A/N: Last chapter was short, and I promised this one was going to be bigger!
Still getting over being sick and shout-out to SK, who is also recovering! What a week, huh?
Seeing as there was little going on, Tori and Jade embarked on their ride almost immediately. This was good as they would have a few hours before it got dark, and Tori would want to be at least heading back before that happened.
Tori set the GPS for Everett, WA and they were off. Jade did some quick digging and came across Adam's uncle's address. It would've been nice to call the boy, but it was a good enough excuse for the new couple to go on their first excursion together, alone. And when you think about it, Adam made his way to Langley to identify the body, which wasn't easy on his part. Jade could make them even by inviting him to Donna's service in person.
About a third into their trip, the State Road 525 was bisected by the rather massive Possession Sound. Which meant they had to take the ferry to get them the rest of the way to continue on the SR-525. At this point, Tori was getting accustomed to ferries in her "new normal" up here. It was a weird feeling at first to drive your car onto a ship and sail with it across the water and then drive off.
It would've been simpler had they left straight from Jade's house as the Camano Islands connected to the mainland with Highway 532 which would lead them to I-5 South. Then they could just ride that much of the way.
Honestly, though, Tori didn't mind. The ferry was a relaxing way to stretch one's legs after driving for several miles. And besides, she had her spirited new girlfriend to share this journey with. She imagined having her along during that long drive from the airport to Langley. Jade was fantastic company, as she leaned her head against Tori's shoulder as they watched the scenery go by.
"Goddamn, I never get tired of seeing this..." Jade sighed.
And Tori thinks she would never get tired of Jade's warmth.
(Is this what love feels like?)
Tori could see herself settling down here the more she entertained the thought. Jade broke it down that yes, the town leaned more conservative but there hasn't been hate crimes or anything because Langley was chill that way. They have their annual Pride event and last Christmas; the local theater had a production on the life of Susan Sontag. For Jade, growing up, it was frustrating because while tolerant, Langley didn't foster a gay nightlife the way New Orleans did.
If she wanted to go out and meet somebody, Jade would have to go all the way to Seattle. Chances were low of meeting a girl at the bars around here. There were gay and lesbian couples out there, but they were very married and very retired wishing to go somewhere scenic and quiet. The younger sapphics and gay men were on their own!
So, imagine the good fortune Jade felt in her chest that this vivacious woman just entered in her life through happenstance.
"Hey, Tori?"
"Yeah?" she sighed, tightening her hug.
"You have an overnight bag handy?"
The detective squinted and thought, eventually shaking her head.
"I don't even have a toothbrush."
Jade studied Tori's slender but capable hands.
"Guess we will have to make a stop on the way back and get some essentials."
Tori nodded with a hum of agreement.
"What about your room, at the motel?"
"Eh..." Tori shrugged. "Dad's gonna need somewhere to stay."
A light brow lifted as Jade tilted her head.
"Really?"
"Hell, when your car is back, he can borrow the Panda is he needs it!"
Jade's face was burning with so many emotions. Tori genuinely didn't want to let her go. They both experienced the bliss of waking next to someone and it was impossible to go back!
Once they arrived within Everett, Jade asked Tori to find somewhere to eat. In the excitement of everything, they both missed lunch. So, why not an early dinner at a local restaurant.
Tori spotted a big sign for Derek's B.B.Q. and it sounded good.
They both got the pulled pork sandwiches with sweet potato fries. You could request your coleslaw on the side or on the sandwich. Tori went with the slaw on her pork while Jade had it with the fries. Her quirky sense of humor nearly made Jade order a bowl of chili just to make her stupid little fantasy come true but decided against it. She could only imagine explaining this to Tori, wide doe eyes looking back at her.
(Best I keep that to myself.)
"Bet this grub reminds you of Louisiana a little," Tori said after swallowing her latest bite.
Jade shrugged, "Eh, this is more southern cooking, not so much deep south."
The Latina smiled, putting her hands together like an apple polisher in the classroom.
"And what is the difference, my dear?"
"There's more spice in New Orleans style, lots of seafood. They really go all in on the French influence. Of course, I'm generalizing."
Tori blinked and picked up a fry.
"Blessed be!" she gasped in her best Gone With the Wind accent. "I didn't fancy you as a connoisseur."
The two laughed, Jade nearly punching the table. Luckily, they were the only ones on this side of the establishment, so they weren't disturbing as many folks. Frankly, the ladies on lunch are way louder than this pair so nobody on the waiting staff minded.
"Where did you get that voice from?" Jade chuckled.
"You like it?" Tori smirked back, eating another fry. "Something I came up with at the academy..." she sipped her drink carefully to not choke from the laughing. "...we had this one recruit, called him Tex."
"Because he's from Texas!" the medical examiner pointed.
"Nope, Atlanta" the cop corrected. "Anyway, he had this thick drawl and we couldn't get enough. One night, we go out for some drinks, he starts talking and I'm so loopy I start talking back in this southern accent."
Jade covered her mouth but let the snort escape. The scene sounded absolutely hilarious.
