The Killer Fix

Chapter 14

Christmas morning, though hardly apparent, is upon them. As Riley makes coffee in Sofia's kitchen, she looks out the window only to be blinded by the rising sun. The silence this early in the day is unavoidable, and Riley is uncertain whether it's a comfort or a confrontation. It's too easy to hear her own thoughts, and she's thinking things she doesn't want to. It's still hard to grasp how her life became such a mess, so quickly. And how everyone around her is affected by it. She wonders if this is what the killer wanted, if somewhere in her past she did something that drove the killer to exact this kind of elaborate revenge. Or perhaps he's just crazy, and has set all this chaos in motion simply because he can. 

Alice, having arrived unnoticed, snags a filled mug off the counter. Standing next to Riley, gazing out the window, she takes a sip. 

'Is she awake?' Riley enquires. 

'Yeah. She barely slept. She's too shaken up.' 

Last night after Gray left, Sofia woke in a panic, barely remembering what happened. She has no idea how the Glow got in her system. She did remember why she called Riley, and told them about the disappearance of Noah's body. Another in a series of crazy developments that Riley can hardly wrap her mind around. Why would the killer want a dead body? 

'I have to leave soon. My parents are making me attend some business lunch.' Alice declares. 

'I can stay with her for a few more hours.' Riley decides, not quite feeling ready to continue her investigation. 

'So, you know about Aaron's little after school activity.' As she takes another sip, Alice studies Riley over the edge of her mug. 

'I'm guessing you've known for a while? After all, you were hosting it...' Riley deduces. 

'Look, I get that it must be a lot for you. And Aaron isn't the guy he was two years ago. But he's still a good person. He's just a little lost, I'm sure you can understand why.' 

As she realizes Alice knows, Riley puts down her coffee and turns to face her. 'Did Bryn tell you?'

 Alice shakes her head gently. 'Aaron did, a while ago actually. He needed someone to talk to, I was there. Don't worry, only as a friend. Not that I wasn't interested, but he's still in love with you.' As Alice places her mug on the counter she flings her bag around her shoulder and picks her coat off the chair she'd thrown it on. 'Just, please try to look past his mistakes. I think you two kind of need each other right now.' 

As Alice turns to leave Riley considers her current feelings, and Alice's advice versus what Bryn had said before. 'Alice?' Halted on her way out the kitchen, Alice turns around. 'Have you ever loved someone you shouldn't?' 

When hearing the question Alice smiles briefly, like she's remembering someone fondly. 'Yes.' 

'What did you do?' 

Gazing into the distance for a moment, she ponders her answer. 'I thought of what that person would want, and needed. Because somehow, that was all that mattered.'

Wearing her biggest, softest sweater and blue velvet leggings Sofia stands on the balcony hanging from her bedroom, taking in her first breath of fresh morning air. She's exhausted and more than anything just wants to crawl into bed and not come out till next July, but instead she's forcing herself to stay up and remember every second she can from last night. If she ever wants to feel safe again, she has to figure out how the killer got to her, how he managed to drug her. 

She's so caught up in her own thoughts she barely notices when Riley joins her out in the cold air. 'Did Alice leave?'

'Yeah, she had to go.' As Riley speaks, she observes Sofia in every detail. 'How are you feeling?'