Page 13 of The Editor’s Choice

I’m growing more impatient by the second now. Just when I think she’s not coming back, she opens the door a few inches, handing me a slip of paper with a phone number on it. No name.

“Tell her Patsy told you to call,” she instructs.

“Yes, ma’am,” I comply. “I certainly will. Thank you so much for your help.”

“I haven’t been of any real help, young man, but Sara may be able to help you along. I want to know who murdered that young lady and why just as bad as everybody else in this town. These kinds of things just don’t happen here and it has everybody on edge,” she confides. “Find out what happened to her so we can all rest a little easier.” There’s a softness to her tone that has my heart aching. She’s terrified, and so are a lot of other people apparently.

With that, she steps back inside the apartment before quietly closing the door again. I hear the soft click of the lock sliding into place as I take a step back toward my apartment.

Five minutes later, I’m leaning against my kitchen counter, dialing the number I was given. Hoping against hope that this is at least a starting place, I hit send on the call, not wanting to waste any time. The call seems to ring for minutes, though I’m sure it’s no more than fifteen seconds or so. Just when I’m about to hang up, the line connects and I hear a woman on the other end.

“Hello?” she questions, her voice full of frustration.

“Hey. I got your number from Patsy. She said you might be able to help me out with some information,” I say, jumping right to the point. Just from that one word, I would bet Sara isn’t the patient type.

“If you got my number from her, we shouldn’t be having this conversation over the phone. I’ll meet you at Broadstone in an hour.” Without waiting for a response, she ends the call, leaving me staring at my phone in my hand.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into? I wonder, letting my imagination run for a few minutes. This doesn’t sound like anything I want to be mixed up in, but I promised Jade she wouldn’t deal with it alone, and I fully intend to keep that promise, come hell or high water.

***

I’ve been to this park a thousand times, but it feels different this time. The air feels thick, like it’s hard to pull it into my lungs. Everything seems dreary, as if there’s something deeply amiss, although no one seems to notice or be affected by it aside from myself.

I head over to the creek, trying to avoid the people here just trying to relax or play with their kids. Laughter and chitchat fill the air. I do my best to drown it all out, making it nothing more than a little background noise. My head is still trying to wrap itself around everything going on and the reason for my visit.

Sitting on the bank, I pull my shoes and socks off, placing them neatly beside me before I dip my feet into the crystal-clear water, noting that I can clearly see each rounded rock as my feet ripple the water. It’s a nice contrast to the hot and sticky day. Without much thought, I decide to wade in a little way, about mid-calf deep, thankful I wore shorts today.

“Enjoying yourself?” she asks, making me jump and causing my feet to slip on the moss-covered rocks along the creek bed. I was so lost in thought; I didn’t even hear her arrive. I right myself within seconds, but my breath is still rapid, heart still hammering inside my chest.

Willing my racing pulse to slow down, I take in the sight of her. She’s about 5’7” or so, average build, wearing black from head to toe, including an incredible twisted Alice in Wonderland shirt that sports Alice licking a knife while the Cheshire Cat lazes on a mushroom behind her, beaming with pride. It goes well with the bright purple shoulder-length hair, piercings, and tattoos.

She sits gracefully beside my shoes, legs folded beneath her, waiting for me to climb out of the creek and plant myself on the ground facing her.

“What can I help you with?” she questions genuinely, her southern drawl pulling me in. “It’s not often Patsy gives my number to strangers, so it must be important.”

“What do you do exactly? She didn’t give me anything to go on. Just your number on a piece of paper. Said to call and you could help me.” I don’t exactly trust this woman, though she’s given me no reason not to. Her accent reminds me of an old southern grandmother. The kind who would welcome just about anyone into their home, not a care in the world. It’s a façade though, at least partially. That accent could easily lull someone into a fall sense of security, like she’s a harmless, innocent young woman. She’s sweet but not a person I would want to cross on the wrong day.

“Well. I grew up here but always had bigger dreams. I never wanted to live out my life here, but somehow, I keep coming back. When I was in high school, I took an interest in computers. Coding and all that fun stuff. The geek type stuff. Turns out, I’m pretty exceptional at finding out people’s secrets,” she shrugs, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. “I mostly do surveillance for bigger companies now. Make sure their cameras are all up and working properly. Occasionally, I help people find answers they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.”

I take a minute to process everything she has offered me, letting the laced silence hang between us. I’m half hoping she will keep talking, half hoping she doesn’t. Truth be told, the less I know about this woman, the better off I’ll be if things go south.

Realizing I don’t have much to lose, I share the information I do have with her, aware that every detail I have has been released to the public already. I relay everything Jade has told me, along with my own thoughts about the situation. I tell her about my gut feeling, about something just not adding up, though I can’t quite place what it is.

“You said there was blood everywhere?” she repeats, making sure she has all the details written down.

“That’s what they said. They didn’t give any real details on how she died, no cause of death. I haven’t heard any conclusion on an autopsy, though I tried contacting the police about that myself. It’s still underway apparently. So I’m not sure if that’s from the struggle or if she was stabbed or what happened exactly.” I rehash a few more small details with her before she’s standing, brushing the dust off the back of her pants.

“I don’t have enough details yet to say what the issue is with this story you all have been fed, but I’ll do some digging and see what I can find out. Maybe make a few phone calls. I’ll be in touch in a few days. Sooner if I find something interesting. In the meantime, I need you to keep her talking. Keep her close in case new details come up from her side. If they do, you know how to reach me,” she says. Her eyes are full of sorrow, almost like she feels the burden personally. Like she needs to help people find the answers so they can have a little peace and closure, knowing the truth.

“Thank you so much for all your help. I appreciate it more than you could ever know. If there’s ever anything I could do to begin to repay the favor, just make it known,” I say, holding her gaze for a few extra seconds.

With an almost imperceptible nod, she turns and slowly walks the other direction, back toward the entrance to the park. I let out a heavy breath, feeling the weight settle onto my shoulders. Although I know it’s not my burden to bear, I have to find out what happened to Emily. I have to find that peace for Jade.

With a sick feeling taking root in the pit of my stomach, I head back home, feeling more defeated than hopeful.

I’m feeling restless, but for now, all I can do is keep a close eye on her and make sure she’s safe.

It isn’t long before I’m twisting the key in my front door, slipping through and kicking off my shoes in the entryway. Without a moment’s hesitation, I open the laptop I left on the kitchen island. With a few clicks, the screen comes to life and I put my head down, burying myself in an overdue manuscript.