Found Obsession

Chapter 43: White and red notes.

The question spooked Rose, and it was hard to digest. It lingered in the air, making her stomach turn. She felt a wave of coldness wash over her as she tried to process what Riley had just said.

Her mind raced, searching for answers she wasn’t sure she had. The possibility of something so dark, hidden in the recesses of her memory, was terrifying.

“I... I don’t know,” she finally whispered, her voice trembling.

Riley sent her home by 11 PM and followed her to the door. When she opened it, he stood there, leaning casually in the doorway.

“Use me for now,” Riley stated, a smirk tugging at his lips. “At least to keep your mom away.”

Rose chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Night,” he whispered softly.

“Night,” she replied, and before she could react, he leaned in and pecked her lips. Then he was gone, disappearing into the night like a fleeting thought.

Rose closed the door behind her, finally alone. Home. The word felt strange. Her father had paid two years of rent in advance for this place, and in moments like this, she was grateful for that small bit of stability.

She dropped her things and started brewing coffee, the rich aroma filling the quiet space. But her mind was anything but quiet. Everything felt like too much. She absentmindedly stared at the picture she had discreetly taken of Riley's photo—the one of him, his ex-wife, and their daughter. She couldn't shake the feeling of being an intruder in a life she didn’t belong to.

With a sigh, Rose sipped her coffee and plugged in her earphones, drowning out the noise in her head with music. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, staring at it blankly.

Rose’s wish list. Copying Raven.

The words seemed mocking, almost childish in the midst of everything she was going through. She crumpled the paper and tossed it into the trash, unable to figure out what she wanted or needed.

She ran her fingers through her hair, her head in her hands. Her thoughts spiraled—murder attempt, lost memories, fear, nightmares, Raven, Riley, the children's case, her lost colleagues, the lies, the fight with Will, her parents, the unknown killer...

Everything was too much.

How was she supposed to act? How was she supposed to be?

Rose felt like she was sinking, and she wasn’t sure how to keep herself afloat.

Rose took a bath, hoping the warmth would ease her mind. However, after going to bed sleep didn’t come easy. Those grey eyes—haunting and cold—kept flashing in her mind, pulling her into another nightmare. In her dreams, she was drowning, the water around her turning dark, thick with blood. When she finally woke, it was time to get ready for work, but she felt even more exhausted than when she went to bed.

November 2, 2004

As she prepared breakfast, she turned on the news, letting the familiar background noise fill the silence.

"Yes, we have an imitator."

The voice made her turn sharply toward the screen. There was Will, standing in front of a swarm of reporters, giving a statement.

"We previously caught the serial killer, but now we've got a crazed fanatic."

Rose's heart sank. Another lie. She didn’t know if Will had made it up himself or if this was just another cover-up.

Frustration welled up inside her as she quickly turned off the TV, cutting his voice short.

"Whatever," she muttered under her breath. She was done. She could barely handle her own tangled mess.