Chapter 46
Private notes: Detective Callum Baxter (LAPD)
Date: Mar 2
Time: 10:08
Chief’s ordered me to shelve the Musgrave investigation, put it into the cold case files. He’s even got the powers that be to let up on the pressure—we can’t give Jason Musgrave what we don’t have.
And because the chief knows me, he’s also just assigned me a multiple murder involving three young dance graduates, making sure I won’t have time to work the Musgrave case on my own. He knows I’d never shortchange the dancer case—man, they were just kids.
He thinks I’m obsessed, that I need some distance at least. “Take a few months, Baxter, then maybe I’ll give you some time to work it again. But for right now, it’s cold.”
Maybe he’s right.
Or maybe Tavish Advani is charming another old lady right now.
Chapter 47
The caution tape still fluttered at the top of the driveway down to the Lake Tarawera house, but the scene looked a lot different from when I’d last been here. Flowers, masses of them, lay on the grass shoulder along the road on either side of the drive.
Thankfully, however, there were no looky-loos or media vans—I’d been planning to just drive on past if that was the case. This remained the biggest crime that had taken place in Rotorua in a decade or more. Even the national media was continuing to update the public—though right now, those updates just consisted of reporters finding new ways to say that “the two survivors of the tragic incident remain in the ICU.”
My history hadn’t yet leaked. Possibly because of the prevailing view that the deaths and fire must have resulted from a family issue—the few times where Ihadbeen mentioned, it had been as Diya’s “American fiancé,” a man who was newly in the country and thus an outsider to the family drama.
The fact that Bobby had been the CEO of a major company, whilehis parents were both senior doctors, had given the media more than enough meat to chew on—add on Diya and Shumi being two beautiful women in critical condition, and they had plenty to fill airtime and column inches.
It helped that pretty much no one had my contact details, so the reporters couldn’t get in touch with me unless they staked out the hospital. Which, so far, they hadn’t been crass enough to do—that, or I’d managed to avoid them due to the erratic nature of my visiting schedule.
Whatever the reason, I knew it wouldn’t last much longer. Some reporter no doubt already had the goods on me but was waiting until it would no longer be considered bad form to report what might otherwise be seen as tabloid gossip. I had to use what little time I had to clear my name. If Ackerson refused to listen, then I had no hesitation about leaking the information to the reporters.
I’d watched my father wield information like a scalpel, knew it could sway far more than juries.
Parking the car on that thought, I walked over to read the cards attached to the bouquets.
I didn’t know you, but I’m praying for you. May God in heaven bring comfort to those left behind.
Dr.Prasad, you saved my baby’s life along with my own. I’ll never forget you.
You were such a kind and generous family. I’ll always remember our days at the beach together when the kids were younger. I’m sorry we drifted apart as they grew.
That last one was just signed with a single name: Janet. But I made note of it nonetheless before crouching down to read more of the notes pinned to the array of bouquets.
The oldest flowers had begun to curl and wilt…though if they’d been out in the sun for days, they should’ve been in worse condition. Maybe someone was coming around and cleaning up the dead bouquets.
Hey, Dee. Stay strong. Love you to the moon, babes. —Kalindra
A honey-skinned and curvy woman with freckles across her nose, Kalindra hadn’t been at the party, but Diya had pointed out a photo of her in the collection she had on the wall in her old bedroom. They’d been friends in high school, but Kalindra’s move to Wellington for college had gently frayed their friendship until it was now more a case of fond memories than day-to-day reality.
Still, I’d see if I could talk to her, since she would’ve been around when Bobby was younger. I’d also touch base with the three friends of Diya’s who had come to the party; though she’d met them through her work, the friendships not deep like the one she had with Shumi, it was possible she’d mentioned something to them that might help.
Dr.Prasad, thank you, thank you, thank you. You treated me with warmth and dignity and just the most incredible kindness when I needed it most, and you will live forever in my memories. I’m so sorryfor what happened to you and your family, and I hope the surviving members manage to come out of this with whole hearts.
There were several other notes in a similar vein, and for most of them, I couldn’t tell to which Dr.Prasad they were addressed. The more specific ones were evenly scattered, which just confirmed that Sarita and Rajesh, whatever their shortcomings as parents, had both been well respected by their patients.
Diya, I only got to spend time with you when you organized my twenty-first, but I thought you were the sweetest person ever. I’m hoping with all my heart that you recover quickly. —Mackenzie
Bobby, fuck, man. I can’t believe it. I know you’re kicking ass up there. —Dan
