October 9th, 2016

Kinsky, California, USA

Interviews

Maria woke up from her dream. It was still early. She sat up in the bed, stretching out her arms. Sheepishly she walked over to her closet, trading out her gray sweatpants and stained white shirt for a more presentable high neck top and jeans. As she always did, she walked out her room and into the bathroom to brush her teeth and do her makeup. She combed her short hair through, and it straightened out to be much nicer and fluffier than usual. She smiled at the exceptional improvement, then walked back out the door into the hallway. And, as she always did, she went over to Anita’s room to wake her up for breakfast.

She stopped. The realization kicked in. She was no longer smiling.

Gently, she closed the door again. Her head turned, looking down the stairs. She knew what today was now. 

…

Cole sat in the park. The weather was beginning to get colder, and so he switched out his thin gray hoodie with a thicker black coat. He looked down at his notepad, reciting his notes in his mind. At some point he heard footsteps cut across the dead leaves on the ground, and a familiar female voice rang out.

“You said you wanted to talk with me?”

Cole looked up, and saw that Kat was there. She wore a black leather jacket over a plain gray hoodie. Her hands were snug into the pockets of her denim pants.

The boy nodded, and scooted over a bit. Kat sat down, and looked out at the trees around them.

“I wanted to ask you some questions about Anita. Maria and I are just trying to figure some things out, and… we just want to know a little bit more, if that’s okay with you.”

The young girl nodded, looking at him. “Of course. Go ahead.”

“Um, I guess my first question would be… in the months leading up to things, August, July, June… did you notice anything odd about, well, Anita’s behavior?”

Kat thought for a moment. She watched an older woman walk her dog in front of them. “Yeah, I guess so. I noticed she got more reserved, more timid. But I thought it might’ve had something to do with their dad leaving, and I didn’t want to pry into family business, so… I just never really said anything, I guess.”

“Did she ever say anything weird to you? Out of character?”

“Uh… not that I can remember. I guess she just… seemed more sad?” Kat looked towards the ground. She rubbed her elbow nervously. “But I didn’t really recognize that, until… until afterwards.”

Cole wrote some notes down. “What about on July 19th, during Maria’s party? Did you notice anything weird with her then?”

Kat thought again. She put her hands over her mouth, blowing hot air into them, then rubbed them together in her lap. “I don’t know if I’d call this weird, but when I went to go tell Sadja something I noticed she was kneeling down on the ground with Anita. I never found out what they were talking about, though.”

Cole’s eyes lit up. He wrote something down again. “Do you know if Anita said anything after that?”

Kat searched her memory, and it didn’t take her long to find something. She stopped rubbing her hands.

“Yeah, actually. And it was kinda weird, I guess. She said… she asked me, ‘Is he here?’, or something like that. Or ‘Are they here?’. I forget the exact specifics, but it was something like that.”

Cole stopped writing. He looked up at Kat. “Do you know who she was referring to?”

“No… no idea.”

“Do you remember who wasn’t at the party around that time?”

“Oh, God. Uh… I really don’t, sorry. I remember Lukas and you came late, but I don’t remember if anyone else was missing.” Kat thought a little bit more, and something else crossed her mind. “Actually, now that I think of it, I don’t think Anita had gone down stairs at that point. So maybe she wouldn’t have known who was at the party at all.”

Cole went back to his notes, vigorously writing on a fresh page on the small pad. He finished, and closed it back up.

“Thanks, Kat. This info helps us a lot.”

Kat gave a comforting smile. “Of course. You ever need anything from me, you just let me know.”

The two sat in silence for a moment. They watched a small pigeon come onto the pathway, trotting for a bit, then pecking at the ground with some level of interest.

“Hey, Cole… while I’m here, is it okay if I ask you something too? It’s not related to this… just something that’s been on my mind.”

“Sure. Shoot.”

She turned her body towards Cole. Her mouth opened, but she hesitated, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say.

“Is Lukas… mad at me?”

