5. Lottie
Lottie
Twenty-six years old
“ A s of today, there’s been no new information released to the media.
We still don’t know what happened to Ryder Underhill the night he disappeared.
The evidence makes it seem like someone he knew did this, and statistically, it’s the likely scenario.
I’ll be keeping an eye on updates to this case, so be sure to follow the podcast to get notifications.
For now, I’m Charlie Jackson, and this is Criminal Mayhem .
” I end the recording and push my microphone back on my desk.
The cases I cover without any resolution are always the hardest on me.
I do them because they keep my followers involved in my podcast. They’re more likely to listen to my other seasons while they wait for more information on the case they care about most. It’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way over the years.
After graduating with my journalism degree, I faced some hard truths.
I had no desire to spend the next fifteen years working for small-town news programs, making pennies a year for the minuscule chance of getting a spot with a bigger city’s channel.
Especially when all I wanted to do was move home .
But that idea brought its own challenges. I didn’t have a single job prospect—in the news field or otherwise.
Becoming a podcaster wasn’t even in my top ten ideas when Gia started gushing about a comedy show she’d discovered.
I began exploring the platform only to find tons of true crime shows, which, of course, piqued my interest. Growing up as the police chief’s daughter, I was naturally curious about crime.
My dad always teased me about curiosity killing the cat, but I couldn’t help it.
I wanted to solve crimes like my daddy. I didn’t want to be a police officer, though, so I’d pushed the interest to the back of my mind.
When I realized there were millions of people interested in crime like I was, I began to build the idea of using my degree in a way I’d actually enjoy.
After four years of hard work, dedication, and an incredibly supportive family, I’ve built a large following for my show. I’ve got a couple of assistants and a producer who help me with the ins and outs of running my own show while I get to do the fun stuff of creating content for the podcast.
Sometimes, I struggle to believe I get to do a job I love every single day. It’s everything I’ve always dreamed of… For the most part, anyway.
Now that I’m done covering the Underhill kidnapping, I’ll take the next few months to plan the next season.
When I first started, I was putting seasons out back-to-back to build a backlist for listeners to binge.
With five under my belt, I can take a little more time between seasons without sacrificing a paycheck.
Gia calls me a workaholic, but I honestly love my job.
Diving into new cases excites me. I’ll research two or three at a time to decide which one will hook my followers the fastest. Then, I do all the legwork while I begin to record the episodes.
I don’t just share the details of the cases based on what you can read online.
I interview witnesses and detectives and even travel around the country to investigate the case in person.
Dad hates it when I travel. He worries I’ll get into something I won’t be able to get myself out of, but I’m always careful.
I trust the instincts he’s helped me hone, and Mom has taught me everything she knows about self-defense.
I also train in jiujitsu every week to keep my skills sharp.
I’m not the delicate flower everyone believes I am.
“Lottie, Carson is going to be here any minute!” Gia hollers from upstairs.
Noah’s brother, Carson, is one of our best friends.
Gia, Ginny, Carson, and I were all in the same high school class.
Our two other best friends, Michael and Ryan, were a year younger than us in school, but it never made a difference in how close we became.
Growing up together, we dubbed ourselves the Scooby-Doo Gang because we were constantly trying to solve mysteries, either made up or real.
Except for Ginny, we all still live in our hometown and spend a lot of time together.
“I’m coming,” I shout back. I jot down a couple of notes to research before leaving to get ready.
The glass French doors of my office open to our foyer, and straight through is our living room, kitchen, and dining room.
To the right of my office is our front door, and to the left is a hallway that leads to Gia’s office, as well as the stairs.
Both of our bedrooms are on the second floor.
When I decided to move home and start a podcast, Gia told me I was not allowed to leave her to her own devices.
The summer we graduated college, we moved into the house my parents have owned since before I was born.
We pay them rent to live here, as well as utilities, but I can’t deny how fortunate we are to have the support of our families.
Without them, I’d never have been able to pursue my dreams.
I jog up to my room to throw on nicer clothes than the sweats and T-shirt I’m sporting .
“Come on, you two!” Carson shouts from the bottom of the stairs. I didn’t even hear him come into the house. “I’m late picking you up, and you’re still not ready.”
I giggle at his annoyance. Gia and I are never on time for anything. It drives Carson crazy. You’d think that after all these years of being best friends, he’d have gotten used to it. When I’m dressed, I head back downstairs to grab my purse.
