p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongem~Chapter 1~/em/strong/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"When Charles handed in his report and a copy of the tape from the interview, his boss told him to go back. Alfred had changed his mind and wanted to do a series of articles on Tiffany instead of the one he was about to run./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""This could make your career! Charles, the man who interviewed 'Tiffany the Ripper'. I can see it now. You're resume would be greatly improved, if you ever decided to leave that is, and you would be renowned for this! And it's only a series of articles! This will create a bigger name for the paper, too." He was walking in circles around Charles's chair, a gleam in his eye. "This would make the paper more money. That means we'd get paid more too, for being the ones to do this. We can ask to be the only reporters allowed to interview her. Maybe strike a deal with the jailers… This is perfect!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Sir, I don't want to go back. She had a plan and I'm not sure that I want to be a part of it." Charles slipped in. "She said she was going to win. I don't want to be on her side while she tries."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Put down that tape boy. Aren't you the least bit curious as to what she was going to try to win? Where's that nosey reporter instinct?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Sure, I'm curious. That's why I don't want to go back. I don't want to get caught up in it. I don't want to know what she's planning or doing. Can't you get someone else? I don't want to see or hear her again. I feel like I'm going to be used." He was still staring at the tape in his hands, turning it over every few seconds. "She has a master-mind air about her."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Well, I guess if you feel that way, here." He handed over a picture of Charles with the words 'See you again soon' written across his eyes in pink highlighter. "The guards took it from her during some bed check or something. I don't think she'll talk to anyone but you. But if you really don't want to go back I can try."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I don't. Thank you." Charles stood up and walked out holding the tape in one hand and looking at the picture in the other. He wondered what she was up to and why he would be the one involved. If he hadn't gone first, who would've? Would it have been someone else's picture? How much did it really matter? Why would his boss try to keep him in it? Was it all part of Tiffany's plan to- to do what?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Charles! Wait!" His boss called him from the office. "Tiffany's on the line for you." He held out the phone to Charles while maintaining a stunned look. Charles walked back and took the phone./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Were you going to try and leave me?" She clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Oh, did I frighten you? I'm sorry. I wanted it to be you who figured me out. Who stopped me or helped me or got involved in the wrong things. I'm running out of phone time so I'll just spit it out. If you want to leave me, at least come say good-bye, and introduce me to the new reporter. M'kay? Night." emClick/em./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles stood there with the phone to his ear for a few more moments before hanging it up. He hadn't said a word the whole time and his face portrayed no emotions. Through his eyes, focused but seeing nothing, proved that his mind was whirling. Alfred was waiting but became too anxious./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""What's wrong? What did she say?" He was nearly begging./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""She wants me to go say 'bye' and introduce her to the next reporter… How did she know that I was going to change assignments?" He directed the question at his boss. "Did you tell her something?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""No. When I answered she just said who she was and that she wanted to talk to you. When I told her you left she said it was important and to call you back now. So I did. Sorry, but we'd best oblige someone who we need info from."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles nodded and looked to the ground. He waved and silently left the office. He picked up his things from where he had left them and went to the elevator. The whole time he was thinking about Tiffany and what she was doing. Once he got home, all he could think about was the next day and what would happen with the new reporter./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"That night, he dreamt of himself and Tiffany sitting and talking in the jail's padded cell. Yet instead of Tiffany being the one in a straight jacket and tied to the chair, it was he. She was free and smiling at him across the table. The gist of the conversation, or the part that he remembers, was about what he had done to her./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Why did you decide to kill me?" Tiffany asked him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Because you were a threat." He replied laughing like it was common knowledge. "I wanted to beat you at your own game."