The Killer Fix

Chapter 6

The sight of Milo, half-covered by silk sheets as he dozes off is something Bryn now realizes she had missed. 

She reflects on this realization for a moment as she brings a cigarette to her lips. Once she's sure he's beyond consciousness she lays her cigarette on the ashtray, plucks her blouse off the ground and while putting it on walks over to the dresser where Milo left his phone an hour ago. 

From there she handles quickly, scanning his contact list until she spots 'ghost'. Feeling thrown for a moment, she stares at the name. What would you call someone who, as far as the world knows, is dead? 

Before glancing back to check if Milo is still in deep slumber, she goes to work construction a text message. She figures short and to the point would be best.

Can we meet? It's important.

She puts the phone on mute, keeps a close eye on the sleeping figure she left behind in the bed, and waits. 

It doesn't take long. 

The response is simply an address and a time. Once Bryn has grabbed her own phone, copied and sent the address and the phone number to Riley, deleted the messages from Milo's phone and returned it to the dresser, her mission is complete. 

After slipping into her skirt and soundlessly retrieving her coat and bag from the chair in the corner, she gazes at the bed once more. 

No matter how much she misses this view, how much she wants to stay, she still makes herself walk out the door. Nothing's changed, she decides. She still can't be with him.

∾

'I used to love winter.' While lying on the forest green sofa, being hugged by a mohair woolen blanket, Riley stares at the snow falling on the large skylight above her. 

Sofia is lounging on the charcoal gray wing chair, playing with her tablet. 'Yeah well, nothing like murder to put a damper on the Christmas spirit.' She notes. 

'And snow is quickly ruined when you find a body in it.' Riley adds. 

In this rare calm moment she's attempting to clear her mind and organize her thoughts. But instead she's haunted by images of the last few days. The two dead bodies, her sister stuck in Norwell, Aaron on drugs... 

The last image sticks, making Riley consider how she could casually bring it up in conversation.

'So... you guys really went wild at The Neon Wolf, huh?'

'You mean the drugs? I saw the look on your face. I'm guessing they didn't all do that two years ago?' Sofia concludes.

'Just Milo, but he was smoking weed, not snorting...'

'Speed, they were doing speed. As I recall the upgrade in narcotics came pretty quickly after I started at Penburg. Most of us just do it occasionally, though. For fun. It's just Milo and Aaron who got hooked.'

Riley thinks back to the last year she spent with Carrie, Bryn, Aaron and Milo before she left for College. They were already in their first year at Penburg, growing up a little faster than she was, but they hardly ever talked about partying or doing drugs. She saw them all the time back then. It must have started after, when Sofia and Alice, who are Riley's age, came to Penburg.

'Riley?'

'Yeah?'

'Do you think Milo's brother is really behind this?'

'It sure looks that way.'

'What are we going to do when we meet him and he turns out to be the killer?'