She was busy making lunch with Basil in the kitchen, and they had been discussing the morning’s murder. The police were working in the dining room and the door between them was closed so the foul-smelling air of death wouldn’t enter the kitchen. She looked at the chicken legs she’d been bread-crumbing, trying not to think about murder and death or it would ruin her appetite.

The chicken was soon ready, and well cooked, like real fried chicken you would get from places like McDonald’s. Gila smiled at Basil, she couldn’t help by appreciate his really good cooking. She gave him more plates to scoop fries and chicken onto, before placing them onto the trays sitting, ready to go, on a food trolley. They walked to the elevator together and were soon on the first floor. 

Durchdenwald opened his door almost immediately when Basil knocked and accepted the food, with a smile. Do-yun gave her a nod and looked at the food hungrily as she took tow trays. Behind her, Gila could  see Wim dancing on his sister’s bed to a man with red hair singing ‘Bang! Bang! Bang!’ on the TV screen.

Basil left too bring trays to both of their respective rooms and she was left with the task of giving the Flowerhest couple their food. 

She gulped, hesitating, before knocking on their door. Cado Flowerhest opened the door. 

He took one look at the two plates on the tray before his face twisted in rage, “Get out of my sight!”

Gila gulped again, “Should I leave the food here?”

“No,” he looked at her with disgust, “ Are you crazy? You probably poisoned it. I refuse to touch anything or eat or drink anything that you’ve made with your hands,” he hissed.

“The food isn’t poisoned,” she began but the door was slammed in her face. 

Basil came up behind her. She tried a smile, “I guess we each get more to eat,” he nodded and took the trays as she steered the trolley back to the elevator with one tray left.

She found Strawb in the gym, resting against one of the walls. Gila couldn’t help but admire Strawb’s muscles; her toned arms and the 6-pack that adorned her stomach. Gila noticed the tattoo on the left side of her abdomen, a snake that slithered its way from below Strawb’s tracksuit pants, spiralled up the left side of her abdomen to her ribcage and disappeared behind her back. 

She couldn’t help but stare, and Strawb seemed to have noticed. “Thanks for the food,” she took the tray from Gila’s hands and didn’t speak another word, her expression cold. 

She’d finished her food and was still thinking about Strawb’s tattoo as she lay on her bed, full and content. There was a creak from behind her door; someone walking up the stairs and onto the landing.

Gila felt an urge to get up and take a peek to see who it was. Her hand found the cold doorknob and she turned it slowly, opening the door enought, that she’d be able to see with one eye.

It was Strawb, standing in front of her own door, but she wasn’t  moving. Gila felt her heart beat faster in her chest. What was Strawb doing? Why was she being so suspicious? She watched as the girl continued to stand there for what felt like days. She saw a slight twitch of movement as Strawb’s hands clenched into tight fists. She barely managed to silently close the door in panic as the other girl began to turn her head in Gila’s direction.

Gila felt her head pound, her hands shake, her cheeks wet with sweat. Did Strawb see her? Did she notice? She felt dizzy with fear. 

But everything was alright.  Strawb’s footsteps crossed the landing, walked right past her room and down the stairs. She heard a male voice call for Strawb, from below, and Gila sighed in relief, letting her head drop onto the door. Strawb was gone.

Then another idea popped inside her head. 

She opened the door yet again, with slightly more confidence than before. She let her feet take her across the landing to Strawb’s door. She put a hand on her head, thinking, trying to remember the password for the keypad. The numbers slowly floated back into her memory and she punched in the 6 digit code. The door clicked and she turned the handle, and, with a flourish of her wrist, the door was open and she was inside.

Now…

The drawer beside the bed. 

She opened it hastily, checking each drawer in turn. But there was nothing. She checked again, her hands working more frantically, and in the bottom drawer, she felt the wood panelling move. She gasped in triumph, and took out the plank. Gleaming black metal looked her in the eye, begging her to take him away and store him safely in her room. 

Her hands closed around the shotgun and his eyes gleamed brighter. She slid the false bottom back in its place closed the drawer, closed Strawb’s door behind her and scuttled back to her room.