Loves Me Not

SIXTY TWO

AFTER
DETECTIVE BRETT PORTER

On the Wednesday of the second week in June, the lieutenant comes into my office and tells me that we might have something of use. Says the captain over in Westbrook needs me to drive out there and speak with him.

"I can't just call him?" I ask.
"No. Drive there today. Leave now."

So that is what I do. It takes me just over an hour to get out there with traffic. My stomach is growling since I didn't have time to eat lunch before. I debate whether I should stop at Burger King or not, but ultimately decide I don't have time. Apparently this matter is urgent.

I get to the Westbrook police station and wait in the foyer for a few minutes while the receptionist gets the captain. He comes out moments later, shakes my hand, and brings me into his office.

"Sorry for all the formalities," he says as we sit down at his desk. "Did Frank tell you anything?"
"No, nothing. Says that you have something that might be helpful in our investigation, but that's about it."
He smiles then. "We found something."
"Yeah? What did you did find?"
He pulls out a large plastic bag and sets it on the table in front of him.
"What's this?" I ask.
"The contents of her purse."
"Catalaina's?"
"Yes sir."
"Where? And when?"
"Someone brought it to our attention this morning. Washed up to shore, I believe. Must have been in there a while. She disappeared, what, the nineteenth of May?"
"The fifteenth," I correct him. "You're sure it's hers?"
"One hundred percent. They opened it up to look at the contents, figure out who it belonged to. That's when they saw the ID and recognized her from the news."
"Well this is great."
"Indeed," he says, then proceeds to put on a glove and go through the contents with me one by one.
I examine each item carefully. Her driver's license, health card, credit cards, and right there in front of me, two cellphones.
My eyes widen. "This is it," I say aloud. "The missing piece of the puzzle."
"What is?" he asks.
"This phone," I say, pointing to it. "It must have been her burner phone. I had a theory she had one, but we never found one so I could never prove it. But alas, here it is. We've finally found it."