Chapter 4

When Iris got home she sat back on her couch with Esty's diary once again. She began flipping through the pages in the back when she realized something was off, a page or two was missing from the diary. Once Iris realized this she dug through the box the diary was in, she found smaller boxes inside and began opening them. Finally she found what she was looking for, in a small ring box there was a piece of paper folded into squares.

The page matched with where the rip in the book was, this was one of the missing diary pages. It was set the Monday before Iris saw Esty for the last time.

June 8th, 2021

If you're seeing this it happened. My worst fears came true, Alex has chosen his next victim. The next page you need is in my jewelry box, I don't know what Alex did with it, just know the final piece of the puzzle is in that box.

This was what Iris needed to hear, that there was a final piece of evidence to Esty's disappearance. Immediately Iris got off the couch, put on her shoes, and pulled on her jacket, if this was gonna happen it would happen tonight.

Driving down the road the sounds of the wind whipping through the windows and owls hooting filled the still air. Once Iris reached Alex's place she jammed her car in park and jumped out, not even stopping to look at the shadow fight unfurling behind the living room curtains. Once at the door she started banging to get the couples attention, the door was open and Iris flung herself inside, not noticing the blonde crying in the corner.

"Where is it?!" She demanded, shooting off to the first door she saw.

"Where is what?" Alex asked, following her confused.

"Esty's jewelry box!" Iris said, emptying the contents of anything she saw.

"I don't have it anymore." Alex said without a care in the world.

"Then where is it?" Iris asked, walking up to Alex to shake some sense into him. "That box could tell us where exactly Esty is, not that you even seem to care."

"I don't know where it is, sold it and everything in it." Alex said, turning to watch the blonde stalk down the hall.

"What's her name?" Iris demanded.

"Hailey, why?" Alex said.

"When did you get with her?"

"A few months after Esty disappeared." Alex said, picking at his nails.

"So you didn't love her did you?" Iris said, shaking with rage. "You never loved Esty!"

"Don't come into my house thinking you can yell at me about who I do and don't love!" Alex yelled. "I loved Esty more than you know!"

"So that's why you hit and raped her?!" Iris walked closer to Alex, her voice breaking as she yelled. "Because you loved her? If you ask me, that's not how you show your love to someone!"

"You don't understand!" Alex yelled, getting closer to Iris. "Esty wasn't the perfect little girl you all thought her to be!"

"Oh really? She's not a perfect little girl because she wouldn't 'service' you, is that it?" Iris jabbed her finger in his chest. "She's not a perfect little girl because she wouldn't put out for you so you had to rape her?! Is that it?"

"Esty was my wife, she knew she had to do what I said and she didn't!" Alex said, holding the finger Iris jabbed at him with enough force to break it. "She knew as my wife that what I said goes, and she didn't get that!"

"Why do you keep saying "was"? Do you know something you're not telling us?" Iris asked, wrenching her hand from his bone breaking grip. "Iris is missing! She's not dead, not until we can confirm it!"

"Face it, Iris!" Alex yelled, spit shooting from his mouth. "It's been a year since she went missing, a year! People don't usually return from such things breathing."

"I don't care what you say, she will come back to us alive or so help me I will kill you." Iris said threateningly. "Who did you sell the box to?"

"Some woman and her child." Alex said through gritted teeth.

"Who!" Iris asked with a world ending glare.

"A brunette and a ginger, can't remember their names." Alex said nonchalantly. "Now, please get out of my house."

"I will if you give me their names." Iris said.

"Fine. Susan and Zyrian." Alex said, rolling his eyes. "Now. Out."

Iris stomped out of the house repeating the names in her head over and over again. Once in her car she wrote the names in a notepad, she sped out of the drive her anger still being present as she gradually pressed the gas more and more. It was already too late, she couldn't stop, the headlights were blinding and she couldn't tell what lane they occupied. The last thing she remembered is pressing the brakes enough to slow down, but it still wasn't enough.

