The Worst Crime - ZeRoyalChaos

22: The Offer

Ze's POV

I was not coping well. I knew it, Minx could see it, and it was not good for anyone. I didn't sleep at all, and for the first time in our friendship, Minx had gone to my house and found me awake, already drinking coffee and sitting on the counter, staring out my window. I told her what happened, and even though the sheriff being dead was good for her and all of her friends that were maniac killers, she knew how I felt about Chilled. She was still my friend after all, and she stood in an embrace with me as I sobbed for a solid 20 minutes.

Now, we stood at the meetings, and I was fighting back tears harder than I have ever fought anything in my life. When Chilled's body was brought into the courtyard, people gasped and there were upset and angry outbursts everywhere. Many people turned back to look at me, it now being well known that Chilled and I were close. I kept a straight face as best that I could, and instead of responding to these looks and whispers, I turned my head so that I could look over at GaLm. GaLm's face was no longer stony. In fact, it had more emotion than I had ever seen it have. His face quickly became a mix of surprise, anger, sadness, fear, and he slapped a hand over his mouth. Max stood next to him, and GaLm turned away as Max bit his lip. There was only a select few people who were happy about his death, and if they were they didn't show it. Minx would have been among them if she didn't see how much this was breaking me inside. The mafioso's death was a relief, and the town concurred on that, but Minx rested a hand on my shoulder and wiped away tears that I didn't even know were there.

The executioner only stared down at the sheriff, unsure of what to say. The lookout announced that I had visited Chilled as well as Max, evidently he'd been ordered to watch Chilled, but not a single person seemed to care. As far as they were concerned, Chilled's death signified that I was a doctor, and there was nothing that anyone had to say. For the first time, the town meetings were completely silent. It seemed like even those who were happy about the sheriff's death were mourning in a way, and the executioner didn't bother to ask for evidence. What was the point of it all? I was the only one besides the lookout who could provide it, and my information wouldn't get me anywhere other than with a noose around my neck.

I turned to look back at GaLm once more, and he was staring at me. I wanted to say something, do something, make a gesture to show that I was sorry or convey some other form of communication to tell GaLm that this wasn't supposed to happen, but he only caught my gaze fiercely. Then, he shook his head, tears streaming down his face, and he turned away from me. Max also looked at me, his expression demanded to know what happened last night, and why I took off only to not be able to save Chilled. Questions I couldn't and wouldn't answer.

After standing in silence for a few minutes, nothing to say, the town dismissed itself from the meetings. I looked over at Minx as the people all walked away, and she caught my gaze, just as somber. She turned so that we were facing opposite directions, she was ready to go facing the town and I was to stay. I wanted to look at Chilled one last time before he was gone forever, his smile still burned into the back of my eyes. I looked at the two bodies on the ground, and I watched as the dark-haired man known as Smarty walk up to them, staring down with a tear stained face. A man next to him, one wearing glasses and looking oddly familiar, exchanged a glance before leaning down to get Chilled and the mafioso. I guess I wouldn't get to see Chilled before he left after all, and my chest contracted in pain.

Minx's grip on my shoulder suddenly tightened, and I had to wipe away tears before turning to her. She pointed behind me, and I frowned in confusion before turning fully. A hooded man stood, staring straight at me as people walked by him. He pointed at me now, beckoning with a single finger that I follow him. I exchanged a glance with Minx before giving her a nod and walking after him. She glared after him, seeming a bit skeptical, but she knew that I was smart, and safe, and so she only watched for a little while before turning and leaving with Krism.