Finding April (gxg)

Part 9

Gabrielle Evanston. April and Candace's roommate, who was 25 years old and has had plenty of run ins with the law, I learned. Mostly drug related. Some assault charges. She now worked as a line cook at a more high end chain restaurant. Candace and April realized they needed a third roommate and they met her on Craigslist.
To me, when my mom told us at Thanksgiving it didn't quite make sense that Gabrielle would have anything to do with the disappearance of April. What would be her motive? But my mom, and my whole family now seemed convinced that Gabrielle has something to do with it due to her past. Katie kept bringing up all these crazy theories about her, most having to do with drugs or prostitution. Thinking Gabrielle was some kind of pimp or something.
A couple of days later I was at Ava's house, and I couldn't stop thinking about another girl I never met- Gabrielle.
Ava lived in a huge house- bigger than mine. But she always felt like it was way too big for just her and her parents. Her mom was always home- she never went back to work after she had Ava 21 years ago- and her dad was a stock broker and made a ton of money so she didn't have to go back to work. Ava always expressed she wanted to be a mom, but go back to work. She wasn't in business school for nothing.
Ava was braiding my hair into these fancy fishtail side braids. I was sitting on her bed and she was behind me. "What's wrong?" she asked me, her hands in my hair. Not quite how I wanted them to be, but it made her happy when I let her try different hair styles on me. She always said it was better because my hair was very long.
"I keep thinking about Gabrielle." I said.
"Should I be concerned?" Ava joked.
"No." I chuckled, "But I keep debating in my head if she actually had anything to do with April going missing or not. Just because she has a criminal history it doesn't mean she did anything."
"You're right, it doesn't. I do think it's jumping to conclusions a bit for that to be assumed." Ava said. She ran her hands down my back and I got chills.
"My family is eating it up though."
"They just want something to grasp on to. Which I totally understand. I do too. But you're going to have to see if it's true."
"I should just go talk to her myself." I said, joking. But then I realized- maybe I should. For real.
"No. Don't do that." Ava's tone got more serious.
"Why shouldn't I?" I turned around and looked at her.
"Let the cops handle it." she said to me. "Turn around, I'm not done with your hair."
I sighed, "I guess you're right. I wouldn't want to get caught in some kind of situation."
"I know I'm right." she said, and kissed my cheek.
I left a little later, Ava had an open book test she had to do online and I was feeling exhausted. But when I got in my car I was feeling unsettled.
Should I go talk to Gabrielle?
I couldn't stop debating it in my head. Until finally I said fuck it- I was going to April's apartment. Where I hadn't been since she went missing. I had only been there a few times in general- and I had never met Gabrielle. She hadn't lived there for too long.
I found myself driving the half hour to the apartment complex. And if Candace was there- I would deal with that then. This was the one time I hoped she was with Kenny. I was still the only one who knew about them. I had decided to not say anything about them to anyone else besides Amira and Ava. I didn't want to start anything.
I started feeling nervous when I pulled up to the apartment complex and saw the number of her apartment outside the door. 257.
Even though I was feeling shaky, I got out of my car, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door. I could hear a TV playing inside. No one was answering though. So I knocked louder.
Finally I heard a voice say, "Coming! Jeez."
It was a female's voice. I froze for a moment. It had to be Gabrielle. And what if I pissed her off? What if she was doing to do something to me?
The door swung open. And if this was Gabrielle, she was nothing like I was expecting. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't a tall, slim girl with tan skin in basketball shorts and a wife beater. Her chocolate brown hair was short and shaved on one side. Her arms were covered in tattoos.
"You must be related to April." she said, her green eyes just looking at me.
"Um...yeah. I'm her sister, Josephine." I said.
She nodded, "Okay. You look like her twin."
"I've been told. Can I come in? It's cold."
"Depends on what it's for." Gabrielle said.
"I just want to talk to you." I said, "Let me in."
"Fine." Gabrielle moved aside and I walked in. The place was a bit of a mess, which was shocking considering Candace lived here- she was a neat freak.
We stood by the door, just looking at each other for a moment. Gabrielle was interesting looking. In my mind I without a doubt knew she was gay. She was more masculine looking- almost more handsome more than beautiful.
"I'm guessing you're Gabrielle." I confirmed with her.
"Yeah, but call me Gabi. Only my mom calls me Gabrielle." she cringed.
"Alright, Gabi." I said.
"You said you wanted to talk. Talk." she said.
"I don't quite know how to start." I said, feeling even more nervous. How do you confront someone about the fact that cops think they did something with your sister?
"Let me guess. Cops you're working with think I had something to do with your sister missing." she said, and I was stunned .
"Um, yeah. Actually." I looked at her. She had a pretty blank expression on her face.
She nodded. "Of course. I can't ever escape my past. I'm sure they told you I have a criminal history, it was only a matter of time."
"They said you've been caught up in drugs and assault." I said. I usually didn't find too many people intimidating, but I found Gabi to be.
"So that automatically assumes I have something to do with April missing, right?" she rolled her eyes, and then looked at me. "I promise you, I didn't. I didn't know her well. But I liked her. I'd have no reason to do anything to her."
And I believed her. I wasn't one to just believe or trust people. But my gut was telling me to trust Gabi. I wasn't sure what it was.
"Okay." I nodded, "I believe you, Gabi."
She gave me a small smile, "I'm glad you do. I swear to you, I would never do anything to your sister."
"Okay." I said, and then I just had to ask, "Is Candace home?"
Gabi gave me a weird look. "Candace hasn't lived here in a while." she said.
"What?"
Gabi then sighed. "You don't know, do you?"
"Know what?"
"Candace lives with Kenny- she has been since like three weeks after April went missing."
I felt like I had been hit by a ton of bricks after learning this information.
"Are you fucking serious?" I asked Gabi.
"I was just as shocked as you." Gabi said, "She tried to hide it at first. But I caught them moving out some of her things together."
"I can't believe this. I spotted them kissing- so I knew there was something going on. But I didn't think they would live together." I said.
"He's a real scumbag. So is she. She tries to act all sweet. She's not." Gabi said. I wondered if she knew anything else.
I was feeling overwhelmed. I wanted to go home. "Gabi, thank you for the information. Do you mind if I take your number just in case before I go?" I asked her.
She nodded. "Sure, put your number in my phone and I'll text you." she said, handing me a slightly beaten up, older looking iPhone.
I put my number in her phone and left. I decided she would truly be innocent in my mind if she texted me. Which she did right when I started driving.
I couldn't believe this about Candace and Kenny. I was hurting- for April. Whether she was still on this earth or not she didn't deserve this. And I realized that was also the first time I admitted in my head that April might be dead. I was driving and tears were rolling down my face when I saw Ava calling.
"Hello?" I asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Are you okay?" Ava asked me.
"Yeah, why? Are you?"
"Yeah...I was just going to tell you something. Are you still driving?" she sounded confused.
Fuck. "Yeah. I just needed to drive. Feeling anxious."
"Come back to my house. I was just calling to tell you I got an A on the test."
"Good job babe. And I'm on my way." I said. There was no one else I wanted to be with now rather than Ava.