Chapter 6: Déjà Vu
It was 4:00 in the morning when Anna's cell phone began to ring. She rolled over in bed and picked it up, seeing that it was Kristoff. "Kristoff, it's four in the damn morning," Anna groaned.
"Sorry, Anna," Kristoff replied. "We just got a call. Chloe Price is dead. She fell from a window in her office. And guess what they found pinned to her shirt?"
Anna was silent for a moment as she realised what had happened. "A white rose."
"Bingo. Come to the TV station as soon as you can."
Anna quickly got dressed and headed to the TV station to meet up with Kristoff. When she arrived, he was waiting for her just inside the police tape. "Hans got here just now," he explained. "He's checking over the body."
Anna looked over his shoulder to see Hans stood over Chloe's body. "When did this happen?"
"It's hard to tell," the doctor replied, kneeling down. "One thing I can tell you, though, is that these stab wounds look to have been inflicted premortem. It's likely this poor woman was dead before she hit the ground."
Anna's eyes filled with rage slightly. "She did this to herself, but not by choice," she stated. "She told me her boss told her to put out the story."
"It's true," a voice yelled. Anna turned to see a burly man in faded coveralls standing behind the police tape. "My name's Kronk. I'm one of the janitors. I heard Mr. Hansen tell her to put the story on the morning news."
"Were you here when Chloe was murdered?" Anna asked.
"Yeah, I was," he answered. "I'm the one who called you guys. I was cleaning on the tenth floor, and I heard glass breaking. I went to check it out, and the window was busted. Looked out, and there she was." He pointed to the body.
"Did you see the killer?"
"Nope. Sorry. You might wanna check the security cams, though."
"Alright, show me there," Anna requested. "Come on, Kristoff!"
The janitor led the detectives to the security room. "I'm not sure how this stuff works."
"Don't worry, Kristoff here used to be a security guard before he became a cop," Anna explained.
"Yeah," Kristoff said. "This is the same system they had back at KreiTech. I can make it work."
"Alright, try bringing up the footage from Chloe's office."
Kristoff clicked the mouse to pull up the camera feed from the tenth floor. On one screen, Kronk was cleaning, just as he'd said. On another screen, a figure in a dark hooded jacket and baggy jeans entered Chloe's office. After about two minutes, the figure strode out of the office, heading towards the stairs. Soon after, Kronk entered the office.
"Is that it?" Anna wondered. "Shouldn't there be a camera in her actual office?"
"It looks like there is. Hang on." Kristoff clicked the mouse again, and the screen showed the interior of Chloe's office. The detectives watched as the murder played out silently before them.
Anna watched in horror as the figure brutally stabbed Chloe to death, the hood obscuring the figure's face. "That is insane."
Kronk looked like he might throw up. "Good God."
"We'll take this back to the station. Have forensics take a look at it."
Kristoff ejected the security tape. "Let's head back to the precinct."
"No, I've got something else that needs taking care of," Anna told him. "Someone has to tell her wife about this. I think it should be me."
"Fair enough. Get her address."
"I will."
xXx
Later that morning, Anna arrived at the quiet suburban house that was at the address she had found. She walked up and knocked on the door, taking a deep breath. "C'mon Anna, you're doing a good thing by doing this. Keep it together."
The woman from the picture on Chloe's desk answered the door. "Can I help you?"
"Are you Max Caulfield-Price? Wife of Chloe Price?"
She nodded. "Yeah, that's me."
Anna sighed. "I'm Detective Ellis, from Mirror Falls P.D. I have to talk to you about your wife. Something happened to her last night."
"What happened to her?"
"Miss Caulfield…we have evidence to show that your wife was murdered by a known serial killer."
"Oh God…." Her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm so sorry about this." Anna comforted her. "I want you to know that we won't stop until the killer is brought to justice."
Max took a deep breath. "Chloe was my rock. I don't know what I'm going to do without her."
Anna felt depressed. She was in the same position her uncle David had been all those years ago, telling her that her father had been killed.
Max sighed. "Thank you for telling me, Detective."
