Part 7: No

~~~~~

Aderyn found herself standing outside of her old apartment building. Where she’d lived when...it all happened. As soon as all the arrangements could be made, they’d moved from their apartment to her current house. The old place carried too many memories. Aderyn shuddered a little and paused before stepping into the lobby.

It was like a very large dose of deja-vu. She recognized all the framed posters of old musicals on the walls, the peeling calico wallpaper, and the same kind old doorman who insisted on wearing a coat with tails every day even though it was ridiculously out of place in the casual building. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been standing still taking in her surroundings until Sarah caught up to her. Her friends was breathless for a moment or two–apparently she’d run to keep up–and it was her panting sounds that alerted Aderyn to her presence.

“Who...is...it?” Sarah managed to breathe out after a moment or two.

“If you mean the murderer, I don’t know.” Sarah just stared, causing Aderyn to explain more. “I remember one of my old neighbors used to take letters she received from her friends and family and pin them on her wall. Something about love being a more meaningful decoration than paint...I dunno. It was a sappy reason. Anyway, that’s not the point,” Aderyn interrupted herself, shaking her head. “I used to go over there sometimes so she wouldn’t be lonely, and I remember seeing this handwriting on the wall. The lady...Miriam, I think her name was...would always tell me about the new ones she got. And I remember noting this writing because I found it so unusual.”

Sarah nodded, taking it all in. “Come on. Let’s go ask if she still lives here. Where’s the main office?”

“It’s just over there, opposite the stairway and elevators.” Aderyn pointed.

Sarah walked through the doorway and took a few steps. When she turned back to ask her friend yet another question to satisfy her still-confused mind, she realized that said friend was still standing just outside the doorway. That fancy doorman guy looked like he was starting to get a bit annoyed with her, having to hold the door open for that long in wait. And November in Chicago was not exactly tropical weather. It was letting the heat out.

“Aderyn!”

“I’m...getting there. For some reason, my feet don’t care to move at the moment.”

Noticing the anxious look in her friend’s eyes, Sarah walked back to the door and grabbed her hand. Pulling Aderyn along, she led the way to the office.

~~~~~

“I can’t believe it,” Aderyn said, dumbfounded as she walked to the exit of the apartment complex. “How could Miriam have moved? It’s not as though she ever expressed interest in moving somewhere warm where she could play shuffleboard all day or anything. Why would she want to go waltzing to a different home? It’s not good for old people to go through that kind of work and stress.”

“It has been nine years since you left. People do move occasionally, you know. And at least she’s not dead,” Sarah mused thoughtfully. Aderyn stared at her for a moment, caught off guard by the momentary lapse of tact.

Recovering quickly, Aderyn sighed. “We’re going to have to find her new address now. Why would they not keep records of forwarding addresses?”

“Because they knew you would be arriving any minute to find information with which to solve your mother’s murder, and they threw it away just to spite you.”

“Shut up Sarah,” Aderyn told her, clearly not meaning it. “At least they gave us her last name. That’ll help a bit.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Sarah said, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably. Aderyn gave her another glare.

~~~~~

“Aderyn, are you okay?” Chris’s voice sounded over the phone she had up to her ear.

“Yes, I’m fine. Why?” she answered, scribbling in her notebook. She always did that when she talked, feeling the need to do something with her hands. And it provided her with very amusing pictures when her conversations were finished.

She heard a sigh. “I don’t know, you just seem a little distant since the funeral. And today you didn’t even meet me before school.”

She’d completely forgotten about that; she’d been focused on getting her reply into the locker before Spanish. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve just had a lot on my mind the past couple of days.”

“You’re right. I completely understand,” he told her quickly in apology. “Does it have anything to do with all of your blackouts? Because if those are still bothering you, maybe you should go see a doctor–“

“No, I’m fine. I promise,” she cut him off. If only he knew how disturbed the doctor would find her. Blackouts, new memories, ghost conversations....it would go over SO well to a licensed professional. Not.

“Okay. Just make sure if it DOES show up again, go get it checked.”

“I will.” Her fingers were not entirely uncrossed during that statement. But whatever. He couldn’t see that over the phone.

“Damn...I’ve got to go. My mom’s calling me for dinner. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Bye,” they said together.

She placed the phone back on its holder and turned to her page of doodles. Huh. That was odd. She usually didn’t form any coherent words when she scribbled. But there it was, right there on the page.

‘NO.’

~~~~~

“I knew you were going to be fast, but I never thought you’d be THIS quick.” Aderyn still jumped a little at the sound of the voice, despite the fact that it had only been twenty-four hours since she’d heard it last.

