Daisy plucked, p.24
Daisy, Plucked, page 24
The ghost stopped in a spot near the edge of the tank and vanished, and Daisy knew that was where the note would be. She looked for anything out of place that could tell her where Hana hid something for her.
Daisy noticed a large rock poking out of the water, which wasn’t unusual on its own, but there was dried mud covering half of it. It looked like the rock was once in the water and mud on its side but was yanked out of place and repositioned to stick straight up instead.
She shoved the rock with all her might, and after a few seconds of pushing it toppled on its side. She sprang back to try to avoid the splash and failed. She should have brought an extra set of clothes with her.
Water rushed in to fill the crater where the rock was resting, but when Daisy stuck her hand into the murky water, she felt something flimsy. She yanked on it, and when it didn’t move, she took her shovel out of her backpack and started digging. After scooping away the mud, she pulled out a folder sealed shut in several Ziploc bags. It must have been Hana’s attempt at waterproofing, and Daisy hoped it had worked as she lifted it up for a better look. She shook off the water, but the caked-on mud was rapidly drying and turning opaque under the August sun. She tried to wipe at the mud, but it only smeared into different patterns.
She trekked back to her car and contemplated where she could clean off her hands before opening the bags. She didn’t want to go home. If Will was awake, he would ask questions, and she didn’t want him there when she read whatever was in this folder. She walked back to her car and placed the folder on the floor of her passenger seat before trying to clean her hands with hand sanitizer and fast-food napkins, but she didn’t have enough to clean all of the mud. She needed a real sink.
Daisy took a deep breath and called Noriko.
“Hi Daisy! How are you?” Noriko’s voice was warm and soft despite the distant quality Daisy’s phone brought to all her calls. She clicked the volume up a notch before speaking.
“I’m okay. I was just wondering if I could come over. I was looking for my favorite lipstick and I think I might’ve dropped it in Hana’s room yesterday,” Daisy lied. She really only wanted to know if Noriko was home, if she could use her house to clean up before reading the note.
“Oh, yes, of course. I’m running errands right now, but I’ll be home in an hour or so.”
“Oh, okay. I was already out and about, but—”
“If you’re nearby you can go ahead and let yourself in. There’s some lemonade in the fridge, too, if you want to come over now. I won’t be too long.”
“Okay, yeah, that sounds good. I’m not too far away, so I’ll just pop in.”
“Sounds good. Lock up if you leave before I get back,” Noriko said. Daisy said a quick goodbye before hanging up, worried she might tell Noriko too much.
Parking at Hana’s house held a sense of finality Daisy didn’t expect. She took a deep breath to attempt to center herself before realizing no amount of oxygen would slow down her rapid heartbeat. She got out of her car to grab the spare key and let herself in the back door. She slid the lock closed behind her and ditched her muddy boots so she could make her way to the kitchen sink. The hum of the air conditioning was the only sound in the house, but the chill that ran down her spine was unrelated to the temperature.
She dropped the folder next to the sink and quickly scrubbed the mud off her hands and arms, drying herself off hastily before carefully opening the mud-covered Ziploc and pulling out the baggie inside, which was thankfully dry. She quickly opened the last two layers that were holding back the contents of the innermost bag — a manila folder with a lopsided drawing of a daisy on it. The design was the same one Hana used to draw on all the notes and letters she gave Daisy over the years. It was unmistakably for her.
Daisy’s hands shook while she stared, frozen, at the folder. This was it. She’d already gone through Hana’s room and her journals — all the pieces of life Hana left behind. This was it. After this, there were no more new words or messages from her. After this, it was just stories and re-readings, only wearing paths into familiar trails through Hana’s life. Any secrets would be revealed by someone else, not by Hana herself. Hana, a girl who loved to hide things, was almost out of solvable mysteries.
Anything she could know about Hana was already out there. Whether it was in this folder, in the missing pages torn out of Hana’s journals, or in the memories of other people — there was nothing new to know about Hana and there never would be. Anything Hana never told anyone was gone, taken to the grave to rot with her.
Daisy took a deep breath and opened the folder. It only contained two pieces of paper. The first was a note to her, and she read it quickly, hungrily, forgetting that she was supposed to savor this last scrap.
Dear Daisy,
If you’re reading this, I’m dead, and I’m sorry. I didn’t solve this before it took me out, and I wish I was there to tell you everything I want to in person.
I’m sorry for cheating, and I’m sorry for weaponizing it against you so you wouldn’t fight our breakup. I knew the truth was dangerous, and I couldn’t have you close while I sorted this out. Clearly, I was right to worry since the only way you’ll be reading this is if I’m dead.
As of right now, on June 18th, 2019, I believe my uncle was the one that hired Jake Hansen to kill my dad and then murdered Jake Hansen. You’ll see all the evidence (and if my investigation reveals that my conclusion was wrong) if you log into the email. I made the password the month when we first said I love you, the day we broke up, and the color dress I wore on the date when we first ... you know. I hope this entire note is unnecessary and I’m showing it to you after I caught my father’s killer, but there’s a chance that won’t be what happens.