"I hope things get better for you," Anna told her.
Max closed the door. Anna could hear her crying on the other side.
As Anna got back in her car, she leaned her forehead on the steering wheel and sighed, breathing slowly. Her phone buzzed; Kristoff had texted her.
Kristoff: Hey. Might have a lead on the WRK. Ferb looked at the security tape. Thinks he can figure out what the weapon is.
Anna then quickly texted back.
Anna: Kristoff, I need to be alone right now.
Kristoff: K. Call if you need me.
Anna turned off the phone and put it in her pocket. She needed to blow off some steam, and she knew just the place to do it.
xXx
A few hours later. Anna was in the local gym, her strawberry-blonde hair in a ponytail and wearing a women's athletic outfit with a sports bra and fingerless boxing gloves. She was currently jabbing a punch bag, letting out her frustration and anger. With every jab Anna made, she imagined her fist smacking the White Rose Killer in the face with full force. Each punch was a different strike on the face; from the side, in the teeth, it didn't matter.
Before long, she heard a familiar voice ask, "Anna?" She looked over to see Elsa standing nearby, wearing black leggings, a white tank top, and gray jogging shoes. Her hands were wrapped in athletic tape.
"Elsa? What are you doing here?"
"Working out. Just trying to stay in shape, you know?"
"You come here often?"
"Once or twice a week, sometimes more. Depends on how I'm feeling."
"Well, I'm not feeling great right now," Anna admitted, returning to make a few jabs at her bag, watching the leather object rock back and forth from her blows.
"Being a cop must be pretty stressful."
Anna sighed. "Sister, you have no idea."
Elsa watched as Anna pounded the leather bag mercilessly. "Whoa. Someone must've pissed you off something fierce."
Anna nodded. "You hold the bag for me, and I'll tell you all about it."
Elsa moved behind the bag, holding it with both hands.
Anna began to punch again. "We've been chasing down this killer for the past week or two now. They're some nutjob who kills random people and leaves roses on their bodies after they kill them."
"Oh, yeah, I saw it on the news. They're calling him the White Rose Killer."
"Well, last night they decided to kill the poor girl who reported that news," Anna explained, "and then tossed her out of a window for the fun of it."
"That's fucked up."
Anna nodded as she punched. "I had to break the news to the girl's wife this morning."
"Must've sucked."
"It did. That's why I'm here, trying to let it all out."
"Any idea why he killed all those people?"
Anna shook her head. "Not a damn clue. It makes my fucking blood boil, Elsa."
"I can imagine."
"Every time a new body ends up in the morgue, a part of me just feels so helpless. Like I can't do anything to stop this monster killing random people; like I've failed my city."
"You'll get him. I know you will."
Anna stopped punching and panted. "I'm gonna go hit the showers. Care to join me?"
Elsa shrugged. "I guess so. I'm not doing anything else."
Anna smiled. "Thanks."
The two young women went to the showers and stripped naked, letting themselves be bathed in the water. "God, this feels so good!" Anna sighed in content. "Shame my apartment shower is so fucked it makes the water run cold even when I set it to warm."
Elsa smiled. "Yeah, I can relate. My old place had a problem with the water heater."
Anna rubbed the shampoo over her soft freckly skin, getting herself nice and clean. Elsa watched Anna washing herself, blushing.
Anna then noticed Elsa's blushing. "Elsa? are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," the blonde replied. "I'm fine. I've…never showered with another woman before."
Anna giggled and kissed Elsa's cheek. "First time for everything, sweetheart."
"I guess so."
The two women looked into each other's eyes, Anna feeling a spark between them again.
Elsa looked away, still nervous.
Anna gently puckered her lips towards Elsa's, silently telling her that there was nothing to be worried about.
Elsa closed her eyes, her lips touching Anna's.
Their lips joined in a passionate kiss and Anna held Elsa close, the two women sharing a tender moment together.
xXx
Author's note: And so happens an Elsanna scene i've been wanting to write for a long time, smooching in the gym shower.
See ya next time! ^^
