Maddie rushed over to hug her parents and was quickly escorted to the ambulance. We watched in anticipation as the paramedics examined her and after a few minutes, she was released and waved goodbye at us before setting off to the parking area and climbing into her parent’s car.
Out of the mouth of the cave, paramedics pushed Melanie on a gurney, uniformed officers escorting her on either side. She groaned as they lifted her into the back of the ambulance.
“She won’t be getting out of prison for a long time,” I said with an icy tone.
“She better hope she likes orange jumpsuits and nasty food,” Lauren added, shrugging a shoulder, glaring in Melanie’s direction.
“Well, Fiona. Doc and I are going to jet. We’ve got dates next Friday with some Hartford boys and gotta get something cool to wear, you know!”
I laughed. This news didn’t surprise me in the least. She was terribly boy-driven, and Willow always went along with what she wanted to do.
“Well, be careful in the mall parking lot, I hear it’s dangerous. But let’s talk to the detective before you take off! We solved another case, guys! Let’s hope we get a break for a bit!”
“Uh, no doubt. I’m a high school senior, I’ve got to act like one on occasion, you know!” Lauren said in a raspy voice.
“I wouldn’t mind a slight break, Fiona. I have some major spring break plans in March, so solving this case is stellar,” Willow said, smiling as she searched for Detective Chase.
Wolfe turned to me and inclined his head with a crooked smile. I couldn’t help but return with a grin so deep-seated, it lit up my face from within.
“Fiona, mind if I come over later?” he inquired, his smile intensifying. “I have something for you.”
I stared at him with probing eyes, finding it odd that he would have something for me. Curiosity took hold.
“Sure, let’s finish up here. There’s probably no sense in going back to school for 45 minutes, huh?”
“No, I’m done for the day. My last period is physical education, and I certainly don’t like playing kickball in the gym,” Willow laughed, pushing up her blazer sleeves.
“I have computer science; I’m smarter than my teacher, so I’m out too,” Lauren added.
“Alright, let’s head over to Detective Chase and see what he has to say,” I said, leading the group.
We ventured to the parking area where news reporters were interviewing the detective. I always forgot that aspect of the job and realized I would have to get used to the cameras one day. Once he was finished, he sprinted over to our group.
“Job well done, guys. I appreciate your help tremendously. We’re headed over to Melanie’s house to collect essentially everything she owns so we can place her with trace evidence. The more evidence, the merrier. We don’t want her walking on a technicality. However, Maddie’s kidnapping is an open-shut case, and that’s enough to put her away for a long time.”
“No doubt. And I’m a witness for sure. She is a psychopath!”
“Are you certain that the teen cult didn’t have any involvement? I mean, is it possible that they did it with her?” Lauren inquired.
“Not probable in the least. Not only does their alibi line up in every way, but we also have picture evidence of what happened—all in line with their story. They’re troubled teens, no question, but hopefully this experience will turn them around. If you want to rebel against society, society will judge you—no matter what you look like on the inside.”
“Well, Damien did want everybody to feel his wrath per his Facebook post,” I added in a sarcastic fashion, an eyebrow arched in cynicism.
“I’m certain he did it to get attention. That’s what attention-seeking teens do—attempt to shock people to get noticed. The sad thing is that social media posts can be used against you,” the detective said. “Damien is currently being investigated for what he said in his posts. Don’t worry about him going nuts at the school, the police have it under control. They know how to determine the difference between attention-seekers and the ones that mean it.”
“Yeah, we all need to be careful what we say online, and should assume we’ll always be taken seriously,” Lauren added warmly.
After detailing the case and saying our goodbyes, Wolfe set out on his longboard to his house to pick up whatever it was that he had for me, and I jumped in the car with Detective Chase.
During the car ride, we celebrated with a lively conversation about how we had solved another case. He offered for my team to observe the evidence collection at Melanie Newsted’s home, but since Lauren, Willow and Maddie were unavailable, and Wolfe was swinging by my house, I told him we’d catch up with the crime lab later. He explained that we wouldn’t miss much, since they were going to take everything they could find that even resembled evidence in the case.
Within minutes, he pulled the Impala into my circle driveway, I said goodbye and rushed towards the house. I tore through the front door, shouting to Janice that Wolfe would be stopping by—she said she’d throw together a batch of his favorite cookies with wolves drawn on top in frosting. I rushed to the pink palace to freshen up and after about twenty minutes, the doorbell rang.
I couldn’t stand it. I burst out of my room and ran down the hallway. I swung open the front door and he was standing on my porch, holding a gigantic box with an enormous red bow on top. There were curious holes punctured in the top of the gift-wrap. He gingerly set down the box on the floor as a slight whimper sounded from inside, followed by a tiny bark.