Next morning Iris awoke in a room filled with white, a hospital room. That was all she remembered before she was out again.

"So that's how it happened?" the detective asked.

"You ask a lot of questions." Iris said.

"Just doing my job." the detective said with a hint of an attitude. "Now was that exactly what happened the night of your accident?"

"Yes, I read Esty's diary, noticed a page missing and sped to Alex's house after I found the missing page. Alex and I got into a fight over her jewelry box while his blonde mistress was in the other room, he admitted to raping her and abusing her for not doing her "wifey duties." Iris paused, taking a deep breath. "After that he told me the names of the people he sold her jewelry box to, I was still so angry at his beliefs that I didn't realize how much I was speeding up. I saw the headlights but I couldn't tell if they were in my lane or not, they wouldn't turn their brights off."

"So you got into a fight with this missing woman's husband, and then got into a car accident?" The detective asked. "How far away from the husband's home was this?"

"Not too far, maybe like ten minutes away." Iris replied. "You think he has something to do with my accident?"

"Precisely yes." The detective said.

"This was a year ago though. Why do you want to solve the mysterious case of who was driving recklessly that night?"

"Anything we can get on Alex will help us determine if he had anything to do with his wife's disappearance."

"Have you got anything on a brunette and ginger? One by the name of Zyrian and Susan?"

"Haven't got anything, I'll let you know as soon as I do." The detective flipped his papers and grabbed a bag from his briefcase. "Now, do you recognize this?"

"That's Esty's wedding ring!" Iris gasped, making a grabbing motion at the bag. "Where did you find it?"

"The policemen that were so kind to show up to your crash found it in the at fault vehicle."

The detective put the ring back in his briefcase and fiddled with his papers once more, it was as if this was a motion to calm anxiety or nervousness. Looking around, Iris noticed that the video camera was not recording her interrogation, this struck her as strange. Shaking it off she looked around once more and saw a clump of hair in the corner, probably from an altercation with a guilty suspect.

"Why isn't the camera recording?" Iris asked, looking back at the camera.

"What?" The detective looked dumbstruck at the camera. "It's dead."

"Why is it dead?" Iris asked once more.

"New person didn't charge it." He grabbed the camera and put it on the table.

"Am I free to go?" Iris asked, looking hopefully at the metal door.

"Yes, I will call on you if needed."

The detective nodded, standing up with Iris following suit. They shook hands and Iris left the room, she walked slowly down the hall trying to catch what the cops guarding the door to the room were saying to the detective. Without hearing anything she left the building and got on her bike.

This was the result of the crash, without the money to put into a new vehicle Iris had to bike everywhere. Though the results of the crash showed through her thinner appearance, Iris did not like biking. The sound of the squeaking wheels and pedals, and the rusty chain followed her everywhere and left her ashamed and embarrassed. Though, undoubtedly, it was nice to feel the wind whipping at her hair and to smell the freshly cut grass the breeze brought to her nose.

She decided she needed to stop thinking about Esty and what had happened to her last clue of where she was, so she headed to the beach. The beach always cleared her mind and who knows she might meet someone there. Whether it be a potential friend or a partner Iris was keen on the idea of meeting new people.

Once at the beach Iris dismounted her bike, took off her socks and shoes, rolled up her pant legs and headed towards the water. The beach seemed to be deserted except for the surfer in the water, walking closer she noticed, it was a guy. Lovely. Iris made her way across the shore edge, kicking up water and squishing the wet sand between her toes, she liked that feeling.

Unaware that the guy on the water was now making his way toward her, she continued on her journey. She walked along, continuing to kick up the water and squish the sand, but now there were shells in her path and every once in a while she stooped down to pick one up.

By the time the man reached her Iris's pockets were bulging with shells she found beautiful. "You walk fast for a short person." Startled, Iris looked up with fear in her eyes. "Sorry didn't mean to scare you."

