Hell's Kitchen: The Truth Behind the Papa Louie Universe

Chapter Six

"I'm sorry."

"It's not about that. Not like that. You didn't do anything wrong," Olivia ran her thumb over Akari's knuckles reassuringly, "I- need to tell you about... something," she scanned the room frantically, "Not here."

"Why... not here?"

"I don't... trust it. That contract you signed, when Papa Louie hired you? Sketchy as hell. There are cameras all over here, for all we know. I don't want anyone to hear. Especially not him."

Akari's heart seemed to have dropped to her feet, and her brain seemed not to be able to keep up with her emotions. Her head pounded, and she screwed up her face, trying to detangle the confusing knot of thoughts that filled her skull. Millions of questions flooded Akari's brain, but she only nodded and followed Olivia.

They left the building and waited at the bus stop. Olivia bit her lip, staring blankly at the telephone pole in front of them.

"I'll explain-" she took a deep breath, "Everything. Just- don't worry."

How Olivia expected her not to worry, Akari didn't know, but she tried not to let her mind run wild. They boarded the bus, solemnly, and found seats quickly. The near-empty bus seemed larger than it should have. The silent kind of loud and bitterly cold, the familiar space seemed foreign, like the bus was hurtling toward somewhere unknown and dangerous. Even the warmth of Olivia beside her seemed false, in a way, like a new corpse before the coldness of death took it over. It was a horribly dark thought, but awfully, it fit the gloomy atmosphere and the uneasy pit in Akari's stomach. Something was very, very wrong.

"Is now a... good place?" Akari should have known it wasn't, that they were likely going to the privacy of Olivia's house, but she was curious and wanted to start the conversation if Olivia was too stressed to. She also wanted to escape her imagination, and the looming feeling of dread, but she ignored that. Olivia, to no surprise, shook her head and took Akari's hand.

An hour ago, if someone had told her that she would have kissed Olivia and was holding hands with her on the way to her house, she'd probably be ecstatic, as much in denial as she'd been about her. She almost laughed at the irony of it. Now, however, with Olivia stone-faced and tense, breathing shakily beside her, she wished she could go back and not have done anything. Olivia squeezed her hand consolingly, but Akari wasn't sure if it was for her benefit or Olivia's own. However confused and shaken Akari was by Olivia's abrupt change in demeanor it couldn't be anything compared to whatever had caused it. She'd seen Olivia nervous before, but it wasn't anything like this.

The bus pulled to a stop, after what definitely wasn't hours, although it sure seemed like it, and they arrived at the little green house not long after. Soon, the lights were all on, and Akari was settled on the couch as Olivia bustled around the room, digging in a cupboard for something.

"Just... hear me out okay. You're gonna think I'm crazy."

"How the tables have turned, I suppose." Akari gave a weak laugh.

"I just. Don't think I can, in good conscience, keep this from you anymore, and I know that sounds so bad, and I don't want to say it's not, but, just... just- I'll show you." She finally pulled a pair of binders out from the cupboard, setting one on the coffee table and bringing the other over. It was thick, and worn, and overflowing. Several papers spilled out of it in her frenzy. One of them, Akari could see, was a list of dates. What they meant, she didn't know, but the paper had been marked all over with pen and highlighter.

"Fuck, okay," Olivia sighed and sat down next to her with the binder in her lap, "Okay. So. You know Koilee and Carlo? Romano?"

What was this about? Was she going to tell her the hot gossip on the pair? Was she in some secret crime circle with them? Secretly... married, to both of them? Secretly had... murdered them?