Again, I didn’t receive an answer. How odd. Was she not here either? That didn’t seem to add up.

  After all, as I turned around and looked at the parking lot, I saw her blue sedan sitting there.

  I decided to call her again. That was when something weird happened.

  I could hear the sound of a phone ringing coming from inside her apartment. The ring was faint, but it was unmistakable.

  In my mind, she definitely wouldn’t have gone anywhere without her phone. She had to be inside the apartment. But why wasn’t she picking up the call?

  When I moved over to her living room window, the answer to my question became disturbingly apparent. As I looked through the window, I spotted Alicia passed out on the couch. Beside her was an open bottle of pills and an empty bottle of liquor.

  My heart sank. I immediately began to panic.

  “Alicia!” I yelled.

  She didn’t answer. In fact, she didn’t move a muscle. Nor did she open her eyes to look at me.

  In that moment, it appeared that my worst fear was being confirmed.

  I grabbed my phone and called 9-1-1. When the operator picked up, I pleaded for the woman on the other end of the line to send an ambulance over right away.

  When I got off the phone with the operator, I rushed over to the apartment of Alicia’s landlord. At first, Melvin McDaniel did not appreciate being disturbed. When I explained the situation, he grabbed his set of master keys and darted over to Alicia’s apartment.

  Melvin then unlocked the door to Alicia’s place.

  I swung the door open and ran over to my friend’s couch.

  “Alicia, please still be alive. Please tell me you’re just passed out,” I said.

  Alicia didn’t move. I didn’t see any signs of life whatsoever. I checked her neck and wrist for a pulse, but I didn’t find one.

  Right then, I couldn’t help but burst into tears. Unless I was gravely mistaken, Alicia was dead.

  Chapter Six

  Due to a lack of traffic, it only took an ambulance about seven minutes to arrive at the apartment complex. That should have comforted me.

  It didn’t.

  Instead, the seconds seemed to tick by at an excruciatingly slow rate. It felt like precious time was being lost. Time that could be spent trying to revive Alicia.

  Of course, I didn’t know that Alicia could be revived. But I had hope.

  The paramedics did not feel the same way. The two burly guys stormed into the living room and did the best they could to bring Alicia back, but they failed.

  According to them, it was too late. Alicia had been dead for hours.

  I didn’t want to believe what they were saying. But it was impossible deny that they were telling the truth.

  As the paramedics tried their best to comfort me, I felt like I was going to throw up.

  I rushed outside to get some fresh air. Maybe that would make me feel better. Perhaps not.

  I had to give it a try.

  When I got outside, I found myself staring out at the horizon. My head immediately drifted into the clouds. What a dark day this was. I just couldn’t make sense of it.

  While I attempted to untangle my thoughts, a police car pulled up to the complex. Detective Scott Webster got out of the vehicle.

  At first, I was surprised to see him.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I heard a call come in on my police radio. I recognized the address as Alicia’s. I had to come over and see what happened,” Scott said.

  “It’s too late. She’s gone.”

  He grimaced. “Are you serious?”

  I pointed back at the door. “See for yourself.”

  Scott walked by me and entered the apartment. He didn’t stay inside there for very long.

  Within ninety seconds, he came back out and joined me.

  “What an awful sight,” he said.

  “It’s completely tragic,” I replied. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it.”

  He put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense. How could this have happened?”

  “I realize that you’re in shock, but I’m pretty sure you already know the answer to that question.”

  “Please don’t say the word suicide.”

  “I don’t have to. You just did.”

  I shook my head. “No. That can’t be.”

  “Melody, why don’t we talk about this some other time? Maybe when you’ve had some time to properly process all of this.”

  “Scott, you knew Alicia. She would never kill herself. She wasn’t the type of person who would take her own life.”

  “Look. I don’t want to argue with you.”

  “Then don’t.”

  “I also refuse to believe that Alicia took her own life.”

  “I’m trying to be nice here. To be understanding. To not get into it with you.”

  “Scott, do you really believe that Alicia’s death was a suicide?”

  “I don’t want to believe that,” Scott said.

  I stared deep into his eyes.

  “I don’t care what you want to believe,” I said. “I want to know the truth. Do you truly think that she took her own life?”

  “That certainly appears to be the case. I mean, she has a bottle of liquor next to her. And some pills.”

  “True. But there’s no suicide note.”

  “How do you know that?” he asked. “Did you look for one?”

  I nodded. “Yes. And I didn’t find one. Normally, people who commit suicide leave a note right next to them.”

  “Are you talking about on TV or in real life?”

  “Both.”

  “Do you have a lot of experience with that?”

  “Are you saying I’m wrong?”

  “In my experience, there isn’t always a note.”

  “Are you going to call the coroner in? And a forensics team?”

