Chapter Eighty-One


    Opening her bleary eyes, Lila caught sight of the cheerful face of the Squirtle sitting on her desk the next morning. For a moment, she was confused about its origin, before swiftly remembering that Asher had bought it for her yesterday.


    With a yawn, she sat up, her eyes now falling upon the clothes she’d laid out last night. They’d settled on wearing all black for today’s mission. After showering and getting her usual morning routine out of the way, she pulled on her clingy, black long-sleeved turtleneck and her stretchy black pants. Dolefully looking in the mirror, she instantly likened her appearance to the Rock wearing a black turtleneck and chain, particularly as her hair was pulled back into a low bun.


    “Respectfully,” Clare’s voice called from Lila’s doorway, “you look like you’re about to rob a joint.”


    Lila rigidly turned to Clare, her face stuck in a wobbling half-smile. “T-Thanks,” Lila replied, her nerves poking through her words. “Love that for me.”


    “You sure you don’t want to change?” Clare asked, smirking.


    Lila shook her head. “It’s comfortable. I’m just hanging out at Asher’s today, anyway.”


    Clare wrinkled her nose disdainfully before sighing in defeat. “Alright, let’s go if you’re ready, then.”


    They arrived at Asher’s at around 8.15am, with Clare quickly zooming away without looking back at Lila after she stumbled out of the car. Though slightly unusual, Clare had mentioned that she would be out today with Alex, so she was probably eager to get ready for that.


    ‘Sorry, sis,’ Lila thought to herself as she watched Clare go. ‘Hope I didn’t make you late… and I’m sorry for what I’m about to do today.’


    Of course, Lila would never tell Clare about today’s activities, but somehow saying sorry in her mind helped relieve some of the guilt she’d been harbouring. She turned back towards Asher’s driveway and almost jumped out of her skin at the appearance of Asher standing behind her, also dressed in all back, his face pulling into a nervous grimace.


    “Jesus, you scared me,” Lila said faintly, pressing a hand to her chest.


    “Sorry,” he said, dropping the grimace entirely. “I didn’t realise you didn’t hear me.”


    “I see you’ve practiced sneaking around well,” Lila tried to sound joking but wasn’t sure it landed. He gave a heavy sigh before turning towards the house.


    “She hasn’t left for her shift yet,” he said simply as they traversed the pathway. “So, we just sit and wait upstairs, I guess.”


    “What’d you tell Gabriel that we were doing today?”


    “Going for a walk to the shopping district. He’d mentioned it a while ago, that that was where Marlene was working, remember? So, he was pretty happy with that.”


    Lila carefully took her shoes off and placed them in their usual spot, her palms sweaty despite the winter chill. Gabriel was bustling about in the kitchen, as he normally did, and looked up with a beam as they approached.


    “Good morning, Lila,” Gabriel gleefully chirped. “I’m glad you made it. I’ll be starting the lamb shortly.”


    “Sounds great,” Lila smiled back. “Can’t wait to eat it.”


    “You’ll need to,” Gabriel chuckled. “Can’t rush slow-cooked perfection. Lunch will be at about 2 today.”


    He waved both Asher and Lila away, gesturing towards the stairs before turning back around and heading into the butler’s pantry. Asher opened the door to the rumpus room for Lila and she stepped inside. The lingering effects of their last conversation spiked Lila’s heart rate for just a moment – she didn’t let her anxiety creep in, however, and strolled towards her usual spot on the couch, putting her tote bag down with a small thump.


    “I’m just gonna check if Marlene’s started to make her way out,” Asher said as he crossed the room to his bedroom. She heard him fiddle with the blinds and he quickly returned, checking his phone.


    “It might be better if we hang around in my room,” he said lightly, his face extraordinarily pale. “Don’t have to worry about missing her departure that way.”


    “Do you think we should wait to go in after she’s definitely clocked on?” Lila queried, slowly standing up.


    “I dunno,” Asher replied simply, scratching at his left wrist. “We’ll figure it out once she goes, I think.”


