Loves Me Not

ELEVEN

AFTER
DETECTIVE BRETT PORTER

It's Friday afternoon, just after three, when I arrive at the school – St. Vincent's. This is where Catalaina works.

I talk to the principal first: Mr. Johnson. He can provide me with preliminary information such as times, schedules, workdays, etc.

"How long has Catalaina been working as a teacher here?" I begin.
He places his mug on the table and clears his throat. "She started here four years ago."
"What does she teach?"
"Fifth grade."
"Does she enjoy it?"
"I believe so. She's always very happy and enthusiastic with the kids."
"What can you tell me about her?"
"She's kind and professional," he says. "Always polite and friendly with the staff and students."
"Is she close with the other teachers here?"
"Not overly. She mostly keeps to herself. She spends time with a few other staff members, such as Ms. Cross and Mrs. Duncan. That's about it."
"And what can you tell me about her as a person? Her personality, her work ethic, and so on."
He pauses for a moment to think about this. "She's very generous and respectful. She goes out of her way to help other's and do whatever she can. But she comes across as quiet and standoffish. Unwelcoming, almost. This alone might scare people off. But I know that's only surface level. I've seen her doing things that she doesn't necessarily need to do. She does things when she doesn't think anyone is watching. She truly cares about the students. And she's not just putting on a show for other people to see. No, she does it because she puts her heart and soul into things. She does it because she genuinely cares."

Next I speak with Victoria Cross, one of the other teachers that Catalaina associates with. I sit with her in the cafeteria, my notepad resting in front of me.

"I can't believe she still hasn't turned up yet," Victoria says with a look of concern on her face. "I mean, I thought she was just sick or something. But missing?"
"When was the last time you saw or spoke with Catalaina?" I ask.
"It must have been Monday. We had lunch together. That was it."
"Do the two of you usually spend much time together?"
"Here and there. We have lunch sometimes. Get coffee before work."
"Do you see her much outside of the school environment?"
"No, not really. I mean, I'd consider her my friend, but our relations are mostly here, at the school."
"What can you tell me about Catalaina?" I say. "As a person."
"Catalaina is very lovely. She's upbeat and fun and always has a story to tell," Victoria says, smiling as she says the words. "And she always talks about things that matter. She'll go into depth about the stories she tells, and I often sit there in awe listening to her speak. I'm always learning something new from her.
"She loves to write. Always tells me about how she wants to change the world through her writing. She tells me about Ben, the upcoming wedding, things like that."
"Does she seem happy in her marriage? Eager for the wedding?"
"I believe so. She told me about the caterer's and what kind of cake she's getting. Mostly just complained about how stressful all of the planning was."
"Would you say that she and Ben have a good relationship? Or is there anything she ever confided to you?"
She makes a strange face. "Why are you asking about Ben? You don't think he did something to her, do you?"
"It was just a question."
"I don't know," she says, thinking about it further. "We talked about a lot of things. Sometimes she seemed... not unhappy, but," she pauses. "I shouldn't be saying this."
"You need to tell me everything you know."
She pauses, hesitant almost. Then she says, "It wasn't that he's a bad person. I'm sure he's a wonderful man. But the way Catalaina would talk about him sometimes... I almost felt bad for her."
"What would she say?"
"Oh, just silly stuff. That he doesn't understand her, or that nothing is ever good enough."
"For him?"
"No," she says. "For her." She stares at me, understanding the implications of her own words. "Catalaina is a perfectionist. And everything in her life needs to be how she wants it. I guess sometimes Ben didn't live up to those expectations. But like I said, it's not necessarily his fault. I'm sure anyone in his position would have a difficult time trying to be perfect for her."
"Did she mention anything else?" I ask. "Do they fight a lot? Have any other issues?"
"She'd tell me about their fights, yes. Again, it was probably just issues that she was having personally."
"But she never said anything about him being violent or aggressive towards her?"
"Oh, heavens no. Nothing like that."
I nod, silent. Then I say, "What else can you tell me? Anything that might be pertinent to this investigation. Where she might have went, what could have happened to her."
"I honestly don't know," she says. "Catalaina is a good person. I don't know why anyone would want to hurt her. Or take her. But I guess people don't need a reason to do bad things. They just do them because they want to."
"What about friends? Does she have many friends here, besides you?"
"I wouldn't say that she has many friends, no. Myself and Taylor are probably the ones that interact with her the most."
"How does she spend her spare time?"
"When she's not working? I guess she does things around the house. Cooks, cleans, etcetera. Spends time with Ben. Shopping. Reading. Just typical things."
"Did Catalaina seem different at all when you saw her last? Stressed, upset, anxious..."
"Not that I can recall. But then again, Catalaina is always in some sort of mood."
"What do you mean by that?"
"She's always happy. Most of the time. But sometimes she gets into these strange moods. I don't know how to describe it. Very sulky and depressed."
"Anything in particular that brings on these moods?"
"It could be anything, really. A fight with Ben. A student acting out. Or more than likely, something not going her way. It's the strangest thing. Some mornings she'll come to the school in a perfectly good mood. But then when I see her at lunch, it's as though I'm seeing a different person completely. She gets quiet and doesn't speak. She does this thing where she doesn't really pay attention to what anyone's saying. I swear she goes off into another world or something. Very distant. And when she looks at you when you're speaking, it's like she's looking through you. I don't know where she goes."

______

The next woman I speak with is Taylor Duncan. She also teaches fifth grade and claims to be quite close with Catalaina.

"What can you tell me about her?" I ask.
"What do you want to know?" she counters. "There's plenty to tell."
"Tell me anything – everything. Where she could have gone, what might have happened to her."
"I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do regarding where Catalaina is right now. People are saying that someone took her – that she was abducted."
"Do you believe that?"
"I'm not sure what to believe. What else could have happened to her?"
"She might have run away, taken off somewhere. Do you think that's a possibility? That she packed a bag in the middle of the night and fled?"
"I don't know what would cause her to do that," she says. "Everything in Catalaina's life is more than adequate. She loves her job, she loves her fiancé, and the wedding is only two months away. Why on earth would she just run off?"
"Cold feet?"
She snorts and makes a face.
"So you're not buying that, I presume."
"No. She wouldn't do that. Which means... something happened to her." She pauses. "It's just strange. Usually it's the young ones we see on the news, their face plastered everywhere, Amber Alerts and all. Why would somebody abduct her?"
"It's definitely not as common, but it's still possible. And due to her age demographic, I need to really consider whether this is a runaway situation or an abduction."
She purses her lips together, staring at me.
"Tell me about her," I say again. "What kind of person is she?"
Taylor folds her hands in front of her on the desk. "She's one of a kind, that's for sure."
"How so?"
"She has this aura to her that is so alluring and magnetic. She invites you in and makes you feel something. She's always giving out compliments, telling people things that she thinks they should know. She's kind, she's caring, she's loving. She likes to live as though time is running out. Always trying to accomplish something that's greater than herself. And that's what gets to her. She puts these standards and expectations on herself that she can't live up to. But the girl is nearly perfect, everyone can see it but her. But she doesn't let the opinions of people bother her. She simply lives her life how she wants to."
"And how is that?" I ask. "How did she want to live?"
It's quiet for a moment as she thinks. "Honestly," she looks up at me. "The only person who can truly respond to that is Catalaina. But I don't think even she would have an answer."