  “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

  “You should. Alicia’s apartment needs to be dusted for prints. Same thing with that liquor bottle. And the pill container. Don’t forget the windowsill either.”

  He put his hand up. “Melody, calm down. You’re treating this like it’s a murder investigation.”

  “Of course, I am. This has the look of a staged suicide to me.”

  “Do you have any evidence to back that up?”

  “I told you. Alicia would never kill herself. The only explanation that makes sense in my mind is that someone murdered her and staged the scene to look like a suicide.”

  “Talk about a wild theory.”

  I shook my head. “In my mind, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “Melody, I don’t believe you’re thinking clearly.”

  “Hey, I don’t want to feel this way. As a matter of fact, I don’t want any of this to be happening. But Alicia is gone. And if someone killed her, I want them to be brought to justice.”

  “I understand that. If you’re correct, it would be a travesty if a killer got away with murder.”

  “Then call in the forensics team.”

  He put his hands on his hips. “Let me ask you something. Do you really believe that this was a staged suicide? Or do you just not want to accept the fact that Alicia might have taken her own life?”

  “My instincts are telling me that I’m right. But there’s one way to prove me wrong. It’s not going to hurt anybody to call in the forensics team.”

  He exhaled and then said, “I suppose you’re right.”

  Chapter Seven

  A thorough sweep of Alicia’s apartment was performed. In addition, the coroner carted my friend’s body off to perform an autopsy.

  At that point, all I could really do was wait. And fret. Depending on the medical examiner’s findings, a murder investigation might be opened up. That certainly seemed to be the direction that things were headed. At least, in my mind.

  Scott disagreed. To him, the situation was more clear-cut. He seemed to believe this was a suicide. Nothing more. He wasn’t about to treat it like a homicide case. Not unless the autopsy report said otherwise.

  Once again, I found myself sharing a differing viewpoint with the police department. This was starting to happen with disturbing regularity. In the past, I had been right. Would that be true this time around?

  I had some time to kill before I found out. It was going to take the coroner a while to examine the body. Additionally, there was a strong chance that some lab tests would have to be performed as well.

  As I waited to hear back from Scott with any breaking news, the hours ticked by incredibly slowly.

  I sat at my desk, trying to keep busy. Staring out into the distance didn’t do me any good. It just made me miss Alicia even more.

  I was in the middle of my workday when my co-worker and fellow private eye, Lisa Williamson, entered my office and put a candy bar down on my desk in front of me.

  “Here you go,” Lisa said.

  “Where did this come from?” I asked.

  “I bought it when I was out on my lunch break.”

  “You didn’t have to get this for me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You look like you could use some chocolate more than ever.”

  “You aren’t kidding. Moments like this are what chocolate was designed for.”

  “This isn’t just any chocolate either. It’s the good stuff. Milk chocolate mixed with caramel.”

  “You’re not messing around. This is a serious treat.”

  “The way I see it, if you’re going to have chocolate, you might as well go wild and really indulge.”

  “I’m with you.”

  “I figured you would be.”

  “You know me so well.”

  “I sure do. Which is why my heart goes out to you so much right now. What an awful day.”

  I winced. “It is. And I can’t help but think that things are just going to get worse.”

  “Your opinion about this case hasn’t changed, has it?”

  I shook my head. “Not at all. In fact, I’m more convinced than ever that foul play was involved in Alicia’s death.”

  “I hate to bring this up, but what if you’re wrong?”

  “I’m not.”

  “Look. I admire your confidence, but this is a really emotional time. As a matter of fact, this is probably the most personal case that you have ever been confronted with.”

  “Where are you going with this?”

  “Emotions have a tendency to cloud judgment. I’m not saying that’s happening right now, but you can’t rule out that possibility.”

  “Do you believe that Alicia killed herself?”

  “I think it’s too early to tell. I’m going to wait until the autopsy report comes back before I make any judgments.”

  “I’m in awe of your patience. That is something that I just don’t have any of.”

  “I realize that.”

  “Honestly, at the time being, I’m already making up a suspect list in my head.”

  “So soon, huh?”

  “In my mind, there’s no time to lose. If someone did kill Alicia, every second is precious. With each passing moment, there’s a greater danger of this case slipping away.”

  “I hope you’re not worrying about this case going cold.”

  “No.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”

  “I do worry about the killer skipping town, though. Which is why I’m trying to come up with the best suspect list that I can.”

  “You’re an amazing woman, you know that?”

  “I’m just doing what any good friend would do.”

  “Oh yeah? Kristina was Alicia’s friend too. Do you think she’s trying to come up with a suspect list right now?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Face it. Your mind works differently than most people. You’re wired to investigate. We both are.”

  “Guess that’s why we picked this line of work.”