    Lila could hardly comprehend his response as she stared through the open doorway to his room. The thought of being in there again, now that they had confessed their feelings for each other, was pressing down on her, causing her heart to beat with a fervour she hadn’t felt before.


    ‘Whoa,’ she thought to herself, taking a deep breath. ‘Nothing’s going to happen. And you don’t want anything to happen anyway. Not while we’re like this.’


    The reminder seemed to work well enough to steady her as she followed Asher into his room. He hadn’t seemed to have noticed her plight as he fiddled with the blinds again, peering out his window. Lila stood awkwardly in his room, unsure of what to do, where to sit, or what she could look at.


    “You can sit at my desk, you know,” Asher said softly, turning his head to look at her. “I don’t bite.”


    “I know you don’t,” Lila replied, taking his suggestion. “Just… a little nervous.”


    He looked at her for a moment before giving her a small smile. “Same.”


    Lila had the distinct impression that their nervousness was about entirely different things, but turned her attention to the window instead of commenting. Asher began to pace, his hands on his hips. He muttered under his breath to himself, and, from the snippets that Lila could catch, it sounded as though he was running through the list of supplies.


    They remained like this for a few minutes, Asher’s muttering increasing in intensity.


    “Asher,” Lila finally said gently. “Have you told Gabriel?”


    He immediately stopped his pacing and stared at Lila.


    “Sorry?” he asked, before his eyes widened in apparent understanding. “Oh. About us? Not yet. I… wanted to get today out of the way first.”


    “Makes sense,” Lila sighed. “You should probably think about talking to him at some point though. If you’re needing to, that is.”


    “I know,” Asher replied through gritted teeth. “Sorry.”


    “Don’t be,” Lila smiled. “Take your time.”


    “Now that makes me feel guilty.”


    “Didn’t mean to.”


    “I know.”


    He exhaled heavily, and Lila could see his hands trembling. He seemed to have noticed that she saw this as he crossed his arms, tucking his hands away.


    “You okay?” she asked, tilting her head quizzically.


    “Peachy,” he said bluntly, his eyes narrowed and looking at the edge of his desk instead of at her.


    “You’re a bad liar,” Lila responded shortly.


    “I know. But… if I talk about it now, I don’t think I’ll be productive today.”


    “Alright. I trust your judgement.”


    “Sorry.”


    “Asher.”


    “Sorry.”


    Lila sighed again before pressing her lips together firmly. If she continued admonishing him, they’d get stuck in an apology spiral.


    She checked her phone – it was 8.25am now. Waiting for Marlene to leave was certainly grating on her, with the next five minutes feeling more like five hours. Asher still seemed rather agitated, checking his phone almost constantly, but at least he wasn’t pacing or talking to himself anymore.


    He peeped through the blinds after their five minutes was up and gestured at Lila to take a look. Sure enough, there was Marlene, her hoodie obscuring her face and hands in her pockets.


    “Glad she’s on shift,” Lila said absently as they continued to watch her walk down the driveway and towards the shopping district.


    “It would’ve put a dent in our plans if she wasn’t,” Asher agreed before stepping back and sitting on his bed.


    “When are we going down?” Lila asked, the nerves bubbling up within her stomach again. Now that Marlene was gone, the chance was upon them. But were they ready?


    Asher’s eyes met hers, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. He looked down at his lap before answering. “Earlier the better, I think. We don’t know how long we’ll be in there, at least. If we get in.”


    “You don’t think we’ll get in?”


    Asher shrugged. “Healthy scepticism. Haven’t tried these doors.”


    “Well, you haven’t yet met a door you couldn’t open. Three outta three is 100%, after all.”


    Asher chuckled. “Can’t argue with stellar maths like that.”


    “I try,” Lila grinned, her nerves settling with the sound of his amusement. The fact that she could even make him laugh in the circumstances… that was encouraging, at least.


    “Let me set up our kit,” he said after a brief pause. “Then we can go.”


    “Do you need a hand?”


    “Nah,” Asher shook his head before moving across to a duffel bag sitting in the back corner of his room. “I’ll be right.”


