Chapter 55: Friday the 13th

Right after waking up I called Isabell, but she rejected the call. Slowly getting really pissed off at her moods, I got ready and ate breakfast alone. I dragged myself through my running training without any drive and got back just in time to find Alice in front of my door. I had completely forgotten about her. I quickly took in her and her outfit: a bit sloppy, a tracksuit, a bulging bag as if something heavy was inside, probably her phone.

“Oh, hi. Come in. I just need to freshen up quickly, then we can talk.”

She nodded gratefully and stepped in behind me.

“You spend a lot of time on pony training, don’t you?” she asked as soon as we were in the apartment.

I looked at her, confused. Why did she keep coming back to that?

“I have to.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Can I offer you something, tea?”

She nodded, and I put water on.

While the water started to boil, I fought my way out of the boots.

“They look uncomfortable.”

“It’s doable. I’m slowly getting used to them. But they’re definitely not running shoes.”

She nodded as if she understood.

“Where is Isabell?” she changed the subject.

“Busy.”

By now the tea was ready and I came to the table with cups and the pot.

“I’ll change in a second, one moment.”

“Don’t bother. Your outfit doesn’t bother me.”

I shrugged and sat down.

She seemed to be thinking about how to start.

“So, what’s going on with you and Jelena?” I tried to get us going.

She nodded, relieved.

“We were together. A few months.”

I waited, took a sip of my tea, and burned my tongue a little. So I blew over the cup while looking at her expectantly.

“It was after your first show. We got into a fight. Because of you.”

“Because of me?” Surprised, I lowered the cup.

“I told her she had completely overreacted when she whipped you.”

“Oh,” was all that came to mind. It all felt like it had been ages ago, like it didn’t matter. And yet it had only been a few weeks.

“After that we fought a lot. For other reasons too.”

Her halting report was starting to annoy me. She needed to get to the point.

“I used to have a small drug problem.”

If I got ten euros every time I heard that sentence, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here. I stayed silent anyway.

With a sigh she finally said it: “I relapsed, and Jelena caught me.”

Given the setup, it wasn’t a huge surprise.

“That’s bad,” I nodded. “But what am I supposed to do about it? As you’ve surely noticed, Jelena and I still aren’t friends. And I don’t see how we ever could be.”

“But you seem to have influence with Rebecca. She covers for you, she’s in love with you.”

I burst out laughing.

“Rebecca? In love with me? How do you come up with that nonsense?”

“Jelena told me.”

“What a load of crap. Rebecca is not in love with me,” I insisted.

Alice shrugged.

“Then why did she give you a kimono worth 5,000 €?”

My eyes widened.

“What?”

“Your kimono with the kumiho on it cost 5,000 €.”

“You’re crazy.”

Alice shrugged again.

“You think it was just hanging in her closet? She had it flown in while you were still in the hospital.”

“Where would you...,” I started, then caught myself. “You’re just making that up because you saw it.”

Alice shook her head.

“Jelena let it slip.”

“Did Rebecca also tell her she loved me?”

“Jelena accused her of it and Rebecca didn’t deny it.”

Slowly I shook my head. That woman had almost killed me, practically cold blooded. It seemed impossible to me that she was even capable of something like love. Desire, yes, that was possible. But love? Either way, whatever I felt toward Rebecca, it certainly wasn’t love. And was Alice even credible? Would Jelena undermine Rebecca like that in front of a lover, probably only temporary? Jelena worshipped Rebecca, as far as I knew. But she could also have slipped up. I didn’t know her well enough to judge.

“Jelena is wrong. Rebecca doesn’t love me, I can promise you that. We have a complicated, well, cooperation. But no relationship.”

Alice nodded toward my pony boots.

“That’s part of this cooperation too, I assume? And how often do you lick Rebecca’s pussy?”

I wanted to snap at her, but I held back.

“Rebecca isn’t here at all. And probably won’t be for several weeks,” I deflected.

“Also something not everyone knows. Only you, Diana, Jelena and Isabell, who was Rebecca’s lapdog and pussy licker before you showed up.”

“Alice, what exactly do you want me to do?” I was already boiling inside.

“As I said. Put in a good word for me. And none of your old acquaintances will find out you live here now.”

So that was it. Straight up blackmail. Never trust a drug addict. Still, I had expected something like that the moment I saw Alice standing at my door. She looked more arrogant than remorseful.

I jumped up and went to the phone.

“Who are you calling?” she asked.

I didn’t answer and dialed Diana.

Her voice turned sharper. “Who are you calling?”

Diana picked up.

“Hello, Mistress Diana, it’s Johanna. We have another problem.”

In a flash Alice was next to me and snatched the phone away. She frantically hit the button to end the call.

She suddenly had a switchblade in her hand, the heavy thing from her pocket. Now it got serious.

“What is that supposed to be?” she snapped at me.

“Alice, I’m going to say this once. Whatever you think you heard, if you spread it around, there will be consequences for you that you cannot imagine. Ever heard of the women who disappeared here?”

A crack appeared in her confident facade. It was as if I’d let the air out of her.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve already taken the first step in that direction. One more step and you’ll be one of them.”