Chapter 4: a set up
A/n: For people that haven't noticed (which I doubt) Beca and Amy are my brOTP, and Bumper/Amy my OTP. But I couldn't help myself with the Aubrey having a thing for Amy, because for some reason Aubrey has always been pretty nice towards Amy, so that's where I got the idea from. And to be quite honest in the beginning of the story I was thinking about making them a couple, but in the end decided against that
Also we get a look into what the killer does with her victims, later in this chapter! Thanks for the follows, faves and reviews. Enjoy this new chapter!
''If you want, you can sit this one out Am'' Aubrey said softly, connecting her eyes with the girl. ''We don't know what will happen next, or who's gonna get killed next''.
''Oh, no'' Amy immediately protested. ''I'm solving this case with you, I want to be the one cuffing that bitch''.
''That's the spirit'' Cynthia smiled, waving her pen in the air.
''What do we do'' Amy folded her hands, her eyes still connected with the tall blonde across from her.
''We do what we always do when we start a case'' Aubrey replied. ''We gather all the information and evidence that we have and evaluate them''.
''I'll start with writing out our new profile'' Chloe said.
''I'll help you with that'' Benji smiled, getting a smile from the girl back. He was always the media liaison and profile maker of the Trebles, just like Chloe was for the Bellas.
''Make one concerning the possible set up and one without the set up'' Aubrey told the pair. ''We'll have two ways to go then''
''Okay'' Chloe nod before leaving the conference room, followed by Benji.
''Cynthia and I will make another background check on the victims'' Stacie said.
''And this time we'll widen our search'' Cynthia added.
''Great idea. Take Jesse and Donald with you, they're just as good with computers as you guys'' Aubrey said. ''Also make the search international, we don't know what we're dealing with yet''.
''Aye, aye captain'' Cynthia saluted her boss, as she, her partner and the two guys walk out of the room to their office.
''Mitchell and Amy, I want you guys to go over the medical exams again'' Aubrey told them. ''Also take another look at the knife, there might be a trademark or serie number hidden on it''.
''The lab it is then'' Beca replied as she stood up gathering all her stuff.
''I'm heading to my office, I need to make a few calls. So if anyone needs me you know where I am'' Aubrey gathered her stuff together and walked out of the room.
''Amy can I talk to you for a minute'' Bumper asked the blonde, trying to keep the emotions out of his voice.
Beca gave Amy a raised eyebrow, which Amy answered with a roll of her eyes. A small smile thugged at the side of Beca's mouth as she walked to the door. She probably had some idea why Bumper wanted to talk with the Aussie.
''Yes, of course'' Amy nod, putting down the stuff she already picked up to take with her. Ignoring her partners facial expressions. Bumper waited until Beca was out of the room before closing the door and turning around.
''What's up'' Amy asked as she noticed the expression on his face, forgetting that since the break up she hadn't talked to him normally.
''How're you holding up'' Bumper walked towards her, standing still infront of her.
''Well it's weird and all, but okay, I guess'' the girl avoided his face and choose a spot just above his shoulder to focus on.
''You don't have to hide your feelings from me'' Bumper huffed, folding his arms. ''I thought we were past that''.
''We are, well were'' Amy this time looked up to Bumper.
''Then why are you lying'' Bumper asked, hurt evident in his brown eyes.
''You know I'm not used to sharing feelings'' Amy sighed, brushing a hand through her hair. Even though she and Bumper have been broken up, she couldn't help but tell him, he's been the only one she has ever let inside completely. ''You know I never do that, share feelings and have deep conversations and stuff''.
''I know'' Bumper gave her a small smile. He knew that Amy wasn't one for sharing feelings, though she calls herself an openbook. Yeah, people know basic stuff about her, enough to become friends with her. But it only were a few, including him, that knew the real Amy, the one behind the crazy and funny comments. That's one of the reasons Bumper fell in love with her a few years ago, they were the same when it came to that.
''But I also know that with me it was different'' He spoke softly, taking a hold on her chin making her look up to him.
''It was'' She nod. ''But things change'' she sighed.
''They don't have to'' he said, looking her in the eye, searching for something that told him that she still felt the same.
The intense look made Fat Amy take a step back, Bumper's hand falling down beside him. She took a deep breath and tried to not let her feelings get the upperhand. She wasn't in the mood right now to talk about what was still left between them.
