One Hundred and Two

The scent of vanilla mixed with baked bananas woke Alicia up. She didn't usually smell something delicious in the morning like this. Alicia blinked her eyes a few times before letting out a long sigh and getting out of bed. She looked around and realized a thick blanket still covered her body.

The cold weather outside made her body cold. But there was nothing colder than living in loneliness and emptiness.

Having managed to gather consciousness from her deep sleep, Alicia walked towards the source of the smell. It seemed to be the aroma of cake. A smell quite similar to the one she had encountered in the kitchen of Emma, Nicholas' mother.

"Nicholas?"

Alicia's husky voice made Nicholas look up. Nicholas' hand, which was already wrapped in a latex glove, was raised in the air. He smiled and waved. "Good morning. Did you sleep well last night?"

Alicia bent her forehead, then pointed at Nicholas' hand which was still waving in the air. "You made food with the gloves you used to hold dead bodies?"

Nicholas laughed at Alicia's joke. He shrugged his shoulders and waved his hands like he was showing off. "You're overreacting, Alicia. Although everything you said about these gloves is true." Nicholas looked around. "I couldn't find any baking gloves at your house. I don't have a choice, do I?"

Alicia looked at Nicholas in disbelief and amusement. "You're telling me you made a cake with 'those'?" Alicia shook her head in disbelief, a smile appearing at the corner of her lips. "You have a very unique way of impressing everyone, don't you?"

Nicholas chuckled, putting down his mixing spoon. "A skill I've honed over time is dealing with forensics and Emma's cakes." He gestured towards the table where various ingredients were scattered about. "Want to try the breakfast experiment I made today?"

Alicia glanced at the ingredients, her curiosity piqued. "What are you going to make exactly? I smell the sweet scent of vanilla."

"Vanilla banana cake," Nicholas said proudly. "A dish Emma used to make when I was ten. Although I must admit, your kitchen lacks the warmth and chaos of Emma's." Nicholas narrowed his eyes like he was about to investigate something. "I think... you should talk more like Emma, tsk."

Alicia's gaze softened at the mention of Emma's name. "I miss her."

"Me too," Nicholas chimed in, a sad tone in his voice. "But she'll yell at me for using these gloves to bake cookies."

Alicia's laughter filled the room. "Tsk, she'd probably laugh while beating you with hardened dough, Nic."

"You were right about that."

Alicia then walked over to Nicholas. She folded her arms across her chest, then watched how quickly Nicholas' hands mixed the cookies, he lifted them from the oven, placed them on a cutting board, cut them into squares and placed them on a plate. Two plates. One for Alicia, one for Nicholas.

"Time for breakfast."

The smile on Alicia's lips was obvious. She took one plate and raised it in the air. "Thank you, Chef."

And so they sat down at the dining table to enjoy breakfast together.

"It's getting cold outside, what are your plans for today?" asked Nicholas, opening the conversation.

"I'm going to find out Amanda's whereabouts from people I know."

"Isn't that too dangerous?"

Alicia's gaze softened as she took a bite of cake, pondering Nicholas' concerns. "It might be, but I need to find her. She's been missing for too long, and I can't just sit and wait."

Nicholas nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I understand. Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? Maybe I can help."

Alicia smiled gratefully. "I would appreciate it. Two heads are better than one, especially if one of them is a talented chef," Alicia teased, trying to break the ice.

Nicholas chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Well, think of me as your sous-chef in this investigation. What's the plan?"

"First, I'll reach out to some contacts, and see if anyone has heard or seen anything unusual lately. In the meantime, I can use your skills to check Amanda's belongings. There might be something I missed."

The man who was still trying to finish his homemade cake nodded in understanding. "I'll ask Noel to send me Amanda's last address, we'll check from there. I heard she left, but the house is still under police surveillance. I hope we'll find something there."

"I agree," Alicia said. "By the way... thank you, Nic. Your cake was delicious."

A smile on Nicholas' lips ended their conversation at the breakfast table that day.

They finished breakfast quickly, and Alicia scouted out who could be contacted, making discreet inquiries while Nicholas carefully checked Amanda's belongings in her house. Noel also worked very quickly to email Amanda's last known address. Hours passed, filled with unanswered calls, dead ends, and fruitless searches.

As the sun began to set, Alicia sighed in frustration. "We didn't find anything here. What do you think, Nic?"

"If you're so sure that Amanda is involved, then we should try harder." Nicholas looked around. "I'll check the rest of the house. OK?"

"Okay."

Nicholas walked out of Amanda's room holding a small, weathered notebook. "I found this. It looks like Amanda's diary."

Alicia's eyes widened. "Let's see if there's anything that can give us a clue." They examined the journal, flipping through pages filled with Amanda's thoughts, sketches, and notes. Nicholas stopped at a page with a hurriedly drawn map and some faint lines.

"I think we might find something here," Nicholas said, pointing at the map. "This looks like an abandoned cabin in the woods. Not far from here."

"But what is she doing in the woods? What plans does she have for all this?"

Nicholas sighed, then continued, "Shouldn't we follow these clues and find the answers ourselves?"

"Are you sure you will, Nic? He's been missing for a few years, this journal... could be out of date."

Nicholas looked at Alicia, the girl looked doubtful and scared. That was the reason why Nicholas needed to have a firm stand.