CHAPTER 23
The next day, Alfred told her the news about Vash.
He'd committed suicide with a bottle of cyanide the night that they had gone to see Vanessa's family. Guilt churned in Alice's stomach. She didn't even get to tell him that he had been proven innocent by the fact that he was in jail at the time of Vanessa's murder. Isabelle, Olivia, Vanessa, and now Vash. Four innocent people were dead because Alice was too damn slow to save them.
On her desk, a yellow, torn piece of parchment paper lay.
Alice's hand shook as she picked it up. It was in German. The fucking bastard.
She stormed out of her office, elbowing people out of her way and muttering a long string of curses. She could care less about the whispers. Alice had a job to do, and she'd be damned if she didn't see a serial killer behind bars before the end of the month.
"Alfred, where's my bike?" She yelled, crashing into his office.
"Aack!" The American yelped in surprise, jumping back and falling down onto the floor. Served him right. "What the hell, dudette?"
"My bike." was all she said.
He huffed at her. "It just got fixed. Do you seriously have to wreck it? Again."
Alice had broken her bike just before this new, poet serial killer case had happened. They had had a case about some business doing dirty things on the inside, and they couldn't manage to prove that their suspect was guilty, and was just about to get away. Then, Alice crashed the courtroom, carrying the evidence. Literally.
"It's my bike. And besides, my bosses pay for it." Alice waved her hand nonchalantly.
He rolled his eyes at her. "It's in the usual spot."
XXX
The silver and golden bars gleamed in the light, shiny like new.
The black leather material, and the tires smelt new, also. The bronze gears in the tires sparkled and hummed, ready for action. Blood red initials were sewed into the leather seat. BM, which stood for something along the lines of BikeMaster.
Alice preferred Bloody Mary.
The cold blast of London's air hit against Alice's face.
Winter was near, and they were already getting a bit of snow, already.
Had her siblings remembered to stock up foods? Dylan might've remembered, he was the only one who cooked. What about coats? Did they go waste all their money on department store coats, or did they go to the thrift store? Was Wilma still getting hit on? Patrick was still continuing his blacksmith lessons, right?
The library's roof was covered in a layer of snow, and as usual, wasn't busy.
"Alice!" Mira called from over the counter, spotting her cousin. "Not here wit your boyfriend, today?"
Alice huffed. "He's not my boyfriend. He's my assistant."
Mira just gave her a toothy grin. "I saw how you look at him. Gurl, we are so going to talk about tat."
Alice gave her cousin a glare before continuing on to the back of the library. She looked at the letter again, just to make sure it was German.
Vier Unschuldige gestorben sind,
Hörst du die Kinder weinen?
Four innocents have died,
Can you hear the children cry?
"That sick bastard." Alice hissed, glaring down at the paper. Her hands were trembling in rage. She barely managed to continue.
Sie suchen und finden,
Du bist so nah, und doch ... so weit.
You search and search,
You're so close, and yet...so far.
Alice's heart stopped for just a moment. She's so close, but far? Close how? How far was she?
Wie ich grub meine Klinge in ihre Körper, wie es must've verletzen.
As I dug my blade into their bodies, how it must've hurt.
"Shit." A grimace settled onto her face.
Eine dunkle Lerche cooes über die London Himmel, Gesang den Tod für alle.
Ich bin noch nicht fertig , doch kleine Hase .
Alice felt her blood freeze. "...Mira?" Her hoarse voice whispered. "Mira!" Alice dashed from her seat to the counter in the lobby.
"Alice? What's wrong?" Her cousin frowned up at her.
"Phone." Alice hissed out. "Where's your phone?"
Vladimira didn't question Alice. She'd seen that look on her before. Concerned, worried, and royally pissed off. "Over there." She pointed to the old, black candlestick phone with rusty brass decorations. Alice's hand darted out desperately, quickly dialing the numbers as quick as she could. She needed to get to her family right away. "Damn it, damn it, damn it…"
A voice crackled on the other end. "I'm sorry, but it seems that this number is unreachable at this time."
Alice's body sagged. A growl bubbled from her throat. "They forgot to pay the fucking phone bill."