Chapter Ninety-Eight

When Lila next opened her eyes, she felt confused by the feeling of warmth enveloping her. The last she could recall, she was watching a movie at Asher’s…

At almost that exact instant, Lila’s eyes fell upon Asher’s arms, having made their way across her torso. He still looked to be sleeping… had he cuddled her in his sleep? Or had she, him?

The movie seemed to be at its tail end – not yet reaching the credits – and Lila didn’t feel like extracting herself from him just yet. It was comforting, after all.

Just as she accepted that this was her life now, though, Asher began to stir. His arms pressed against her chest for a moment before his eyes blinked open. He smiled at her, though his eyes looked foggy. Then –

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” he said, instantly sitting up. His cheeks were rosy, his eyes wide with alarm.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lila replied gently. “It’s fine.”

“… It’s fine?”

“Yeah. You weren’t bothering me.”

He fell silent for a second, then rubbed his face, sighing exasperatedly.

“I… just keep wanting to be close to you,” he whispered. “But I know I shouldn’t. It’s rude and entirely selfish, especially given how we are. I’m sorry.”

“Like I said, it’s fine. I’m… not confused.”

Of course, her sentence sounded half-hearted, but he didn’t seem to pick up on it. Instead, he fell back onto the couch, shaking his head. His facial expression seemed displeased, but it looked to Lila as though this displeasure was more for himself, rather than anything regarding her.

They watched the end of the movie without speaking a word, Asher yawning once in a while.

“I ended up telling my Dad,” Asher piped up as the trailer for the sequel started playing.

“About?”

“About… how much I like you. And that you like me too. He asked why we weren’t dating, but I couldn’t put it into words. Then, Marlene told him about Holly and he got super mad and jumped into the ocean.”

“… Is that a normal reaction for your Dad?”

“What?”

“To jump in the ocean when he gets mad.”

“Well, we’re not normally near the ocean, so I guess not.”

“You know, I never would’ve guessed that your Dad could be so… I don’t know what the word is…”

“Embarrassing?”

“Were you embarrassed?”

“I wasn’t until he started hollering and howling about how cold the water was. He came back pretty quick, then told me to go in.”

Lila tilted her head, searching for the right words to match her thoughts, with an amused smile. “I think… the word I’m looking for is lively. He’s always so serious and quiet, I guess, every time I see him here.”

“Ah,” Asher paused, sitting up. “He’s not usually so lively, that’s true. Except when Mum’s around and he’s got a spare moment for a breather. I think the pressure of being so serious and important at work can get to him. I reckon he needed the holiday the most… he’s been a lot quicker to anger lately.”

He trailed off, looking towards the TV before adding, “I think he was overcompensating, too. Since Mum’s always the lively one. But… she wasn’t there with us.”

“Did you guys talk? About your Mum?” Lila questioned in a low, soothing voice. His eyes flickered to hers before he leaned back, stretching his arms above his head.

“’Course. He cornered himself, by taking me away on an unexpected vacation. Especially since I couldn’t use my phone. But…”

“But?”

He sighed heavily, drawing the blanket up higher, almost to his neck. “But I didn’t get anything out of him.”

“That makes it sound like you think he’s got something to hide.”

Asher furrowed his brow, his mouth twitching as though he was struggling to articulate his words. “I… I don’t want to think he did something to Mum or is hiding something. But he basically said the same stuff he’s been saying. I even really pressed him on it.”

“What’d he say?”

Asher brought a fist to his forehead, tapping it gently. “That… he misses Mum, too. He said he didn’t have any answers for me, and… he wished she wasn’t gone. Then he told me to not worry about the police or anything. Well, just to not go to them.”

“That… sounds odd. What did he say when you pressed him?”

“Just that he didn’t know anything, besides knowing how I feel. ‘Cause he misses Mum too. And that it’s been a tough year.”

“Did you ask why he said not to go to the police?”

“’Course I did. But he just said that they’re not helpful.”

“So has he gone to the police then?”

“I asked that, too, but he wouldn’t say.”

“Asher… that just sounds so suspicious.”

“I know. It’s not like I can force him to give me answers, though.”

“Did you ask Marlene?”

Asher’s face turned pale as he shook his head. “Not going near that lady with anything about Mum at all. She… was acting hella weird, during our vacation.”

“Besides the fact that your maid went on vacation with you?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, she did all the maidly things, I guess, but she basically had my phone the whole time.”

