Since Birth

Chapter Twenty Three

I made it my night task to find out what I could about that female reporter. I searched until I had found out the necessary information to find her. Her name was Camry Cole and she was a young journalist from the big city. It said that she had roots in Red Hue and she had graduated from Ashford State. She had her own website and an office not far from Red Hue. Luckily though she had a number and said she could do meeting. So I saved her number on my phone and sent her an email asking for a meeting. To my surprise she had replied and said she could meet me after I was done with school.
I was excited to meet her, the most excited I had been in days. Her fierceness inspired me and made me feel like I wasn't alone with searching for my sister. After seeing her on tv, I knew I had to meet her. I knew I was grounded, but my parents were never home. I don't think they would have minded if I stepped out for a few. Still I had told Trevor my plans just in case something had happened along the way.
"Let me come with you." He made it sound like it wasn't up for debate. "It's better if we go together. I don't have to be there for the meeting but I'd like to be in the car waiting for you." It was the next day during lunch and he wasn't giving up on it.
"I just would rather go alone." I looked up to him and he looked over my face before laughing.
"Well you can't, its twenty minutes out of town and who knows where this creep is lurking. For all we know he could be stalking you and waiting for a moment when you are alone. I'm coming with you." He got up from the table trying to end the discussion. "We'll leave after school, I'll come pick you up at your place."
"Where are we going?" Riley walked over bumping into Trevor playfully as he ignored her and walked on.
I rolled my eyes and got up from the table shaking my head grabbing up my food tray. "Nowhere."
"Em come on, how many times do I have to apologize?" She ran around the table to join me as I tried to walk out of the cafeteria. "I was pissed off and I shouldn't have said such mean things."
"You shouldn't have and that's the end of the conversation." I turned around to face her balling my fist tightly. "I don't want to talk to you again." I said firmly and she looked down. I walked out of the cafeteria throwing all my food in the garbage. My appetite had been nonexistent as you all know. I'm sure I had lost several pounds in the week this was all happening. I just had no desire to eat. Really no desire to live either.
Still I had agreed to let Trevor come with me after school. I think my parents would feel much better if I had him with me. And he came right by my house like he said he would. I had been waiting in my car for him and got out when he pulled up. It wasn't the black car that had been parked outside of my house yesterday.. Maybe it was a good thing he was coming with me. I mean, I was grateful that he was, but I also wanted to do this alone. Since he had compromised that I can do the meeting alone, it shouldn't be a problem.
"She said she would meet you?" We started heading there and he already started talking. I was hoping to just have the radio to fill the silence. Instead he was fidgety with it, turning it up and then down hoping I'd speak. When I didn't that's what he finally had said, his hand still near the dial just in case I didn't respond.
"Yes, I think she saw my last name and figured it wouldn't hurt."
"Wow, do you think I'd have a chance to get with her?" He laughed joking but I didn't laugh. Instead I looked out the window prompting him to turn up the radio and clear his throat uncomfortably. I didn't want that Trevor with me. The flashy one who smiles at every girl that doesn't even look in his direction. Or maybe I did. Maybe then he wouldn't be near me so much making my heart ache. I loved this caring side of him but it was too much right now. Especially since we couldn't be together like I had hoped. It was far more devastating to me the more we still hung together and the more I thought about it. I had loved him for so long.. I just couldn't get over the fact that he had turned me down after he begged to be with me.
I had this sharp pain in my stomach so I turned more to the car door holding myself together. I guess I was also anxious about meeting her. A year ago I would have been thrilled but I was afraid. She seemed to know more about this case than the police did and that scared me. What if she thought my sister was already dead?
We passed the sign for Ashford and the pain increased. My face twisted up and I brought my knees up a little trying to put myself in a ball. Maybe it was more than anxiety..
"Are you okay? Should we turn around?" Trevor asked and I groaned in response. "Em you gotta talk to me here."
"No!" I snapped at him trying to suppress the feeling by finally just putting my knees up into my chest. That helped but now I had felt lightheaded and nauseous. "I'm sorry, let's just go there please." I had to remember he was really my only friend right now. He was doing his best. I had to push my feelings aside because he's still being here for me.
