Hanging with her insomnious head above a steaming cup of coffee, Sofia stares at the empty seat in front of her. For the first time since she lost Noah, she finds herself in their regular corner booth at Gigi's. Her arms stretched out across the table, she plucks at the ends of her mustard colored sweater. Her distant mind has reduced the people around her to a vague blur. Other than occasionally blinking, her body feels incapable of movement, to a point where she fears she might sink into a coma. The loud music entering her mind through her earphones does its job of dissociating her from the world. So much so that when Riley sits down in the empty seat she's been staring at, it doesn't seem to reach her. Only when Riley leans over and pulls one of the earphones out does she return to the world of the aware. 

'Morning.' Riley smiles gently. 'You look like you should be drinking that coffee.' 

Finally able to move, Sofia sits back and wraps her hands around the cup. 

'Did you sleep at all?' Riley enquires, now genuinely concerned. 

As Sofia opens her mouth, it takes her a moment of effort before she manages to actually produce sound. 'I remember closing my eyes... but then my mind started racing, and what felt like hours passed, and then I opened my eyes and three minutes had gone by. The rest of the night was pretty much a repeat of those three minutes.' 

As Sofia begins to sip her coffee, Riley ruminates possible responses, finally deciding none would help. 'I talked to Bryn and Alice. Bryn is in Vermont for the day, she'll be back tonight. Alice has some business to take care of but will be at the Wolf later.' 

Nodding slightly, Sofia gazes out the window, still feeling far away. Like her body returned to the ground but her mind is still floating somewhere above the table. 

'Sof... we should talk about last night. I really need you to explain some things to me.' 

Taking a deep breath, Sofia turns to face Riley. 'Yeah, I know.' She pauses as she takes another sip of her coffee, no longer afraid to tell Riley the truth, but still not sure how to phrase any of her thoughts. 'I wanted to tell you before, I should have. The reason why that drug dealer from last night knew me, and feared me, as every criminal in this city does, is because of my family. I know you think all our families are corrupt, well... not one as much as mine.' 

'I'm not sure I know what you mean...' Riley expresses, almost afraid to want to know more. 

'My family's company is a front for the Korean organized crime syndicate here in the States.' As difficult as it had seemed before, just as easily does Sofia manage to blurt it out now. Desperately she tries to read Riley, looking to spy a reaction. But Riley remains perfectly still, expressionless, as she processes. 'The women in my family have been leaders of the Korean... mafia, for years. Dating back I don't know how many years, originating in the old country.' Sofia explains, hoping to help Riley understand further. She still experiences difficulty using the word mafia to address her family's business. 

'The women? So...?' Riley suggests carefully. 

'Yes, that means me. While my brother was meant to run the official family company, I spent my life being trained to... lead the underbelly of it. That's why that guy did everything I asked, because he knew one word from me could mean his end otherwise.' 

Breathing deeply, Riley sits back, staring at her hands as she thinks. 'I'm so sorry, Sofia. I spent years complaining about my parents wanting me to join the family business, and all the while your parents were forcing you to become a criminal. I can't even imagine...'

'So you don't hate me?' Sofia asks.

'Why would I hate you?'

'Because you're a good person. And I may not be now, but someday I'm going to be a horrible person, do horrible things...'

'You don't have to be, you could fight your parents.'

'No... with Noah gone I'm all my parents have left. If I abandon them the family will be ruined.' Heavyhearted they sit there for a while, in silence, knowing no words can fix any of it. Until the absence of sound begins eating away at Sofia, and she suddenly feels a need for action. Stroking back the strands of black hair that had been hanging in her face, she raises herself up. 'We should get going. If I sit here any longer I'm going to melt into the leather.' 

Riley nods. 'I just have to get the keys for my parents' place from my room.'

∾

'Are you sure?' Pulling her dark green sweater on over her head, Riley plucks her phone from the bed and takes it off speaker. 

'Yes, Gray, I'm sure. Sofia is coming with me, I'll be fine.' Walking over to her desk, she begins pulling open all the drawers, not sure where she left the keys. 