    Lila watched as he pulled out bundles of rope, disposable cameras, film, gloves, magnifying glasses, flashlights, duct tape, a pair of scissors, a screwdriver, microfibre cloths, and wet wipes. He repacked the bag twice, looking satisfied as he counted everything in the bag. The look of satisfaction wore away, however, as it apparently dawned on him that he now needed to use these things. Or, at least, that’s what Lila assumed, as the realisation had entered her own consciousness and her face took a serious appearance.


    “Lockpicks?” Lila queried as he zipped up the bag with shaking hands.


    “In my pocket,” he replied, taking a gulping breath. He pulled them out and put them away again just as quickly.


    “Alright,” Lila said in a low voice. “If… that’s everything, then let’s go.”


    Neither of them moved.


    “… we can do this, right?” Asher whispered, his eyes as round and large as golf balls, his face draining of all colour. “And we won’t get caught, right? And… we’ll be closer to finding my Mum, right?”


    Lila’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment as she racked her brain to find an appropriate answer. Truthfully, she didn’t have a shred of certainty regarding any of his questions – not even whether they’d be closer to finding Tabitha. With an exhale, she opened her eyes again and said, “We won’t know until we try.”


    He slung the bag over his shoulder, gripping the strap tightly in his hands. “We won’t,” he repeated, his brow furrowed.


    “Besides,” Lila said lightly, a rueful smile gracing her lips, “it’s not the first illegal thing we’ve done together.”


    He looked at her sharply, his eyes suddenly intense – as though he’d broken through some kind of fog and was really seeing her before him. “You’re right. We’re doing this together. You’ve been with me this whole time.”


    “Of course,” Lila replied assertively. “You’re not alone, Asher. Let’s go, for real this time.”


    Swallowing audibly, Asher nodded and left his room, Lila following close behind. She closed the door and they exited the rumpus room, looking instinctively towards where Marlene would usually be, washing basket in hand. Of course, she wasn’t there now, and Lila could breathe a little easier.


    The scent of cooking, a mingling of indeterminate spices and lamb, wafted to their noses as they descended the stairs as silently as they could. Gabriel wasn’t in sight, and Lila could hear humming floating through the tiny gap in the butler’s pantry door.


    “Do we at least tell him we’re leaving?” Lila whispered uncertainly to Asher, glancing at him. He appeared to ponder this for a second before calling out to Gabriel. The humming immediately stopped and Gabriel burst out of the butler’s pantry.


    “Have fun, you two,” Gabriel said genially, a smile brightening his face. “Lunch will be on at 2, so I expect you both back here by then.”


    Lila and Asher exchanged a look before Asher quickly assured Gabriel that they’d be back by then. So… they had a time limit now. Though, of course, how Gabriel would have them adhere to that return time, Lila wasn’t quite sure. Would he go looking for them? Or just be endlessly disappointed if they didn’t come back in time?


    Asher nudged Lila gently and gestured towards the front door.


    “I’ll meet you there,” he said in a low voice. “I’ll just grab my shoes from the garage.”


    Lila put her shoes back on by the front doors, ensuring she had everything she needed. By the time Asher reappeared, she was ready to go. He punched the security code into the system and they stepped out into the crisp winter air. A shiver passed right through Lila’s spine and she hugged herself tightly, bracing herself from the wind’s cold touch.


    “Do you need a jumper?” Asher asked, leading the way towards the worker’s cottage.


    “I’ll be fine,” Lila replied stoutly. “It’s just this wind. Once I’m inside, I probably won’t even notice that it’s winter.”


    Asher glanced at her, doubt clearly shining through his eyes. “Alright,” he finally acquiesced. “Just say the word and I can run and grab a jumper for you.”


    “Thanks for the offer. It’s fine.”


    “Lila, I’m starting to hate the word ‘fine’ when it comes from you.”


    Lila stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Asher, her mouth falling open in shock. “Huh?”


    “Sorry,” Asher murmured, opening the side gate for Lila. “Hate’s a strong word. I… just… dislike it, a lot. You said I’m a bad liar. Well… you are too. When it comes to trying to conceal that you’re bothered by something, or that something is actively not-fine, I guess.”


