Double Deal

Chapter 10

Lola woke up with a terrible headache. She had been with Ajax at that diner and then… that’s the last thing she remembered. She sat up and looked around. She was still inside the torn apart diner, but Ajax was gone.

Lola groaned as she stood up, holding the side of her head. Someone had come up from behind her and hit her on the head. She wandered around the dimly lit diner, but no one was there. It was empty. Even Ajax was gone. He wouldn’t have just left her there which meant that something bad happened.

Lola stumbled into a room with a long wooden desk in the center. There was a bookshelf behind the desk. The rest of the room seemed pretty empty. But this room was odd. It was the only one that hadn’t been trashed. Lola walked around the desk and sat down in the chair.

On the desk was typical desk stuff. Notepads and a cup of pens, a file holder, a lamp, etc. There was also a picture frame. It had a picture with two girls. Lola didn’t recognize either of them, but one of them looked familiar. She had long, golden brown hair and sharp blue eyes. Her nose and ears were small. Lola picked up the picture. The girl looked like someone she knew, but she couldn’t figure out who.

The other girl had caramel brown hair that ran past her shoulders and startling green eyes. Lola looked puzzled at the picture. Who was that girl?

Then it clicked. Zephyrus. She looked like Zephyrus. Was that his sister? They looked scarily identical.

Lola put the picture frame down. She turned around and started examining the books that filled the bookshelf. They all had to do with magic. She recognized the ones that Ajax had let her read. Then she saw one that made her eyes widen. She stumbled back, knocking the picture off the desk, which shattered as it hit the floor.

“The Case of Iris and…” She faltered at the name. She hadn’t heard or seen it in years, “Tristen Wallus.”

Lola was shaking. She pulled the book off of the shelf and flipped it open, rifling through the pages until she reached the one she wanted. Page 132. Sure enough, just as Lola remembered from the countless times she has read the book, there was a picture of a little girl in a pink and white flowy dress, with small golden curls with little pink bows. Something was clearly wrong since she wasn’t smiling. Standing next to her was a man, her father, dressed in a white button up dress shirt and black slacks. He had brown hair, tightly kept and a big goofy smile spread across his face. Looking at the picture, you almost wouldn’t be able to tell what a terrible person he truly was.

Lola dropped the book, sending it bouncing across the floor, until it landed face-down. She remembered that day the picture was taken. She was only 10. Tristen Wallus. That was the name that she hated so much. That was the name of her father, the awful drunk who had a huge debt. That day, she had woken up the same she did every morning, to her father walking into the room, and saying in a strict voice, “Iris. Get up.”

She knew what would happen if she didn’t. He would beat her. She sat up without hesitation, rubbing her eyes. She looked dead pan across the room to the corner where her toys laid. “I bought something for you,” Her father said, holding out a gift bag in his hand.

Iris looked at the bag as she grabbed it. A present? It wasn’t her birthday, she thought. “Go ahead, open it,” Her father said.

She had pulled out the tissue paper that laid on top before pulling out the present. It was a pink and white flowy dress. There were also two hair bows at the bottom of the bag that she pulled out, moving the bag to the side. “Thank you,” she said in her small voice.

“Today, we’re going to be taking a nice photo for us to hang up in the house, alright?” Her father said and his daughter looked blankly at the dress, “I would like for you to wear that.”

He phased it as a suggestion but Iris knew that it was an order.

About an hour later, Iris had on the new dress and was sitting patiently on the couch with her hair brushed and done into two low ponytails with the bows where the hair ties held her hair. Her father had gotten dressed as well, in his white button up shirt and black slacks and was currently making her a sandwich before they went to take the photo. Soon they were in the car and driving to the place where they were going to be taking the portrait.

Her father had told her to smile for the picture, but Iris couldn’t make herself smile. After they got home, her father had hit her.”Didn’t I tell you to smile,” HIs gaze was cold.

Tears were streaming down her face. She knew what was about to happen. Just as fast as the thought popped into her head, she felt a sharp pain in her cheek as her head was jerked to the side. He had slapped her. Her father proceeded to grab her face, holding it tight as he forced her to look at him. Her cheek was red and stinged at his touch.

“You should know better, Iris. I told you to do something.” Her father said with a cold stare.

Iris’ eyes wandered to the corner of the room. “Look at me.” He said with a strict voice that quickly turned into yelling when she didn’t.

He let go of her face and turned away from her, his hand over his face as he let out a maniacal laugh. Iris’ eyes flicked back to her father. He had never had this reaction before. It was bone-chilling, pure fear coursing throughout her body. Her father looked over his shoulder with a wild look in his eyes. Iris’ eyes opened wide.

