𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞〚𝚙𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 〛

Chapter 40: I'm Terrified of You

"Hello!" chirped Kiara, twirling her hair with her finger as she talked to the single security guard in charge of surveilling the old crime scene.

The man seemed surprised to see her, but relieved for some company in the hot sunset. He eagerly chatted on as she swayed from foot to foot, giving Delilah the signal she was waiting for. 

With quiet footsteps, Delilah stuck to the side of the rundown motel, hoping that her pale top and strikingly blonde hair wouldn't be too much of a contrast with the brick wall. Then again, her shirt wasn't pale anymore, stained with bed blood that still felt much too warm against her skin. 

She narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to focus on the task in hand. With steady hands, she hoisted herself on the top of the fence, having spotted a low window nearby. She caught herself on the windowsill as she lost her balance, cringing as splinters scraped the skin of her hands. She'd definitely need a manicure after this. 

Memories of getting her nails filed as Rafe laughed at her awkward expression assaulted her mind, making her foot slip from the fence. The memory was now tainted in bright red. 

Gritting her teeth, she swung her leg over the windowsill, entering the room less quietly than she had hoped. Eying the floor, she marked the spots on the floor filled with investigation powder, carefully going around them. She grabbed a towel as she went, knowing she'd have to do something to prevent her fingerprints from showing up on future examinations. Some way or another, there would inevitably be someone to retrace Susan's steps to this rundown hotel. 

Delilah cursed herself for not having asked JJ for a rough description of the room and where the safe actually was. But she hadn't been in the mood to talk to him. Not when he was trying everything to calm Pope down. 

She bit down on her lip, busying herself with searching the room. She knew she should have gone to see Pope and apologize for what he had sacrificed. He deserved that much. But in the shaken state, she wouldn't have found the proper words. Not to forget that the sight of the boy, his face deformed with anger, might've been too much of a reminder of her childhood best friend. That was someone she had to keep far, far away from her thoughts. At least for now. Sooner or later, she'd have to face him again. She hoped she would be ready once the time came. 

Her features hardened. No, she would be ready. She had to be, for both his sake and hers. 

Ducking under a shelf, she grinned victoriously at the sight of the old fashion safe tucked there. With trembling fingers, she unfolded the paper she had kept in her pocket. She double checked every number before typing them in, making sure her fingers were well covered by the towel. 

An echoing click caused relief to wash over her. With less caution than before, she snatched the plastic folder placed at the bottom of the safe. Running her hand on the inside, she found a letter, but nothing more. Tucking it inside the folder, she closed the safe once more before slowly backing away, tightly clutching the evidence to her chest. 

Heart racing, she climbed out of the window, her foot barely catching the fence in her hurry. Without wasting another moment, she jumped down, wincing as her ankles gave an unnatural jolt as they smacked against the ground.

"Did you hear that?" said the security guard, standing a few strides in front of her.

"Hear what?" innocently replied Kiara, eyes widening.

Delilah didn't dare move.

"I swear I heard..." In one dreadfully slow movement, the man turned around, coming face to face with a white faced, blood-splattered girl, looking straight out of a horror movie.