The next few days were a blur. Marissa didn’t have a lot of time for much outside of sleep or work. She reviewed every piece of evidence from both crime scenes and memorized each file as though maybe the next time she read through them, she would find something she had missed in the first hundred read-throughs. In reality, Marissa was avoiding socializing. She checked in with Tyler to ensure he had everything he needed to make the arrangements, but for the most part, she just tried to stay out of the way. Natalie arrived shortly after. She and Tyler had begun going through the packed-up boxes, trying to decide what to do with Allison’s things.
It was an adjustment for Marissa to suddenly be back on the job. Jackson had given her a desk and tiny office, a room she was pretty sure had been storage previously. But there was a window, at least. She looked through the crime scene photos, comparing both. Despite the fact there were two murders now, Marissa had interviewed the Mansera staff and had asked about disgruntled customers. They weren’t a whole lot of help. Rachel had the best memory of the regulars who had brought trouble and a few tourists who had lodged complaints with management against Allie. Although they were about the same age, Marissa and Rachel didn’t really know each other outside of the hotel. She was nice enough for a petite, busty redhead with a temper. Rachel had started working at the Mansera around the same time as Allie, eons ago as far as Marissa was concerned. Marissa decided to narrow in on the tourists since the local drunks all had solid alibis.
“So, like I said, it was a man and a woman. They were staying Thursday through Sunday, I think?” Rachel seemed to be questioning her own memory.
“I can get management to get me the records. Just tell me about the incident.”
Rachel nodded. “It was just a few days before Allie’s last day at work. So maybe a week ago? It was a couple. They sat at the bar. Ordered food. She got the halibut, and he got the sloppy ham sandwich.”
She must have seen Marissa’s eyebrow raise as she explained: “They were kind of on our radar upon arrival. The hotel staff had heard him pitching a fit over something earlier in the day, and he was just kind of a douchebag. He ordered her drink and food without asking her about it and then spent a good chunk of the time on the phone. It was while he was on the phone that Emma tripped coming back towards the bar and accidentally spilt a drink all over the girl. The girl was super chill and understanding, but the guy got off the phone and just went off on Emma. Allie came to Emma’s rescue and ended up kicking them out. He’s our newest one-star yelp review.”
“Thanks, Rachel. I’ll let you know if I’ve got any follow-up questions.”
“Of course. Don’t be a stranger.”
After getting the couple’s information from the front desk, Marissa wandered the castle-like hotel until she reached Allie’s on-call room. She had packed up all her things, ready to head for Seattle, so Marissa didn’t expect to find anything. Sure enough, the closets were bare, drawers were empty. Ellie huffed gently at her side, nudging her leg gently. The room had already been cleaned and was ready for new guests. With a heavy sigh, she closed the door and left the hotel. Being there without Allie just felt wrong. She would never be able to look at that building and not feel the weight of her loss.
Back at the station, it was time to meet with Simon Adams.
He was nothing more than a kid in his very early twenties. Marissa actually knew his family. Poor kid. This was his first job, a tour guide for the local ghost hunt. A job he had only started this season while he picked up some classes at the community college. He shook in his chair, sweating buckets, while Marissa asked him simple questions about how he got started with the ghost tour company.
“So, what can you tell me about the night you found Allison Drake?”
“Not much, ma’am.”
Marissa tried not to twitch as he called her ma’am, so she just nodded.
“Everything was going just fine. We had just left the Palace Hotel, and we were at the corner. I was talking about the Shanghai tunnels. And one of the men on the tour noticed her shoes. I called the police right away.”
Marissa sighed, seeing his story matched his statement from that night. And held nothing of real value. “Okay, then what?”
“Well, we took that Saturday off, and Grimes, our boss, was so pissed because—” He paused for emphasis as though it were necessary. “It’s Halloween, you know. But the cops didn’t want us coming in and out of their crime scene.”
“Right.” She blinked, watching him awkwardly messing with his hair repeatedly as he leaned forward on the table.