I love you, even with all the ways I hurt you, and I hope one day I can explain why I did everything I did and try to make up for it. As a holder for my future penance, I will write it here for every year it’s been true: I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
I will love you forever whether it’s on heaven, earth, or somewhere in between.
You can find everything you need in the email account if I don’t finish my work.
With love, always,
Hana
The second piece of paper was a small slip ripped from her most recent journal with the email address hrh2019@gmail.com on it. Daisy rushed to open her Gmail app and added the new account quickly, typing in january9blue for the password. There was only one email in the inbox, a welcome message from Google, but Daisy focused on the one unsent draft. Each tap on the screen reverberated through the empty home and harmonized with the slight rattle of the vents and the sound of someone down the street mowing their lawn.
The address bar of the email was empty, and Daisy figured that it was meant to prevent Hana from accidentally hitting send. She took a deep breath and started reading.
To:
Subject: Evidence I’ve Collected (updated 6/18/19)
Hello,
I don’t know why I used a greeting since I’m the only person reading this email. But that’s unimportant, so ... moving on.
This is the best way I could think of to store this without worrying about it being hacked or easily destroyed, so this is it. Daisy if you’re reading this, I’m sorry and I love you. I had this all in writing, but now that I’m getting close, I want a backup just in case something happens to my physical notes (or me).
The email went on describing the evidence Hana had amassed, including attachments of the death threats against Mark she was referencing as well as pasted in photos of the specific parts of each threat she was referring to. She annotated the photos, using digital pens to circle and highlight portions that were noted in the body of the email. Daisy scrolled it slowly, trying to take in what she was seeing.
It was like a reflection of her notes on Hana’s death, but with more diagrams and actual proof as opposed to Daisy’s guesses and gut feelings. There weren’t any lazy attempts to get alibis here like Daisy in the graveyard. This was real evidence, the kind that could be shown in court and used to press charges.
Hana seemed to have a few suspects and theories, but the main ones were cases against Dennis and Noriko. In the section on Noriko, Hana detailed possible motives, ways she could’ve orchestrated her husband’s murder, and notes on her reaction to the story Hana wrote. There was even a copy of Noriko’s bank statements for the year before and after her husband’s death along with information about his life insurance and their prenup.
Below the section on Noriko was a section on Dennis Holm. The motives were far more extensive than Noriko’s, and there was more and more information that seemed to point to him as the killer.
Motive: Wanted Noriko, jealousy, wanted more inheritance, less competition at work (made partner three months after the murder), stress from recent divorce.
Means and opportunity: He had full access to all the case information, probably even knew about the threats Jake made after the victim got that murderer off. Knows how to use a gun. Was out with the victim the night of the murder. Allegedly home alone the night Hansen died.
Evidence:
- Dennis went on a date with victim’s wife before she met the victim.
- Dennis never really got along with the victim.
- No alibi for Hansen’s death
- Divorce from his ex-wife around the time of the murder lost him a lot of money (no prenup)
Relevant Attached Documents:
- “Divorce Documentation”
- “Documentation of Dennis Holm Gun Collection”
- “Dennis Holm Financials”
And below Dennis’ section was another with other possible leads, ones with a lot less detail than the case against Dennis. There was some information about the cases her father was working on before he died as well as a note he had telling him he was a scam artist.
At the bottom, written in a font just a few sizes larger than the rest of the email, Hana declared her last guess at who was responsible for her father’s murder.
As of June 18th, 2019, I believe Dennis Holm is responsible for my father’s death, and I believe it was murder, not an accident. After noticing the large cash withdrawal on 2/2/16, I’m going to ask him more about where he was when Mark died. Recording of the talk will be attached below.
See attached recordings:
- 6/18/19, 10 a.m. Dennis Holm and Hana Holm
Daisy couldn’t believe what she was reading, and she paused in disbelief and walked to the kitchen to get a drink before she could bring herself to listen to whatever recording Hana was referencing. Did this mean that Hana got to ask Dennis about her suspicions? Would the recording show unshakeable proof that Dennis did it, or proof that he didn’t, and Hana didn’t have time to make note of before she died? When did she write the note from the water tank? Was it before she updated the email with the new recording or afterwards?
Daisy poured herself a glass of the lemonade Noriko mentioned and drank all of it in one go. She didn’t realize how thirsty she was until that moment, and she poured herself a second glass before hitting play on the recording.
At first, there was just some static and rustling, but then Hana started talking. She prodded Dennis with questions, and Dennis danced around them masterfully.
Did this mean that Hana was right? Had Dennis really played a role in Mark’s death? Had Dennis killed Hana too? Was this conversation the point when Dennis decided Hana was too interested? If Hana thought he did it, thought he left the note, why would she talk to him about this at all? Did she think she was invincible?