'I just don't want to break my promise...' Gray expresses. 

Recognizing the bright shade of blue, the little bejeweled elephant keychain that she's had since she was twelve signals her. 'I know, but you saw Sofia yesterday. I think next to you she's the best protection I can get.' 

Grabbing the keys, she turns to exit the room. But as the dangling keychain catches the sunlight through the window, it reflects the light back at something through the floorboards. Riley bends down to look at it, spotting something silver shining through the cracks. 'Gray, I have to go. I'll call you later.' 

Getting down on her knees, she attempts to move the floorboard in front of her, finding it loose. As she pulls it out easily and reveals the silver object underneath, the nostalgia hits her. 

'She kept it...' Whispering, she reaches out and touches the old cookie tin. 

Back when Riley and Carrie were little, they would bury treasures in the backyard of their Long Island home. These treasures were only treasures to them, of course. Notes to each other, old toys, rusted coins they'd found on the beach with their metal detectors. They'd hide it all in this old cookie tin, and bury it, digging it up years later like a time capsule. Most of their treasures are still in the tin now. 

As she runs her fingers along the little stuffed animal, the pink letters Carrie had written and scented with their mother's perfume, the shells and marbles, she halts when she sees an envelope tucked away in the corner. When pulled out the envelope reveals a clear intended receiver; Riley. 

Frozen, she stares at it for a few seconds. The handwriting, it's her sister's, but not from when she was eight. Carefully tearing it open, she exposes the letter inside and sees the date written at the top. 

It's the day Carrie was kidnapped. 

She must have expected, or at least hoped, that Riley would find this.

Dear Riley,

If you found this letter it means something bad happened to me, and I may not have gotten the chance to tell you what I found out. After overhearing our father in a heated phone call a few weeks ago, I grew curious and began to investigate. What I found out, I wish had shocked me more than it did. But I think we both wouldn't have put this past our father. The fact of the matter is; we have a sister. Well, a half-sister really. Turns out our dear old dad had an affair way back when, one that produced a baby, which he covered up to protect himself. Her name is Amber, or was. I found out she died only a few weeks ago. Shot point blank in an alley, and something isn't right about it. I'm growing more paranoid by the day, and I could swear someone is watching me. I have to see this through, I'm going to get answers. But deep down in my gut I feel like something awful is about to happen. If it did, then please Ri, be careful. And trust no one.

Love,

Carrie

Dropping the letter on the floor, Riley's hands reach to cover her face. Uncontrollable tears, having been suppressed for weeks, now come streaming down her face in violent despair. 

Carrie knew something was going to happen to her. 

Why didn't she just call? Why didn't she ask for Riley's help? 

Barely able to breathe through her sobs, she leans against the side of the desk and closes her eyes. Final words to her from the sister she thought she'd lost, now echoing in her mind. The Carrie she knew, the Carrie who knew her like no one else did, has disappeared. She didn't let herself admit it, not until now. But the girl in that hospital, the girl who looks like her sister, Riley barely recognizes her. And she doesn't recognize Riley at all. 

On this mission to find the killer, get justice and find a way to help her sister, Riley had convinced herself she'd find a cure. Some way to get Carrie's memories back. But what if that's impossible? What if her Carrie is gone for good?

∾

The blindingly white winter sky is overpowering through the ten feet high windows in the living room of the Clemens' penthouse. As Riley drops her coat on the long ivory couch she can't tear her eyes away from it. From up here the city seems to be standing still. In the bright daylight this house gives off a sterile and cold feeling. Whatever decorator her mother hired must not have realized she was supposed to be creating a home, not that it could ever feel like one. This place was only intended as a mask, to hide the broken marriage her parents are still stuck in to this day. 

'Wow, I'd forgotten how massive this place is...' Sofia exclaims as she enters the room behind Riley. 

'I hate this house.' Riley declares before turning her back on the windows and heading towards her father's office. 

'What exactly are we looking for?' Sofia inquires as they enter the office and Riley switches on the lights. 

