Sh!t Happens

7 - Alison

Four hours.

Four freaking hours.

And nothing.

The same weapon was used, same gashes, same clean shot. No fingerprints, no footprints, no freaking ID on the murderer.

No clue as to what Henley, Rosaline, Lucky and Lucy have in common. Rosaline wasn't a cheerleader, I never hung out with her, she never liked Drake, she wasn't even in our school!

So whatever Henley, Lucky and Lucy had in common, it got scrapped the minute Rosaline's name was added.

"Hey, Berry, we can narrow it down to women you know with last names beginning with anything from A to E."

I open my eyes to look at Drake. "Why?"

He points to the page I've basically scribbled on. "Walter, Peters, Mason, Fray, it's in reverse alphabetical order. So, the next victim would be a last name between E and A."

I frown at him. "But why women I know?"

"Well, because you knew all four of them, albeit not personally. And so far, all the victims are women."

I nod. "Okay, so the killer has some sort of vendetta against women I knew?"

Drake shrugs. "Or against women he used to know."

"So, you're saying . . . what?"

"I'm saying maybe the killer is someone you know."

I shrug. "It makes sense, but . . . why? And who?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's some psycho they all dumped at some point. Hey, which ex-boyfriend do they have in common?"

I laugh . . . and then I think I blacked out.

---------------

"Yeah, she just . . . collapsed . . . Hey, aren't you a doctor for the dead?"

"You called me. And she'll be fine. It must've been all the build up of stress from the case. She should wake up soo- ah, there you go."

My head feels like lead, so I don't bother going any further than groaning and rolling over. It sounds like Drake and Doctor Parker speaking, but I could be dreaming.

"Water?" I hear Drake ask softly.

"Yes, but I refuse to move."

Silence.

"Lollipop?"

"Gross."

"Yep, she's fine."

"I told you so," Doctor Parker says. "I am qualified to treat living people, you know."

After a few seconds, I brave the task of sitting. Drake and Doctor Parker have left, but the glass of water is still on my bedside table. I drink it all in one go. What? I was thirsty. After a few more seconds, I head downstairs. Drake is locking the doors. "Is he gone?" I ask.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He meets me halfway on the stairs.

"Not entirely sure, but it had something to do with my douchebag ex-boyfriend."

Drake grins and leads me to the living room. "Yeah, we were talking about exes. Do you want to sleep and work on this tomorrow?"

I shake my head, seeing red. No, I mean my hair literally smacked me in the face. "Ow! Hair in my eye! Hair in my eye!"

Drake laughs. "Yeah, that's something you'd do. Have a seat. Don't want you hitting your head on the coffee table again."

I rub my head. "Ah, that's why I feel like I walked into a titanium wall." I sit down on the floor in front of the table. "So, A to E. Okay, there's . . . those sisters that were a few years below us, Shannon and Casey Dexter . . . oh, I knew a girl named Janice Eilliot, but . . . that's it, I just knew them."