“Had your phone?”

“Yeah. She took it from me, told me that reception didn’t work anyway so there was no point having it.”

“Is that why all your messages to me seemed so weird?”

Asher flashed a grin at her, one that made her heart thump in her throat. “Glad you picked up on it.”

“O-Of course I did. They were too different.”

“I meant it, though.”

“Sorry?”

Asher sat forward, leaning towards her, and gazed into her eyes intently. Lila’s breathing stilted, her attention entirely focused on his face. He seemed gravely serious all of a sudden.

“I missed you,” he finally said, his eyes still trained on hers. “Not being able to talk to you nearly killed me.”

‘Is this it? Is he going to ask me to be his girlfriend?’ Lila couldn’t help thinking, her face blushing deeply under the intensity and sincerity of his expression.

“I-I missed you, too. Like crazy.”

He smiled brightly. “I’m glad it wasn’t just me.”

“I mean, you’re my best friend. Of course I’d miss you.”

Something in his eyes shifted – was it a glimmer of disappointment? He ruffled his hair before crossing his arms across his chest.

“I did end up fighting with Marlene, though,” he said, his tone suddenly bashful. “Dad got a call while we were in town, so I kinda demanded that Marlene let me message you, at least.”

“Is that why you said ‘Marlene says hi’?”

“Yeah, she was over my shoulder the whole time, telling me to hurry it up. She’d just gotten a taxi for us.”

“I see…”

“When I saw the article Isaac sent, the one about the murder, I freaked out. For a moment, when I saw the title, I thought it was you. Especially since you hadn’t responded yet.”

A quiver ran through Lila, reverberating right down to her very bones. In a parallel universe, would it have been her? The fact that both Isaac and Asher thought it was her initially made her feel very uneasy…

“So… you did end up reading that it was Piper, huh.”

“Yeah,” Asher replied simply. “It’s a gnarly way to go.”

“How do you feel about it?” Lila looked at him sharply, assessing his reaction.

“Honestly? Fucking terrified,” he gave a laugh that was devoid of any particular emotion. Gritting his teeth, he continued. “It’s made me worried about your safety, actually.”

“Mine?”

“Yeah. Some maniac is running around murdering teen girls? I don’t know if you know this, but you’re a teen girl.”

“Wait, I’m a what now?”

Asher cracked a small smile, before placing his head in both hands. “And… I… feel like a terrible person.”

“How so?” Lila leaned in, hanging onto every word he said.

“… The fact that she’s dead… it makes me feel so relieved. Like I can finally live my life without worrying about when she’s going to pop up next. A-And she can’t fuck with me anymore. Or you. It’s… freeing.”

Lila watched on as he clenched his fists on either side of his forehead. “But… feeling relieved that Piper got murdered feels like I may as well have killed her myself.”

The weight of his words was almost unbearable, crushing any air left in her lungs. They stayed suspended in a pause for a few moments before he gave her a sideways glance. Unclenching his fists, he groaned in exasperation. “Shouldn’t have said that. Makes me sound insane.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“It doesn’t,” Lila said quietly. “I… understand where you’re coming from. I don’t think anyone would blame you for feeling like that. She… well, I guess it’s not as though our lives are any worse off now that she’s gone. Except… that now I’m scared outta my mind about whether or not I’m next. And regardless, it was such an awful way to die.”

“You’re not wrong. About any of that, I think. Well, maybe some would blame me. They might even say that I should’ve given her a chance. But… there was no way that was gonna happen, even if I didn’t find out about her stalking and spreading rumours about me.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well… I mean, I had an actual girlfriend and kept thinking about you. Which I still don’t feel guilty about, after seeing Holly at the shops. I… don’t think Piper would’ve ever had a chance.”

Lila wasn’t sure what to say in response. Luckily, he quickly moved on.

“What about you? How are you feeling about it all?” he asked sincerely.

“Pretty much as you are. But… I definitely don’t want to go out anywhere anytime soon. And… there’s something else. I…” Lila clasped her hands together tightly. There wasn’t any other opportunity except for now to bring it up.

“You?”

“I… I kinda landed on a potential theory that freaked me out.”

“Theory about Piper’s murder?”

“Yeah. Well. I don’t know how to really put this delicately, but… I looked through the photos again while you were away. And… it’s possible that Marlene killed her.”

Asher stared blankly at Lila. “Come again?”

