“It’s our only option, Case. We have nothing else to go on,” I say. We sit in silence for a few moments and Cason stares out of the window. I’m just as frustrated as he is. We’ve been following Jax all night. It’s now daylight, and Jax hasn’t taken us anywhere that could remotely help us find Fallon. Neither of us have slept—not that sleeping has been an option for me lately anyway.
“Wait—this is our neighborhood,” Cason says as he sits up straight in his seat and looking more closely at the houses and street signs we are passing. “Where is he taking us?”
“Looks like we’re about to find out,” I say as I slow the car down and pull off to the side and out of view just as Jax pulls into the driveway of an older home about two blocks from our house.
We watch him get out of his car and go to the front door of this house. He seems too comfortable with the place for my liking. He knocks and waits a few moments, then knocks again. When he doesn’t get an answer, he disappears around the back of the house.
“So are we ever going to talk about why you went to some chick’s house instead of calling me when Marcus had you jumped?” I ask as I keep my eye on the house.
Cason hisses but he doesn’t argue. “I wasn’t going to bring them to you. I didn’t need us both jumped. Someone has to be in good shape in case we find her. I figured Narni’s house was safer than being followed home by a couple of Marcus’s thugs.”
“Is that really why?” This time I look directly at Cason.
His meets my eyes but swallows hard. There’s something he isn’t telling me; I can see it in the way he’s holding back. But Cason is my brother and if he isn’t saying something it’s because of one of two reasons: he isn’t ready, or he’s protecting his family.
“That’s it. Sheesh, man. Sorry for trying to protect my family. Isn’t that what we do? Have each other’s backs?” Cason says. He’s defensive because he’s not ready to admit whatever he won’t tell me to himself either. That’s fine, because he’s right—we have each other’s backs, and I’ll have his back right now. I’ll let him figure it out for himself first before I push for more answers.
“Okay. You’re right. Sorry, bro. This whole thing with Fallon has me off.” The lie is for his sake.
Cason's phone starts ringing to a guitar riff, and I look over at him. “Can you turn that shit off?”
“Sorry, man,” Cason says as he silences his phone, ignoring the caller. He leans forward, searching the house. “He’s been back there for a long time.”
“Yep,” I say. It’s definitely suspicious.
Cason’s phone starts ringing again and this time, he picks it up and looks at the caller ID. “Shit, it’s Goose. Let me see what he wants.”
“Yo, man. I’m kind of in the middle of something,” Cason says as he answers his phone, leaning back into the headrest. Almost instantaneously, he perks up in his seat and throws a glance at me. “Alright, alright, hold on a sec.”
Cason pulls his phone away from his ear and puts it on speaker. He places the phone on the center console so we can both hear. “Okay man, he’s here. What’s up?”
“Jesse?” Goose’s voice echoes in the car.
“This better be important, dude. We’re in the middle of something.” I speak into the phone. Right now is not the time.
“I think I might have something on Fallon,” Goose replies.
I look up to Cason, meeting his level stare with one of my own. We both lean closer the phone. “You got my attention. What’s going on?”
“Look, something’s up with Jordan. He just ain’t acting normal. He said something to you the other day that had me feeling kind of funny,” Goose says, “I’ve seen him talking to that Marcus guy, but he told you that he didn’t know the dude. Then after you left, he took off in a hurry.”
Cason and I glance at each other once more. Goose is quiet. He doesn’t tend to get into peoples’ business. Calling his boy out like this means he must be feeling really off about whatever shit he’s seen.
“Keep going,” I say, almost too impatient. I’m ready to kick into gear and jump on the possibility of a lead.
“So I followed him. He went to this random house, and he was standing on the front porch arguing with someone inside about a girl. I couldn’t see who he was arguing with, but I thought it might have had something to do with Fallon. The whole thing was just funny, ya know?” Goose says.
“Goose, you got that address?” Cason asks as he beats a fist on the roof of my car.
“Yeah dude, I’ll text it over right away.”
I can feel the adrenaline start to hum in my veins. This could be a solid lead. Finally. “Alright. Thanks, man. You did us a solid.”
Goose breathes heavily into the phone. “I hope it ain’t nothing, but if it’s something, I couldn’t just let it slide by.”
“Yeah, thanks bro, I appreciate it,” I say sincerely.
“No problem, man. I like Fallon. She’s good people,” Goose says. “Address is on its way. I’ll catch y’all later.”
The call ends just as Jax reappears from the side of the building. He looks a bit frustrated as he gets back to his car, only to glance back at the house one last time before getting in and driving off.
Cason’s phone beeps with an incoming text and he checks it. His eyes go wide.
“Holy shit. No fucking way. What number is on that house?”
“One-three-two. Why?” I ask as I glance back
