chapter 16
"What?" I put down my copy of hidden pictures which I was enjoying before this distraction.
"Three suspects." She gestures with her fingers. I bring forward my face, paying full attention. What if she gets it right? What if somehow she manages to find out? "Number one is my mom; which I can never believe is possible but she's been giving me some feelings. Two, is Mr. Langford; and I can totally believe he's capable of such, even if he's a police officer, I mean, have you seen the guy?
Three, is Detective Chrome; do you know she arrived in town the night Zack was Murdered? You said Zack was going to run away, what if he was trying to run away from Detective Chrome, and not to her," she says assertively.
What is happening? Is she becoming smarter? The fact that she's another step closer terrifies me. If she doesn't stop, she might get hurt, and I can't bear to see her in pain.
I grunt as I fall back to the chair, then I suck my teeth. "Well, it is very impressive that you hmm, well, think," I air quote. "But I do not think Elizabeth is capable of murder. She's like the sweetest mother I know," I say, and she raises her brows. "For Mr. Langford…" I tilt my head, "Well, he does look like a killer, but situations like this make him look that way. He's a police officer, he has seen things, Anna, and the only way he thinks he can prevent it is if he becomes emotionless, just like the situation. Mrs. Chrome? I don't know. Is it possible for a mother to kill her son? It sounds improbable," I say, and her eyes widen.
"Filicide," She utters, then she takes a deep breath. "So we're going to Cassandra's, right?" She asks, and I nod.
ARIANNA.
The four of us are becoming closer again. I can't tell if that's a good thing. The last time we were this close, someone died. And that same death is bringing us back together. We go to Cassandra's house together, and I ring the doorbell. "Hope this goes well," Alisyn mutters beside me. We might be in this together, but that's it, after we've cleared our names, we go our separate ways. The door clicks open, and Cassandra steps out. She looks worn out and she smells of liquor, I can tell she's not okay, and I don't expect her to be.
She looks surprised to see us. "Uhmm, how are you?" I ask her.
"Argh, dizzy," she puts her hand on her forehead as she strides back into the house.
"Of course," I utter as I step into the house and the three of them follow behind me.
"Uhmm, how about I make you some coffee after…" I tell her.
"After?" She turns to face me. "After what?" She creases her brows.
We look at each other…Obviously, she's not bothered that we might be Zack's murderer, but is it right to divulge to her?
"Uhmm, you see, I was hoping…I mean, we were hoping that you might know where Zack's —"
"History Textbook is…" Jeremy cuts in. We all look at him with shocked eyes. What is he saying? I look at him with squinted eyes. He's hard to read. I claimed that I know him, but I don't think I do. There are just so many ways he acts that I can't tell why or how. But I trust him.
"Yeah, of course, we were hoping you'd know where he kept his his-history textbook." It feels weird lying like that. Zack didn't even take history.
"Oh," she utters. "Well, I don't think you'd find any book you're looking for," she says.
"What?! Why?" I ask, concerned.
"Because Detective Chrome took all of his books, like the whole of it," she says, and my eye bulges.
"She did what?" I ask, shocked, then I share a gaze with Jeremy. "filicide, Huh?"
"Wait, Mrs. Chrome was here?" Jeremy asks, seeming interested.
"Mmhmm," she mumbles, striding to the bar. "She said she needed something of his son," Cassandra says as she pours herself a glass of vodka. She drinks from it, then bursts into laughter. "Son?! She gave him up, but yet I'm the bad mother." She's in anguish, the state where people blame themselves for the wrong of others. I can't lie, I feel deep for her.
JEREMY
Stoneybrook's second sin? This is a fucking filicide. How can a mother murder her child? I'm starting to think I know nothing. Zack kept pestering me about finding his birth mother, was it because he wanted to run from her or run to her? Jeremy, Jeremy, think. What happened that night? could it be that someone else Killed Zack? No, I'm sure of who killed him. We walk out of the house, leaving Cassandra to her vodka.
"What do we do now?" Alisyn asks. It was never my intention to involve any of them, likewise was it his intention. Someone is framing us for Zack's death, someone that knows us very well. Who had easy access to Anna's room…? Who loves gossip? Who knows about Matthew's drug business? All roads keep leading to Delilah. But Delilah only hates Anna, and she wouldn't risk putting me in the middle of it, but still, I won't believe she's innocent, she's never innocent. Mrs. Chrome could have taken any other thing that belongs to Zack, but she chose his library. It means she's hiding something. Somehow she figured the truth lies in Zack's diary and this is her way of hiding it. She said she didn't meet with Zack that night, but what if she did? Damn! There are just too many suspects, and there's just one murderer. I need to know what role Detective Chrome, Delilah, and Mrs. Freeman played in the death of Zack.
