Chapter 5: Teaming Up With the Eds*

The night air was crisp, the kind that made you pull your coat tighter around yourself, even if it wasn't quite cold enough for a full shiver. Marie sat on the rusted metal of the fire escape, staring out at the quiet streets below. The cigarette between her fingers burned softly, its orange glow flickering in the darkness, but she hadn't taken a single drag. She just needed something to hold on to.

She sighed and flicked a bit of ash off the edge of the fire escape, letting the cigarette dangle from her fingertips. Quitting was harder than she thought. She wasn't even a heavy smoker, not really, but something about the weight of the cigarette between her fingers grounded her. It gave her a sense of control, like she could make everything slow down for just a moment.

A creak of metal from behind her made Marie glance over her shoulder. Double D—Edd, as he preferred to be called now—was standing at the open window, his eyes cautious but concerned.

"Marie?" he asked softly. "Mind if I join you?"

Marie shrugged. "It's your fire escape."

Edd stepped out, carefully navigating the narrow space and sitting down beside her. He was still dressed neatly, as usual, a thin sweater and slacks, but his glasses were slightly askew, and he had put on his classic beanie to protect him from the cold. Clearly, he was just as restless as she was if he was up at this hour.

They sat in silence for a moment, the quiet sounds of the town below filling the gap between them.

"You don't actually smoke," Edd said finally, his voice gentle but curious.

Marie smiled wryly. "Yeah. Trying to quit. Holding onto one helps, though. Calms me down." She twirled the cigarette between her fingers before snuffing it out on the metal railing. "Doesn't make a damn bit of sense, but there it is."

Edd adjusted his glasses, his gaze softening. "I understand. We all have our coping mechanisms."

Marie glanced at him, then turned her eyes back to the street. "You don't know the half of it."

Edd hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "You seem… troubled. Is it the murders?"

Marie snorted, shaking her head. "Troubled? That's putting it lightly." She leaned back, her elbow resting on the cold metal. "I didn't want to tell you guys this earlier, but I'm the cop assigned to the latest case—the one you've been talking about on your show."

Edd's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt.

Marie continued, her voice hardening. "The sheriff put me on it to keep me busy, to 'ease me back into things.' But it's a joke. He's not giving me any resources. No extra officers. No backup. Just a stack of files and a pat on the head. He thinks these murders are just random. Not worth the effort."

Edd frowned, his brow furrowing in thought. "And you disagree."

"Damn right, I do," Marie said, her voice low but fierce. "I know these deaths are connected. They have to be. The victims—the ones who've been found—they're all marginalized. Homeless, sex workers, people who won't be missed. But there are so many more who are missing. It's not random."

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "The sheriff thinks I'm wasting my time chasing shadows, but I can feel it. Someone with power, with resources, is behind this. Someone who can make bodies disappear, or at least make it so no one cares when they do. But I can't prove it. Not without help."

Edd nodded, thoughtful. "And that's why you're out here, alone, frustrated. You're fighting a battle without the tools you need."

Marie sighed, the anger seeping out of her like the last embers of her cigarette. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Edd was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he turned to her, his expression earnest. "What if we help you?"

Marie blinked. "What?"

"You said the victims are people on the fringes—people the police won't talk to. But they'll talk to us," Edd said, his voice growing more determined. "Ed, Eddy, and I—we've spent enough time on the streets, talking to people for the podcast. The girls know us, or at least trust us enough to tell us what they've seen. If we go with you, they might open up."

Marie stared at him, surprised by the offer. "You'd do that?"

Edd smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. "This town may be small, but these are still people. No one deserves to be forgotten like this. If we can help… we should."

Marie watched him for a long moment, her guard lowering slightly. For all of Edd's awkwardness, there was a sincerity about him she couldn't deny. He wasn't just offering because it would make for a good story on their podcast. He genuinely wanted to help. Maybe she could use that.

"Alright," she said finally, nodding. "We'll go down to the streets tomorrow. But we do it my way. Got it?"

"Of course," Edd said quickly, relieved. "We'll follow your lead."

The tension between them eased, the weight of the night pressing in on them both a little less. For the first time in a while, Marie felt like she might have a shot at getting somewhere with this case.

--

The next day, the four of them—Marie, Edd, Eddy, and Ed—made their way to the part of town where the girls worked. Marie was familiar with this side of town as the trailer park she grew up in was nearby, but she hadn't been home in so many years, the people were unfamiliar. The local street girls worked on the fringes, in the parts of town that Peach Creek's respectable citizens avoided. But the Eds seemed to know their way around, and they didn't attract as much attention as Marie might have on her own.

They approached a group of women huddled under a streetlamp, smoking and talking quietly. When the Eds stepped forward, a few of the women recognized them immediately, their guarded expressions softening.

"Eddy," one of the women called, "You boys here to ask more questions for your show?"

Eddy grinned and raised his hands in mock innocence. "Only if you've got something to share, sweetheart."

Marie watched as the girls laughed, clearly at ease with Eddy's cocky charm. But when their eyes drifted to Marie, their smiles faded. One of them, a young woman with blonde hair tied in a messy bun, eyed her suspiciously.

"Who's the cop?"

Marie stepped forward before Eddy could say anything. "I'm not here to arrest anyone. I'm just trying to find out what happened to the girls who've gone missing. I think you know more than the cops are willing to hear."

The blonde girl crossed her arms. "And why should we trust you?"

"Because I'm not like them," Marie said firmly. "I actually give a damn about what's happening to you. I'm trying to stop this."

There was a long pause, but then one of the other girls spoke up, her voice quiet but trembling. "You're talking about Melissa, right? And the others?"

Marie nodded. "Yeah."

"They're gone," the girl said, her voice shaky. "One by one. And no one's doing a damn thing about it."

"Do you know who's behind it?" Marie asked, her tone softening.

The girl hesitated, glancing around as if someone might be watching. "I don't know who… but it's not just one person. It can't be. The girls don't just disappear. There's no sign, no trace. Whoever it is—they've got money. Power. They can make things happen."

Marie's mind raced. This wasn't just some low-level thug picking off women. This was organized, methodical. Someone with money and connections.

A network.

"Is there anything else? Anything you've seen or heard?" Marie pressed gently.

The blonde girl bit her lip, clearly nervous. "There's talk. Some of the girls say they've seen men in suits. Fancy cars, blacked-out windows. They show up late, right before a girl goes missing. But we don't ask questions. Too dangerous."

Marie nodded, her suspicions confirmed. Whoever was behind this had resources. Connections that reached far beyond the streets.

She glanced at Edd, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. This was bigger than she had anticipated. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could chase it without putting herself—and now the Eds—at serious risk.

But one thing was certain: she wasn't backing down.