- Part 1 -
Arrhythmia
Don't know what to expect;
My mind is racing, I can barely feel my breath.
Like a dream, I can't escape.
I wanna run, but I'm still here when I awake.
-Ruelle
"I am so sorry," Aubrey apologizes for what feels like the five-hundredth time. Her cheeks are flushed a deep shade of crimson. She bites back the tears stinging her eyes, swallows the bile in her throat, and wrestles her pants on over her wet skin. The fabric sticks uncomfortably to her legs. She tugs the button into the hole then quickly pulls up the zipper. The rest of the Bellas also tug their clothes on with frightening speed - except for Stacie, who takes a bit more time to make sure nothing is on backwards. "I promise you, Sir, nothing like this will happen again."
Mill stands with his back to them as they put their clothes on. "You know, I could have you all arrested for this," he points out. He makes an ambiguous hand motion back toward the ocean. "Swimming past hours. Removing your clothes in public."
Aubrey's entire face burns and her jaw trembles. Never in her life has she been arrested. She can only imagine what a record could do to her future career. Public Misdemeanor. This could ruin her entire life. She quickly pulls her shirt on over her head and forces her arms through the sleeves then pulls the fabric down over her stomach. Her mouth tastes bitter. The fully typed email she has drafted on her computer to send to her father after she's officially hired at the firm could never get sent.
"Aubrey, it's okay," Chloe mouths to her silently. She finishes buttoning her pants and picks up her shirt. "He's not going to do anything."
Aubrey ignores her and slips on her shoes.
"Sir, I'm too young for life in prison," Cynthia-Rose pipes up. "If I'm gonna be gettin' arrested, it's gotta be when I'm at least ninety and don't have a lot of years left to live."
"At least you're assured three meals a day," Amy tries to comfort her. She looks at Mills. "It is still three, right?"
"It's still three," Mills deadpans.
"Shouldn't you be reading us our Miranda Rights?" Beca straightens up from putting her shoes on.
"This is Beca's second time being arrested," Amy speaks out of the corner of her mouth. "She knows the ropes better than you do, Officer." She laughs and slaps her leg. Everyone, minus Mills, turns to look at her. Her laughter turns into a coughing noise then fades out.
Aubrey is almost positive she is going to vomit.
"No one is getting arrested," Mills states. He pauses. "I have bigger fish to fry in this town than you yahoos."
Yahoos? Aubrey frowns. She is a respectable young woman. She swallows and looks in his direction - wondering if and how his 'bigger fish' have anything to do with her.
"Are y'all dressed?" Mills asks.
Aubrey glances over at Chloe who has somehow managed to get stuck in her shirt while trying to find her sleeves. She closes the distance between them and helps her turn her shirt around and put it on correctly. She glances at the other Bellas to make sure they all have their clothes on then sniffles and looks at the sheriff's back. "Yes, Sir." She can't even imagine not calling him 'Sir' now. She kneels down and grabs Chloe's sweatshirt off the sand then hands it to her.
Mills clears his throat and turns around. He scans all of the Bellas, looking at all of them except for Aubrey. "Get back to your fire," he demands. "And don't let me catch you doing anything you shouldn't be doing again. You got it?" Most of them nod. All of them start to drag themselves back in the direction of the fire.
Except for Chloe. She hugs her sweatshirt and stands by Aubrey's side.
Mills looks at her. "Well, git," he demands.
Chloe lifts her head and draws in a breath. She silently glances up at Aubrey, suddenly ten times more mellow than minutes before when she had been trying to convince her to rip off her clothes and jump into the ocean. She doesn't argue with the sheriff - just resigns and takes a step in the direction of the fire.
Aubrey grabs her by the arm. She can't let her go back to the fire with Beca, and she can't let her alone while she's intoxicated either. "She's with me," she states and draws Chloe back to her side.
Mills looks at Aubrey for a fraction of a second then shifts his gaze to Chloe - staring at her for a few seconds longer. Studying her, almost. Not with the look of 'good egg' he gets when he looks at Aubrey. Aubrey frowns.
Chloe rubs one of her eyes with the back of her hand then resumes hugging her sweatshirt - staring off in the direction of the fire.
Aubrey realizes she's going to have a limited amount of time to get her into bed before she passes out. Aubrey will be damned if she has to carry her.
Mills finally gives a grunt of approval. "Let's go," he demands and starts walking.
An eerie feeling creeps down Aubrey's spine as she steps in the direction she's told to go. She tries to shake it off. A breeze sends a shiver through her body.
Chloe tugs on her arm. "Aubrey, we have to get our stuff," she whispers.
Aubrey looks down at her, having almost completely forgotten about her bag. She looks in the direction of the fire then at the back of Mills' head. "Sir, our stuff is still at the bonfire."
"Those people at that fire your friends?" Mills inquires.
Aubrey blinks then nods her head. "Yes, Sir." She looks at Chloe then back at the fire.
"Then someone'll notice and take your stuff back to your room." Mills keeps walking in the same direction, back toward the main road. "That or you'll get it in the morning."