“Well, it was the second tour of the night. The first one was uneventful. Everything was completely normal.” He shuddered where he sat. “But as people started to gather for the last one, I was sitting on the front of the fountain, waiting like I always do. But as folks started gathering, a woman was circling the fountain and just let out this unreal scream. I’ve never heard anyone scream like that before. Cindy was just lying there.”
“Just lying there.” Marissa sighed.
“With her eyes wide open, not moving.”
Marissa nodded. There was nothing about the crime scenes that really matched, with the exception of both spots being along the ghost tour. It seemed too big to be a coincidence, but then, even the cause of death may not have matched. They were still waiting on Cindy’s autopsy to come through.
For the most part, Cindy’s death had been kept under wraps for the moment. The people who were on the tour, except for Simon, were all tourists. Since it had been in the early morning hours before the town had awoken, it had been easier to keep quiet. The hope was to keep the townspeople at ease, but Allison’s death on its own had made people nervous. They had multiple calls a day regarding suspicious behavior and tips people thought might be relevant. The tension was hard to miss. Marissa didn’t bother attending the first press conference Jackson had held. She hated those things. And it only served to feed the unrest that was already brewing.
Allie’s funeral was set for a Friday. It was a much bigger event for a small town than most people were prepared for, but Allison had made a lot of friends in her short lifetime. Marissa sat up front with Tyler and Natalie, both staying close to support him. She felt like she watched the entire experience from somewhere else, almost like watching a movie rather than living it. Tyler made it through his eulogy. Natalie couldn’t go through with getting up in front of everybody, and Marissa cut her own short, overwhelmed with grief. Seeing how many people showed up, loved her, was too intense for Marissa.
At the cemetery, Melanie took care of Tyler with Brian’s help, allowing Marissa and Natalie to have a moment to themselves. Marissa stood far off to the side, trying to stay out of the way, allowing everyone to give their condolences. She didn’t want to overstep what Tyler and Natalie needed, and she also needed some space.
Leaning up against the tree, she watched as people said their final goodbyes with Ellie right by her side. There was a good chance Allison’s killer was someone who knew her. From her spot against the tree, Marissa had a good view of all in attendance. Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for anyone she didn’t recognize. She landed on her own family. Her mom stood with Mel, Brian, and Tyler; Brian’s parents had been kind enough to take the girls for the day. It was going to be too much and too long for them. Jared was standing by them, his new girlfriend on his arm. He must have felt her watching because he looked over in her direction, their eyes locking in a moment. Swallowing, she continued scanning through the group. Natalie was clustered with her own family and her own friends. She was tall, standing over most of her friends, and stunning even in grief, dark-skinned with dark black hair beneath a hat. Tightening her grip on her arms, she shifted her feet and looked down at the ground.
Once the cemetery cleared, Marissa walked to the place where her friend was laid to rest. “I’m sorry, Allie,” she whispered. The last few days, she had been plagued with thoughts of what Allison’s final moments must have been like. She was in the rare position where she could imagine the kind of fear Allie must have felt. Every time this week she had tried to think of Allison, it was the first place her mind went to. Covering her face, she let go of the tears that she had been keeping to herself throughout the day. Ellie leaned against her, nudging her gently with her nose.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she left the cemetery, but Marissa made sure to finish her flask before she joined everyone in the hall. She didn’t plan to stick around, but she wanted to check in and make sure Tyler was doing okay. As she walked through the doors, though, Natalie tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hey, can I just talk to you for a quick minute?”
“Of course.” Marissa rubbed her eye, hoping she had managed to regain some bit of composure.
“I was wondering…” Natalie glanced around anxiously before looking Marissa in the eyes. The fear in Natalie’s eyes immediately sobered her up. “Do you think you could come out next weekend? There is something I’d really love to talk to you about. But I don’t want to do it here. And I’m spending the week in Portland with my sister to just get away.”