He turned around faster than Iris could process, slapping her once more. This time, it was harder than he had before. The force of it sent her flying to the floor. Then, he kicked her. “WHEN I TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING, YOU DO IT,” He yelled at her.

Iris laid crying on the floor, curled up in a ball. She hated him. “Get up.” He said quietly, although the anger in his voice was still there. Iris didn’t move. “Get up.” He said more forcefully.

She hesitantly got up. “Do you see what you make me do?” Her father said, the cold stare back in his eyes, “I wouldn’t have to do this if you just listened to me.”

Iris’ face was still streaming with tears. “Go clean yourself off. I’m going to go make dinner,” Her father said, and with that, he walked away into the kitchen.

Lola had tears streaming down her face. Her father… he was truly evil. More evil than any monster that Zephyrus could name. Slowly after that, he had made her “appeal” to some customers he had. One night, she had gotten so fed up with it, while he was making dinner for her, she grabbed a knife from the drawer without him seeing. She tried to stab him, but he stopped her before she could. She was thrown into her room, and locked in there for 4 days without food. When her father finally let her out, all the drawers in the kitchen had locks that she needed a key to open, and her father kept it out of her reach. Her father had forced her back into his illegal business. What he didn’t know was that she still had a screwdriver that she was planning to stab him with. However, she ended up using it against one of her father’s clients because he kept trying to touch her. He died. She was locked in her room for another 4 days without food.

Then one day, she was saved. A police officer had been investigating her father, and they came knocking at the door and arrested him. They had taken her to the police station, and asked her questions that eventually led to her father being sent to prison for 15 years on a plea deal. To protect Iris from the people her father had owed money to, she was placed into witness protection, where she was given the new name “Lola Reeds,” and she was sent to an orphanage far away from her hometown. Eventually, she had a foster parent who loved her and, when Lola was old enough, she moved out and went to college where she met Kharis and eventually Tom when she started working at the cafe.

She had forced herself to forget about her father and her childhood. But now Lola wouldn’t be able to forget him. Her father was released from prison a couple weeks ago. Tristen Wallus. She had seen it on the news before Kharis had changed the channel to watch the Bachelor. “In other news, a man who was put into prison 12 years ago for killing one man and for abusing his daughter was released early yesterday-”

Lola muted the TV. “That’s crazy,” Kharis said, sitting down on the couch after her popcorn had finished popping. “Imagine how his daughter must feel.” Kharis said, grabbing the remote and changing the channel.

Lola simply nodded, her mind elsewhere. “Lola? Are you alright?” Kharis asked, grabbing her arm.

Lola looked at Kharis, who had a concerned look on her face, and forced a smile, “Yeah, I’m fine. Gimme some of that,” Lola said, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

Lola heard something break from outside the room she was in. She quickly turned, getting up off of the floor. She saw the picture had fallen out of the frame when she dropped it off the desk. She picked it up. There was writing on the back of it. But Lola didn’t get a chance to read it because whatever had came into the building was getting closer to the room. Lola looked around the room, trying to find a way out, but the only door was the one she had come in from. The only other option was the window that was near the bookshelf, but it was too small for Lola to fit through. Lola looked out the window. Even if she could fit through it, the drop was a little too high for comfort.

The door creaked open, Lola’s body tensing as she slowly turned around. “Oh thank god,” Lola said, her shoulders dropping as she relaxed.

“Are you alright?” Zephyrus asked, seeing the broken glass on the floor, as well as the book that was thrown across the room.

“Yeah,” Lola said in a shaky voice.”

“What happened out there?” Zephyrus said, walking farther into the room and picking up the book that was on the floor.

“It was like that when we got here.”

“We?” Zephyrus said, a confused look on his face.

“Yeah, Ajax and I came here together. I got hit on the head and passed out and when I woke up, he was gone.” Lola explained.

“What’s this about? ‘The Case of Iris and Tristen Wallus.’ I didn’t know Holly was into crimes,” Zephyrus said, reading the name of the book, before flipping through the pages.

“Holly?” Lola asked. “Is that who this is?” Lola showed him the picture of the two girls.

Zephyrus looked at the picture with a confused look. “Yeah, that's Holly. And the other girl-”

“Is she related to you? Like, is she your sister?” Lola interrupted.

“Yes, that’s Astraya. She’s my sister. I didn’t know that Holly knew her,” Zephyrus said.

“Called it,” Lola smirked.

“What?” Zephyrus asked.

“Nevermind. There’s writing on the back,” Lola said, flipping the photo over.

