Chapter 8

FERRIS DIPPER

When Ferris Dipper woke up the morning after receiving the email from someone he sincerely hoped was actually named Felix Fisk, he wanted to curl right back up and go into hibernation for the next month.

He was exhausted physically, mentally, and especially emotionally. He had done less since Ashley's murder than he had done in the last year, perhaps less than he had done in his whole life. He had not chased after an offender since Pyr Iskie's arrest, he had not been constantly working around camp, he had not been on his feet all day except to eat, and he had barely done anything that could count in the loosest of terms as exercise. Most of his days had been spent trying to get one little task done and the rest had been spent trying to seem like he was busy.

But he still knew that if he closed his eyes, he could slip right back into a deep sleep.

And despite how tempting the thought was, he knew he had to get up and, at a minimum, try.

Things needed to get done, and he at least had to attempt each one.

His alarm continued to sound to the tune of a song that he had once enjoyed but now disliked since it always meant he had to remove himself from the warmth of his blankets, and he reached out to his phone and turned it off, then got out of bed with a long stretch.

Ferris was the first one in the kitchen, and the house was silent. It wasn't a surprise that he was the only one up; it happened frequently.

Sunlight trickled through the windows in the living area, blanketing the couch and coffee table in a soft glow. The first chirps of the birds had already begun, and they would continue as the early morning gave way to midday.

Ferris started a pot of coffee, making as much as the machine could since he knew the rest of NYTE would want some. It used to be at least two whole pots, filled until they were nearly overflowing, and often three pots before everyone had gotten their fill of caffeine. But now, without Ashley, there had been some left over in the second batch, and no one had the heart to drink it. Something just felt off about consuming what would've been Ashley's morning cup of coffee. Most often, the pot sat there on the counter; no one wanted to dump it down the sink, but no one wanted to drink it.

As the coffee machine whirred to life, Ferris plucked the tv remote from the coffee table and turned on the news. He kept the volume on low and turned on the subtitles.

Shaheena Driscoll sat at the Waverwell News desk in a tight-fitting dress and a gold necklace. A stack of papers were neatly stacked in front of her.

"Good morning, Waverwell," she said. "We are coming to you live from Raconteur, and I hope you are all doing well on this bright and sunny morning. I am Shaheena Driscoll."

The camera panned out from being zoomed in on just her.

"And I am Jaymes Haverfield." He wore a grey suit and a burgundy tie. "Let's get right to it: Breaking overnight— a country-wide lockdown is now in effect, put into place just last night by Cynthia Corville after she and the rest of Waverwell government's top officials took the decision to a vote, where all but Harold Morris voted in favor of the action in response to the disease rampaging through the country. When asked by reporters, Harold said that he felt the impact of the lockdown on the economy would be too great and that it would cause massive lasting effects for the years, and possibly decades, to come."

After placing two slices of bread in the toaster, Ferris walked out of the kitchen to stand behind the couch, arms on its back.

"What does this lockdown mean for Waverwell?" Shaheena asked. "It means that you will be spending a lot more time in your homes. Doctors are still learning more about this disease, and are asking you all to stay home. They say that, for now, this is the best thing you can do to keep both yourself and your loved ones safe, as well as those around you and in your communities.

"In a message from the Corville Medical Center, you do not need to panic. This disease is very different from those doctors already know about, but they are researching it tirelessly. Those who are sick with it have had mostly mild cases, and there have been no known deaths from the disease as of yet. Doctors are advising everyone to take this seriously and do your part by staying at home and practicing good hygiene, but they are saying that there is no need to panic.

"We will continue to give you more information as we become aware of it, and on our website, you can learn more. We have also added links to the Corville Medical Center and the report given by Cynthia Corville on the lockdown."

Just as Ferris's toast popped up, the camera shifted to Jaymes. Ferris turned and walked back into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee and prepare his toast.

"Another breaking story also out of Corville," Jaymes said. "A body was discovered yesterday by some customers at the Corville shopping center. Lead detective Ryzor Oberhofer of the Corville Precinct has offered little information about the body, but it has been confirmed to be a murder and sources are saying that the Moonfall Precinct has gotten into contact with Ryzor, leading some to question whether or not there may be a connection to the murder of Ashley Baok from just a few weeks ago."

Ferris slowly looked up at the tv with a frown, setting down his knife and the piece of toast he was spreading butter on.

A connection to Ashley? He asked himself as he crossed the room back to the tv.

