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“T
he shed looked to be untouched altogether, but as I said, I think someone went there in the past month or two. At first, I thought it might be one of the kids or the house members, but the door was locked, and Frank himself said no one goes there anymore. I do not know why but I have a feeling my father went there before he died. I remember once he left for the weekend, before his condition got really bad, without any explanation whatsoever.
I also found these letters written by my father to Hannah. Frank gave me the address to Hannah's house, but he said he was not sure if she lived there anymore. But I do not know why the address feels familiar, like I have seen it before. It can be just a hunch, but I think it is possible," I said as Nathan listened attentively. We sat in my apartment having breakfast as I briefed him on my visit to the Geller family.
He and I had grown closer over the weeks. He used to mask his expressions whenever I talked, but now he had grown warmer towards me and expressed his thoughts freely as well. We had grown to form a friendship.
The corner of his eye twitched as he thought; it happened whenever he was in deep thought. “Have you gone through the letters?” he asked me. "I read the one that was dated the earliest. It seems to be from a time when they had just started dating. It was not anything special. He just asked her about her studies; it seemed like they went to different colleges.
He then signed off the letter by saying he was hosting a party at that address, and she should come and visit his ancestral home." Then, Nathan said, “You should visit her address after the next court hearing. We will find more stuff then.”
"The next court hearing is in a week. I think I will be stopping by every day to prep you for the hearing. I have fought two cases against this prosecutor, plus, he worked for the law firm I interned for in college, so I know his questioning style like the back of my hand.
He usually tries to put the witnesses or suspects under pressure through emotional monologues and get them to crack. He is also very particular about the flow of suspect statements. One loophole and you are out. He is quite smart. For the next week, your entire week should revolve around the hearing and absolutely nothing else. If you ever have something weighing on your mind, you can contact Annette or me.
Do not try to do things on your own again." I heard the hesitation and crack in his voice when he said, Annette. I smirked and looked at him. “Judging from your expression, I am guessing Annette told you.” He had a slight blush creeping up his face. "Mm hmm, of course she did. You sly fox, you used my case as a drawbridge to win over your college crush, hmm?" I stared at him with a widening grin on my face.
His entire face was flushed at this point. He tried to form a sentence but was so flustered that it came out in broken vowels. I burst into laughter. “Don’t worry, it is fine. I’ll stop teasing you for it.” He looked visibly relieved at that. “By the way, since you are with her a lot more than I am, where is she these days? Her cell phone is out of range.” He ignored my attempt at making him flustered again and replied, "She went to visit her mother.
She said her house was in the countryside and a little out of range of the networks, so she won't be able to contact us." That reminded me. I still had to meet Annette’s mother and ask her some questions.
Nathan came right on time the next day to prep me. I was finishing up coffee just as he knocked on the apartment door. I quickly put down the coffee cups and opened the door for him. He was dressed in a casual shirt and shorts. It still felt weird to see him out of his formal clothes; it was like he was a whole different person.
He gave me a small smile as a greeting and entered. We sat down in the living room as I gave him his cup of coffee. "Okay, so, first of all, you are dressing. You need to be in formal clothing. But your clothes cannot be so expensive-looking because people tend to judge such people harshly.
We need to rouse the jury's empathy for you. Second, figure out your happy place. Be in it at all times when you are questioned. There will not be much questioning in this hearing because most of the time will be spent delivering opening statements, but still, it is important for you to be prepared." Just as he was speaking, we heard a noise from the balcony. Both of us got startled and got up. I walked ahead as Nathan picked up a decoration piece from the dining table. Then I heard it. I turned around to look at Nathan to make sure he heard it as well. His were wide; he did hear it. Click, click, click.
She was back. Without any forethought, I ran towards my room. I had to see who this was. That was my only thought. I could vaguely hear Nathan shouting behind me to stop. I tuned him out. I burst through the door of my bedroom to catch a glimpse of turquoise heels disappearing behind the window. I ran towards the window. No trace of her. She got away. “WHO ARE YOU?!!” I screamed on the balcony.
I fell to the floor as I sobbed hysterically. I did not deserve this. I deserved a normal, quiet life. I could feel Nathan’s arms turning me around. I immediately latched onto him and cried onto his shoulder. He did not say anything, just rubbed my back soothingly. He suddenly said, “Victoria, what is that?” I turned around. My vision was blurred, and I could not see what he was talking about. He got up and picked something up from the balcony floor. I rubbed my eyes clear of the residue from my tears and walked toward him.
He was holding a pendant in his hand. It was not mine. It looked to be a part of one of those connecting pendants that make up a heart together. One side of the heart had fallen off. I finally had something which made her real. Till now, a part of me still believed her to be a figment of my imagination. But this, I had something of hers. She was real. I did not know if it made me feel relieved or terrified. In an anti-clockwise direction, my life just keeps spinning.