Aubrey places a hand on Chloe's shoulder and picks up her pace so she's nearly walking beside him. She tries to form words, stuck on the thought of potentially having to return for her bag in the morning - leaving it on the beach all night, where it could be stolen. "Sir, my room key is in there," she lies and hopes it's not visible in her pocket.
"Maggie's got doubles," Mills answers.
Aubrey immediately slows her pace again. Leaving her key will make it easier for someone to break in again…
Chloe reaches for Aubrey's hand. "It's okay," she whispers in slurred words. She squeezes her fingers. "We'll come back for it."
"Tell me more about your group," Mills says. "That girl who was arrested before. What was she in for?"
"You mean Beca," Chloe jumps in before Aubrey can even process the question. "She punched an old guy."
Aubrey blinks and tries to recall what exactly happened that night. It feels so long ago. "Chloe, that's not why she was arrested," she reminds her.
"She what?" Mills asks in a flat tone.
"We were at a competition..." Chloe says. She stops hugging her sweatshirt and wrestles it on over her head, nearly tripping as she does so.
Aubrey presses her thumb and pointer finger against her forehead. "Chloe," she tries to stop her. Not only does the sheriff not need to know this, but she can't imagine Chloe telling this story well while intoxicated. It'll lead to Beca getting arrested again and then Chloe crying and begging Aubrey to bail her out.
Chloe ignores her and pulls her sweatshirt down. "And this old guy wanted her...her..." She pauses. "And this old guy wanted some other, completely irrelevant guy to shove a trophy up his butt. So Beca punched him. And then Fat Amy took the trophy and tried to shove it up, well, there. And Beca threw the trophy out the window. And she got arrested for destruction of public property."
Aubrey reaches over and pinches Chloe's arm so she'll stop talking.
"Ow, Aubrey!" Chloe hisses. She pulls her hand away and takes a step to the side, rubbing her arm. "What was that for?"
"He doesn't need to know that, Chloe," Aubrey mouths silently, keeping an eye on the back of Mills' head to make sure he can't see her. No one needs to know that.
"Anyone else in the wedding party ever been arrested?" Mills asks.
"I don't know," Aubrey answers honestly. She can't speak for anyone outside The Bellas - and she's even unsure of their records.
"What about you two?" Mills glances back at them.
"No, Sir," Aubrey answers quickly before Chloe can. She can't pinpoint a reason she's lying. She swallows hard. The desire to protect Chloe feels like it's consuming her - even though Chloe's two arrests had been minor.
Mills glances at Chloe.
Chloe silently shakes her head.
Mills grunts. He turns his head back around and starts down the main road.
Aubrey turns her head and takes one last look at the bonfire then faces forward. In the distance, blue and red lights flash - flickers that get brighter as they approach them. She furrows her brows. The questions, the lights; it hits her like a brick out of nowhere that two of her Bellas had gone missing from the fire. Her breath catches in her throat and she stumbles to catch up with the sheriff. "Did something happen to someone in the wedding party?" she asks. She tries to remain collected.
"Was everyone from your party at your bonfire?" Mills answers her question with another question.
The corners of Aubrey's lips twitch. If she was her father, she would have gotten to the bottom of this entire thing by now. She straightens her posture and walks directly beside Mills, matching his steps. "I'll make you a deal," she offers him. "I'll give you the name of someone who may have stolen your head spade if you tell me what is going on."
Mills draws to an immediate halt. He turns to face Aubrey. "Deal."
"What's a head spade?" Chloe stops beside the two of them. She stares up at Aubrey. "What is going on, Aubrey?"
Aubrey ignores her. "Bumper Allen," she states firmly.
"Bumper Allen?" Mills confirms the name.
Aubrey nods once. "Your turn." She folds her arms and locks eyes with him.
"Aubrey," Chloe tries again, more forcefully this time.
Mills sighs and drops his shoulders. He glances in the direction of the lights. "Where to start..." He shakes his head.
"Sheriff!" The innkeeper's voice rings from across the street. She looks both ways for cars then shuffles in their direction. "Sheriff, there you are." She pants. "I went to the station, but no one was there."
"Maggie," Mills acknowledges her.
Aubrey exhales a lengthy, exasperated sigh. Chloe continues to stare at her.
"Sheriff, my piano is missing," Maggie jumps straight to the point.
Mills blinks. "Your grand piano went missing?" he asks doubtfully.
"No, no, not that piano, Sheriff," Maggie replies and furiously shakes her head. She speaks without pausing for breath. "My music box in the lobby. It was there this morning when I checked on it, and now it's gone. You know the one. The one my -"
"Yeah, yeah, I know the one," Mills replies. He turns and stares in the direction of the police lights for a moment then bows his head. "I'll have the deputy at The Candlewick by morning."
"By morning?" Maggie takes a step back. "Now, Sheriff..." she tries to reason and persuade him.
"Don't 'now, Sheriff' me," Mills growls out in an unthreatening tone. He turns to Aubrey and Chloe. "You two," he orders, "Stay put." He narrows his eyes at them then leads Maggie off to the side.
Aubrey turns her head and watches him walk away. She drops her hands down by her sides and digs her nails into her palms. The muscles around her mouth twitch.