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Well, you lost even as you won. Night darling." Tiffany got up, walked over to the tied up Charles, and kissed him on the top of his head before walking into the bright light on the other side of the door./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He awoke with a start. Charles's heart was pounding steady but hard. emWhat was that? A premonition or something? What-why-how did I kill her? She was there, talking to me, about her being dead…/em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles dragged himself out of bed, the questions still rolling around in his head. He went to take a hot shower and remembered that he had to go meet the new reporter and take them to Tiffany. For some reason, it felt like he was sending them to their death./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Hey! Charles! You up or what?!" the answering machine was yelling at him. "If you don't come to the office right now I'm going to leave you on the Tiffany case." It was his boss. "I'll give you twenty minutes. Be here or else!"em Beep./em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles quickly rinsed off and got ready. He made it to the office with nearly ten seconds to spare. He went straight to his boss' office and knocked. No one opened the door or shouted for him to enter, so he went in anyway. The sight before him was sickening. Alfred was in his boxers and tie, which had him tied to his chair by the neck and turning a nasty shade of red. The new reporter was laid out on the floor covered in blood. Charles ran around her to try and undo the tie that was killing his boss./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Call an ambulance! Someone! 911! Help!" Charles grabbed the scissors from a drawer in the desk and cut the tie./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I called and they said a unit's on the way. Holy-" the one who came to tell Charles that it was taken care of saw the reporter on the floor. She ran to the bathroom and everyone outside the doors was trying to see what had happened. Most turned away at once, others seemed frozen, and the rest came to help and try to get their boss breathing again./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The ambulance came and took care of Alfred. They said he had an extremely thin chance of making it, but if he ever woke up, he would survive. The coroners came for the woman. She was dyed red by the blood but recognized as Margret Hans, the replacement reporter./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Now. What happened with you? Exactly, please." The officer who was questioning everyone had finally gotten to Charles./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I came in to meet the girl and I saw her…like, she was… and my half naked boss getting strangled in his chair by his tie." Charles tried and failed to shake the images that were flashing in his mind as he spoke. "I ran to help him and I cut the tie."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""And you yelled for the others to call for help?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Yes sir."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""And then the ambulance and everyone came?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Yes sir."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""So you didn't see that?" The officer pointed and the ceiling. There, Charles saw the big, bloody letters and picture./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""No… I didn't think to look up…I didn't try…I only wanted to get help…" He was still staring at the blood spatter message above./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Okay then. Thanks for your time. We'll be in touch." The officer handed Charles a piece of paper, folded his pad and walked away./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He finally looked down at the paper, after he had been removed from the crime scene, to see yet another message from Tiffany:/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Hey darling,/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"So, do you like my game yet? I hope you don't mind the use of guards and police but I can't really talk to you myself now can I? The one who gives this to you is supposed to point out my other message as well. If you haven't already seen it, it's the bloody thing on the ceiling in your mean boss' office./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Don't be mad at me but I had to keep you. This was the only way I knew I would get you for sure./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Oh, how'd you like my outfit last night? Did I look good or what?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"See you soon babe./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"Tiffany/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles froze. He re-read the note several times. She did it from inside her cell. Either that or she was able to get someone to do it for her, like how she gave him the note. There was no doubt in his mind that it was her handwriting. He had been researching her, studying her. Now he was on the other side of the looking glass. The talking flowers and deceptive path were right in front of him and the place he wanted to get to had suddenly become so far away. He was running from the Red Queen who, instead of helping him get there, was taunting him on his way. His Red Queen was the sadistic one from the Adventures in Wonderland story, not the snappish chess piece that was in Through the Looking Glass./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"emLast night?/em All Charles could remember about her and last night, the seeing her part was in his dream. The only other time he spent with her last night was over the phone. He couldn't see her or what she was wearing. But it couldn't be that she knew what he was dreaming…emCould she? What was she wearing in my dream? The yellow business outfit. She had a white waist jacket over her yellow suit-skirt ensemble. Her hair was down and flowing over her shoulders. She looked better then good, she looked free./em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Hey! 'Fro-zone'. You need to get out of the way for the CSI guys." One of Charles's friends called to him, snapping him out of his shock. "C'mon. Move it man."