He had never thought he would ever be a part of some tangled-up mystery like this— as a kid, the only murder mysteries he had seen could always be puzzled out by the end of the episode, with the help of some key piece of information hidden away in a drawer or locked away in the depths of someone's mind. Everything would be solved with a neat little bow, and everything would move on.

But it's not the case here, he thought bitterly as he sat down on the couch to focus on the news. Even when Ashley's murder got solved and those responsible got thrown in jail with the key tossed away forever, nothing would be the same again. Ashley wouldn't come back to life. The rest of Waverwell might move on to the next big story. They might forget Ashley even existed until someone shared a post on Muse, asking hey, remember this story from a while ago? It was a crazy one!

But there would be no moving on for NYTE.

There might be some semblance of recovery and coming to terms with the fact that his friend had his life ripped away from him in the worst way possible, but it wasn't something he could ever forget and let go, as if he'd lost his favorite pair of shoes. It would always be there, just out of view in his mind, ready for whenever his thoughts wandered or when the wound had finally begun to scab over.

"Early this morning, the victim was identified as twenty-three-year-old Alaska Wendell March," Jaymes said as the camera zoomed out and an image of Alaska showed up on the screen behind him. Alaska was smiling as she held a small dog, and her tawny hair framed her face. "Her friends and family say she was kind and caring and loved walking her dogs and spending time with loved ones. She was last seen three days ago as she was leaving work, and after a long search, it ended in the way everyone was hoping and praying it wouldn't turn out to be. A friend from her job shared this message on Muse: Alaska, it doesn't feel real that you are gone. I keep thinking I'm going to see you. I'm so sorry. I hope you're in a better place now. You were an amazing friend, and I already miss you so, so much. I wish we could've gotten more time together."

Ferris paused the tv.

He raced into his room, tiptoeing so as not to disturb anyone— the house was still silent.

He opened his laptop, typed in his password, and opened up his email. The draft of his message to Larson Hotch was nearing completion.

Hello, Detective Larson Hotch

This is Ferris Dipper.

Yesterday Kristin Baok received an email from someone claiming to be the witness to Ashley Baok's murder. They said their name is Felix Fisk.

I don't know if they're really the witness, although I certainly hope they are. I have attached the email Kristin received. There isn't anything in there that only the witness would know as far as I could tell. I'm not sure if it will yield anything new, but I hope it will provide something for you.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to aid in your investigation into Ashley's murder.

Ferris Dipper

He skimmed it one more time, then sent it after adding the email Kristin had received.

Hopefully it would lead to something.

Because... well, it had to lead to something.

Ferris couldn't go down the road of this not panning out into useful information and being left right where things started in the search for Ashley's killers. He couldn't let the idea take root. What type of person would he be if he just let his friend's killers walk free? He couldn't do it. He had to find them, whoever they were and wherever they were.

It was a minor miracle Ferris had Asa and Azrael Smith's contact information— he didn't remember ever getting an email address for them.

He typed into the address bar.

He was certain that Asa and Azrael already knew of the second murder. If Larson knew like Jaymes had said on Waverwell News, wouldn't Asa and Azrael have been informed as well?

After Ashley's death, the then-SFPU had been told that they could reach out with any questions, that they would be kept informed, never be left in the dark. Would this second murder still fall under that umbrella?

Ferris wasn't reaching out over morbid curiosity, that twisted little instinct that made you slow down to look at a car accident, although that got destroyed in him after his fathers' deaths. Now he looked away in shows and movies whenever there was a crash, his mind coming up with countless ways his parents might have felt in those last few moments.

Ferris was reaching out over the need to help get his friend some justice and hold his killers accountable. That made it ok, right? Just like with sending the email from possibly a Felix Fisk to Larson, asking Asa and Azrael about this new murder and a possible connection to Ashley was looking for answers, searching anywhere that might yield even a crumb, because a crumb was better than nothing.

After losing his parents, Ferris had moped around in his house for weeks, barely leaving. It was like he'd been somewhere between life and death, technically alive but only in the medical sense— heart beating, brain functioning. But he might as well have been a ghost. He hardly remembered those weeks, where he'd done little more than lay in bed and walk aimlessly through the hallways, avoiding his fathers' bedroom.

