THE VELVET KILLERS

(10) A GUIDE TO GET THROUGH HIGH-TENSION SITUATIONS

You're a good liar after all... You'd be a good psychologist, that's for sure. Setting my jaw, I observe as the agent takes a look at the file, and takes an envelope out of it.

Extending her arm toward me, she says:

"The reason we called you is because Katie left a letter to your name before she killed herself, that we managed to get before the explosion occurred. Here - of course we opened it thinking it might be evidence, but nothing was found, so it's yours."

Frowning, I take the letter into my hands, but don't open it.

"I don't get it... Why would she leave something to me? We were basically strangers..." I say, staring at the enveloppe that now felt like a gift from a demon.

The agent shrugs.

"Sometimes we don't know the importance we have in somebody's life until they tell us - and Katie seemed very thankful to you."

"Thankful?"

Well, this is fucking ironic.

"Either way, we're done here, than you very much for your cooperation." 

"Sure! Don't hesitate in case you need me again - I hope Katie found her peace..."

Nodding her head, the agent shows me the way out, and as soon as I get out of the building, I can breathe again: great, you didn't fuck everything up... just yet?

***

INGRID

After lots of hours spent trying to tie the pieces together, my eyes were about to explode, or at least it felt like it. 

Reviewing the whole town's history and seeing some old faces few years later - how much people do change in a matter of years after all, and how some do not at all - gave me some kind of nostalgia: I have to admit, hanging out with Alexia, Leah and Mapi after our high school classes kind of made me nostalgic. Especially now that I found our graduation ball's photos, with us three smiling our teeth out.

We were so young, and looked so innocents... but as the sentence tattooed on Mapi's neck said, looks can be deceiving. I smirk: if people knew what happened the night before graduation...

"Woah, you've aged like fine wine!" a voice says behind me.

Snapping out of my transe and jumping a little, I let a loud sigh out, as Frida just stares at me, realising something happened just now.

I smirk, relaxing a bit, when I say:

"Yeah... Graduation day, we were so fucking living the life" 

Letting a small laugh out, Frida points out:

"Still, you all look so sad... Who are those girls?"

Raising my eyebrow, I just answer:

"Careful, you're asking many personnel questions in a row, people will think we might be forming a somewhat friendly relationship..."

"You're overreacting, Engen" Frida coldly says, but still with a tone that was on the crossroads of sassiness and... something else. 

Trying to concentrate, I just continue:

"Childhood friends - Leah (I point at the blonde with a smirk on my face), who's kind of the mess of the group, but emotionally clever, and then Alexia, the badass of the group, and her twin sister Maria..."

"... the one who died because of Jason McCabe... right?" Frida completes, troubled.

I nod my head as a response.