“No way!”
I frantically ripped off the gift-wrap and unveiled a cardboard pet carrier. I nearly fainted as I opened the top of the box and laid my tired eyes upon the most adorable, tiny black puppy inside. He looked up at me with shiny black eyes and hopped up on two legs, pawing gently at the side of the box, begging to be picked up.
“Meet Canis, Fiona,” he said in an enchanting voice.
My limbs deadened as I dropped to the ground by the carrier and lifted the puppy into the air, pressing him gently against my chest. A Scottish terrier. Male. He looked identical to Luminal at that age; I remembered the day ten years before that I got him.
He crawled his way up towards my face, anxiously licking me as I dropped onto couch. I loved the smell of cute puppy’s breath; it was incredible. He settled into my tummy and immediately started to fall asleep.
“Canis? Why Canis?” I said in a panicked tone, stroking his soft fur.
Canis woke up for a moment, snuggling as closely as he could get to my body as Janice walked in with the plate of cookies for Wolfe.
“Hi, Mr. Canis!” she sang, stooping down to allow him to lick her cheek.
“Janice, you knew about this?” I said in a shocked tone.
“Why, Fiona. Do you think that Wolfie would purchase a dog for you without getting prior approval from your parents? Wolfie is a gentleman!” she chuckled as she ambled back into the kitchen. “Oh, Wolfie, would you like to stay for dinner tonight? I am making Chinese stir fry with fried rice.”
“I’m in! Thanks!” he shouted, leaning down with a dazzling smile.
“Why Canis?” I asked, confused.
“His full name is Canis Lupus after the Genus and species of the gray wolf. My name’s Wolfe. So, every time you say his name, you’ll think of me,” he said.
I was speechless. Leaning towards me with smoldering eyes, he slid his hand under my chin, tilting my head back to read my expression.
“Now, for the bad news.”
I held my breath, cringing on the inside. His face was smooth, unreadable. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear what he had to say for this moment had been too good to spoil.
“I resign from the club.”
A few seconds had passed before I realized what he had done. His words descended into my brain, one at a time. I took a deep breath.
“What? Why would you do that?” I said with panic riddling my voice.
He dropped his hands into his lap as I raised the sl
eeping puppy towards my chest.
“I want to focus on music. I joined a band last week, and we want to start practicing more,” he said as he stared into my eyes.
I wanted to say no, but I bit my tongue. It was harebrained to entertain such a ridiculous notion. I dropped my head, looking down at Canis’s wavy, black fur. I couldn’t imagine not having Wolfe in the club.
“I-I understand, I guess,” my heart gave a gentle squeeze.
“It’s official. I’m not in your club,” he said, his expression was soft as he stroked my hair.
My eyes filled with so much sadness, my vision blurred. Trying not to blink, I kept the tears from gushing onto my cheeks.
Canis struggled in my arms, wanting my full attention. Wolfe grabbed him and placed his wiggling body gently on the ground. He pranced around the living room, stopping to look at me and pounce. I had forgotten how cute puppies were and how they were equipped with magical powers to force smiles on faces.
With one motion, Wolfe closed the distance between us, wrapping his arms around me, squeezing. I couldn’t breathe, but not from his hold on me. After a moment of perplexity, I followed his lead and laid my head on his shoulder. I slid my arms around his chest; they felt like they belonged there.
After holding each other as tightly as we could, he relaxed his grip, backing up ever so slightly, raising my chin upward with his hand. With an intentional slowness, he leaned down and pressed his soft lips onto mine. The moment our lips molded together, every fiber in my body weakened, leaving me vulnerable. Heart hammering in my chest, my body dissipated as a floating sensation took hold. Our bodies became one as our lips pressed into what felt like an unbreakable bond. I trailed my hands upward along his back, finding his hair, twisting my fingers through the silky strands. I pulled him closer as my hands found the back of his neck. His lips were strong, wondrous.
I backed away, gasping for air, my chest rising in a frenzy as I fought to catch my breath. My mind floated as he mesmerized me with his gorgeous eyes. With a mischievous grin, he leaned in once again, tauntingly slow; his lips meeting mine with greater force than before.
Something grabbed my pants and I pulled away, looking down at my ankle to see Canis shaking his head back and forth with the edge of my jeans in his mouth. He growled with a tiny voice, yanking them repeatedly, pushing backward as if he were trying to take them from me. We broke into a hysterical fit of laughter as Wolfe gently pried the dog’s mouth from my pants, scooped him up, and lifted him into the air towards his face.
“Hey friend, you’ll go back to where you came from if you interrupt us like that again,” he laughed, handing him to me.