Only after he had buried his fathers did he begin to climb out of the hole he'd been in and realize that Tony and Toby wouldn't have wanted this of him. He knew he had told Kristin that he couldn't speak for Ashley, but all those months ago, he knew his fathers would've wanted him to try to live.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

It was what sparked him to write that letter to Cynthia that there was something wrong with the laws against poaching, something wrong with Silverlight Forest, something Ferris could help fix. He had all but known it would barely even get to the Waverwell government building in Corville, wouldn't even get close to Cynthia's desk, but by some miracle it did, and Cynthia replied. From there, the SFPU had been created.

Ferris had wondered again and again that if he had never reached out, would Ashley still be alive?

But without answers as to who murdered him, Ferris had no way of knowing. It made his heart twist in his chest, made bile rise in his throat, made his fingers clench into fists as he gritted his teeth. Tears burned in his eyes, but he blinked them away rapidly.

He had shed enough tears already. Now it was time to put his head down and get to work. He needed to find who murdered Ashley so they could be brought to justice, tried against a jury, and locked away until the end of time.

If there really was a connection to Alaska Wendell March's murder, maybe something would be found that could lead both Ashley and Alaska to get justice.

Ferris turned his attention back to his computer screen, where the cursor still flashed next to

Dear Asa and Azrael Smith,

This is Ferris Dipper.

As I'm sure you have probably heard, there has been another murder. There seems to be a possible connection to Ashley Baok?

I am not sure how it would work with the lockdown, but would it be possible to meet and discuss this?

Please let me know and we can work out a time to meet.

Thank you!

Ferris Dipper

With a sigh, Ferris leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms up over his head and arching his back.

We will find who did this, he told himself. Just take a deep breath and keep it all together.

He sent the email.

He had a plan now, a clearer path forward. It settled his mind. Searching for his friend's killer was something he never thought he'd have to do, but he was now doing it.

xxxx

"Oh, hey, Ferris," Ren said as he returned to the kitchen.

"Hey," he replied on autopilot, brushing past them to retrieve his now long cold toast.

"You left the news on, and I saw there was another murder. A lockdown, too."

"Yeah, I already reached out to Asa and Azrael to see if there's really a connection. And yeah, there's a lockdown. Not supposed to go outside without a reason. Well, outside meaning into Moonfall. The middle of Silverlight Forest probably doesn't really count." Ferris took a big bite out of one of the pieces of toast.

"Oh, there's a connection?" Ren echoed.

"Yeah, a possible connection to Ashley's murder."

"What?" Kristin asked, walking into the living area from his room.

"There was another murder yesterday. The victim's name was Alaska Wendell March. There might be a connection to Ashley since it might've been the Trinity. I emailed Asa and Azrael to ask about what they knew." Ferris took another bite.

"You couldn't have waited? We could've looked into this as a group," Kristin said.

Ferris paused, setting down his plate. He swallowed before replying. "I was going to tell you. And we can still look into it. It's not an either-or situation."

"Yeah..." Kristin trailed off before starting over. "How much do you know?"

"What do you mean?" Ferris frowned.

"How much do you know? It's obvious you've been doing your own little investigation."

Ferris forced down the hackles that arose at Kristin's borderline accusatory tone. "Of course I've been doing research on my own! Ashley got murdered, and I can't just sit around here and do nothing!"

"So how much do you know?" Kristin asked again. "Let's just get everything out on the table. You know stuff about my brother that you've just been keeping to yourself. So, once and for all, let's just get it all out there."

"Fine," Ferris sighed, pulling a chair out from the table and sitting down, deflating like a punctured balloon. He put his hands on his cheeks as he hunched over.

"I don't think I really know any more than the rest of you. I know Ashley was murdered by the Trinity, whoever they are. I don't know their identities, although I sure would like to. I know there's something in his journals, but I can't find the piece that will bring it all together. I mean, he wouldn't have gone to the lengths he did by creating the Caspian Lyon persona, the Caspian Lyon account on Muse, and publishing a whole book called Pockets of Gold and Silver, all over nothing. There's something there. If Alaska really was killed by the Trinity, then there's gotta be something connecting her to Ashley. I doubt it'll be some big, bold thing though. Probably some small, random little thing no one would think to look at. The Trinity's good... unfortunately good. I know the Moonfall Precinct and the task force are the ones who can really hunt down Ashley's murderers, but I also can't just sit around here and twiddle my thumbs all day. It's going to destroy me."

"You couldn't have told us what you were doing? We could've looked at it together."

Ferris couldn't look up to face Kristin head on. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just... I couldn't sit around all day. I'm sorry."