Marissa blinked and went to answer, but Natalie gave her a hug. Even with everything going on, Marissa wasn’t sure she would have considered them close enough to hug. She hadn’t been Marissa’s least favorite of Allison’s exes, but they had never been friends either. Still, as Natalie whispered in her ear, she understood. “I think we’re being watched here.”
Nodding, she hugged her back. “Of course. Does Saturday work?”
Natalie nodded. “Thank you so much. For everything.”
“Of course.” Marissa gave her a small smile. “I’m going to go check in on Tyler, then I think I’m going to head home. But I’ll see you next weekend.”
“Okay.” Natalie gave her a smile before someone walked up to offer their condolences to her.
Marissa looked around, an involuntary shudder coursing through her. She knew for a fact she was being watched. But Marissa knew that wasn’t what Natalie was referring to. She found Tyler easy enough and was able to keep almost six feet between her and Jared as she gave Tyler a hug.
“Thank you for everything, Marissa. I couldn’t have gotten through this without you and Mel and Nat.” They stood together for a moment, looking out at everyone sharing stories and memories together.
“When do you have to leave?”
“Later today. I need to get back down for work.” He sighed heavily, and she shook her head.
Marissa gave him a small smile. “You’ll have to come to visit again. Please. Don’t be a stranger.”
“Of course not.” He paused, looking down at his water. “I have one more favor to ask of you.”
Marissa turned to look at him. “Anything.”
“I can’t have pets in my apartment. I talked to Natalie about taking Wicket, but she’s already seven years old. She doesn’t really know Natalie. Would you consider taking her?”
She was surprised by the tears that welled back up in her eyes. “Of course.” She needed to leave, or she was going to entirely fall apart. She gave him a big hug as they said their goodbyes, and she all but ran home.
It wasn’t until she was behind her door with it locked behind her that she fell to the floor and openly sobbed, letting herself be vulnerable. She had begun to feel less and less safe falling apart outside these walls. She made her way to the couch, setting her phone to wake her up before it got too late so she could go get Wicket. She just needed to sleep first.
She didn’t get to sleep as long as she’d hoped, though. Her phone startled her awake as Melanie called.
“Hey. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. You left pretty early. Mom was really worried.”
“Yeah.” Marissa rubbed her eyes without bothering to sit up. “I just … I just needed some space.”
Mel was quiet for a moment on the other line. “Did you want to come over for dinner? You really shouldn’t have to be alone right now.”
Sighing, she shook her head to no one in the darkness of her living room. “No but thank you. I really do appreciate it. I think I’m just going to call it an early night.”
“Are you sure?” She heard her sister’s concern, and for a moment, she almost changed her mind. Then she remembered her ex-husband and his new girlfriend were also probably there. Today had been plenty without needing to add any of that drama. “I’m positive. But we’ll have lunch soon. Promise.”
“Okay.” Mel sounded defeated, but she accepted it nonetheless. “I love you, big sis.”
“Love you too, baby sis.”
Once she hung up with Mel, she sat in the dark for at least another fifteen minutes, leaning on the back of her couch, trying to convince herself this was real life. She had never considered what life would be without Allison. There was an emptiness that ached so bad that she felt it from her toes to her fingers. Marissa knew she needed to stay grounded, digging her index fingers into her thumbnails with as much force as she could muster.
She changed from her funeral clothes into pajamas, throwing her hair up to keep it out of her face. She didn’t even bother leashing up Ellie and just had the shepherd meet her at the car. Since moving back home, she barely drove her mini anywhere. It wasn’t even necessary now, but she figured she could grab all of Wicket’s stuff in one go.
It didn’t take long to get the cat’s stuff together; Tyler had packed it all up and got it ready for Marissa to grab. All she had to do was put Wicket in the carrier. The cat voiced her complaints from the moment the carrier door closed to the moment Marissa got home. Marissa left most of the stuff in the car, grabbing the cat bed and food for the night. She would get the rest in the morning. Although the big gray cat seemed unsure about her new surroundings, she settled on the bed next to Marissa’s head while Ellie slept along her legs. At least they all had each other.