Chapter 9
Louisiana
As you might have guessed, when I first became Huntress I decided to randomly pick victims through different methods. So far the strategy of random combined with a meticulous plan each time worked. Even though the Uber driver blabbed, I used a burner to order the Uber and ditched it in a neighbor's trash can soon after my fun. My trip to Louisiana was not random. The chance of getting caught over this was extremely high, but my grandparents raised me so it was worth the risk. Something for sure happened because that dream didn't seem like a dream. It was too real. And I know Mr. Edwards lied about working that day. Grandma died on a Thursday. I remembered taking Friday and a few more days off work because of it. He worked that day, but why did he lie? His wife had the answers I wanted. She had to. As I drove to Louisiana, I remembered that I wanted to look up those strange words.
"Hey Siri...google mors tua vita mea."
"I found multiple results for mors tua vita mea."
"Read first result"
"From latin-is-simple.com mors tua vita mea meaning: your death, my life. Comment: From medieval Latin, it indicates that battle for survival, where your defeat is necessary for my victory, survival."
So in my dream, I had said to Mary her death, my life. I wouldn't have chosen those words if I found her smothering my grandmother. Similar words probably. The odd part was I hadn't studied Latin at all. The only foreign language I had been exposed to was required Spanish classes in school and Tex-Mex Spanish. How did a Latin phrase I had never heard before end up in my head? Did I hear it before and just forgot? What did the words Mr. Edwards say in the dream mean?
"Hey Siri...search mors omnibus on latin-is-simple.com"
"mors omnibus meaning: death to all. Comment: Signifies anger and depression."
Looking up those words gave me even more questions with no answers. Ok, so Mr. Edwards was angry and said death to all. He certainly looked angry in my dream, so I ruled out the depression possibility. I was the only one in the room aside from his wife though, so what did he mean by "all?" If they both conspired to kill my grandma then he wouldn't be mad at his wife. Wait, there was another scream in my dream! So maybe someone else was in the room? It sounded like a female scream. Who else would have been there and why? Mary Edwards had to know something for sure. She was going to tell me one way or another.
I found the hotel she was staying at in Baton Rouge pretty easily. I decided to act like a Door Dash worker again since it worked so well the last time. When I knocked on the door to the hotel room no one answered. Now what? I couldn't just stand there waiting for Mrs. Edwards to come into the hotel. That would draw suspicion. I had to think of something else, but first I needed to leave.
As I left a woman walked through the hallway and bumped into me. She gave a brief apology as she walked, presumably to her room. Wait a moment, her room was the same as Mrs. Edwards! Did she leave the hotel? Did people know Mr. Edwards was murdered yet? I quickly left the hotel and drove a safe distance away just in case. Maybe someone thought Mrs. Edwards was a target somehow? I pulled up to a gas station and filled up my car. A quick search of the news from my neighborhood gave me no results. Mr. Edwards' death would definitely be news if people knew. Since there's no news about his death no one has noticed it yet. They probably wouldn't notice for a day or two. So Mrs. Edwards wouldn't have left for that reason. Maybe the woman in her room was a lady friend? Screw it, I decided to just go find out and quit beating around the bush.
Mrs. Edwards did answer the door this time when I knocked. Finally! She surprised me with a strange comment.
"Oh you must be new. That's a good sign."
"Err, yes I'm new. Please let me in."
"Sure, sure. You just missed her by the way. She's got a few things to do and will be back in a moment."
"So then she won't be back for a while?"
"Yeah you know how it is. Unless you've just started?"
"Actually I'm Tina Hill. Remember me? I'm here because you killed my grandmother."
"Oh...shit..."
"You didn't deny it! So you really did do it!"
"Listen, you don't know what's happening..."
"DID YOU KILL HER OR NOT"
"I did, but hear me out..."
"No."
Mrs. Edwards hadn't seen the knife when she opened the door. Her odd comment of course allowed me to take advantage of the confusion. She didn't know I was armed and fell easily to my blade. My grandmother's death was avenged. Now, all I needed to do was pick up a few supplies, find the other woman, then get some answers and some fun!