Page 104 of Three for a Girl

“That’s all that matters.”

The DI rubbed his chin, studying the board at the front of the room “What I want to know is who was paying Ellen and Kerion so much money. The payments coincide with some of our missing people.”

“They sold them out to trafficking rings.” Josh said.

Chad shook his head. “Andrew didn’t mention trafficking, he was certain his daughter was dead.”

“What were Andrew’s last words before he fell?” the DI asked.

Everyone’s eyes snapped to Chad.

“I said to him he could help us find out about the other missing people, give people closure, and he said he wished he could have. Then he spoke to his daughter said he was sorry for not protecting her.”

The eyes on him all drifted away, and they were silent for a minute before the DI checked his watch. “This is being transferred to missing persons. Our work’s done, you’ve all got two days off.”

Ally nudged Chad’s thigh. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

“Thanks.”

****

Chad couldn’t shake the numb feeling in his bones. He thought of Andrew, the devastation and defeat in his face before he jumped. The sadness in his eyes, and the tears running down to his lips. The trembling apology to his daughter right before he slipped from the edge.

“It’s normal you know.”

“What is?” he asked.

The sun set in the distance, bleeding orange rays into the sky. Even with it fading, it left behind the stifling air.

“Feeling a bit down when the result isn’t quite what you hoped, but we found the killer.”

That much was true. Chad had seen the photographs taken from Andrew’s van.

The blood, the rope, the knife, but alongside that he’d seen bags of Andrew’s possessions. Photo albums of Zara and what Chad assumed were her childhood toys.

They were bagged up, protected from the splatter of blood, shielded from the violence.

The loving father vs. the brutal slayer.

“We found him, but didn’t catch him.” Ally said. “It’s an empty victory, but still a victory.”

Empty felt like the right word. Chad closed his eyes and Andrew was on the other side of them.

He’d run up the grass verge, he’d approached the bridge and he’d fallen to his death. Andrew’s words, wishing he could’ve been the one to give other families closure.

“It’s not your fault.”

Chad opened his eyes.

“You know that, right? You couldn’t have stopped him.”

Was that the reason for his emptiness, did he feel responsible for Andrew dying?

That wasn’t it.

There was something else, lingering on his peripheral, hiding in the shadows, relishing in his emptiness. He was missing something, something important.

He replayed the moment with Andrew again and again.

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