Chapter 16: Attachments

The Cafe she was supposed to meet with Maddie's younger sister, Cece, was tucked in a quieter part of the city, not far from Cece's workplace. Chyler spotted her before entering, bent over a cup of coffee or whatever it was she had ordered. Chyler approached slowly.

"Hey."

Cece looked up, her hands clutching the cup tightly. "Hi, you came."

"Of course." Chyler sat down across from her, offering a warm smile. "How are you holding up? Okay?"

Cece shook her head. "No, not really. I don't think any of us will be "okay" for a really long time." Chyler nodded and gave her a moment, letting that reality settle in. "Did you find anything new?" Cece asked.

She nodded slowly. "I went through her file, the postmortem results. Maddie's wrists..." She took a breath. "The cuts were not self- inflicted. At least not on her right hand."

Cece went still. Her lips parted and trembled. "So she didn't..." she swallowed hard, unable to say the rest of the words.

"No, she didn't," Chyler affirmed. Cece's hand tightened around her cup. She blinked quickly trying to keep tears from falling. Chyler reached across the table and gently took her hand in hers. "I promise you," she said. "I'll find out what happened to her— who did that to her."

Cece swallowed with difficulty then finally met her eyes. She cleared her throat. "That's not all," she said softly. She looked around them, her eyes flicking nervously to the windows and to everyone inside, like she was afraid she was being watched. Then reluctantly, she slid something from her bag across the table. A phone with a pale pink cover.

Chyler's eyes narrowed. "Is that—?"

"Maddie's," Cece whispered. "I found it under the floorboards of her apartment when I was clearing out."

She frowned. "The report said her phone was never recovered."

"It wasn't until the case had been closed. I don't know why I didn't look sooner, maybe it would have helped," Cece said regretfully. "I didn't think it would be important back then but now I keep wondering if there is something in it. Maybe some kind of clue? I don't know."

Chyler turned the phone in her hand, feeling like it was a grenade waiting to explode. "Do you know the passcode?"

Cece shook her head. "No. I never bothered to ask. No one knows how something as small as that could be important until it is too late, you know?"

Chyler nodded in understanding. "I know someone who can crack it," Chyler said, pulling out her own phone. "Is it okay if I take it with me?"

"Sure, do whatever you can."

"Alright, I'll let you know once I have something." Cece nodded but she didn't speak again. Her shoulders sagged hopelessly. Chyler gently squeezed her hand once again before rising.

★★★

It didn't take her long to get the phone unlocked. Having people owe you favors always played out nice and perfect. Her contact was a guy who worked closely with police departments and he knew not to mention whatever transpired between them to anyone. Within an hour, she was back in her car swiping through Maddie's photos.

Nothing seemed strange. There were pictures of her and her friends, selfies, her artwork, screenshots of memes... Her texts as well had nothing suspicious. Conversations with her family, some friends. Emails, all about work... Chyler sighed, starting to lose hope. Then, the phone rang. It was an unknown number.

She stared at the screen startled, contemplating whether to pick the call or just let it ring to the end. Then, she swiped instantly and answered. "Hello?"

"Maddie?" a male voice asked urgently. "Where the hell have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."

Chyler's throat tightened. "Sorry... my phone broke. I just got it working again."

There was a long pause that almost made Chy think she had messed up and not sold the voice enough. Then it came again. "The thing you asked me to look into? I found it. I'm sending you the attachments now."

"Attachments?" Chyler asked without thinking and almost pinched herself.

"Check your messages. You need to see this. But Maddie, seriously, be careful. These people don't play around."

"Okay, I w—"

The call was cut off before she finished the statement. Seconds later, the phone buzzed with incoming files. Chyler opened them her heart pounding. The first image stopped her cold. Caden.

He was standing beside two heavily tattooed men at a port. Her stomach clenched. She zoomed in on the image, taking a closer look. Those tattoos... they weren't just tattoos. They were symbols tied to one of the most brutal crime syndicates in the country. They dealt with anything underworld. Drug trafficking, weapons, human smuggling, organ trafficking...

The second photo was worse. It had a clear shot of Caden laughing, exchanging a duffel bag with one of them. Chyler paused. What the hell was Maddie digging into? Her head spun. Had Maddie uncovered something she wasn't supposed to? Was that why she was killed? And what exactly was Caden's involvement in the whole thing?

Another buzz interrupted her spiraling thoughts. This time it was her phone. Another message from an unknown number. She clicked on it, her lips parting to facilitate better breathing.

"Makes you wonder..." It read. "Does Miss Beverly Hills really know the kind of person she has been married to for years? Or is she too part of it?"

Chyler spun her head sharply looking around her. Nothing suspicious. Everyone seemed to be going on with their business around her. Except for this one psychopath who seemed to be following and watching her every move. How the fuck was that even possible?

Her phone rang, this time a call that almost jolted her out of her seat. It was Capri. Chyler breathed out and answered.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

"Yes, perfect," Capri responded sweetly. "Can you stop by my house after you are done with your mysterious errand? I could use some good company."

Chyler ran the words in her mind quietly twice. She looked at Maddie's phone for a moment before switching it off and sliding it into her pocket. There were too many ghosts rising, too many questions answered, and in that moment, she could only answer one.

"Sure, I'll be there in a few minutes," she responded, started the car and drove off.