It all started with a shirt,
covered in weird red-ish stains.
“- How do you feel, knowing that your wife has killed someone?” - she asked herself, hands soaking in cold water. “- How should you feel? Is there a guide? A Facebook page?”
Lina poured another splash of liquid soap onto the shirt, feeling like red stains were looking at her. They were small, tiny even - on the collar, some on the brim of the sleeve. She wouldn’t have noticed them, putting a shirt in a washer, but finding them in a closed bag under the bathtub? That was an experience.
When they met, Mika was bright, and fun, and her eyes were shining brighter than a sun, like she came out of those magazines. Mika kissed her on their first date, Mika promised that she would never leave her on their wedding day, so. Lina decided to trust her. To hide her from her hateful family, to protect from homophobic co-workers, to hug her when she screamed “why wasn’t I born normal?”, none of them knowing whose tears were there. Lina thought to herself - she could be the best wife, if she tried hard enough.
So, when the shirt was found, she just went to wash her, ignoring the gun in the bag. When you love somebody - you sacrifice.
Mika came home late, one eye bruised, and went straight to sleep. Hands trembling, Lina stayed awake all night, thinking how to tell your loved one that you know her deepest, darkest secret.
- I should meet my client today, - her wife said in the morning. - I will be late. Buy milk, please.
Words shattered Lina’s heart. She just left. She usually hugged her, told her she loved her, not “just left”. Lina understood that something really horrible happened. The gun and the shirt were still hidden under a bathtub.
- Hey, Drake, i was just wondering about Mika! - she said, after an hour of debating with herself. - Is she alright? I know you both have shifts today…
- Oh, Lina, you must have mixed something up. She wasn’t here since last Monday! I
thought she took her vacation days early?
- Sure, thank you, Drake, so much!
- Is everything alright between you two lovebirds?
- Yeah, sure, got to go! - she fell on the bed, eyes wide and teary. “- Where is that book!
How should i know what to do! Was it a bad guy, a good guy? Should I call the police?”
An hour later, she hated herself. Sitting in Mika’s favourite restaurant, hat on, a big menu
hiding her from every other customer. A spy. “Is it illegal to stalk your own wife?”
- Hey, Lina! - one of the waitresses said, coming close. Lina wasn’t sure if she recognized
her, but the girl surely knew who she was. - Finally joining Mika? I was thinking something is
happening between you too, you never coming with her!
- Oh, - Lina’s mind went blank. She probably should act natural, - Sorry, I’ve been busy on
Fridays and Mondays.
- She said you got the new job! Congrats!
- Yeah, thanks, - she looked at the tag, - Clarie. Clarie, sorry, but, did she meet a bald guy here? He is our decorator, and I am not sure if she…
- No, what do you mean? No guys! She always comes here with a girl in a black glasses and a really weird coat. Also, Mika’s new style? All dark and mistirious? Love it! I couldn’t recognize her two first times she came here! Gosh, you lesbians just like to change styles!
“- She takes clothes from home to change at work. God, it must be hard”.
- She always sits at the table number two, and i remember, ‘cause I hate table number two, and the other woman always sits at the other one, but they still discuss things together!
“- Of course, nobody can see them, nobody can know what they do.”
- And, two days ago they were talking and crying…
“- The day the shirt appeared.”
- But today they seemed alright!
Lina knew, she had to do something. If Clarie just told it all to her, she will tell the police. And the police will come and take away Mika, put her in prison for one murder (probably, just self-defence, it’s Mika, for god’s sake!). Lina couldn’t have that.
On her way outside she wrote exactly 41 notes in a customer book. All about Clarie. Harassment, rudeness, dirty towel. That must be enough.
She came home, feeling sad, but proud. Her wife was the kindest one there, her anger issues just coming from her bad childhood, so whoever was killed out of that gun was a bad person. Her Mika wouldn’t kill anybody bad.
She came home and put bleach everywhere. Carpet, shirt, gun. She looked through her wife’s bedroom cabinet and found words, smudged with tears in her diary.
“I’m really scared.”
“What if somebody figures out?”
“How do I live with myself?”
“- Oh, my love, my dearest,” - thought Lina. “- It will be alright.”
When Mika came home, Lina acted even more supportive than she usually did. She held her hand through dinner, she washed her plates and kissed her on the cheek. Mika still wasn’t talking as much, as she hoped, cold and distant, but Lina decided to wait, to give her time. It was no more a mystery worth solving, it was a hurting wife worth saving.
Mika’s phone buzzed in silence.
“- Did you finally tell her about us, honey? And, I’ve found some bleach, it should help your shirt from the halloween.” the message said. In the morning, Mika will delete it.
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