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “… sorry,” Lila said despondently.


    Asher clipped the wooden, white-washed side gate closed and brushed past Lila, his warmth lingering across her face.


    “I’m not trying to make you feel bad,” Asher clarified. “I just… would like it if you were a smidge more honest. But… I don’t want to force you, either.”


    She cringed as she remembered Grace calling her out on exactly this, back when the rumours had spiked after Connor and Asher had the rather one-sided standoff in PE in Term One.


    Thinking back on it, Lila supposed that it was a habit that she’d picked up, being the amenable middle child, but… of course, Asher was completely correct. Lila silently continued to process Asher’s words as they approached the quaint cottage in the back of Asher’s expansive yard. The cottage itself was single-storey and incredibly wide – evidently to accommodate two workers with separate living quarters. With sloping roofs and a mock chimney, it looked straight from a fairytale, albeit clearly modernised with its crisp paint job and TV antennas. By itself, surrounded by green lawns, it looked picturesque, but was distinctly out of place when compared to the modern mansion which housed Asher and his family in the distance.


    Lila cast a look around the rest of the yard and saw a pool that currently had a cover on it, beautifully sculpted gardens, a gazebo, and an entertainment area complete with a fire pit embedded into the ground. Running parallel to the worker’s cottage looked to be a secluded cobblestone road. It was connected to the cottage via walkways that Lila could see.


    “What the heck?” Lila whispered in awe as she soaked in the layout of the area. “Is that a second road?”


    “Yeah,” Asher replied, seeming surprised by the question. “It’s actually kinda like we’re on an island. It’s the old farmhouse road. I don’t actually know where it leads to since it’s not used very much. Probably wouldn’t know it was there if you knew it existed.”


    “Huh,” Lila remarked. “Quaint. Seems like a good place for a walk. Maybe after this whole ordeal is over – then we can find out where it leads. Do you guys share those?” She gestured vaguely at the entertainment area, gazebo, and pool. Asher nodded.


    “Yeah. When we wanna use them, we take precedence, of course, but they’re more than welcome to use it when no one else is,” he said matter-of-factly.


    “Now I wanna work here,” Lila joked.


    “I wouldn’t make you work here,” Asher replied automatically. “You could just live here.”


    A beat passed before Asher’s face shone bright red and he immediately looked flustered. “I-I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said desperately, waving his hands wildly.


    “Forgotten about immediately,” Lila said feebly, though, of course, it was a lie. Now that he’d said that, that was all she could think about for the moment. Live… with Asher?


    “We’re getting close now,” Asher said pointedly, clearing his throat. He opened the duffle bag and pulled out the duct tape and scissors. “I know where the cameras out here are, at least, so give me a minute.”


    He passed the bag to Lila and snipped pieces of the duct tape off, placing a strip on each of his fingers. Lila watched as he crept around the outside of the cottage, delicately sticking the duct tape here and there – presumably on remarkably hidden cameras, to block out what could be seen. He returned a minute or so later, slightly out of breath.


    “Alright,” he whispered, stowing away the duct tape and scissors. “No turning back now.”


    “No turning back now,” Lila agreed.


    “Is that too heavy for you?” he asked, pointing at the duffle bag. She looked down at it and shook her head.


    “Nah. All good.”


    “Righto. You can put it down near the door if you need a break. Follow me.”


    They quietly snuck around the right side of the cottage. From Lila’s recollection, this was Marlene’s side.


    “It looks a bit out of place, next to your house,” Lila said quietly as Asher crouched in front of the door handle, armed with his lockpicks.


    “It was the original dwelling. That’s why we’ve got that janky road,” Asher explained absently, selecting his tools and looking intently at the lock. “This… is definitely going to be complex,” he muttered after a few seconds, adjusting his posture. “It’s a much older lock than what I’ve researched.”


    “Makes sense, if this was the original dwelling,” Lila replied, inspecting the lock herself. It certainly didn’t look as modern as the ones they’d been practicing on.


    “Should… be fine, though,” Asher said uncertainly, inserting his pick and tension wrench into it. Lila looked around to ensure no one was watching them, including via any of the CCTV cameras. All of the cameras she could spot in the vicinity were seemingly covered by duct tape, however, so she presumed they’d be safe for now.