It in fact was not a man like Iris thought, it was a woman. She had short purple hair and shockingly brown eyes, with a scar that came from her hairline and cut through her eyebrow and eye. "No, you're fine." Iris replied, picking up an exceptionally pretty shell. It was a tulip shell of the most vibrant gray with tiny light blue spots in it.

"I see you like shells." The woman said with a small smile.

"Oh, yeah. They've always held a special place in my heart." Iris said, twirling the shell she recently picked up.

"Can I join you?" The woman asked, adjusting the surfboard beneath her arm.

"How do I know you're not a serial killer? Or a kidnapper?" Iris asked, squinting her eyes skeptically.

The woman laughed, it was a pretty laugh that didn't match her masculine build. "You're a funny one," the woman paused to take a breath. "But no, I am neither of those. Just a woman trying to get to know another woman."

"We'd need a bucket, my pockets can't take anymore." Iris said, stowing the shell in her already full pockets.

"That's no problem, I have a bucket in my car." The woman said she turned around but then stopped as if remembering something and turned back to face Iris. "I'm Arrow, real name is Denise. Can I ask yours?"

"Iris, real name Iris." Iris chuckled, sweeping her hair behind her shoulder.

"Pretty name for a pretty girl." Arrow winked, turning back around and walking off.

Iris was left there, her face red and eyes wide. She had never been complimented like that, nor had she ever been complimented in general.

Iris stood there waiting, kicking up sand, trying to see another shell. A few seconds later Denise, or Arrow, came running back towards her, the only thing in her arms now was a tin bucket. With a smile Arrow set it down and held out something small, it was a little cake wrapped in plastic.

"Oh, no, I'm not hungry." Iris replied, pushing Denise's hand back and dropping the shells in her pocket in the tin bucket, the only sound was the clinking and clanking as they fell.

"Are you sure?" Denise asked, offering the little cake again. "You look like you could use some sustenance."

"I don't trust people much anymore." Iris replied with a hard tone.

"Oh," Denise sounded sad, disappointed even. "Why's that?"

"It's a long story." Iris replied, her head down as she picked up the bucket and started walking again. "I'll tell you some other time."

"So there's going to be another time?" Denise asked, jogging to catch up with Iris.

"I mean, I could use some friends right about now." Iris replied, lifting her head.

"How's this one?" Denise stooped and when she stood back upright there was a small, glittery shell in her hand. "It's sparkly."

"Not sparkly, it's shiny but the way the sun's shining on it makes it look that way." Iris said, examining the shell. "Very pretty, good find."

Denise gently placed the shell in the bucket and they began walking again, this time silence fell upon them. As the day stretched on and they walked the beach the bucket became heavier with every shell put in it, Iris couldn't help but notice the way Denise would glance at her every now and then before picking up another shell.

The bucket got too heavy for either to carry, Iris checked her phone and realized how late it was. "It's four-thirty!" She gasped, setting the bucket down.

"So?" Denise looked at her confused. "Got somewhere else to be?"

"No, not necessarily, but I have to be back at the police station tomorrow." Iris said. "And I have plans with Dainella."

"Is that your girlfriend?" Denise asked, Iris couldn't help but notice the bitterness in her tone.

"No, she's a friend's sister." Iris said, watching the sun begin to set. "Look, you should keep the shells."

"But you were the one to start picking them up." Denise looked surprised.

"I'm riding a bike at the moment." Iris said, raising an eyebrow. "I haven't got anywhere to set them for my ride home."

"Let me give you a ride." Denise said. "I know you don't trust people much, I remember you said that, but I'm just offering you a ride."

"I'd rather bike home." Iris said, taking a shell from the bucket. "You could have these and remember our day together."

"Could I get your number too?" Denise asked, a grin gracing her features.

Iris smiled, being friends with this woman would be a good thing in light of the dark situation that is now a cold case. "Of course." Iris said, the smile still on her face as she listed off numbers.