Mills whispers something in Maggie's ear that causes her to gasp and place her hands over her mouth. It takes all of Aubrey's determination not to go back to the inn and pack her bags at that very moment.
"Aubrey, I have a bad feeling," Chloe whispers. Her voice carries an uncharacteristic hesitancy. "We should be with everyone else."
Aubrey glances down and realizes that Chloe is still staring at her rather than at the sheriff. "It's okay," she mouths reassuringly. But she's beginning to think maybe leaving Chloe with Beca wasn't actually a bad idea. She pats her pocket then pulls out her phone and opens up her contacts. Beca can just run down here, escort Chloe back to the fire (or, better yet, to the inn)...
Chloe grabs her hands and covers her phone's screen with her palm. "You can't stay out here alone." She takes Aubrey's phone and closes her contacts then slips it back into her pocket. "I'm staying with you."
Aubrey lifts her head and looks around. Aside from the flashing lights, the sheriff, and Maggie, the street is empty. Not a cricket chirps. She can hear her own heart pounding in her chest. She turns her gaze back to Chloe. "Call Beca," she tells her calmly. "Tell her something is happening near the ice cream parlor and you need her to pick you up."
Chloe folds her arms tightly across her chest. "I'm not going anywhere without you, Aubrey," she replies adamantly. Her features soften again and her arms loosen. "I just want to make sure you're safe."
Aubrey doesn't have a moment to process her words. The sheriff begins to continue en route down the street and Maggie walks back the way she came. Aubrey lifts her head to watch him go. She grabs Chloe by the arm. "Let's go," she replies simply and begins to follow the sheriff, seeing no other choice. She's not going to go to jail for resisting a police officer.
"I don't like this, Aubrey," Chloe whispers. She peels Aubrey's hand away from her arm and laces their fingers. "I think we should tell him you have to go."
"He's a cop, Chloe." Aubrey practically pulls her down the street. She can see that the cop car is parked outside the ice cream parlor now - along with a civilian car. She decides that the ice cream parlor has been robbed just like the museum, and the sheriff is out to blame someone in the wedding party - and thinks she may have some answers. If that's the case, she's eager to help. "You can't just tell the police you have to go."
"This just feels bad, Aubrey," Chloe murmurs. She tightens her grip on Aubrey's hand and slides her other hand into the front pocket of her sweatshirt. She stares at the ice cream parlor as they approach it. "I heard something weird when we were here earlier."
Aubrey slows her pace. She hadn't heard anything. She leans her head down so her lips are closer to Chloe's ear, and she keeps an eye on the back of Mills' head. "What did you hear?" she asks.
Chloe shrugs and focuses on the asphalt as they walk with matching strides. She pulls her hand away from Aubrey's and slips it into her sweatshirt pocket with the other one. "I just thought I heard someone scream." She pauses. "But it was weird." She glances up at Aubrey with a slight grimace then looks back down at the ground. "It sounded weird – like it was muffled."
Aubrey weaves between the cars and leads Chloe over to the picnic bench - keeping an eye on Mills as he makes his way to the front door. The lights in the shop are off, but she can see a flashlight waving around through the window. The desire to see inside begins to outweigh the nervous tingling in her stomach. She turns back around to look at Chloe - who has taken her hands out of her pocket and is rubbing them up and down her arms. "Stay here." She places her hands on Chloe's shoulders and presses her down onto the bench seat. She expects a verbal response but Chloe just passively nods.
Chloe pulls her feet up onto the bench with her. She rests her elbow on the table and leans over so her head is resting in the crook of her arm. She drapes her other arm between her legs and midsection and picks at the fabric of her sweatshirt. Her eyelids are beginning to droop, and Aubrey looks back over at the building to debate taking Chloe inside with her. It's probably just a minor robbery after all. Then again, Chloe will be fine where she is.
"For serious, Chloe." Aubrey takes a step back toward the parlor. "Don't go anywhere." She's not sure she has to worry about Chloe wandering off now that. Chloe seems to have mostly started to sober up and looks like she might fall asleep with her head on the bench.
Chloe makes a quiet sniffing noise and lifts her head up off her arm. She rests it against her hand and nods. "Okay," she agrees in barely more than a murmur. Her shoulders are tense and she draws her knees closer to her chest, lifting her hand from her abdomen to pick at the table.
"I'm going to be as quick as I can," Aubrey assures her. Chloe just tangles her fingers up in her wet hair and nods again, not looking at her.
"Aubrey," Mills calls her name.
Aubrey tears her eyes away from Chloe and straightens up. Chloe is a big girl; she can wait for Aubrey outside alone. She walks around the front of the cars and stops beside the parlor door. Somewhere down the road, headlights turn the corner onto the main street and begin to head their way. She focuses on Mills. "I'd like some answers as to why I'm here, Sir," she all but firmly demands.
Mills locks eyes with her, his stony gaze reminding her of her father. "I'm just doing my job," he speaks with authority; the kind of authority that isn't yelling but still has the ability to make Aubrey feel much smaller. "There's been a death on the island."