Day 26: 400 words; 42,127 total

Interlude: New Granada Police Department Case File I/A/20051014103

TRANSCRIPT OF ITEM 24, DIGITAL ANSWERING MACHINE WELCOME MESSAGE FOUND IN THE APARTMENT OF THE DECEASED

Voice 1: [female, identified as Amanda Carlton-Hughes, the deceased] Hi, hello and ohayo, this is Mandii's house and it's quiet as a mouse, so leave your note - fuck, messed up again-

[footsteps]

Voice 1: [from further away, possibly in the corridor] Who... Oh, you scared me. Was my door open, because I didn't hear you come in, I mean, I do this all the time, you want tea or something?

Voice 2: [female, unidentified] I don't think so.

[female scream]

Voice 2: I know, Mandii.

Voice 1: [high, hesitant] How?

Voice 2: Kevin Blakely.

[fingernails scraping over glass] [see Item 08, blood residue on the kitchen window] [see Missing Person file NG20051016082]

Voice 2: Sorry. I haven't had time to take a shower. [laughs] There's just one thing I don't get. What do they have on you? Money? Power? Pure fanatic high? You don't look the type.

Voice 1: You wouldn't understand.

[noise - hypothesis: someone being knocked into a wall]

Voice 2: Try me.

Voice 1: It's not a choice - she has to rule. [emphatic] She must rule. It's like asking a brick why it chose to fall down with the whole building.

Voice 2: I thought better of you, Mandii.

[pause]

Voice 1: Get out.

Voice 2: Since when are you the one giving the orders here, little mouse?

Voice 1: Your place-

Voice 2: I know. I smelled the gas.

Voice 1: [strained - tears?] You know, I'd just like to do the right thing once. I can't kill you, I can't save your life - it's like it doesn't matter if I'm even there or not.

Voice 2: You wanted to kill me?

Voice 1: They told me to. Ral-

Voice 2: I know that, too.

[someone touching new leather]

Voice 1: Is that Kevin's blood?

Voice 2: Yes.

Voice 1: You really should go now.

Voice 2: Mandii.

[sound of kissing]

Voice 1: Go.

Voice 2: May the night be with you on your way.

[footsteps]

[door opening, closing]

[sobs]

[footsteps and door opening, again]

[entering code on the security lock]

AT THIS MOMENT THE RECORDING ENDS DUE TO EXCEEDING THE DIGITAL STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE ANSWERING MACHINE

ADNOTATION: CASE CLOSED, 2005/11/02, OFFICER IN CHARGE: DETECTIVE CARMILLA DELACOUR, NIGHT DUTY, NEW GRANADA METRO STATION