"We are breaking in," I state.
"What?" Alisyn utters.
"Break in? Where?" Anna asks Curiously.
"Into Mrs. Chrome's house," I say, and Matthew scoffs.
"You must be out of your damn mind!" Matthew yells. "Do you know how that would make us look? Like a criminal!" He yells at me.
"Are you not a criminal? It's best to put it to use in a situation like this," I sass at him, and he chuckles with anger.
"A, you don't want to do this," he turns to Arianna. Arianna quietly looks at me. Once again I'm putting her in danger, but only to bring her out of it.
"When are we breaking in?" She asks. I won't lie, I enjoy it when she picks sides with me over Matthew.
Matthew scoffs. "You're doing it again," he says to Arianna.
"Thinking you can change him. I know you miss him, A! I know you don't want to let go, but he's never going to change! He is deceitful, he lies! Don't do this, it's hubris, it's dangerous to trust him," he admonishes. I would take his advice against me because he's right, he's so fucking right. I take a deep breath and look away, then I catch Mrs. Freeman peeping at us through the window. She smirks at me before stepping away from the window. She wants to play…? Let's play.
ARIANNA.
I'm in a loop, I don't know who to listen to. I don't understand Jeremy, and no matter how hard I try to refuse him, my heart won't let me. Either way, it's for the best. Detective Chrome might be the murderer, that is why she's putting the trace of it into her possession, and that also proves why she's so determined to throw us all in prison without solid proof. For us to clear our names, we need to beat her at her own game.
"When are we breaking in?" I ask, and Matthew scoffs.
"You're doing it again," he says to me. "Thinking you can change him. I know you miss him, A! I know you don't want to let go, but he's never going to change! He is deceitful, he lies! Don't do this, it's hubris, it's dangerous to trust him," he admonishes. He makes sense. I never thought I would ever speak to Jeremy again, and here I am holding onto him. But, I don't appreciate Matthew saying this in front of him. "I don't trust him," I lie. "But, Matthew, this is the only way we can clear our names…"
Matthew shakes his head. "No. You keep saying that, but working with him isn't our only way. How are you sure he's not Zack's Murderer…" he glares at Jeremy. "I mean, he'd done it before, maybe he did it this time."
"Maybe…" Alisyn interjects. "But if he did it, I trust that he won't frame us for it." Surprise, surprise, I and Alisyn are agreeing to something.
Matthew licks the bottom of his lips and grunts his teeth. "Count me out," he says and walks away. Matthew is right at some point. The trial is in two days. If we're caught, it will make us look bad, real bad.
"When are we breaking in? How do we break in?" I throw my hands.
"Relax, we just need to know when she won't be at home," Jeremy says.
"Like tonight?" Alisyn utters.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"She's having dinner with my parents tonight, it will be a good time to break into her house," she says.
I'm confused and glad at the same time. "Dinner with your parents? Why?" I ask.
She eyeballs me. "It's none of your business."
Isn't it wonderful to have powerful parents? I'm sure Mr. Wealth has a perfect deal to make with Detective Chrome so she can keep his daughter out of prison, and I'm sure she knows about it too, but why bother breaking into Detective Chrome's house with us? As far as I know, Alisyn has nothing to worry about.
"What time are they having dinner?" Jeremy asks.
"10," Alisyn replies.
"Okay then, we move at exactly 10 pm. We'll all go together," Jeremy tells us, and I nod.
"I'm sure I can come up with a perfect excuse to leave the house," Alisyn says nervously.
"Yeah, I'm sure you can, you've been for the past few months, right?" I sass at her, and she glares at me. Alisyn? Like Alisyn, out of all the girls he could secretly date, he chose Alisyn. Well, I guess she's good at stuff like that. We go our separate ways.
JEREMY JACOB OSCAR is truly a bad influence, but a good type of bad influence, if there's anything like that. In just a month of his arrival, he has made me break Mr. Langford's rules repeatedly, and I'm planning on breaking into someone's house like a criminal. I mean, what am I even doing? What if I'm caught by Mr. Langford, damn, I'm going to be grounded for life. Why aren't they going to bed? my parents. Their late-night mutter is getting so annoying. I wonder what they are talking about that always seems to make Mom shed tears uncontrollably. I hate to see her that way, in pain. I'm glad her husband cares so much about her to wipe her tears. O-kay, guess I won't be going through the front door. I go back into my room, pacing around like a paranoiac. It's 10:15, I'm sure Jeremy and Alisyn are waiting for me somewhere. As I turn to face the window, I see Jeremy stepping out of the house with his mom. Mrs. Oscar is well dressed, her latest Versace handbag hanging at the crook of her elbow. I love the jacket more than the white jumpsuit she's putting on. I must say, she's truly a fashion Icon. She kisses Jeremy on the cheek before getting into her car. As she drives past the house, Jeremy weaves her goodbye. I wonder where she's off to, she probably has another date, she always has a date. Anyways, thank God Jeremy is outside, he's the only one who can help me get out of this house. I start waving my hands at my window, hoping he'll get the signal, but he just pulls his phone from his pocket, taps on it, and places it in his ear. Is he seriously making a phone call right now?
