Double Vision

8

008. rene .

feb. 9, 2024.

10:30 a.m.

"You want to enroll into college? That's so random." I held my coffee cup in my hands as Olivia sat across from me.

She sighed, taking a long sip from her cup before responding. "I think all my teachers are sick of me. But I'm not sure Miri would be happy with me." 

I paused. "This is off topic, but B is working with us on the aneurysms case."

"Really? Damn." she sighed. "Any leads at all?"

"Dunno. We're waiting for anything from B."

The coffee shop buzzed with the low hum of conversation and the clinking of cups as I absorbed Olivia's unexpected revelation. Enrolling in college seemed like a sudden decision. I took a thoughtful sip of my coffee, contemplating how to respond.

"Why do you think Miri wouldn't be happy about you going to college?" I asked, trying to understand the dynamics between them.

She looked down at her hands, tracing the rim of her coffee cup with her ring finger. "We had plans, you know? College wasn't really part of our agenda."

I nodded, sensing the weight of unspoken emotions in her words. "Things change, Liv. People change. Maybe Miri will understand, especially if it's something you feel you need to do for yourself."

She sighed again, leaning back in her chair. "I hope so. Sorry, I sound so weird. This is not me." she laughed. 

"No, you're fine. You don't have to be loud and obnoxious all the time." 

"Excuse you?!"

I grinned at her mock offense, appreciating the return of her usual spunk. The tension seemed to lift as we shared a laugh, the familiar banter bringing a sense of normalcy back to our conversation.

"You know what I mean," I teased, taking another sip of my coffee. "But seriously, if going to college is what you want, then do it. Miri will understand. And if she doesn't, relationships are about compromise and growth. Maybe this is a part of your journey together."

Olivia nodded, her expression a mix of determination and uncertainty. "I just need something different, you know? I love Miri, but I can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results."

"That's the definition of insanity," I remarked, raising an eyebrow.

She chuckled, "Exactly. And I'm all about that life."

The clock on the wall ticked away, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air. Olivia's phone buzzed on the table, drawing her attention.

"It's Miri," she said, glancing at the message. "She's asking where I am."

I leaned forward, offering a supportive smile. "Go talk to her. Hiding stuff is just gonna make things more awkward."

She nodded, gathering her belongings. "Thanks, Rene. You're surprisingly good at this advice thing."

I chuckled. "Well, I've seen my fair share of complicated situations. It comes with the spy territory."

She smirked. "You're not just a pretty face, huh?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere," I replied, feigning a stern expression.

As Olivia stood to leave, she hesitated for a moment before leaning in for a hug. "Thanks for listening. You're a good friend, Rene."

I watched her leave the coffee shop, the door chiming softly behind her.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.

1 notification: Chief Shiekh

Shit, I hate my job.

I walked into our office, closing the door behind me. Of course I'm the last one here.

I saw the letter B illuminated on the TV screen. Must've been waiting for me. This is embarrassing. 

"He's here." The Chief said, motioning for me to sit down.

"Good," the robotic voice spoke through the TV. "I've collected some suspects. I'll email the lists to you shortly. From now on we'll refer to the suspected mass murderer as Aneri. Closest name I can think of to Aneurysm."

We nodded in unison, acknowledging B's update. All of our laptops dinged simultaneously. B spoke up again, "We need to catch Aneri before they strike again."

As I skimmed through the folder, B continued. "I identified five potential suspects based on their access to medical records and patterns that match the Aneri cases."

There were 5 names listed, each leading to an external link on their background information.

Molly Sanchez 

Benjamin Herzig

Keegan Dolan

Amber Bill

Ella McCabe

Benjamin Herzig? Isn't that the therapist here?

The pieces of this puzzle are getting more complicated and interconnected.

"Mr. Herzig is the therapist for specifically the police," I explained, my mind racing to make sense of the potential connections. "This could be more intricate than we thought."

B continued, "He is on the list because of his access to police files and his close proximity to the victims. Keep an eye on him, but don't jump to conclusions. We need concrete evidence."

The Chief nodded, his expression serious. "We'll start the surveillance discreetly. Let's not alert him until we have something substantial."

I hate my job.

"I'm going to look into notes that were taken by hospitals before death. I'll update you a week from now." B said, before abruptly hanging up.

"Why is B like this?!" Ryan groaned.

The Chief silenced Ryan with a stern look before turning his attention back to the rest of us. "We don't have the luxury to question B's methods right now. Our priority is to stop Aneri. Let's focus on gathering evidence discreetly. If they're all innocent, we don't want to ruin their life with baseless accusations."

"Right." Me and Ryan said in unison.