Loves Me Not

NINE

AFTER
DETECTIVE BRETT PORTER

The contents of the letter are underwhelming, to say the least. After ripping it open and scanning the page, I realize that it's simply a singular piece of paper that she had written a few years ago with instructions to be followed if she died. Not a will, just instructions. From what I can deduce, the only thing on the list that matters is this:

1. Publish everything.

That's understandable. Every writer has one goal, and that is to be published. If you can't accomplish that while you're alive, you'd hope that someone else will do it for you once you're dead so that you can at least create a legacy that will live on longer than any of us will.

The second thing on the list that I find of interest is this:

2. Give everything to Will.

First question that comes to mind is, who is Will? The date in the top right corner indicates that this letter was written at least four years ago. Is Will still in her life or not? And why didn't she update this, change it to Ben?

At the bottom of the page, she's left a list of passwords for everything in her life such as bank accounts, websites, her phone, and fortunately for me, her laptop.

I fold the piece of paper, place it back in the envelope, and leave it on the desk.

_____

Here's what's going to happen next. I no longer need to take the laptop into the station for a techy to crack since Catalaina has gifted me with her password list. With this, I can access all of her information much easier and faster. If Catalaina really did write about everything that was happening in her life, then perhaps the key to her disappearance lies in there.

I'll need to get a warrant for her phone records. God only knows how long that will take, but it's pertinent that I find out every single person she was in contact with in the preceding weeks to her disappearance.

I need to go to the school, talk to staff, students, and all faculty. I need to contact friends she had, perhaps track down this Scarlett woman who Ben claims she was close with.

I'll look into her credit cards, see if anything has been used since her disappearance. I want to rule out for certain whether this is a runaway situation, or if something has happened to her. That in itself constitutes different implications. Did someone abduct this woman? Are they holding her hostage somewhere? Or did she get herself into trouble? Did she somehow manage to get herself killed?

The last time that Ben can confirm he saw Catalaina was Wednesday night, when the two of them went to bed together. But when he woke up the next morning, she was gone. So that means that her estimated time of disappearance is somewhere between 11:00 p.m. Wednesday evening, and 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning.

How did she manage to vanish from her bed in the middle of the night without her fiancé knowing? Perhaps she truly did pack a bag and take off. Her phone and purse are unaccounted for, which meant that she left the house with them. What would warrant someone to leave in the middle of the night in such a way?

Perhaps she was going to meet someone. A friend? A secret lover? Could she have been having an affair?

Or maybe the answer is right in front of me. Perhaps the most obvious answer is the right one. And that answer would be Ben.