His question instantly made Lila flustered, her face rosy with self-consciousness, as she unzipped her bag and pulled out the photos.

“I had another look at her board of Piper photos,” Lila said hesitantly, pulling out the pictures of the corkboard in Marlene’s house. “And, I mean, it just occurred to me that, well, if Marlene is hired security… and she thought you were in danger of Piper… she might’ve… eliminated the threat. We’ve seen that she’s capable of violence. Then there’s the blood in the farmhouse – well, what looks like blood, anyway. Plus, she’s most likely the person who tried to erase the existence of the farmhouse pictures.”

He wordlessly took the photos from Lila with trembling fingers. His eyes searched every centimetre of each picture, darting with such a speed that Lila wasn’t sure he was comprehending any of it. After he looked at the last picture, his eyes met hers, fear deep within them.

“You… could be right,” he uttered hoarsely. “I don’t want to think that you are, but this looks insane. If she didn’t kill Piper, what was she doing with all these photos? There’s, like, thirty of them or something. In Marlene’s house.”

“Yeah.”

“I feel sick,” he murmured, virtually all colour having vanished from his face. Asher returned the photos to Lila before closing his eyes and placing his right arm over them. “Jesus Christ.”

“Maybe… she took your phone to prevent you from seeing the news of Piper’s death.”

“No wonder you acted so skittish with her this morning,” Asher mumbled.

“The timing of you guys going on vacation, and the fact that you didn’t know until, like, the last second also makes me think that… maybe she was running,” Lila added carefully.

He lowered his arm, looking aghast.“We came back, though.”

“Maybe she disposed of evidence in Vanuatu, then, rather than running away entirely.”

Asher’s expression morphed into one of pure horror. “Am I living with a murderer? A serial killer, even? The way Piper was mutilated – that’s not a first-time thing.”

“I really hope not… but… why else was she stalking Piper?”

“I have no idea. It… what day did she disappear, again?”

“Thursday before last.”

Asher’s pale tinge intermingled with a sickly green. “That’s when she tried to talk to me at the shops.”

“Yeah.”

“I just thought she was going to try and have a go at us, or say something stupid again. I wasn’t interested in what she wanted… but… what was it?”

“I’ve been trying to think of an answer, but I’m drawing blanks. She seemed desperate to say something, though.”

Asher nodded in agreement, his eyes seeming far away, deep within his thoughts.

“She was discovered on Monday, though,” Asher said after a slight pause.

“Who knows how long she was there for.”

“I suppose… although, Flora Park is one of the more popular parks.”

“And?”

“Well, Marlene definitely went with us on the Friday night to Vanuatu, and she didn’t leave my side pretty much the whole time. It was kinda suffocating, actually. It’s a three or four hour flight, a half an hour drive back home, and a half an hour drive from the airport to where we were staying… Even if she did a round trip, during which she dumped a body, my Dad or I would’ve noticed that she was gone.”

“What about in the dead of the night?”

“I’m a light sleeper. Well, I have been since… yeah. A-Anyway, even if everything lined up perfectly, she would’ve been gone for, like, ten hours. At most, I sleep for nine, but usually it’s more like seven.”

Lila turned over Asher’s consideration in her mind. “And you definitely don’t remember sleeping suspiciously long?”

“Definitely not. My bed was right next to a window, so I always woke up with the sun at about 6. Kinda pissed me off, now that I think about it.”

Lila smirked, envisioning a grumpy and disorientated Asher rueing the sun’s appearance at the crack of dawn. Her smirk faded, however, when she pondered his information further.

Should she posit the idea that Marlene and his Dad were in a relationship? Lila gave him a sideways glance. He looked extremely unsettled just based on the idea that Marlene had murdered Piper alone.

‘Besides, I have no evidence for that… at least for the murder, we’ve got pictures of Marlene’s corkboard…’

Yes, it’d be best to not bring it up. It would only potentially ruin Asher’s image of his Dad based on idle speculation. If evidence turned up, she’d raise it then.

However… there was one possibility that could be explored as it was.

“What about an accomplice?” Lila suggested.

“An accomplice?”

“Yeah. Someone who was still here that could’ve moved Piper’s body and all that while Marlene was in Vanuatu. Maybe even someone who participated in killing her.”

“But who would even want to do that?”

“I mean, evidently someone did, whether they did it on their own or not.”

“I guess… Who could be convinced to help Marlene, though?”

