Chapter 5
Meryl was walking towards the station in her usual fast stride. Milly was walking behind her, trying to catch up.
"Meryl! You're going too fast!"
Meryl sighed quietly, and slowed down. Milly was so pleasant, and so was everything about her. She knew she was going to be late for their conference, but decided to take things slowly for once.
But when they got to the station, the insurance girls saw a gruesome sight. The sheriff's body was leaned against the wall, laying in a puddle of blood. His eyes were completely white, staring blankly up at the ceiling. There were two bullets shot into him, one in his chest, and the other in his forehead. Milly gasped, and Meryl just bit her lip.
"Let's go Milly. We'd better tell the other two about this."
Milly nodded, and followed Meryl obediently back to the inn. Meryl knew Milly was frightened. She was, too. But Meryl didn't let fear be written all across her face; she wasn't a woman who would show her emotions that easily.
When they arrived back at the inn, Wolfwood and Vash were awake, eating. Vash looked at the two curiously as he stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth.
"What happened, insurance girls?"
Meryl plopped herself on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.
"The sheriff's been shot, Vash. He's dead. We might have a serial killer running loose in the town."
Vash instantly wore a serious look upon his face. Wolfwood patted Milly on the back, who was basically petrified at the sight of the sheriff.
Meryl continued to look at the ceiling, emotions carefully hidden. She wanted to cry out, to let the tears flow, and to panic, even. Fear, she felt. But her 'strong woman identity' didn't allow it for her to show that vulnerability to Vash, Wolfwood, or Milly.
'I've got another insurance report to type.'
While Wolfwood was busy comforting Milly, Vash looked over at Meryl. She was staring at the ceiling, her eyes focused yet somehow unfocused. Her eyes looked exactly like the picture of her in the highschool album.
'So I guess the girl in the picture is really her.'
Vash sat next to Meryl, looking at her curiously.
'By now, girls would be freaking out if they saw someone dead.like Milly. Wonder why Meryl's not freaking out.'
He nudged her slightly, causing her eyes to become instantly alert.
"Oh hi Vash."
"You okay Meryl? You're not acting exactly like yourself, you know."
Meryl chuckled slightly, blinking her tired eyes. When did Vash become an expert on her?
"I'm fine, Vash. Just a little tired, that's all."
Vash nodded. He knew that Meryl was frightened. He knew that Meryl wanted cry out freely like Milly. But he knew that Meryl had hidden her emotions from everybody. So he said nothing.
Ignoring Vash's concerned face, Meryl stood up and put a blank sheet of paper in her typewriter. She sat down, and started to tap the keys of her typewriter. Milly continued to cry softly, Wolfwood continued to comfort her, and Vash continued to look at her. Outside, dark clouds started to cover the sun. The day started horrible, and it was about to end horribly.
Meryl was walking towards the station in her usual fast stride. Milly was walking behind her, trying to catch up.
"Meryl! You're going too fast!"
Meryl sighed quietly, and slowed down. Milly was so pleasant, and so was everything about her. She knew she was going to be late for their conference, but decided to take things slowly for once.
But when they got to the station, the insurance girls saw a gruesome sight. The sheriff's body was leaned against the wall, laying in a puddle of blood. His eyes were completely white, staring blankly up at the ceiling. There were two bullets shot into him, one in his chest, and the other in his forehead. Milly gasped, and Meryl just bit her lip.
"Let's go Milly. We'd better tell the other two about this."
Milly nodded, and followed Meryl obediently back to the inn. Meryl knew Milly was frightened. She was, too. But Meryl didn't let fear be written all across her face; she wasn't a woman who would show her emotions that easily.
When they arrived back at the inn, Wolfwood and Vash were awake, eating. Vash looked at the two curiously as he stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth.
"What happened, insurance girls?"
Meryl plopped herself on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.
"The sheriff's been shot, Vash. He's dead. We might have a serial killer running loose in the town."
Vash instantly wore a serious look upon his face. Wolfwood patted Milly on the back, who was basically petrified at the sight of the sheriff.
Meryl continued to look at the ceiling, emotions carefully hidden. She wanted to cry out, to let the tears flow, and to panic, even. Fear, she felt. But her 'strong woman identity' didn't allow it for her to show that vulnerability to Vash, Wolfwood, or Milly.
'I've got another insurance report to type.'
While Wolfwood was busy comforting Milly, Vash looked over at Meryl. She was staring at the ceiling, her eyes focused yet somehow unfocused. Her eyes looked exactly like the picture of her in the highschool album.
'So I guess the girl in the picture is really her.'
Vash sat next to Meryl, looking at her curiously.
'By now, girls would be freaking out if they saw someone dead.like Milly. Wonder why Meryl's not freaking out.'
He nudged her slightly, causing her eyes to become instantly alert.
"Oh hi Vash."
"You okay Meryl? You're not acting exactly like yourself, you know."
Meryl chuckled slightly, blinking her tired eyes. When did Vash become an expert on her?
"I'm fine, Vash. Just a little tired, that's all."
Vash nodded. He knew that Meryl was frightened. He knew that Meryl wanted cry out freely like Milly. But he knew that Meryl had hidden her emotions from everybody. So he said nothing.
Ignoring Vash's concerned face, Meryl stood up and put a blank sheet of paper in her typewriter. She sat down, and started to tap the keys of her typewriter. Milly continued to cry softly, Wolfwood continued to comfort her, and Vash continued to look at her. Outside, dark clouds started to cover the sun. The day started horrible, and it was about to end horribly.