Slowly, Melissa tried to get back into a routine. Rising early, showering, getting dressed. She shoved all her boxes back into her closet and set to cleaning her apartment. Still, it was another week before she returned to work. Arriving early, she hoped to slip in unnoticed but was unsuccessful.
"Melissa!" Chief exclaimed, "You're back!"
"Hello, Chief," she smiled weakly.
"How are you feeling?"
"Eh, I wanna get back to normal,"
"There's a case waiting on your desk but I'm not sure about it,"
"They want me to find the rest of Carmen's early thefts," Melissa shrugged, "Fine,"
As much as she loved her job it was a long, tedious process to crack a years-old case. Going through existing evidence, reading witness testimonies if there were any Melissa was certain her eyes had crossed when she stood to go on lunch. Venturing to the outside world to make a cafe run.
"Melissa!"
"Hey, Ivy, Zack," she waved, "I'm going to get lunch, be back shortly,"
"Okay,"
…...
Finally, she's gone! If his plan was going to work Chance needed Melissa to be gone. After she had gone upstairs he snuck into her office with a sadistic smile. Three weeks of planning, watching, waiting had come to this.
"Goodbye, sis," he whispered leaving the coffee behind.
…...
An hour later, Zack and Ivy popped into Melissa's office to see how she was doing only to find her locked in the only bathroom close to her office, sick as a dog.
"What did I eat?" she moaned as Ivy kicked the door in.
"Let's get you to the hospital," Ivy declared.
Mere minutes later Melissa was surrounded by doctors and hooked to several machines.
"Well?" Ivy inquired.
"Arsenic poisoning,"
"Poisoning?"
"Yes, but she was lucky, you got her here quickly enough for us to treat it,"
"How was she poisoned?"
"It seems she ingested it, a lot of it," said the second doctor, "We're getting it out of her system,"
"Does Melissa have any enemies? Anyone who'd want her dead?"
"Not that we know of," Zack said.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"Only time will tell,"
…...
Carmen was fuming. Chance had hijacked the plane and managed to disable the tracker and GPS system. For someone that wasn't doing well in his studies, he knew machines well. As for what he was doing, Carmen couldn't tell just yet. For now, she booked it to the hospital. Eavesdropping on Acme she learned of the poisoning. Arriving in disguise, she ducked inside, located Avalon's room and went inside.
Avalon was sleeping, hooked to an IV, pale against the sheets. After some thought, Carmen shook her awake.
"What do you want?"
"I heard you were sick," Carmen said gently.
"And? You were absent for twenty years, why care now?"
"I never stopped looking, never stopped caring and I'm here now. You may not like it but I want to be your mother now. To take care of you,"
"I don't need to be taken care of,"
"No, not in the traditional sense," Carmen agreed, "But everyone needs help once in a while.
"The only thing I need is to go home to my dog,"
"Freeze, Carmen,"
Zack and Ivy stood behind them.
"I'm only here to visit, Avalon, Zack"
"You're still wanted, Carmen," Ivy retorted, grinning happily. There was nowhere for Carmen to go.
"That's not going to stop me from visiting,"
"No, but these might," Zack declared holding up a pair of handcuffs.
"You just happened to have those on you?" Melissa asked dumbfounded.
"I like to keep 'em handy"
This moment of distraction was all Carmen needed to get away.
…...
Home now.
My life continues to slide downhill.
Someone wants me DEAD. D-E-A-D. I have no idea why just like the Chief has no idea who poisoned me. Zack and Ivy have taken it on as their unofficial case. We know how I was poisoned, the coffee. I honestly didn't think anything of it, Chief sends people to make sure I eat. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for chocolate-flavored coffee. Lucky for me, the poison was still in my stomach which meant they pumped it out.
Now, I watch my back.
Can you say always locked with a security camera?
This whole ordeal landed me in counseling!
AGAIN!
When will this cruel roller-coaster ride be over?
Shutting, her journal Melissa put it aside and turned her attention back to the banker's box on her coffee table. There were emails to be written and, papers to be filed and requests to be sent but Melissa couldn't bring herself to move.
"Oreo?"
Her closest companion barked curiously.
"Can you hit play?"
Smart dog! She grinned to herself as he smacked play on the CD player with his nose.
Such a simple act had taken months to teach but it was worth it as the Kacey Musgraves album began to play. Far gentler music than that of the Hex Girls it helped to her focus and keep her on good terms with her neighbors.
Come on, get back to work!
The knocking on her door prevented that, however.
With a sigh she stood, smoothing the non-existent wrinkles out of her clothes before answering the door.
Finding Carmen on the other side.
"What are you doing here?"
"I want to help," Carmen replied.
"With what?"
"Finding whoever wants you dead,"
"Go talk to Zack and Ivy then," Melissa deadpanned, "I have my own case,"
Carmen remained where she was, "You and I both know I'm not going anywhere,"
Rolling her eyes she opened the door, "Come in,"
No sooner had Carmen entered a gun was fired into the apartment narrowly missing them both.
Short I know! Oh well, I'm trying to avoid carbon-copy, beating a dead horse territory here. Review!