    “Good thing about door locks,” Asher said through gritted teeth after a few moments of concentrated, deliberate movements, “is that they haven’t really changed all too much over the years.”


    “Well, that’s good,” Lila replied optimistically. “Hopefully you’ll get it open, then.”


    “I will,” Asher responded confidently, a grin creeping on his face now. “I can feel it.”


    The return of Asher’s confidence allayed Lila’s concerns, and she watched as he pressed his ear to the door before coming back and turning his instruments. Then, he beamed up at Lila.


    “Let’s go.”


    Lila heard a small click and he swung the door open with a heavy-handed push. It was dark in here, with vague shapes of furniture coming through the gloom.


    “You’re getting a bit too good at that,” Lila joked before peering into the darkness. “Bit creepy,” she added quietly.


    Asher didn’t say anything and instead took out his torch, flicked it on, and cast it about the entranceway. From what Lila could tell, it was at least very orderly in here.


    “You’ve never been in here?” Lila questioned as Asher continued to inspect the cottage. For what, Lila wasn’t too sure.


    “Never,” Asher confirmed, clicking his torch off. “There’s a couple cameras in here. We’ll need some more duct tape.”


    Immediately, Lila pulled the tape and scissors out of the duffle bag, stretching out a length for Asher to cut. He cut some pieces off, sticking them to his left hand.


    “Might be better if you wait out here,” he whispered to Lila. “Keep an eye out.”


    Lila made an affirmative noise and Asher tentatively entered, torch now on again. The door gently closed behind him and Lila’s breath caught in her throat. She was now out here, alone, dressed in all black, with a duffle bag of very suspicious items. She tried to think of a plausible explanation for all this, but her brain short-circuited – she could only think of how many pieces of tape Asher had, and how she’d get in if the door had locked automatically.


    In a matter of minutes, though, Asher returned, a satisfied smirk across his face, his body blocking the door from closing fully.


    “Reckon I got ‘em all,” he said proudly, gesturing for Lila to come through. “Would you like to check?”


    “I’ll check,” Lila replied automatically. “Uh… what am I checking?”


    “Shine the torch around,” Asher explained patiently. “You’ll be able to see if there’s cameras. They’ll have a reflection in most cases, and if not, it should be big enough for you to see.”


    Asher opened the door for her and she tentatively crept through, shining her torch high and low. Asher also did so, and neither seemed to find any unobscured cameras.


    “Good job,” Lila smiled. “Can we turn on the lights now?”


    Asher flicked them on, the sudden brightness causing Lila to wince.


    “Sorry,” he said sheepishly, blinking rapidly. “Didn’t realise it’d be so bright.”


    “All good,” Lila replied, wiping her watering eyes on her sleeve. Her eyes adjusted to the brightness quickly, and she found herself in a small living space that included a modest kitchen, an average-sized TV, and a couch set. Along the headrest of the couch was a flowery throw blanket.


    The wallpaper plastered along the walls was an explosion of vintage flowers, with hooped embroidery hanging here and there. A heavy-set chest of drawers sat along one wall, upon which were a variety of interesting knick-knacks, including a Galileo thermometer, an old bronze mantel clock, and an assortment of ceramic cows and ducks.


    Upon the hardwood coffee table looked to be a set up for flower pressing and a half-finished embroidery project propped up on a stand. A desktop magnifier lamp was poised in exactly the perfect position for someone to look through and work on the embroidery simultaneously.


    “… is… she 84?” Lila asked in a low voice as she continued to inspect the living area.


    “Feels like it,” Asher murmured, crossing to the left-most wall. It looked to be collapsible at a moment’s notice like an accordion. He pressed a hand against it for a moment, as though to test the sturdiness.


    “Seems like they’ve locked it properly,” he observed after a moment. “Probably unlikely that Gabriel would try and come in here while we’re searching.”


    Lila was about to agree with Asher when she remembered the disposable cameras.


    “Let’s take some pictures,” she suggested, pulling them out of the bag still on her shoulder.


