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George Inness 1887 ___
BLUE eyes scanned her from up to down, a confused expression took over her face, impossible to hide. "Maybe I should pass by later..."
"Sorry, I was painting." Alice Mallory smiled in a goofy mood, incredibly creative. Her whole face was full of different ink colors, including the apron she wore and her hands. "May I help you with something?" She squinted her eyes analyzing the red haired in front of her. "Oh, no...don't tell me Colin messed up again. Are you one of his teachers?"
"No, no." The woman shaked her head, giving a half smile. "Just to be sure, you're alice Mallory right?" She didn't seem very convinced, actually, for her, she seemed nuts.
"Yes, I am."
"Great." The woman had an expression divided into disgust for the amount of paing anf the joy of finding who she seeked for, standing her thin hand to her. "I'm Freddie Lounds." Alice tried to clean her hand at the apron to shake the woman's one. "Reporter from TattleCrime.com."
Alice furrowed her eyebrows confused at that moment, her hand held hers in the air and stopped shaking. "A reporter?"
"Yes." She replied, taking her hand and analyzing if there was any remaining ink from hers. "I know this might seem surprising, but a source informed me that the FBI reopened your sister's case, Bree Mallory. Is it true?"
Alice was a very polite person but that woman seemed fishy. No one from the FBI spoke about reporters. And worse, the way she treated the situation, as just some column to her blog instead of a life, made Alice become extremly serious, cold and defensive."Who told you that?"
"It is not important for now." Freddie wouldn't give away any details. "What matters is: I want to tell your story."
"Excuse me?" Alice couldn't hide her offended expression this time.
"Your sister's murderer was ignored at the first time, your story was ignored. I want to tell it this time, to write it."She spoke confident. "To bring justice to the tragedy that happened to your family." She tried to convince her almost like she was selling a new car.
"Were you sent by the FBI?"
"No." Freddie answered, already fearing her reaction. "But it is your choice to-"
"Look Ms.Lounds, it is very.....kind, of you to come all this way to propose this, I am very honored, and thankful of your part to be concerned about my family's side of the story, I appreciate it. Truly." Alice replied in her kind, polite tone she used when someone annoyed her. But she didn't mean any of those words at all. "But I don't think any blog or news would help me solve my sister's case now. Actually, It would rather trouble the investigation, and that is the last thing I'd like to happen." She looked intensely into her eyes, almost as if she fired a gun towards her direction. "So I apologize, but I must decline your offer."
