Chapter 27: The Whole Hog

  “You've got to be kidding me!” Lily spat, “this is a joke right?” She looked at Slaw, her eyes burning with contempt.

  “This isn’t a joke Miss Foster,” Slaw insisted, completely straight faced. “Recent studies have shown emotional support animals to be highly effective for those dealing with grief.”

  Lily glanced between Officer Slaw and the piglet that was peering at her with its beady, half asleep eyes from inside the blanket in his arms. At that moment she honestly couldn’t tell whose stare was more vacant, Slaw’s or Pacifica’s.

  “Trust me, a few minutes with Pacifica, and you’ll be feeling much better, she’s such a good listener.” The cop reassured Lily as he began to place the piglet in her arms.

  “Look I don’t want to hold the...” Lily tried to protest, but her attempted objections fell on deaf ears as she was saddled with Pacifica.

  The first thing Lily noticed was the smell. She’d braced for the pungent earthy stench that is normally emitted from livestock. Instead a pleasant aroma of lavender wafted from Pacifica’s body.

  “Did... did you put perfume on this pig?” Lily asked with an eyebrow raised.

  Slaw shook his head firmly “No that would be ridiculous,” he said, with a deadpan expression. “We give her Lavender bubble baths daily to increase Pacifica’s therapeutic abilities. Research shows lavender is calming scent after all.”

  After a few moments of silence, the baby pig started gently nuzzling into Lily’s lap.

  “She likes you Miss Foster.” Slaw gave a warm, encouraging smile, before asking, “So are you going to talk to her?” while pointing at Pacifica.

  Lily gave a deep sigh, “I can't believe this.” she muttered under her breath. As ridiculous and patronising as she found this whole situation, Lily felt her best course of action, was to co-operate. The sooner this was done, the sooner they could get back on track and find Eve’s killer.

  “Hello... Pacifica” Eve’s speech quavered awkwardly as she reluctantly engaged with the unusual emotional support animal.

  “Hi Miss Foster” A shrill, squeaky voice replied, “Officer Slaw told me your friend passed away tonight. I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now. Would you like to talk about it?”

  Lily looked up at Slaw, her jaw clenched tightly as she grumbled fiercely, “Look, I can go along with the pig, but can you perhaps NOT do the voice?”

  “Some people find it useful when Pacifica ‘speaks’ to them.” Slaw stated in a matter of fact tone.

  Lily raised an incredulous eyebrow. “What people?”

  “More than you’d expect, mostly children, but it works with some adults too and I thought...” Slaw admitted sheepishly.

  Lily, spoke in a hardened whisper, making her distaste clear while trying to not startle the pig still nestled in her lap. “You thought wrong, what would help is catching my friends killer.”

  “Of course” The cop agreed, “But it’s important to give yourself time to heal, if you give Pacifica a chance, she might surprise you.”

  “I very much doubt that.” Lily insisted firmly.

  Sensing the tension in the room, Slaw decided that maybe it would be better to give the grieving young woman some space. “Tell you what, I'll let you and Pacifica have a little one on one time. Don't worry, you're in good hands.”

  “She doesn’t even have hands.” Lily pointed out, still reeling from the absurdity.

  Without missing a beat, Slaw responded, “good trotters then. Just give her a chance, I promise she’ll make you feel better.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Look, we really don’t have time for this.” Lily protested. “Eve’s killer is still out there and...”

  But her objections fell on deaf ears, as Slaw excused himself from the interview room, leaving Lily alone with Pacifica.

  As Lily sat in silence, the small piglet fell to sleep while still perched on her knees. As Lily gathered her thoughts, she found herself absentmindedly stroking the slumbering animal.

  “He's the one I have to rely on to find the truck driver that murdered Eve?” Lily sighed. “He doesn't exactly inspire much confidence.”

  She felt Pacifica stirring in her lap, as the pig awoke, it snuggled into Lily’s torso as her hand continued to talk to herself while stroking it.

  Lily reflected on Slaw’s esoteric approach, “I get he means well, but this isn’t going to help catch Eve’s killer.” She insisted. “If I want justice for Eve, I’ll have to do it myself. What do you think Pacifica?”

