
"You sure?"
"Positive."
Max was walking back to her apartment she shared with Emma and Mary Margaret when she got a call on her cell phone,
"Hello?"
"Max?"
"Jefferson?" Max asked, a smile on her face.
"Yeah. And before you ask how I got your number, your sister gave it to me." Jefferson said.
"Of course she did. So, why did you call?"
"I was wanted to know if you wanted to go out tonight to the Miner's Day celebration at City Hall." He answered.
"Yeah, I'd like that."
"Great." Jefferson responded, "I'll pick you up at seven?"
"Sure."
Max ended the call and smiled all the way back to the apartment and went to change.
She changed into a pink sleeveless dress that barely ended above her knees. It wasn't the smartest outfit to wear on the cold fall night, but Max didn't have the time to change, because the doorbell rang.
Max opened the door and was greeted by Jefferson. He was wearing a patterned button up shirt with a scarf, black vest, dress pants, boots, and a jacket.
The two quickly left and went to city hall. On the way, Max got cold and Jefferson gave her his jacket. They got to the celebration, and walked around, playing games. Jefferson bought some hot apple cider and they continued to walk and talk.
All of the sudden, the lights went out.
Mary Margaret and Leroy began selling candles. Actually, they sold all of them.
"Wow... this is beautiful." Max said, looking around at everyone with the lit candles.
"Not as beautiful as you." Jefferson replied before kissing Max.
"That was incredibly cheesy." Max laughed when Jefferson pulled away.
"Yeah, I know." He replied before Max kissed him again.