Cole looked her in the eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just crazy. It just feels like… as of recent… he’s been a lot more distant, I guess? I haven’t really talked to him much lately, and whenever I see him, he just sorta looks away. He doesn’t text me anymore, either. Unless I text him first. And he doesn’t like my photos on Instagram, like he used to…” Kat caught herself speaking. She suddenly shook her head, waving her arm dismissively. “Actually, forget it. This is just me being stupid.” 

“Hey Kat, it’s not stupid, alright?” Cole replied in a supportive tone. “I can tell you that Lukas isn’t mad at you. He’s just been… preoccupied with stuff, you know?”

“Yeah. That makes sense.” She turned back towards Cole, her fingers moving her blonde bangs away from her eyes. “If you could, just make sure he knows that he can talk to me, alright? About anything.”

Cole thought for a moment, juggling the reality he told Kat and the reality he knows to be true. He sighed. “Yeah, don’t worry. He understands.”

Kat got up from the bench, patting off the back of her jeans. “Well, I gotta dip. We have practice today, and I gotta get ready.”

Cole smirked. “Practice on a weekend? That’s gotta suck.”

“Yeah, well, we’re getting closer to the date. So the workload is piling up.” She turned around, watching Cole get up from the bench himself. “I’ll see you there, right?”

“Of course. Lukas and I already have our tickets.”

Kat smiled. Cole grabbed his backpack and began walking off, when Kat spoke up one more time.

“Hey, Cole!”

He turned around. Kat had her arms out. Cole smiled, and he walked over to hug her. Kat hugged him back..

“I’ll seeya,” Kat said, patting him on the back.

“Yeah. See you.”

The two let go, and went their separate ways.

…

Maria sat down on a high top at a cafe in downtown Kinsky. She wore an old coat, dark purple, that she kept around her shoulders. Everytime the door chimed, she looked to see who came in. But it was only strangers. 

At some point she gave up, and began looking at her phone. It was during this time that the girl she was looking for finally came in, and sat down next to her.

“Hey, Maria, I’m really sorry I’m late.” Sadja sat down across the table, placing her bag on the seat next to her. She wore a fluffy red cardigan, and gold hooped earrings. 

“It’s fine,” Maria replied indifferently. She put the phone away. 

“Hey, um… you want anything?” Sadja pointed her thumb behind her, towards the cafe counter. “Or did you… did you already get something?”

Maria shook her head. “No… no, it’s fine. This won’t take that long, anyway.”

Sadja, unsure, nodded. She leaned in to Maria. “So, what did you wanna talk about?”

“It’s about Anita.”

Sadja’s eyes widened. She leaned back. “Um… yeah, what… what about it?”

Maria thought for a moment, then looked back up into Sadja’s eyes. “I wanted to ask you something. Did Anita ever… mention anyone to you, in a way that you thought was weird? Someone she might have been having difficulties with?”

Sadja looked down. She scratched the back of her hair, trying to think of what to say.

“No… not that I can think of, at least.”

“What about at the party, when everyone was there? On July 19th?”

Sadja moved her hands down to the table, tapping the edge with her fingers. She didn’t look directly at Maria. “No, I don’t think so.”

“She didn’t talk to you at all on that day?”

“Maybe to… say hi, or something. Nothing comes to mind.”

Maria sighed, she put her coat back on fully. “Well, thanks for taking the time, at least.”

Sadja shook her head, a solemn expression on her face. “I’m sorry I’m no help.”

Maria got up from the stool. “No, it’s fine. Really. I just wanted to… see if you knew anything, is all.”

“Can I at least buy you a latte?”

Maria turned around, back towards Sadja. She thought about it for a second.

“Okay. Sure.” 

Sadja smiled. She got up from her seat, and the two girls got in line at the counter.

…

“Yo, Cole!”

Cole looked up from the booth table. He saw Aaron, approaching him from the back entrance of Koko’s. The teen slid into the seat opposite of Cole. “So, what’s up?”

Cole opened his mouth. His hand fiddled with the pages on the small notepad he had off to the side.

“I wanted to ask you… about Anita.”

Aaron’s expression suddenly changed, from his perky normality to a more sullen nature. Almost offended.

“Shit, man. I mean… yeah, go ahead.”

Cole rubbed his finger in between one of the sheets, looking at Aaron. “Did you notice any odd change in Anita’s behavior, over the summer?”

