Page 3 of Let Her Live

As she waited, Fiona took in her surroundings; her eyes scanned the store's shelves. She noticed a few people making their way in and out, but they didn't seem to pay her any attention. She could hear the low murmur of the radio playing in the background and the sound of the pharmacy dispenser filling out medication orders.

Finally, Marissa emerged from the back and beckoned Fiona to join her. "Follow me," she said, leading the way to a small room behind the pharmacy area. She closed the door behind them and turned to face Fiona. "So, what do you want to know?"

Fiona took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I want to know about Julia," she said. "What happened to her, and if you have any information that could help me solve her case."

Marissa's eyes widened, and Fiona could see the fear lurking behind them. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice trembling. "How could I help? It's been over a decade."

Fiona stepped closer; her gaze locked onto Marissa's. "Margot told me that you two used to meet at the butterfly conservatory," she said. "That you were Julia's best friend."

Marissa's face twisted in pain. She looked away from Fiona, staring at the wall behind her. "We were friends, yes. But I haven't been to that conservatory in years."

Fiona crossed her arms in disbelief. "Are you sure about that? Margot said you went there often."

Marissa's voice was barely above a whisper. "We did. But that was a long time ago. Julia's death... it destroyed me. I couldn't bear to go back there again."

Fiona softened, sensing the genuine pain in Marissa's words. "I understand how hard this must be for you," she said. "But I need to know if you have any information that could help me find out what happened to Julia. And maybe even what happened to my sister."

Marissa's eyes widened, and she stepped back. "What do you mean by your sister?"

Fiona took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her sister's disappearance heavy on her chest. "My sister," she said. "She disappeared from the same beach where Julia's body was found, three years later. And I think the cases are connected."

Marissa looked at Fiona with eyes filled with sadness. "I'm sorry," she said softly."I don't see how I could help you."

"When was the last time you had met Julia at the conservatory, before the day she went missing from the mall?"

Marissa's brows pinched, and she looked up, thinking. "I... I honestly can't remember. It could have been weeks before, or days. You're asking me to remember something that happened thirteen years ago. I was only a teenager. I told the police everything I could at the time, and they never asked about any conservatory."

Fiona's pulse raced. Maybe this conservatory lead was the one thing the police had missed—the one thing Fiona could use now, all these years later, to finally solve this case.

"Why did you two meet there?" Fiona asked. "Why was it a secret or special place for you?"

Marissa hesitated and bit her bottom lip. "It was just... a place we both loved," she finally said. "We both loved butterflies, and the conservatory was a beautiful place to escape to. We didn't want anyone else to know about it because then it wouldn't feel as special. We used to go there to get away from everything. It was our escape. We could be ourselves there, away from the rest of the world. Away from our problems."

"What problems?" Fiona pressed. "Was something going on in your lives at the time?"

Marissa took a deep breath, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "We were both going through a lot," she said. "Julia's parents were going through a divorce, and my mom was sick. We were both trying to find a way to cope with everything, and the conservatory was our safe haven."

Fiona nodded. She felt a pang of sympathy for Marissa. It wasn't easy to relive painful memories, especially ones that were tied to a friend's death. But she had to push forward, had to find out everything she could about Julia's last days.

"Did you notice anything strange about Julia before she went missing?" she asked. "Did she seem worried or scared about something?"

Marissa shook her head and closed her eyes briefly. "No, nothing like that. She seemed... happy, actually. Happy to be with me, happy to be at the conservatory. We were planning on going to college together, and we talked about our dreams for the future. She never mentioned anything that would have made me think something was wrong."

Fiona narrowed her eyes, searching Marissa's face for any sign of deception. "Are you sure about that?" she asked. "Nothing at all?"

Marissa's eyes flashed with annoyance. "I'm telling you everything I remember," she said sharply. "I loved Julia. I would never keep anything from you that could help solve her case. But there's nothing else I can tell you."

Fiona studied Marissa for a moment longer, feeling a flicker of disappointment. She had hoped for some kind of clue—something that would help her find out what had happened to Julia. But it seemed like Marissa didn't have any answers for her. Or, at the very least, she didn’t have any answers she was willing to give. Maybe Fiona was imagining it, but something in Marissa’s gaze set her on edge. Still, she had to accept her answer, at least for now.

Fiona studied her for a moment longer, then nodded. "Okay," she said, her voice softer now. "Thank you for talking to me. I appreciate it."

Marissa nodded, herexpressionstill pained. "I hope you find what you're looking for," she said, then opened the door to let Fiona out.

As Fiona left the store, she couldn't shake the feeling that Marissa was hiding something. She knew there was more to this story, more to what happened at the butterfly conservatory all those years ago. And she was determined to find out what it was, no matter how painful it might be. But she had no proof to corroborate the idea that Marissa knew anything at all. She'd hit yet another dead end.

CHAPTER TWO

Fiona arrived back at her apartment and parked her car, feeling the weight on her shoulders as the car safely shut off. She sighed and hung her head low. It felt like this was an endless pursuit, and yet, the thought of giving up made her feel even worse. She couldn't give up, not on Joslyn, not when she might finally be getting close to some answers.

---