Page 12 of The Editor’s Choice

“Oh. Maybe he’s right,” he shrugs. “Doesn’t really seem like it from what you’ve told me and what I just saw at the overlook though.”

“Right?! Ugh, I thought it was just me being uptight because it was personal for me!” I squeal, relieved that someone actually agrees with me. “I feel like there’s got to be something more they could be doing. If I had a clue where to even start, I swear I would find the guy who did this and end him myself.”

“Well… I’m sure a call to the police station wouldn’t hurt. Maybe you could find out where they stand on everything and what’s being done to find the guy,” he suggests. “Then if you’re not satisfied, you could call around or something and see if you can get any leads of your own.”

“That’s a great idea!” Suddenly there’s a fire in my chest and I feel as though I have a reason to keep breathing again. Her killer has to be brought to justice, one way or another.

***

“Yes, sir. I understand. Thank you so much,” I say, clicking the end button. Slumping back against the couch in my apartment, I rub the heels of my hands into my eyes gently before dropping them back onto the couch in frustration. Roman walked me back here after we left the overlook and wanted to stay while I made the call to the station so I didn’t have to face that alone. “Fuck.”

“No luck?” Roman hands me a cup of steaming coffee, the room quickly filling with the delicious hazelnut scent.

“Not really. He basically said they’ve come to a dead end unless there’s some sort of breakthrough. These things just don’t happen here and they don’t have the resources to delve any deeper into it without any sort of evidence or anything,” I repeat, giving him the same story the detective just gave me.

“Okay. Now what?”

“What do you mean ‘now what’? They don’t have any leads. There’s nothing to do except sit and wait apparently,” I say, more than a little frustrated.

“Hold up. That doesn’t sound like the Jade I’ve come to know. You can’t give up on her that easily. Nobody else is going to solve this unless it just falls right into their lap. Is that what she deserves?” he questions, no doubt in an attempt to motivate me, but all it does is piss me off.

“Actually, yeah. Maybe it is. It turns out she was a shitty person anyway. Why should I even give a fuck if they ever find out who killed her or not?” I question, venting my anger out to him, tears once again burning the backs of my eye.

“You have a point there,” he shrugs. “She did a really terrible thing. Something that I can only imagine caused you an incredible amount of pain. And honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you gave up on it and said fuck it. You just need to decide if that’s something you can live with or not. I’ve got your back either way,” he finishes. That one does the trick though. I think he knows me well enough by now to know that would hit me differently. It isn’t really about Em anymore. This is about me and living out the rest of my life. I need to know who did this and see the justice served. This is about what I can live with and what I can’t.

“Fucking hell. I hate you,” I seethe, giving him my very best death glare, which only causes him to burst into a fit of laughter. After he’s able to contain himself again, I ask, “So what now? How do I even start on figuring this out?”

“I can ask around here? See if anybody has heard anything? You know how people in these tiny towns love to gossip. Surely somebody has heard something by now. That might give us a starting place,” he offers.

“Us?”

“Us. I told you I have your back, no matter what you decide. Plus, I got good at finding out dirt on people when I was a debt collector. We’ll find out if I’m rusty or not yet,” he winks, somehow making me feel more at peace than I have in quite some time. And I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that.

“Okay,” I agree. “You ask around and see what you can find out. I’ll update Dawson and figure out my next step.”

J: Police know nothing. Finding the bastard myself.

D: We really need to talk. It’s important, Jade.

Blowing him off yet again, I put my phone on the table and head to my room to write down everything I know so far. Maybe there’s a clue somewhere in all of this that will give me some kind of lead or somewhere to start at least.

Chapter Seven

Roman

Something about Emily’s murder just isn’t sitting right with me. I haven’t been able to completely shake this feeling since Jade told me what happened. Going over all the details she has been given so far, there’s definitely something that doesn’t quite add up, but I can’t put my finger on it. Who would have it out for such a beautiful young girl, with no obvious enemies? She’s just really starting her life, so she hasn’t had much time to make that kind of an enemy honestly.

Then to take her to a spot that’s so unpopular that few people know about it? That’s the part I keep getting hung up on. Hell, I’ve lived in this town for years and just recently learned of the place myself. That in and of itself makes the act feel personal. Maybe a jaded lover? An ex who was a little too controlling or narcissistic? Seems a bit extreme, even for that type of person though.

There’s always the possibility it was entirely random. But once again, the area her body was found in rules that out. It’s highly improbable a random person would have dumped her body there. That was intentional.

Fuck. I’m racking my brain and absolutely nothing is coming from it. I’m missing several pieces still. There’s no way I’m going to solve this puzzle without some further investigation. So, I slip on my shoes and head out to do exactly what I said I was going to do. As much as I hate talking to people, there’s no better way to start in this case.

***

“Right. I completely understand. Well, thanks for talking with me anyway,” I finish, now having talked to four people in the building but coming up short. Nobody here has seen or heard anything about the murder. Just the same details that were released to the public in the press conference, plus some small town speculation.

“Hold on a second,” she stalls, stopping me in my tracks. Even as an older woman with greying hair, petite frame, and sickly appearance, she has a commanding presence. There’s an air of authority that clings to her small body. A tad hesitant now, she continues after looking around to make sure nobody can overhear us. “I might know somebody who can help you out. I’m not sure if she knows anything or not, but she would be my go-to in this kinda situation. She has resources in this town like you wouldn’t believe. Wait right here,” she says, slipping back inside her apartment, softly closing the door behind her.