The man that sat opposite Ava was unchanged in appearance. His eyes were still gleaming with mischief and yet he did seem to have finally grown up and acted like a responsible adult.
”What are you doing here, Frank?” Ava asked, already paranoid.
”I'm on an important mission, doc. I hear anonymous is getting more active now that you appeared on telly.” He started watching her reaction with great interest. ”Do you regret it?”
”No. It has no relevance to what I do. They already have a plan.”
”Right, right. Trying to be one step ahead? It's not working very well from what I see. Police not finding anything either, hm?”He asked leaning his head on his left hand. Frank seemed to be in a very good mood.
”What is it that you want from me?” Ava asked trying to cut the chase and simply get it over with. She wanted to return to her peaceful way of living as soon as possible.
Frank watched this young woman for a while, his eyes falling over each of her creases. She looked so tired, so overwhelmed by the recent situation, and yet there was this desire in her eyes to fight, to defy what people expect out of her. Ana never judged any of her patients, she never looked at them as if they were insane, bad, or inadequate. There was a story behind those brown eyes, a trauma that made her patients unconsciously grow closer to her and open up. That was the main reason why it has come to this point.
"Do you know what is the core of Anonymous and their belief in the power of words?” Frank asked although he knew she will not answer.
„Inferno?” she guessed, surprising the former patient.
Frank chuckled and shook his head.
"No, doc. It’s you. Anonymous exist as it is now because of a book you gave to a teenager. Of course, it is not your direct fault for what is happening these days, you didn’t create Anonymous. But you created him, the monster behind the mask. You gave the golem the lie with which he can cover up his tracks.”
Frank stopped for Ava to fully grasp what he explained to her. It was indeed terrifying. The therapist froze in her seat but her whole body was trembling to the point she looked like she was about to have a seizure. Her eyes watered up and her chin was so stiff that Frank would have believed she was about to break. But this state came, not out of shock but out of realization. She knew, she had been made aware that it was all because of her manipulative ways during therapy but now that a former patient, whom she had contact with, told her that so clearly, it was just so hard to ignore.
"There is so much pain in your soul and yet, you control it so well. But for how long? Aren’t you sick of hiding behind this grown-up facade? Do you want to know why they call you Charlotte?” Frank asked, his whole expression softening. "It’s to hide your identity. He doesn’t want the rest of the group to know who you are because then you have a real identity. Names weigh heavily in Anonymous. But you already know that, you taught him after all.”
"I did not meet such a boy in my life.” She said having no recollection of teaching anything to anyone.
"Not physically but he did learn a lot by watching you and listening. He was not a patient of yours but he looked up to you. Try to remember, doc. You gave him this. You gave him Inferno.” Frank added in a quiet voice since the waitress came over to ask for his order. He denied with a charming smile and then he took something from his satchel. Ava didn’t even see he had one until that point.
Ava watched his every move as he placed a file on the table and urged her to open it. Her eyes narrowed at the first page, which had the profile of a man she knew well. Afterward, her hands moved by themselves as she spread all the pages on the table and read them over.
"Why are you showing me this? I don’t have any juridical power.” She asked glancing at him briefly.
"He has bought a building and thoroughly renovated it into an orphanage. Apparently, it can welcome up to 50 children and it is a very modern facility. But it is truly an orphanage? We had people go there undercover and it seems there is a basement under lock and key that does not appear in the original plan of the building.”
"He is not H. H. Holmes,” Ava mumbled with a roll of her eyes. „What makes you suspicious?”
"Three children have disappeared in Limehouse last year. They returned safely but they need intense psychological care. Five years ago, a certain Martin was abducted by an associate of his father’s. Abduct is a big word since his father was the one to drive young Martin to that house. Want me to show you which house?” Frank asked sifting through the pictures in his galleries.
Ava closed her eyes and rubbed her head, feeling like she was about to faint.
"No need.”
"Here,” Frank said and pushed the phone into her face. "And this is Martin.” He added, swiping to the image of the boy.
Ava frowned when the face of the same boy who willingly sacrificed his life in Bedlam appeared now on the screen of Frank’s phone. It was too much, so many connections and in such depth. Anonymous has been controlling every little moment of her life for the past few months.
"Inferno is coming whether you and the world accept it or not. I’ll leave the file with you just to give you a nudge. You can show it to the detective, I have heard he was the most impressed during Egmont.” Frank said before getting ready to leave.
Ava frowned and quickly grabbed onto his wrist.
"You still didn’t tell me what it is exactly that they want me to do.” She hissed, anger replacing pain.
Frank seemed taken aback by the force of her grip but soon smiled and leaned towards her.
