You’ve always had memory problems. Not like her.
You startle. Was that—?
You’re sure she must be chasing you. You’re sure she must be right on your tail.
The Detective.
They say she always knows. They say she rarely participates in a case. They say if she participated in all the cases, there wouldn’t be any crime. Everyone’d be much too scared to commit any.
She wouldn’t want that.
It wouldn’t be fun. Her fun is in the chase.
You don’t know why you run. You don’t know why you hide.
So you killed the boy. You don’t know why, you don’t care. Someone wanted him dead.
He was supposed to die, because that’s what you were told to do, and that’s what you did, and that’s that.
People die every day.
But The Detective doesn’t get involved every day.
You wonder why she’s so interested. What’s so special about the boy?
Only now do you begin to wish you knew why you killed him. Perhaps if you had known, you wouldn’t have. Perhaps if you had known, you could have guessed she would get involved. Perhaps, if you had known, you would have refused.
Did you miss something? Could you have foreseen this?
You search for the little piece of paper with your orders.
You should probably burn it–or at least plant it on someone else–but you don’t, and it’s not like she needs it to find you anyway. She’ll know you when she sees you.
If she doesn’t know you already.
It’s a funny job.
Killing a boy? That’s normal. Easy. Nothing strange.
But the exacting conditions for the body, down to blood smears, scuff marks, and light angles?
And you’d never position the light that way. Not that you’re an artist.
Are you an artist? You could be. Stupid fuzzy memory.
You can’t even remember what you were paid. You hope you charged a lot.
Then again, soon, it probably won’t matter.
She’ll find you. Just as soon as she gets bored.
Shh! What was that? Is it—