Focus on the good

 J didn't want to do this, but he knew Tobes had no one else to call. So they drove into the snow on a dark night.

"What are you thinking?" J asked his ex-roommate.

"It's hard to say," Tobes hugged himself hard. "She may have seen something she shouldn't have." 

They were bundled up, ready for the cold. Even in the backseat was food waiting that Carrie packed.

"Oh, she really wanted to come, you know," Tobes said about Carrie, but she was afraid she might not be much help."

"She's so level-headed, while Holly is a trainwreck ready to happen." J shook his head.

"You don't think Stevie is mad, right?" Tobes gave him a look.

"He didn't say anything. I guess he's got his own troubles to deal with. His dad is furious that he's the Vets' home these days, but it would take a whole team to take care of him, you know. He's had Parkinson's all along. Its just with the Covid and the concussion..well, it's all catching up with him. It seemed he thought being a chain smoker would take care of everything, or so Stevie said." J looked at the road ahead. It was snow-covered as they drove north past the city, into the vacant corn fields into nowhereland.

Tobes shook his head at the thought of how bad things were for Stevie's dad.

"Are you sure about this?" J didn't think this would pay off. But it wasn't long until Tobes wanted him to stop. He was of course, navigating this trip on his cell after all. It was then he got out and found Holly's phone on the side of the road in the deep snow. Of course, he was out in the cold a good twenty minutes or so. J stayed in the warm car. He didn't want to get out until  he had to.