“I’m gonna say no, because he was never with her, and you know how those two were stuck together. Once or twice we met out by that little club house on her property. He didn’t say anything when we were there the other day.”
Another question pops in my mind. “Was she wearing the Claddagh charm when you saw her? Around her neck?”
He thinks for a moment. “I don’t remember. But there’s something I told the police. She got a call from right before I left. The name on the screen said, ‘Daddy.’”
“Did she answer it?”
“Yeah, she did. I heard her talking to him before I pulled on my helmet.”
“So you weren’t the last one to talk to her.”
“Nope.” He leans forward. “It was her dad.”
I face the computer and open up the document I’d been working on.
“What the hell is that?” Ezra asks.
“Just making a few notes.”
“You trying to get the reward money from my dad?” he asks.
I’d seen the information about the reward come across ChattySnap.
“No, but that was nice of him.”
“I guess. If you ask me, he just likes flashing around his money. This is the perfect opportunity.” He points to the computer. “Whatcha got?”
She never showed up for the first day of school
Alice saw her on the bridge that day. Argued about Kenley.
Ezra also met her on the bridge. Rose wanted drugs.
She had a lot of money with her. Did the police find that in the car?
Rose got a phone call from “Daddy.” Did something happen during that call?
She’d been distant lately to Finn. Was she hiding secrets?
Her charm was found down current near the banks of the cove.
Police have ended the water search. Do they know something we don’t?
“What do you plan on doing with this?”
I shrug. “Not sure yet, but you and I both know Rose wasn’t as innocent as her family wants to present her. She may have run away for a reason. Or she may have gotten in an argument with her dad and jumped off that bridge. Or maybe someone killed her for the money she was carrying?”
Ezra’s eyes meet mine. They’re defensive about that last question. He knew she was carrying a lot of money. He shakes his head. “It wasn’t me. Swear.”
“I believe you,” I say, and I do, I guess. As much as I believe anyone right now.
“Any thoughts on where we should start?” he asks.
“We?”
“You just said it. I need to clear my name.” He scratches his neck. “Also, I’m curious about what she was up to, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” I open up a new tab and start typing. “If watching dozens of episodes of Catfish has taught me anything, it’s that we always start with social media. The answers are always there.”