Seras's investigation concerning Alice lasts longer than I'd like, but eventually there's some progress- which is that their pool of suspects has only a few people swimming in it now. I've managed to get bits and pieces of the investigation by listening to all of Seras's conversations and filling in what I don't know through Seras's thoughts. It's an easy process and I'm glad that Alice isn't going to be another unsolved Jane Doe.
Though I'm happy about the progress, I don't like that Seras's partner keeps putting down Alice and her profession. It's like he doesn't care about her death simply because she used her body to make money. His line of thought makes me hate him, and he's lucky he's so close to Seras's life or he might be drowning in his own blood already. Alice was more than her job and her memory shouldn't be dirtied by some small minded male.
Face hard, I sip at the last of someone elses hot chocolate as I lounge in one of the chairs in front of Seras's favorite coffee shop. I run a hand through my damp hair, feeling a bit better since I showered and changed at a nearby gym, using someone elses membership card, of course. My hair is still annoyingly long but I can handle it if I brush it back.
I gulp down the last of my drink and finally spot Seras. She's a bit late today and I wonder what kept her. She's almost never late. But at least her light is shining brightly this morning and my interest is peaked. My eyes track her intently as she steps up to the counter and orders her usual, her face shy of her usual makeup. I frown at the dark circles under her eyes and hate that she hasn't been sleeping properly lately. Something has been keeping her up.
Before I can look for the reason, though, Seras's phone chimes and she answers it with the usual "Crow." She scrubs her face tiredly as she listens, then her expression changes to alertness, her light shining bright as the sun. She cuts off her connection and shoves her phone in her pocket as she leaves the shop, without her coffee. I heard what she heard and I get up, excited that Seras is about to apprehend the prime suspect in Alice's murder. I think I jump up too quickly, though, because Seras snaps her head to me as she jogs to her car. I spin around and put my hand to my ear, pretending I'm on the phone and that I've just heard the most shocking news. Another patron looks at me oddly but I ignore them until I hear Seras's car start up and drive away.
Peeking over my shoulder, I catch the tail lights of Seras's car, her vehicle going at too unsafe a speed to make me feel comfortable. Worry takes over and I jog on the sidewalk, only speeding up when no one is looking. I follow Seras and her car by winding through buildings and running across parks at a pace that's just barely believable as human. I tie my hair up as I go, not even breaking a sweat.
I slow down when I enter a quiet suburb and try not to look so crazy, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I stick my hands in my pockets and speed walk to find Seras. A jogger and his dog pass me as I advance through the neighborhood and I skirt them to stand across the street from where Seras's car has stopped, hiding myself behind sidewalk bushes. Seras's annoying partner is present, too, and two uniforms. Obviously they think their suspect won't be too hard to apprehend. I watch them all as they stand alert on and around the porch of the suspects house while Seras's partner knocks on the front door, calling out that it's the police.
My head lifts further from the bush in front of me as I hear rustling coming from inside the house. It's louder than I thought because Seras and her partner pull out their guns and motion for the uniforms to go around back. At attention, I keep watch as Seras and her partner head into the house, the unlocked front door allowing them easy access.
The uniforms disappear behind the house and I stand up straight, eyeing the wide open front door. There's heavy footsteps and a door squeaks on its hinges. Then a loud clank, like metal hitting bone, and someone cries out. The side door of the house flies open and a stranger runs away as I hear Seras's partner call for an ambulance. Seras bursts out of the front door and starts to pursue the suspect, the other uniform coming out from the backyard, trying to catch up.