"It got worse," Tori chortled. "I told him to refer to me as Sweet Sally Peaches."
The blonde's jaw dropped.
"SHUT. UP."
Tori held up her hands.
"You've got a wild side, huh Vega?"
Jade gasped as a leg rubbed against her own.
"Did I ever tell you I LOVE when you call me Vega?"
Now that they had their stomachs satisfied and took a much needed bathroom break, they were back on the road.
It was about twenty minutes later that they finally found the house on Whippoorwill Lane.
Jade double-checked the number and nodded to Tori. Both ladies exited the Fiat and walked their way to the front door.
Tori stepped aside, staying close, but giving Jade the open to do the honors by knocking.
The door swung open and a boy in his early twenties blinked at the unexpected visitors. Took him a moment but he recognized Jade.
"Dr. West?" he asked.
"Adam, you know this woman?"
An older gentleman wearing a red and white baseball cap. Jade recognized it immediately as the school colors from Washington State with the mascot on the front.
(Go Cougars!)
"This is my Uncle Bob," he indicated to the guardian. "Uncle, this is Dr. West. The one I met in Langley." Adam noticed then Tori. "Oh, yeah! You're the one that helped me find her."
Tori and Jade exchanged looks, vainly remembering how things were still ice cold between them that day.
The man's eyes widened and he nodded in understanding.
"Please, come in you two."
With the long drive ahead, it didn't take much convincing for the ladies to accept the offer of coffee. They both thanked Adam's uncle and made themselves comfortable in the living room. Adam sat across from them while Uncle Rob stood in the door frame, sipping his own fresh brew.
"It would be this Sunday," Jade summarized. "Around 2 p.m. Would you be able to make it?"
Adam bit his lip, really taking in the fact that this was Donna's funeral. It was somehow sadder than when they found her body. She wasn't coming back but the conceit of putting her in the ground seemed so...final. But it was important as the alternative would not be deserving of such a sweet young lady. His uncle noticeably grinded his teeth at the mention of her mother.
"The wrong one died if you ask me..."
His nephew shot a disapproving look.
"Yeah, yeah, frown if you want!" he sneered before taking a big gulp. "You know I'm right."
"I can't exactly blame you for having issues with that woman," Tori frankly stated.
Uncle Rob slurped some more and set his cup on a small table with potted plants on it.
"I take issue with any mom who detaches from their child. So, what if Donna was...gay or whatever? It's not my way, but that shouldn't affect a mother's love!"
Jade hid a small smirk. The man was crude but his heart was in the right place. Caring for his nephew, he must have possessed some kind of parental instinct. More than she could say for Mrs. Blakely.
"Sorry you guys had to come all the way here," Adam nodded apologetically.
Tori shrugged.
"Well, a change of scenery never hurt."
"But you will be there?" Jade pressed.
"Of course!" the boy said emphatically. "Can I...ask you something, Dr. West?"
Jade set down her mug.
"Yes?"
Adam exhaled, regarding the two women.
"Would you happen to know where they found her?"
Sixteen miles east of the uncle's house, according to the coordinates from Everett Police, this approximate spot was where Donna met her sad end. Even without the precise location from the local authorities, Jade became aware of a heaviness in this vicinity. She scanned the surrounding forest with a revered sigh.
(What a lonesome place to die.)
It was a fear of hers, dying alone. She thanked God that she was at least there for her aunt who didn't have to go through that. Nobody should have to leave this life with nobody to hold their hand or say how much they are loved.
The trees were pretty no doubt when Donna passed as it was late spring/early summer, and the forest was still abloom. She had a picture in her head when she heard of a young girl discovered dead in the woods, and this was more or less what she envisioned.
Jade took a gander at Tori and Adam, who must have picked up similar vibes. They were frozen in place, as if listening to the quiet wind around them.
"My God," Adam swallowed. "It would've taken her hours on foot even if she knew where she was going."
Tori could tell the boy wished that things would have worked out differently. Brown eyes were fixed on the trembling flowers in his grasp.
"Do you want us to leave?" Jade offered.
"Give you a few minutes alone?"
He hesitated before nodding and Jade padded his shoulder.
"Just...stay here and we'll be right back."
"Thank you," he quietly told them.
Tori nodded and put her arm around Jade.
They walked several yards away before they could feel comfortable to talk freely.
"Did you feel it?" Tori asked. "When we got there?"
Jade held her heart.
"You think Donna's spirit, or energy, is out there?"
The Latina gave her a thoughtful look.
"If that's true...hopefully Adam saying a few words and laying down some flowers can give her the verve to move on."
"Maybe..."
Tori caught Jade squinting as she looked at their surroundings.
"What's up?" asked Tori.
"I'm wondering what direction she might have come from..." Jade looked around the ground near them. "On our way, I didn't see any footprints, did you?"
"They could've gone away overtime with rain and all."
Jade shook her head and chuckled.
"What was I thinking? So stupid. Footprints aren't going to stick around for more than a couple of days."
Tori nudged her shoulder.
"Don't beat yourself up, babe."
