The Bridge

The sun was barely creeping over the horizon, all the same, Birdie Whitlock was already dressed and reading to go to work. She hopped into her car, with Forest Grove Police plastered across the side, and turned the key in the ignition. The car came to life with a roar and Birdie shifted it into drive before pulling out into the vacant street and turning left.

She reached the police station in less than five minutes, and parked the car into an open spot behind the building. Only two other cars were there at this hour. One was the chiefs and the other belohed to her partner, Detective Jonas Campbell.

Birdie and Jonas had lived in the small town their entire lives so they’d grown up together. Birdie knew Jonas would always have her back and she would always have his.

Turning the car off, Birdie got out and walked quickly towards the back entrance. It was still chilly out but she’d left her jacket at the station overnight so she didn’t have it. The door was already unlocked when she turned the knob, and it creaked when Birdie pushed it inward.

“Morning, Whitlock!” Jonas called from his desk in the corner once Birdie entered the office. The chief was probably tucked away in his private office already. Birdie shared the back corner of the station with Jonas, where they worked of their many cases. (They rarely got any cases that couldn’t be solved very quickly. Forest Grove was known for being a relatively quiet and calm town.)

“Good morning, Campbell,” Birdie said in response as she pulled the jacket off the back of her chair and shrugged into it. “Anything exciting come in over night?” She already knew the likely answer was no, as they were not usually very busy. Birdie had expected that when she’d first decided to become a detective in her small town. But it was her dream to be a detective and she couldn’t find the will to leave Forest Grove.

“Well…” Jonas started in a voice that told her something was in fact going on. “Nothing came in last night, but we did get a report this morning.” Birdie glanced at the clock on the wall. It was barely 6:30. They didn’t usually get calls this early. “I left the file on your desk,” Jonas said nodding towards a folder next to Birdie, “I thought you might find it interesting. It’s about the bridge.”

Curiosity and worry coursed through Birdie as she opened the folder. Miller Bridge was infamous for the sudden increase in suicide rates involving that bridge. Growing up, Birdie had never heard of anything like that going on at the bridge, which was why it struck her as odd that over the last couple of years there had been an incident there almost every month. Sometimes multiple times a month. The oddest part of the whole situation was the people who were actually involved. As far as anyone could tell, the victims all had very happy lives and showed no signs of depression or anything else that could lead them to suck drastic measures.

Inside the folder there was a quick report, which Jonas had probably written up just as soon as it came in. He was always quick with his paperwork- a side effect of never having much of it anyway.

“Daniel Addison…” Birdie read the name of the deceased at the top of the page. She silently read the rest of the details. His body had been found at the bottom at around four in the morning. His father found the body and the only reason he’d gone out looking so early was because he always got up early to go hunting with Daniel. He thought maybe Daniel had gone hunting without him so he continued through the woods and that’s when he came across the bridge. Birdie couldn’t imagine what it would be like to find a family member, or even a friend like that.

Birdie thought of her dad, and Jonas. She couldn’t bare to lose them. She had never known her mother, who had died shortly after giving birth to Birdie. It was Birdie’s father, Adam, who had chosen the name. He always said Charlotte was fascinated with birds and would watch them for hours. But Birdie’s name was her only connection to her connection and she’d had such a happy childhood that it wasn’t often she thought to miss the mother she had never known.

“You know what I don’t get?” Birdie asked, letting the folder sit on her lap as she swiveled in her chair to face Jonas.

“How out of the blue all these suicides are?” Jonas guessed. He glanced up from his empty coffee cup, likely contemplating whether or not he should get up and make a fresh cup.

“Exactly.” Birdie turned back to her own desk and opened the top drawer. Inside, were at least thirty seven similar cases, all from the last couple of months. Which was a lot for such a small town. “It just… it doesn’t make sense!” She said, letting out a sigh of frustration as she stored the newest folder with the others. She slammed the drawer shut and stood from her chair. “I’ll go make some coffee,” Birdie said, plucking the cup from Jonas’s hands.

“I was just about to do that,” Jonas said, following her to the break room. The sound of the front station door opening alerted them to the official start of the day. Officers were beginning to show up and in a matter of minutes the office would be filled with the sounds of talking, phone ringing, and pens clacking.

While Birdie went about making the coffee, Jonas started rambeling about the number of cases. “Obviously there has to be something going on behind the scenes. And something more recent too.”

“Are you suggesting we start an official investigation?” Birdie asked, watching coffee drip into the pot. “We’ve already spoken to Chief Reynolds about that remember? He says there’s no reason to investigate, and-“

“And that Forest Grove needs more qualified therapists,” Jonas filled in. “Yeah I know.”

Birdie was silent for a moment before saying, “besides we already know at least one connection.”

“What?”

“Miller Bridge,” Birdie said.

“Right… but that doesn’t really seem to lead anywhere.”

“I guess not. But it’s all we have.”

“Are you suggesting we start an official investigation?” Jonas asked, using Birdie’s exact words.

“Ivestigation? Yeah, maybe. Official? No, not really,” Birdie said. She poured coffee into Jonas’s cup before handing it back to him. She didn’t drink coffee herself so she left the almost full pot on the counter and left the room, Jonas right behind her.

“What are you doing tonight?” Birdie asked once they had sat down again.

“Family dinner, why?” Jonas asked. He took a sip of his coffee, made an odd face, then pulled a packet of sugar from his pocket and added it to the cup.

“Any chance you can reschedule that?” Birdie already knew what his answer would be but she asked anyway.

“Technically yes, but I don’t want to feel wrath of my mother. Nobody misses family dinner and makes it out unscathed,” Jonas said.

“I figured as much..”

“Again, why?” Jonas repeated his question.

“I’m thinking of going down to Miller Bridge and checking it out.”

“But you’ve been there like a hundred times,” Jonas said.

“Sure, when I was younger. Never for this reason. There could be something that could important. Some kind of a clue,” Birdie said. It was a simple plan, one that likely wouldn’t help with the unofficial investigation but Birdie wasn’t sure what else to do. Besides what else was there to do on an ordinary Tuesday night.

“I guess it never hurts to check,” Jonas admitted after a moment of silence.

Birdie and Jonas spent their day investigating a car “crash” on a main street. It was a hit and run and the car hit didn’t even have a scratch or a dent. Still, they tracked down the plate number of the other car and sorted things out. Birdie was convinced it was only given to them because the chief felt bad for their lack of anything to do.

So odd was it that people felt bad for the pair of detectives with nothing to do, when in reality it was a good thing the station was so slow. It meant that for the most part the town was safe.

Moon high in the sky, Birdie exited through the back door with Jonas. She unlocked her car but Jonas got to it first to open her door for her. “Thank you,” Birdie said with a smile while she scooted into her seat. Jonas closed her door, and Birdie rolled down the window once she’d started the car.

“Good luck on your little investigation,” Jonas said, leaning partially into the window.

“Thanks, maybe I’ll get lucky and find something useful,” Birdie said.

“I really do wish I was able to go, but family dinner and all.”

“That’s alright. I’ll update you tomorrow on whatever does or doesn’t happen,” Birdie replied.

“Have fun,” Jonas said as he stepped away from the car. Birdie waved, then watched Jonas climb into his own car before she shifted into drive and drove out of the parking lot. She decided she would go home quickly to change into more comfortable clothes.

After that, it was off to Miller Bridge.