Listen Lucky

54. Normal

"So he's back then?" was all I could manage to say as everything around me seemed to fall apart. I was numb, I couldn't even feel Brice's arm on my shoulder anymore.

"Shall we talk somewhere more private?" Montagne offered, opening the door to an interview room for the three of us.

The room was dark and cold - a fitting description for the way I was feeling at the realisation my deepest fear was coming true. I sat on one side of the table whilst Brice and Montagne sat on the other side, facing me. The situation felt so formal, which was not helping my nerves in the slightest.

"Would you like to tell her, or should I?" Montagne was very serious. I had always felt he lacked compassion. He was a great agent, no doubt about that, he was smart and he was determined, up until the thriller he had caught every criminal he went after, but he was detached and I merely felt like a tool to him. He had never cared about my suffering, in fact I think he was glad I had been attacked and left for dead, because it meant more information for him.

Brice shook his head but spoke nonetheless, "I was trying to protect her from all of this," he sighed.

"Just tell me what is happening, and how Will is involved," I stated plainly. I was done tip-toeing around the facts to save my feelings, I couldn't feel anything except fear for Will. In all of it I only cared about Will, my own life meant nothing if I didn't have him.

"A few months ago Will intercepted a package on your porch, around the time of your birthday. He brought it to us straight away because he didn't want to worry you. Ever since letters have been placed outside your door on a weekly basis and every time Will picks them up and he brings them here. He's been working with us, to help catch this guy whilst helping you to maintain some sense of normality. In all of this Malia, we just wanted you to feel as though you could live a normal life."

It was too much to take in all at once.

The nature of the letters suggests that the man who attacked you has returned and has been living locally for a while." Montagne added bluntly, contrasting Brice's gentle, reassuring tone.

The news was shocking, but what shook me the most was that Will had been involved in the investigation the whole time. The time I caught him at the police station and accused him of doing something illegal, he was probably just dropping off a letter. He was trying to protect me. The weird glances between him and Brice had been because they were working together. It all made sense.

"What did the letters say?" I asked, not sure what else to say. I wanted to scream that they should have done more to protect Will the second he got involved, but I knew that was counter-productive.

"That's not important Malia. The letters were however signed 'OG', does that mean anything to you?" Montagne spoke up, straight to the point as usual.

"No, nothing. Why does that matter? What are you doing to find Will?" I asked, getting straight to my point.

"Unless there's anything you can say that would help us, there's only so much we can do," Montagne explained.

"So what you're saying is that its my fault my best friend is probably dead?" I leaned towards him, feeling angry. I knew I shouldn't have focused my anger on him, he wasn't the cause of the problem. I was angry at myself for not sticking to my guns to keep Will uninvolved in my messed up life. Now he was in danger and there was nothing I could do to help him. He had always been there for me, and I wasn't there for him when he needed me.

"I'm not saying that-" he began calmly, but I'd had enough. I needed to get out of there.

"Whatever, I'm going home," I stood up from the table and headed to the door, ignoring their protests.