Aaron put his arms on the table. He sighed, shaking his head. “I didn’t know Anita that well, man.”

“But you went over to the house with Rose, right?”

“Yeah, to help Rose. Not for the kid.”

Cole stopped rubbing. With his thumb and index he held the paper tight. “What about on July 19th?”

Aaron thought for a minute, and shrugged. “What about July 19th?”

“Maria’s birthday party. Apparently you did something to make Anita cry?”

Aaron’s face morphed into visible irritation. “Dude, this feels like an interrogation. What exactly is it you want from me, anyway?”

Cole backed off. “I’m not accusing you of anything, I just want to learn more-”

“I already told Maria. I went to go put my stuff down, there was like — I don’t know, a doll or something — and I moved it, and then Anita walked by and started crying and ran over to her sister. She was upset that I moved her stuff. That’s it.” Aaron spoke this last word with a pointed, defensive inflection. Cole sighed, trying to think of a way to cool him off.

“Okay, I didn’t know that. I believe you.”

Aaron leaned back in his seat, flinging his hands up. “So, you got any more questions for me?”

“No, that was it. We’re cool.” Cole motioned his head over to the order counter. “Wanna grab something to eat?”

Aaron, perhaps thinking that he had been unreasonable, began to calm down. “Yeah, sure.” He knocked his hand on the table as he left the seat. “Let’s hit it.”

The two sat and ate lunch, neither daring to mention the topic again. But when Cole went back to his car, when he put the key in the ignition and turned to his window, he saw Aaron. Standing by the entrance to Koko’s. Looking right at him.

Cole brushed it off, and drove home.

…

Maria was doing — or at least, pretending to do — some homework in the dining room when her doorbell rang. She hurried over and opened it to see who it was.

It was her expected guest. Rose wore a loose brown leather jacket, and her typically wavy mid-length hair fashioned into a bun at the back of her head. She looked over in Maria’s direction as the door opened, and smiled.

“Hey, chica.”

Maria led her into the living room. Rose took off her jacket, and sat beside it on the couch. Maria took her spot on the armchair.

“So,” Maria began, her head looking down at her lap. “I just wanted to ask you a few questions about-”

“Anita?”

Maria looked up. Rose was looking at her.

“Aaron told me that Cole had asked him a few questions earlier today.” Rose continued. “Is there any reason you guys are asking around about it now?”

Maria’s hands began to tremble gently. She could feel her body begin to sweat. In her racing mind she tried to find an excuse, any excuse but the truth. Yet when she began to speak, Rose cut her off.

“Oh! Nevermind.” The Japanese teen declared, smacking herself on the forehead. “Of course you wouldn’t have wanted to do it right afterward, it would have been too upsetting. I’m sorry, that was a dumb question.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Maria answered, very much relieved.

“So, did you want to ask me anything specific?”

“Well, just two main questions. The first, I guess, is whether Anita ever mentioned anyone in particular she was having trouble with.”

“You mean… like a bully or something?”

“Yeah. Or anyone else she mentioned, in that sort of context.”

Rose looked up to the ceiling, her hands on her chin, trying to think of an example. “Well, there was that one girl in summer camp. Navarette, I think. When she first started camp Anita had a few problems with her. But… if I remember, they solved it. They became friends too, I think.”

Maria nodded. She knew about Navarette already — the girl was a dead end.

“Did you speak to her on July 19th? The birthday party, when everyone was there?”

“No, but I did notice her off playing by herself.” Rose kept looking at the ceiling, away from Maria. “You know, now that I think about it… the way she changed, it was so obvious there was something wrong. I keep thinking… thinking about the story I told at the funeral, the one about babysitting her. And then I think about the last time I saw her, back in August. And when you compare the two… it’s so obvious, you know? But… when you’re living it… it’s so subtle… you know?”

Rose wiped her eyes with her hands, leaning in the other direction so that Maria couldn’t see her face. “Did you have anything else you wanted to ask?”

“Well, I was also thinking… Do you remember seeing Sadja talking to Anita that day?”

Rose moved her head slightly, still keeping her face in profile. “What does Sadja have to do with it?”