“Friends forever,” Zephyrus read. “Astraya.” Next to her name was a drawing of a globe with a star in the middle of the ocean.

“Don’t forget about Momus,” Lola said.

“What?”

“Yeah, that’s what it says,” Lola said.

“No it doesn’t.”

“Yes it does. What, you think I’m making it up?” Lola looked at him.

“Then why can’t I see it,” Zephyrus had an annoyed look on his face.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just special,” Lola said.

Zephyrus snatched the picture from Lola and ran his finger down the middle. Lola looked at him with a quizzical look as nothing happened. “What are you doing.”

“Shush,” Zephyrus said, trying again.

Nothing happened. Zephyrus then proceeded to fold the picture in half, before opening it back up and running his finger down the crease. “What are you doing?” Lola repeated as the picture flew out of Zephyrus’ hand in a blue flame.

Zephyrus shook his hand that was holding the picture before walking over to pick it back up as the flames died away. “Damn Astraya.” Zephyrus folded the picture back up and put it in his pocket.

“I ask again, what were you doing?”

Zephyrus sighed. “I can see memories through photos, books, you name it. Anything that is associated with a memory, I can see the events that led up to that thing. All I need to do is run my finger down the center of it. However, my sister knows that, and placed a spell on it that keeps me from being able to use it.”

“Oh. Well that explains it then. How would you not know that your sister and Holly were friends?” Lola asked.

Zephyrus felt the hair on his arms stand up. Something was coming. Something evil. “We have to go,” He said, grabbing Lola’s wrist and dragging her out of the diner.

“Where are we supposed to go? My apartment is still under investigation and I’m not allowed inside, and Ajax is missing,” Lola asked once they got a couple blocks away.

Zephyrus looked around. Where was it coming from? He didn’t see anything. There wasn’t anybody walking down the sidewalk, nor driving down the street. So where was the threat coming from? “Zephyrus?” Lola’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“I’m sorry, but there’s something after you, Lola. I can’t tell what it is, but it's following us,” Zephyrus said, dragging her along further.

“Okay, so where are we supposed to go? I just-” Lola started.

“The cafe.”

“It's closed by now, we wouldn’t be able to get in-”

“Don’t you have a key to get in? You have the morning shift.”

“Well, yes, but-”

Without hesitation, Zephyrus walked over to the edge of the sidewalk and flipped a coin.

“You do realize how illegal this is, right?” Lola said as she unlocked the back door to get into the locker room.

“It’s the best we got right now,” Zephyrus said.

They walked into the cafe and took two chairs down off of one of the tables. “So what now?” Lola asked, sitting down, “Where do we go from here?”

“Lola,” Zephyrus said seriously, looking into her eyes, “You need to tell me what that note said for you to tell me and Ajax. It’s almost midnight.”

Lola’s eyes filled with fear. “I understand, Lola, everyone has secrets. But that note might have been written by my sister and if you don’t tell me, you might die,” Zephyrus said.

“I- I can’t tell you-” Lola stammered.

Zephyrus was quiet, thinking. He looked at the book that he had picked up on the floor at Holly’s. ‘The Case of Iris and Tristen Wallus.’ “I remember when I was little hearing about this case,” Zephyrus said.

Lola froze. “I was practicing some spell when my mom turned on the news. Usually, normie cases weren’t covered on the magical news, but this case was different. Even though it had nothing to do with magic, they covered it because of that man, Tristen Wallus. He had done some pretty awful things to his daughter. He was arrested. He was put into jail for 20 years. He was evil,” Zephyrus said all this without looking away from the book that was resting on the table, “His daughter… She was put into the witness protection program and that was the last anyone saw of her.”

“You’re Iris Wallus, aren’t you?”

Lola stood up, the chair she was sitting on falling backwards to the floor. She glared at him. Zephyrus finally looked up at her, a serious look on his face. “You killed the man that your father was accused of murdering when he was arrested-”

“Shut up.” Lola said sternly.

Zephyrus stood up. “Am I right?”

Lola didn’t speak. “Aren’t you Iris?” Zephyrus taunted.

“No,” Lola looked away, holding her arms like she was cold.

Zephyrus scoffed. “Liar.”

“My name is Lola,” She said, almost yelling.

“That’s why you can see the Shadow Man. Because you killed one of the guys that your father made you-”

“Shut up!” Lola said, holding her hands over her ears. “You don’t know how hard I’ve worked to forget that man! He was awful! You don’t know the things he forced me to do as a child. My name used to be Iris, you’re right. But I never want to hear that name again. My name is Lola.”

