Chapter 22 – Killer Signature
“It’s the killer signature,” said Derek,
“Everything about him
Leading to this moment.”
I did not want
My sister to have thrown me
At a murderer. Did not want
To kiss a killer.
“We’ve got to take this to the police.”
Derek’s voice was speaking –
Summoning the experts –
Even he was afraid of this.
“It isn’t proof of anything,”
I argued. “He threatened
An ex-girlfriend!
Do you know how many guys do that?”
“No,” said Derek. “Do YOU?”
“Yes,” I spluttered. “According to Teen Vogue.
It happens all the time.”
My in-house authority was red-faced,
“I’m embarrassed for my gender.”
Kind of adorable. I touched his hand.
“All it would do –“
“If the police came calling
They’d grill Verne! It’s too soon
To lock him in a story. It’s Mirabel
We need to find.”
“Best witness,” he agreed.
“Verne’s probably calling my dad’s P.I.!”
Fingers clattered on the keyboard.
“I’m not calling Verne!
“Hello, Angie? Derek Lowther. Is Ed around?
It’s an emergency.
O.K., I guess I can tell you,”
He grumbled. “I gave Ed’s name
To somebody I just met
Who’s looking for his missing girl. But then I found out
He’s a dangerous kind of guy.
Oh, he doesn’t? Well, what if he asks
For a referral? OK.
He hasn’t called? Thanks.
We feel better.”
He sounded disconnected.
“She says he never takes cases like that.
Would only recommend police. She says –“
He gulped – “Most people
Searching for a past lover –
Have nothing good in mind.”
“Verne isn’t going to call him,”
I said, leafing slowly
Through Mirabel’s Portfolio.
“Don’t tell me –“ sighed Derek
“He has some other object in mind.”
“Transitional object,” I quoted
Beginning Psychology.
Froze on a photo that
I recognized –
Bikini’d Mirabel kayaking
In paradise.
“I recall she talked about this place,”
I told him. “She called it Dream Island.
Said she wished
She could stay forever.”
I grabbed Derek’s arm.
“I know where that is,”
Hard to transfer
Those Eureka moments: the insight
When it comes together.
“She’d be stupid to return
To anyplace she’d ever been.”
There’s Derek, arguing for the sake of
Arguing. “The smart thing
Is to light out for somewhere you’ve never
Been before.” I batted that one
Off easily. “Then what’s the point? If you’ve
Been miserable, you need
Happiness. Guaranteed.”
“Unless you’re shallow,” said Derek.
“Then you need guaranteed variety.
Everything newness.”
Awful thing to say.
Was Mirabel that bad?
I refused to believe it.
“She’s my sister,” I one-upped,
“I hope I know her better than you.”
He could have told me
I didn’t know her at all
And been right, but he backed down
Immediately. Maybe he saw
In my face the high stakes I felt in
Rescuing the sister who made me
Happy face pancakes all those years ago.
“A password hack is always easier
The better you know the person.”
Now he argued on my side
Of the equation. “Skip Criminal Justice”
I recommended, “And be a lawyer.”
My phone rang and I jumped a mile.
“Oh, Jeez, it’s Verne!
What should I say?”
“Don’t pick up! We need to get
Our stories straight.”
I knew right away two against one
Would activate his wariness.
So I did the bravest thing
And I picked up.
“Oh, hi, Verne
Did you find something?
I took a nap and
Derek’s talking to a neighbor
Who used to be a cop.
Sure – as soon as we know –
We’ll catch you later.”
I could feel his fingers
Reaching out at me through the phone
But clicked way.
Derek stared at me starstruck.
“That was incredible! Have you studied acting?”
“Hell no,” I told him
“I’ve studied LYING. Can’t get through
Teenage life without it.”
Most lies are cover-ups when your antagonist
Is suspicious. Bad idea!
Smart lies strike first –
Bold, short, believable –
And straight out of nowhere.
“What were you thinking? Haven’t you
Spooked him?”
“I want him spooked. We need a way
To hint what we learned
From your PI’s receptionist.
WE NEED TO STOP HELPING HIM.”
“But what good is that?” Derek argued,
“What if he comes here?
If he finds Mirabel first?”
“He isn’t looking for Mirabel
He’s looking for ME so I’ve got to
Get out of here. I know where to go
And I don’t want him following me.”
Alysse Aallyn 
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