PAINT IT RED (MikhAiah)

29: Crimson Threads

"Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes." —Confucius

***

AIAH

Mikha is gone for a little while when I suddenly see Karylle walk in front of the breakroom with Kathryn. I guess she was watching the news closely, ready to follow through with what I told her to do.

Karylle's eyes widen in shock when she sees me, and I wink, holding my finger over my lips as the universal shhhh sign, while using my other hand to gesture to my visitor's badge.

She masks her surprise immediately, and Kathryn grins at me, giving me a small wave. I get a little worried when I see Maloi suddenly approach them, looking in at me.

Kathryn diverts her attention to Maloi, as Maloi narrows her eyes at me. "Can I help you?" she asks.

A woman walks up, and she gestures to Kathryn and Karylle. "They have information on the Ferguson case. I escorted them up, but I can't find SSA Lim."

My stomach flips just hearing her name. I hope she doesn't let me down. My instructions were for Karylle to seek out her team, but not by name. She'll get her custody of Kathryn if she's the woman I think she is, without treating her like a criminal for being linked to me—the monster I hide from her.

"I'll take them to conference three," Maloi tells her, eyeing me suspiciously again. Kathryn glances at me one last time, but Karylle remains a face of stone, carrying out her part perfectly.

Kathryn thinks I'm an angel. She probably thinks no one else can see me. In her eyes, I'm keeping a close watch on her, making sure she stays safe, just as I promised.

She's clean now. She's also wearing new clothes that Karylle must have picked up for her on the way here.

"Hey, what's going on?" I hear a familiar voice ask. Jhoanna? Is her name Jhoanna?

I think so.

I don't hear anything after that, because they get too far away. Instead, I feign interest in the TV, drinking the soda I bought from the vending machine in here.

Karylle probably thinks I'm ballsy as fuck for being here right now. She has no clue how tangled up I've gotten myself.

But they're looking for a monster.

Not a girl who loves red.

Not a girl who is falling in love.

Not a girl who died ten years ago.

More time passes before I feel eyes on me, and I dart a glance to the doorway to see Maloi just staring at me. Her eyes are definitely suspicious as she appraises me without any discretion.

Surely Kathryn didn't tell her. And certainly not Karylle.

Then again, I'd be in an interrogation room if they had. She's been suspicious of me from the start, so she's obviously still beating that dead horse.

To be certain, I arch an eyebrow at her, as though I'm daring her to say something. She doesn't speak.

Her eyes are rimmed red, as though she's been crying. Surely she didn't care about Ferguson. So why cry?

Finally, she breaks the stare down and walks away, never saying a word. I return my attention to the 'roast' that's going on. It's actually pretty damn funny.

Besides, no one expects a laughing girl in the breakroom to have recently tortured a guy and dug up dark secrets no one even knew existed.

After some more time passes, I feel eyes on me again, and I jerk my head to the doorway to see Mikha watching me with a small smile on her lips.