''I gotta go'' Amy mumbled as she gathered her stuff and dashed out of the conferenceroom, leaving a sad looking Bumper behind. Wanting to be as far away from him as possible, right now. Being so close to him, really was making her feel things again she suppressed for the past few months.
On her way to the lab she passed Aubrey's office and the woman called her inside. Confused Amy walked in and took a seat across from her.
''Amy when you're done in the lab take a break alright, Beca too'' Aubrey told the girl. ''You girls have been here for a long time now, and I can see you can use the sleep''.
''I actually can, yeah'' Amy nod.
''Then finish your jobs in the lab, and take a couple of hours, okay'' Aubrey smiled softly.
''Sounds good'' Fat Amy smiled back. ''Alright first help Beca, and then sleep'' she added as she stood up.
''Just update me when you leave'' Aubrey called after her as the blonde walked away.
''Will do'' Amy called out over her shoulder.
Now being really on her way to the lab, Amy took her phone out of her jacket pocket to check the time when she remembered that it needed to be charged. She made a small detour to her office to put her phone in the charger before walking to the lab, where Beca was waiting on her. When she walked in she saw that the girl was already busy with going through the medical exams.
''What did Bumper want'' Beca asked without looking up from the file. After working closely and living together in the same dormroom for so long, you kinda know a person through and through. So Beca knew without looking up that Amy was in the room.
''Just wanted to make sure that I was okay'' Amy replied, taking a seat beside the alt girl.
''Damn, he really is still in love with you'' a smirk coming onto Beca's face.
''Don't smirk like that'' Amy bumped her shoulder with Beca's. ''And I know he still has feelings for me, sadly enough I still have them too'' she sighed.
''Woo, woo, woo'' Beca looked up from the file, eyes wide. ''A few weeks ago you were denying all the comments I made, about you still having feelings for him, and now you're admitting to them''.
''Aye'' Fat Amy called out.
''What I've been working and living with you for over three years now, have seen a lot I really want to unsee, but this is big. I thought the first time you told me you were in love with Bumper was huge, but this is pretty big too'' Beca laid a hand on Amy's shoulder. Amy knew that Beca was teasing the hell out of her, but she was by now used to the sarcastic state of mind Beca lived in. So she only rolled her eyes and picked up one of the files.
''But serious, I'm happy that you finally acknowledge that you still feel something.'' Beca genuinely smiled. ''I knew you guys weren't just over, out of nowhere''.
''Thanks'' Amy said. She and Bumper never told anyone why they broke up and she had no intention of doing that, either. Even though Beca practically feels like her sister, it was just something she wasn't ready and willing to talk about.
''So are you guys together again now'' the brunette asked, as she turned her eyes to the file again.
''No'' Amy shook her head, also turning her gaze to the file in her hands.
''Why not'' Beca raised an eyebrow, taking a side look at her best friend. ''You both know you still got feelings for each other''.
''I know''.
''Do you actually want to be with him, again'' Beca questioned, again putting the file down and bringing her attention to the girl beside her.
''Actually, I really do'' Amy nod.
''What's holding you back then'' Beca asked.
Amy sighed and laid the medical file down on the table, before turning to her friend. ''For one I'm not that good with that feelings thingy. And right now my life is pretty hectic. He might have a team to lead, but I got college, the Bellas, a job as secret agent and a social life. I don't know if I can handle having him as boyfriend again, right now''.
''I get what you mean'' Beca said. ''When I first went out with Jesse, I thought I couldn't handle having a secret job, college, the bellas and a boyfriend at the same time too. But here I am, still having my job, in college with the bellas and going out with Jesse. And by the way you've done the same for almost two years too, with Bumper''.
''I know, that's why I know that I can't handle it at the moment'' Amy said. She was close to telling the real reason why she didn't want to get back together with Bumper, but this time the filter between her brain and mouth did work. And she was glad it did, because things were still a bit too fresh for her.
''I don't really believe you'' Beca said.
''You don't have to'' Amy shrugged.
''And I thought you were used to that feelings thingy by now. You and Bumper were together for a pretty long time, so don't tell me you never talked about your feelings with him'' Beca said.
''We did'' Amy nod. ''But it was more showing each other how we felt, then actually saying it''. She got a bit uncomfortable now, the more they talked about her and Bumper.