"Kill him.” He whispered and left. Ava remained blocked. She just couldn’t believe what he heard. Anonymous wanted her to kill a man.279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw0oz2ZwGB
Marvin was in a state of absolute bliss and he didn’t have a clear reason why. He just knew that all the events that have flooded his life have turned him towards a new path, one that could be dangerous but could also save him from the regret of having disappointed his former partner. Ava was the damsel in distress, the person he could hang onto with the illusion of having saved someone whom Fred would have tried his best to protect. Lanchester was more assured than ever before that he wanted to be Ava’s hero. The feeling was coming from a genuine interest in her past but it wasn’t noble.
With their little trip to Oslo, the detective learned that Anonymous was your everyday citizen, the guy that washes your car or the student that’s studying in the library, or even the librarian who has read enough to know what words to use against society. There were so many theories and ideas floating in his mind, mirroring the complete and utter chaos that was happening around him.
The peaceful and rather funny atmosphere felt by Lanchester was caused by him listening to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.1 in f Minor, Op.2 while standing in the middle of the hallway with his eyes closed, conducting an imaginary orchestra. He started doing it after their trip to the theatre and, honestly, the ginger has been captured by Beethoven ever since. Not so much of Goethe, though.
It was an interesting sight if watched from an outside point of view, such as Leo’s. He had to brief the detective on their latest mission but he couldn’t find him anywhere until he heard some officers talk about a 'crazy bastard’ that seemed to believe the building was his playground. They might have not used those words exactly but Leo translated it the way he wanted to.
Therefore, with careful steps so that he won’t get hit in the face, the Italian officer approached Lanchester from behind. He had to tap the ginger on his shoulder several times until he finally pulled out one of his earphones.
"I found a lot and it’s really bad sir,” Leo said with a frown.
The truth was that not even Marvin imagined such a terrific background check. Right there, on the desktop that must have had the brightness to 100, were the pictures of three children age 8-12, with eyes so empty and faces so sullen that one might think they have been to hell and back.
"Dr. Atkins, Prf. Andrews, and Lauren Plath have met when they were children, under dare I say, very disturbing circumstances. It doesn’t say it clearly, but they were kidnapped. The hospital records show that all three of them have been forced to have sexual intercourse with men. There are details about what each child had to go through and it was all right there, on their bodies. I can only imagine what a trauma like that can leave behind.” Leo started feeling sick as he continued, "The officer in charge back then didn’t do anything. There were some inquiries at the request of the three families but the case was dropped because there was no evidence that could incriminate the suspect.”
Leo stopped and looked at the detective from the side. The ginger had his eyes narrowed at the screen, probably because he needed to adjust to the brightness but once the blond looked down at Marvin’s body, he saw how the detective had one of his fists curled so hard that it was white and the other hand seemed to be asking for a gun.
"Leo?” The detective asked for the youngster calmly.
"Yes?” The blond replied as he moved so that his head was right next to Lanchester’s, hiding the screen from the eyes of other officers.
"Don’t tell anyone about what we will do from now on when we are around Ava.”
The two glanced at each other and agreed with a nod.
By the time Ava returned to the Airbnb, it was already night. She spent most of the day walking around without a clear aim. She just needed to think about what has happened and this sudden realization that she brought this hell upon Europe and upon herself. There were no tears left to cry, no antidepressants strong enough to hide the pain, and no exercise that could help compartmentalize her memories and fears that were surfacing. All that hard work to be normal was gone with just one meeting with a criminal.
She was tired and wanted nothing else but to take a shower and go to sleep. The lights were turned off but she could hear Iwan in the room, whispering to himself. That was not shocking since she was already accustomed to his oddities.
She barely got her coat and shoes off when this very familiar tune started to spread outside. It wasn’t music per se, it was not a recording, but people singing the same song.
Iwan got up and he gave a quick glance out the window before retreating into the darkness of the apartment. Ava didn’t even bother to check.
Meanwhile, Lanchester and Leo were outside, having a beer when they heard the same song being sung by people on the street. The same person that Lanchester saw on his first day in Oslo, the one with the cardboard that said the Horror! The Horror! Was now using all his power in his diaphragm alongside many others in an unexpected show.
"What the heck is this?” Lanchester asked, getting up with the rest of the innocent bystanders.
Leo used his phone immediately and searched for the song. His eyes widened at the words.
"It’s Traviata...Un di feliece eterea. But what for? And this...it doesn’t make sense at all.”
They weren’t the only people confused, Ruben was still in the police building and he was watching and listening to everything with a frown. Suddenly, when the song reached its climax, explosions went off in every corner of the city. It was fireworks and it looked more like a celebration rather than a threat.
But when the fireworks began, Ava and Iwan received a message that was going to change everything. The longest resident at Bedlam had hung herself.
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