{BFDI} The Poison in Boinks

Bait

Match really wanted to go back to her apartment, but she had told everyone that was where she was going, and didn't want to accidentally run into another cop right now if they decided they wanted to jump her. 

The whole time she had been planning to pay Matty a visit, but now that Match was stressed and just wanted to relax. She parallel parked her tiny blue car next to a large sidewalk beside a park. 

She leaned back on her seat and sighed.
If what she thought was going on was going on, then she wished there was an easier way of exposing them. They all wanted to keep quiet like Matty did. Maybe they were all suffering due to organized crime, but if that was the case then who were the criminals? and what was their main goal? It was probably something to do with money.

Maybe Matty embarrassed herself or was being blackmailed, and if she said something then she would get exposed.

But what about the police? Surely they couldn't ALL be being blackmailed like Matty supposedly was, but they were just as keen on stopping Match from understanding Matty's situation as Matty was. 

Maybe Matty had dirt on the entire station, and was threatened by the police to shut up.
Yes, that was a conclusion worth thinking about over and over again. 

But what did the police even do?

Hopefully whatever it was was an accident, because according to the crab apple the police were fantastic and reliable until recently, and about this case specifically. The crab apple was still not to be trusted just yet, but Match liked to add his perspective because she secretly wanted to trust the tiny fruit. 
By the way he talked he didn't seem like he was in on it, but even if some people weren't aware, other police officers could still be trying to hide their guilt from their unaware police friends. 

Match had thought enough, it was time to go see Matty. She put her car in drive and headed for Matty’s apartment building.

***

A knock on the door.
Matty opened it a crack so that only her eye and side could be seen.

“Greetings miss. I’m doing a case to protect you based off of an incident that happened just a few days ago. I’m not working for the police department but rather I’m a detective that has been hired out of city-state by a friend of yours. With like, your say so I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Match asked as poliety as she could.

She knew that some people were afraid or even spiteful toward police officers. Police weren't perfect, but she wished people understood how scary it was to constantly catch people off guard. Matty could open the door and splash a bucket of acid on Match’s face if she wanted, and Match had to always be ready for something like that to go wrong.

“Oh.. Bandana called you?” Matty asked quietly.
“That’s confidential, but I will say whoever, like, hired me just wants to see you safe, so, I just wanna see your side of the story and make sure that you’re ok. Ok hun?” Match said sweetly.

“Ok..” Matty opened the door. Inside her apartment nothing was on. It was oddly dark as if she had just been sitting around in the dark before now.
“Oddly dark huh?” Match commented. 
“... I guess,” Matty looked back into the room, “I’ll only talk with you if we’re at a restaurant. I was just planning to go out to eat before you got here,” She said in a dull monotone manner.
“Whatever you say girrl,” Match said calmly.

***

Arriving in two seperate cars Match and Matty pulled up to a small parking lot nearby the seafood market on the coast. The wind was filled with salt water mist that reminded Match of salty fries.

On the boardwalk they met up again.
“Soo, where are we going?” Match asked delicately. 
Matty pointed to a stand made out of a shed on the boardwalk. Many patrons were already seated around the outdoor restaurant. Giant umbrellas stuck in the middle of their tables. 

Match walked up to the stand and looked at the options. All of it definitely seemed straight from the market surrounding the area. 

"Oh wow! I haven't been able to eat at one of these places in a long while," Match said in a gleeful tone in order to make Matty feel comfortable. Match looked to Matty. The welcome mat didn't seem very welcoming. She looked back to the menu bolted to the wall of the shed.

"I'll have the-"
"Salmon?" One of the cooks asked. He was a compact closed umbrella wearing a white apron. His partner was a hex key and was wearing the same thing. 

"Oh well actually-" Match started up again. 
"ALL THEY HAVE IS SALMON!" One of the patrons snapped at them from her seat. She was a bird's nest, and viciously took another bite of her own salmon.
"... Ok..uh really? Then why have anything.." Match gestured to the sign. 
The hex key sniffled. 
"Uh ok then I guess I'll like, have the salmon," Match said.
"Yeah.. me too," Matty said.
"... Okie," The compact umbrella said. Match went up and paid while Matty got a seat.

Bringing back the food after a little of a wait Match watched the nest patron savagely consume another salmon. When they were done they held their head and panted. The nest made eye contact with Match.
"WHAT? You want some too?! OVER MY CORPSE!" She barked at Match. 
Match ignored her and continued to walk to Matty's table, "YEAH THAT'S RIGHT, GET AWAY FROM ME! RUN AWAY!" 

Match sat across from Matty and passed her her food. 
"... Did you see that? Totally cra cra," Match said softly and without much emotion. 
"I just wished she was better at what she was trying to do. By the look of things it's not working. So much effort and nothing. I kinda feel bad for her," Matty said.
"What? Is she like a fish eating competitor.. or?" Match asked.
"..." Matty looked away with a distraught face.
"Oh I'm sorry, what does she do? I didn't mean to assume anything," Match apologized swiftly.
"... Nevermind," Matty took a little baggie with a plastic fork and knife in it and opened it. She then began to eat away at the light meat. Match followed her. 

"So.." Match asked, "From my investigation just today I can only assume that the police wronged you. I want to know if you think that's true. Are the police threatening you?"

"No.. the police aren't threatening me. I just had an overreaction that made people think somebody was after me. It's really just been blown out of proportion. You don't need to worry about me. You should just go home," Matty said quickly. 

"Hmm. What exactly was your overreaction?" Match asked. She took out a pen and a notepad from her hat. 

"Uhm.." Matty trailed off. 
"..Matty?" Match asked.
"Oh.. well. I thought someone was chasing me, following me.. so I panicked and hid because I was all alone and my anxiety just started acting up. It wasn't really real." Matty explained.
"Why do you think someone was following you?" Match asked.
"I don't know. I guess I just heard about something and it made me feel afraid," Matty said. 

Match heard a low growl from the nest. She felt her attention suddenly shift. 

"LIAR LIAR!" The nest screeched as loud as she possibly could, seemingly breaking her voice in the process, "LIAR LIAR!!" She screamed again. She got up to walk towards them but suddenly her eyes went dull. Weakly she put her foot* to her 'chest' and collapsed in a limp utterly sudden fashion. 

"OMG!" Match got up from her seat and rushed up to the nest. She kneeled and touched her, moving her from side to side. Still the nest's eyes were blank, her mouth agape and drooling onto the boardwalk.
"She's dead!" Match gasped. 
"Oh wow! Too much fish…" Matty said. 

Match got up and turned to look at Matty.
"Why was she calling you a liar?" Match pointed to Matty. 
"I DON'T KNOW! SHE'S CRAZY!" Matty exploded suddenly. 
"Hold on! Why are you so upset?!" Match put her arms out. 
Matty began to gurgle cries and sob. 
"Just leave me aLoNe!! You're making it worse! Leave me ALONE! Let me be!" Matty sobbed. She trembled and held her arms close to her body making her seem small. 

Match backed off as Matty cried. She seemed so broken, and then her cries started to chatter into laughter, and shifted into cries as soon as the laugh pushed through. 

Match didn't know what to think. 
There was definitely something she wasn't telling her. Something that she was either afraid of or responsible for. Before she could ask another question, Matty had leapt from her seat and went for her car. 

Maybe another time.