One possibility shook Lila to her core – one that they’d discounted early on in their investigation.

“Gabriel might. Or someone Gabriel knows from the club,” she said in a quivering whisper.

Asher stood up. It seemed like an involuntary reaction, but he remained standing as he shook his head. “No,” he said firmly.

Lila also stood, her knees trembling yet still sturdy enough to support her. “I-It’s just something that occurred to me. I don’t think he ever would. In saying that, though, he cares a lot about you… if Marlene saw danger with Piper, maybe she went to him for some help.”

“Lila. I appreciate it, really. You’ve put a lot of thought into all of this, but I think… I think we need to cool it down. Not get ahead of ourselves. I’m getting freaked out,” his tone was short, sharp. He sounded upset, even.

“I’m sorry,” Lila replied, shame across her face in the form of a grimace. “I… of course. Besides, we don’t have evidence for any of that. It’s just a theory based on not much. I’m probably just being biased. Marlene probably didn’t do anything. Like you said, she was in Vanuatu with you.”

“Yeah… sorry to cut you off like that.”

“No, it’s fine. I mean, it’s not like I see Marlene and Gabriel all the time or live with them. I get it. Sorry. I got carried away.”

Asher bit his lower lip, his eyes downcast, before nodding. He sat down with a heavy sigh, Lila following suit in total silence. She was definitely glad that she didn’t mention the theory about his Dad and Marlene being in a relationship. Even if she did get evidence of that, she probably wouldn’t bring it up unless he did. It was beginning to dawn on her how tactless she’d been. These were people Asher considered as part of his family, after all. That much was clear from his reaction.

Before either of them spoke a word, the intercom crackled to life. Asher sighed again, standing up with a disgruntled groan.

It was Marlene, who pleasantly requested their presence for lunch. Lila avoided looking at Asher entirely – to keep both her peace and his. It had been a bit much, essentially accusing Marlene and Gabriel of a gruesome murder and disposing of said murder victim – let alone accusing them mere minutes before having lunch with both.

From what Lila could glimpse from her peripheral vision, Asher didn’t even attempt to catch her eye as they robotically made their way to the dining room. Had she ruined everything?

“Asher! Lila! How wonderful to see you!” Gabriel’s joyous voice boomed upon their entry into the dining room. He was sitting in his customary place, dressed rather casually today in a striped sweater and long pants.

Normally, seeing Gabriel put Lila at ease – but her inkling regarding his possible involvement in Piper’s death was still resounding in her mind. She smiled tentatively, nodding her head.

“Is everything alright?” Gabriel asked, narrowing his eyes at Asher. Evidently, he had drawn the erroneous conclusion that Asher had done or said something to Lila that had taken away her usual enthusiasm when seeing Gabriel.

“Everything’s fine, Gabriel,” Lila said quickly. “Just… a bit tired.”

Instead of removing suspicion that Asher had done something wrong, Lila realised slightly too late that her statement had only increased it dramatically. He rounded on Asher, who looked utterly confused by this turn of events, before Lila swiftly interjected, “I got up way too early by accident.”

“Ah,” Gabriel replied calmly with a sage nod. “Yes, I do hate when that happens.”

Lila had never felt so glad to see Marlene sailing into the dining room, two plates filled with something that smelled incredible in her hands.

“A basic dish, today,” Marlene said, placing one in front of Asher and the other in front of Lila. “I hope you don’t judge me too harshly, Gabriel.”

“Of course not,” he responded genially, leaning in closer to see their plates. “Looks to me like… a sundried tomato and chicken pasta.”

“You’d be correct,” Marlene smiled. She retreated, returning with two more plates that she placed in front of herself and Gabriel. A jug of juice was already in the middle of the table, and they began eating in quiet unison.

Lila had eaten about half of her dish when Gabriel started up a conversation.

“So, how was Vanuatu?” he asked, taking a sip of some juice.

“It was very nice,” Marlene replied. “Great weather. Interesting wares and traditional food and items.”

“Did you relax, at least?” Gabriel questioned.

“I suppose I did,” Marlene said breezily. To Lila, though, she thought she heard a strain in her voice.

“What about you, Asher? Did you enjoy your time over there?” Gabriel shovelled some pasta into his mouth, looking intently at Asher.

“I guess so,” Asher responded stiffly. Lila glanced at him – he looked stressed out of his mind. In an instant, she regretted everything she’d said to him that afternoon about Marlene and Gabriel. She should’ve kept her mouth shut.