There was a hiking trail that they passed, which was likely where the people who found her body was traveling. But a girl, presumably frightened and confused, could have come from any direction in these woods.
"Would you mind staying here a second?" Jade asked.
"Why?"
"Just...give me a few and I'll come back."
"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" Tori smirked. "Morbid curiosity?"
Jade shrugged.
"I'm a coroner, Tori. Morbid curiosity is my life!"
"Please call me if you get turned around," Tori sighed.
She hugged the detective tightly.
"I will. And thanks for taking me here. I need this..."
"I get it," Tori said warmly with a kiss on the cheek. "You felt a connection to this girl and want to see it through."
Jade sighed.
Tori stood with her arms crossed as she watched her walk away.
Jade took it easy through the low-hanging trees, having to duck or get a face full of branch.
She swore if she had to crouch down anymore, her back would hate her in the morning.
In the wasteland of browns and grays and dark greens, a splash of bright color made the doctor do a double take.
It was a big yellow house.
You really had to traverse the thick of it to find this place, otherwise you'd spot it from miles away on the highway. Jade pondered if Donna had noticed it on her sojourn. Who wouldn't? Maybe she met with the owner and asked for directions.
She licked her lips and walked closer to the lone residence, taking notice of the lack of "Beware: Dog" signs, so she felt a little safe. But people who live out here could get really uppity when someone trespasses on their land, so Jade had to put her best game face on. She can't be rude or pushy.
(And yet you're still approaching this person's house uninvited.)
Other than the lack of warning signs, there was no fence. Jade craned her neck and noticed the corner of something in the backyard. Looked like a renovation project was going on. Maybe Grizzly Adams here was digging a swimming pool.
Jade stepped slowly onto the wooden steps leading to the deck that wrapped around half of the structure. The boards creaked under her modest weight. Jade imagined a racoon could make this thing shake. This thing was well-made but was showing its age. Blue eyes spotted a big divot in the floor and deftly avoided it.
She looked down and brushed the bits of tree debris on her coat that she accrued while hiking. A pale finger pressed the dimly lit doorbell.
Those awkward moments between things happening, like an elevator door opening or listening to the other phone ringing, always grated on Jade's nerves. But the wait for someone to answer the door was hands down the worst. Jade made some lip music to amuse herself before ringing the bell a second time.
"Just a second!" came an older man's voice.
Jade could make out footsteps punctuated by a muffled thud in a regular pattern.
The tan door swung open, and a white-haired fellow stood there, leaning on a cane not that different from the one Dr. Reynolds was using following the accident. He wasn't that old, maybe late fifties or early sixties, max. But she would bet he prematurely lost his natural color years prior. Some men just grey the moment they leave their teens behind.
He looked her up and down, but his face didn't change.
"Can I... help you, miss?"
"Sorry," Jade sighed with a disarming smile. "I'm Dr. Jade West."
The man's brow raised.
"Oh, my goodness!" he grinned. "Did Medicaid send you?"
Jade chuckled and shook her head.
"No, sir. I'm here on uh..." she dug in her pocket to pull out her phone. "It's been a few months but..." Jade showed a picture of Donna as recent as she could find prior to her demise. "Did you see this girl?"
The medical examiner jumped at the sound his cane made against the door.
"Whoops! Sorry if I gave you a fright."
"Do you need to sit down, sir?" Jade asked.
He clutched his chest.
"Yes, I really should" the man nodded. "Would you like to come in?"
A few feet from the front door there was an old sofa complete with a fine wood finish and a garish floral upholstery. No way this was made beyond the 1980's. Her aunt had something similar until it fell apart.
The older fella sounded like he was going to cough up a lung as he grunted to a seat on said sofa. Jade felt better sitting on the arm of a big chair, looking just as old but likely sturdier than anything modern.
"Mr... uh..." Jade trailed off, holding out her hand.
"Sanders," he nodded.
"Yes!" she nodded. "This girl was found dead of exposure."
Concern overcame the man's visage.
"Oh, no. That happens so much in these parts. People come around, no equipment, no map...and not just the young ones either!"
"This house just stood out to me..." Jade sighed. "I mean who wouldn't notice it?"
Sanders grinned.
"Fair enough."
"I was curious if she might have passed through here?"
"Little closer, please?" he gestured with his left hand.
Jade brought the phone screen closer to the man.
"I think...yeah, yeah, she did come through. I was outside and..." he pointed with his cane shakily. "Poor thing looked lost. She asked which way to the highway, and I told her to head north."
"Did she say anything else?"
Sanders shook his head.
"Is there an investigation or something?" he asked.
"No. Just tying up loose ends, I guess."
Jade sucked in her teeth and pocketed her phone. She stood up to leave, not noticing Sanders reaching for something.
"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Sanders..." she said with her back turned. "You have a good..."
She felt her muscles tightening immediately. A vibrating sensation coursing through her whole body. Jade hardly made an intelligible sound before collapsing onto the floor. Then everything went dark.
"Oh, Jade..."
Sanders was still leaning on his cane but moving better than he let on earlier.
"Let's not be so formal."
He shut the door while looking down at her.
"Call me Doug."