It was the truth. He really was. He knew he wasn't thinking straight. Ashley's death was a blow all on its own, and losing him brought up all of the memories of losing his parents that he thought he had gotten over and worked through.

"I was trying to help. I should have told you what I was doing, and the more eyes on something, the better. I apologize. This... this is a really tough time for all of us, and I know I'm not in the best headspace."

Kristin groaned. "Quit being so calm. You're always so... so careful with your wording."

Ferris shrugged in reply.

But before he could respond out loud, his phone buzzed.

When Ferris pulled it out of his pocket, a reply from Asa and Azrael was awaiting him.

"Can they come?" Ren asked, placing their dishes in the sink and reaching for the tap.

"Yeah, this afternoon if we're able," Ferris said. "They're happy to discuss the details of the case that they can talk about, since both Ashley and Alaska's cases are open and they need to keep some of the details within law enforcement. With the lockdown, we'll have to meet outside and at a distance. Us living in the middle of Silverlight Forest helps with that."

"Great," Kristin murmured. "We'll get more information."

He didn't sound as enthusiastic as Ferris thought he usually would, but he supposed it also made sense— they were going to be discussing his brother's death. There wouldn't be a normal reaction to that sort of thing, especially considering his brother had died in about the most unnatural way possible.

Ferris crossed back into the kitchen and swept his coffee mug off the counter, refilling it and then downing its contents just as Charlie wandered out of her room, muffling a yawn behind her hand. Zip followed a few paces behind her.

"I was, like, half listening in my room. Just to clear things up: Another person got murdered and there might be a connection to Ashley, there's a lockdown so we all gotta stay at home, and Asa and Azrael are coming over later?" Charlie asked as she opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk.

"Yeah," Ferris said. "Asa and Azrael are coming over this afternoon."

"Have some coffee with your milk," Ren murmured, a slight smile on their face.

"Was that a joke from you, Ren?" Charlie snickered as she stirred her drink, hip propped up against the counter.

"Sort of," they replied.

xxxx

Ferris wasn't sure he would've pinned Asa and Azrael as siblings at first glance; Azrael had wild and fiery red hair with freckles splattered across her face and a big presence that reminded him of Charlie. Asa, despite being about the same size as her sister, felt smaller. She had a careful expression on her face as she took in every aspect of her surroundings, trailing behind her sister who had blazed ahead. Her straight brown hair had been cut in a straight line at her shoulders, and it brushed her long coat that swept across the backs of her legs with every step.

But he supposed that a part of it might have been that much of his experience with the idea of siblings had been with Kristin and Ashley— identical twins. As a child in Cloverleaf, he hadn't seen too many families with more than one child; it was uncommon since most people who lived in the city worked in the mines, and there was neither the time nor the money to dedicate to more than one child.

It was something his fathers had talked about. They both had wanted a big family, but their paychecks could only stretch so far. So instead they turned their attention to Ferris and gave him the best childhood they could, something Ferris had always been grateful for.

Charlie opened the gate to the courtyard of the camp and let in Asa and Azrael. The two sisters drove a big, black car that was somehow also oddly discreet. Ferris thought that if he saw it driving down the road, his eyes would just slide right over it without ever realizing he'd actually seen it.

"Hey, Ferris," Azrael said with a wave as she hopped out of the passenger side and approached the NYTE house. "Wish I could've been here under better circumstances."

"Yeah, me too. We'll be out here." Ferris gestured to the courtyard, where a ring of chairs had been arranged in a circle, all spread far apart and taking up a large portion of the space.

"Oh, awesome." She pulled two of the chairs closer together and sat down in one. Asa followed suit after rearranging some papers in her briefcase.

"So, I'm not sure if you've heard," Asa started, "but there was another murder."

Kristin remained stone-faced, but Ferris saw the slight twitch in his cheek. A clench of his jaw that was his tell— he had done some more research on what little there was about Alaska's murder. The look he gave Asa was less of an even stare and more of a glare, although Ferris knew there wasn't any anger behind it.

"Saw it on Muse," Charlie said, voice edging toward a drawl. "Sucky."

Azrael widened her eyes briefly, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Something like that."

"Anyway, we've been in contact with Ryzor at the Corville Precinct since there is what we're now believing is a very likely connection to Ashley."

Kristin's knuckles paled as he tightened his hands into fists. He took a slow, jagged breath that was exhaled through teeth.