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Oh, sorry. Coming." Charles apologized to the investigators before hurrying over to his friend. "Hey. I think I just killed Margret…Well, not I myself but like, by letting her take this story… Tiffany got mad…She wants me only…Check it out." He handed over the note./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Charles Lee Ray?" a CSI tapped him on the shoulder and gave him a photo of the ceiling art by Tiffany. "You should keep this. There was a note above the door saying that you get a copy of her art or she finds us. Sorry, but I don't want to be a message." She turned and walked away, visibly shaken but steady at the same time./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"When Charles handed in his report and a copy of the tape from the interview, his boss told him to go back. Alfred had changed his mind and wanted to do a series of articles on Tiffany instead of the one he was about to run./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""This could make your career! Charles, the man who interviewed 'Tiffany the Ripper'. I can see it now. You're resume would be greatly improved, if you ever decided to leave that is, and you would be renowned for this! And it's only a series of articles! This will create a bigger name for the paper, too." He was walking in circles around Charles's chair, a gleam in his eye. "This would make the paper more money. That means we'd get paid more too, for being the ones to do this. We can ask to be the only reporters allowed to interview her. Maybe strike a deal with the jailers… This is perfect!"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Sir, I don't want to go back. She had a plan and I'm not sure that I want to be a part of it." Charles slipped in. "She said she was going to win. I don't want to be on her side while she tries."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Put down that tape boy. Aren't you the least bit curious as to what she was going to try to win? Where's that nosey reporter instinct?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Sure, I'm curious. That's why I don't want to go back. I don't want to get caught up in it. I don't want to know what she's planning or doing. Can't you get someone else? I don't want to see or hear her again. I feel like I'm going to be used." He was still staring at the tape in his hands, turning it over every few seconds. "She has a master-mind air about her."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Well, I guess if you feel that way, here." He handed over a picture of Charles with the words 'See you again soon' written across his eyes in pink highlighter. "The guards took it from her during some bed check or something. I don't think she'll talk to anyone but you. But if you really don't want to go back I can try."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I don't. Thank you." Charles stood up and walked out holding the tape in one hand and looking at the picture in the other. He wondered what she was up to and why he would be the one involved. If he hadn't gone first, who would've? Would it have been someone else's picture? How much did it really matter? Why would his boss try to keep him in it? Was it all part of Tiffany's plan to- to do what?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Charles! Wait!" His boss called him from the office. "Tiffany's on the line for you." He held out the phone to Charles while maintaining a stunned look. Charles walked back and took the phone./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Were you going to try and leave me?" She clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Oh, did I frighten you? I'm sorry. I wanted it to be you who figured me out. Who stopped me or helped me or got involved in the wrong things. I'm running out of phone time so I'll just spit it out. If you want to leave me, at least come say good-bye, and introduce me to the new reporter. M'kay? Night." emClick/em./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles stood there with the phone to his ear for a few more moments before hanging it up. He hadn't said a word the whole time and his face portrayed no emotions. Through his eyes, focused but seeing nothing, proved that his mind was whirling. Alfred was waiting but became too anxious./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""What's wrong? What did she say?" He was nearly begging./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""She wants me to go say 'bye' and introduce her to the next reporter… How did she know that I was going to change assignments?" He directed the question at his boss. "Did you tell her something?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""No. When I answered she just said who she was and that she wanted to talk to you. When I told her you left she said it was important and to call you back now. So I did. Sorry, but we'd best oblige someone who we need info from."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles nodded and looked to the ground. He waved and silently left the office. He picked up his things from where he had left them and went to the elevator. The whole time he was thinking about Tiffany and what she was doing. Once he got home, all he could think about was the next day and what would happen with the new reporter./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"That night, he dreamt of himself and Tiffany sitting and talking in the jail's padded cell. Yet instead of Tiffany being the one in a straight jacket and tied to the chair, it was he. She was free and smiling at him across the table. The gist of the conversation, or the part that he remembers, was about what he had done to her./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Why did you decide to kill me?" Tiffany asked him./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Because you were a threat." He replied laughing like it was common knowledge. "I wanted to beat you at your own game."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Well, you lost even as you won. Night darling." Tiffany got up, walked over to the tied up Charles, and kissed him on the top of his head before walking into the bright light on the other side of the door./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He awoke with a start. Charles's heart was pounding steady but hard. emWhat was that? A premonition or something? What-why-how did I kill her? She was there, talking to me, about her being dead…/em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles dragged himself out of bed, the questions still rolling around in his head. He went to take a hot shower and remembered that he had to go meet the new reporter and take them to Tiffany. For some reason, it felt like he was sending them to their death./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Hey! Charles! You up or what?!" the answering machine was yelling at him. "If you don't come to the office right now I'm going to leave you on the Tiffany case." It was his boss. "I'll give you twenty minutes. Be here or else!"em Beep./em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles quickly rinsed off and got ready. He made it to the office with nearly ten seconds to spare. He went straight to his boss' office and knocked. No one opened the door or shouted for him to enter, so he went in anyway. The sight before him was sickening. Alfred was in his boxers and tie, which had him tied to his chair by the neck and turning a nasty shade of red. The new reporter was laid out on the floor covered in blood. Charles ran around her to try and undo the tie that was killing his boss./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Call an ambulance! Someone! 