"What exactly are we doing here?" Kathy asked as she parked her car in the lot outside the crematorium. "On the phone, you said you had business to attend to, but Aria, I don't understand what sort of business you have all the way here in Stone Ville."

The said woman sighed. She didn't want to worry Kathy with her theories, nor did Aria want her sister to judge her, but she did owe her an explanation for driving her to the mountains.

"I just have a few questions I need to ask the Funeral Director regarding Mr. Webster."

Kathy raised a brow. She was sure that Aria had been suspended for a week; she also knew that her sister was lying. Sighing in annoyance, Kathy shook her head.

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me, but I hope you know what you are doing."

Aria didn't, but she was thankful that her sister had her back.

"Thank you," she uttered. "Once I get the answers I'm looking for, I swear I will fill you in on everything."

"You'd best," Kathy retorted.

Aria excused herself from the car and walked towards the parlor. The parking lot was mostly empty; a white Lincoln Town car sat near the entrance door, so she assumed someone was inside. Walking in, Aria took a brief look around, but no one was there. Where was the director? She tried their office, but again, no such luck.

"Excuse me," Aria exclaimed. "The front door was open, so I just came in."

She heard a sudden noise; the sound of an alarm going off and followed it downstairs. Ending up in the basement, Aria immediately noted the temperature change. It was much cooler in the parlor. She located the source of the noise, a cremator in action, and stood in front of it. Through the spyhole, she could see flames eating away at a coffin as an unnamed body was disintegrated. How sad.

A sudden fake cough made her jump, and Aria turned to see a younger man behind her, wearing a suit.

"Are you here for the procession, ma'am? I have to admit, I wasn't expectin' anyone to come," he said.

Aria raised a brow. She wondered why.

"Um … no actually I came to speak to the Funeral Director. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's no problem," the male retorted. "Unfortunately my momma ain't in right now, but I can have her call you once she arrives."

Aria hummed in misfortune. She had no idea when the said woman would be in and she was sure the Funeral Director was the same person she spoke to on the phone the previous day. Her stomach was in knots; the entire trip was a bust.

"No, it's fine. I can come back another time, but I appreciate it," she uttered.

Turning towards the cremator again, Aria sighed.

"It's a shame. No one should have to go out alone."

"I see it too much 'round here," the young man mentioned. "People from the mountains are brought in and no one comes to see them off."

Aria widened her eyes. Did he mean the attack victims?

"All of them?"

"Since 1993, yeah. And not all of them are animal attacks," he answered.

Snaping his fingers, the young man cleared his throat.

"You know what I heard? Them murders didn't start happening until the old hospital shut down. Do you know the one?"

"Yeah," Aria answered.

She had transferred a year before the mentioned hospital was closed down, following a rumor that the hospital director, Al Lester was pocketing money that was meant to go towards repairs and the expenses got too much for him to handle. But Aria didn't hear anything about a murder.

"What do the murders have to do with the hospital?" Aria asked.

"You see, there is this journalist who did a story on the disappearance of her friend, and she believed there was a conspiracy going on at the hospital that led to his death," the male answered.

How did Aria not know about this?

"What is the journalist's name?"

"Alyssa something," he answered. "I first heard about her articles from Ben Bertolucci. He came here askin' questions but Mama sent him away."

Aria grinned. Perfect.

"Listen, I have to go, but I appreciate the information. You have been more than helpful."

"Joseph," he mentioned. "My name is Joseph."

Aria gave him a nod.

"Thank you, Joseph."

She tossed him a wave and rushed from the funeral home back out to the car. Kathy turned the radio down as she got in and raised a brow.

"How did it go?"

"It went great," Aria answered. "I need to get home and look up a few more leads, but I think I am on the right track."

Kathy was happy for her, but at the same time, she was worried. She had no idea what her sister was trying to uncover, or that she had opened a can of worms that could never be resealed. Kathy knew that she should have urged Aria to stop but instead, she turned the radio up and tore out of the parking lot, heading back to Raccoon City.

Perhaps she should involve Albert.

Aria got home long before her husband did. She said goodbye to Kathy and watched her drive away before she reentered the house. Paying no mind to her growling stomach, she went to the bedroom and booted up her computer. There had to be something online about Bertolucci; perhaps an article or his number. Aria wanted to learn more about Alyssa but without the last name, she wasn't certain she'd be able to find her.

There were so many questions she needed answers to, but once she tried to go onto the internet the connection failed. Aria raised a brow and tried again, but to no avail. Was the internet out? Perhaps she forgot to pay it.

Of all the times.

Aria bounced her leg as she tried to think of a solution. Every idea she had required her to go into town and it was much too late to visit the library. What should she do? An idea came to mind and she retrieved her phone from her pocket, messaging Jill. The said woman insisted she save her number the night Barry got so drunk at the bar during one of their outings that Aria had to meet her in town and take him home. She was the team's DD on occasion, but she never messaged them for any reason other than that.

"Sorry to bother you at work, but can you do me a small favor," Aria said out loud as she typed the message.

She explained that she was without internet and that she was looking for any information on Ben Bertolucci. Her reason for doing so was a lie, but Jill didn't need to know that. Once the message was sent, Aria hummed in annoyance. She sent a separate message asking her to forward any information she learned to her email.

"And please don't tell Albert. If he knew I was a fan he'd only pester me about it," she concluded.

And send.

Speaking of which, Aria sent a text to her husband as well asking if he knew why the internet was out. She was still upset with him, but there was no way to avoid talking to him. Aria even felt a bit guilty that she forced him to sleep on the couch the previous night. It annoyed her how easy it was to forgive him; she truly did love the man despite his callous demeanor with certain situations. He was blunt and Aria could not blame him for it.

A chime alerted her that she had a new message. It was from Albert and what it said made her blood boil in anger.

I had it disconnected until you get better. Sorry.

Until she got better! Aria tossed her phone to the floor with a curse. Warm tears stung her eyes as she tried to contain the urge to cry. Why was he treating her like she was insane?

I am not sick.

The past few weeks came rushing back to her. Albert was right to assume to murders had affected her. They had. Aria was scared to death of what had rocked their flourishing city. Her eyes widened as tears leaked down her cheeks.

Am I losing my mind?

Fear of the unknown had devoured her.