  Lily had lifted Pacifica up to her eye level. The piglet just stared blankly back at her. After a moment Eve caught herself and realised what she was doing.

  “You don't think anything, because you're a pig.” Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head as the realisation set in, “I’m talking to a pig.”

  Lily carefully sat Pacifica on the interview room table, then stood up and walked over to the door. As she did, Pacifica bounded off the table and began prodding its snout at Lily’s legs.

  Ignoring the little piglet, Lily opened the door to find Officer Slaw waiting directly outside the interview room.

  “So I assume you’ve asked all your questions and I’m free to go now?” Lily asked pointedly.

  “Yes, that’s all for now, but if we need anything else we may call you back in.” Slaw confirmed. “Do you need an escort home?”

  “I’ll manage thank you.” Lily briskly answered back, brushing off Slaw’s offer before turning swiftly towards the stations exit.

  “WOAH, NO YOU DON’T!” yelled Slaw sharply, diving to the floor by Lily’s ankles, toppling in a heap next to the young woman, almost tripping her up.

  “What the hell are you...?” Lily gasped, before noticing the Pacifica wiggling on the floor in Slaw’s grip. It appeared Pacifica had attempted to follow Lily outside.

  “Sorry, I guess she must have taken quite the liking to you.” Slaw chuckled as he stood up, while holding Pacifica firmly, “She does get attached quite quickly, don’t you, girl? Yes, you do, Yes, you do.”

  Slaw had started talking to Pacifica in a way you might expect a mother the talk to their baby, complete with little affectionate snorts. Meanwhile Pacifica seemed eager to get away, thrashing about in Slaw’s arms.

  Lily gave the pig a final, affectionate stroke on the head, frankly she could empathise with the little piglet. Since just like Pacifica, Lily also wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

  To that effect, with a finally farewell to Slaw and Pacifica, Lily resumed her exit, a cool breeze blowing in her face as she got outside.

  Lily looked up into the sky, seeing the morning sun beginning to peak over the horizon, signalling the dawning of a new day. She stifled a yawn, Lily realised she had been awake throughout the entire night.

  Fatigue rapidly set in as the surging adrenaline from the night’s events, that had been keeping Lily going, began to taper off, leaving her body drained.

  Lily drifted through the streets, stumbling on increasingly weary legs, yet despite her sleep deprived state, she managed to make it back to her dormitory safely.

  By this point, Lily was both physically and emotionally exhausted, her eyes barely remaining open as she entered the front door of the accommodation that she had shared with Eve.

  Her blurry eyes wandered across every surface as she entered her darkened home, with only small patches of sunlight creeping around the cracks in the curtains providing illumination.

  Despite no changes to the building itself, the usual warmth that had made it feel like home had drained from its walls. Every object, every doorway, echoed with bitter reminders of what Lily had lost. A thousand memories of mundane moments she and Eve had together flooded her mind, the type which we all take for granted, because we believe there will always be more.

  Breakfasts, dinners, arguments, jokes, all those small things that make up life, were all past. Never to be shared between them again

  As she made her way through the hallway to her own bedroom, Lily stopped at the door leading to Eve’s room. At least it had been Eve’s several hours ago. Now, it technically was vacant. Lily could feel the void Eve used to fill sitting just beyond the door.

  She pushed it open and stepped inside. It was, of course, a mess, a minefield of discarded dirty clothes, training equipment, and other items. It was exactly as Eve had left it.

  It was almost as if Eve had simply popped out and would be back any moment. Yet Lily knew her friend would never return to this room, or their shared dormitory for that matter. She was gone, forever.

  Lily sat on Eve’s bed, the mattress flexing slightly as it took her weary weight. She stared dazed into the middle distance as another flurry of fractured thoughts played in her mind.

  Dominating all of them was that she was tired, so tired, in every possible way. She tipped sideways onto the bed. Her eyes flickering shut as her head hit Eve’s pillow, sending a familiar comforting scent into the air.

  It was Eve's aroma, still present, embedded in the bedding. In her sleep deprived state, Lily could almost believe her friend was there, lying beside her, providing some slight comfort to her as exhaustion took her and she drifted off to sleep.