Psycho #OpenNovellaContest

Chapter 12

"What were you thinking?" Raymundo hisses. He and Alya are seated at the table in the corner adjacent to the couple still passionately making out.

"I don't know," Alya says. "He was just making me so mad..."

"He's a barista, Mrs. Ledford," Raymundo says. "What'd he do, give you non fat milk instead of one percent?"

Mrs. Ledford. That's new.

"No!" Alya says. She picks at her nails. "He was saying how I didn't care about Lizzie, which is completely stupid because he's wrong, and... it just made me mad."

"Based on the way you've spoken to me, I didn't think of you as one to go telling around your business to everyone."

"But... you're different. You want something from me."

He raises an eyebrow. "You don't think anyone else wants something from you? You don't think anyone else is using you? Look around you, Mrs. Ledford. Look at your friends- do you think none of them want something from you?"

Alya's hands start shaking again. She pulls her coat closer around her. "I don't know. But at least they're friends. They care about me."

"Alya, I'm using you, but at least I'm honest. You can't trust anyone."

Alya again, is it? Her hands tighten into fists and she uncomfortably pushes back her cuticles so she doesn't punch him in the face. Besides, he could be the murderer... She doesn't want to make him angry.

"Okay," she says quietly. "Okay."

The front door jingles as it opens. A blond woman has just walked into the shop.

"Carmela!" Alya calls.

Raymundo gives Alya a strange look. "You invited someone else?"

"Sorry," Alya says. "She's a friend- Carmela, over here!"

Carmela's eyes meet Alya's and her lips quirk up in a smile. She walks over and sits down next to Alya.

"So glad you could come," Alya says, giving her a quick side hug.

"No problem," Carmela says, glancing warily at Raymundo. "So, what were we discussing?"

"Nothing important," Raymundo says. He digs through his bag and pulls out a small boxy device. "This is a recording device. If you don't mind, I'm going to record this interview."

"Why?" Alya asks.

Raymundo sighs. "Because it makes my job easier."

"Oh, um, okay." Alya hesitates. "Is it on now?"

Raymundo clicks a button on the device. "Now it is." Raymundo crosses his arms and sits back in his chair. "Alya Ledford, tell me what really happened at Lizzie Hart's funeral."

"What else is there to know? I, um, just felt sick. I get that way when I'm around... dead people."

"Is that a common occurrence, Mrs. Ledford? Do you often find yourself in the presence of dead bodies."

Mrs. Ledford. She grits her teeth. He's really starting to annoy her. "No."

"James Anderson was the one who helped you up, right? Anything you want to tell me about him?"

"Um, no..." She squints. Wait... Raymundo left before the reception started. How would he know who helped her up after she fainted? It's not like he would care. Plus, it was Carmela who had come to her aid, not James...

"Where's your husband, Alya?" Raymundo says. "Is he out of town? On business, perhaps? If I were him, I wouldn't ever leave my beautiful wife at home alone... unless I had fallen out of love."

"Tom and I are perfectly fine, thank you," Alya says shortly.

"Are you sure, Mrs. Ledford? Then where is he?"

"Why do want to know? It's his personal life-"

"I only want to know where he is. Has he gone missing? Hasn't your friend Mariel gone missing too, Mrs. Ledford? How long is it until someone else disappears?"

"Mariel isn't missing!" Alya says. "She's just... busy. She hasn't been picking up my calls, but that doesn't mean she's gone! Maybe she's on vacation..."

"Ah," Raymundo says. "Then when is she coming back?"

"I- I don't know," Alya says, quietly.

"Mrs. Ledford-"

"Don't call me that!" The name brings back memories of tense nights spent on set of A Crystal Heart and long days of filming and drinking coffee nearly every morning and of Tom-

"All right, Alya, tell me about your affair with James Anderson."

Alya's blood runs cold. "I- I'm not-"

"It's obvious, Alya. The way you look at each other-"

"We're actors! That's what we're paid to do!"

"You can lie to yourself all you like, but I'm paid to tell the truth." He lowers his voice and speaks quickly. "I know it was Carmela who helped you up after you fainted and I know that you're having an affair with James and most importantly, I know that you're lying to me about whatever you saw at the funeral. You have my number for when you're ready to confess the truth" He stands up and swings his bag over his shoulder. "The article should be running tomorrow- print and online. Keep an eye out."

"I will," Alya says quietly.

He leaves without another word. The door to the shop slams shut behind him. Alya stares worriedly at her hand. Would he really publish all those things he said about her? 

"Alya?" Carmela says. 

"Let's go," Alya says shakily. "We need to talk; do you want to meet at my place?"

"Sure, can you give me a ride there? I'm going to get a drink right now; I'll meet you outside in five minutes."

Alya nods. "No problem."

Carmela gets in line for a drink. The shop has gotten busier; people are flooding in through the doors for a mid day coffee. Alya checks her watch. It's been an hour and forty minutes since she got the two hour warning. Twenty minutes left. She stands up and drops her empty coffee cup in the garbage can. She hesitates for a moment. 

I gave her my number and she threw it away. Mark's words echo in her head. Could it still be-?

Alya reaches down into the trash can and pulls out a coffee cup. To the left of the order sticker, a phone number is scribbled in red ink on the side of the cup. Mark's phone number, Alya thinks.

She glances behind her. Mark is staring at her strangely. She smiles weakly. He rolls his eyes and goes back to making a drink. She turns back to the cup. Yes, she's definitely going to keep this. She doesn't know why, but she thinks he knows more about Lizzie's death than he's willing to admit. Who knows what secrets he's hiding?