''I get that, that is the way you guys work. But we all see that what you had with others wasn't anything near what you have with Bumper'' Beca told the girl. ''Though we did have a moment that we thought that you and Aubrey wo-''.
''You thought I would go out with Aubrey'' Amy cut her partner off, a laugh escaping her mouth.
''Yeah'' Beca nod. ''Why's that so weird, we really thought you could make a cute couple. Weird but cute''.
''There may have been a moment I thought about it, but that past very quickly'' Amy said, feeling a bit weird that her friends actually thought she and Aubrey would ever get together. ''All we shared was one drunken kiss, my sophomore year, but that's it''. Well they shared more then one kiss that night, but they promised to never talk about it after that. And Amy forgot about that very quickly, because she soon after that realized that she had feelings for the boss of the Trebles.
''Wow, never knew about that'' Beca said surprised.
''We promised each other to not tell anyone'' Amy said. ''Actually forgot about it, until you started talking about Aubrey and me and a possible relationship''.
''Why have you never persued anything with Aubrey, you told me you've thought about it'' Beca asked, curious.
''Because I realized that I had feelings for a certain treblemaker, soon after that kiss'' Fat Amy replied. ''So Aubrey was just a small girl crush I had''.
''Well I'm not so sure if Aubrey sees it that way, when it comes to you'' Beca said, as she wrote something down in her notebook.
''What do you mean'' Amy frowned, her gaze landing on the side of her friend's face.
''What I mean is, I think Aubrey still has a crush on you'' Beca looked up, into the hazel eyes of her friend.
''No'' Amy shook her head, not believing that. ''I would've noticed, if that was true''.
''Well believe all you want'' Beca shrugged, getting back to work.
Ignoring Beca's comment, Amy striked up a subject that didn't have anything to do with her. She didn't want to talk about herself anymore.
''How are things between you and Jesse, anyway, I noticed the cold shoulder you gave him earlier'' Amy asked.
''Things are...weird'' Beca replied, not knowing how to say it differently.
''You guys fight a lot, again'' Amy asked symphatetic, because she's so close to Beca she knows the ins- and outs off her and Jesse's relationship. So she knew that things weren't going well between the two.
''Yeah'' Beca breathed out. ''He's been clingy a lot lately, and that makes me push him away. I just can't handle someone being clingy to me, I need my space. And because of that he asks me a lot, if I actually still have feelings for him, and those conversations eventually turn into fights'' she sighed.
''Do you still feel something for him'' Fat Amy asked, curious.
''I really do not know right now'' Beca let out a dry laugh, her feelings for Jesse were really conflicted at this moment, so a clear answer she couldn't give right now. ''I just know, that I don't want to be with someone that wants to know where I am all the time, well for me it feels like he wants to know that all the time''.
''You don't have to tell him everything, right'' Amy said.
She couldn't understand why Jesse was acting like that, he never was like that before towards Beca. All she could think about that could make Jesse act like that, was jealousy and fear of Beca leaving him. Amy realizing the fact that Jesse might be jealous, realises that Jesse might suspect Beca from having feelings for someone else. Being a secret agents has its perks when it comes to analyzing stuff.
''I know, but it's just, it's not like I don't want him to know whenever I'm on a case or in college. I just want my space, that's all'' Beca said.
''Doesn't a certain redhead have something to do with this, too'' Amy asked nonchalant. She knew that Chloe and Beca were close, on a whole other level then she and Beca were. And no one really ever knew what was going on between the pair.
''You mean Chloe'' Beca turned her gaze to Amy, seeing the girl give her a nod. ''There is nothing between me and Chlo, we're just good friends'' she sputtered, getting flustered.
''You sure about that'' Fat Amy raised an eyebrow, eying the girl thoroughly.
''Yes'' Beca averted her eyes.
''Alright, if you say so'' Amy shrugged, as she turned back to the file infront of her.
Beca looked from her notes to Amy a few times, as her mind started thinking about what Fat Amy said. Does Chloe really has a factor in this, in how she acts towards her boyfriend. Is she the reason that she and Jesse are falling apart, Chloe, and not the fact that she just wants her space. Beca shook her head and let the thoughts fall to the back of her mind, right now she needed to focus on the case, her relationship problems can wait.