911! Help!" Charles grabbed the scissors from a drawer in the desk and cut the tie./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I called and they said a unit's on the way. Holy-" the one who came to tell Charles that it was taken care of saw the reporter on the floor. She ran to the bathroom and everyone outside the doors was trying to see what had happened. Most turned away at once, others seemed frozen, and the rest came to help and try to get their boss breathing again./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The ambulance came and took care of Alfred. They said he had an extremely thin chance of making it, but if he ever woke up, he would survive. The coroners came for the woman. She was dyed red by the blood but recognized as Margret Hans, the replacement reporter./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Now. What happened with you? Exactly, please." The officer who was questioning everyone had finally gotten to Charles./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I came in to meet the girl and I saw her…like, she was… and my half naked boss getting strangled in his chair by his tie." Charles tried and failed to shake the images that were flashing in his mind as he spoke. "I ran to help him and I cut the tie."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""And you yelled for the others to call for help?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Yes sir."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""And then the ambulance and everyone came?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Yes sir."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""So you didn't see that?" The officer pointed and the ceiling. There, Charles saw the big, bloody letters and picture./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""No… I didn't think to look up…I didn't try…I only wanted to get help…" He was still staring at the blood spatter message above./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Okay then. Thanks for your time. We'll be in touch." The officer handed Charles a piece of paper, folded his pad and walked away./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He finally looked down at the paper, after he had been removed from the crime scene, to see yet another message from Tiffany:/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Hey darling,/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"So, do you like my game yet? I hope you don't mind the use of guards and police but I can't really talk to you myself now can I? The one who gives this to you is supposed to point out my other message as well. If you haven't already seen it, it's the bloody thing on the ceiling in your mean boss' office./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Don't be mad at me but I had to keep you. This was the only way I knew I would get you for sure./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Oh, how'd you like my outfit last night? Did I look good or what?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"See you soon babe./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"Tiffany/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Charles froze. He re-read the note several times. She did it from inside her cell. Either that or she was able to get someone to do it for her, like how she gave him the note. There was no doubt in his mind that it was her handwriting. He had been researching her, studying her. Now he was on the other side of the looking glass. The talking flowers and deceptive path were right in front of him and the place he wanted to get to had suddenly become so far away. He was running from the Red Queen who, instead of helping him get there, was taunting him on his way. His Red Queen was the sadistic one from the Adventures in Wonderland story, not the snappish chess piece that was in Through the Looking Glass./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"emLast night?/em All Charles could remember about her and last night, the seeing her part was in his dream. The only other time he spent with her last night was over the phone. He couldn't see her or what she was wearing. But it couldn't be that she knew what he was dreaming…emCould she? What was she wearing in my dream? The yellow business outfit. She had a white waist jacket over her yellow suit-skirt ensemble. Her hair was down and flowing over her shoulders. She looked better then good, she looked free./em/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Hey! 'Fro-zone'. You need to get out of the way for the CSI guys." One of Charles's friends called to him, snapping him out of his shock. "C'mon. Move it man."/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Oh, sorry. Coming." Charles apologized to the investigators before hurrying over to his friend. "Hey. I think I just killed Margret…Well, not I myself but like, by letting her take this story… Tiffany got mad…She wants me only…Check it out." He handed over the note./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Charles Lee Ray?" a CSI tapped him on the shoulder and gave him a photo of the ceiling art by Tiffany. "You should keep this. There was a note above the door saying that you get a copy of her art or she finds us. Sorry, but I don't want to be a message." She turned and walked away, visibly shaken but steady at the same time./p