Tears were streaming down her face once again as she collapsed to the floor, sobbing. Zephyrus sank down next to her. “I’m sorry for forcing you to tell me the way I did, but I had to make sure you told me before midnight. I couldn’t risk it.”

“My sister has a special ability. Her stele turns into a pen and the ink binds a person to whatever she writes. She left a lovely little note one night when me and Ajax were practicing outside. I know it was her because she’s the only one who calls me ‘Favonius.’ I’m really sorry.” He hugged her.

Lola took deep breaths, calming down. “It’s alright. She left me a note the night I got stung in my locker.”

“In your locker?” Zephyrus said.

“Yeah, remember, I went back into the locker room to get something? It was the note. She had left it in my locker and I saw it when my shift ended earlier that day,” Lola said.

“My sister uses goons to do her bidding. Whoever left the note must have known your locker combination.”

“I’ve only told it to one person,” Lola said, looking up at Zephyrus when he pulled away from her.

“Who?”

“Kharis,” Lola said.

Zephyrus looked puzzled. He thought silently. “It couldn’t have been her who left it,” Lola said, “She’s dead. The police confirmed it.”

“Did you and Ajax go to Tom’s place?”

“Yes. We found a tarp and some gloves and a lot of bleach. And sexy toys.” Lola said.

Zephyrus placed a hand over his face, still thinking. “We were right then.” Zephyrus said conclusively.

“What?”

“Me and Ajax had a theory that Tom and Kharis were working together for my sister to get the bounty that’s placed on your head. Of course, the fact that Kharis died made it hard to still think that unless Tom had turned on his partner, which is one of the reasons why we didn’t tell you when we thought about it.”

“So how would that work. Kharis intentionally became friends with me in college and decided to be roommates to keep me close?”

“That’s the most likely reason, yes.”

“And what about the day when we tested if Tom was a monster when you spilled coffee on me? I thought you said you couldn’t tell because he reacted like a normal person and wasn’t reacting the way a monster would from the pain.”

“They must have built up his tolerance. They had someone be a test subject while Tom was forced not to react to the pain. Eventually, a burn from hot coffee wouldn’t affect him,” Zephyrus explained.

“Okay, but what about the elephant in the room that Kharis is dead,” Lola said.

“What happened after you left Tom’s apartment?” Zephryus asked.

Lola explained how Hyram was arrested, then how she was interrogated, then how he died, and the message that was written on the wall in his holding cell. He stopped her. “When you were being interrogated, did anything feel unusual about it?”

“Hyram and Kharis had been hooking up. Apparently, one night, Hyram was over and they were, uh, doing things, and someone walked into the apartment. Kharis got startled and dropped a cup, before getting dressed and walking out into the living room. Hyram had told the cop that it sounded like they were arguing. But that’s not what happened. I had walked into the apartment, and when I closed the front door, something broke in Kharis’ room. A glass cup. I asked if she was alright and if she wanted me to bring the broom and help her clean it up, but she told me not to come into her room. Hyram was lying.”

Zephyrus thought about it. “Or maybe he wasn’t. It's entirely possible that both events happened. Hyram’s story. The person who must have walked in was Tom. He must have told Kharis that he was coming over, and when Kharis told him she was busy and he came over anyway, she walked out and argued with him for coming over. Your story. She must have had someone else in the room. That’s why Hyram’s story was different.”

“But what if he is lying? I didn’t even know that him and Kharis were hooking up until the cop told me.”

“Ajax had been telling me that they found another body even though Tom was under tight surveillance. If we’re right in our assumption that Kharis is his partner then it's possible that she’s the one who killed the girl, not Tom. Did the incident with Kharis happen the same week Tom was under surveillance?”

Lola looked at him. “Yeah. It happened three days before the new body was discovered.”

“Then that’s the answer. When you heard Kharis break the cup, it was the most recent victim in the Deiros Momus case.”

Lola felt broken. She had trusted Kharis with so much. To think… she had just been acting their whole relationship to keep her close until the time to turn her in. She could have come and killed her while she slept at any moment she wanted to if this were true. “But she’s dead now, so what happened between her and Tom between the time she killed his last victim and when she died?”

“I don’t think she’s really dead. Remember, you’re now a part of a world where anyone can be corrupt, including cops. Anyone. It's possible the people who declared her dead were just more of my sister's goons in disguise.”

“So, she might still be alive?”

“It's definitely a stretch, but there's a possibility, yes. Remember, all of this is assumptions.”

“Okay, then going off of these assumptions, where do we go next?” Lola asked.

Zephyrus had to think. If they were right, then the next logical place to go would be “Tom.”