It was nearing 4pm now and the two teams weren't any closer to solving the case. Cynthia and Stacie, with the help of Donald and Jesse, had widened their search which meant that it took a lot longer before they got the information. But with the extra help they could relax a bit, and take a break, once in a while.
Chloe and Benji had written down the two new profiles, putting all the changes in the right places. After that Chloe and Benji took a small break before throwing themselves back in the case again. Searching through the case files for new things they hadn't noticed before, going to the morgue to see for themselves if everything in the medical files matched and waiting on a call for a new lead. But so far it hadn't worked out for them, yet.
Beca and Amy on the other hand were just coming back from their five hour break. When it was around ten this morning Aubrey personally ordered them to freshen up and get some sleep. She told them that Bumper would take over their research, until they got back. She wanted them on their best game, and being tired is not gonna help that. The girls didn't mind at all and thanked the blonde before making their way to their dormroom. After returning they immediately went back to the lab to see what Bumper had accomplished in those hours. There were still quite a few things left to evaluate, when they left.
In the meantime the other girls were slowly coming in from college. Looking up weird when they found part of the other team in their department, but didn't ask questions. Lily and Denise just went to their office working on their case, and Jessica needed to wait for her partner Ashley to arrive. Which was weird, because usually the two girls were joined at the hip.
In the lab the pictures that were made of the victims in the morgue were hung up on the whiteboard, every written report laid out on the table and their own notes beside that. When Beca and Amy came back, Bumper told them everything he had found and written down. It wasn't much, but enough to get them a bit further then they were. After that the three had tried to look with a different perspective to the files, but they didn't come any further. It was enough to know what they were looking for, who the victims were, and the killers way of killing. But not enough to actually find her and close the case.
And the tension between Fat Amy and Bumper didn't help a lot, either. The two tried to work as proffesional as possible, but working with your ex that you're still in love with, isn't that easy. Beca noticed it, but she kept quiet, not in the mood to interfere in that. She had enough drama, herself.
Bumper was looking at the photos on the whiteboard, his head tilted to the right. There was this theory going around in his head for a while now, but didn't know what to do with it. It would be far fetched if it was true. He frowned and took the photo of the last victim, Max Locking, from the board. They knew that he was killed because the killer didn't want to leave him behind. That's why the stabwounds on him were more and all over the place, they didn't have to treat him like their chosen victims. But something felt off for him when he looked at the photo. Actually looking at all the morgue photos, something felt off for him. Well not really off but more like that they have overlooked a huge clue left on the victims, but he couldn't place what.
''Did you notice that everyone was stabbed the same way, except for Max'' Bumper sat down across from the two girls, laying the photo down infront of them. Beca and Amy looked up from their work and looked at what the guy meant.
''Yeah, we ruled that one out by saying that he wasn't a chosen victim'' Beca replied.
''I know, but what's bothering me is that they somehow knew we would think that'' Bumper told the girl.
''Why are you saying that'' Amy frowned.
''Killers are smart, right'' The guy stated, wanting to explain what he was trying to say in the best way possible.
''Yes'' Beca nod.
''So they would be smart enough to mislead us'' Bumper looked from one girl to the other, hoping that they knew where he was going with this.
''True'' Beca said slowly, trying to catch up.
''Then Max might've been in the way for them when they abducted him, but in the end ended up being a great opportunity to set you guys on the wrong foot'' Bumper explained. Having another person outside of their team look at the evidence, sometimes could help them a lot. Fresh eyes see different things.
''Wait'' Fat Amy said, trying to piece together in her mind what the boy was telling her. ''So you're saying that we gotta take a better look at Max''.
''She chooses her victims through you, the closer the better, right'' Bumper said, getting a nod from the blonde. ''But Max you only knew through your childhood friend, Jennifer, so we didn't really look into him because we thought he had nothing to do with it, because he has nothing to do with you. But what if she got something out of him we don't know yet''.
''Max might've been a victim of opprtunity in our eyes, but for the killer he could've been the way to get closer to Amy'' Beca now catching up with Bumper's train of thoughts.
''Exactly'' He nod. ''So the best way of misleading us, is making it look like Jennifer was their chosen victim, so we wouldn't look into Max, but into Jennifer'' his whole theory out there now.
''That kinda does make sense'' Amy said. ''Jennifer was the chosen victim, until they realized that Max had more to tell''.
