"Any idea who might've sent them?"
"No clue," Colleen says. "But whoever it was—they wanted me to know the truth about what happened to Claudia."
The detective leans back, tapping his pen against the table. "We'll look into this. Run a thorough investigation. But I'll be honest—anonymous evidence doesn't hold up well in court."
"I understand. I just need you to find her." Colleen's voice cracks. "Please."
"You said these were texts retrieved from the boyfriend's phone?"
“Yes,” I chime in. "His name is Dylan Maclean.”
"Yes, we've interrogated him. He did not want to volunteer his phone. He wasn't helpful at all in fact. Unfortunately, we had no grounds to get a hand on it. Any evidence on it probably won't stand. We have protocols to follow, unfortunately."
Colleen sighs audibly. I'm also torn up, fraying at the edges. Anger simmers beneath my skin—hot and restless and helpless. The justice system seems so completely, utterly useless. How can protocols and procedures matter more than finding someone who's missing? How can red tape tie the hands of people who aresupposed to protect us? It makes no sense. None of this makes any sense.
He softens slightly. "I know… it's not what you wanted to hear. We'll do everything we can. Might need to contact you both with follow-up questions."
"Anything," I say quickly. "Whatever you need. We want to help."
"Alright." He stands, gathering the papers. "We'll be in touch."
I sit cross-legged on the bed, scrolling through the screenshots for the hundredth time. The blue light from my phone burns my eyes, but I can't stop. Won't stop.
Dylan: where tf are you
Claudia: out
Dylan: with him again?
Claudia: jealous?
Dylan: you're playing with fire
Claudia: maybe i like getting burned
I zoom in on the dates. Three weeks before she vanished. My stomach twists.
Dylan: he's too old for you. you know that right
Claudia: age is just a number
Dylan: he's gonna hurt you
Claudia: you're the one who hurts me
My throat tightens. She was fifteen. Troubled, sure. Reckless, absolutely. But still just a kid.
Dylan: claudia please. i love you. come home
Claudia: Daniel understands me. you never did
There it is again. Daniel.
I switch to another thread, a few days before she disappeared.
Claudia: i told him about us
Dylan: wtf why