'Anything with the name CH Technology on it. I know I've seen the name somewhere before, I think in some paperwork on my father's desk, but that was years ago.' 

Looking at the rows of file cabinets and the shelves filled with binders, Sofia sighs. 'So a needle in a haystack then...' 

Pulling open the top drawer of the nearest file cabinet, Riley begins searching for the C as she nods. 'We're going to be here a while.' 

Dropping her purse by the door Sofia heads to the desk. 'When do you expect your mother to come home?' 

'Not for hours, she usually works late. Unless she decides to break open the stashed bottle of Sherry at the office, in which case she won't be home till midnight.' 

As Riley shuffles through the files she thinks back to the first time she saw her mother drunk. She was thirteen, coming home from school with Carrie one late afternoon when they found their mother on the couch, passed out. She'd been crying, her mascara was smeared across her face. Their housekeeper Rosie showed up soon after and send them to their rooms. No one ever spoke of it again after that. But their mother's drunken episodes became more frequent, until she went to bed intoxicated nearly every night. To this day, Riley still hasn't been able to figure out what is was that send her mother over the edge.

By the time Riley glances out the window again, the sky has grown dark and icy. Sunken to the ground, surrounded by open files, her tired eyes stare at the papers. After having searched nearly half of the files in this room, the only thing Riley has found out is that with the amount of companies her father has funded it's a miracle he's not ruling the whole nation. All the mindboggling sums of money transferred from one rich man to another, it's enough to give a working class man a heart attack. 

As she rolls her head back, feeling the sore muscles in her neck, she sees Sofia carefully reading a document. Her troubled expression peaks Riley's interest. 'Did you find something?' 

Unable to tear her eyes from the paper, Sofia responds by walking over and kneeling down next to her. 'I think so...' Handing over the document, her severe tone worries Riley. 

The information reaches her slowly, as her brain is exhausted already. 'This... am I reading this right?' 

Sofia nods as she points at the bottom of the paper. 'It says Lily Hanley is the CEO of CH Tech.' 

Putting down the paper, Riley gazes into the distance. 'So, the company distributing Glow, the company probably manufacturing it... is run by Bryn's mother?' 

At that moment the sound of the front door slamming shut reaches them. 'Is that your mom?' Sofia asks as she jumps up. 

'Oh crap...' Hauling herself up from the floor as she hides the CH Tech document in her bag, Riley begins gathering the files and quickly stuffing them back in the cabinets. As Sofia attempts to organize the desk the best she can, they are spared little time as they hear footsteps starting down the hallway. 

Just as they yank the door shut behind them, they are met by Diana. 'Riley, Sofia, what are you doing here?' 

Feigning a smile, Riley tries as rapidly as she can to think of an excuse. 'Hey, mom. We eh... were just printing something, for school. My printer at the dorm is busted.' It's a weak lie, but the first thing she could think of. 

As Diana studies her carefully, Riley is sure she's seeing right through her. 'Really, and Sofia's printer...?' 

'Out of ink.' Sofia adds quickly, looking clearly uncomfortable, but attempting to smile her way through it. 

'Okay... Well, I'm glad you're taking school so seriously, Riley. It being Christmas break and all.' Diana expresses, still suspicious but wanting too badly to believe the lie. 

'Absolutely, I've decided to really give Penburg a chance.' Riley lies, immediately regretting it. 'Well, we should go. See you later, mom.' Riley adds, grabbing Sofia and dragging her down the hallway. 

'It was nice seeing you, Mrs. Clemens.' Sofia manages to say before being pulled from the penthouse. 

'Jeez, that was close.' Sofia exclaims once they're safely in the elevator. 'Are you okay, Ri? I know how you feel about lying...' 

'I'm alright. I had no choice, if my mom knew what I was doing, she'd try to stop me. We just don't have time for that.' 

As the silence sets in, Riley considers what they just uncovered. How is she ever going to break this to Bryn? 

If Bryn's mother is really behind all this, it would destroy her.