''My whole point'' Bumper nod.
''Though I still don't get something'' Beca said.
''What''.
''She does this all to get to Amy, but why didn't she just take her right away'' Beca explained what she meant. ''She's been after Amy from the beginning, she's this is all about. So why abduct them, when she could've made it easy for herself and just take Amy''.
''Sometimes motives from killers are hard to understand'' Bumper sighed.
''Alright, I'm gonna ask Stacie to look further into Max'' Fat Amy said as she stood up.
''After you've done that I think we should head to the morgue'' Bumper said.
''What, why'' Beca furrowed her brows.
''We really need a better look at the last two victims'' Bumper replied. ''And I know Benji and Beale already went to the morgue, but I feel like they overlooked something'' he explained.
''Okay'' Beca nod. ''Amy you go to Stacie, I'll inform the boss about our new foundings, and then we can all head to the morgue''.
''Alright'' Amy smiled, as she took Max's file and walked out of the lab.
On the otherside of town, the industry area of town, the next victim woke up from being blacked out for quite some time. The girl slowly opened her eyes and came face to face with complete darkness. Slowly coming to her senses she realized that she wasn't in her warm and comfy bed, anymore. She looked around her, but it was hard to see through the darkness. With her eyes slowly adjusting to the dark, gave her time to realize that she was tied to the chair she was sitting in. Her arms were tied behind her back, while her ankles were strapped to the legs of the chair. Panick now starting to arise in her, her head went from side to side, eyes casting everywhere it could reach. But it was a lost cause, because everywhere she looked was empty. All she saw were four dark walls surrounding her, while she sat in the middle of the room. She tried to break free from the tightly tied ropes around her wrist and ankles, but after trying a few times with fail, she frustratingly banged her hands against the back of the chair. With that the chair moved, almost toppling over. Letting out a breath of relief when she could balance herself, she gave in, she couldn't escape. So she did the only thing that came up in her head, that she learned to do in these kind of situations.
''Let me go'' The female voice yelled through the darkness of the building, while pulling on the ropes. Yelling out, probabaly made the person who abducted her step into the room. She wanted to know what she was dealing with. And it worked. A metal door behind her was opened and she could hear heels click against the stone ground. She already realized that she must be in some sort of factory, with the smell around the room and the stone ground. Analyzing a lot because of her job, made her great at knowing her surroundings, without actually seeing them. Just smells, noises and touch could give her enough.
''I see you're awake'' A perfect authentic Australian voice filled the room. The girl immediately sat a little straighter, she recognized that accent.
''Are you playing pranks again'' The girl rolled her eyes, thinking that this might be a prank the Aussie was pulling on her.
But nothing was more wrong. The woman came to a stop infront of her just as the lights were switched on. Making the girl squeeze her eyes shut, the lights being too much, after so many hours of darkness. Slowly she opened her eyes again, her eyes now adjusted to the factory lights. She looked around the room for the second time since she woke up. The room she thought was empty, was actually filled with all kinds of boxes lined up against the wall. And right infront of her was a glass window, with behind that two tough build guys, keeping an eye on everything that happened in the room.
''No prank'' She breathed out, as she made eye contact with the curvy brunette infront of her. ''No Fat Amy either'' she said as she got a better look at the woman.
''Why am I here'' She asked, she wanted answers.
''Your questions are for later'' The woman said, as she walked around the chair the girl was seated in, her eyes going to just above the glass window before turning back. The girl following her with her eyes. ''So you know Fat Amy'' the brunette said, venom filling her voice when she said Amy's name.
''Uhmm, yeah, I do'' The girl slowly nod, not knowing if answering her was such a good idea.
''You know her pretty well am I right'' She said, bending down infront of her so she was eye level with her.
''Yes'' She replied unsure, she really didn't know what the woman wanted from her and she had a feeling that this was just the beginning. And the fact that she was tied down to a chair, in a place she didn't know, didn't make her feel better too. She has been in similair situations before, but not like this, never like this.
''So you must know that, that fat and ugly friend of yours has done some pretty bad things'' She questioned her, standing up right again, folding her arms.
''First of all she hasn't done anything bad, not that I know off'' The girl replied. ''And second how can you say such things about her, when you look almost exactly like her'' she snorted. Finding it funny that she called someone things, the woman self was.
