Chapter 74: Chapter 74

I walk to the back alley where the dumpsters used to be and put the roses near a photo of her. Jade, it's her graduation picture. We took them 4 weeks ago so they would be ready for when we graduate. She looks beautiful in it, no surprise. I outline the picture frame with my figures. Oh, how I miss you Jade. When I look up, I can't help but notice someone staring at me intently. Who is that? I squint trying to see if I can make out the person. He looks familiar. The memory comes back to me.

I'm on the floor, restraint. I can't get up. In between my legs hurt. A tanned guy is standing above me. He's pulling off his pants. It's his turn. He flips his black hair out of his eyes and kneels down.

Oh, my fucking ... He's the third guy. I'm breathing hard. I hold my chest. I can't control my breathing. I start sweating. I think I'm having a panic attack. He's still watching me. He realizes that I remember him and he's approaching me. Just then Greg comes out of the car.

"You ready now?" He asks.

The tanned guy sees Greg and walks off. He doesn't look back.

I'm staring at his back as he walks away. I'm unable to move. Why can't I move? How I'm I standing here letting Jade's killer walk away?

"Mia, are you okay?"

I shake my head.

"Mia, what's wrong?"

Greg follows my eye. All he can see is the back of students walking towards the school. Jade's killer has already vanished by now.

"Mia.."

"I just saw Jade's killer"

"The guy with the anchor tattoo?"

"No, the third guy"

Greg pulls me in and hugs me. I haven't even realized that I've been shaking.

After hugging me for 2 minutes, he brings me into the car.

"Do you still want to go to the station? I can bring you home."

"No, just give me a pen or pencil and a paper".

Greg finds a paper and pencil in his glove compartment and hands it to me.

Instantly I start sketching the guy I just saw. Every detail. His dark brown eyes. His curly hair. His bone structure.

"I need to give this sketch to detective Chandler." I tell him and he drives toward the station.

Greg follows me into the station but we split once we get inside.

I head towards detective Chandler's office and he's not there. Instead, I find a woman at his desk.

I knock on the door and she turns her chair around, she's on the phone. She sticks up her index finger to let me know she'll be done in one minute.

I look around. Still no sign of Chandler. Where is he?

The woman comes off the phone and a tall brunette walks towards me. She has a bob cut and the only jewelry shes wearing is her engagement and wedding ring.

She opens the door and steps out the office.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Um yeah, I'm looking for detective Chandler. It's about the Jade Butler case"

She stares at me. Her eyes travel down and then up.

"Detective Chandler is no longer on that case," she says. "Any information regarding that case is to be brought to me."

No longer on the case? Why wasn't I informed? Who is this woman?

"So what was it that you wanted to tell Chandler?"

I clutch onto my sketch. I don't know this woman. I don't trust her.

"Uh, I just wanted to let him know that I put a list together of a couple of students Jade dated in the past few years that may help the case."

She studies me, trying to determine if I'm telling the truth. After a few seconds, she gives a smile of content and ushers me into her office.

"You can leave the list here" she points at her desk. Damn. All I have in my hand is my sketch.

"This is just a draft," I tell her "can I re write it neatly?"

She eyes the paper, then me.

"Sure, here's a paper and pen, I'll be back in a few minutes"

She leaves the room. I sit on her desk and try to remember some of the guys Jade dated or had a thing with. After jogging my memory, I come up with 7 names. When I'm done, I put the pen down. I stay still at the desk and look around. I find a card on the desk. I never did get her name. I look at the card and I cannot believe what I'm seeing. Marissa Hoskins: Chief crown attorney.

This is the dean's wife.

I stare at the card, hoping somehow, someway the words will change. I'm hoping this is all in my head.

I take the card and stuff it into my pocket.

Marissa comes back in.

"We all done here?" She asks

"Yup," I say and bolt towards the door.

"Remember, if there's anything else you know that might help with the case, don't hesitate to call," she says with a smile.

I look around for Greg. He's talking to a female cop. I walk up to him and grab him by his arm. "We need to go, I say

He doesn't respond. He just stands there a bit confused by the way I'm behaving. "NOW!" I say louder.

"Okay alright..I'm coming."

I'm still grabbing Greg's arm as we walk out of the station.

"What's the matter?" He asks still confused.

"Why is detective Chandler off the case?" I ask him.

"I don't know. Apparently Hoskins took over because Chandler wasn't getting enough results for the case."

"Where is he now?" I ask.

"They put him on another case"

"How can I get in contact with him?"

"You can't. I tried to talk to get in touch with him the other day and I couldn't. Everything related to the case has to be given to Marissa Hoskins."

"So you've been giving updates to Marissa?"

Yeah every week, either I call in or go into the station. I'm supposed to tell her about your progress in therapy. Anytime you remember something I have to tell her."

"Did you tell her about today? How I thought I might have seen Jade's Killer?"

"Well, I was going to before you yanked me out of the station"

"Good, don't tell her"

"But.."

"Please! Promise me you won't tell her...not yet anyways." I touch his arm, this time lightly and I pout. He blushes and caves.

"Fine but can you please, at least, tell me why."

"I will tell you... Eventually." He gives up on the questions when he realizes he's not getting anywhere with me.

He finally lets me into the car. The whole ride to my house, all I'm thinking about is telling Connor what I just found out. I can't let Marissa know I know her husband is the one who got Jade pregnant. She can't know that I remembered all three killers. She cannot know anything.

I need to get in touch with detective Chandler, maybe he'll know more about what's going on. Maybe This is why Jade's case isn't going anywhere.

I'm getting way too deep into this mess.

When I reach home, right away I call Conner.

I don't even wait for him to say hello when the phone stops ringing.

"Connor!" I burst out

"Wait, Mia before you say anything. I've been meaning to call you. You still have the printed copies of Jade's text messages with the Dean right?"

I bolt into jade's room and hold onto the paper. "Yeah, Why?"

"Keep them safe. Someone erased all the deleted iCloud messages between Jade and the Dean."

"When?"

"As soon as I got home. I don't know if he found out someone was looking into them or he just wanted to cover his tracks, but it's gone."

I'm puzzled. I need to keep these in a safe place. It might also be a good idea to make copies just in case.

I tell Connor about what happened with Marissa.

"You think his wife would help him cover it up?" Connor asks me.

"I don't know, but that would have to mean she knew about the affair"

"What do we do now?"

"We need to get in touch with Chandler."

"How do we do that?"

"Honestly Connor, I have no idea."