The Wailing Woman

15. Missing Pieces

She left me a thank-you gift. It was the jeweled knife letter opener I took to protect myself. She told Grimm she wanted to repay her gratitude somehow and that I could keep the letter opener, it was sharp and pretty like me, she said.

I won't forget Mrs. Amelia Pensford. I wish I met her in life, I wish we could've had a conversation, and maybe then, I could have done something before it was too late for her. Wishful thinking is helpless. But I remind myself that I did do something. I helped someone who died and fulfilled their promise.

I always believed that when you die, you die. So all your sorrows and regrets would stay as unfinished business but it seems the dead don't have to leave with regret. It was satisfying to see that death does not have to end in depravity.

It had been about an hour since I got back to my apartment and while I had taken off my platform heels, I still had my tights and dress on. I had finished picking out which clothing items I was keeping and which ones I was going to donate since some didn't fit me. It was strange, I thought he knew my size but Grimm was playing the guessing game, by a lot.

Pushing the rest of the bags to the side, I pull the elastic band on my wrist and tie my hair into a loose ponytail leaving a few hairs out. I'm about to pull my tights down when I hear a knock on my door.

I begin to walk as the knocking becomes urgent, I yell out "Who is it?"

"Dilara!" She answers back.

I feel the pinch between my brows knowing that I never gave Dilara my address but something that I did give her was my phone number when we ran into each other on campus again. I quickly swing the door open and reveal a panting, sweaty Dilara.

She is clutching five books or more to her chest, old almost torn apart heavy books. Her usual wavy brown hair is frizzy as a couple of her baby hairs have become curled.

"May I come in?" She squeaks out.

I moved my body to let her pass and hurriedly walked in not before looking over her shoulder but she wasn't looking at me. She was staring at the hallway. I shut the door and she blinks away, I walk over to the counter gesturing to her to sit on one of the stools. I grab the water pitcher and pour it into a cup I had set and handed it over to Dilara who is still holding her books close to her chest.

I set the cup down right in front of her.

"So, how did you find my address? I don't think I ever gave it to you." I say calmly.

Dilara sets the books down but places one hand on top of the stack.

She begins to ramble, "I-I tried texting and calling you but you didn't answer so, I went to the student's office and paid them to give me your address because I needed to find you and-" She pulls out a yellow plastic bottle placing it on the counter and I reach for it as I notice my name printed boldly, NORA DE LUNA, they were mine. The same ones I left on the bench earlier today.

But how did Dilara find them?

She starts to explain, "I saw you sitting on the bench and I was going to come up to you and say hi but then I saw you with that man from last time and you left with him again. I saw that you left your medicine and I grabbed them. I texted you."

I haven't checked my phone but that doesn't explain everything, Dilara wasn't here to give my medicine back. She was here for something else.

"But that's not what you are here for?" I tapped my finger against the counter.

She clutched the books tightly and shook her head looking down.

I ask, "Dilara, what's wrong? Did something happen-"