The Perfect Murder by Blake Pierce

Author:Blake Pierce [Pierce, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blake Pierce
Published: 2022-05-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

They were running out of options and Jessie was running short on energy.

For the last two hours, and with the help of Jamil, Beth, and Detective Jim Nettles, coordinating back at the station, the LAPD had canvassed airports, metro stations, as well as local hospitals. So far, there was no sign of Natasha Myers.

Jessie and Ryan had done a more personalized, but equally exhausting search, using information from Simone. They reached out to Natasha’s aunt, who lived in Thousand Oaks. They checked at the coffee shop where she worked on most weekends. They drove around to every place she liked to hang out, which mostly meant vintage record stores, used bookstores, and a local café. They were all dead ends.

As Ryan drove them back to campus, Jessie stared at the photo of Natasha that Simone had given them before they left, hoping it might offer some answers. But all that stared back at her was a young woman with a forced smile on her face, trying to hide the perpetual uncertainty lurking behind her eyes. She had short, red hair, pale, freckle-dotted skin, and wire-rimmed glasses that gave her a bookishly off-kilter appeal. Unfortunately, it was masked by her wan, washed-out appearance and uncomfortable bearing.

Jessie remembered Simone’s answer when she’d asked her how the two of them ended up friends. considering how radically different they seemed.

“She saw the best in me,” Simone had said. “We had a class together freshman year. Everyone thought I was a bitch on wheels, maybe because I speak my mind or because I don’t apologize for how I look—probably both. But Nat never made any assumptions about me. When some guy made a crude crack that he thought I didn’t hear, I started to tear up.”

She had paused briefly at the memory and looked like she was on the verge of tears again. But after a moment, she managed to continue.

“Nat overheard, came over, and gave me a tissue. We started talking, which probably never would have happened otherwise, and I realized that she was just this kind, truly genuine person. I don’t know very many of those and I wanted to keep her in my life. She told me I made her laugh. So we became friends, and then roommates.”

Jessie thought about what Simone had said and couldn’t help but fixate on the irony. The very character trait that had drawn her to Natasha was what made her friend vulnerable to Roman Tobias. Her kindness and willingness to believe the best of people had blinded her to his deceit and manipulations, even after he cast her off.

As she ruminated over that realization, another one came to mind. If Natasha was so loyal to Tobias when he was alive, despite the way he’d treated her, why wouldn’t she be equally devoted after his death? She looked over at Ryan, who had been reviewing fruitless updates from officers checking yet more metro stops.

“I think I know where she is,” she said.

“Where?” he asked.

“You’re driving in the right direction.

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