"You're telling me," Kristin said, face hidden in his hands, "that the same people who murdered my brother have done it again?" His voice was low, and there was a sharp edge to it.

Zip narrowed his eyes, fingers pausing from assembling and disassembling a pen he'd had in his pocket.

Asa paused, mulling over the words. "Yes," she said. "Unfortunately, we believe so."

"Well, why haven't you caught them yet? For God's sake, there's three of them! Aren't most criminals just working alone? Why can't you catch three... three-. Three monsters? They need to-to pay!" The words caught in Kristin's throat, and he swallowed, voice cracking when he continued. He jumped to his feet, kicking at his chair and sending it skittering away.

"I'm going inside," he grumbled before stalking away, hands fisting in his hair. The door to the NYTE house slammed shut behind him, rattling on its hinges.

An apology was on Ferris's tongue, but Azrael waved a hand at him. "He's got every reason to be furious. Don't worry 'bout it."

"We're somewhat used to it," Asa added. "Many of the people we talk with, they're going through the toughest time in their lives. People aren't in full control of their emotions when they're trying to cope with that. I can't ever blame someone who's going through this for snapping. You don't have anything to worry about. Feel your emotions. It never goes well bottling them up."

Something flickered across Charlie's face, but Ferris didn't press. Her arms were crossed across her chest and she was slumped back in her chair, eyes hard and dark.

Zip pulled his legs up onto his chair, crossing them and hunching over as he ceased toying with the pen and instead tugged apart the laces of his shoes to retie them.

Asa waited for Ferris to nod before continuing. "We cannot get into too many details, but we do know how important it is for you to stay up-to-date on what's happening. Ashley was a close friend of yours and was Kristin's brother. I hope you can understand that some details we cannot share, both to protect Alaska's privacy since her investigation is separate from Ashley's as of right now, and because some aspects we need to keep under lock and key to make sure that we catch the right people. We want to arrest and prosecute those responsible just as much as you do, but we need to make sure it's done right."

"Yeah, we get that," Charlie said.

"Alright." Asa smiled. "So Alaska's body was found yesterday by the Corville shopping center. The Corville Precinct is still looking for more evidence at the scene and is in the process of speaking with friends and family to gather more information, but the biggest reason we're suspecting that she was murdered by the Trinity is simply because of her injuries. I will not go into detail since I don't feel it's necessary and I don't think you want to know, but they... they were horrific, and they have similarities to those Ashley suffered."

"Was there also a lack of evidence left behind like at Ashley's crime scene?" Ren asked. "I heard there was little there."

"We were speaking with Ryzor on our way in here, and it seems that way."

"Do you know what similarities there might between Ashley and Alaska?" Ferris asked. "Kristin's probably a better person for this, but I hadn't heard of Alaska before today, and I can't recall Ashley ever mentioning someone named Alaska."

Azrael sighed. "Yeah, so I was digging into her life last night, looking at that. And while there's only so much internet scouring one can do in an evening, there's nothing I've been able to find that connects Alaska and Ashley, apart from both having names that start with the letter 'A'. Living in Waverwell, too, I suppose, but that's to be expected. That's not me confirming there is nothing, please understand that— it's just me saying there's nothing that I've found so far."

Charlie pursed her lips, and Ferris knew her mind had locked onto something.

"So what are you doing right now to find the Trinity?" She asked.

Azrael seemed unsurprised by the question. "We're examining all of the evidence we've found and are formulating an idea on who the hell these people might be. We are also retracing Ashley's steps during his time in Moonfall and are going through security tapes in stores to see who interacted with him and if we can get any clues. And, last I heard, Larson was compiling a list of questions to ask you as a follow-up to the interviews he did shortly after Ashley's death. He might reach out to you."

Ferris let his gaze fall to his interlaced fingers. He ran his thumb across his knuckles.

See, he told himself. They're looking. You can look too, but the experts are searching and they have a plan.

He didn't know how Alaska's murder would change things, but he had trust that the Corville Precinct would be able to work everything out and that if it was determined that she had been murdered by the Trinity and they joined forces with Asa and Azrael and the Moonfall Precinct, that they'd be able to get to the bottom of the Trinity and what had happened to Ashley.

Alaska, too, he added. Her friends and family deserved answers as well.

We'll find the Trinity, Ashley, Ferris said silently, willing his friend to hear. We'll find everything you were trying to tell us in your journal, and then we'll tell everyone, just like you asked.