Aria Wiseman loved the autumn. It wasn't too cold so she could keep wearing her skirts and with the drop in temperature, it meant she could wear her favorite wool leggings. She wanted to enjoy every second of it while she could. Joe was walking beside her, on the phone with his aunt Bette.

     "Yup, I got the list: pomegranates, agave nectar, sunflower honey...I thought we had dates? Ok, I'll get some more...uh-huh....uh-huh...are you sure I should get the granny smith apples?"

     Rosh Hashanah was next week and between Bette's job and his cousin's school hours, Joe was tasked to grocery pick up. However, half his family was vegan and the other half of his family were omnivores.

     "Uncle Hector is getting the meat, right? 'Cause I don't know where to get a ram's head past five."

     Aria giggled. By his expression, his Aunt Bette didn't appreciate the joke.

     "Right. Ok! Don't worry, I got this...I love you too. Bye!"

     He hung up with a sigh. He popped out the stylus pen and wrote some notes down on his phone.

     "Excited?" She asked.

     "Yes. Just wish Aunt Bette would relax."

     Aria hummed in concern. "Is she usually this stressed around the holidays?"

     "Sometimes," Joe remarked. "I think she's just extra nervous 'cause she's hosting everyone at our house this year. Balancing the menu for vegan and regular cuisine isn't easy."

     Truth be told, he wanted to put all his thoughts into Rosh Hashanah and schoolwork than what had happened to them only a few weeks prior. What had happened at Taya's house...the things they saw...

     "I still can't sleep without the lights on," Aria said. Her voice was very quiet.

     "Me too."

     None of them had spoken of what happened. Not even Margot.

     "Doesn't it seem strange that Margot hasn't, I don't know, pushed more for this investigation?" 

     "With what proof?" Aria asked. "We have nothing."

     "She did film something at the Trek Lab." He said, his train of thought going somewhere he didn't quite like.

     "That's true, but Dr. Douglas has it."

     Joe slowed then came to a stop as a thought seized him. Where was Margot now?

                                            _____________

     Dr. Douglas only ever left his office for classes and the occasional bathroom break. When he wasn't there, he had the door locked. A private man by nature, he didn't like anyone barging in, not even during office hours. There was often a line of people waiting for him. Today was thankfully not one of those days. The building was largely empty and Douglas had no office hours today.

     It was the perfect, rare opportunity to sneak in and reclaim her stolen property. Should she be caught, which she doubted she would, that would be her answer.     

     Here's hoping the security guards didn't like him much either.

     Taking another deep breath, Margot purposefully walked down the hall, toward the door and stopped in front of it. Clutched in her hand was a key, more specifically a copy of a key that Trisha had given her the previous year. Trisha had done something similar a year before, taking back something she said her dad had taken. Margot didn't know what it was and when she asked, Trisha changed the subject. She'd entrusted the key to her, in case her dad went looking for it.

     Now Margot was using it to look for something of her own. She wondered, as she twisted the key and felt the door open, what it was. Trisha was so desperate to find that she'd go through all this trouble to get it back.

     There were a million possibilities but right now Margot needed to focus.

     She was in the office without a hitch. It was large, lightly furnished with a big desk, two chairs and on either side, the walls held huge bookshelves filled with textbooks. The desk was surprisingly messy, with paperwork stacked haphazardly on one side, a cold cup of coffee beside it and on the other side, a notepad with lecture notes remained half-finished. In the center was a desktop computer and on either side were family photos. One was a baby picture of Trisha, dressed in pale blue and white. A more recent one, taken of her high school graduation was beside it.

     Maybe he did care. Maybe it was guilt. But Margot couldn't think about that right now. She needed to find her camera, hoped that the evidence was still there, then get the hell out of there.

     Searching for it was tricky. She had to resort to picking the lock on his desk drawer. It took a solid two minutes before she could get it unlocked.

     Yes!

     There it was, her camera! Looking it over she was thrilled to see it intact and the SD card was still inside! Having found what she came here for, Margot closed the drawer and stood up to leave when she heard Douglas' voice from the other side of the door.

     Merde.

     With little options and fewer places to hide Margot ducked down and squeezed herself underneath the desk.

     Oh my God, what the hell am I doing? She thought to herself. I'm such an idiot! I'm gonna get caught!

     Knees up to her chin, stomach sucked in while she clung to her camera Margot could only hold her breath and pray that there was some kind of divine creature that would show her mercy and save her from Douglas' wrath.

     He stepped inside and walked toward his desk to take a seat. The tips of his loafers nearly touched her side.

     "I'm very glad you could see me, Dr. Douglas." A feminine voice spoke.

     Douglas hummed, pushing back his chair. "Thank you for coming, Detective Loki. Have you any updates on my daughter's case?"

     Margot held back a gasp. This was the person working on Trisha's case!

                                            _____________

     The weather report threatened rain, causing all the girls to huddle up inside. The large house felt oddly cramped, Piper taking no comfort in the sizable kitchen as girls sat down to eat, study and gossip. Unable to cook anything, she decided to go upstairs to take a short nap. As much fun as she had with sorority duties they sometimes cut in on any time she might have for herself. Rochelle at least was downstairs which gave her a little privacy. 

     Before she hit the mattress she remembered what she needed to set up her clothes for the morning jog she'd be taking with some of the other girls. Piper hoped some exercise will help her deal with those nightmares. As she reached for her good pair of socks she noticed something odd.

     Piper peered closely at a bit of green ribbon on the side. I don't own any ribbons, she thought. Pulling at it a false bottom on her dresser drawer was revealed. Piper was excited. What a find! Thoughts of mysteries and excitement filled her mind. Who knew what she'd discover?

     Dumping the contents of her dresser on her bed she looked inside and found four tiny envelopes. Ohh!!! Love letters? Secret liaisons? Murder mystery?

     With a considerable amount of effort at self-control, Piper looked at the four notes and read the covers. Each one was addressed to someone different, in neat handwriting. They were names she wasn't familiar with.

     Who are Margot, Joe, Aria, and Taya? She asked herself.

     She opened the first one addressed to the mysterious Margot. What she found was certainly mysterious.

reward ym

fo mottob eht

kcehc togram

ikoL evitceted

tsurt ton od

     Piper couldn't make heads or tails of it. Is this Welsh or did a catwalk over something? She wondered. What's the reward they were talking about? Do they mean evicted?

     She put it away in her purse when she heard someone walking upstairs. Fixing her drawer it was as if nothing was amiss, save the four letters which remained nestled safely in her purse.