One Night

19:00

As thunder exploded through the nightsky, buckets of rain water blanketed the earth, hard and without warning. Agent Auditore stood frozen at the window, seeking solace in Mother Nature's weeping.

Private Kelvie watched Agent Auditore from a distance as he busied himself with some nearby shelves. After the episode with Willson, an oppressive silence hung in the air. Nobody dared come within a mile of Auditore.

This can't go on forever. Kelvie bit his lip, noticing the pent up frustration in the building. His colleagues had worked eons past their schedule, leading to cancelled plans and delayed meetings. Worse, Auditore's last breakdown did not go unnoticed. Many doubted his ability to lead. Some began doubting his sanity.

Mustering all the courage he had, Kelvie approached Auditore, his hands slightly shaking.

"Sir?" Kelvie whispered, stopping at his side.

Deep, dark eyebags sagged under Auditore's glazed eyes. His face was blank, devoid of emotion, and the fire that burned brightly in his eyes not long ago was extinguished by welled up tears.

When was the last time Auditore actually took a break from the investigation? Kelvie wondered, taken aback by how weary his boss looked.

Auditore glanced at Kelvie before gazing back at the scenery outside.

"It doesn't take a genius to know what you're here for kid," Agent Auditore said, as crystal clear raindrops pattered continuously on the window pane, "Guess there's no harm making your life a little easier."

Making my life easier? Kelvie raised a brow, slightly confused.

"Emma and I were freshies back then under the Criminal Investigative Division," Auditore continued, his eyes following a raindrop slowly snake down the glass window, "The first time we worked together was when HQ posted us to Area 56 under Agent Kurtz's command."

"Agent Kurtz... I'll never forget that old man's parting words," Auditore muttered, as he bathed himself in nostalgia, "Anyway, Emma and I were under his supervision for nearly two years, along with a few others."

"But truth be told, I couldn't give a flying rat's ass about the rest," Auditore's stone cold expression didn't flinch one bit, "Calling them typical FBI bootlicking try-hards would be an understatement."

"Emma was the only one who stood out. She was smart, strong and independent. Heck, I thought she'd been at it for years," Auditore gritted his teeth, eyebrows lowered. "at least, until she suddenly quit and moved halfway across the world."

Streaks of lightning zig-zagged across the sky, illuminating the woods.

"One day she's here and the next... gone. Completely uncontactable," Auditore placed a hand against the glass window pane, his palm stinging slightly from the cold, "She left nothing behind."

"Every day of my life, I wonder why she did what she did." Auditore's tone heightened, "Did the two years we spent together mean nothing to her?"

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"If only I had done something earlier." Auditore's eyes glistened with tears, "Then maybe... Just maybe things would've been different."

Auditore sighed.

"The next time I saw her was in a body bag."

--

The air was still.

Jeremy grabbed the object in his thigh pocket as he approached Jane from the back. He had waited too long for this moment.

Jane, on the other hand, was preoccupied with tidying up the place, stacking magazines neatly in a corner. Jeremy savored the fragrance of her shampoo as he closed in on her. Lavender mint.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.

Jeremy stopped dead in his tracks. He shut his emerald green eyes, eyebrows etched in frustration at his own impatience. Slipping the object back into his pocket, he clenched his fists tightly.

All in due time. Jeremy reminded himself, as he retrieved his toolbox.

--

"Sir... I..." Private Kelvie took a few seconds to register the situation, "I'm sorry to hear about your loss."

"Save it," Auditore's waved him off, turning towards the window. His throat started itching for a cigarette.

Kelvie slumped against a nearby pillar, unsure of what to do next. Everything he's done so far seemed to only worsen the situation, instigating Auditore further. Maybe dad was right, coming here was a mistake after all.

All of a sudden, Agent Auditore grabbed Kelvie's wrist firmly. "Where did you get that from?" He hissed, eyes fixated on a toy Kelvie held in his hand.

"What the... I found it in the shelf there!" Kelvie squealed in pain, struggling to break free from Auditore's vice-like grip, "Let go!"

Agent Auditore snatched the toy in one swift motion, releasing Kelvie from his clutches. Kelvie reeled back in pain, his wrist reddened from the sudden assault. Mumbling something to himself, Auditore marched towards the shelf.

"What's this all about, it's just a doll!" Kelvie exclaimed, as he massaged his wrist back into shape, "There's a shelf full of it. I figured the previous owners must be collectors or something."

Agent Auditore's breathing quickened as he flung the shelf open. His eyes widened in shock. Impossible. Drips of perspiration trickled down his wrinkled forehead as he strained his brain to comprehend the situation. It can't be.

It was a shelf full of Hello Kitty dolls.

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