FREDDY PRINCE

chapter nine

Two weeks into Kalani's return to Virginia, and there was still no tremendous leap in her investigation. Everyone she talked to from the rehab center pointed her in the same direction; the woman she visited in Dunes Town.

The first day they met, the woman answered very few questions. She barely wanted to tell Kalani her name, even though -according to everyone she interviewed- the woman was the closest person to her mother.

Dahlia Freeman worked at Naomi's rehab center. She helped fund the project and even called in a few favors to push Naomi's licensing through quicker than normal. When she learned that Naomi's husband, Mayor Montgomery, and her brother Mack, were great friends, Dahlia's world slowly crumbled.

The more time she spent with Naomi, the more she saw they had in common. Over the years, her love for Naomi grew into something more than just a friendship. At one point, she even wanted Naomi to leave her marriage and start a new life with her. When Naomi refused, Dahlia felt it was best she quit the rehab center and move away to clear her head and put her love for Naomi behind her.

She ended up going back to help Naomi after her rising success -and her failed marriage- with the hopes of finally gaining the relationship she desperately wanted. Things went well for them for a while, but after Naomi's body surfaced and no one had any information on her murder, Dahlia started her own investigation for the truth.

"Hi Dahlia, it's Kalani. I'm reaching out to you again to see if you feel more comfortable answering a few questions about my mom. I don't mean to be pushy or overstep your boundaries, I'm just looking for answers. Everyone I've talked to has said I should speak to you. Please, all I'm asking for is a few moments of your time. When you feel ready, even if it's only an email, please reach out. Thanks."

Guilt and pain flooded Dahlia's veins. The day Kalani showed up at her door for an interview, she knew who she was right away. There was no mistaking it. Kalani was the spitting image of her mother; the woman Dahlia was in love with.

She wanted to call back and tell Kalani everything she knew or felt was the truth, but she was afraid for her safety. Over the years she'd investigated Naomi's murder, the truth pointed in one direction; the mayor's office. Dahlia knew someone there knew what happened to Naomi. She even believed someone who worked there had something to do with it.

She was the only one who went forward with information to help Naomi's case, but it got swept under the rug before anything serious came of it. It was like one minute the world loved Naomi and everything she did, and the next minute they forgot all about her.

"Was that her again?"

Judy, Dahlia's girlfriend interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah," she nodded. "She's not gonna stop calling until she figures this out."

Although Dahlia was happy in her new relationship, she still held onto the thought of Naomi. The emptiness she felt in her heart often made her second-guess her relationship with Judy. Sometimes, she felt like another Naomi was out there waiting for her, and other times she thought she was just crazy in love.

"If her coming around is gonna trigger you back into depression, you need to put your foot down and tell her to stop harassing you. I know what happened is very tragic, but honey, you can't lose yourself again."

Dahlia hated it when Judy rushed to get away from the topic of Naomi's murder. It made her feel like Judy didn't really care about how she felt. She knew Judy was only worried about her spiraling downhill again because it's what people do when they love someone. They protected them and tried to make sure nothing ever harmed them. Unfortunately for Dahlia, the harm was already done.