“I have hours!” she said, as if this was an obvious improvement. She stepped aside and welcomed us in with a little flourish.
Inside, the house was even more intense. It was like a shrine to every princess, superhero, and anime character ever created. There were Funko Pops lined up in color order on every shelf. A bouquet of lightsabers in an umbrella stand. Signed photos of various actors, some real, some not. The TV played a Sailor Moon episode on mute, and next to it a life-size cardboard cutout of the main character in a tutu guarded a display case of retro Polly Pocket sets. The air had the sticky sweetness of marshmallow cereal. The sofa was bright pink, the carpet a deeper shade, and the pillows were shaped like cartoon hearts. Three of them featured shirtless, rippled men in artfully suggestive poses.
It was a lot. My brain tried to process it all and failed, so I stuck to observing.
Beth followed Krissy to the living room, where Krissy motioned for us to sit. I picked the edge of the couch, but Beth went right for the anime-man pillow and hugged it to her chest with a smirk.
“I see you’re a fan,” Beth said.
Krissy perked up. “Oh my god, are you into Inuyasha? No one else here even knows what that is.”
“I’m more of a Fruits Basket person,” Beth said, “but I respect the fandom.”
Krissy squealed, then tried to stifle it, then gave up and clapped her hands. “I knew I liked you guys.” She plopped down next to Beth, tucking her knees under herself, and offered me a muffin from a pink tray on the coffee table.
I took it. I didn’t have the heart to say no despite having two muffins at the cafe.
Once she was settled, Krissy smoothed her pajama pants and gave us her undivided attention, like she’d been waiting her whole life for this exact conversation.
“So,” Beth began, “Alice was here yesterday?”
“Yes.” The other woman’s smile was wide.
“And she left around…?”
Krissy took a minute to think, then said, “four.”
“And how long did she stay over?”
Krissy nibbled her muffin. “She was only here for an hour. Maybe less.” Her painted nails glittered with every movement. “She said she was going to go home. Is she okay?”
I met Beth’s eyes. She gave a tiny shrug.
“We’re not sure,” I said. “She hasn’t been seen since she left here.”
Krissy’s mouth opened in a small o. “But she texted me after? She sent me a meme.” She whipped her phone from her pocket and started scrolling. “Let me find it. Oh, wait, that wasyesterday.” Her face clouded. “I messaged her last night, but she didn’t answer.”
“Did she say anything about being followed?” Beth asked. “Or anything else weird?”
Krissy hesitated. I could almost see the gears turning, one glittery tooth at a time. “She got a phone call when she was here, but she stepped outside to take it. I only caught a little. I think it was her grandma.”
“Her grandma?” I repeated.
Krissy nodded so hard her hair bounced. “They’re, like, best friends. She visits her all the time. I’m jealous, honestly. My grandma barely remembers my name. Alice’s grandma is the coolest, she still makes her homemade pie and plays poker with her friends. Even lets Alice join. I wish I had that.”
That tracked with what I knew about Alice’s home life. She kept her cards close, but she’d mentioned her grandmother several times.
“Do you remember anything about the call?” Beth pressed.
Krissy scrunched her lips and stared into the middle distance. “She sounded upset, I think? She was doing that thing where she pretends not to be, but you can hear it anyway? Sorry, I’m bad at reading people.”
That was a lie, but it was the kind of lie people told about themselves to avoid further questions.
“Anything else?” I asked.
“She left really fast,” Krissy said, then looked ashamed. “I should’ve asked what was wrong, but she said she’d call melater.” Her hands fluttered like she was considering folding them, then thought better of it. “Is she really missing?”
“Yeah,” Beth said, gently. “She never made it home. Henry’s worried, too.”
