Two weeks of silence was a sharp turn from their several times a day letter exchange. After spending weeks fretting over his health and safety, eight days felt like an eternity. She felt no guilt over her decisions, for if he had been unwell no one would've known. Then what? Was this ultimate plan? Fade away into the abyss until no one but his mother cared for him anymore?

"If you had returned any of my letters I wouldn't have had to believe that," she spat. There were more dangerous situations than what existed outside his home. Even drinking to excess posed its own problems. How many times had she witnessed her father falling down a similar path?

She swallowed down another bitter retort and instead answered his question. "You were a witness on one of my cases, it was in the file." Then, with a huff, she continued, "now I would like to know why you couldn't just send me a single letter in return? Fallon, I don't wish to communicate with you any longer. I'm fine and will continue to be. Goodbye. See how easy that was?" She was ranting now, more furious even than when she thought Jesse said goodbye. "No, instead you had to be a fucking coward."