Page 32 of Fallen Petal

Chapter 16

J

I haven’t been summoned to see him this time, but I drove up to the station on my own accord. What Malia told me is reason enough to go for a preemptive strike before it’s too late.

Something about the way the police—or Christopher—is proceeding, is odd. Very odd. I’ve never liked the guy, but after our last conversation, this feeling of animosity has reached a new level. It’s understandable that Petal’s disappearance would touch him on a personal level, given that he’s probably still hoping to be granted a different role in her life.

But his recent moves don’t make sense. We were smart enough to lay out traces that could lead the search for her in a certain direction, suggesting that she might have moved back to California. There was even a letter, written by herself before we began the procedure. Malia made sure that it was placed in a location where her father would find it, but up until now, that letter has never been mentioned, neither to her nor to me. Did they never find it? Or is it a deliberate decision to keep this as a disclosed part of the investigation? I would understand if I wasn’t among those who were told about it, but Malia? Her best friend?

I can’t be sure whether Christopher knows about the letter and chooses not to tell us about it, or whether he’s simply ignorant to its existence. The latter could be possible, as I wouldn’t put it past Robert to keep the letter to himself after he found it. He’d never admit any failure in regard to his precious daughter, and the letter doesn’t shine a good light on him.

I’ve asked Malia to pay him a visit, something that’s long overdue anyway. There’s a much bigger chance for her to get to the truth than there is for me.

I, on the other hand, need to figure out what’s going on with Christopher. That’s why I’m here.

He wasn’t happy about my call, acting dismissive and reluctant at first, before he did a one-eighty, seeming a little too eager to speak to me in person. He seems insecure and strained all the time. How this guy could ever succeed as a policeman and even be promoted to detective at such a young age is beyond me. I blame it on the constant struggle of our small-town department and its lack of suitable recruitment.

“Come in.”

His muffled response to my knock is as sullen as the face that welcomes me. He refrains from shaking my hand this time and just beckons for me to take a seat opposite of his ridiculously large desk.

“I gotta admit, I was surprised by your call,” he begins, casting me a look across the table that’s laced with annoyance. “But guess it turns out for the better, as I was going to call you in soon, anyway. This just speeds up the process.”

“Is that so,” I respond, crossing my legs as I lean back. “What for?”

He shakes his head. “We’ll get to that. You called. Said you had something you’d like to discuss? About her, I assume?”

“Did you make any progress?”

“You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Not even among old friends?”

“Fuck off, Jayson. Get to the point.”

“I’m pretty sure my reason for being here is not much different than the one you’d have used to call me in,” I tell him. “I talked to Malia.”

“Ah.” He raises his eyebrows in understanding, visibly tensing up as he leans forward, placing his elbows on the table. I can tell that he’s trying to appear dominant and in charge of the situation, but he’s clearly nervous.

Why though? Shouldn’t I be the one who’s on edge?

“And she told you—”

“That you’re placing more focus on the latest Bridgewater murder for now,” I cut him off. “And that you found something on the victim that, as Malia quoted, will change the way people see me?”

I add a pause, observing him as I let the information sink in. He probably didn’t expect Malia to share this with me, and maybe I’m risking too much by letting him know. After all, Malia and I have never been seen together, no one knows that she’s currently residing at my place instead of her own little apartment that is just a few walking minutes away from my mansion. And we’re not known to be friends. Petal is the only link that connects her and me, but it’s a strong one. It’s no secret that she was at my place back then, that she was sitting in the next room while I took something from Petal, just as I was asked to. It’s not unreasonable to believe that she would talk to me about anything regarding the investigation of Petal’s disappearance.

“She wasn’t supposed to,” Christopher gnarls, grinding his teeth while a crease appears between his thin eyebrows. “That conversation was confidential.”

“Believe it or not, I told her the same thing,” I say, reveling in the look of surprise that spreads across his face. “But here we are. And there are two things here, that surprise me, Christopher.”

He arches his eyebrows in expectation while I go on.

“The Bridgewater murderer has been striking terror for years now, and for whatever reason, you guys never even came close to finding him. Now that she has disappeared, while you reject the notion of her being his next victim, you still double the force working on the Bridgewater case?”

He listens, his expression hardening as I speak. “What’s your point? You said it yourself, her disappearance touches me on a personal level. We have been friends for years.”

“Yes, but you said—”

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