Maria recognized the bad move she made. “Oh, nothing. Nevermind. I don’t have any more questions.”

The two stayed quiet for a minute or so. Finally Rose gave one last wipe of her eyes and stood up from the couch.

“Hey, you eaten dinner yet?”

Maria shook her head. “No, not yet.”

“Me neither. You want me to make us something?”

“Oh, there’s nothing in the fridge. I still gotta do grocery shopping.”

Rose shrugged, turning towards Maria. “You wanna order a pizza, then?”

Maria considered it. “Sure, why not?”

…

The pizza arrived about an hour later. The girls continued talking about a wide variety of topics, and Rose helped to cheer up the mood. As she was putting on her jacket and getting ready to leave, the front door opened. They both turned towards it. 

“Hey Cole,” Rose greeted him happily. 

Cole noticed the pizza box from the kitchen, and pointed at it. “You got leftovers?”

“Only a little.” Rose zipped up her jacket and turned back towards Maria as she approached the front door. “I love you!”

“Love you, too.” Maria called back. With that, Rose left.

Cole walked over to the kitchen, where Maria was. She leaned her head on the side of the wall. 

“You might need to heat them up a bit. It’s been out for a while.”

Cole placed the last two slices on a paper plate, and moved over to the microwave. “So, I take it the talk with Rose went well?”

Maria sighed. “Yeah. Didn’t really get too much out of it, though. Apparently Aaron talked to her about it?”

Cole put the plate in the microwave and timed it for a few seconds. “Ah, yeah. Could’ve handled that one better.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, he was just very defensive about the whole thing. Thought I was interrogating him.” Cole thought for a moment. “I mean… I guess I was.”

Maria walked over to the dining room. Cole, as his dinner finished heating, came in not long afterwards.

“You get anything out of Kat, then?” Maria asked, sitting down back at where she left her homework.

“Not much,” Cole took a bite out of the pizza. “She did mention that, when she went over to find Sadja, Anita said something interesting. She said that-”

“Wait, wait, hold on. What do you mean ‘find Sadja’?”

“Oh, well, I guess Kat went to look for her, and she found her in Anita’s room, talking to her.”

“Talking to who?”

“I mean… Anita. What’s up?”

Maria looked down. A chill went down her spine. Her next words were barely audible to Cole.

“Sadja said she never talked to Anita.”

The lie caught Cole as odd. “Do you think… she just forgot about it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. It doesn’t seem too long ago, though. I mean, I still remember most of what happened.”

Cole nodded. He paused for a moment, looking out the window into the field. Then he continued.

“Well, anyway, when Kat came in, Anita asked her… ‘Is he here?’.”

Maria’s head shot back up. Her face was almost frightened. “Was this before or after Aaron said he messed with her toys?”

Cole stopped. “I… I don’t know. Kat said it might’ve been before Anita went downstairs, but she wasn’t sure.”

Maria looked back down. Her fingers scraped against the linoleum of the table. Her mind raced for some sort of answer, but there was nothing left. It was all too unclear.

“Well… I think we can eliminate Kat.” Cole spoke quietly. “She got us our only lead. Besides, she seemed pretty forthcoming.”

“Yeah. I could say the same about Rose, too.”

“So, I guess that just leaves… Aaron, Sadja, and Lorenzo.”

Maria’s nails began to hurt from the scrapping, and so she removed her hands from the table. “Yeah. That sounds okay.”

“We should interview them again, given what we know. We’ll wait until Lorenzo comes in on the 17th.”

Maria shook her head. She still didn’t look at Cole. “I just feel so useless, waiting around.”

Cole took the chair by her, sitting down and looking at her. “Listen, Maria. I’ve said this before, but… look, I know how much this means to you. But you still have a life, and you got to live it. Whoever it was, they aren’t going to run — if they did, then we’d know it was them. We have plenty of time to sort this all out. I just… I don’t want to see this ruin your life.”

Maria didn’t respond.

“If you want to keep working on it, we can do some more research. But I think it’s good that we wait, okay?”

“…Okay.”

Cole didn’t say any more. He went back to eating his pizza, sitting next to the girl. The girl continued on her homework assignment. Neither said much more that night.