    “It doesn’t look very suspicious here, though,” Asher said doubtfully. “I mean… it seems like we’re invading her privacy enough just by being here.”


    “It’s just in case,” Lila insisted, waving a camera at Asher. “I know we were able to get in here once, but I’m highly doubting a repeat success, considering Marlene locked the study after we were in there the first time.”


    Asher begrudgingly took the camera from Lila’s hand. “Any ideas what we’re taking pictures of, then?” he asked, looking through the lens.


    “None,” Lila confessed. “Just… everything, I guess. Maybe it’ll become relevant later.”


    “Alright… but all I’m seeing is a woman who really likes ducks…” Asher trailed off, casting a glance around the room. Lila followed his eyes and saw even more statues of ducks sitting in the kitchen in various spots.


    “At least they’re cute ducks,” Lila replied, taking a picture of the coffee table. Aside from the questionable hobbies of a 30-year-old woman, this area seemed incredibly tidy – almost eerily so. Though Lila herself preferred a tidy living space, she couldn’t even see dust gathering on Marlene’s furniture. Even the flower press and embroidery upon the coffee table were laid precisely – as though they were more for decoration than actual use. In fact, Lila couldn’t even see any needles, threads, or books alongside these items.


    ‘Odd…’ Lila thought absently, taking another photo from a different angle, then a close-up of the press and the half-finished embroidery. It looked like a flower of some sort, though Lila couldn’t tell what type.


    “Even her books are old,” Asher said from the back corner, crouching before a half-sized bookshelf, seemingly built of similar wood to the coffee table. “Like… fraying, faded hardcover-kinda old. And all about romance. But like… old romance. There’s some by the Bront? sisters, some Jane Austen, few others. Classics.”


    “I would say I’m surprised you know those authors, and that they’re classics based on the titles alone, but that’d be a lie,” Lila responded, taking a photo of the kitchen. She took a close-up of one particularly cute duck sculpture, more for herself than for the investigation. Asher snorted, taking pictures of the bookshelf. They continued doing this in silence before Asher turned to Lila, seeming satisfied.


    “I feel like I’ve taken as many pictures as I could,” he announced, stretching his arms. “According to the floorplan, there’s a bathroom and two rooms down this hallway here.”


    “Guess we should look, then.”


    Lila began to go down the hallway behind Asher before doubling back.


    “I… know not everyone likes gaming,” Lila said tentatively, looking back at the TV set. “But I feel like it’s weird that someone born in the 90s doesn’t even have an entertainment console or, like, a casting device like Apple TV or something. Like, what does she use to watch things?”


    Asher shrugged, continuing down the hallway. “Must be a Smart TV if she doesn’t have a console. Like you said, not everyone likes gaming.”


    Lila pursed her lips together briefly before following Asher. He glanced behind him, smiling at her, before opening the first door.


    “Bathroom,” he declared, taking a quick peek. “Ducks! Again!”


    Lila peeked in herself. The bathroom looked to have a combination bath and shower set up along the back wall, hidden behind a pale blue shower curtain. A large mirror was along the left wall, underneath which were old-style drawers and cupboards. Right by the sink were yet even more duck statues – about four or five. The style of the sink’s brass tapware seemed like it hadn’t been renovated from the first iteration of this house. The walls were covered in small, light-pink tiles and the grouting seemed to be missing in some areas. Fluffy white towels were hung on the right side, above which sat yet more framed needlework – this time of a farm which must’ve taken ages to complete. A plastic, rectangular container sat near the towels – Lila guessed it stored more linen. Again, this room looked otherwise immaculate when one discounted the duck statues. A small door was on the right wall, and Asher poked his head in.


    “Toilet. With more ducks sitting on top,” he smirked. “Do you want a picture?”


    “May as well,” Lila sighed, taking a picture of the bathroom.


    “Oh, there’s a sheep, too,” Asher commented, the telltale sound of the shutter echoing from the toilet. “Feels like I should be saying a shoop, or something. Sheep just sounds inherently plural.”


