As Evil As Ignorance

AEAI 21

The next week or so is gruesome. Not in the way that it’s gory or demanding. It’s just so utterly boring that I dread going into work every day. It’s one thing to be tired from going out to help people. It’s one thing to hate coming home late because you’re solving a murder. It’s an entirely different thing sitting in a chair and watching other people do stuff around you. I feel useless. I shouldn’t even be here.

No one even watches what I do; much less cares. Captain hands me some papers every once in a while for busy work. But really, all I’m doing is transferring hand-written paperwork into the computer. I also might call Henry every few hours to make sure he’s okay.

He’s been really great about the entire thing. He doesn’t give me a hard time about worrying so much. He just answers and tells me he’s fine then goes back to work.

The murders keep happening too - every three days. The second was the waitress for the curry restaurant. The third is a man that stopped us to ask for directions the day before and got a picture for his daughter. Both of them had notes pinned to their chest for me that said something along the same line as the first.

If everything continues as it has, it’ll happen again tomorrow night. Everyone is doing everything they can, but the murderer has left nothing to go on. We haven’t seen anyone following us. We haven’t noticed anything different. I don’t know what to do at this point.

But since I haven’t been actually working, I leave the station every day at five. There isn’t any reason for me to be there and I’m more comfortable at home. Today I left even earlier because I called our alarm company to come put extra security sensors on our windows. When I walk in, there’s a worried Ella sitting at on one of the stools at the kitchen island.

Her eyes catch me and a sad smile appears on her face, “Come sit with me?”

I nod before putting my keys in the bowl and making my way over. As I take my seat, I take off my jacket and throw it on the back of the closest couch.

“Are you okay?” Her voice is quiet and her hands circle the glass she’s holding.

I sigh, but shake my head in a negative response, “I’m worried about Henry. And you and Maya. And my dads and sisters too, if it’s gone that far.”

“I’m worried about you,” she tells me. “You’ve been so down lately. We all want to help somehow.”

“You can’t help until this is over. I think I’m going to have to break it off with Henry. I can send him to the vacation house-” I start to reason aloud, but she cuts me off.

“Don’t think like that,” her hand moves to my forearm and she squeezes gently. “They’ll catch him. Or her. This will be over soon.”

Shaking my head again, I look straight into her eyes, “This is all happening because of me. Three people have died because of me.”

“No,” she corrects me, “three people have died because of some psycho.”

Shrugging, I raise an eyebrow, “I could’ve stopped it already. I think you guys should leave for a while. Just until things settle down some.”

She chuckles, “You’re still trying to get us to leave? I think we need to be here with you, instead.”

I look away from her for a second and down at my hands, “I’m sorry, El.”

“I told you this isn’t-”

Looking up, I shake my head, “I called Toby. You and Maya are going to stay with him while he’s touring New England and Canada.”