“Damn, you clean up good,” I tease Carson. I lean in to inspect him. “Are those new jeans? And you put on cologne.” He’s even styled his auburn hair in a handsome wave that frames his face. “You know it’s just a family barbecue, right?”
“It’s a special occasion. Ginny’s home, and apparently, she has some big news.”
“I hope it’s not another tour,” Gia says from behind me.
Her twin sister is a famous country singer.
While Gia and I went to college, Ginny moved to Nashville to see if she had what it took to become a star.
Two years and a lot of tears later, she was playing in a well-known bar, and an agent signed her the next day.
Since then, she’s been traveling all over the world.
We don’t get to see her very often, so we’re all excited about her being home.
“That wouldn’t be family-barbecue-newsworthy,” I point out.
“Maybe she broke up with that asshole,” Carson grumbles as we walk out the front door.
“She would’ve told me that before now,” Gia says.
Carson grunts instead of responding. He’s denied having feelings for Ginny on multiple occasions, but I’m not sure I believe him. I’ve never pushed him on it, though.
A few minutes later, we pull up to my childhood home.
Normally, when Ginny’s in town, we get together at her mansion.
The security is better, and it makes her feel safer.
She’s had plenty of crazies try to get to her, which proves the precautions are necessary.
Today, we’re meeting at my childhood home.
It’s our family’s favorite spot to gather.
The basement was renovated specifically for our get-togethers.
Our parents have been best friends since before we were born. While we’re not all blood-related, we act like we’re one big family anyway. They’ve been getting together for parties for years. It’s basically a family tradition at this point.
The three of us walk through the front door of Mom and Dad’s house, the muffled sound of a party filtering up from the basement.
Carson bounds through the open living room and dining room and down the stairs, making enough noise to draw everyone’s attention.
His eyes scan the room until they land on Ginny.
Both of their smiles grow wide as he races over to her and scoops her off the ground. She laughs as he spins in a circle.
No feelings, my ass.
“Put her down, you Neanderthal. She’s my twin.
” Gia grabs Ginny’s arm and yanks her into a fierce hug.
I can’t imagine how hard it is for them to be apart for these long stretches.
The three of us have been inseparable since we were born.
Our parents had us within months of each other, so it was inevitable that we’d be best friends, but the bond between Ginny and Gia is even stronger.
When they pull apart, they both have tears in their eyes. I finally get my turn to hug her and frown at how thin she feels in my arms. Ginny has always been small, but this seems unhealthy.
I glance at Gia as I pull away, and by the look on her face, I know she’s thinking the same thing.
I don’t say anything. I just grin at Ginny, happy she’s home for a little while. “How long are you staying?”
“Just a few days. Wesley has some commitments he can’t miss in California.”
“Wesley’s here?” I look around the room to find the handsome actor.
“He stepped out to take a call.” Ginny smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
My instincts tell me something else is going on, but I keep those thoughts to myself as well.
Maybe I’m a coward, but we don’t get to see her as often anymore.
I want our time together to be spent catching up on all the good things happening.
“What’s the big news you wanted to tell us?” Gia asks.
“I should wait for Wesley to get back. Let’s get drinks and chat while we wait. How’s your podcast going? I listen to every episode.”
We spend the next hour talking, catching up on all the little things we’ve missed.
Ryan and Michael, join us, sitting on the floor in front of the couch.
Even though we FaceTime regularly, it’s not the same as being able to talk in person.
More of our family shows up to the party.
Ginny gets pulled away multiple times because everyone wants to check in with her.
I’m beginning to think Wesley ran away since he hasn’t returned. I’ve only met him one other time, when he and Ginny first started dating. That was almost a year ago now. I freeze as dots connect in my head. I think I know what they’re going to announce.
“Hey, everybody.” Ginny taps on the side of her plastic cup to get our attention.
The room falls silent in a heartbeat. “I didn’t think that would work so well.
” Her laugh is self-deprecating. Wesley strides into the room to put his arm around Ginny’s shoulders.
“Wesley and I wanted to share our big news with you first before it gets announced in the papers. We’re getting married.
” The whole room shouts in surprise. A wide smile begins to grow on Ginny’s face at the reaction.
Wesley runs a hand down Ginny’s spine as he smirks at her.
I glance over at Carson. He looks crestfallen while everyone else is excited for the couple.
He visibly shakes it off and forces a smile.
Without thought, I move to his side and wrap my arms around his waist in a show of silent support.
None of us care much for Wesley, but we want Ginny to be happy.
If this is what she wants, then we’re going to support her full-heartedly.