I keep screaming his name inside my head. Gosh! Look over here. I keep waving at him. Luckily for me, his gaze meets mine, and I finally put down my hand. I open my window and stick my face out of it. "My parents are awake," I mouth to him. He seems confused approaching me. He stands close enough to my room. "My parents are awake," I whisper. He types on his phone, and mine chimes in my back pocket, I pull it out. It's a text from a strange number. 'Climb down through the drain pipe.' Of course, he sent it. I glare at him, hoping he feels my stank eye in the dark, from four feet high, two-meter close.
'I can't. It's dangerous.' I text back.
He looks at his phone, then up at me. 'Do you trust me?' Of course, we are at this stage, Bonding. Do I trust him? Yes. Am I supposed to trust him? I don't know. But I know I want to trust him, I know I want to believe he's a good person, and I know I want our friendship back.
'Yes,' I finally text back after staring at him for a while.
'Okay then, the drain pipe,' he texts, and I nod. Climbing down the drain pipe is as easy as climbing down a ladder, but not until it cracks, and my heart banters. Funny, I'm not scared that I might fall, I'm scared of being caught by Mr. Langford. Oh God, I hope I'm not caught, 'cause I can not fathom the punishment I'll receive. As I'm about to take my last step down, he helps me by holding my waist. I shrink as I feel his touch. It's been long, it's been five years. I turn to face him, and I just…Freeze. Jeremy killed someone, and yet I can't seem to hate him as I thought I would. Does this mean I'm like him? Or does this just prove that I can't stand being angry at him? Those five years I spent without him felt like Christmas without snow.
"Do I have something on my face?" He asks teasingly.
I smile as I roll my eyes. "Did you grow a mustache in prison?" I tease him, and he smiles.
"Prison, you see, brings out the man in you…" he tilts his head, "Or woman. You should visit there," he says as he strolls, and I walk beside him.
I laugh, but not so loud. "That's not funny," I reply, and he smiles. All of a sudden we are awkwardly silent, and that's because I'm no longer in the mood of laughing or talking. it's called mood swings, I've had it since I was little. I guess the reason I'm having it now is because of Mom. I can't stop thinking of what might be the problem, what is the cause of her late-night tears.
"Are you okay?" Jeremy asks.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I glance at him.
"Okay," he utters. "But, but it's okay not to be," he says, and I glance at him. He gets me, that's why I'm so attached to him, that's why I don't want to let him go.
"It's mom." I turn to face him. "She uhm…" I exhale. "Cries, every night, since Zack's death." I'm sure it's not because of Zack, that's what bothers me.
JEREMY.
We are born, we live, we die and life goes on. But it's not as simple as that. There are people whose lives are cut short, and there are people who are unable to live past that. People like Me, Arianna, and Elizabeth. I've done some terrible things but for the right reasons. I'm not justifying my act though, I just need some closure, and I have no one to give me that since they all believe I'm a killer, and the ones that don't, treat me like a bloody maniac. Is there any need to make things right? I'm screwed, I'm me, and I am dangerous.
"Baby." Delilah sashay downstairs in heels. Looking at her, I crease my brows. Why am I surprised? She's dressed like her. I scoff and go back to my cereal. "Uhmm, did I tell you about this guy named Josh?" She trails her hand on my shoulder, then sits next to me at the diner.
She's wonderful in many ways, at lying, pretending, fashion, and flirting.
"Are you supposed to?" I don't care about the guys she dates, the life she lives. I'm scared that I might actually commit murder if I find out the truth about how my father died.
"Yes. Trust me, Josh is an amazing guy. He is the chief judge of crime and justice in New York City," she explains.
"By amazing, I suppose you mean rich," I say.
She smiles. "Anyways, Josh is taking me to this fancy restaurant outside town, and I won't be coming home tonight. Will you be okay by yourself?" She acts like she cares, but she keeps doing bad things, not minding how it affects me.
"If I say no, will you stay?" I ask her, and her eyes grow wide.
"Of…Of course." she smiles. "Anything for you my boy." I get it now. Lying is a part of her, she can't stop it.
"Mother, it's fine…" I say standing up with the bowl. "I'll be fine," I throw the bowl on the sink. And look outside the window. A half-moon and stars have appeared in the sky. Stoneybrook seems quiet, and I can tell it's 10 pm or a few minutes past. As a matter of fact, I'm glad Mother won't be around. It will be easy to leave home. "You should go on every date." I turn to face her. She looks surprised.
