chapter 8

Tuesday, 06 March 2018.

Sonia’s apartment, Manhattan Upper East Side, New York City.

The next day, Emilie sits down on the bench porch, while enjoying the beautiful view of this quiet neighborhood in the morning.

Then the sound of footsteps comes from the front door. It’s Sonia. She’s bringing a tray fills with two cups of hot milk.

“Here you go, your special dairy milk, Miss Roze,” says Sonia as she puts down the cup on the table.

“Thank you so much, Miss Ash,” she returns her funny accent.

As she sits next to her, Sonia asks lazily, “Ugh, okay. So, what we were talking about the last time?”

Emilie rolls her eyes in disbelief, then she sighs, “Really? Do we have to continue on that talk?”

“I just can’t believe that he suspects me for anything! I told you, Emilie. I can sense his suspicion since the first night I met him,” says Sonia, assuredly.

Emilie drinks her milk first, then she puts down again and talks, “Well, I think it depends. He is just trying to do his job, right?”

Sonia chuckles ignorantly with her rhetoric question.

Then Emilie asks her, “I mean, come on. I know he sometimes may talk annoyingly, but why would you think he want to get involved in our personal matters? It’s not even related to Barbara’s murder case.”

“Ugh, God, Emilie. You just don’t know anything about the law and order, do you?” Sonia says as she narrows her eyes at her.

Emilie shrugs her shoulders for a second, and says, “Enlighten me, please.”

“Okay, so, here’s the deal…” Sonia begins to tell with her dark eyes open widely. “He is a detective on duty. And he is someone who works for the government and the society. And so to speak, he’s just following the mother nature, which sometimes, can go wrong.”

Emilie narrows her eyes in bewilderment as she slowly shakes her head. “Pardon me, but I really don’t get your explanation, Sonia.”

“Are you forgetting the fact that I have studied a law major? I know lots about shitty political problems out there than you are, Emilie. You’re just a doll, sitting nicely inside your successful fashion boutique in Manhattan,” Sonia says pretentiously. “The real world is more scary than you think.”

Emilie chuckles in disbelief at her. “Ugh, God. You’re just so annoying. If you want to start bragging, just say so.”

Then they’re giggling along during this conversation at the porch.

But Sonia has to talk about it once again before she can settle her mind for good, “I just don’t get it, with everything that’s been going on. Why there’s someone that wanted to kill Barbara? I thought she was the least person in the room that won’t have any enemy.”

“I’ve been thinking about it too. It’s pretty weird, I guess,” Emilie says sympathetically.

“And now, Detective Lee suspect me, just because I was related to Alec and Barbara’s miserable love story that didn’t even happen,” Sonia mutters. “I mean, I never ever involved myself in her private life before, and until the night she died.”

Emilie stares away at the neighborhood street for a while. Her mind wanders off to the old time in college, when she could see Barbara’s angelic smile almost every day. Her smile could enlighten anyone.

“I pity her,” Emilie mutters. “She died in such a young age.”

“But she’ll go to heaven soon, anyway. She was a good girl,” Sonia finally admits it.

Emilie chuckles. “Yeah, you right.”

“But still, I feel annoyed with that damsel in distress detective,” Sonia grumbles again.

“Hey, just chill, Sonia,” Emilie tries to calm her. “You don’t have to be afraid, if you’re not the culprit who murdered her.”

“Of course, I’m not,” Sonia mutters.

Then they see Illana just arrives at the porch, while bringing a bag fills with cookies.

“Hey, so I brought you two good homemade cookies. I try to bake like your mom, Sonia,” she says with a happy smile.

“Wow, surely, there will be a cold competition between you and my stepmom,” Sonia says and chuckles.

Emilie quickly opens the bag to taste the chocolate cookies, and it does taste good. Then she says, “Wow, this is yummy. You should enter yourself to a cooking competition, Illana.”

After Illana sits next to them, then she asks curiously, “So, what have you guys been talking about before I came?”

“Ugh, same old, same old,” Sonia mutters as she lets out a heavy sigh. “We were talking about the shitty work ethic of that detective.”

Illana narrows her gray eyes bewilderingly. “Detective Lee? What about him?”

“Sonia just feels agitated that Detective Lee keeps on suspecting her for Barbara’s murder case,” Emilie helps to explain.

“Oh, so, that’s the problem,” Illana chuckles. “We just have to wait for another info from him, I guess. See if he can find any clear evidence, besides that methanol poison.”

The three of them try to relax for a moment. They sit back, while enjoying the milk and cookies. It’s self-indulgency. They just want to enjoy this morning with a good feeling.

