POV: ?
I woke up to my alarm.
And four sticky notes.
One was stuck to my forehead.
I peeled it off.
YOU LOOK TIRED.
"...I wonder why."
I sat up slowly.
The apartment was a mess.
Papers covered the coffee table.
Folders were stacked on the floor.
Three empty coffee cups sat on my desk.
I didn't remember drinking the third one.
I looked at the mirror beside my bed.
The reflection waved.
I sighed.
"Morning."
"Morning."
"Did you sleep?" I say groggily.
"What do you think?" The reflection spoke back, giving a knowing look.
"Right."
I rubbed my face.
The reflection smiled.
"You're getting wrinkles."
"I'm twenty-two."
"Ancient."
I ignored him and looked at the other sticky notes.
MEETING AT ELEVEN.
CHECK THOMAS'S DOCUMENTS.
YOU MISSED DINNER AGAIN.
I frowned.
"I ate yesterday."
"No, I did." The reflection picked at its teeth.
"...Right." I spoke, sighing. Throwing the sticky noted onto the floor.
The reflection leaned against the inside of the mirror.
"You're welcome, by the way."
"For what?"
"You would've forgotten."
I hated that he was right.
I stood up and walked to the bathroom.
The reflection followed through the picture frames or the reflections of coffee cups..
I brushed my teeth.
He brushed his.
I splashed water on my face.
He did not.
Instead, he smiled.
"So." He stated, looking down at me as I wash my face, trying to wash the fatigue off.
"So."
"Pastor Joe finally knows we exist."
I looked at him.
"Potentially."
"Don't ruin my fun." The reflection huffed out.
"This isn't fun."
"It absolutely is."
I grabbed my tie.
He straightened his.
"You spent two and a half years infiltrating a cult." He said mockingly.
"You spent two and a half years enjoying it." I spoke back almost venomously.
"I enjoyed observing it."
"You own three church hoodies."
Looking over towards my closet, there were three church hoodies stuffed towards the back.
"They're comfortable." He said, and by the time I looked back at him, he had put one on.
I put my tie on.
The reflection looked disappointed.
"You never laugh anymore."
He threw the hoodie off.
"I do."
"No. You exhale slightly harder through your nose. Half of the time I expect steam to come out like some bull."
"That counts for something."
"It really doesn't."
I grabbed the files from my desk. Laying them all out in front of me on the table. Inspecting them.
There were photographs.
Financial records.
Membership lists.
Names.
Addresses.
People.
Thousands of people.
The reflection's smile faded just a bit.
"That's a lot of victims."
I nodded.
Too many.
Far too many.
The church was one thing.
The cult hidden beneath it was another. It was much bigger than what HE had thought, and more than what I had thought as well.
There were politicians involved.
Police officers.
Lawyers.
Judges.
Business owners.
I had spent two and a half years digging and practically experiencing this life.
And every week the hole became deeper. It was like the levels of hell. The deeper you went the worse it only got.
The problem wasn't that Joseph Bishop had followers. No, there was a bigger situation.
The problem was that he had believers.
People who would lie for him.
Steal for him.
Destroy their lives for him...
I looked at one photograph.
Thomas Carter:
Accountant.
Widower.
Father.
Victim.
I sighed putting it back down.
"I dragged him into this."
The reflection crossed his arms.
"No."
I looked at him.
"No?"
"You gave him a choice." He corrected.
"I threatened his family."
"You bluffed."
"I still did it."
Silence.
The reflection looked away.
"You did what you had to."
"I hate that sentence." It never left a good taste in my mouth. Even if I knew he was just trying to ease some of my burden.
"I know."
I sat down at the table.
The files stared back at me.
"So." the reflection stated in the mirror I had beside me.
"So."
"What's the plan?"
I looked through the papers.
"I keep digging."
The reflection grinned.
"I knew you'd say that."
"Because you know me." I say, looking through the files with a frown.
"I do."
My frown deepened
That was never comforting.
A few moments passed.
Then.
"You know…"
I looked at the mirror.
The reflection was smiling again.
"He's interesting."
I sighed.
"No, he is not."
"He is. He really is."
"He is insane." I grit out, fist clenching.
"That meeting did not last long, and he manipulated Thomas into talking." The reflection's smile widened.
"I heard."
"He figured out there was a mole immediately. He smiled when he realized someone was hunting him."
The reflection leaned even closer.
"I think I like him."
I stared.
"You are the reason I have high blood pressure." I slump my head down.
"That's fair."
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"He leads a cult, destroying the lives of others while posing as a golden Preist. He is too dangerous."
The reflections tapped at the mirror.
"Even more interesting."
"Stop sounding so excited about this entire thing."
The reflection's smile softened.
"I'm not excited because he's a monster."
"Then why?"
He thought for a moment, tapping his chin.
Then answered honestly.
"Because monsters are interesting."
Silence.
"And because…"
He looked toward the files.
"I want to know why."
"Why what?"
"Why a man with everything decides to become this."
I looked down.
At Joseph Bishop's photograph.
Smiling.
Warm.
Trustworthy.
Completely fake.
A man of manipulation and charisma. A dangerous combination.
"I don't care why."
The reflection smiled sadly.
"I know."
The phone rang.
I nearly jumped.
I answered immediately.
"Hello?"
A voice came from the other end.
Panicked.
"Detective, we have a problem."
I stood.
"What happened?"
"It's the church accountant."
My stomach dropped.
"What about him?"
"We can't find him."
Silence.
I looked at the photograph on my desk.
Thomas Carter smiled back at me.
No.
No, no, no.
"Since when?"
"He didn't come home."
"When was he last seen?"
"A few hours ago."
I looked at the clock.
Too long.
Far too long.
The reflection had stopped smiling.
"Detective?" The person on the other end spoke.
I grabbed my coat.
"I'm on my way."
I hung up.
The apartment became silent.
The reflection looked at me.
I looked at him.
For once…
We both wore the same expression.
"He moved first."
Joseph Bishop had realized someone was playing against him.
And now…
The players have completed exchanging the first moves.