Through Her Shattered Eyes ✔

Chapter 21

During the ride home, Nathan has the radio on low, set to a station that played songs from the eighties. I tune out, listening more to the song than around me. Aside from the conversation that was exchanged at Marlsgate, we don't really talk much. Our minds are too busy processing what went on just minutes ago, I believe. Trying to see what we can make of it. Soon afterward, he pulls into my driveway and turns off the engine. It's weird and quiet initially, as we remain seated and neither of us breathes a word but once a minute passes, the silence is no longer an issue. My brain is elsewhere, and I find myself staring at nothing in particular.

"What are you thinking about?" Nathan asks suddenly, startling me out of my reverie.

I shake my head. "Nothing."

"Come on, Alexis. Talk to me. What's on your mind?"

I sigh. "I don't know. I...I feel like we haven't gotten anywhere."

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like we haven't found any clues that would lead us to Erika's killer."

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing, you scanned that Comic-Con ticket for fingerprints and the results were inconclusive. Secondly, from all the questioning we've been doing, I don't feel like it's getting us closer to finding out who the murderer is. I haven't had any other memories from Erika since the time you and I came back from seeing Allison. Like, I feel we're at square one again."

"Hey," Nathan starts as he puts his hand on my knee. "just because we haven't found any clues doesn't mean we'll never find him. Don't lose hope, Alexis. In most murder cases, you're not going to find the perpetrator and all the pieces of evidence overnight. It's something we as law enforcement have to keep working on, you know. Even if it takes years to solve it. In real life, crime-solving isn't like CSI." He chuckles at the last part, though there's no humor in his tone.

"I wish it was sometimes," I mumble, suddenly aware of how warm his hand feels on my knee; it's comforting.

"So do I. All of us feel like that, I think. I remember my first year working as an officer there was a murder that had happened in Woolsey. It took almost a year for our jurisdiction to find the person behind it."

I recall that event. At the time, I was just fourteen and I'd heard about it on the radio. The people who were killed were a rich elderly couple, and the murder was staged to make it seem like a robbery. However, with the way some things were arranged in that house, it looked to be otherwise. No valuables were taken, only their lives. A year later, the killer was found. She was in hiding, staying with a friend at their house until things died down. Turned out the lady was actually a mistress of the husband for a little over two years, but after a while, he wanted nothing to do with her anymore. He wanted to be with his wife instead.

Upon hearing that, the lady flew off the handle, which later resulted in her killing both the husband and the wife.

"I remember it," I say.

"Everybody was both surprised and elated that we finally caught her after such a long time. The point I'm trying to make, though, is don't give up, okay? Something will turn up eventually. And until something does, I'm not leaving your side until we find out who killed Erika."

I know he's right. Listening to his reassuring words makes me feel better.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Nathan."

"No need to thank me. Anything to help each other out."

The minute I turn my head to face him, our eyes meet. A small smile spreads across my face, to which he returns it. Suddenly, the sound of raindrops hitting against the roof of his car interrupts us.