    “You’re thinking of geese,” Lila laughed, taking a more detailed photo of the counter space near the sink. She briefly wondered if Marlene wore makeup – and if so, why was it hidden away? The counter was entirely clear besides the ducks, hand soap, and a porcelain caddy with a toothbrush and toothpaste tube in it. Frowning, Lila took another picture as she tried to remember whether she had seen Marlene wearing makeup. Though, at the same time, would she need to while working somewhat laborious jobs such as being a maid and barista?


    They moved on to the next room, which looked to be a bedroom. This was, once more, insanely neat. Of course, a variety of animal statues were scattered artfully on assorted shelves, the windowsill, and a small wooden dresser. The single-sized bed was made up with bedcovers featuring yet more flowers, and there was a crystal vase of fresh geraniums sitting on a side table. On the other side table was a traditional-looking alarm clock and a phone charger. Asher looked intently through the shelves, taking pictures as he went, and Lila headed over to the closet.


    Opening it up revealed an array of various clothes, including many pairs of black tops and pants, a couple of hoodies, and some brightly coloured dresses that Lila had never seen Marlene wear. Flicking through these, it seemed that Marlene had nice taste in clothing, at least, though Lila had been tentatively expecting a milkmaid outfit, given the country vibes of the rest of the cottage.


    One dress slipped off the hanger and fell to the floor. Lila bent to pick it up and paused. Something was poking out of the bottom of the closet, underneath some shoe boxes. It looked like some kind of cloth.


    She tugged on it, and the shoe boxes toppled over immediately.


    “You okay?” Asher called over his shoulder. Lila glanced at him and saw him holding a pig statue aloft.


    “I’m good,” Lila replied, turning her attention back to the cloth. She pulled it even more, given the shoe boxes had already fallen over, and dropped it immediately.


    “A-Actually,” Lila gulped, shuffling back. “N-No longer good. At all.”


    Asher was instantly by her side, his eyes falling onto what she had pulled out.


    “Jesus,” he whispered, taking his camera out. He snapped a picture before gingerly picking it up. “This t-shirt has been through the wringer,” he said, inspecting it closely. The t-shirt had clearly originally been white but was now soiled almost entirely in stains that looked remarkably like dried blood.


    “Is that the Uni student’s?” Lila whispered, her voice trembling. Her breathing quickened – hyperventilation impending.


    “Might be,” Asher replied, lowering it back down to the floor.


    “Well don’t keep touching it!” Lila’s voice came out in a strangled whisper.


    He took a deep breath before looking down at Lila. “Let’s just… put it back.”


    Lila complied with shaking hands, arranging the shoe boxes as best as she could remember. Given she was virtually a pro at doing this, what with her borrowing of Clare’s shoes and clothes over the years, she was pretty sure Marlene wouldn’t notice.


    Lila tried not to think about the shirt as she looked through Marlene’s closet again, replacing the dress that had fallen off onto an empty hanger. There was nothing else of interest, which relieved Lila. If there were more bloodstained clothes in here, she would probably throw up.


    Spinning around, she saw Asher fussing about the dresser.


    “What’s wrong?” Lila asked, hoping he wouldn’t mention the shirt.


    “There’s a lock on this,” he said exasperatedly. “Trying to see if I can just jostle it open, but it’s not working. Looks like I’ll have to pick it open.”


    “Need a hand?”


    “Yeah. Can you just hold it in place? One of the legs is funny. Wants to keep falling over.”


    Lila did just that as Asher selected his lockpicking tools and started to get to work. It didn’t take longer than two minutes for a satisfying click to ring out.


    “Reckon that’s it,” he beamed. Lila let go and Asher pulled out the top drawer. With a victory whoop, he began rifling through the dresser. From this angle, he looked slightly frazzled despite his victory. Lila figured he was probably trying to do what Lila was doing – forgetting about the shirt for now.


    “Anything interesting?” Lila asked absently, crossing the room to the closest side table. She took more pictures whilst waiting for Asher’s response.


    “Not at all,” he sighed. “Top drawer is literally just bills. Second drawer is… a drawer I closed immediately.”


