Chapter 24 #3
"For nine years, her death was labeled an accident.
In the end, that's exactly what it was. But when our podcast generated public interest in her case, the police reopened the files.
And that triggered a cascade of actions designed to cover up what happened the night of her death.
The lead detective was killed. Morgan and I survived multiple attempts on our lives.
There will be more to come about the arrests made in conjunction with this case, and we'll bring you the updates as they come.
But for tonight, I want to remember Paige as a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a damn good actress.
She had a life, not just a death, and it's a tragedy that will haunt me forever.
I want to sign off with an image of Paige and myself.
She was the star, and I was the understudy.
I was supposed to mirror her in the rehearsal. But as I look at this image…"
I paused as Morgan put the image on the screen, the one that showed so clearly how desperate we both were.
"I thought Paige and I were enemies," I said.
"But we were more alike than either of us realized.
We both shared the same fear that we weren't good enough.
We both wanted the spotlight, but we were also afraid of how much that light would reveal.
We had holes inside of us that needed to be filled, and we were obsessed with what people said about us.
We needed the public praise. We thought that would make everything better.
But our main concern shouldn't have been what they'd say about us, but what we'd think about ourselves.
Thank you for listening and for watching.
Signing off for now from Chicago. This is Mysteries Uncorked. "
I let out a breath as Morgan turned everything off and dimmed the light we'd used for recording so that it wasn't so bright. "That was great, Tessa."
"I hope we did her story justice."
"We did."
Colton walked up to us, a gleam of admiration in his gaze. "That was good. I had your live stream going on my phone. That image was hard to look away from. It was very raw."
"That's why I wanted to show it. It told everyone where Paige had ended without having to use any words."
"You revealed a lot about yourself, too," he commented.
"It only seemed fair. I hope Paige's family will be okay with how I handled her story. But I'm okay if they're not. I told the truth."
"That's all that matters," he said. "How about, I buy you two a drink?"
"I think I'm going to head back to the hotel," Morgan said.
"Are you sure?" Colton asked. "I'd love for you to join us."
"I need to pack up some things before we leave tomorrow. Maybe you can drop me off."
"That's a good idea," I said. "We can go to the bar in the lobby of the hotel."
"Perfect."
It was a quiet drive to the hotel. I felt a little drained after the podcast, and I thought Morgan did, too. When we got into the lobby, Morgan said goodbye to Colton and moved toward the elevator, while he and I went into the bar.
I ordered a prosecco, and Colton got a beer. While we waited for our drinks, I felt a little nervous and awkward. "I wasn't sure this would be a good idea," I said.
"Why not?" he asked.
I thought for a moment. "Because this drink feels like a beginning, but it also has to be an ending. I'm going home tomorrow, and you're staying here."
He nodded, his blue eyes serious. "The geography isn't good. The timing sucks. But I still want to have a drink with you."
"Because…"
"Because you might be the most interesting woman I've met in a long time. Beautiful, brave and shockingly honest, something I don't experience with many people."
"I used to lie to everyone, including myself." I paused. "You know a lot more about me than I know about you, Colton."
"That's why we're here, to get to know each other."
"And then say goodbye," I reminded him.
"I'm aware there's a goodbye coming. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again, but we're here now. Let's enjoy it."
I thought about all the times I'd looked to the past or to the future, never lingering too long in the moment, but I liked this moment, and I wanted to savor it.
The server dropped off our drinks, and I lifted my glass. "To you, Colton, to the detective who believed in me, to the man who saved my life, to the guy I wish I had more time to get to know."
He smiled as he lifted his mug. "I'm going to drink to you, Tessa, a woman who is brave enough to face down a killer, stubborn enough to talk to people who don't want to talk to her, and inspiring enough to make a man want to take a trip to New York."
"I'll drink to that trip," I said, clinking my glass against his.
And then we both took a sip before we smiled and laughed and started a conversation that went on until the bar closed. Then he walked me to the elevator, exchanging a kiss that was probably goodbye, but when he left, I just said, "See you sometime."
"Sometime," he echoed. "Stay out of trouble, Hurricane Tessa."
"I can't promise that," I said with a laugh as the elevator doors closed.