(Chapter 2.5: https://saragawde.com/chapter-1-5/)
Olivia
The village was full of lit up warm homes. From the 3rd floor, she could look right into someone’s window in the opposite building. She’d taken off her wig and her eye lenses. And right now, with her itchy brown hair falling to her shoulders, and her jade green eyes no longer concealed by blue; she felt like she could finally breathe. It was hard to be someone you weren’t. Something climbed onto the window in the building opposite to her, she squinted as the grey mass turned to her, licking its hind leg. The cat stared at her with yellow eyes and she smiled. Her head slightly ached. She wasn’t used to movement, with her fitness in Rebecca’s lakehouse comprising of stretching and the occasional yoga if the Sun was looking exceptionally beautiful in the sky at 6 in the morning, before the village woke up.
She was just about to fall into the welcoming embrace of her plush white bed on her side when movement flickered in her vision. She turned back to the window, and she saw it. Her breath hitched, this man. The only person whose thoughts she couldn’t hear, a discomforted voice in her head said. She saw strands of Asher’s curly hair bobbing out even with a black hoodie on as he left the inn sneakily. He pulled his hood over himself further, and he was a dark mass in the night, hardly noticeable. The only person she’d ever met whose thoughts she couldn’t hear. It made her uncomfortable, almost offended.
Where was he going though? Was this related to the case?
Olivia watched him speed out of her line of vision, towards the forest.
The next thing she knew, she was flinging on her coat and a beanie over her blonde wig. She put in the lenses in her eyes, noticing the dark circles that had begun forming on her pale skin. She looked up, to let the lenses fit, feeling them burn.
Olivia flicked off the dry tears forming at the corners of her eyes and left the room. She locked the door, and ran down the stairs, exiting the raging inn full of drunk men. She slammed the main door closed behind her, hearing its bell ring at the last moment.
He was not going to figure out this investigation. Not this time. Not when the odds were absolutely in her favor. Nobody could take away her freedom again.
Olivia raced down the street, she had to catch up to him. She had to know every piece of information he did if she was going to illuminate a lie in his mind.
Her feet froze when she saw his tall frame enter the forest, and a few steps in, she followed. Crouched and slow, she watched him reach the lake before he walked past it, traversing the bank. She followed him through the trees, and stopped when he stopped, next to a fishing basket where he sat down, watching the lake.
For a few minutes, Olivia thought she might’ve been presumptuous. She took a step back, stupid, overthinking step. And then another figure emerged, 12 feet from her. The figure sat down next to Asher. Olivia gripped the branch of a tree, hiding behind the trunk, her heart racing. She peeked to see that the figure was wearing a dark mask, matching overalls, and a cap. She knew that cap- it was the runner from today evening.
Olivia’s ear buzzed and twitched, as if they were dilating to hear better, listening in to the loudening sounds of the forest and the voice of the runner:
“God, I hope I’m right about telling him all of this. I really can’t have the village finding out about me and Gale, it would be a disaster.” A panicked voice whispered.
She should have listened better on their first interaction. She should have been more focused on what Asher was doing, instead of just vaguely laughing over his clumsiness, her mind veering against the sounds of the multiple minds around her.
“To begin with, what did you-” Asher asked, the palms of his hands leaning back on the grass, but the man replied before he could complete his sentence.
“I heard screams, two different voices yelling, presumably from the rooftop.” The man said.
Olivia rubbed her neck, her lips pursing. She stared at the lakehouse on the other side of the lake, hauntingly beautiful. He’d heard their quarrel. She hadn’t anticipated that.
“I, uh, I got scared. So I left the area. But I know I heard two voices screaming, not animals like everyone thought they were.”
His mind whispered something she couldn’t hear, it was said too low. He was lying though. What was he lying about?
“Did you decipher anything of what they were saying?”
The man shifted his hands onto his knees as he folded his legs. Both of them stared at the lake, not looking at eachother once. “No, I couldn’t pay much attention.”
