God's Lonely Man

Messy

Carmilla stands outside her mother's office and takes a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Yes?" a voice calls out from within.

"It's me, mother."

"Come in, darling."

Carmilla takes another deep breath before turning the doorknob.

"Please, sit." Her mother folds her hands on her desk. "What's the matter?"

Carmilla chews her lip and takes a seat.

Do it for Laura. Hell, do it for yourself.

"I wanted to talk to you about Officer Kay," Carmilla starts slowly.

"Ah, yes. What about him?"

"I... didn't recognize the name when you brought him up the other day," Carmilla says. "But it hit me yesterday that I had seen his name somewhere. It was on a police report."

"Why were you looking at police reports?" the Dean asks sternly.

"Laura had some at her place back when I was hanging out with her," Carmilla replies smoothly. She sighs and looks down at her hands in her lap. "Mother, I... haven't told you everything."

The other woman purses her lips and quirks an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"A couple weeks ago, I was home and... Officer Kay attacked me," she says quietly, slowly meeting her mother's eyes. "I killed him in self defense."

For once, Lilita Morgan looks surprised.

"And then I buried his body in the hole."

"What about Ellis's body?"

"That wasn't there when I put his body in the hole," Carmilla answers vaguely. "It must've been dumped there after I left."

Her mother slowly nods. "And Laura Hollis?"

"Knows nothing of it," Carmilla answers immediately.

The older woman settles back in her chair, seemingly satisfied with that answer.

"Well. Officer Kay was supposed to be under my employment," the Dean states, clicking her tongue. "Clearly he was following someone else's orders."

Carmilla nods solemnly.

"You have my word, my glittering girl. I will find out who it was." She taps her fingers on the table and sighs. "This shall not happen again."

"Yes, mother."

"I'm glad you are okay," she says, her voice as warm as Carmilla has ever heard it. "If something were to happen to you... I should be most inconsolable."

They sit in silence for a few seconds.

"Well, be off now," her mother says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "The would-be assassin hirer won't find itself."

Carmilla rises from her chair and makes it to the door before she hears her name called out from behind her.

"I trust you have indeed cut off ties with Laura Hollis?"

Carmilla turns to face her. "Yes, mother."

"Good. Wouldn't want this to get more messy than it has already."

"Of course not."

"Good day, dear."

Carmilla walks out of the office and closes the door, letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

She pulls out her phone and sees a few missed texts from Laura, including one picture of Laura pouting while holding up her stuffed cupcake as well as the star, saying, "Hurry up. We miss you."