CHAPTER 27

She had been there for thirty minutes and she already decided she hated her new apartment.

It was old and cheap. The studio apartment smelt like rats, and mold, and maybe just a twinge of sewer. The walls were covered with peeling, old-lady wallpaper. The floor had an uneven slope from the one window on the one side of the studio to the door.

Alice couldn't care less though.

She'd set up a large board against the wall and used some old, cardboard boxes as her temporary desk. A sleeping bag sat in the other corner of the room, next a rusty old oil lamp.

"Dudette…" Alfred stood in the doorway, staring at the apartment in disgust.

"It'll do." Was all she said before making her way to the kitchen. "I ordered some take out a while ago, want some?"

He shrugged and followed her into the tiny kitchen. "What'd you order?"

"Just Chinese," Alice said. After serving themselves up, they went over to the old oil lamp to eat. "...I shouldn't have left."

"From Francis' place?" Alfred asked, glancing at her.

She shook her head. "I never should've left my stupid siblings alone. I was the stupid one."

"You couldn't have known, Ali." Alfred shook his head. "No one could've. And besides, they kicked you out. You were angry, and hurt, and there was no way you were going to go see them, like: 'Hey, guys, I know you were real jerks, but I really miss you so I am going to forgive you!'."

"I tried calling them. At least five times a day." Alice muttered. "They never once answered. I thought that they were just ignoring me, or weren't around to hear the phone. I should've guessed that this would've happened."

Alfred gave her a confused glance. "What do you mean?"

"Do you really think it's a coincidence, Alfred?" She said, glaring down at her food. "All the victims have been blonde with green eyes. Even Vash, and he committed suicide. And my apartment…Alistair used to call me Bunny when I was a kid. And just before they kicked me out, he was so hammered he actually called me that again."

You could see all the blood drain from Alfred's face. He gave a nervous laugh. "Y-you c-can't be se-se-serious, right? Right?" She met his gaze. "Oh. My. God." Alfred flipped. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…"

"If you're trying to summon something, you might want to try a sacrifice and some crystals." Alice commented dryly.

"There is a crazy ass serial killer out there and you're on his hit list?!"

"Essentially."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I wasn't sure." She shrugged. "I…had a hunch. But, I didn't know for sure. Not until they disappeared."

Alfred gave her a quick pitying glance. "We need to get this place surrounded. I'll get my guys on watch, you-"

"That won't be necessary, Alfred. It's impossible, too." Alice stood. "You can't just order the place to be surrounded, we have no proof. And more importantly, if we make a fuss about this and nothing happens, I'll be kicked off the case."

"Is that all you care about?" Alfred hissed at her. "Whether or not you get kicked off the case?! What about your life?!"

"Of course it's all that matters to me right now, Alfred." She snapped. "I'm the only one who can solve this. I know it. And if I don't, how many other people will die?! Five? Ten? Twenty? I won't risk it just because I know I'm on the list."

"I just don't-" Alfred started crying softly. "Why? Why don't you care about your life? Do you not value yourself? Is it so hard for you to live among us idiots?"

Her body relaxed. She pulled him into a hug. She whispered comfortingly, "I'll be okay. It'll take more than a serial killer to kill me. You should go home, yeah? I'll see you at work, don't worry."

Alfred gave her once last teary-eyed glare, but eventually left after Alice threatened to call Ivan.

She sighed, looking over the massive pile of paperwork. The apartment somehow seemed more empty when it was just her in there. A sharp thud jolted against the wall.

Her head whipped over.

Nothing was there. The board on the wall was still firmly in its place. Cautiously, Alice went over and moved the board from off the wall. Another thud. A kick?

One…Two…Three…Four…

Another kick.

The process repeated over and over every four seconds. What the actual fuck? The landlord said that nobody else was living in the other apartment. Obviously, they were wrong, whether they knew it or not. Okay, so someone's either living in the next door apartment illegally or the landlord lied to her. Got it, nothing interesting. But why were they kicking the damn wall?

One…Two…Three…Four… A kick. One…Two…Three…Four. A kick.

Then it hit her. She felt as though she'd been knocked back with a wrecking ball. Four people had died since she'd taken the case. Isabelle, Olivia, Vash, and Vanessa.

Or on the other hand, Alistair, Dylan, Patrick and Wilma.

Alice suddenly felt like throwing up.