    Lila shot him a look and his face was pink with clear embarrassment. “Underwear?”


    “… and other things,” Asher replied with a cough. Lila didn’t want him to elaborate as she shuddered, opening the side table. Inside was a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, along with a Coles catalogue and an Aldi catalogue. They seemed to be in date.


    Lila moved around the bed to open the other side drawer and almost stumbled over something. She caught herself by gripping the edge of the bed and looked down. She immediately jumped back.


    “A… bowl of cat food?” she wondered aloud.


    “A bowl of what?” Asher asked, ceasing his rifling immediately.


    “Cat food,” Lila replied, just as perplexed. Repeating it didn’t give her any more answers. Though, the container in the bathroom made more sense now – it was probably a litterbox.


    “How do you know that it’s cat food?” he asked, looking at her curiously.


    “I thought it was dog food at first, but this bowl is really too small for that,” Lila explained. “Plus, the bowl has ‘Cat’ in big letters on it.”


    “She… could have that sense of humour. You know, like when they call tall guys ‘Tiny’. After all, Marlene doesn’t have a cat,” Asher said dismissively, coming over to see what Lila was seeing. “That’s something they would’ve told me. Besides, she told me she was allergic to cats.”


    He stopped dead in his tracks, gazing down at the bowl. “I say that… but that’s definitely pet food at least,” Asher admitted faintly.


    “Maybe she’s cat-sitting?” Lila offered as they both continued to stare at the bowl. That seemed to stir Asher’s mind as he blinked at Lila.


    “Wh- Oh. Yeah. That’s probably it.”


    Lila snapped a picture of the bowl and the side table, and Asher took this as his cue to sidle out towards the shelves again.


    “Hang on,” he muttered, squatting down. “This wasn’t here before.”


    Lila uneasily turned to face Asher as he reached towards the shelf. Then, he shrieked, falling back onto his butt. A blur of tortoiseshell-coloured fur darted out of the open door, too fast for Lila to register what it actually was.


    “The bastard scratched me!”


    Lila hurried over to Asher, looking over him in concern. He seemed to be nursing his left hand.


    “What happened?” Lila queried, kneeling next to him. She gently took his left hand in hers. There were three raised scratch marks running down the back of his hand. None of them looked to be bleeding at least.


    “I thought it was a statue,” he replied, frowning. “But I didn’t remember seeing it when I looked at the shelf before. So I tried to pick it up and it scratched me and ran away.”


    Lila tutted as she gingerly pressed on the marks. Asher flinched slightly but didn’t otherwise object.


    “I don’t think you’ll need a Band-Aid or anything like that,” Lila said softly. “Did you want to sanitize it at least?”


    “No. I’ll be right,” Asher replied simply. His fingers twitched slightly in her grasp. A beat passed before he added, “… uh, your hands are… really soft.”


    Lila instantly dropped his hand, her face bright red. “S-Sorry. I just grabbed it without asking.”


    Asher shook his head, though Lila saw that his face was also red. “You’re good. The…” he coughed slightly, his face showing that he was focused on finding the right words. “The fact you kinda did that automatically… um… I don’t know what I’m trying to say. But… thanks.”


    Lila couldn’t meet his eyes, instead electing to stand up again. “I-I’m glad you’re okay,” she said quietly before moving to the window along the back wall. She pushed aside the blinds and saw that the window looked into the pool. She took a picture of the view, her face still burning.


    She thought she heard him sigh heavily behind her, but didn’t want to check. There was nothing else of note in the room, which also struck Lila as odd. Just how simply did Marlene live? If Lila hadn’t been feeling unsettled before, she certainly was now.


    “Is that everything?” Lila enquired, checking out the room one last time before looking at Asher.


    “I think so,” he said absently. “Only one room that we haven’t seen yet.”


    They left the bedroom, with Lila closing the door behind her. The cat was nowhere in sight, but Lila had only half-heartedly looked for it.


    The lack of lighting down the hallway was incredibly apparent by the time they reached the door at the end of the hall. Asher exchanged an apprehensive look with Lila – as though, perhaps, he didn’t want to open said door – before twisting the doorknob.