Daisy didn’t want to believe it — she didn’t want this all to be true, to be real, to be anything at all. She needed time to mull this over later, so she typed in her email to send Hana’s collected evidence to herself. Before she hit send, though, she contemplated adding Will. She wanted to keep him out of this, to keep him safe from this investigation that already cost her one person she loved, but she felt like she was in over her head. She needed someone in her corner that would always believe her. She wrote a sentence saying she had to talk to him when she got him, added him to the email, and hit send, hoping Will would hear her out when she finally told him everything about her investigation.
She tossed her phone on the counter and put her head in her hands, trying hard not to cry, not to be overwhelmed, not to lose it now when she now had a strong suspicion that she knew who killed Hana.
The man who she ate brunch with days earlier, the one who came to her house for Thanksgiving, might have murdered both her best friend and her father’s best friend.
When she got home, she would talk to Will about all of this, and he would make sense of it. He always knew what to do.
She heard the key in the lock and got ready to face Noriko. She wasn’t going to tell Hana’s mother everything yet, so she hurriedly stuffed the plastic bags in the garbage and picked up the folder, holding it behind her back. She would tell Noriko about the note Hana left that her killer hid.
“Hey, Noriko, I’m glad you’re back—” Daisy started, but when she saw who actually came in the door, she cut herself short.
“Hey, Daisy! How are you?” Dennis asked. He slipped off his shoes with a cordial smile.
He was dressed in one of the expensive suits he usually wore at the office, so Daisy figured he must have come right from work. He held a takeout bag from a Mexican place Hana used to love, and Daisy realized he was here to have lunch with Noriko.
Should she pray even though she didn’t believe in God? If there was a chance she could be granted an act of mercy, she would take it.
“I was actually just going, Mr. Holm.”
“Noriko mentioned that you might be over, so I got a burrito for you. Why don’t you stay?” Dennis asked.
Daisy needed to act normal. “I forgot I have to do something for my dad,” she said. Dennis was moving towards her now, and when he got into the kitchen his eyes caught on her phone, carelessly tossed a few feet away from her on the counter.
“Come on, Noriko told me which burrito is your favorite. You can tell your dad it was my fault if you’re late,” Dennis said, smiling his charismatic smile.
Daisy felt sick. “I ... I really appreciate that, but I have to get going.” She smiled before walking towards Dennis and the exit of the kitchen, plucking up her phone as she went. She tried to subtly move the folder from behind her back to her front to keep it hidden, but Dennis noticed.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s, um, the thing of Hana’s I came to grab. Just some old poems she wrote me,” Daisy said.
Dennis sighed and shifted to block Daisy from getting out of the kitchen. “If that folder is what I think it is, then I believe that we need to have a little talk.”
Chapter 20
Hana — age 19
Hana’s uncle was responsible for her father’s death. She didn’t have proof yet, and she didn’t know how hands-on he was, but deep down she knew.
Her ruse of acting like the perfect, doting daughter was working just as she planned. Her mother was thrown off, and her uncle didn’t know how to act around her when they weren’t at each other’s throats. Best of all, Noriko and Dennis were letting their guards down. Hana was even able to steal their phones for a few hours while they thought she was locked away in her room. It seemed the lessons she gave them on cybersecurity when she was in middle school never paid off since they both had basic 4-digit codes for their lock screens. Noriko’s was set to Hana’s birthday, and Dennis’ was the year he graduated high school. She went searching and was able to log into their bank and credit card accounts and send herself years’ worth of transactions and delete all traces of her actions’ notifications from their inboxes. There was nothing else telling in their messages or notes, but what she found before returning their phones was more than enough for her to dive into.
She realized that her journal would be too easy to discard if it was found, so she needed a digital backup that couldn’t be easily wiped from existence. She created a new email account and only logged into it using an incognito window. She wrote everything into a draft, and she didn’t send the email so there wasn’t a digital trail.
After looking over all the evidence she’d accumulated, including a revised copy of her paternal grandparents’ will, she was beginning to gather real evidence that wasn’t just a sinking feeling in her stomach. She didn’t know if Noriko was a coconspirator in any way, but after reviewing Dennis’ bank statements, she was sure that he was a part of it.
In the weeks leading up to her father dying, Dennis made a series of cash withdrawals between $250-$700. The day he died he took out a final withdrawal of $3,500, and all together the withdrawals totaled $10,000. The same amount that Jake Hansen’s mother said he set aside for his funeral. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
Hana needed more concrete proof — she knew firsthand what a good defense attorney could do with evidence like this. No district attorney would pursue a case against a defense attorney as high powered as Dennis Holm without an airtight case.
Dennis was coming over for breakfast as he often did after one of Noriko’s overnight shifts, but today he was coming before her shift instead of after. Noriko had traded a shift with a coworker who needed Tuesday afternoon off, so she was working a rare daytime shift today. Hana could count on one hand how many of those she remembered Noriko working since her father’s death, and she tried not to think about whether Dennis inspired the change or not.
