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“It’s been playing on repeat for an hour,” Cole says, and I catch him watching CJ.
CJ rubs the back of his neck. “Fuck!”
I ignore the two and step closer to Jordan and Becca, sitting between them on the sofa. Alex moves to sit on the floor at the end, tucking his knees to his chest as he, too, watches on as a reporter standing outside a blue tent starts talking.
“Whithall Police department were called down to Rally River when a passer-by found a young woman, dead. Police have confirmed the young woman is Linda Cooper, who was reported missing on Monday 23rdJanuary by her parents, Caroline and Antony Cooper.
“There are no witnesses at this time, but police are urgently asking anyone to come forward if they have any information or were around Rally River from five a.m. this morning.
“Whithall police will also be investigating local areas for any footage that could help lead them to the killer.
“Whithall University has issued a message to all students to be vigilant of their surroundings. The police believe the murder is connected to the murder that happened at Whithall University in December.
“Melissa Atwood gives her statement about her ordeal this morning. Over to you, Doug.”
The screen switches to the other cameraman’s view, where a younger man stands next to a middle-aged woman outside a house. In the background, there are tons of people watching, some weeping quietly as they listen to what she has to say.
My stomach turns as I think of what Linda Cooper must have through, what the girl’s mum and dad are going through. It’s devastating.
“Can you tell us what happened this morning?”the news reporter asks.
The woman nods, wiping under her eyes.“I take my dogs out every morning along the river. The dogs started barking, so I ran over to see what was happening, and saw the young girl. At first, I thought she was just passed out—I’ve walked that trail for years and have encountered more than one passed out drunk, since it’s close to some of the local clubs. But something didn’t feel right when the dogs started whimpering. I just didn’t imagine it to be what it was. When I touched her, she was so cold…”She pauses, more tears sliding down her face.“I didn’t know. She was so peaceful, her hands resting under her cheek, like she was praying. The hair at the back of her head had been cut off. I called for the police straight away. I’m still in shock. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to walk down that path again after this morning. My heart goes out to the family.”
“Were there any wounds on the victim?”
I gasp at the audacity of his question. How heartless could he be?
The woman narrows her eyes, wiping her nose with a tissue.“No, but I’d like you to respect the young woman who was killed, and her parents who are grieving the loss of their only child.”
The man is shocked to be answered back to on live television, but nods, turning back to the camera with a guilty expression.“Back to the studio.”
The news reporter at the studio swings his head back to the screen.“Thank you, Doug.”He puts his finger to his ear, like he’s listening in.“We just had a statement come in from the Cooper’s.”The screen once again changes to show Linda’s parents. They both look incredibly tired.
“Our beautiful daughter is gone. Words cannot describe the grief and shock of what we are going through. Linda was loved by many. She will be missed, she will be remembered, and she will be loved. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time. Nobody wants answers more than we do right now, but at this moment in time, we would like to grieve the loss of our daughter alone.”
Cole mutes the television, leaning back against the chair he’s in, pulling Willow against him. The room is quiet as we soak in what has happened. Those poor parents. That poor girl.
“I know everyone will say this would never happen to them, but this just proves it can happen; it could be you. I know you girls love your independence, but from now on, you aren’t to walk out alone. This girl was taken in the morning, in broad daylight. This person isn’t scared about being seen,” CJ says, sitting across from me, next to the television.
He doesn’t even need to push this. I agree wholeheartedly. “I agree.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Willow whispers, still watching the screen where messages from Linda’s friends run across the bottom.
“How do they know it’s connected to Christie’s murder?” Cole asks.
Me and Jordan share a look. Both of us know more than we should since we got those files. I haven’t told CJ and telling him now will make it seem like I lied to him. I didn’t; I just withheld the information.
“What was that look for?” CJ asks, looking between me and Jordan.
Jordan clears her throat, sitting forward. “I know how it’s connected,” she tells him, then turns to me.
I nod, sitting forward and clasping my hands together. “When we got back, Jordan brought me all the information she got on Christie’s murder.”
“What?” CJ explodes, standing up. He runs his fingers through his hair, pulling at it, and his complexion turns ashen.
I stand, meeting him in the middle of the floor and taking his hands in mine. “I didn’t go searching for it myself. I promised you that much. But I needed to know, CJ. I needed to know this had nothing to do with Logan. I couldn’t risk putting Willow in danger again. I couldn’t,” I tell him, my eyes watering.
He runs his fingers through my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
