Shadows of Influence - Villanelle

Chapter 11

The next day Sara was a mess. Emotionally she was more paranoid than ever, feeling like she was being watched from every angle, by the mystery woman, by Eve. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all, and felt a cold brewing up from all the running in the cold London night.

She made sure she looked her best thought, before she made her way to the office. She was not going to share her meeting with the woman, afraid of the consequences. Eve had been acting suspicious of her the other day, and Sara didn't wanna give her anymore reasons to doubt her loyalty or competence.

Sara tried to hide her anxiety behind a false facade of professionalism. During the next couple of weeks the case of the murdered politician slowly began to fizzle out as leads dried up, and the team met several dead ends. Despite from the occasional glance from Eve, the office continued on to other matters.

Weeks, turned into months. And life resumed to a resemblance of normality. Sara tried her best to focus on work, and put the unsettling events behind her. She would often find herself thinking about the mystery woman, wondering if she would show up again. But as the time passed, the memories began to fade, feeling almost like a distant dream.

Over a year had passed, since she heard from her. Sara's career progressed, as she gained more responsibility within the team. Eve's suspicions seemed to have abated, and the every day challenges of her job kept Sara occupied.

But one evening Sara found herself alone in the office, finishing up some last – minute paperwork. It was late, and the building was quiet. She was about to gather her things, ready to head home, when she noticed a smal package on her desk. It was wrapped in simple brown paper, with no return adress.

Sara's heart raced when she opened the box, revealing what was inside. An exquisitely crafted locket. Inside, there was a tiny folded piece of paper, with an elegant script:

''Did you miss me?''.

Sara sat down heavily, the locket clutched in her hand. The memories she had tried to suppress flooded back, and she couldn't help but wonder why the woman had chosen to reach out now, after so much time had passed.

The next few days, Sara tried to keep her composure, but the locket's presence felt like a weight in her pocket. She kept the note and locket to herself, afraid of what Eve might think if she knew the woman had contacted her again.

As the days went by, she found herself looking over her shoulder more often, a heightened sense of awareness following her everywhere. 

The woman's reemergence steered a mix of fear and excitement within Sara.