FRIDA
It took me three days at home to finally be back on my feet.
That morning I was supposed to go back to work, I woke up ahead of my alarm, only to see the quiet dark-haired still asleep by my side, naked. I would lie if I said I would've felt better that fast if it wasn't for her: she has been by my side as much as possible those past few days, are we enjoyed long night (after-sex) conversations about every little details of our lives.
I've found my peace with her at last.
I caress her back softly when she opens her gorgeous green eyes and they soften at the sight of me. I have a peaceful smile on my lips, as I kiss her cheek with tenderness and get up and get dressed.
When I get to the office, Kosse was there, waiting for me with open arms and a tight hug, as I was just happy to see my associate again. While Sakina and Jordyn went back to The Times office with Ingrid - where they belong - I have to admit that it was quite calm without them. While I was gone, my boss hired a new journalist to my team, whose name is Stina Blackstenius, a graduate from Stockholm who just arrived in London.
After a long hug, Kosse just says:
"It's great to see you back in one piece, boss."
"It's great to be back" I concede, smirking. Then, I just salute Stina and continue: "Now, we've got some work to do: I'll go to my office, you two work on that article due tonight, okay?"
They both nod, as I walk toward my office.
When I get there, however, I frown: something is different. It is only when I sit down at my desk that I see the black rose on my desk, with a small note that said we never look at the ceiling enough. Frowning, I do look up, and almost let a small scream out:
I KNOW WHAT THEY DID.
My eyes go wide, as the red painting that was used looks like blood. Setting my jaw, I just try to remain calm, as my phone vibrates in my purse. I cannot for the life of me get prepared at what was written in the so-called text, since I know exactly who it was from.
Indeed, I am not disappointed:
From Hidden Number: the goal of a journalist is to uncover the truth, even when it is devastatingly close to the ones we love. If you want to understand the whole picture about the Velvet Killers, then you might as well want to investigate on Senior Prom Night's third victim.
Setting my jaw, I just remain still, as if I couldn't move anymore: a third victim? Given that Jason McCabe and Mapi were the first two (although she did not officially die, it is written on the official records that she did), who could be the third one? And who killed them...?
Of course I had an idea: the truth is devastatingly close to the ones we love... What if Ingrid hadn't told me the whole truth about that night?
Quite immediately, I dial a specific phone number and reluctantly get on the line with someone I really did not really want to talk to.
After a 'hello' from the other side of the line, I just say:
"Zadorsky? We need to talk... It's about Senior Prom Night."
***
JILL
After two days, Lia finally opens her apartment's door: she looks exhausted, with her hair tied in a messy bun, and dark circles under her eyes.
She is surprised to see me.
"Jill?"
"Hi" I let out, looking around to make sure nobody was here. "Do I bother you."
"Kinda, I've got this meeting for TVK in fifteen minutes and-"
"Cool, then I can come in for a while, yeah?"
Rolling her eyes, Lia pushes herself on the side while I walk into her apartment, that was quite luxurious after all: it was decorated in a very modern way, with hundreds of plants everywhere, all more beautiful than the others, bringing light and colours into the apartment. The living room was really sunny, and the first thing I see is the numerous piles of files on the table.
I immediately sit across from it, before taking one of them inside my hands, as Lia tells me not to: I soon realise those are police files about every person working within TVK organisation. She has been doing her homework right, as I could see. Lia doesn't lose time to take the file away from me, by fear that I would mess her piles organisation up.
In the process, she throws me a dark glare, that I choose to ignore.
"How are you holding up?" I instead ask, curious.
Gesturing at her face, Lia just answers:
"How do you think I am doing, uh? I'm in charge of a fucking killer association that has ties with both Spanish and British government officials, as well as an Argentinian mafia or something it seems..."
"Wally, you need to breathe."
"Not helpful" she warns me, annoyed.
Sighing, I just say:
"You're right, I'm sorry. How can I help?"
Throwing a suspicious look toward me, Lia just frowns: she is not used of me kind of caring about her to the extend of helping her, which is comprehensible. Ever since Leah died, I've always blamed her, even though it wasn't directly her fault. She did not know who she was dealing with - she had no idea Pernille wanted to kill Leah and, at the end of the day, I think she truly was in love with Leah and was destroyed when she died. After all, she killed Jenni Hermoso as a revenge for losing Leah.
Setting her jaw, Lia just responds:
"Honestly? I think you can't help at all. I mean, why do you even care, uh? I thought you told everyone I am the reason why your best friend died..."
Those words come out of my throat as if someone had ripped them out of it:
"I mean... Maybe I was wrong about that."
Raising her eyebrows, Lia stops doing whatever she was doing and stares at me, confused.
"I'm sorry... what?"
"Leah didn't die because of you: you just got yourself trapped in a shitty situation without knowing that your boss was an evil scientist that was out for blood..."