“What time was this?” Asher asked.
“The screams started at 2:30, we- I, left at 2:36. I had arrived at 2:15.”
“I barely got to talk to him. I hate this. I hate how scared Gale is of getting caught.” A hint of sadness in his voice.
“And when did he arrive?”
The man turned to Asher, his eyes wide. “Who?”
His lover, Olivia thought.
“You know who. Please, it’s important for the case. I’ll keep it confidential, don’t worry.” Asher said, his eyes unmoving, until he glimpsed at the man and then back at the lake again, his feet turning in quarter circles on the g
“5 minutes before I did, but he won’t talk to you. He doesn’t want anything to do with this case because it could,” There was quiet, a grieving, melancholy quiet. “It could get us caught.” The man gulped.
Asher nodded. “Did you see any movement on the rooftop or in any of the rooms?”
“No, I was in the trees.”
“Did the person you were with see anything or hear anything other than the things you did?”
The man shook his head. “Nothing, the sounds didn’t start until 2:30. They were horrible though, unearthly screams.”
Of course they were. The people he’d heard had been tearing eachother apart, piece by piece, until they were both two messes of mistakes, regrets, and broken. Lies, all lies. Olivia’s throat constricted as she forced away the tears. If she kept this up, with being emotionally involved with Rebecca, she’d never be able to stop Asher.
“What did the screams sound like?”
“Closed up, and breaking, sometimes high pitched, sometimes loud mumbling. It was very confusing. I understand why people think it was an animal, but I really don’t think so.”
“Why are you willing to tell me all of this if the person you were with isn’t?” Asher asked the man, this time facing him for an answer.
“Because I want this village made safe. If there’s a killer, I want them caught and taken away from my home.”
“Despite them rejecting you?”
The man’s eyes sterned. “Regardless of them rejecting us. They’re my family, the people I grew up with. I don’t want their lives to be at risk.”
Olivia sat down on the forest floor, looking up at the canopy of dark green blanketing the night sky. She was a killer, a safety hazard. She rubbed her forehead. That man was a good man and he already hated her, because she was the bad one here. The enemy of the good.
***
At 3 that night, once Asher had left, she had walked to the other side of the lake, a path she thought she was the only one who knew about. A huge ‘u’, but she’d made it in 30 minutes. After that, in the thickest part of the forest, still close to the lakehouse, she’d gone at parts of the ground with a stick like a mad man, quiet but carving. The stars had been audience to her artwork, and when she’d finally finished, satisfied with herself, she’d left, sneaking past the footsteps of a policeman deployed at the house. After taking the same path she’d taken earlier, where she’d travelled the entire length of the banks of either side of the lake, she’d made her way back to the inn. Muddied and relieved as she’d fallen into her bed, only to be woken up an hour later by the morning light coming from her window.
Asher and Liam were looking at her like she was a ghost accompanying them on the boat ride to the lakehouse. The blonde hair just wasn’t doing it, she supposed. She looked exhausted, and her makeup skills were worse than she’d thought. Next time, she’d watch a youtube video on it instead of winging it based on memory of Rebecca working her way at the dresser.
“Did you find anything new?” Asher asked Liam in the boat as a policeman paddled. “I gave you the notes I had. That’s literally everything I found, and it’s not much. Did you go through them?”
“No, but I think I have that little notebook on me,” Asher said, patting himself until he produced a small notebook from his coat pocket. He smiled as he faced Liam with it. He flapped it open, straightening to skim through it. “That’s all you found, over an entire night of keeping me and yourself awake?” He exclaimed, reviewing 7 lines of text. “That’s the summary idiot.” Liam folded his arms.
“What about you? I’m sure you’ve noted every piece of information that we got. Do you mind if I see it, it might help the case?” Asher turned to her.
Olivia had taken notes, not as many as they’d expect her to have, but she’d done some part of the job. A decent part if she thought about it. “They’re back at the inn. Besides, I’m not obliged to show you my notes, so I really might not.”
