Page 99 of The Arbiter
The mechanical whir of the lift descending into the guts of the city is the last thing I hear.
He is gone, taking the evidence of my sin with him, leaving me alone in the dark. Like always.
CHAPTER 20 - Lucy
My head throbs with a million questions I can’t answer. Since I woke up this morning, I’ve been staring at my phone, watching the cursor blink in an empty text box.
Madeline hasn’t been herself. She’s acting like a ghost haunting her own life, and ever since that night I bumped into that strange man, everything changed. I can’t take it anymore. I’m the one who kicks doors down; I don’t sit around waiting for them to open.
I hit the dial. It rings three times before she picks up. Her voice sounds like it’s being pulled through gravel.
ME:"Mali? It’s me," I say, my tone sharper than I intended.
ME:"Don't give me the 'I'm busy at the morgue' excuse. We’re meeting at The Broken Cross in thirty minutes. You’re going to sit down, you’re going to drink a double espresso, and you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on before I lose my mind. We’ve been distant, and I need my best friend."
There’s a long pause. I can hear her shallow breathing on the other end.
Finally, she whispers.
MADELINE:"Okay. Thirty minutes."
The café is crowded, smelling of burnt beans and damp coats. I’m already in our usual booth, tapping my nails rhythmically against the scratched wood, when Madeline slides in. She looks terrible. It’s not just exhaustion, it’s a hollowed-out look, like someone reached inside her and turned off the lights.
"Madeline," I start, leaning forward, my voice dropping into that protective edge I only use for her.
"I know Bryan is missing. I heard the nurses talking. And I know you were at the morgue last night."
Madeline flinches at the name. She looks around the room as if the walls have ears.
"Lucy, please. Not here."
"Then where?"
I snap, my temper flaring.
"It was him, wasn’t it? I’m not stupid, Madeline. You’re tied to a monster, and he’s starting to pull you under."
Madeline’s eyes well up, but she doesn't cry. She just stares at her hands.
"He's... he's not just a monster, Lucy. He’s everything. And Bryan... Bryan wasn't just a disappearance. He was a message."
My blood runs cold. I want to scream at her to wake up, to run, but the air in the café suddenly shifts.
"Good morning, ladies. I hope I’m not interrupting a friendly crisis."
I whip my head around. A man in a tailored grey coat is standing over us. He has a sharp, narrow face and eyes that look like a cold flint. He doesn't wait for an invite; he just pulls a chair from the next table and sits.
"Detective Sterling," Madeline whispers, her professional mask cracking before she can even put it on.
"Dr. Emerson," he nods, then turns those predatory eyes on me.
"And you must be Lucy. The stubborn half of the duo. I’ve been looking for an excuse to meet the woman who’s been keeping such... interesting company."
"We’re in the middle of a private conversation," I hiss, my hand tightening into a fist under the table.
"Unless you have a warrant, get lost."
Sterling chuckles, a dry, humorless sound.