“Did you at least enjoy spending time with your Dad?” Gabriel pressed, wiping his mouth delicately on a napkin, both his pinkie fingers raised.

“Yeah,” Asher said genuinely. His eyes lit up as he told Gabriel about how his Dad fell off their small paddleboat, how his Dad continuously got lost in the markets because he kept getting distracted by the wares, and how both got dunked by a massive wave whilst at the beach, resulting in father and son being unceremoniously pushed back onto the sand. Gabriel seemed pleased with these stories, and Lila listened on with great interest as Asher delved into more – about the food they ate, the things they saw, and the places they visited. It seemed to perk Asher up quite a bit.

Eventually, the conversation turned to Lila’s activities during the week, so she spoke about the show, getting on the news, and hanging out at Bounce with Clare.

“Was that all?” Gabriel asked, though not impolitely. He pushed his empty plate slightly in front of him to indicate that he was done, his full attention on Lila.

“Yeah… basically. Hung out at home with Mum for a bit, sometimes with my siblings when they wanted to sit downstairs with me.”

“That’s a shame! You should’ve done more than sit around at home,” Gabriel said forlornly. “Gone outside for a bit, seen the world.”

“I… uh. The world’s a scary place, Gabriel,” Lila replied quietly, turning her eyes to her plate.

“Nonsense,” Gabriel laughed, waving a hand. “For a young person like you, the world is full of wonder and opportunity.”

“Gabriel,” Marlene suddenly interrupted, standing up from her place. “Can I please have a hand taking these back into the kitchen?”

Gabriel looked surprised at Marlene’s request but complied all the same. They left the dining room, laden with plates, which left Lila feeling incredibly awkward. While she’d been talking, Asher was eerily silent, and he remained so after Marlene and Gabriel left. She’d really done it, hadn’t she?

“I’m not upset,” Asher finally said after a minute of painful silence. “In case you’re worried about that.”

“Okay.”

Lila stared down at her hands which she interlocked gently. She wanted to go back upstairs, though it felt rude to just go without Asher – or, at least, being invited to go by him-

“I am so sorry!” Gabriel’s emotionally charged cry hit Lila with the force of a cricket bat to her ear. He hurried in, his face twisted with sorrow and anxiety, wringing his hands together almost to the point of them going red. “I had absolutely no idea that girl got murdered, and so close too! Did you know her?”

Lila exchanged a look with Asher, who looked back down at the dining table.

“Uh… in a manner of speaking,” Lila replied softly. “She used to be in our PE class.”

“‘Our’?” Gabriel turned his wide eyes to Asher. “You knew her too?”

“She… bullied me, I guess,” Asher mumbled.

Gabriel whipped his head back and forth between Lila and Asher. Then, he said in an incredibly grave voice, “You’re right, Lila. The world is a scary place. You best stay indoors. No going out.”

“Yeah…” Lila trailed off, feeling much like a deflated balloon. At the same time though – Gabriel’s reaction to the news certainly didn’t seem to be of someone who knew beforehand, nor was it one that she’d expect from the killer or an accomplice. Did that mean he was in the clear?

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel repeated, his tone sincere.

“It’s okay, Gabriel. Don’t fret,” Lila replied. “You didn’t know.”

Asher looked up, his eyes shining with realisation. Had he caught on to the same thing Lila had?

Gabriel rubbed his now-shiny forehead before sighing deeply. “It’s a depressing state, this world we’re in. What kind of monster would do that to a young girl?”

“I don’t know,” Asher said, his chair scraping against the floor as he stood up. “I think I’ll go upstairs. You coming, Lila?”

“O-Oh,” Lila was shocked that he’d addressed her. She clumsily stood up before nodding at Asher.

“Yeah, I’ll go.”

“I’m sorry I brought down the mood,” Gabriel said, wringing his hands again. “I’ll make it up to you with what I make for dinner on Monday, Asher.”

“It’s fine,” Asher responded firmly. “Don’t worry about it. Like Lila said, you didn’t know. There’s nothing to apologise over. Though… I am partial to something that’s not just a cheese slice.”

Gabriel glanced at Lila before beaming. “I can work with that.”

Asher gave him a tight smile before leaving the dining room, his hands in his pockets. Lila’s eyes darted to Gabriel, who inclined his head towards where Asher had disappeared. She hurried along behind him, curious about what he meant by not being upset…