"Yeah..." Lia says, visibly touched by the subjects. One tear rolls down her cheek, as she suddenly realises it and says: "They told me they would leave Leah alone... visibly they lied to my face, and now I have to live with the guilt for the rest of my life. (she stops for a second, looking my way - but I did not know what to say, so she just asks:) You know I loved her, right?"
I nod.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk to you before." I then say, bluntly honest.
"You had good reasons to be, I won't hold it against you" she says, smirking.
"Thank you for avenging her" I add, not really knowing what to say. An awkward silence follows, before I joke: "I mean, you didn't have to become a freakin' gang leader for that, but you do you girl."
As she stares at me, mesmerised, for a while, we then both burst into laughter and keep on laughing for a good two minutes, both needing to sit down on the couch, out of breath, holding our stomachs. It's been a while since I haven't laughed that was, and I know it was the same for her.
After a while, she goes to the kitchen and comes back with two classes of gin, handing one to me, before declaring:
"Well, I guess I am a freakin' gang leader now, so we might as well celebrate that while we still can"
"Wow, you're wild, Wally."
"I know, right?"
She drinks a sip of her glass, while I caught myself just looking at her for no apparent reason, my glass still in my hand without me even sipping a drop. Lia notices and, when she turns toward me, she raises her eyebrows, confused.
Shaking my head, I just look away, feeling ridiculous, before drinking my glass bottoms up.
Suddenly, I felt this urge I've never fest so strongly before: we lock eyes, and when I get closer to her on the couch and she has a movement backwards, I just suddenly realise what I was about to do and just freeze.
"Uh, Jill...?" Lia breathes out, visibly troubled.
But I ignore the red flags.
Even though Lia doesn't move from her leaned back position, I just get closer, leaning against my arms and my lips being almost too close to hers, seeing her eyes fall on my lips, when the doorbell rings and we both jump off each other.
She has an awkward cough before opening the door: Alexia and Shelina are there, as well as Ingrid Engen.
They all enter, as Alexia immediately says:
"Listen closely, Wälti, 'cause we don't have much time: but you deserve to know what you got yourself into."
"... what do you mean?" Lia asks, confused.
Standing right next to her now, I just see Shelina's concerned face, as she is playing with her engagement ring.
Taking a deep breath in, Alexia starts:
"We didn't tell you everything about Senior Prom Night... Jenni wasn't in love with Jason McCabe, but with someone else..."
Ingrid steps forward and spits it out:
"... and Leah killed them..."
***
MAPI
I met Frida at her office, as she immediately showed me the message on the ceiling.
Frida was erratic, as she asks:
"Do you know something I don't?"
I shake my head.
"No, actually... Do you think it's about my sister and her friends?"
Frida nods, visibly confused.
Just when she said that, the office's doors open, and I immediately see Melanie Leupolz make her way in, followed by someone I had never seen before. Frowning - why would she even come to The Guardian if she didn't know I was there - I can see she is confused about my presence here.
The Swede throws a confused look at me, while Kosse tells the two women where to find us (as if we weren't already too visible with all those glass doors...)
The unknown woman presents herself to me, immediately giving me her hand to shake, as she says in a thick British accent:
"You must be the famous Marìa Pillar Leòn - my name's Lucy Bronze, and I am a private detective."
I shake her hand, suspicious, as Melanie says:
"Actually, I need to talk to Marìa for a second - she's a client of mine. We'll be back shortly."
"That's fine: I came to talk to Mrs Rolfö either way."
As soon as she closes the door behind her, Melanie grabs my arm and leads me to another room, far away from the curious looks. She then makes me walk into a conference room (that wasn't made of glass this time) and carefully closes the door behind her.
As I dramatically shrug when she stares at me, confused, she immediately bursts out:
"Were you ever gonna tell me that your sister and her joyful little gang are involved in yet another murder?"
My eyes go wide.
"What?" I ask, sincerely surprised.
For fuck's sake Ale, what have you done? What fucked-up secrets are you hiding now? I ask myself, knowing very well that I've hidden plenty from her as well.
Realising that I was honest, Melanie just frowns and lets out:
"You didn't know..."
"I told you about all the bad stuff I've done, and you still don't trust me?" I ask, quite annoyed all of a sudden without really knowing why.
"Marìa, it's just-"
Rolling my eyes, I am about to exit the room when something odd happens.
Melanie immediately steps by the door, and as my hand touches the handle, she puts her own of top of it. I feel electric signals running through my body, as we lock eyes for a second. I've never really taken the time to see how dark her eyes were, and how intense. She sets her jaw, as we both freeze.
After a while, she awkwardly coughed and takes her hand back, saying:
"... u-uh, I should g-go back in c-case Lucy needs my h-help..."
I get myself out of the way, just mumbling:
"Sure, you do that."
I don't even look at her until she exits the room, before frowning and wondering: what the hell is going on with me.
When I go back to Frida's desk, I see a panicked Melanie:
"They're gone" she just observes.
That's when it hits me, as I exclaim:
"Fuck!"