A few days after my birthday I was doing school work when I received a call from Amira.
"What's up?" I answered.
"Josephine, I want to know if you have any extra additional information about Kenny that you can give me." Amira said, straightforward as usual.
"By extra information, what do you mean?" I asked her.
"Any other interactions you've had with him at all recently?"
"I can think of one. I went up to go visit Katie at her college, which is April's former school. I was out at a bar with Katie and Ava, and saw Candace and Kenny there. I may have confronted them." I started.
"Of course you did." I heard Amira sigh, "What happened?"
"Candace seemed more apologetic than anything. To be honest, I actually think she had some remorse about the situation. But like the last time, Kenny just seemed stone cold. Basically told me to leave them the fuck alone." I said.
"Did he seem angry?"
"Very. He slammed his fist down on the bar." I said, "Come to think of it, I really should've told you about this. But it wasn't any new information so I didn't think I had to."
"It's understandable why you didn't. I am just trying to gather as more information as possible. Nothing is insignificant." Amira said.
"Is Kenny some kind of suspect?" I asked her.
"We are working on gathering information. It's just all a bit suspicious. The timing of him and Candace having a relationship. His anger in situations when being confronted."
"Has he be been confronted otherwise?" I asked Amira.
"He has been. And he didn't have a good reaction to it."
"Can you tell me who confronted him?" I asked.
"No. But you should ask your dad about it." Amira said.
Did my dad confront Kenny?
"Why does it seem like you're just focusing in on Kenny and not Candace?" I asked.
"Like you said- Candace seems extremely apologetic and almost ashamed. And to me, it does come off as genuine." Amira said, "Of course sometimes that can be all a very good act. But she is very cooperative."
"I don't know why, but I feel like it isn't an act." I said.
"I agree." Amira said, and then she sighed. "I hope I'm doing your family justice with this case. Between you and me- I feel totally out of my wheelhouse. I am still fairly new on the force and it's my first situation like this."
"You are doing us justice. And April." I said, "And if anyone in my family, particularly my mom, makes you feel like you're not- don't listen."
"I try not to. Thank you though, Josephine. I am going to get to the bottom of this."
"I have full faith that you will. That we will."
"Please be careful though, Josephine. Gage situations and try to see if it's really worth it to get involved in them." Amira said.
"I hear you." I said. My mind though was already on my dad, and if he by some chance spoke to Kenny. Or knew someone who did.
I slept over Ava's house that night. I wanted to speak to my dad, but I knew he wouldn't be home until late. During the week especially, he was always home late.
I laid down in Ava's bed next to her. We were both in our bras and underwear, we had just gotten done fucking. Ava had thrown the vibrator that I had used on her down under her bed.
"It'll be nice one day when I don't have to worry about the cleaning ladies finding our sex toys." she chuckled as we laid there next to each other in the dark.
"Such first world problems." I laughed, "Do you think they have ever seen them?"
"I'm sure. But they wouldn't dare touch them, I would hope."
"My mom once found a strap on that I had in my closet when I was dating Amira." I said, laughing at the unsavory memory. "She was more confused than anything."
"What's so hard about explaining to her that you wear it around your waist and use it like a dick?" Ava laughed, and then she turned and looked at me. "Maybe one day we won't have to hide any of that from our parents anymore."
"What are you suggesting?" I grinned at her.
"Obviously living together one day. I'd love to get a place with you. I know we've only been dating for about 4 months. But we've been best friends for so long it doesn't feel like rushing." Ava said.
"You know I'd love that more than anything. I just feel bad since I'm not working right now." I said.
"I didn't mean this very moment. When things get a little better for you." Ava said, "Even though I know you can't put a timeline on that."
"Unfortunately we can't." I said, "But just know I would love more than anything to live with you." I said, leaning over and giving her a kiss.
The next day was Thursday, and as most days are, I do my homework but I can hardly concentrate. To my surprise my dad got home at 7- which was early for him lately.
I was nervous to talk to him about what Amira had said to me. Before April went missing I wasn't really scared to talk to my dad about anything. He was easy going and always had a great sense of humor about him. It was sad to me how much April going missing had impacted him. But he always had a soft spot for April. Sure, he had gotten her out of so many situations that she had gotten herself into, but he always could recognize as well how pure her heart was. He would always call April and I his two "little devils".
I heard him go into his office, which was off the living room and I decided I would talk to him then. I went downstairs from my bedroom and knocked on his office door.
"Come in." he said, and I walked in. Hanging above his desk was mine and my siblings high school graduation photos. There was Scott's in the far left corner. Scott was almost a spitting image of my dad with his dark hair and similar features. In the right corner was Katie. Of course her makeup was immaculate in her photo, and her blonde hair was long and straight. Then in the left bottom corner was me- Ava and I had gotten ready that day for our pictures together. I had put on a good amount of makeup. I remember the photographer though being a real creep. He kept making comments about how my eyes were "gorgeous, piercing through his lens." My smile was pretty fake as well. I just wanted to get the year over with- and it was also soon after Amira and I had broken up, so I was upset. In the bottom right corner was Kylie. This photo was taken recently- about a week before April went missing. Kylie looked really pretty in her photo. Her auburn hair was slightly wavy at the ends and my mom had let her get her makeup done at a salon for it.
Then in the middle was April. Of course, she looked absolutely stunning in her photo. I remembered as a freshman looking at her yearbook, thinking my sister was the prettiest girl in her whole grade. I looked at the photo of April in her cap and gown. She had what looked to be a genuine smile. And I felt that pang in my chest. I wanted to see that smile again, not in a photo.
"Josephine, what's going on?" my dad looked up at me. He was typing on his laptop.
"I need to know something." I said to him, "Did you confront Kenny recently?"
He paused typing, and looked at me. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm just curious."
"Yes, I did have a talk with him." my dad said, "If you must know, it was really messing with me that he is now dating Candace."
"You're not the only one." I said.
"I know. I've heard about your run-in's with him. Josephine- I don't think he is as nice as we all thought he was." my dad said.
"Did something happen when you spoke with him?"
"I was met with just pure anger. Which was surprising. I'm the father of your so-called girlfriend who is missing." my dad shook his head. "Mark my words, it would not surprise me if he had something to do with all of this."
"Amira seems to think the same thing." I said.
"I know she does. And we are looking into it." my dad said, "But Jo- your mom also thinks it's very weird."
"Sure didn't seem that way."
"I think she just doesn't want to drive away Candace. She feels this connection to her, I think. It makes her feel close to April." my dad said, clearing his throat. I was wondering if he was getting choked up.
"I understand that, but some things are just wrong."
"I know." my dad said, "I still think April is out there. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a hopeful father. I just have a feeling."
"So do I. On New Year's Eve, after the ball dropped I got chills. And this feeling that she had been out there celebrating the new year." I said.
I saw my dad tear up and then look down, "I hope you're right."
"Me too." I said. And then realized this was the first real conversation I had with my dad in what seemed like forever. I didn't get as much detail about Kenny as I had hoped- but that was okay with me for now.
I was feeling like I had my dad slightly back.