Red Ribbons on Her Wrists

A clue

Smith: we just took a short break so I could get some food, Landon has decided his is not hungry and would just like to continue. So, your friend is the younger brother of Thalia's abusive ex? Small world.

Young: Not really, it's a small college town, most kids that live here go there because they can stay at home. It's cheaper. His brother,Kyle went there also.

Smith: You said earlier he would later bring up Thalia's and Kyle's relationship with you again. Would you like to talk about that night?

Young: oh, yes and no. Something else happened before that and I'd like to get that out first if you don't mind?

Smith: of course not, however you want to tell it. Please go on.

Young: I had procured the police file on Thalia's case again, I'm not proud of this but I convinced my retired police officer father to pull some strings and get me the file. I looked at him curiously, asking with my eyes how he'd managed that. My father trusted me, he knew I was curious and restless about what had happened to her so he didn't take much convincing. He probably thought it would set my mind at ease to know how hard the real detectives had worked on it. He told the prescient that he had decided to do a little private investigator work, and they didn't even question him. My father was a well respected man of the law.

Smith: but he'd clearly break it for you. Landon let's out a laugh and a sigh and I find myself staring at his lips. I forcefully make myself look away. Any way what did the file reveal? It obviously did not set your mind at ease.

Young: Nothing. The file had nothing. A few interviews that were poorly conducted, some pictures and missing persons reports. They had no suspect, in fact they believed Thalia had run off and that was that for them. So I decided to talk to Jessica once more. She seemed to be Thalia's only real friend and I wanted information that I didn't think Thalia would willingly give. It was a Thursday and it was ugly. I remember being soaked from the time it took me to run from my car to her door. She kindly let me in again, remember she thinks I'm a future police officer and offered me coffee which I accepted. We talked about the things she remembered from that day. She said Thalia had come to school in a horrible mood, she'd been fighting with her parents about what college would be best for her. She wanted to attend a school for the arts, she had sent the application and had gotten her acceptance letter that morning. Her parents however wanted her to attend a community college because it would be cheaper despite sending her brother off to Yale the year before. So she was upset that day and it didn't help that Kyle was spreading rumors around about her infidelity and that she was a whore. The popular girls were being absolutely miserable that day, I mean every other word out of their mouth was something horrible about Thalia. Of course I tried to fend them off, but they rarely listened to me. She left school early and I- I never saw her again.

I asked her if she could describe Thalia's relationship with Kyle. To see if she had noticed the abuse or if it was something he'd kept behind close doors. She told me oh he loved Thalia, they had more passion then any relationship id ever seen including in the movies. He would write her love letters and poetry, grab her hand and pull her out to dance in the rain, when there wasn't any music. Kyle was an artist, he drew, he wrote, he sang and it was always about Thalia. Sometimes I worried he loved her more then she loved him and I guess I was right because she broke it off with him a few months before she disappeared. He was brilliant though, tall blonde hair blue eyes, made of muscle.. Sorry you don't want to hear about that. I never understood why she left him, well I mean there was one time I saw something I don't think they meant me to see. It was just one time but it was scary, Thalia was wearing this dress, it was summer and boiling hot out. Anyway we were almost at his house when we walked by some dingy construction workers who immediately started to cat call Thalia. Kyle tore out of the house and grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her inside. I stood out there for like a half hour until she finally came out. She said everything was fine despite her red puffy eyes, but I'll never forget when she wiped her eyes she had these horrible ugly red rings around her wrist from where he grabbed her so hard. I'll never forget those ugly red rings.

Smith: That's an interesting twist. I'm sure you were positive that meant something. I look at him knowingly. He'd find any reason to not believe she did this.

Young: Yeah, I can't say that wasn't a blow to the head. Red ribbons, red rings. I knew that Kyle was bitter about the break up, I knew he was abusive but did that make him a murderer? I didn't know I needed to know him better before I jumped the gun so to speak. I invited Kyle's brother Ryan, over to my place for some drinks and to watch a fight on my big screen. Thalia wasn't very happy when I asked her to stay away for the evening, I distinctly remember pots being thrown around as well as some horrible name calling. She eventually stalked off to the bedroom as the doorbell rang.

Ryan was his brothers younger twin, blonde hair, blue eyes and as Jess would say made of muscle. He in fact was going to be a police officer. We drank and watched the fight about half way through we both feeling pretty good and he found a picture I had strategically left out. Thalia had one hand in her bushy curls and the other out toward the camera as if to stop the photographer from capturing her in that moment.

R.M. Where'd you get this? He sounded like he'd seen a ghost.
L.Y. Oh that, I found it. She is gorgeous isn't she? Wait is that the butchers daughter? The one your brother went out with?
R.M. Yeah, this is Thalia I haven't see her since I was nine but this is exactly how I remember her. She was perfect man, I was so jealous of Kyle. He rubs his thumb on the picture and smiles, this big drunk goofy grin. You know she wasn't just pretty, she was nice and talented. She could paint these breathtaking realistic landscapes. She actually painted me one and I still have it. My brother never deserved her.
L.Y. Why do you say that?
R.M. I don't know. He was a dick to her, I caught him hurting her one day. I fucking lost it dude, I almost poked his eye out. He was stronger then me obviously, he was seventeen and I was nine. He threw my ass into a wall and stalked out of the room. Thalia ran over to me when she was sure he was gone and hugged me while we both cried. A week later she broke up with him, I assume it probably wasn't the first time he'd done something like that to her. He was an asshole, hell he's still an asshole and honestly I don't know if I really believe he doesn't know what happened to her.
L.Y. What do you mean? Didn't the cops rule him out?
R.M. Oh it was pathetic, I was nine and I knew they did a half ass job for her. They came to our house and asked him a few questions. I was supposed to be in my room but of course I listened from in the hallway. They asked about their relationship and he said they broke up awhile ago. They asked if he'd been spreading rumors about her, which he was and they knew it, but he said no. Then they asked him where he'd been the day she'd gone missing and he said home and my parents backed him up then the cops left and that was the end of it. But it was all bullshit.
L.Y. What do you mean it was all bullshit Ryan?
R.M. They were broken up that was true, but he was obsessed with her. He did bully her, I heard him and his stupid friends laugh about it at our house. They'd laugh and laugh about how she was such a slut, that she didn't even deny the rumors. They said she probably liked the attention. Ryan scrunched his face in disgust. A tear squeezed out of one eye, which he quickly rubbed away. And the most bullshit part of it all, he wasn't fucking home that night. I was home by myself, he was supposed to be watching me while my parents were at some dinner party but he wasn't there Landon. He didn't get home until like 2 am in the morning, I remember my parents screaming at him. They all lied. I guess I'm an accessory I guess I lied too.