Asher coughed as if to conceal his embarrassment. “Fair enough.”
“First time he’s heard a ‘no'” Liam laughed, and Olivia looked away at the lake. She felt braver somehow. After that first ride, she wasn’t as scared. She wouldn’t find a body floating even if she searched for it. But she was still scared of taking it in. Instead, she focused on the moving waters, waiting for a way out of them. The ripples caressed her fingers, like crowds parting. She flicked her hand, and water splashed onto her and Liam. “Hey, watch it, its a brand new coat.” He complained, distancing himself from her.
Asher stared at them, dumbstruck. “Anyway, today, we’re going to investigate the possible scenes that could’ve occured-“
“I have a, uhm, I have an idea sort of?” Olivia interrupted him, and both the boys turned to her. She could’ve sworn she heard the policeman snicker. “Well, get on with it kid, we’re almost here.” The policeman thought.
“I think an animal killed her, something wild.”
“We all thought that at some-” Asher continued, gesturing towards Liam and the lake, looking around as he explained.
“No, but I’m pretty sure about this. All of the villagers heard some noise that they described as animal like. Something must be up with that, right? It’s not like so many people can be wrong.”
Liam rubbed his chin. “We’re going to look into every aspect.” He turned to Asher who stared at them, agitated.
“It doesn’t explain the gun though.” He remarked.
“Except for the part where it does. Maybe Rebecca was trying to defend herself.” Olivia looked down as she bit her quivering lip.
“It could be that she fell into the lake after. And the animal left because it couldn’t get its hunt.” Liam said.
Olivia nodded and they both turned to Asher who looked at the sky like he was begging it for something.
“Its not possible, large wildlife in English forests is basically dead, there were no scratch marks or any sort of sign of an animal in that house, and,”
“And-” Olivia was about to say, when Liam interrupted her.
“And the people still heard animals. She’s not wrong Asher, it’s worth investigating. Gimme that.” He snatched back his notebook and took out a pen from his back pocket before scrawling on a new page with the tile: Possibilities.
“I know this is a private case sir, but, as someone who has worked with detectives, I truly believe it is better to leave no stone unturned.” The boat’s driver said.
When they reached the house, the driver settled onto the couch and switched on the television. “I’ll be here if you need me, the police have put me in as your boatman anyway.” He put his feet up and the TV began blasting the sound of an insurance commercial. “Todd’s still out there, is he? Cecilia was supposed to be taking up the next shift.” He said, cranning his neck to look out the window. Todd was the policeman posted at the house at night, Cecilia, the policeman, took up his job at day. Olivia had seen Todd yesterday night, she’d avoided him effectively. However, she had never seen Cecilia here.
Asher was just about to head upstairs when Liam stopped him. “Asher, wait. Forest first.” He tilted his head towards the door.
“You guys are killing my feet, God, all this walking. I’m getting older you know. It’s not even a correct lead.” Asher complained, before he left the house. “Let’s get then!” He yelled from outside, turning halfway to glare at them.
When the three of them entered the forest, Olivia declared: “Liam, take towards right. Asher will go left, I’m going straight forward. Let’s try to cover the perimeter of the house.”
Liam obeyed with no complaints. Asher, on the other hand, just folded his arms and stared at her for a bit, before looking away nonchalantly to make towards the direction she had asked him to like it was his choice.
Olivia only had to walk around for about 7 minutes, when she heard Liam yell. She had ran towards their meeting point, by the edge of the house, where he’d arrived seconds later, followed by Asher. “I found something!” He had been ecstatic. “Come on, hurry.” And he lead them to inhumane footprints.
Asher’s eyes widened, shock infiltrating his poker face.
“We’ve found our killer’s shoe size.” Olivia laughed, placing her hands on her hips.
(Chapter 4: https://saragawde.com/chapter-4/)