Secrets

05| Theories

They knock on the door and the woman opens after a moment. She looks at Jade first but then glances at Ruth and frowns.

"I thought I told you to stay away!"

"Excuse me," Jade says politely. "I'm her friend, Jade. Can you talk to us because we're confused about what you said to her last night."

"Confused? She's confused?" The woman scoffs in disbelief. "I know what I saw and I won't let her fool me. I don't know what she's told you but your friend is sick in the head so I don't want her anywhere near me or my kids."

Jade glances at Ruth and looks back at the woman. "What did you see exactly?"

"Why don't you ask her what she's done?" The woman looks Ruth up and down in disgust.

"Maybe this is all a huge misunderstanding or you got her mixed up with someone else..."

"No. I know what I saw and I remember every detail."

"Please, tell us," Jade says in a pleading tone.

"You seem innocent, so I'll tell you." The woman hesitates for a moment. "You can come in, but I don't want her to step foot into my house."

Ruth nods as Jade looks at her for approval. "I'll wait for you in there," she says and walks the short distance to her apartment.

After nervously waiting for about ten minutes, Jade finally comes back with a weird look on her face.

"What did she tell you?" Ruth asks widening her eyes.

"Uh..." Jade hesitates.

"Come on, please. You're scaring me!"

The look on Jade's face causes her imagination to run wild. What could it possibly be?!

"She said that..." Jade starts, and Ruth impatiently nods urging her to go on. "Last week, the night that- you know, you found Ori like that...she saw you through the window."

"The window? How?"

"According to what she said, she and her boys got home after the heavy rain that night and they ran from her to go up the emergency stairs like they usually do...so she went up there to scold them and get them back down. But when she passed by your window, your curtain was open so she glanced inside..."

They both turn their heads towards the window and observe the narrow Iron stairs outside that looks so old and abandoned.

"What did she see me do?!" Ruth demands.

Jade swallows and takes a deep breathe. "Killing Ori."

"What?!" Ruth shrieks and looks back at her. "What the actual f-"

"I'm shocked too, R." Jade cuts her off quietly. "She described to me what she saw in detail, and there's no way she could've known what happened if she hadn't seen it, right?"

"What are you saying? Do you believe her? Do you think I did that to Ori? Me?!"

"No, of course not!" Jade shakes her head repeatedly. "I just...I have theories..."

"Tell me then 'cause I would love to make sense of this fucked up situation right now."

"My first theory is...well, that woman's nuts."

Ruth snorts despite the situation. "That makes sense."

"The second one is, uh..." Jade looks like she doesn't know how to say the next part of her sentence. "You have split personality."