Chapter 294
We gathered the papers and the photograph. The detective promised to stay in touch if he found anything else.
As we walked out of the house, the sun was lower now, casting long shadows across the street. I felt the weight of everything pressing down on me.
"Dafa," I said quietly.
He turned to me. "Yes?"
"Black Roses. Who do you think she is?"
He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."
We climbed onto the motorcycle. The ride back was quiet, the city blurring by in streaks of fading gold and deepening shadows. I pressed my face against Dafa's back, feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing, the warmth of his body through his jacket. My mind was a storm of thoughts. Black Roses. The dead bird. The missing bride from seven years ago. It was all connected. I could feel it in my bones.
