Page 16 of Two Kinds of Stranger

He stepped out of her view.

Another man appeared in front of her. He wore a plaid shirt and had ID badges hung around his neck from a yellow lanyard.

‘Elly Parker. . .’ he said.

Elly turned away from him. He had cold eyes and Elly’s stomach clenched. She thought she was going to be sick. She turned to her left, gasped for air. She hated being sick, and didn’t want to vomit on the cop.

It was then she saw her left arm. She realized why it wouldn’t move and why it felt cold.

Her left wrist was handcuffed to the metal bed rails.

‘I’m Detective Sacks, Mrs. Parker, you’re under arrest for the murders of James Parker and Harriet Rothschild.’

PART TWO

ellyparker

Manhattan, New York

The Bangles–Manic Monday

AUDIO DESCRIPTION OF VIDEO PROVIDED BY META AI

A young woman dressed in flowing black pants and a white T-shirt smiles sweetly at the camera. She is sitting on a beige couch in a tastefully decorated apartment. She gets up, packs her backpack with a laptop and camera, and sprays perfume on her neck.

ELLY: Hi, guys, it’s another gorgeous Monday morning in Manhattan. There’s a lot to do today so I hope you enjoy coming with me for another NYC adventure...

She grabs a water bottle from a fridge.

ELLY: James is always telling me to hydrate more, so I can’t forget this.

The young woman opens the door to her apartment, steps out and the door shuts behind her. She gets into the elevator. Doors close as she checks her phone. She goes out of the elevator. Camera sweeps up to the blue sky framed by tall buildings. The young woman opens a door and goes into a Starbucks.

ELLY: My day always starts with coffee. Can’t resist an iced mocha from Starbies...

The young woman sits on a crowded subway train sipping aniced drink through a straw. The young woman walks through a gym. She is dressed in a blue sweat-pant suit.

ELLY: It’s two weeks to the wedding so I’ve got to get my morning workout in. Must, must, must fit into that dress...

A montage of the young woman working out on various fitness machines, doing press-ups, squats, in time-lapse mode, so that the woman looks as if she is moving very quickly. The young woman dressed in black trousers and white T-shirt sits at a restaurant table.

A plate of scrambled eggs and toast with avocado. A fork dives into the eggs.

ELLY: After my workout it’s a healthy breakfast and then it’s time for work...

The young woman enters a building through a frosted glass door. The sign on the frosted glass door says WeWork.

The young woman sits at a desk, wearing AirPods in her ears. She types on a laptop. This footage is played at x10 speed, so it looks as though she is typing really fast.

The young woman exits through the same door with WeWork on the frosted glass. She sits on a subway train.

She enters a pet store. Walks through the food aisle.

ELLY: Guys, you know me. It’s all about paying it forward. Like, I don’t own a pet. Actually, my building doesn’t allow it. If they did, I would love to have a cat.I used to have a cat called Mr. Smiggles when I was little, and it was so cute. My parents rescued him and he was with us for about five years before he passed. Good years, mostly. But just because I don’t have a pet doesn’t mean I can’t use my daily RAK to help some furry friends.

The young woman exits the pet store. In her arms she is carrying a bag of dog feed, a bag of cat food and some pet toys.

She enters a building. There is a friendly woman in uniform behind the desk. The young woman puts the dog and cat food and toys on the counter and talks to the friendly woman.