But then, their anxiety raises again once their phones start buzzing at the same time. It’s The Elite’s private group chat. Jazz sends them a photo.

“Oh, look, here you go,” Sonia mutters.

Emilie quickly zooms in the virtual invitation card to read about the official announcement of Barbara’s funeral event.

“Barbara’s funeral will be held by tomorrow morning,” Emilie informs them.

“Alright, then we will go,” Illana says, agreeably. “Prepare your black dress, girls.”

And the last thing, Sonia still has to mutter once again until she feels satisfied, “Yeah, let’s see if Detective Lee will also pay some respect tomorrow.”

*** *** ***

Wednesday, 07 March 2018.

At the public church, Barbara’s funeral, New York City.

Emilie, Sonia, and Illana sit down side to side on the wooden dark bench. They are paying their respect as they attend the funeral in this old church building.

But they have been sitting pretty restlessly since Barbara’s mom and dad sometimes glance suspiciously at them. It’s like Mister and Ms. Megan are thinking something bad about them. It’s as if they are the criminals here.

They thought it’s only Detective Lee that makes them nervous, but Barbara’s mom and dad also give them the anxiety attack. But it’s all just an assumption without a clear judgment.

Everyone pays a well respect for Barbara’s death. She deserves everyone’s love. Barbara was a good person. She will be missed.

Even Alec and Jazz keep staring down at their own shoes. They try to hide their tears, while the others are crying out loud for her.

“Barbara will be missed,” Emilie whispers.

Illana nods agreeably.

“Yeah, she will,” Sonia murmurs while her eyes keep looking alertly around the room.

Illana notices her odd stare. Then she asks, “What are you looking for?”

“Ugh, that stupid detective really comes here. Just see there, behind the pillars,” Sonia says as she points out her chin to him.

Emilie and Illana quickly follows her stare. And he is really standing there alone in the dark.

“He plays a good cop, bad cop,” Sonia mutters. “That’s not bad for a start.”

“He just wants to gain information. He probably will ask for Mister and Ms. Megan for an interview,” Illana says, suggesting an idea.

Sonia agrees and says, “Ah, right. He probably will do that after the funeral.”

As soon as the funeral has ended, everyone walks out from the church. Emilie, Sonia, and Illana separates their way from the others.

In front of the old church building, they are just walking down on the pavement road when Sheryl suddenly interrupt their way.

“Ugh, shoot! Go away, Beefy Girl,” Sonia snarls at her.

But Sheryl keeps avoiding them from walking away. She stands firmly with eyes are staring intensely at the three of them.

“What do you want, Sheryl?” Emilie asks in annoyance.

“Nothing, actually,” Sherly says as she rolls her eyes, just looking agitated about something.

“Then, back off now. You heard us,” Illana shouts sarcastically at her.

“You better mourn her properly, or her ghost will haunt you down tonight,” Sonia shouts, as she’s mimicking her original words from the other night on a group chat.

Sheryl chuckles in disbelief at her. Then she says, “That’s my words. I told you that last night. I just thought that you need to know, that you’re the one who have a lot of sins toward the baby poor girl that now is already ascended to heaven.”

“Just say it. What do you want?” Sonia confronts her. “Just don’t tell us, that you’re actually playing a victim of your own shit, but you’re actually the real cause behind her tragedy.”

Sheryl chuckles cynically again, while still crossing her arms in such a defensive way.

“Yeah, just admit it, Sheryl. If you know something, just say it,” Emilie adds. “Don’t be such a baby…”

“Ugh, she’s just afraid that the cops will kidnap her into jail,” Sonia teases her. “She’s probably the murderer herself who try to hide her dark alibi.”

This time, Sheryl holds her breath, while her fiery eyes look at them without blinking. And her lips close tightly as she slowly walks forward to confront them from closer.

She starts talking sharply to them, “Just because you think I’m the bad guy here, so you think I murdered her?” Sheryl grimaces anxiously for a second, then she talks again, emphasizing every word that comes out from her mouth, “I am everything, but a murderer.”

Her firm words haunt them so bad. They instantly stare at her in such a terror.

“And I know, one of you is a liar,” says Sheryl again with so much confident. “You tried to kill me, but ended up murdering Barbara instead. Such a shame, or should I say that it was a really bad collateral damage?”

In the end, Sonia can only mutter agitatedly alone, “You’re such a bitch, Sheryl.”

But Sheryl talks back daringly again, “A dark secret is never actually a secret. Because you can’t hide forever in this world. You just can’t run. Careful, girls.”

And just like that, she walks out with her last words that truly leave them feeling speechless and scare.