Chapter two

I woke up with a throbbing headache and sore throat. I felt dry and lonely. I stood up and took care of myself in the bathroom before stepping out to clear my house. I discarded Natalie's picture and what could remind me of her. I think that is the best way to forget her. Easily. 

I cleared all the gifts I got from her and her pictures. I haven't celebrated my birthday yet and she's dead. Why? Everyone I love leaves me. Now, Natalie is gone. Gone forever. 

I got into the kitchen and made myself an omelet with a cup of coffee. I picked on it carefully and thought about my pathetic life. Natalie was sexually assaulted. Why would the person do that? Why do people find pleasure in causing people pain, trouble and killing? 

My cell phone rang out in the sitting room. I forgot to bring it along with me to the room after clearing it up. I stood up to pick it up.

"Alex, Good morning". I greeted.

"Lucinda, hope you slept well". 

"Yes, I did".

"You should take some break Lucinda. You should". I sighed. He's right. I need some rest. A break. 

"I will request a break from the chief but most importantly, the phone. How is it going?" 

"It has been accessed. Her call history will be printed out today". 

"Really?".

"Yes".

"Okay. Please report to me immediately when done". 

"Yes ma'am". He replied and cut the call. I walked back to the kitchen to complete my meal. After eating, I placed a call to the chief about the request for a break. He accepted but told me to work from home. 

I have to work from home. He doesn't have to tell me before I do that. We are talking about my best friend here. 

I texted Alex immediately to bring in my stuff plus information from the phone. I have to check it out. Been done with housework and various calls, I spent the whole day looking for witnesses and checking out the video surveillance to help with the case. Unfortunately, there were no witnesses. No one knows what really happened. Apparently, the murder took place in a deserted area. At a corner of a street. 

Natalie told me she was going out. There was no club, party or restaurant around the area where her body was found. Or was she dragged there? 

Later in the evening, Alex came around with my stuff in a box.

"Thanks for this". I smiled and dropped the box on the couch. I prepared a coffee and served him. 

"Thanks". He said and sipped from it. Alex is a very cute guy accompanied with his nice character. He is the cutest guy I have seen and has always been Natalie's crush. 

"Your house looks a bit empty". 

"Yes. I got rid of everything that seems to link up with Natalie". 

"And I hope you don't get rid of me too". He said sarcastically. I laughed and leaned my back on the couch. I can't possibly get rid of him

He dipped his hands into his pockets and brought a folded paper. 

"Her call history is printed here". I collected it from him and checked it out. 

"The call she made with the new phone". Yea, I just bought the phone for her. Not upto a year. 

"I will go through it. Later".

"Any progress from your side". 

"No progress yet. There were no witnesses. I…I.. th…think it's all my fau..lt, Alex". I said breaking down. 

"How? It wasn't your fault. It was meant to happen". He said and took a seat beside me, close to me. 

"It was. She requested to be escorted by me. She wanted us to go out. For fun. But I declined. I shouldn't have. If I had…"

"Lucinda, you did nothing wrong. It was meant to happen. Now, you're doing the best thing for her. Finding the culprit. And I'm sure she is going to appreciate your effort". I sniffed back the tears which were threatening to fall. I hate being vulnerable.

After some time, Alex took his leave when it was getting dark already. I ordered pizza and soft drinks for dinner. I am too drained to get into the kitchen. On a normal day, I would have ordered beer. But right now, I'm tryna dig something up. 

I picked on my food sluggishly while going through the call history made by Natalie. I keep seeing a particular number which pops up every time and that number was the last number she received before her death. The number has called her several times in a row. Who could that be? The number wasn't saved either. 

Natalie broke up with her boyfriend ten months ago and her ex-boyfriend's number wasn't even topping the charts. My call came in second to the first. I sighed and drank my drinks. I recalled a moment where a call came into her phone and she looked so terrified and frightened. She quickly covered it up and kept smiling. That was four days ago. 

I picked it up and went through the calls made four days ago. The number called. The number called repeatedly and I recalled Natalie not picking the number repeatedly. I checked the time and realized it's late. I will have to trace this number. I thought within myself. I will place a call to my department agents tomorrow to trace the number. The number could help. It would!  

The first thing I did the next morning was to place a call through the agents and tell them to trace the number. I waited impatiently for the results. I hope it leads somewhere. But did Natalie have a grudge with someone? Why the fuck would the number keep calling her? Or is she seeing a guy? Natalie tells me everything and I tell her everything. We are best friends. Would she really keep it from me? 

A call came in from the agents that they successfully traced it. My crew found out where she received her last call and some series of calls from the number. It was from a park. A park! 

Natalie went to a park. That was the last place she received a call from the number and she has received a series of calls from the number in the park. And the most confusing part is that the park was not here. The park wasn't traced to the Halloween pack. The park was in the crescent pack. Why was she going to another pack for a park when there are numerous parks in the Halloween pack? 

The Crescent pack! She visited a park in the Crescent pack!