SSMM Ch32

A quick search of Kia brings up only socials, no headlines. She’s hot on Instagram, but nothing like Aubrey was. Her thirst traps are more fitness-themed, and she’s not shy about politics. There’s lots of standing with Palestine and things like that, the sorts of things that someone with more of a profile like Aubrey couldn’t say.

Scrolling back a long way, Ava finds pictures of her with another woman. She’s pretty, probably an ex. There’s no time for a deep dive, but Ava is able to infer that Kia relocated here from California. Going to the ex’s profile, it looks like the breakup had something to do with the move. These days, the ex is dating a skinny Asian girl. Looks like the ex has some ambitions for an acting career.

Kia’s not doing much on socials these days except for the occasional photo emphasizing her abs, complimenting her mutuals, and complaining about politics. In other words, pretty normal. She only has like a hundred followers. A quick swipe reveals…

Aubrey, of course.

Annette. Jane. Cristy. Karina. Belinda.

Ava lowers the phone.

Ingrid clasps her hands and faces Belinda.

“Where were you tonight?” she asks.

Belinda is visibly upset by the question, but she must’ve expected it. Everyone has to expect it.

“I was with Chitose. Yes, with.” She gestures, not exactly embarrassed. “With.”

“All night?”

Belinda glances at Chitose. “No. I wanted to wake up in my own bed. I took a shower.”

Ingrid turns to Karina. “Where were you?”

Karina looks questioningly at Cristy, then at Ava.

“We need to tell the truth,” Cristy says with a grimace. She points at Karina, then gives Ava an apologetic look. “We did stuff. The three of us. So, we cleaned up.”

“Separately?” Ingrid asks without judgment.

Cristy looks annoyed. “We aren’t a thing. And I was… I was sleepy.” It made sense that she wasn’t going to say that she got off so good that she couldn’t move. A couple might’ve taken a shower together, but Cristy and Karina are not a couple. Their showers had been at different times.

Ingrid turns to Hailey.

“Girl, I was alone in my room. I got shit for an alibi.”

Ingrid nods and turns to Ebba with one eyebrow raised.

Ebba looks every so faintly amused, although it’s tinged with bitterness. They are in a room with a body, after all. She says something in Swedish.

“Ebba was alone in her room,” Ingrid says to the rest of them. “I was, too.” Her gaze falls on Ava. “Ava?”

“Fuck. Dude, Cristy’s right. I’m telling the truth. I was with Jane and Viv. In bed. Naked.”

“All night?”

“Pretty much.”

“Annette?” Ingrid prompts.

“Alone in my room.” Annette holds up her phone. “But metadata for my email will show that I was working.”

Ingrid’s eyes narrow, but only for a moment. She turns to Kia.

“Where were you?”

“I was waiting for Aubrey,” Kia says, still struggling visibly with whatever strange things she’s feeling. MDMA is weird the first time. “We were gonna meet up,” she adds fuzzily.

Ingrid goes back to the body and puts her hands on her hips, looking down at it for a long moment.

“Everyone who has been intimate with Vivien Corbin at any time, raise your hand,” she says finally, her back to the assembly.

That draws a bit of a reaction from everyone. Some irritation, some discomfort.

Somehow, Viv looks even more miserable than she did before.

Ava exchanges a look with Jane. They both raise their hands.

Cristy’s hand is up.

Belinda’s hand is up.

Ingrid turns and notes the raised hands.

“I would like you to stand where I ask. Here and here.” She points to the area around the sink and the area around the huge, walk-in shower. Opposite ends of the room.

“Belinda, here please. Karina. Ebba. Cristy. Annette.” Ingrid places her hand on the sink as the women make their way over uneasily.

Ingrid goes to the shower. “Chitose, Hailey, Kia, Vivien, Jane, Ava. Please.”

Ava follows Jane over.

The two groups eye each other warily only for a moment; then all eyes are on Ingrid.

Ingrid speaks to Ebba, who replies in Swedish. It’s a brief exchange, but dense. Ava distinctly hears both names: Aubrey and Vivien. Ingrid looks at the window more than once as they talk, and her eyes go up toward the light fixture. She finally says something that doesn’t seem to be directed at Ebba.

“What?” Annette snaps. “What does that mean? I’ll play ball here, but only to a point, Ingrid. You aren’t a real cop. Get to it quick.”

Ingrid’s look is one of angelic patience. She matches Annette’s gaze.

“I wonder why Aubrey was out of bed with the lights off,” she says.

Hailey snorts. “How do you know the lights were off?”

“Because there are only two people in this room with motive to hurt Aubrey. And neither of them did this. Aubrey was not the target. This was a mistake.”

That causes a stir, and Ava feels a chill. Viv was already pale; now she’s white.

“She was out of bed because she was meeting with me,” Kia says. “She was probably getting ready.”

Ingrid nods.

Jane and Ava exchange another look.

“Uh, Aubrey wanted me to call her. Tonight. I guess to give her cover or something. But we were, uh, doing it and I didn’t get around to it,” Jane says. “Sorry.”

“It’s true. I was there when she asked,” Ava adds, feeling nauseous.

Ingrid nods, then says something to Ebba before crossing her arms and stroking her chin. She bows her head to think.

Ava’s phone is in her hand. Who should she check out now?