Unravel // Van McCann

21. One Last Moment

Normally I'd look her straight in the eyes during dinner but today I couldn't bring myself to look at her. My eyes were downcast and I kept moving the piece of salmon around with my fork. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Megan stealing glances at me. It was evident she could sense something was off, but knowing how shy she was, she wasn't going to say anything. She was going to wait for me to speak.

"You alright, Van?" she finally asked. "You seem...off." I didn't answer; my eyes were glued to my plate. And then I felt her cold hand on mine, causing me to look up. One look and you could see she was worried.

"I—I'm not feeling well," I said weakly.

"You should sleep in your bed," she offered, removing her hand. She stood up and gathered her dishes. "Are you done eating?" I simply pushed my dish towards her in response and she grabbed it, bringing it over to the sink. I figured it was now or never.

"I want you to answer me honestly," I started. Megan turned around, curious what I was going on about. "If you don't want anything to do with me anymore, I understand." I was talking nonsense which made Megan anxious. She slowly made her way back to the table and sank into her seat.

"What are you talking about, Van?" she asked quietly.

"I said I'd leave it but I didn't." My voice was barely above a whisper. Even though I was being vague, she immediately understood what I meant.

"Did you talk to my parents?" There was conviction in her voice and she sounded angry which was new.

"I talked to your mum," I admitted.

"What did you tell her?"

"I didn't tell her anything. She told me the name of the company that worked on your kitchen."

Megan's eyes went wide. She initially thought I told her parents she was alive but now she knows I was there for a different reason.

"And so I looked the company up," I continued on. "I looked for employees at the company since 2010 who fit the description you gave me and I narrowed it down to two people. And then I found a third person by accident." I stood up and made my way over to my bag, taking the folder out and bringing it over to the table. I removed the photos and placed them in front of Megan so she could see.

"I want you to answer me honestly," I repeated. "Who threatened you?"

Megan realized I was being serious so she glanced down at the photos in front of her. She studied their faces carefully. It's been over 10 years since the incident so she might have a hard time recognizing him. She placed the first photo down, shaking her head, and she picked up the second photo. I could see her stiffen up.

"It was him," she said bitterly. She set the photo down and pushed it towards me. I was looking at Theo's photo.

"Fuck's sake," I muttered under my breath. I stood up and began pacing back and forth. I was going through a wave of emotions: shock, disbelief, and anger. And then it suddenly clicked.

Did Theo purposely choose this case? Her poor, unsuspecting parents were trying to look for their own daughter and they trusted Theo to handle their case, the very man who was the reason for their daughter's disappearance. Theo purposely chose this case so he could control where it went. If it was in the hands of someone else, take for example me, he would've been worried he'd get caught. He knew she was alive and wanted to find her himself.

"I can't believe it," I murmured.

I felt cheated. The man I looked up to, trusted, and befriended was a piece of shit. His kindness was all an act and I fell for it. And that was when it hit me. The shift in his behavior...of course! It all makes sense now.