Wordle by Wordle: Day 16
Tuesday, Jan 16, 2024
Wordle #941 - BLOND
Chapter 3.
I wasn’t particularly worried about Roy until now. Yes, he’s been acting out of character and a few details of his departure seem strange. Taken separately, it’s no real concern, but add them up and it’s suddenly a big deal. Like ants in a kitchen.
“Bree, have you contacted the police?” I ask this as delicately as I can, careful not to alarm Bree unnecessarily. “Just in case—”
“Just in case what?” All the color drains from Bree’s face. Even her hair looks less blond* somehow.
“Just… in case.”
“But don’t you have to wait, like, 24 hours before reporting someone missing or something? It’s barely been that long.”
“No, that’s a horrible misconception. Personally, I blame Law & Order for—"
“Well, I called you!” Bree says defensively. “You’re a cop, right?”
I can’t decide whether I’m meant to be flattered or insulted by the comparison.
“I’m a private investigator.”
“And that’s why I asked you to come over! To get your professional opinion.”
“My professional opinion is that you should call the police,” I say and shoulder my bag to leave.
“Wait, Cecilia! I wasn’t sure how to ask you this before but…” Bree bites her bottom lip again. “I was kinda hoping for more than your opinion. I want to hire you, to look into this.”
Her words sideswipe me, leaving me equal parts confused and annoyed. Bree has never shown any real interest in what I do, much less any confidence in my ability as a PI. And here I’d thought she had invited me over to vent—maybe even to patch things up as friends—not to use me.
At least she fed me macaroons.
*Notes:
There are variations in the spelling of today’s word. “Blond” is typically used to describe men or boys, while “blonde” is used for women and girls.
Yes, Bree is a woman, and “blonde” would be the more appropriate variant here (and is, in fact, the adjective I used to describe her hair on Day 3). But using “blond” in the context of Bree was too easy to pass up! ;)
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