''Shut up'' The killer yelled. ''Unfortunately, she and I look alike, true, but that doesn't mean I can't say those things about her. I will always look way better then her'' she huffed.
''Didn't want to make you angry'' the girl mumbled, for some reason she really wasn't scared of this woman. The girl thought that, that might be, because the woman looked a lot like her friend. And Fat Amy was anything but dangerous.
''I see that you're not scared of me'' She eyed the girl, noticing that the girl wasn't intimidated by her actions. Her former victims were a lot easier.
''Why would I'' She let out a laugh. ''I've handled worse''.
''Maybe this will put some fear in you'' She said as she walked to a chair across from the girl.
She raised an eyebrow and immediately stopped laughing, she hadn't noticed that there was a chair right infront of her. But most importantly hadn't noticed what laid upon it. Her raised eyebrow was replaced with furrowed eyebrows, and the look of amusement was replaced with one of fear. The brunette took a look at all the knifes she had laid out on the chair, before choosing a small pocketknife to begin with. She picked it up and turned to the girl again, enjoying the bit of fear she was showing, now.
''Why the sudden mood change'' She pouted, twisting the knife around in her hands. ''Oh, is it because of the knife'' she said, looking from the girl to the knife and back.
She shook her head, in hope that the woman would stop walking towards her, but she didn't. With every step closer to her, she backed up until her back was firmly pressed against the back of the chair.
''Alright now that I got your full attention, there is one thing I want to know'' She told her.
''Will she break down if you were killed and does it make her come to me'' The brunette asked too innocent for the girl's liking. ''It's actually weird that she hasn't come to me yet, I left enough behind on the victim's bodies, to give away my hiding place'' she thought outloud, enjoying the way her current victim was reacting to it. ''They're probably stupid there at the bureau'' she mocked.
''But tell me, will she breakdown and come to me if I killed you'' she repeated the question, looking her victim directly in the eye now.
''Why do you want to know'' The girl asked. Scared that, that knife will be used or something if she did something wrong.
''I have my reasons'' Her eyes showing hurt for a second, before she masked it with the same hard look she had before.
''Are you going to kill me''.
''Maybe'' She shrugged. ''Maybe not, depends''.
''On what'' if she was gonna get killed she wanted to know what the reason was.
''On if it'll ruin her life and bring her to me'' She replied nonchalantly.
''Why do you even want to hurt her like that'' She frowned. ''And why does she need to come to you, can't you just look her up or something. You found me so you can definitely find her''.
''I see what you're doing here'' The killer said, catching up with the girl's train of thoughts now. ''Trying to make me forget, why I abducted you in the first place''.
''I wasn't trying anything'' She protested, but she knew that she saw right through her. Why do killers have to be so smart.
''Now tell me'' The woman bend down again, one hand resting on the chair the other one trailing a path down her cheek with the knife. A trail of blood following it, making her hiss out. ''Will she breakdown if I killed you'' she asked.
''I'm not saying anything'' She spit out, now understanding what the woman's intentions are.
''Alright'' she nod, taking a step back drops of blood dripping from the knife onto the ground, leaving a small trail as she walked away from her. The killers eyes again looking up to something above the glass window.
Just when the girl thought she was off the hook, the woman turned around. ''Guys take care of her''. With that the two man that were standing behind the glass, came through the door of the room. She wasn't that afraid of the woman, but she was definitely afraid of those two guys. She had fought with people, but never ones that looked that strong.
''I hope this will learn you'' The woman let out an evil laugh as she walked away, leaving her behind with the two man.
At the bureau Stacie got asked by Amy if she could take a deeper look into Max Locking. And surely it was a good thing they did, because they got a few hits. Stacie's eyes widened when she read through the information that popped up on her screen. She quickly printed the pages and ran out of the office towards the conference room where Chloe, Aubrey and Benji were. Cynthia gave a raised eyebrow to her partner's behavior before following the woman.
''I got something interesting and really disturbing, guys'' Stacie said as she walked through the door of the conference room, making all of them look up. Aubrey stood up and walked over to the tall girl. Stacie gave her boss the printed pages and let her read through them.
''No way'' Aubrey looked up after she was done reading, shock overtaking her face.
''Yes'' Stacie nod. ''I think, I know who our next victim is''.
''Who'' Chloe asked as she came up beside Aubrey.
''Ashley''.