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It took a moment for me to recognize who it was. I stopped breathing.

My phone slipped through my fingers and clattered down on the marble countertop.

It couldn’t be.

There was no way.

But I’d recognize Spencer anywhere. I’d pick him out in a crowd of a thousand people. I’d find him with my eyes closed. I knew his silhouette, his shadow, I knew every part of him there was to know.

And this was definitely, certainly him.

I picked up my phone and looked at the screen again. I was never wrong. After so many years, there he was. No mistaking that it was him. The floor felt like it was tilting up. Like I couldn’t maintain my grip on the slippery tile.

So how was the man who shattered every inch of my soul suddenly wrapped around the best friend I didn’t speak to anymore?

I was sitting on the floor of the bathroom. I don’t know how I ended up there. It hurt to breathe. I couldn’t even move. How could they do this? To me? How could they do this to me?

I tried to take a deep breath and calm down. I needed to center myself. I tried counting to five. It was impossible. It felt like a knife was twisting in my side. Or in my back.

I can’t believe this is happening. Kaavi can’t marry Spencer.





SPENCER


Interview Transcript: Matthew Spencer (abbrev. MS)

Date: January 25, 2020

Location: The Mount Lavinia Hotel

EP: I hope you don’t object to me recording our conversation?

[Pause]

This is Eshanya Padmaraj, carrying out this investigation at the behest of the Fonseka family. Please state your name and address for the record.

MS: My name is Matthew Spencer. I am temporarily residing at the Emperor Residencies, in Colombo 08.

[Pause]

Do you know anything yet? One of the lobby managers mentioned to a guest that this was being treated as a homicide. Is that true? Is Kaavi—is she—have you found anything?

EP: Mr. Spencer, I understand that you’re upset, but time is of the essence right now and we need to get to the bottom of things. Could you please outline for us the events leading up to Miss Fonseka’s disappearance?

MS: Of course.

[Pause]

Sorry, my apologies. It’s just that this is rather difficult for me. I—if something has happened to her—you know I told her to please not be stubborn. To please just room in the new wing of the hotel with the rest of the bridal party. But she insisted she would be fine. The rooms were so much bigger in the old wing, and apparently the lighting was perfect for photos and makeup? I guess that’s a thing. Her photos were a really big deal to her—for her social media posts, you see. She’s so determined. So independent.

[Pause]

You know, it’s what I love most about her. Her fearlessness.

EP: Mr. Spencer, like I said, we need to move through this investigation quickly—

MS: Yes. Yes, of course. Sorry, I—yes. How early would you like me to start?

EP: The days leading up to the wedding will be fine for now. Did you notice anything strange? Anyone unknown hanging around?

MS: Anyone unknown? I don’t think so. Not really. Well . . .

[Pause]

I am quite new to this whole, you know, setup. There were tons of relatives and service staff and suppliers coming and going. I suppose, if you’re looking at it that way, it could be anyone.

EP: And what about Miss Fonseka? Did she seem upset in any way? Distant, perhaps?

MS: Oh gosh, I don’t think so. She was, well, she was preoccupied with the wedding, of course. There was quite a bit of pressure on her, I think. More than there was on me, you know. Being an outsider, it’s easier for everyone to forgive any slipups I’d make. But she, well, she was always held to this ridiculously high standard. It almost felt like there was no winning, sometimes. There were a lot of customs and traditions that she, that we both, had to be sensitive to.

EP: Tell me about the day just before she went missing. Did you notice anything strange about her? Did she mention anything out of the ordinary?

MS: What? You mean yesterday? Well, you already know that it was the day of the Poruwa ceremony, of course. We couldn’t speak much in the lead-up. She spent the whole morning getting ready, and then there was a photo shoot, and the ceremony itself.

EP: And you didn’t speak to each other much during this time?

MS: No, of course we spoke. Just not about anything meaningful, I suppose. Mostly about who we were supposed to greet and what we were supposed to do. We were both so exhausted at the end of it, and of course the full-blown church ceremony and the reception was meant to be, well—

[Pause]

It was meant to be this afternoon. So we had both decided to turn in early and get some rest.

EP: And afterward?

MS: Well, I was hoping to sleep in a little this morning, you know? [Laughs quietly] Figured I’d get some rest before the big day. But then I was woken up by Kaavi’s mother. She was upset—asking if Kaavi was in my room. She wasn’t, of course. Kaavi would never risk something like that with the hotel being so full of wedding guests.

EP: Mr. Spencer, there were reports of strange sounds coming from Miss Fonseka’s room last night. Sounds of a struggle. Would you happen to know anything about this?

MS: Sounds of a struggle? [Pause] No.

EP: And we also have a report from one of our room service waiters, who said he saw you go into Miss Fonseka’s room last night.