‘Impressed, are you?’

“Very.”

‘You’re just saying that so I’ll listen to you.’

“Perhaps.”

‘Do you happen to know the address of this lady?’

“Nope. Sorry, hon, you’re going to have to find that one on your own.”

‘Damn. It was worth a shot.”

“It wouldn’t have saved you THAT much time. Her name is in the phonebook.” If she could have actually seen the ghost lady, Aderyn would have bet a rather large sum of money that her eyes were rolling.

‘Fine then.’

The voice didn’t reply.

‘What, do you want me to go look it up now?’

“That would be ideal.”

Aderyn sighed and reluctantly got up from her seat to go downstairs and retrieve the phonebook. When she came back up, she plopped it down on her desk and began leafing through the pages. Upon finding it, she shouted “Aha!,” forgetting that actual spoken words were not necessary in this conversation.

“Now off you go,” the voice sounded.

‘Maybe I don’t WANT to go right now. Maybe I have homework.’

“This is more important. Besides, no use putting it off.”

‘I’m not putting it off, I’m just busy right now. And I want to wait for Sarah.’

In a wistfully understanding voice, the ghost told her, “Your mother is dead, hon. Waiting longer to find her killer won’t make that any less true.”

‘But...that’s not...’

“Dig deep. Don’t you think that’s the reason just a little?”

‘No,’ she thought, shaking her head.

“Fine. Be in denial. Whatever. But you still need to go.”

‘I told you, later! Stop bugging me about it!’

She heard a sigh. “Alright. I’ll go. But don’t think we’re done here.”

‘I know, I know. I will go. I will find this lady. I will ask her if she recognizes the handwriting. All will be solved. Now please, leave me alone for now. I really need to finish this.’

“I’m going!” the voice said, sounding a little hurt. Aderyn was just about to apologize when she felt the familiar rush of air.

~~~~~

Addy,

I know you said you’d write me today, but I was here so I figured I’d leave you something first.

Sorry about having to be so vague about the important stuff. If I told you what I’d know, I don’t think you’d even write to me anymore. And then everything would be completely screwed up. For now, while you’re still not listening, just be careful.

I suppose that’s it for now.

-Me

Aderyn looked up from the note. She was a bit annoyed with this guy now. She started to scribble a reply.

You,

You know, I was going to be nice to you. I really was. I even almost thought that you weren’t just a random asshole trying to play a joke on me.

Regardless of whether I still think that or not, now you’ve pissed me off a little bit. Who are you to talk to me like that? It is completely unnecessary to be condescending. I will NOT be looked down upon for taking the word of an anonymous stranger with skepticism, and I will NOT be spoken to as though I am three. I am not stupid. I am always careful.

And maybe you meant that all nicely. But it just rubbed me the wrong way.

And dammit, I have told you repeatedly, call me Addy one more time and your notes get ripped up and ignored. I am serious.

-ADERYN

~~~~~

Aderyn (See? I can listen. I didn’t know it mattered to you THAT much. But if it does, I can respect that.)

I am sorry if you took my note in the wrong way. I honestly did not mean to speak down to you. I’m just worried. Because he’s going to do it soon.

Again, I am sorry.

-Me

~~~~~

You,

While we’re being apologetic, I’m sorry for ‘yelling’ at you.

I’m also sorry about your family. Though my parents are not actually living with me, at least they cared when they did. It must be hard. At least you’ve got your little sister. She’s not old enough to know what neglect is yet.

So, he’s going to do it soon, is he? I highly doubt you’re going to answer my question, but HOW do you know that? What, are you psychic or something?

I think my trust is gone as far as it can on paper. Can we meet?

-Aderyn

~~~~~

Aderyn,

No.

-Me

~~~~~

“Aderyn!” Sarah yelled, pushing her way through the large river of people flowing the other way through the hallway.

“What?” Aderyn asked when Sarah was finally able to get to her locker. She had just been slipping the last note back into her backpack. She’d already reread it six–no, seven–times. It was so terse. She still found herself saying “Huh?” every time she read it. Why was there no explanation? She liked to know the ‘whys’ when people told her things. It was part of the reason she was finding it so hard to trust him.

“You said you had the address, right?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“So...?”

“So what?”

“Are we going to go there?”

Aderyn sighed. “I suppose so.”

“And when will we be doing this.”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t you think we should go tonight?”

“Maybe.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Could I perhaps get an answer out of you sometime this century?”

Aderyn shook herself for a moment, seemingly breaking out of some deep sort of thought. “Yes. Tonight. We’ll go tonight.”