The Eyes Tell No Lies by Marquaylla Lorette

know when you guys are ready to order , ” t he waitress said before turning around and topping off the coffee for the couple in front of them.
    “It ’ s hard , isn’t it ? ” Arie said in more of a statement than question as she looked across the table at Cris .
    “What ’ s hard ?” Cris lifted his head up from behind the menu and asked.
    “Losing someone close to you and not being able to say good— bye to them. Feeling like apart of you is missing now , ” Arie answered with a sadness to her voice that matched the look in her eyes .
    She didn’t know why she told him that other than for some reason she felt close to
     him. Like she could be herself and he wouldn’t judge or belittle her at all. It
     was as if he saw the true her without trying too hard. His eyes were so kind and open they
     had her wanting to spill her soul and tell him about her childhood. Something she never wanted to talk to anyone about , including her therapist , but somehow the person who was sitting across from her h ad her wanting to tell him everything : the good, bad, and ugly , which wasn’t good. She wanted to tell him her deepest , darkest secrets. How she could see and hear ghost s, besides his sister , ever since she was a little girl and how they would knock on her bed or some other
     kind of hard surface , a lerting her that they were there and wanted to talk . O ther times they were just there to protect her from the darkness she found herself
     drowning in.
    No, you can’t tell him, he would think you’re crazy and probably admit you into a
     mental institution. He didn’t even believe his own sister, what makes you think he
     would believe you?
    “Yes, and feeling guilty that it was them instead of you. Feeling guilty when you
     laugh at something and su ddenly remember your loss,” Cris said as he closed his eyes and sat back in his seat.
    Cris kept his eyes closed as Arie spoke. Just the sound of her voice had him wanting to do unspeakable things to her.
     Like reach across the table, pull her toward him until he could feel her hot breath
     caressing his lip s , and kiss her senseless. Stop thinking like that , you have to focus in order to find you sister ’ s killer and the person who has been terrorizing the city for years.
    “Yes, that is exactly how I feel,” Arie said as she pick up a strand of her hair and began
     to twirl it around her finger. “See that photo right there ? T hat is my mother, father, and I on my eighth birthday,” Arie said as she pointed at a picture tacked on the wall next to them.
    When Cris looked at the picture of Arie and her family on the wall , he knew something was off about the picture but didn’t want to say any thing , he wasn’t sure if it was his place to or not .
    “Are you guys ready now?” T he waitress came back just in time so Cris wouldn’t have to comment on the picture.
    “Sure , I would like the wheat waffles with whipped cream and strawberries on top and a side
     of berries. Oh yeah , and an apple juice,” Arie ordered.
    “Number one with extra sausage, a large orange juice, and the strongest coffee you h ave ,” Cris ordered as he handed the waitress hi s and Arie’s menus.
    “While we’re waiting for the food , we need to come up with a pl an for how we are going to back track Grace ’s steps , ” Arie said as she looke d at Cris when the waitress left.
    “Last night after I left your house , I searched Grace ’s room and found some of the notes she had on the Daytime killer. I know there are some more notes at my mom’s house , but I couldn’t find them for some reason,” Cris said as he took a sip of his coffee the waitress had just placed in front of him.
    “Just get me to your mother’s home and I can find it. You can tell your mother Grace is the reason I can see again and I wanted to thank you r family ,” Arie said.
    “You can ask my mom if you can see Grace ’s room and I can volunteer to take you. That way we can search her