  “True. Although, our past experiences can sometimes mislead us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We both know that appearances can be deceiving. But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, they are exactly as they seem to be. It’s easy to forget that.”

  “I’m not forgetting that. I’m just following my gut.”

  “I realize that. I just want you to keep an open mind.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Good. Now, eat some chocolate. It will make you feel better.”

  Chapter Eight

  Two days later

  The last forty-eight hours of my life had gone by in slow motion. I tried to remain patient as I waited to hear back from Scott. The coroner had performed a preliminary exam on Alicia’s body. During that time, the medical examiner had not found any evidence that pointed to Alicia’s death being the result of a murder.

  In an effort to be thorough, the coroner also performed some lab tests. I was currently waiting for the results of those tests to come back. I was convinced that some sort of poison would show up in her system. If that was the case, this would turn into a murder investigation. It would also mean that Scott would have to question a number of people.

  When Scott called me at two o’clock that afternoon, I knew he had big news to share with me.

  I was right.

  The news was so big that Scott insisted on talking to me in person. I immediately dropped everything and drove over to the police station. As I approached Scott’s desk, I was desperate for answers. Rather than coming clean right then and there, Scott decided to take me aside and speak with my privately.

  Once we reached the hallway, I couldn’t take the delays anymore. The suspense was killing me.

  “Will you please tell me what’s going on?” I asked. “I’m going crazy here.”

  “I just finished talking to the coroner,” Scott said.

  “And?”

  Scott’s face tensed up. He didn’t say a word.

  “What’s the matter? Is your tongue tied or something?”

  He took a deep breath and then replied, “There’s no easy way to say this.”

  “What is it?”

  “You’re not going to like this, but here’s the autopsy report.”

  Scott handed me a piece of paper. As I read the paper, my jaw dropped.

  “No. This can’t be right,” I said.

  “I’m afraid it is.”

  “There has to be a mistake.”

  “Unfortunately, there isn’t.”

  I lowered my head.

  He reached out to me and said, “I’m really sorry.”

  “Are you sure this lab report is correct?”

  “Melody, lab reports don’t lie. And according to the report, Alicia died of a suicide.”

  “I know what the report says—”

  “Then why don’t you believe it? The report is very clear. An abundance of pills and alcohol were found in her system.”

  “I saw that part.”

  “Did you also see the part where no traces of poison or other foreign compounds were discovered?”

  “Yes.”

  “There you have it then. To me, this report is definitive proof that Alicia took her own life.”

  I wanted to be able to poke holes in Scott’s theory. The alternate was such a grim reality to deal with. But there were only so many ways to stage a suicide. Especially when no wounds were found on Alicia’s body. Honestly, other than poison, it was difficult for me to think of another way to pull off such a crime.

  Then again, I had the mind of an investigator, not one of a criminal. Based on the facts, it sure did seem like Scott was right.

  I gave in a little and exhaled. “It’s hard to argue with that.”

  He shook his head. “Correction. It’s impossible to argue with it.”

  I winced. “I guess I just can’t believe it. Or maybe I just don’t want to.”

  “It’s hard for me too.” He leaned forward and gave me a hug. “I’m really sorry. I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better.”

  “Nothing can make this situation better. I want Alicia back. But she’s gone forever.”

  “I know.”

  “I miss her so much. She was such a great friend. She was truly an amazing person.”

  “I agree. She was always really nice to me. Plus, she had a great career. It felt like she was going to do some amazing things.”

  “That’s so true.”

  “Which is why this doesn’t make any sense. Let’s say I believe that she really did take her life. Why would she do something so awful?”

  Scott grimaced, but he didn’t say a word.

  I waited a few seconds longer for him to reply, but he didn’t.

  “Well, can you come up with anything?”

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to that one.”

  “That’s really discouraging. I mean, you solve mysteries for a living.”

  “What about you? You’re a professional investigator.”

  “True. And I have no clue about this one. I’m at a complete loss.”

  “I hate to say it, but we might not ever get an answer to that one.”

  “Wouldn’t that be terrible?”

  “Like you said, she didn’t leave a note. When that happens, all you can really do is speculate.”

  “I didn’t think this situation could get any worse, but it has.”

  “I know it’s of little consolation, but at least now you know the truth.”

  I stared off into the distance. I then let my thoughts spill out of my mouth without any filter. “Alicia, why would you do something so horrible? You were so young. You had so much to look forward to.”

  “Maybe she disagreed.”

  “She should have told me what was going on. I could have helped her.”

  “It’s a sad fact, but depressed people often get really good at hiding things from those closest to them.”

  “If she could have just held out one more day…we would have had breakfast together. Maybe I could have helped her.”

  “Melody, please don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know this was going to happen.”

  “I realize that this isn’t my fault. At the same time, I can’t help but feel like things could have ended much differently. That they should have gone down some other way.”