On that same evening, the director of the police, Benjamin Johansson, received the report from Detective James. After nervously typing on his computer's keyboard, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Good evening Mrs. Wallace, it's me, Director Johansson." He started speaking. "I've sent you the report on that case."
The other side, who stayed silent until then, spoke. The firm voice of an old woman sounded, saying "Thank you Mr. Johansson, update me if you get more information".
She was going to hang up, but then the director hurried to stop her.
"Wait! So does it mean that he's really taken an interest in it? Frankly, we haven't gotten anywhere with the investigation and due to public pressure the higher ups want to see results and they're rushing me. Please, if you find anything, tell me."
The old lady replied, polite yet a bit distant: "I understand. I will take into account your situation".
It wasn't close to an affirmation, but the Director was just glad it wasn't a direct denial.
On the other end of the line, the old lady who had hung up knocked on a door and came into a dark study, closing the door behind her.
The study had thick black curtains that covered the windows which weren't see-through from the outside, and a young man was laying on the only sofa in the room, with a book covering his eyes. Mrs. Wallace stood the door politely, and started to speak, reporting to the young man.
"I've received the case files about that investigation from Director Johansson and sent them over to you."
He hummed faintly and said "Thank you Linda" and she went out of the study, quietly closing the door.
The young man took the book off his face and sat up, revealing a handsome face framed by wild raven-black hair, taking his black laptop from the table near the sofa and opening the most recent message he got.
After he finished reading his slender white finger was tapping rhythmically on the table, and his sharp eyes flickered with excitement and amusement, apparently finding the content of the report he read very tempting and intriguing.
"Who would've thought that guy got related to a case as interesting as that?" A gleam of fondness passed through his deep brown eyes and his lips curled into a relaxed smile, but then he sighed.
"But I can't get involved with it now since I'm already in the middle of all of those operations, and she came back so my help isn't urgent."
He sighed.
"What a shame... it seems so weird, and interesting..." he muttered.
*****
Meanwhile, the sky outside the hospital had started turning dark, the beautiful blur of warm pink-orange clouded skies giving way to the deep blue of the night, the moon in the sky starting to reveal its serene glow, accompanied by his twinkling little friends.
The noise seemed to have lessened inside the hospital and a peaceful atmosphere enveloped it, with visitors appearing less frequently as compared to before.
The past hours passed by quickly, with Ashly going through some exams and Detective Tarnell coming back to question her about the bombing incident.
The family of five and the detective had been quite a funny sight to see with the various dumbfounded expressions they had when she told them how she survived the bomb explosion due to a fork. She was less embarrassed to recall it now and more grateful.
John was the first to break into a laugh, teasing her and saying "I can't believe being a glutton and your love for apple pies saved you!!!", and soon Jason, Damian, Jack and Helen joined in, while James chuckled a bit. She really hoped that his recording device could take those decibels.
In the end Helen half-cried when laughing, thinking of how close Ashly was to die, and Ashly and her cousins comforted her like silly little baby chickens hovering over their mother hen, which lifted up her mood.
After Detective James finished with questioning her and left they returned to talking with Ashly, fussing over her, catching up about the last month and catching up with Jason and Damian while waiting for the medical exams' results.
Now Ashly was left alone as Uncle Jack and Aunt Helen went to talk to the doctor, Damian went to settle some paperwork in the hospital and Jason took John to get some food for all of them. Though John might've gotten distracted and started making friends or flirting with patients and taking their phone numbers. He's a sociable, likable, handsome guy, you gotta admit.
Since Ashly was left alone now, she could think about everything that happened before.
She read the writings fast even before she started reading it out loud, and the arrow with the word alone on it and the letters with the numbers immediately caught her eyes as they were quite noticeable.
While she was reading the words out loud she was thinking quickly, contemplating whether to read it to them or not, but made a very fast decision to read it.
She had thought it through and had a few reasons to read it to them.
First, she knew that she would've thought about the situation before writing the words on her arm.
It's common sense that there would be security cameras, and there was even nurse who saw her, which means that either 1. that actually wasn't only for her, 2. it was something that only she could understand or 3. it's something that could be revealed to others as it would only be of use for her.
Plus, she even wrote it in English and with no codes that definitely would only make sense for her, which means she wasn't even trying to buy time until someone who could read it will come.
Also, she thought about the police.
Since she was already told by Detective Tarnell that a nurse saw her write it, it means that the police probably asked the nurse what was written on her arm, so they would know anyways. Not reading it out loud would make them suspicious of her, and since they probably knew what it said, it might be some kind of test.
Or just her paranoid side, but it's fine.
Since she could always tell the police that she figured out what it meant later, she concluded that in order to give as little information as she can to the police without appearing suspicious, she needed to balance between what she tells the police and what she keeps to herself, so she continued to read the short message after the arrow after pausing to make it look like she was hesitating about reading the part from the alone- after all, hesitation is only natural, but the decision after that is the real deciding factor.
And she kept some information to herself, the information she thought that was the most crucial.
Indeed, she did think M2M was me to myself, and she didn't use it regularly. Also, she never used w1m before and she did like codes from books or songs and gematria.
But she believed she knew what 'Please w1m' meant. According to her interpretation, it meant 'Please wait one month'- she asked herself to wait one month, no matter what happened.
Back when the Detective told her about the writing and she read the words in her handwriting they calmed her down.
After all, who wouldn't freak out if they just disappeared from a month being in a dying state, left a message to themselves and didn't remember anything that happened??! Of course, although she looked quite composed all the small worst-case scenarios crossed her mind. What if someone raped her or something? What the hell happened in that time??!!
But she believed that no matter what, she was still herself all that time- so she decided to trust herself like the writing asked and believe in herself since she believed that she would stay the same person. She decided to try following her instruction.
So first, she will keep anything unusual that happens to herself and wait a month.
If nothing happens, that would be weird but fine. It could mean that her interpretation was indeed wrong.
If unusual, bad things will happen but she wouldn't get an explanation after a month, she would start by at least telling Jo, and then Damian and Jason, Jack and Helen and the police.
She was a nervous and also filled with anticipation, so until the end of the month, she'll just do her best to stay calm and believe in herself. Without going crazy :)
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