We pulled up to this coffee shop, a fancy small one that she said we could meet up at. It had a few cars parked out front and that was it. It didn't seem real busy in the inside either. Trevor decided he'd get done some shopping so I went in alone looking around for her in the enclosed space. There weren't many seats but I saw her there in the corner with her back to me. I took a deep breath and headed over holding my arm tightly.
"Camry?" I called to her and she immediately turned around with a bright smile that diminished quickly.
"You've got to be shitting me." She looked over my face and got up from the chair to get a closer look. "You look just like her, is this a prank?" She was so surprised and amazed.
"No, we are identical twins." I smiled politely and she surprised me by bringing me in quickly for an embrace.
"It's so nice to meet you dear." She let go when I didn't hug back and she took me in again. "Wow." She put her hands on her hips shaking her head. "Can I get you a coffee or anything? Dear you look famished!"
"I'm fine." I smiled weakly and walked around the table to join her by sitting. "I'm not really a coffee person."
"They have tea? Water? Any carbonated beverage you could ever want. It's my favorite place here in town, I come here to get my mind right." She sat down and her smile disappeared. "I'm sorry we've had to meet this way, it's a difficult time for you I bet but one thing you have to remember to do is take some you time and eat." She was almost mom like... maybe even Aimee like. A ball of fire that came at you with everything it had holding nothing back. I think that's why I had liked her. She was beautiful too and had curly blonde hair like we had. Piercing blue eyes but a small round face. Like she had very chubby cheeks as a baby and she hadn't lost it completely.
"I know but I can't." I nodded folding my hands on the table and looking down.
"Well I know you reached out to me, but I've been meaning to stop by. I've been investigating this case since it started. Your missing sister is just a small part of a larger problem. I want to find her alive and I want to pin this guy."
"You know it's a guy?" I looked up to her and she nodded.
"Unfortunately, the autopsy shows signs of forced sex, rape. One of the victims even was carrying a baby before she had been killed." She took a deep breath and looked heavenward. "That was almost three years ago and it was my sister." She forced a smile as tears filled her eyes. She pressed her lips together and bit her lip gently looking back down to me. "So I know how it feels. We never found who did this to her and it just so happens that every body that's been found has been similar to my sister Camille. It's no coincidence and it's like reliving that loss all over again. I want to find who've done this. I can't let it get swept under the rug like it had for her. I want to find your sister, alive. I need her alive." She shrugged and ran her finger across her eyes to wipe away the little bit of tears. "I know you want the same and no way in hell would I want  you go through the same pain I had to. I loved my sister dearly and she did not deserve to die the way she had."
I nodded and bit my lip gently looking to her. I didn't want to reopen her wounds with my questions. I could tell this was a very touchy subject for her, it was very close to home.
"I'm glad you were at that press conference yesterday." I smiled weakly. "It inspired me and had given me hope that I'm not the only one searching for answers. I think we can help one another that way."
"Of course." She nodded. "I'm writing an article that'll post soon about this. The public needs to know. He's targeting women like us, young women with curly blonde hair. He has an obsession, someone he can't have and or is off limits to him. So it seems like he's targeting woman that look similar,  mutilating and erasing them." She tucked her hair behind her ear and pulled a folder from her bag placing it in front of us. "I've been trying to narrow down suspects and I can't help but think it's someone they all knew. That Sean kid is still on my list though I'm sure my sister never knew him but something about him is off." She had a ton of notes written down on the first sheet. Diagrams and lists full of information. I listened to her as she spoke and she was further down the rabbit hole than I had been. She was keen on putting an end to this. I wanted to help her.
She had given me her personal number written on the back of one of her cards. She had a meeting to get to and I had to get home before my parents so we parted.
It had taken a moment but Trevor pulled up and I had joined him in the car which now smelled like French fries. It made my stomach growl a bit.
"How'd it go?" He asked and I looked over to him sighing.
"It's far more complicated than I thought." He placed his hand on my knee and rubbed gently.
"Well, I'm no Detective but I'm here to help put an end to this. With her it'll be easy right? I read up on her while I waited so."
"There's a good chance Aimee is still alive. We want to find her alive."