My mom entered the living room to greet the new puppy, and within moments, my dad arrived and did the same. I couldn’t comprehend how Wolfe pulled this off. He had gone to so much trouble to get it approved by my parents, as well as Janice, for me to have a puppy. At dinner, Haley was well enough to join us and took a seat next to me, Wolfe taking the other side. Right as we sat down, I noticed a text from the detective. Given we had just solved the case and were all in a celebratory mode; I felt it appropriate that I read it aloud to everybody at the table.
We collected enough evidence at Melanie’s house to put her away. The Houston Police contacted us—they had located a bag of bloody clothes, women’s size 8, the day after the murder in an alleyway dumpster behind the hotel that Melanie stayed in when she went to the craft fair after the murder. We followed the receipts, studied the chronology, and Melanie put gas in her car the evening prior to the murder but she didn’t leave Godley Grove until the next morning, after she murdered Jody.
As I said before, you should all be proud of your contributions to solving this case. Another note, please share with Wolfe that the scorpion he found at the initial crime scene was a species match to some pet scorpions of Melanie’s we recovered in an aquarium in her bedroom. This guy must have ridden along with Melanie in her stuff she brought to the crime scene, most likely without her knowledge. They’re not indigenous to Godley Grove, nor are they sold at local pet stores. Good work.
“Well, good job, kids. I’m so proud of you!” my mother squeaked, passing the bowl of fried rice to my father.
“Is Maddie alright, Fiona?” my mother inquired with a sigh.
“Yes, she is fine. She made it out of that mess with only a scratch—literally. She’s out on a date with Carden Doyle right now. I heard that the Christie’s fronted for a limousine to take them out.”
“Now, that’s spoiling her, huh?” my mother asked in a casual voice, looking at my father who was adamantly shaking his head in a yes.
The conversation stalled as each of us dove into Janice’s culinary masterpiece. Minutes went by before my father broke the silence, startling me.
“Are you going to tell Fiona the good news, Haley?” he bellowed in a cavernous voice.
She nodded with a smile, turning her bright blue eyes towards me and setting her fork down on her plate.
“Fiona, I’ve decided to stay here in Godley Grove and not go back to New Jersey. I’ve had a long talk with my parents and your parents, which I am very grateful for, by the way. And we feel that the best thing for me to do is to stay here and for me to focus on my studies, and try to make something of myself. Maybe if I turn it around, I can go to Hartford?”
I looked at my mother; her eyes sparkled as she tilted her head to the side, her hair fanning onto her shoulder. My father nodded slowly. I was already coming around on Haley, but wasn’t sure if I was ready to commit to her full time again. I had been excited for her to leave, but I suppose I would have missed the new Haley if she had left.
“Fiona, she’s shown an aptitude and interest in science, so we thought that maybe—”
“Well, there’s an opening in Fiona’s club since I resigned,” Wolfe sounded. “But I will be there as a consultant if needed.”
My mother shot a glance of concern at Wolfe, her lips curling down at the corners.
“You quit the club?” she asked tersely.
“Yes, Dr. Frost. I did. See, you can’t fraternize with employees, especially boss-to-employee. Since our lab is a training lab, and Fiona was technically my boss, I can’t be her boyfriend and be in her program,” his grin stretched wide across his faultless face.
I suppose Wolfe declaring the boyfriend status to my parents made it official—there was no denying we were a couple. It felt exhilarating, but at the same time, I sensed an overwhelming dread that some things would have to change. Internally elated, I turned, gazing into Haley’s eyes, trying to determine if she was sincere in her quest. She seemed to have changed, but I was unsure. I trusted my parents. I had faith in their judgment.
“Uh…Haley, you want to be in my training program?”
My question caught her off guard. She was quiet for a long moment. I gazed at her, her expression seemed eager, animated.
She nodded her head with a smile and said, “Yes, Fiona. I do.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Bon Blossman is a published fiction author, C.E.O. and founder of the world’s top international murder mystery company, MyMysteryParty.com, a recording artist, and a developmental physiologist. She is also an adjunct professor with years of college level teaching experience including a year of teaching forensic science to high school students.
Dr. Bon Blossman completed her Bachelor of Science in Pre-Medicine (Biology major and Chemistry minor), her Master of Science in Biology (Microbiology) and her PhD in Integrative Developmental Physiology. She continued with a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in a developmental cardiovascular research program.
Dr. Bon is a member of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemical Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society, National Scholars Society and is listed on the Cambridge Society's Who's Who List. She also has held memberships with the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute for B
iological Science.
Since 1998, she has published over five scientific journal articles in the fields of microbiology, mammalogy, and physiology, including a landmark paper in metabolic allometry, with her most recent research focused on the development of the embryonic cardiovascular system. She currently serves as an ad hoc reviewer for the Royal Integrative Society.
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Fiona Frost: Order of the Black Moon Page 28