"Really?" She stands up, looking at me skeptically.
"Yeah. I missed having a father," I tell her, and slowly grimace. "You owe me that. So you should go to Josh. I trust that he is an amazing man." I like it when she's paranoid. But it's hard to notice, 'cause she's good at hiding things.
She grins. "Why don't you see me to the door, " she says.
"Of course, Mother." I smile. Being pretty is one of her biggest strategies. She smiles and like eight guys fall in love with her. Something tells me Josh is more than just a guy she met. He's the chief judge. I bet this has something to do with the trial on Wednesday. Should I be grateful that she always have my back? Should I be grateful that I have a mother who is ready to murder anyone on my behalf? It sounds nice, but it doesn't feel that way. I watch her get into her car, and I wave her goodbye as she drives past the house. When the coast is clear, I pull out my phone and dial Prishka Singh's number. One thing is sure, Mrs. Chrome will never bargain with the Freeman concerning Zack's death. The last time I checked, Zack was her everything. But I'm confused, why is she accusing the four of us despite knowing that we're innocent? Detective Chrome is hiding something, and I'm afraid finding out what it is is our only way out of the trial. Prishka picks up at the third ring.
"Hello," She whispers from her end.
"I need a favour," I say.
She groans. "I don't know, Jeremy. You've been asking for a lot of favors," She says.
"I know. I promise this is the last."
I hear her exhale. "What is it?"
"I want you to keep Detective Chrome from coming home tonight."
She becomes silent.
"Hello?" I utter.
"You want me to keep someone from going home, not just anyone, but a detective. Jeremy, are you Crazy?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"Jeremy, I am a lawyer, and I'm vouching for you. You know what this means for me if you screw up."
"Strange. You know I'm already screwed up Prishka, right from the very moment you saw me, but still, you keep having my back. Why?"
All of a sudden, I am curious. Prishka is the one person in the world who truly knows me. She understands me, she even went against her belief for my sake. Thinking about it now, I don't know why she keeps having my back. Why is she so loyal to me?
"Let's just say, I'm fulfilling a promise I made to someone. In the meantime, I don't think I can help you."
"Why?" I ask, surprised.
"Because I'm in New Orleans."
"Wait, what?" I exclaim. "What the hell are you doing there?"
"You tell me…" She sighs. "Somehow, Mr. Freeman ended up here."
"But I thought he's in Stoneybrook."
"Yeah, he is. And somehow he's also in New Orleans." She exhales.
"I'll explain to you better when I get back, for now, try to stay out of trouble, will you?"
I nod and hang up. Too late. I'm already in trouble. New Orleans? Damn, this is becoming tougher than I thought. As I raise my head, I see Arianna weaving at me from her window. Strolling to her, she says something which I can barely hear. When I get closer, she whispers, "My parents are awake." Of course, they are. I text her to climb down through the drain pipe. It's difficult but she agrees. Getting close to the ground, I help her land at her feet. She turns to face me. And It's like she froze as she stares at me without blinking.
"Do I have something on my face?" I tease her, and she smiles.
We quietly stroll down the street, hoping Alisyn will arrive anytime soon, but I can tell something is bothering her. She automatically goes silent when she is hurt or worried.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," she says.
"Okay," I utter. "But, but it's okay not to be." If there's any chance I can get to make things better for her, I'll take it. I can't imagine how much hatred she had for me when I neglected her to be with Mikeala.
She looks at me, then sighs. "It's mom." She turns to face me.
"She uhm…" she exhales. "Cries, every night, since Zack's death." Maybe I should just accept it. That I'm like my Mother. Gosh! The height of my secret can cause her more damage than I expected. Elizabeth and her husband need to keep their act together. I've come this far to make Anna trust me again, it will be bad if they spill out the truth now.
"Okay, did you talk to her?" I ask, and she shakes her head.
"No, I don't want to interfere."
"You're disturbed, that's pretty much interfering," I say. I hate it when I have to withhold the truth from her, but it's not as terrible when I'm lying to her.
"You think I should ask her?" she asks. No. Of course not.
"Yeah, you should." I just hope Elizabeth is strong enough to stand by her word. The intense light and sound of a Camry steal our focus. The car is coming at a steady speed.
"Alisyn," Anna mutters just when the car is in full sight. Finally, the car stops in the middle of the road, just a few feet from us, but the lights are still on. Winding down the window, "You guys coming?" Alisyn whispers, already sounding like a criminal.
"Yeah, " I reply, heading towards her, but Anna holds me by the arm.
"Are you sure about this?" She whispers.
I place my hands on top of hers. "No. Do you have a better option?" I ask, and she shakes her head as she lets go of me.