Page 91 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“Yes, but you can’t do it alone, hiding in the shadows. Look…if you did do this, I want you to know I forgive you.” Autumn meant it. She didn’t want to be angry or resentful; she wanted,needed,to move on.
The door opened. “Her mum is here,” said Aiden.
Autumn got up, but Heather reached for her, only to be stopped by her cuffs.
“I know you have no reason to believe me. I lied about who I was for three years, but I swear on my sister’s memory that I never sent the roses,” she said desperately.
Autumn paused and nodded, not sure what to say, then let Aiden lead her from the room. Autumn felt like he was closing the door on her soul. She didn’t know what to think anymore; all she wanted was to get out of the station and get some fresh air.
Heather’s mother, Lori, was pleading with an officer to see her daughter. Seeing her brought back so many memories—some good, others painful. Suddenly, Autumn felt like she was sixteen again and expected Mollie to appear at her side at any minute. The last thing she had wanted was to bring the family more hurt.
“I don’t think she did this,” she whispered to Aiden.
Aiden looked grave. “I think we should wait for the prints. She could be playing up your connection with her sister.”
Autumn looked back through the glass to Heather, crying softly to herself. “Hiding her identity was wrong, and though she might have wanted to be close to me, I don’t think she would have gone this far.”
“And the photo she mentioned?” Aiden asked.
“I don’t know. I never saw anything in the dressing room,” she said, wondering why Heather would lie about something like that.
“Autumn, I’m so sorry, but she can’t have done this—you were like a sister to her,” Lori said, tears in her bloodshot eyes.
Autumn took her hands, trying to comfort her. “She needs you. She’s stuck in her grief, and she won’t get the help she needs in a cell. I truly want to believe it wasn’t her,” she said, and the colour returned to Lori’s cheeks.
“I’m sure she’ll be proved innocent. I’ll do anything she needs! When she left school, I thought she moved to the city. I had no idea she went to look for you.” The way her eyes darted around told Autumn she was ashamed of how she had let her only living daughter slip away.
“You can see her now,” Aiden said. Autumn sighed, grateful for the interruption. She didn’t know how much longer she could bear being here.
Elijah was waiting outside, leaning against his bike. Taking a few breaths, Autumn felt her heartbeat steady. Just seeing him helped her shoulders relax, and all the anxiety drained from her body. Seeing Heather get lost in her grief and pain had reminded her that she had to be grateful to have people she loved supporting her.
She didn’t even need to say anything before he closed the gap between them and held her close. There were no words to make it better, but it was enough just to have him there, waiting. He kissed the top of her head, telling her silently she was safe. She couldn’t find the words to thank him for giving her the space to let her figure out the situation for herself.
He wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “I know this is a stupid question, but are you okay?”
“No, but I will be,” she said, offering him a faint smile.
“Let’s go home,” he said, and she nodded, taking the spare helmet from the back of the bike. She glanced at the station as they drove off, gripping Elijah as tightly as she could, relieved that he was willing to stand with her and not run away at the first sign of trouble.
Autumn spent the rest ofthe day practising at home, trying to focus on her upcoming solo. All the emotional trauma from the last few days—weeks, even—seemed to compound itself, and Autumn found herself just wanting to sleep. To let her brain and body rest and reset.
Dragging her fingers over the keys, she wished she’d taken Sasaki up on his offer to have Marcus Lerou fill in for the rest of the showcase and only have her perform her solo. The emotional exhaustion was only heightened by her pain. Every time her foot pressed the pedal, it radiated up her leg as though the music was singing to her injured nerves. Staring at her phone atop the piano, she considered calling Sasaki and telling him her concerns, but she worried that the moment he heard the doubt in her voice, he would try to get a decision from her in an effort to protect her. And right now, if she had to make a choice, she felt like giving up entirely.
“Maybe I should just remove myself from the situation,” she said to herself, letting the weight of her emotions win over her desire to play. She picked up the phone and held her thumb over Sasaki’s number.
Just as she was about to hit it, she thought of Heather and Mollie, about the photo Heather had mentioned. She straightened and took a deep breath, reminding herself of all she had done to make this comeback happen, and decided not to give up at the last moment—not when she was so close. Resting her elbows on the piano, she swiped past Sasaki’s number to call Aimee. She couldn’t go to the theatre herself; the last thing she wanted to do was appear and disturb everyone with only two days to go before the show. She waited for her to answer, pacing, with Brinkley following her back and forth.
“Is everything all right?” Aimee asked, picking up after the first couple of rings.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting rehearsals; blame me if Sasaki gives out,” Autumn said, pulling at the back of her neck.
“No, don’t worry. A few officers arrived to go over security for the night of the showcase, so Sasaki has given us a long break,” Aimee told her.
Autumn winced, hoping the others weren’t too put out by the interruption. Then again, by keeping her safe, they were also ensuring their own safety. “Could you do me a favour?”
“Absolutely, what do you need?”
“In the dressing room, at my table, could you look around and see if a photo has fallen behind the back or sides of the dresser?” Hopefully, Aimee wouldn’t ask any questions.
