Carmen’s cup froze mid way towards her lips and Shane’s paper flopped over. The two looked at each other, Shane asking a silent ‘Should I tell him?’ with her eyebrows and Carmen responding with a shrug. Shane looked up at Mark, “You’re gonna want to sit down for this.”

Mark sat with his mouth agape for several minutes after Shane told him the story (minus her and Carmen’s conversation and what Clive threatened Shane with in the phone call). His mind was reeling, “Wait, so let me get this straight. You were nearly stabbed to death in front of Carmen” he said pointing at Shane with both index fingers, “and her ex-girlfriend” pointing at Carmen, “saved your life” now pointing back at Shane, “by nearly beating this guy to death. And now the ex-girlfriend is in jail for assault and battery?”

“Attempted murder.” Carmen corrected him.

“Well it can’t be attempted murder if her attempt wasn’t to murder him which I’m guessing it wasn’t.” Mark responded. He heaved out a breath and looked at Shane quizzically, “My question is, why the hell was she at our place to begin with?”

The question shocked both women, neither had thought of why Casey had showed up at Shane’s house when she did. It was such perfect timing, it was almost suspicious to Mark.

Carmen was staring at nothing in particular as she tried to figure out Casey’s impeccable timing when she remembered that Casey’s family was either wondering where she was or was going through a crisis. She got up to get her bag with her cell phone inside it but she found it wasn’t where she usually left it, on the coffee table in the living room. “Shit.”

“Looking for something?” Shane asked.

“Yeah my bag. I think I left it at the planet…. and Casey was bringing it back to me, oh my god.” Carmen concluded as her hands moved up to her temples to rub the headache that was forming from all the stress.

“Shit. Well there’s your answer.” Mark said.

Carmen reached for the phone on the table, “I have to phone Casey’s family. They must be freaking out.”

Mark got out of his seat and walked towards the back door. “Well the cops probably took your bag to the station along with her car because it wasn’t out there when I walked in. As for me, I’m going to get a quick nap because I feel like hell. If you guys need me just come get me alright?”