Chapter 16: Dolphin Tops

Casey woke up, shuffled out to the kitchen, and poured out her cornflakes and ancient grains into a plastic bowl. It took a few minutes for her to notice the silence.

She was alone in the apartment.

Carrying her bowl with her, Casey checked Kimiko's bedroom. The door was open. The room was empty.

This was... disturbing.

Sure, they'd gotten into a scrap yesterday, but they always had breakfast together. Always. What happened?

Casey checked the dry-erase board on the fridge for any note as to where Kimiko had gone--but the only thing written there was several weeks old: "English Rose." She recognized her own handwriting, but she no recollection of what it possibly could have been referencing.

Feeling lost, Casey exhaled a plaintive moan.

She knew how to hold a grudge with the best of them. She'd cradle that grudge, making it nice and hot and ready to fire. But she also had her limits.