Picking up the pieces once again following Daniel's disbarrment and trial was difficult, but it was necessary. The apartment was a mess, the boxes had still yet to be unpacked since Jen and Riley moved in. With one crisis after another, Hudson and Julie's deaths, Daniel's trial, a new serial killer on the loose, there hadn't been much time to do anything. Nobody had really been in their right mind to operate.
Jen watched as Riley silently took a seat in their living room. She wanted to say something, anything, to make him feel better, but was afraid of making things worse. She took a seat beside him, leaving space and not saying a word. "Do you want to talk?" Jen finally spoke. She faced forward.
"Not... really" Riley managed to spit out.
Jen took a deep breath and couldn't help but wonder if Riley blamed her. If he blamed her for his father's going to jail. If she really had killed Paul, maybe Daniel wouldn't have had to. And maybe things would be different now. She couldn't keep herself from thinking that.
"Riley..." Jen said softly again. "I'm sorry."
Riley shook his head. "My father's a murderer. He killed... he killed Paul Cramer. He tried to blame it on you and you would have gone to jail..."
"But I didn't," Jen said. "I didn't, I'm still here." There was silence again. Riley got to his feet and grabbed his coat. "Riley... Riley, where are you..."
"For some air. I'm going for some air."
"Riley..." Jen said standing also.
"Alone." he snapped. "By myself, Jen, OK."
Jen froze and they were both still for a moment before Riley turned and headed out the door. He was hurt, she knew, but she wished he would let her in. She wished he wouldn't shut her out. And she wished that he wouldn't blame her for what happened.
Jen crossed back over to the couch, taking a seat and reaching for the phone. She didn't know if it would help or hurt at this point, but she dialed. At least she might be able to get some answers.
>>>>>>
The cottage was pretty empty now. Julie and Hudson were gone, Nick had moved out, Jen and Riley were living together, she had no idea what had become of Shannon. At least Marcie still had Mark around to share the cottage with, but at that moment, even he had gone out. She was alone. Alone, and bored. She walked aimlessly around the seemingly abandoned house, still remembering the mayhem that ensued there, imagining how it might be if the eight members of the Love Crew were all still here. Julie and Shannon getting on eachother's backs about the low fat yogurt that had been sitting in the fridge so long that it had become fair game and Hudson playing peacemaker. Nick giving Mark a hard time, just to turn around an hour later to joke around with him. She could hear Riley's music playing from the bedroom upstairs that he shared with Jen.
But that music probably wasn't playing now. She had heard the news. It was national. Daniel Colson arrested for the murder of Paul Cramer. She didn't know the details, Riley didn't talk about it. Jen hadn't seen anyone. Marcie knew she blamed herself. She had left a few messages on Jen's cellphone, but Marcie never got a call back. She understood though. With Jen, everything had to happen in time. And when that time came, Marcie would be there for her best friend.
Circling back into the main room of the cottage, Marcie went to sit down at the table. A copy of The Killing Club lay in front of her. She had been so proud of it, of what she accomplished with it, but now it was nothing but a curse. A code for murder. The murders of Julie and Hudson, murders that never would have happened if she hadn't written that book. She didn't want to look at it, but she couldn't put it away. It was her reminder. A reminder that a killer was on the loose and that anyone could be next.
Marcie gently ran the tips of her fingers over the cover of the book as a set of keys jingled in the door. She jumped, but then realized that it was probably just Mark, coming back.
"That was fast," Marcie said as the door began to swing open. I thought you were going to swim..." She stopped. It wasn't Mark at all. "Nick" she said.
He looked terrible, disheveled, ragged. Julie's death had hit him hard. Harder than anyone and Marcie understood. She knew what it was like to lose somebody who you loved more than life. And she understood what it felt like to want to die if you could only bring that person back. Nick had that exact look.
"I hope I didn't scare you," Nick said stepping inside. "I was walking by and..."
"No," Marcie said "No, come in. Sit. I just thought you were Mark for a second. You need to talk?"
Nick ran his hand over his face. "I just... Marcie I..." he was emotionally broken. "I can't do this anymore."
