OCEAN VILLAGE

22. eyes off you✨

—Kairi—
-i never thought someone would make me feel so high, but here you are-
-prettymuch-

We sat at the cafe going over our new case, Athena hadn't arrived yet, she was still at school or walking home from school.

"He's cutting peoples eyes out so that he can see the world from other peoples perspective?" Maya says, extremely shocked and slightly disgusted.

"Well that's what we think he's doing." Khalil leans back in his seat, "I remember a similar case in the 90's, the guy was called Michael Preston, he cut peoples eyes out and froze them, then sold them in animal sculptures."

"That's so weird." Ace shivers, disgusted.

"It was interesting." Khalil sips on his water.

"You're weird." Ace then looks to him.

"Focus." I click my fingers. Without Malik in our team, he's resting, we're down an extra person, it's going to be harder for us.

"The victims have all been in and around the high streets, there's CCTV footage of him kidnapping skinnier, smaller victims, throwing them into a back of a van. Days later their bodies show up, eye-less and well... dead." Ezekiel says, "But he doesn't harm children. Just small adults."

"At least he's not fully evil." Azriel speaks up, clearing his throat.

The bell rings in the door and i turn to see Athena walking in, "Afternoon Mrs. Brown." She walks straight past our table, hugging the old lady in the kitchen.

It's thanksgiving on Friday, i'll talk to her properly then. I'll try and talk to her today.

I keep my eyes on her as she washes her hands and ties her hair into a high ponytail, putting the apron on and then starting to brew up some drinks.

"Oi, pay attention." Ace clicks his fingers in front of my face.

I look away from her and to the map, why did i just forget everything they were talking about. "What were we saying?" I rub my eyes.

"Put Maya undercover-"

"Not happening." I cut them off there and then. "Need someone smaller, a cop maybe, Maya's too tall." Shes 5"7.

"Mrs Brown, you didn't tell them." Athena's voice grabs my attention again. I turn and she was walking this way, shoving her notepad into the pocket of her apron.

"Tell them what?" Mrs. Brown looks over.

"Doesn't matter." She looks to us, by us i mean everyone apart from me, "I sorted out the room upstairs for you guys, we had a customer complain they were trying to eat but instead overheard the subject of noose intestines."

She sounded different, she didn't have the usual bubble to her tone like she usually does. She sounded fed up, tired.

"Amore, that is so sweet of you." Ace pouts, grabbing her hand. "Look here's our new member, Maya this is Athena, Athena this is Maya."

Maya smiles widely, holding her hand out, "Hey, you're so pretty." Is the first thing Maya says to her.

Athena smiles, her dimples showing, "I love your hair." She gracefully shakes Maya hands.

"Thank you." Maya leans back in her seat, looking to me with a massive smile on she face. Only two days ago did we have the conversation.

"Yeah so... You can move everything up the stairs. Mrs. Brown knows... even if she doesn't remember. Both the rooms you can use, just not the room partitioned off. And Khalil, you can pray up there too." She smiles and turns around.